So the new expansion is out, with a whole new continent to explore, dungeons to delve, professions to level, and spells to learn. But what are any of those things, really, compared to the grand, shiny, and let's not forget unbelievably HUGE new battleground, Strand of the Ancients? If there is any reason, besides having to go to work and, well, eat and stuff, why my mage is still at level 71, this battleground is it.
Strand of the Ancients is unlike anything we've seen before in WoW PvP. It is a fast-paced, dynamic timed battle set on the massive backdrop of an abandoned Titan fortress. It's also a place where the innate abilities of mages can serve to help both you and your team a great deal.
The basic premise of the Strand is this: one faction uses bombs and siege vehicles to break their way into the enemy keep and steal the Titan relic there, while the other faction uses guns to hold them off. Each faction gets a chance at attacking and defending, but game time is dynamic: however long it takes for the first attackers to break into the keep in the first round is how long the second attackers have to break in during the second round. At most, games take 20 minutes.
Destroying Demolishers: Demolishers, as they are apparently called (they look like goblin tanks to me) can move out of range of most channeled or long-cast spells. They are also immune to slowing or shackling, so instant-cast abilities are key to disabling them. Ice Lance and Fireblast will help bring one of these engines down. Just make sure you have an Arcane Explosion or Blizzard prepared when the pilot and passengers leap out of their smoldering vehicle.
Defending with the Big Guns: If you fancy yourself a crack shot with a rocket launcher, you can take a stab at defending the gates. Take the Defender's Portals, located to the side of each gate, run into the gatehouse, and hop aboard one of the Antipersonnel Guns inside. From here, you can launch missiles which do a massive amount of damage to both incoming enemy tanks and players themselves. While there isn't anything mage-specific about these guns, they are very fun to use.
Attacking with Demolishers: In the sessions of Strand of the Ancients I've run so far, the generally-accepted rule is that melee players drive the demolishers, while ranged attackers ride as passengers. As a mage, this allows you to use your offensive spells to pick off any enemy attackers trying to destroy your tank. My favorite tactic is to cast Blizzard directly behind the tank's path, therefore slowing anyone traveling behind us. Once near a gate, I target the turret guns. While the guns themselves are hard to destroy, defending players tend to stand on these turrets as well.
Stealth Bombing: Invisibility is an excellent way of sneaking past enemies who might be guarding the machine shops. Stealth, grab one of the seaforium charges held in the barrels outside the machine shop, jump on your mount, and make for the nearest gate. Once there, plant your bomb and head back for more.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Arcane Advice: A Mage’s Perspective on Dungeon Running, Part One
DPS classes don’t always get asked their opinions on running dungeons. As a priest, I was commonly asked about such things as pull numbers, mind control, boss resistances, and the need for a secondary healer, but as a mage I’ve generally just rolled up to the instance, blasted my way through some enemies and gone home. In fact, I usually wind up asking the groups I’m in for feedback, such as when to AoE, how much time the tank needs to build aggro, whether I am sheeping before or after the pull, and which adds need to be DPSed down first.
Nevertheless, running any dungeon, unless you’re decked out in level 70 gear running Ragefire Chasm, is a team effort. With the recent talent tree changes, new options have opened up for all classes. And with ten new levels to explore in Northrend, many dungeon groups are featuring “off-spec” healers and tanks, or DPSers spec’d more for leveling than they are for raiding. It’s a new game for all of us, and many of us are using this new time to “re-learn” our classes. Now, more than ever, we all need to be informed, flexible and strategic about working with others in a dungeon environment. To that end, this guide attempts to provide “food for thought” for all dungeon-goers out there. Good luck!
Part One – The Pull
The basis of any successful pull is communication. Who is killing what? In what order? What happens if the boss suddenly polymorphs the healer? What if the boss can duplicate herself? These and many other questions can and should be asked before the pull happens, because the pull, its engineering and strategy, may be the single most important part of any dungeon run.
Marking. Marking is usually taken to be par for the course in guild groups and among people who know each other, but it isn’t always used in PUGs and it should be. While marking can be hard in a new dungeon where no one knows their way, and is often assumed to be “elementary” in groups where most members have run it before, it never hurts the party, can often prevent a wipe, and ensures that every party member, no matter who they are, knows what they should be doing at all times. Tips for marking:
- Mark Kill Order. This prevents “mis-targeting” for those party members who are inferring what they should be killing by targeting what the tank is currently fighting, and helps to prevent “down time” for DPSers who are wondering what their next target should be.
- Mark Crowd Control. Each class capable of CC should have their own, pre-agreed symbol during combat. All classes capable of continuing CC through subsequent casts should set their CC target as their focus and work pro-actively to ensure that their target stays out of commission until the tank has deemed it ready to be killed.
- Stick to Your Marking. We’ve all seen it before. The warlock DoTs the mage’s sheep, the mage casts frost nova and breaks the hunter’s freeze trap, the priest MCs the secondary DPS target and the warrior uses their AoE ability on the priest’s shackled undead. The bottom line: target the mob to which you’ve been assigned!
Order and Direction. Every pull is different. Some pulls require a break in line of sight. Some pulls should be started via a Polymorph or Mind Control spell. Sometimes the hunter pulls the mob back to the party. Sometimes the tank charges ahead and takes the fight to the mob.
With all of these different factors, party members need to be flexible when tackling the pull. But all pulls should have the following things in common: a pre-determined person executing the pull, and a designated spot where the mob is being tanked. Some questions your party will need to answer in determining the order and direction of your pull:
- Is CC happening before or after the pull? And on a related note, if your mage or priest is opening the pull with their CC, how are you going to get aggro off of them and back to where it should be?
- If the puller is leading the mob back to the group, where does the group need to stand so they won’t get hit by any secondary damage abilities? This is extremely important in boss fights, where a single AoE from a boss can down cloth-wearing healers and crowd-controllers.
- Is the fight going to involve movement on the part of any of the players involved? If the tank is moving, how can healers maintain line of sight? And if everyone needs to move, how can the party maintain DPS and healing efficiency while running around the room?
Know Your Crowd Control. Not only is marking targets an important part of crowd control, so is knowing which targets can be CC’d by which classes:
- Druids can Hibernate beasts and dragonkin.
- Hunters can Freeze Trap just about anything.
- Mages can Polymorph humanoids and beasts.
- Paladins can use Repentance on humanoids, demons, dragonkin, giants and undead.
- Priests can Mind Control humanoids, and can Shackle undead.
- Rogues can Sap humanoids.
- Warlocks can Banish elementals and demons.
- Assign players responsible for CCing or for DPSing adds. In boss fights, incoming monsters can wipe the heartiest of parties unless someone is ready to get rid of them quickly.
- Who helps the healer? If the healer pulls aggro, who can step in and get mobs off the healer efficiently? If the healer goes down, who can act as back-up?
- Determine the off-tank. In the event of the tank going down, who’s going to jump in and attempt to keep the boss occupied?
- Use resurrect abilities proactively. This includes all class abilities (soulstones, self-resurrection, etc.) and also the Goblin Jumper Cables made by engineers.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Arcane Advice: Gaaaahh!
I'd like to focus this issue of Arcane Advice on taking a look at one of the most obnoxious features of the new patch, a development which has haunted me in every dungeon and battleground I've been in since 3.0.2's launch, and which has left me confused, frustrated and wanting to send a little bill to Blizzard asking for my 10 silver back.
Yes, fellow mages, I am talking about none other than the evil, nefarious, hell-twisted monstrosity of Fel Intelligence over-writing Arcane Brilliance.
This new issue reared its ugly head when I got on my level 69 mage, entered my first post-3.0.2 BG, buffed everyone with Arcane Brilliance and was just getting on my mount to go kick some butt, when some level 70 warlock sauntered into the BG, pulled out their felhunter, and replaced my happy little buff with one of their own.
This surprised me. Mages, perhaps more than any other class rely on intelligence. It therefore makes sense to me that in a group setting, we'd be providing the intelligence buffs. But I knew that Fel Intelligence was, like Paranoia before it, an aura ability, so I assumed that as I moved away from this warlock to target greener pastures his buff would fade from me and my own buff would replace it again.
I was completely wrong. His buff had not just replaced my own while I was near his felhunter, Fel Intelligence had completely erased my own Arcane Brilliance buff, leaving me without any intelligence buff of any kind when I went off on my own. Worse yet, by targeting other players in our BG, who I was sure I had buffed with Arcane Brilliance, I saw that they too were bereft of any intelligence buff, unless of course they happened to be fighting in the same area as the warlock.
When I took a little time to work out why this was happening, I discovered this: mages gain new ranks of Arcane Brilliance at levels 56, 70, and 80, while warlocks gain comparable ranks of Fel Intelligence at levels 52, 62, and 72. This means that for 8 levels before level 70, and 8 levels before level 80 Fel Intelligence eats Arcane Brilliance for lunch. And let's not forget that at 62 and 72 Fel Intelligence not only tops mage intelligence bonuses, it also gives all party members increased spirit. So this is really my biggest beef with Fel Intelligence, that for a total of 16 levels it is so much better than Arcane Brilliance it basically makes mage buffs obsolete.
Now, there's a ray of hope at level 80, when Arcane Brilliance gives +60 intelligence, while the new Fel Intelligence, learned at level 72, only grants +48 to intelligence. But until then, when we mages try to do anything in Northrend, we are in constant risk of having some gluttonous felhunter eating our buff the moment a warlock walks into the room.
So really, this column is a piece of advice, nay, a downright plea to Blizzard. Give us back Arcane Brilliance. Don't feed it to the warlocks.
Yes, fellow mages, I am talking about none other than the evil, nefarious, hell-twisted monstrosity of Fel Intelligence over-writing Arcane Brilliance.
This new issue reared its ugly head when I got on my level 69 mage, entered my first post-3.0.2 BG, buffed everyone with Arcane Brilliance and was just getting on my mount to go kick some butt, when some level 70 warlock sauntered into the BG, pulled out their felhunter, and replaced my happy little buff with one of their own.
This surprised me. Mages, perhaps more than any other class rely on intelligence. It therefore makes sense to me that in a group setting, we'd be providing the intelligence buffs. But I knew that Fel Intelligence was, like Paranoia before it, an aura ability, so I assumed that as I moved away from this warlock to target greener pastures his buff would fade from me and my own buff would replace it again.
I was completely wrong. His buff had not just replaced my own while I was near his felhunter, Fel Intelligence had completely erased my own Arcane Brilliance buff, leaving me without any intelligence buff of any kind when I went off on my own. Worse yet, by targeting other players in our BG, who I was sure I had buffed with Arcane Brilliance, I saw that they too were bereft of any intelligence buff, unless of course they happened to be fighting in the same area as the warlock.
When I took a little time to work out why this was happening, I discovered this: mages gain new ranks of Arcane Brilliance at levels 56, 70, and 80, while warlocks gain comparable ranks of Fel Intelligence at levels 52, 62, and 72. This means that for 8 levels before level 70, and 8 levels before level 80 Fel Intelligence eats Arcane Brilliance for lunch. And let's not forget that at 62 and 72 Fel Intelligence not only tops mage intelligence bonuses, it also gives all party members increased spirit. So this is really my biggest beef with Fel Intelligence, that for a total of 16 levels it is so much better than Arcane Brilliance it basically makes mage buffs obsolete.
Now, there's a ray of hope at level 80, when Arcane Brilliance gives +60 intelligence, while the new Fel Intelligence, learned at level 72, only grants +48 to intelligence. But until then, when we mages try to do anything in Northrend, we are in constant risk of having some gluttonous felhunter eating our buff the moment a warlock walks into the room.
So really, this column is a piece of advice, nay, a downright plea to Blizzard. Give us back Arcane Brilliance. Don't feed it to the warlocks.
Mage Macros, Part Two
This edition of Mage Macros takes a look at PvP, and some simple ways to streamline your combat.
Silence!
This macro will stop casting your current spell and immediately cast Counterspell.
/stopcasting
/cast Counterspell
PoM/Sheep
Sure, PoM/Pyro was what made the Arcane tree famous, but in PvP having an instant-cast sheep can not only save your own life, it can confuse your opponents, too. This macro will turn your Polymorph spell into an instant-cast once every three minutes.
/cast Presence of Mind
/cast Polymorph
Double Shield
As I am currently spec'd in Frost, I usually use Ice Barrier instead of Mana Shield. However, if I'm carrying a flag in WSG or EotS, or being attacked by fury warriors, rogues, and retadins, I sometimes find myself wanting both shields up. This macro will, on a left click or number key, cast Ice Barrier. On a right-button click, it will cast Mana Shield.
/cast [button:1] Ice Barrier
/cast [button:2] Mana Shield
Combustion/Scorch
If you aren't cross-spec'd fire/arcane but still want to have an "I Win" button, try combining Combustion with Scorch, or indeed any fire spell of your choice.
/cast Combustion
/cast Scorch
If you have trinkets which help boost your spell power, add them in like so:
/cast Combustion
/use Oshu'gun Relic
/cast Scorch
Silence!
This macro will stop casting your current spell and immediately cast Counterspell.
/stopcasting
/cast Counterspell
PoM/Sheep
Sure, PoM/Pyro was what made the Arcane tree famous, but in PvP having an instant-cast sheep can not only save your own life, it can confuse your opponents, too. This macro will turn your Polymorph spell into an instant-cast once every three minutes.
/cast Presence of Mind
/cast Polymorph
Double Shield
As I am currently spec'd in Frost, I usually use Ice Barrier instead of Mana Shield. However, if I'm carrying a flag in WSG or EotS, or being attacked by fury warriors, rogues, and retadins, I sometimes find myself wanting both shields up. This macro will, on a left click or number key, cast Ice Barrier. On a right-button click, it will cast Mana Shield.
/cast [button:1] Ice Barrier
/cast [button:2] Mana Shield
Combustion/Scorch
If you aren't cross-spec'd fire/arcane but still want to have an "I Win" button, try combining Combustion with Scorch, or indeed any fire spell of your choice.
/cast Combustion
/cast Scorch
If you have trinkets which help boost your spell power, add them in like so:
/cast Combustion
/use Oshu'gun Relic
/cast Scorch
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
3.0.2: Mage-Friendly Achievements
The new patch brings with it all sorts of new things to do, the most fun of which may be the Achievements system. After taking a leisurely look at the basic achievements available, it seems to me that some are better suited to a particular class than others. This shouldn't be surprising - it makes sense to me that my partner in crime, who plays a Holy priest, should be worse at getting, well, say the Wrecking Ball achievement than I might be. On the other hand, I envy the priestly ability to hit shield, Renew, choose the melee weapon of their choice, and just stand in front of baddies, pounding away. Yes, I want that Master of Arms achievement, darn it!
So what follows is a list of fun achievements which are probably more easily obtained by mages than by most other classes.
General Achievements:
Can I Keep Him? (Collect a pet...or 50)
You can work on your vanity pet achievements quite easily - most capital cities sell multiple pets for very little silver. For mages, these cities are just a Teleport away. And if you plan ahead, you can buy a few extra, sell them on the neutral auction houses in Booty Bay or Gadgetzan and more than recoup your losses. Here's a list of pets and where to find them:
Common Fauna:
Cats (4 different kinds) - Elwynn Forest, in the house close to Northshire Abbey, from Donni Anthania, the crazy cat lady
Moths (3 different kinds) - Exodar, The Crystal Hall, from Sixx
Owls (2 different kinds) - Darnassus, near the front gate, from Shylenai
Snowshoe Rabbit - Dun Morogh, Amberstill Ranch, from Yarlyn
Cockroach - Undercity, on stairs below bank, from Jeremiah Payson
Dragonhawk Hatchlings (3 different kinds) - Eversong Woods, Fairbreeze Village, from Jilanne
Prairie Dog - Thunder Bluff, near Cairne's tent, from Halpa
Snakes (3 different kinds) - Orgrimmar, Valley of Spirits, from Xan'tish
Rarer Beasts: Better yet - if you have a character big enough to brave the roads or skyways of Outland, or at least fast enough to escape the nastier monsters, make the journey to Stormspire in Netherstorm. With a little gold stored up, you can purchase pets from Dealer Rashaad, who stocks a total of 8 different companions, many of which are very inexpensive. For Alliance folks, Rashaad's your cheapest option for purchasing a Cockroach or Crimson Snake pet. And because you're a mage, you can set your hearthstone here and rely on portals to get you home, allowing you to come back at any time to buy extra pets, which can be sold for a profit on the AH.
Tastes Like Chicken (eat some foods...or 50)
Following the Teleport theme, this achievement is easy enough to do in a pinch: just port to every capital city, go to an inn, purchase one of everything and munch away. Holiday foods count too, so bob for apples and munch away on candy bars, lollipops and candy corn, all of which are easily attainable if you're working on the holiday achievement listed below.
On the Horde Side - unusual foods can be purchased from the Cenarion night elves in Moonglade, so if you can, make the trip. Alliance mages - this food is the same as what they sell in Darnassus.
A Hallow's End Achievement:
Tricks and Treats (visit all the candy buckets in Azeroth)
While it's still time-consuming to visit all the inns in a single continent, mages have a clear advantage over other classes because of Teleport. Our ability to warp from one capital city to another allows for easy switching even between continents. And for those characters who still have to walk from one destination to another - Blink is a lot faster than most travel options below level 30.
Remember, my brothers and sisters of the arcane, this Achievement is only available for another few days. Hallow's End finishes on November 1st.
PvP Achievements:
The Grim Reaper (get 30 honorable kills) and Damage Control (score over 300,000 damage in a single BG)
Mages aren't the lords of AoE spells for nothing. Find a high place, shield yourself, and blast your enemies with Blizzard or Flamestrike. Alterac Valley is probably the best place to get your damage over 300K, and it certainly doesn't hurt to be fire or frost spec'd for this achievement. Put points into Improved Blizzard and slow your enemies down, or spec for high fire crit and Firestarter to pull off some fast-cast fire spell AoEs before they can reach you to finish you off.
Quick Cap (carry and score with the WSG flag in under 75 seconds)
The new Glyph of Blink is your friend for getting across the battleground quickly, but I was still unable to do this achievement without both speed-enhancing buffs. Still, it seems many people haven't caught on to just how slippery a mage can be with all of the shields, novas, teleports, and slowing armors we have in our arsenal. Of course, it helps to have a PvP trinket for this one, and I am sure my gnome mage and her Escape Artist racial ability helped her some.
So what follows is a list of fun achievements which are probably more easily obtained by mages than by most other classes.
General Achievements:
Can I Keep Him? (Collect a pet...or 50)
You can work on your vanity pet achievements quite easily - most capital cities sell multiple pets for very little silver. For mages, these cities are just a Teleport away. And if you plan ahead, you can buy a few extra, sell them on the neutral auction houses in Booty Bay or Gadgetzan and more than recoup your losses. Here's a list of pets and where to find them:
Common Fauna:
Cats (4 different kinds) - Elwynn Forest, in the house close to Northshire Abbey, from Donni Anthania, the crazy cat lady
Moths (3 different kinds) - Exodar, The Crystal Hall, from Sixx
Owls (2 different kinds) - Darnassus, near the front gate, from Shylenai
Snowshoe Rabbit - Dun Morogh, Amberstill Ranch, from Yarlyn
Cockroach - Undercity, on stairs below bank, from Jeremiah Payson
Dragonhawk Hatchlings (3 different kinds) - Eversong Woods, Fairbreeze Village, from Jilanne
Prairie Dog - Thunder Bluff, near Cairne's tent, from Halpa
Snakes (3 different kinds) - Orgrimmar, Valley of Spirits, from Xan'tish
Rarer Beasts: Better yet - if you have a character big enough to brave the roads or skyways of Outland, or at least fast enough to escape the nastier monsters, make the journey to Stormspire in Netherstorm. With a little gold stored up, you can purchase pets from Dealer Rashaad, who stocks a total of 8 different companions, many of which are very inexpensive. For Alliance folks, Rashaad's your cheapest option for purchasing a Cockroach or Crimson Snake pet. And because you're a mage, you can set your hearthstone here and rely on portals to get you home, allowing you to come back at any time to buy extra pets, which can be sold for a profit on the AH.
Tastes Like Chicken (eat some foods...or 50)
Following the Teleport theme, this achievement is easy enough to do in a pinch: just port to every capital city, go to an inn, purchase one of everything and munch away. Holiday foods count too, so bob for apples and munch away on candy bars, lollipops and candy corn, all of which are easily attainable if you're working on the holiday achievement listed below.
On the Horde Side - unusual foods can be purchased from the Cenarion night elves in Moonglade, so if you can, make the trip. Alliance mages - this food is the same as what they sell in Darnassus.
A Hallow's End Achievement:
Tricks and Treats (visit all the candy buckets in Azeroth)
While it's still time-consuming to visit all the inns in a single continent, mages have a clear advantage over other classes because of Teleport. Our ability to warp from one capital city to another allows for easy switching even between continents. And for those characters who still have to walk from one destination to another - Blink is a lot faster than most travel options below level 30.
Remember, my brothers and sisters of the arcane, this Achievement is only available for another few days. Hallow's End finishes on November 1st.
PvP Achievements:
The Grim Reaper (get 30 honorable kills) and Damage Control (score over 300,000 damage in a single BG)
Mages aren't the lords of AoE spells for nothing. Find a high place, shield yourself, and blast your enemies with Blizzard or Flamestrike. Alterac Valley is probably the best place to get your damage over 300K, and it certainly doesn't hurt to be fire or frost spec'd for this achievement. Put points into Improved Blizzard and slow your enemies down, or spec for high fire crit and Firestarter to pull off some fast-cast fire spell AoEs before they can reach you to finish you off.
Quick Cap (carry and score with the WSG flag in under 75 seconds)
The new Glyph of Blink is your friend for getting across the battleground quickly, but I was still unable to do this achievement without both speed-enhancing buffs. Still, it seems many people haven't caught on to just how slippery a mage can be with all of the shields, novas, teleports, and slowing armors we have in our arsenal. Of course, it helps to have a PvP trinket for this one, and I am sure my gnome mage and her Escape Artist racial ability helped her some.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Fun & Free: Episode Five
This episode of Fun & Free covers October's holiday: Hallow's End. If you have ever wanted to change into a leper gnome or black cat, to witness dark scary rituals at the Forsaken Wickerman festival, or to have your own chance to win epic loot by killing the Headless Horseman, this holiday is for you!
Trick or Treat!
Every hour, players can talk to the innkeepers around the world of Azeroth to receive a trick or a treat. Treats consist of goody bags which may hold any number of items in them, including masks, candy, and even toothpicks. Hold on to these items - most are needed to fulfill the Hallow's End achievements, mentioned below. Tricks, on the other hand, will change your character into a different being, including bats, black cats, pirates, or other more slimy creatures. Once you've Trick or Treated, you will be unable to do so again for an hour.
Fires in Town!
Speak to the Masked Orphan Matrons in any of the starting-area towns for your faction (Brill, Razor Hill, etc.). Apparently, the Headless Horseman is on the loose again, wreaking havoc and setting fire to buildings. The matrons need players to help them out, so grab a bucket of water and make a bucket chain. Once you've quenched the fires, the Shade of the Headless Horseman will land in town. As he's a level 11 monster, he is very easily dispatched, and in his wake leaves a large pumpkin which all nearby players can loot. In return for your valiant efforts, the grateful orphans will reward you with a thank-you package, often containing wands which transform your character, pumpkins to throw at other players, or even broomsticks which make your character look appropriately witchy:
Hallow's End Achievements
There are a number of fun achievements you can complete this season. Some of the easiest include:
Trick or Treat! - pick up a handful of candy from the barrel located in any inn. Not only is this easy, it gives you free experience for every barrel you loot! Great for casual levelers.
The Mask Task - keep trick-or-treating and eventually you'll get one flimsy mask
That Sparkling Smile - use a toothpick, also obtained from innkeepers
Harder-to-obtain achievements include killing the Headless Horseman in Scarlet Monastery Graveyards, and traveling all over Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms and Outland to complete the Tricks and Treats of Azeroth achievement.
Edit as of 10/24: Looking to get the Sinister Calling achievement, but have a character who's too low to fight the Headless Horseman? No problem! Just make sure you complete the Stop the Fires! daily quest, and go trick-or-treating at an inn each hour. Both the Hallowed Helm and the Sinister Squashling have a chance to drop from these quests.
Hallow's End runs between October 18th and November 1st. A happy, spooky holiday to all!
Trick or Treat!
Every hour, players can talk to the innkeepers around the world of Azeroth to receive a trick or a treat. Treats consist of goody bags which may hold any number of items in them, including masks, candy, and even toothpicks. Hold on to these items - most are needed to fulfill the Hallow's End achievements, mentioned below. Tricks, on the other hand, will change your character into a different being, including bats, black cats, pirates, or other more slimy creatures. Once you've Trick or Treated, you will be unable to do so again for an hour.
Fires in Town!
Speak to the Masked Orphan Matrons in any of the starting-area towns for your faction (Brill, Razor Hill, etc.). Apparently, the Headless Horseman is on the loose again, wreaking havoc and setting fire to buildings. The matrons need players to help them out, so grab a bucket of water and make a bucket chain. Once you've quenched the fires, the Shade of the Headless Horseman will land in town. As he's a level 11 monster, he is very easily dispatched, and in his wake leaves a large pumpkin which all nearby players can loot. In return for your valiant efforts, the grateful orphans will reward you with a thank-you package, often containing wands which transform your character, pumpkins to throw at other players, or even broomsticks which make your character look appropriately witchy:
Hallow's End Achievements
There are a number of fun achievements you can complete this season. Some of the easiest include:
Trick or Treat! - pick up a handful of candy from the barrel located in any inn. Not only is this easy, it gives you free experience for every barrel you loot! Great for casual levelers.
The Mask Task - keep trick-or-treating and eventually you'll get one flimsy mask
That Sparkling Smile - use a toothpick, also obtained from innkeepers
Harder-to-obtain achievements include killing the Headless Horseman in Scarlet Monastery Graveyards, and traveling all over Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms and Outland to complete the Tricks and Treats of Azeroth achievement.
Edit as of 10/24: Looking to get the Sinister Calling achievement, but have a character who's too low to fight the Headless Horseman? No problem! Just make sure you complete the Stop the Fires! daily quest, and go trick-or-treating at an inn each hour. Both the Hallowed Helm and the Sinister Squashling have a chance to drop from these quests.
Hallow's End runs between October 18th and November 1st. A happy, spooky holiday to all!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fire & Water: Changes to Arena
Another exciting aspect of BlizzCon's PvP panel focused on two new upcoming arenas, and some fun dynamic changes featured in these new arena grounds, which are sure to change play style and strategy significantly.
Orgrimmar
My first thought on seeing this arena was: gladiatorial combat. This arena has the look and feel of a colosseum, complete with some ingenious devices the Romans would have adored. Players are even raised up to the arena floor in caged elevators. And the teams start combat very close together.
Now for the dynamic elements. The arena is divided in three sections, and at timed intervals during the fight, the lines between these sections will catch fire. The fire, as you would expect, gives players a DoT debuff should they pass through it.
In addition this arena has two pillars which move up and down, also at timed intervals. These provide periodic line of sight barriers, but can also take players up out of melee range should they stand on top of the pillars when they rise.
Dalaran Sewers
This arena is much smaller than most, and features an interesting change: players cannot stay inside the arena's starting gates, which really consist of sewer pipes set part-way up the wall of the arena. Any player who remains in these pipes after the match has started will be "washed out" of the pipe and onto the arena floor.
The arena itself is small and consists of a circular room with a raised platform in the center. The platform can only be mounted at two staircases placed at opposite ends. Two permanent barricades of boxes and barrels also face each other across the platform, providing cover.
The dynamic feature of this arena is the column of water which drops, at timed intervals, into the center of the platform. When running, this water serves two purposes - it is impassable, and in fact will give players a slight knockback if they venture too close to it - and it blocks line of sight. One more thing - mounts are not permitted in the sewers of Dalaran.
All in all, two very exciting new places in which to fight, and ones which will certainly require some new strategies from arena teams.
Orgrimmar
My first thought on seeing this arena was: gladiatorial combat. This arena has the look and feel of a colosseum, complete with some ingenious devices the Romans would have adored. Players are even raised up to the arena floor in caged elevators. And the teams start combat very close together.
Now for the dynamic elements. The arena is divided in three sections, and at timed intervals during the fight, the lines between these sections will catch fire. The fire, as you would expect, gives players a DoT debuff should they pass through it.
In addition this arena has two pillars which move up and down, also at timed intervals. These provide periodic line of sight barriers, but can also take players up out of melee range should they stand on top of the pillars when they rise.
Dalaran Sewers
This arena is much smaller than most, and features an interesting change: players cannot stay inside the arena's starting gates, which really consist of sewer pipes set part-way up the wall of the arena. Any player who remains in these pipes after the match has started will be "washed out" of the pipe and onto the arena floor.
The arena itself is small and consists of a circular room with a raised platform in the center. The platform can only be mounted at two staircases placed at opposite ends. Two permanent barricades of boxes and barrels also face each other across the platform, providing cover.
The dynamic feature of this arena is the column of water which drops, at timed intervals, into the center of the platform. When running, this water serves two purposes - it is impassable, and in fact will give players a slight knockback if they venture too close to it - and it blocks line of sight. One more thing - mounts are not permitted in the sewers of Dalaran.
All in all, two very exciting new places in which to fight, and ones which will certainly require some new strategies from arena teams.
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