Holiday Achievement Round-Up

Looking to rack up a few more achievements this Winter Veil? Browse these tips to add a few more easy achievements to your list.

Food and Drink. Still need to eat a few more foods or partake of a few more drinks for the Tastes Like Chicken or It's Happy Hour Somewhere achievements? Smokeywood Pastures goblins are stationed near the holiday trees in every capital city, selling limited-time festive food and drink for eager patrons.

Scrooge! All you need to get this achievement is a snowball, either harvested from snowy regions like the Alterac Mountains, or bought from goblin retailers in capital cities. Throw your snowball at Cairne if you're Horde, or at Magni if you're Alliance, and you're done!

Winter Veil Gourmet. You'll need some Small Eggs for this achievement, but remember - these are easily farmed from any birds in the Horde and Alliance starting areas and low-level regions. For all the other materials needed to cook up some Egg Nog, Gingerbread Cookies and Hot Apple Cider, check with the Smokeywood Pastures goblins in any capital city.

Let It Snow (use Handfuls of Snowflakes on assorted player character combinations). Capital cities and battlegrounds are the best place to find the necessary class-race combinations you need for this achievement. Handfuls of Snowflakes can be obtained by using the /kiss emote on any Winter Revelers standing beneath mistletoe at city inns.

Roleplaying: Going Against the Racial Stereotypes of Trolls, Night Elves and Dwarves

Last week Mage of Warcraft examined some of the more prevalent racial stereotypes in World of Warcraft, particularly as they related to Gnomes, Tauren, and Orcs. This week we continue our examination by taking a look at Trolls, Night Elves, and Dwarves. Remember: not every Dwarf you meet is a drinker, and not every Troll has a shrunken head collection. If you're interested in roleplaying the black sheep of your chosen character race, read on.

Stereotype: The Head-hunting Troll. Mention the word Troll and immediately what comes to mind for most people is voodoo. Trolls have been practicing voodoo magic for time immemorial. Indeed, trolls have their own special spell-casters, Witch Doctors, who study the art of voodoo and use it to heal their friends and harm their enemies. Before the Darkspear Trolls allied with the Horde, cannibalism and voodoo magics were standard practice among all Troll tribes. Even now, traces of the ancient voodoo culture of the Darkspear remain in their racial abilities:

1. Da Voodoo Shuffle – reduces the duration of all movement-impairing spells and effects by 15%
2. Berserking – increases attack and casting speed for 10 seconds; the more the troll is wounded, the greater the speed increase

When a player rolls a new Troll, they are informed that Trolls have a seething hatred for all other races. Yet this hatred seems to have been channeled and reconditioned among the Darkspear NPCs in the game, many of whom warn the player to “Stay away from the voodoo.” Trolls of the Horde do not use their magic wantonly – in fact, the quests where voodoo magics occur at all take place against other Troll tribes of Stranglethorn Vale, The Hinterlands, and Arathi Highlands. The Darkspear don’t ask you to go out and farm Gnome skulls – they are using their magic defensively against attacks on their own by the Witherbark, Bloodscalp and Skullsplitter Trolls.

Thus, like orcs, Trolls walk a fine line between wild aggression and deliberate calculation. Like the orcs, too, their race was brought to the edge of destruction when certain Troll factions attempted to summon the blood god Hakkar into Azeroth (this bloody chapter in the Trolls’ history can be read in the World of Warcraft online encyclopedia). However, unlike their green-skinned allies, Trolls also have the benefit of centuries, if not millennia spent perfecting their magic and religion. And the surviving Troll factions today have put an end to Hakkar’s savage reign, opening a new chapter of peace and prosperity for their tribes. Among their own sages, Darkspear Trolls believe they practice the highest forms of magic – magecraft and the holy magic of the priests. Indeed, the fact that Darkspear can roll both of these classes signifies that their culture is far richer and deeper than the skulking Trolls of the jungle would have us believe. If you’re looking to play a Troll who is more spiritual than savage, and more intelligent than impulsive, take a look at some unusual Troll NPCs in the game:

• Argent Quartermaster Hasana: Unlike other Trolls, Hasana cares little for anything but defeating the Scourge. She carries all reputation-based purchasable items of the Argent Dawn, as well as the Mantles of the Dawn, the Argent Dawn's shoulder enchants. She can be found at the Bulwark in Tirisfal Glades.
• Molthor: Called the Hand of Rastakhan, Molthor is general of the ancient and spiritual progenitor race of Trolls, the Zandalar. He is honor bound to saving the world from the evil blood-god Hakkar, who has recently risen again and threatens to destroy all of Azeroth once more. He presides over Yojamba Isle, off the northwest coast of Stranglethorn Vale.
  

Stereotype: The Drunken Dwarf. Everyone knows Dwarves make some of the best ale in all of Azeroth - after all, they host Brewfest every year! Nearly every /silly emote assigned to Dwarves involves drinking. But with more and more people blasting through old-world content in a mad rush to get to Northrend, one of the key points about Dwarves is often ofterlooked: Dwarves are children of the Titans. They are a more-evolved offshoot of the Earthen, whom the Titans first created to help shape the world. Thus, with the decline of the Earthen into mad, fractured groups in the bowels of Uldaman and other under-ground lairs, Dwarves may be the oldest civilization in all of Azeroth. And their heritage means they are deeply connected to the element of earth, a fact which is underscored by their Stoneform racial ability. If you’re interested in playing a less-inebriated Dwarf, take a look at two of the NPCs most closely-connected with uncovering the truth about the Titans:

• Muninn Magellas: High Explorer of the Ironforge-based Explorer’s Guild, Magellas spear-heads the efforts of the Dwarven Explorer’s League to uncover the truth about the Titans and the strange information depositories they left behind in Uldaman and Uldum.
• Brann Bronzebeard: Brother to Muradin and the deceased Magni Bronzebeard, Brann is obsessed with uncovering the Titan secrets locked away in Ulduar’s Halls of Stone.

Stereotype: The Spiritual Night Elf. Once, Night Elves were immortal. Possessed of great arcane powers, they used their magic to tend for the great forests of Kalimdor, and to explore the Emerald Dream and keep its secrets safe. However, Night Elves have always walked a fine line between caring for the world and using the natural powers for their own benefit. It was the Night Elves' reckless use of arcane magic which first attracted the demons of the Burning Legion to Azeroth, and that same magic which sundered the world into two continents and created the Maelstrom.

After the end of the Third War, Night Elves lost their immortality. Their once-massive forests are now shriveled and tainted by fel energies. And over time, the Elves have been heavily influenced by their own desires for power, and their current state as a mortal race. Indeed, they have bound the great tree Teldrassil in a mad and futile attempt to reclaim their immortality, twisting this primal force of nature to serve their own ends. Thus today's Night Elf is probably just as moved by power as they are by nature. If your character is more interested in strength than beauty, and more of a schemer than a dreamer, take a look at these Night Elf NPCs:

• Illidan Stormrage: The most powerful icon of a Night Elf who has heeded the call for power and forsaken his bonds with nature, Illidan is called the Betrayer for good reason. He has consorted with Sargeras and Kil’Jaeden. He has abandoned the nature-based and arcane magics of his own people to practice fel magic. He has even transformed into a demon himself. At one time considered an ally to the Night Elves, naga, Burning Legion, and corrupted Blood Elf Kael’thas Sunstrider, Illidan’s track record shows clearly that he values nothing except his own power.
• Azshara: Though she is perhaps most well-known today for the region which bears her name, and the nefarious naga who worship her, Azshara was once Queen of the Night Elves, one of the world’s most powerful magic-users, and the first elf to draw the attention of Sargeras to Azeroth. When the old super-continent of Kalimdor was destroyed in an effort to repel the Burning Legion, Azshara and her followers were cast beneath the surface of the sea, becoming the naga. Her current exact location is unknown, but even now her powers are believed to be immense.

Last-Minute Green Gifts for the Gamer in Your Life

Forget to get a gift for someone on your holiday list? Trying to find a gamer-friendly present for your family geek? Want to give a gift, but help the environment too? Take a look at these last-minute green gift ideas:

1. World of Warcraft Game Time. Ringing in at $14.99 per month, WoW game time is a sure-fire solution to your last-minute gift-giving blues. Upon purchase, an email is sent immediately to your friend or relative, allowing them to cash in their game time right away. Game time can be purchased in one-month, 3-month, and six-month increments from the Blizzard store.
2. Portable Solar Charger. Run any web search for a solar powered electronics charger, and you’ll find plenty of different renewable-energy options to charge cell phones, iPods, and other electronics on the go. Most chargers run the gamut between $30 and $100.
3. Support Green Energy. Worried about all the electricity those gaming consoles, computers, and mechanical gadgets use? Go green by purchasing an e-card from Native Energy. Your geeky friend or relative gets a great e-card, and Native Energy uses your donation to help build eco-friendly wind turbines or farm methane projects.

Happy holidays to all!

Quick Tips: Making Money

Finding your pocketbook a little empty? Need cash for that epic mount? Want to buy a sharp new weapon in the Auction House? Here are some basic tips that may not help you "get rich quick," but which can certainly help you put away some gold for a rainy day.

• Buy Low, Sell High. Every month the Darkmoon Faire arrives in Azeroth or Outland, filled with all sorts of wild and wondrous artifacts to buy. You can get exotic leather, strange herbs, motes and gems for dirt-cheap prices. And you should, too. Devote an alt to camping out by the Faire booths. Make sure they have plenty of money and inventory space, and check periodically throughout the day. Stock up throughout the week, and then, when the Faire leaves, run to the Auction House and sell everything you don't need for a higher price. Darkmoon Faire rotates between Mulgore, Elwynn Forest, and Terokkar Forest. This month, it's visiting Elwynn, just outside of Goldshire.
  
• Learn the Zen of the Auction House. Almost any item you find on your travels is worth something to someone, and the best time to sell it is from Friday evening through Sunday night at the Auction House. Prices skyrocket during the weekend. And the higher player volume means that it's much easier to sell more expensive blue or purple items without having to dig deep for the auction deposit; most items sell within 12 hours. Remember: never sell an item if someone else is selling a ton of it. Undercutting someone is one thing, but the more there is in the AH, the less demand there is on the market. That said, undercutting, or selling the same item for just a little bit less than the competition, is encouraged, as long as it doesn't take a bite out of your profits.
• Find a Worthy Profession. I'm sure it's possible to make it to level 70 without two high-level professions, but frankly, I wouldn't ever want to try it. Pick your professions early and stick with them. Keep a list of where to find raw materials, and another list of how much things sell for in the Auction House - that'll give you some backup when in 40 levels you can't remember how much mithril filigree should cost. And sell things all the time, because most professions do pay if you devote enough time to them. If you're absolutely desperate to change professions, try to keep at least one of your originals so you don't completely re-invent the wheel (e.g. try switching from Jewelcrafting to Engineering while keeping your Mining profession). Or create an alt with complimentary professions who you can run through low-level areas stockpiling goods. Professions, unlike dungeon running, don't usually give you a ton of money at a time, but all that selling does add up, and having a high level profession of any sort means you can make friends in high places in later levels.

If you have any more ideas for getting rich in the lands of Azeroth and Outland, paste them into the comments below. Good luck out there!

The Headless Horseman's Carpet

When I signed up for that rug-weaving class, I thought it was to make a carpet for me, not my horse! Tailors who possess both the Flying Carpet and The Horseman's Reins will be glad to know that they can ride both mounts at the same time, due to a strange bug which doesn't seem to differentiate between the two.

It seems that the Horseman's steed is the only mount to which this bug applies. But now creepy undead horses everywhere can enjoy comfortable, 230-thread-count, high-speed travel, without all the saddle sores. I just hope it's machine washable.

Professions for a Newer, Colder Continent

Forget Glyphs, what today's adventurers really need as they brave the cold environs of Northrend is a nice warm scarf. Today, a look at plausible professions we haven't seen in-game.

Knitting. From frost-resistant scarves to reinforced hats and fuzzy, woolen socks, adventurers have all sorts of options for staying warm and dry as they explore Northrend. Unlike tailoring, knitting would fill the custom character equipment slots of hat, scarf, mittens, and socks.

Tattooing. Like Enchantment, but for your character's skin, tattooing would open up a new level of character customization. Not only could you choose your own distinctive tattoo, but each tat could impact spells and abilities, add to base stats, or give your character extra resistances to magic.

Brewing. Everyone loves making unusual and distinctive dishes via the Cooking profession (not to mention meals which add to base stats, resistances, or health and mana regeneration), but there are very few beverage options available to today's cooks. What about a profession which allowed you to brew your own ale, ferment your own wine, or blend your own tea? Despite the obvious amusement of making your character tipsy by your very own alcoholic beverages, each drink could bring its own benefits, like restoring mana, giving a short-term magic buff, or increasing the drinker's base stats.

Is there a profession you wish Blizzard would add to the game? Tell us about it in the comments below.

The Newbie’s Guide to Strand of the Ancients

Just entered your first Strand of the Ancients battleground? Unsure what to do, or why there are huge cannons firing at you, or how to drive those weird tanks? We’ve got you covered.

What is Strand of the Ancients? This battleground is a two-phase timed siege conflict set against the backdrop of an ancient Titan fortress. The Strand is unique in that it features player-driven siege vehicles, much like those used in Wintergrasp, and player-controlled anti-personnel cannons.


In Phase one, Horde defends the fortress from Alliance attackers. The attackers have a total of nine minutes and 55 seconds to blast their way through the fortress gates and reach the Keep to capture the Titan relic held therein.

In phase two, Horde goes on the offensive while the Alliance defends the fortress. If in phase one the Alliance attackers are able to capture the relic before their time has expired, then their attack time becomes the total time the Horde have in phase two to reach the relic. This means that , like most battlegrounds, timing and strategy are key if your team wants to win.

Step One: Defense

The name of the game here is: Gate Control. There are a total of five outer gates and an inner keep gate in Strand of the Ancients, each of which can be destroyed by the attacking team. You’ll start battle high up on the South Graveyard platform facing the first two fortress gates, which overlook the beach and the arrival of your attackers. Usually, defenders will divide here, sending half their team to one gate and the other half to, well... the other gate. The first players to arrive usually take control of their gate’s turret cannons, while any additional defenders patrol the area.

Without a doubt, the most fun part of being a defender is using the huge antipersonnel cannons which overlook each of the first four fortress gates. Each gate has two cannons, and defenders would be wise to ensure that the cannons at both starting gates are fully-staffed. If you’re the first to reach a cannon, dismount and hop inside. Immediately, your character ability hotbar will be replaced by a hotbar for the cannon itself. There’s only one ability to master here, so spam it to your heart’s content. The cannons also come with a targeting display, which you can use to determine where your next shot will land.

The most important role for a player in control of a cannon is to take down the enemy Demolishers (huge siege vehicles) before they have a chance to break their way through your gate. Both siege vehicles and cannons have a separate health rating than their operators and are disabled first, so upon destroying a Demolisher, make sure you fire some shots into the wreckage to take out the enemy pilot and potential passengers as well. But beware – Demolishers have a long range and are capable of destroying antipersonnel cannons as well as the gates themselves.

Should the enemy break their way through, fire a few parting shots and make your way to the second pair of gates. If at any time a defender is caught on the wrong side of an unbroken gate, they can use the Defender Portals located nearby to teleport to safety.

As the battle moves to the second set of gates, cannon operators should also pay special attention to invaders attempting to take control of the nearby graveyard flags. Once your graveyards have been taken, they cannot be reclaimed. Furthermore, possession of these graveyards also activates the siege workshops nearby, allowing enemy players to bring more Demolishers into the battle, as well as Seaforium Charges, which individual players can use to help destroy gates. The good news is that compared to your antipersonnel cannon, any enemy attempting to take over a flag is relatively weak.

Only one player can use a turret cannon at a time, but fortunately there’s a lot to do when you’re defending, even if you don’t have access to the heavy artillery. In the beginning of the battle, defending players not on cannon duty commonly swarm the beaches, looking to distract Demolisher drivers and take out wandering enemies.

Once the battle reaches the second set of gates, attacking players have access to Seaforium Charges, which are personal bombs used to help destroy the fortress gates. Players bearing Seaforium Charges can usually be identified by their pell-mell run towards the fortress gates, ignoring enemy cannon fire. Defenders not on cannon duty should disarm the Charges as fast as possible to avoid incurring damage to their gate.

The fifth fortress gate does not possess antipersonnel cannons, so defenders here will be required to take on Demolishers hand to... wheel? battering ram? catapult? Demolishers look slow but they can move out of spell range quickly. They also cannot be slowed, frozen or snared. Your best bet in bringing them down is therefore to run behind or alongside them and hit them with the best instant-cast and quick-timed abilities you’ve got. Don’t run directly in front of a Demolisher, as they have a battering ram ability which causes significant damage.

Should enemy attackers break through the fifth gate, defenders should spare no energy in halting their siege on the fortress keep. Attackers have only to click on the Titan relic inside the keep to claim it, and their attack time will become yours unless you can prevent them from gaining access to the keep.

Step Two: Attacking

Your attack starts aboard one of two ships sailing toward the Strand. Attackers, just like defenders, are divided at the start of the phase. Use this time aboard the ship to plan your strategy and determine your Demolisher operators. Both attacking ships will land at separate docks, each of which harbors two Demolishers, which provide the starting artillery to make your first assault on the enemy gates.

When a player takes control of a Demolisher, their task bar is replaced by the abilities bar of the Demolisher itself. These siege engines have two abilities - a long-range catapult shot for taking our enemy gates and turret cannons, and a short-range battering ram for knocking down doors and making melee-range strikes against any enemy players. Like the anti-personnel cannons, Demolishers come with a ranged targeting display to help plan where your shots will land.

Each Demolisher can hold two passengers, and unlike the driver each passenger is free to use their character abilities while riding the siege engine. Passengers are too far away to use melee combat skills, however, so the standard attack philosophy is to have melee fighters drive the Demolishers while players with ranged combat abilities act as passengers.

While they pack a lot of fire power, Demolishers are relatively unwieldy in close-range combat. They are slow to turn, and completely undefended against side or rear attacks. It should therefore be the job of the passengers in any Demolisher to pick off nearby enemies before they can become a nuisance. Should your Demolisher be destroyed by enemy forces, a new one will respawn on the beach, or in any siege workshops your team controls.

Attackers who are not operating a Demolisher have various options during combat. They can run interference, distracting defenders who are trying to take down Demolishers. Should one gate be breached before another, they can sneak around the back of the defending cannon turrets and begin taking down the antipersonnel cannons at melee range with relative impunity. Or, after the first set of gates have been destroyed, they can take over one of the enemy graveyards and begin arming Seaforium Charges – personal bombs found inside the barrels stockpiled outside each workshop.

When running Seaforium Charges, it’s usually best to have company. As the battle moves closer to the keep, defenders become more numerous (and usually more frantic as well), and the chances of them diffusing your bombs become higher. Grab and friend or three and storm a gate together to maximize your chances for damage. Remember that while you must dismount to pick up a Charge, you can mount and ride while carrying one.

While the keep gate and the fortress doors themselves do not have any cannons to protect them, defenders from both sides of the fortress usually converge at this point. This means that both Demolishers and attacking players will find themselves once more in melee range with defenders. Attackers who aren’t piloting or riding Demolishers or running Seaforium Charges must therefore take care to destroy or distract any enemies who are attacking your siege engines. Demolishers remain your best hope of breaking through the fortress gates and capturing the relic.

Interested in learning more about Strand of the Ancients? Join me next time as I take a look at some of the more interesting battleground achievements. Good luck!