WoW: Season 3 Arena Weapons

A hot topic since BlizzCon when Blizzard announced that the "welfare" weapons from season 3's arena would require an arena rating of approximately 1900 to purchase. Drysc had more to say on the subject...
A weapon isn't going to keep your 1300 team from competing with the best teams.

The change is being made to help keep the nice PvP rewards for the good PvP players, and the nice PvE rewards for the good PvErs. Having the weapons there is too tempting for PvE players to come in, not care about PvP, their team, or rating, and jump in just long enough to go for the weapons and then leave. It's not exactly in-line with the team and ladder based PvP competition the arenas are there for.

Also, there's been no announcement on a final rating. I remember hearing 1800 at BlizzCon, some people say they heard 1900, in any case it's likely to be around there but there's still no final number announced... or even if it's a definite and final change.