Strategic Achievements: Sunken Temple

Say the words "solo instance" and the classes most people will come up with to do the job well are probably druids and paladins, or maybe even warlocks with voidwalkers. Mages, in all of our glass-cannon glory, don't usually rank high on the list of independent dungeoneers, who can walk into Onyxia's lair and down her without breaking a sweat, or take out Emperor Thaurissian and his lackeys all on our own.

That said, mages can be incredibly useful members of two-person dungeon teams, and Strategic Achievements is here with tips and tricks for 2-manning instances. No, you don't have to be maximum level, and no you don't have to be fully-dressed in epics. All you need to bring to the 2-man table, or dungeon as the case may be, is your arcane ingenuity and your magely skill.

Two-Manning Sunken Temple
Recommended Level: 50+
Recommended Spec: Frost
How I Did It: 1 Frost Mage, level 56, 1 Affliction Warlock, level 53

The key for most if this instance is AoE. You'll need to use your abilities to down multiple mobs at the same time to their utmost, as groups of trolls and their undead minions stalk the upper levels, and a host of dragonkin await you below. Make sure you have a good plan for keeping your mana pool filled, so you can whip out heavy doses of Blizzard, Arcane Explosion, and Flamestrike.

Ideally, you'd have a tank for your dungeon run - someone who can maintain aggro while you DPS the mobs down. If not, then try pairing with someone who comes with their own meat shield, er... pet: a warlock or hunter. Also, it helps if the tank (player or pet) can be healed in battle - a druid or paladin would be ideal, though I also found my warlock partner's Health Funnel ability to be a lifesaver - literally - on some of our boss fights.

Upper-Level Troll Mobs: Your strategy for the trolls lurking around the temple's upper level should be simple - send in your tank and AoE the mobs down. By level 50, none of these mobs hit very hard, and one or two channelings of Blizzard should do the trick.

There are a total of six troll mini-bosses in each of the alcoves overlooking the lower level. For a level 50+ 2-man team, these fights are a simple tank and spank, with the exception of Zolo, who summons Skeletons, and Hukku, who summons warlock pet minions. If you're running this dungeon for the achievement, all six troll mini-bosses must be defeated before you move on.

The Dragonkin Chamber: When setting up your 2-man dungeon group, don't forget to tell prospective members that this chamber is a skinner's paradise. Before you reach the final boss, all dragonkin in the lower level of the temple must be killed, or they'll come rushing to Eranikus' aid when you face him. The good news is, dragonkin supply leather.

Again, AoE abilities are key here, as every pull will involve multiple mobs. Counterspell may be useful in getting spellcasters like Nightmare Wyrmkin and Nightmare Suppressors to join you in melee range. Perhaps most importantly, the Nightmare Wyrmkin in this chamber can cast Sleep on one of your party members and should be taken down immediately.

Jammal'an the Prophet & Friends: The trolls in Jammal'an's chamber must be killed before you take on the Prophet himself. Don't tank these mobs inside the chamber, but rather pull them back into the hall. Each mob has its own special abilities, many of which can be dangerous to the unprepared party:

• Atal'ai Corpse Eaters: will consume nearby corpses to regain health unless killed.
• Atal'ai Deathwalkers: will cast Fear on your party. Once killed, Deathwalkers become spirits, who are immune to all damage and will attack within melee range. These spirits should be avoided - they hit hard and can easily cause a party wipe. Spirits will dissipate after 15 seconds.
• Atal-ai High Priests: These will heal their party members and summon skeletons to their aid.

Jammal'an casts damage spells but is also capable of healing himself and his cohort, Ogom the Wretched. He can also Hex your party members, turning them into Troll Warriors who will attack your team. Thus, it's a good idea to give him multiple targets on which to focus his attacks.

Jammal'an's companion Ogom can cast DoTs on your party, as well as Shadow Bolt.

Jammal'an must be defeated before you can fight the final boss, the Shade of Eranikus.

Shade of Eranikus: This fight is the "final" or "achievement" fight for a reason - it's hard, it requires fast reflexes, and it's not possible unless both members of your team are using every single ability at their disposal to the utmost.

First and foremost, before you begin this fight, make sure that every one of your abilities, from Cold Snap down to Evocation, are ready to be used. Get your potions ready, and conjure your best mana gem. Use any scrolls or elixirs on yourself and your friend, and agree on your plan before you enter combat.

Because you're ideally above Eranikus' own level, spell hit is not a big issue, but spell crit can be a life saver. Use anything in your possession which increases your crit chance - you may need it when your party's dead and you've just become an unwitting mage tank.

While it may be tempting to run into this fight spells blazing, the Shade of Eranikus has several abilities which can wipe the unprepared 2-man party. He's very sensitive to changes in aggro, and most of his attacks hit hard on mages. If you're with a tank, have them enter first and build up some threat. If you're using another player's pet as the tank, both of you should hold off the big guns for the first few seconds of combat.

Once threat has been correctly established, go all out. This fight is very hard on tanks in the mid-50s, and as the main DPS of your 2-man group, it's up to you to finish Eranikus off before he annihilates you both.

Among his more deadly abilities, Eranikus can send attackers into a 12-second duration Deep Slumber, which, as its name suggests, takes players out of commission for the duration of the spell. Here's where your Frost spec is really critical - use your Water Elemental as an off-tank, and make sure it has built up enough aggro to force Eranikus onto it should your main tank get stunned.

If you're working with another DPS class with a pet, then for this fight, that player is going to have to become a healer, and their primary goal is to keep their pet alive throughout the fight. Cold Snap is a real help here - if the main tank goes down or is incapacitated, use it to keep your Water Elemental in the fight. Having an elemental as an off-tank is also useful in combating Eranikus's knockback ability, which can send the tank flying.

If everyone else goes down, pop your shields and use your instant cast abilities. Hopefully as a team you've whittled down Eranikus' health enough that a few spells should finish him off!

Happy Great-Winter Feast!

As you're eating your holiday cookies and opening presents today, don't forget to log into the game and head to Ironforge or Orgrimmar to open your in-game gifts! This year, every character will receive the following:

• A Gently-Shaken Gift - Holds 5 Winter Vale Eggnog (restores 2% of your mana for 30 seconds)
• A Ticking Present - Holds a Mechanical Greench (3 charges to summon a pet which will fight for you. 10 day duration) and 5 Preserved Holly. Also has a chance to contain a special holiday crafting recipe.
• A Gaily Wrapped Present - Holds one of the following: A Red or Green Helper Box, a Snowman Kit, or a Jingle Bell. Each of these summons a different holiday pet. And, each box or bell is bind on equip.
• A Festive Gift - Holds a Wand of Holiday Cheer (makes everyone within the spell radius laugh. 10 day duration)
• A Winter Veil Gift - Holds a Crashin' Thrashin' Racer, and is required for the Crashin' Thrashing holiday achievement.
• A Carefully Wrapped Present - Holds 5 Winter Veil Cookie (restores 2% of your health for 30 seconds)

A happy Winter Veil to all, and to all a good night!

Last-Minute In-Game Gifts

Did your guild decide to hold a gift-swap but forgot to send you the memo? Did you receive an unexpected present from a new friend? If you're stuck in a bind wondering what to get a fellow WoW player this year, try one (or more) of the following:

• Vanity Pets: The most accessible place to get these is in your capital city Auction House, but the prices here range from affordable to downright ludicrous. But, there's still a bit of time to play the market. If you're looking to purchase something a little more unusual, get on your flying mount and head to Stormspire in Netherstorm and speak to Dealer Rashaad. For 10 gold you can purchase a Red Moth or Blue Dragonhawk pet, or some other unusual critters.
• PvP Gems: Thanks to the new honor system, not all gems are bind-on-pickup! Which means you can spend some of your honor on gems for a friend, if you so desire. And there's sure to be a gem for everyone somewhere on this list. Speak to the Armor Quartermasters in Orgrimmar's Hall of Legends or Stormwind's Champions' Hall to purchase these.
• Holiday Garb: Prices for Winter Boots or the Green or Red Winter Clothes can be high, so why not help a friend by making these items a gift? If you're a tailor or leatherworker you can purchase the patterns for these by talking to Wulmort Jinglepocket in Ironforge, or Penney Copperpinch in Orgrimmar. Just don't forget - the patterns are bind on pickup!

A gift isn't complete without the proper holiday gift wrap! But don't worry, the goblins sell that too, in purple, green, or blue!

Don't have a lot of in-game gold? No problem! If you're willing to spend some time instead of money, you can try the old "IOU" system. Send your friends coupons for one or more of the following (or make your own!):

• one hour (or more) of help farming materials or reputation
• a run through a dungeon of the recipient's choice
• a free port (or summons) to Dalaran
• a Westfall Chicken vanity pet (this only costs 22 copper, so it's close to being free. For details on how to get this bind on pickup pet, see this article)
  

Shopping for presents in World of Warcraft shouldn't be nearly as tough as it is in real life. Good luck!

Deliciously Chilly: An Ode to Frost

It is perhaps fitting that I chose to convert from an Arcane/Fire cross-spec'd mage to a deep Frost spec just as winter was setting in, and the Scourge was getting ready to strike from Northrend. As a real-life human, winter is my favorite season, so I thought it only right that my character should have the ability to enjoy the cold and the snow and the freezing blizzards herself. I never used my frost spells much as a PoM/Pyro mage. But, after a brief transition period, I found to my delight that doing raw, freezing elemental damage really makes me feel... well, I'd say warm and fuzzy inside, but to stick with my metaphor I should probably say... deliciously chilly instead.

One thing I like about Frost spec is that it is so utterly distinctive: no other class has the range of frost spells that we mages do, or can do such wild and wonderful things with the powers of cold that we can. While other classes are busy honing their other abilities to take on the Lich King's frozen wastes, as a mage I use the very cold of the Icecrown for my own desires, and turn that cold back on its master to lay waste to the Scourge itself.

Nearly all mage abilities are showy: our spells wreak devastation upon our foes, and our damage counts are high. Used to seeing my lovely Pyroblast crits and my crackling Arcane Power buff and my lovely purple Arcane Missiles, I was a little nervous trading all those varied colors and explosions for the cold blue ice missiles which give the Frost tree its trademark. In fact, I put off respec'ing into Frost until I had more than 51 talent points to spend, so that I could immediately determine whether the tree was a good fit for me or not.

Any concerns I had about Frost being slow, or repetitive, or boring to use were dead and buried by the end of my very first battleground. And honestly, even with all the praise which the Arcane tree is getting these days, I felt it was finally time for this once-sworn PoM/Pyro mage to finally shake off her old spec and assume the mantle of the truly dedicated Frost devotee. And thus, what follows is my ode to all things chilly and wonderful.

Top Reasons to Love Frost Talents (to follow along, visit the WoW talent calculator here):

Frostbite. The very first talent points I spent went into this ability, because fully-spec'd, it gives you a 15% chance to freeze your target in place for 5 seconds upon landing any frost spell. Why is this important? Take a look at the next reason to love Frost...

Shatter. Before, I never understood why the Frost tree had so many ways to freeze opponents in place. We have Frost Nova, our Water Elemental can cast Freeze to root enemies in place, our Ice Barrier roots enemies when it breaks, and our Frostbite talent gives us an additional chance to freeze enemies on the receiving end of one of our frost spells. All of this is because when our enemies are frozen, we have a 50% chance to critically hit them with all spells. All. Spells. In an ideal world, mages cavort through Northrend, snaring everything in our path, then turning around and destroying all those frozen enemies with one mighty blast of Blizzard or Ice Lance.

Improved Blizzard. For a Frost mage, Blizzard does it all, from destroying vast groups of monsters while soloing, to devastating invading enemy forces in PvP. As a PoM/Pyro mage, I had absolutely no reason to use Blizzard, and buried it deep in my task bars. Now, it is my favorite spell to spam in BGs or multiple-mob encounters. Why? Because Improved Blizzard slows down your targets by 75% when fully-spec'd, making it much harder for that group of enraged enemies to reach you. And with Frostbite and Shatter, you can take enemies down to zero HP en masse without ever losing a beat.

[Note for Patch 3.0.8]: Come the new patch, Frost mages will have their Improved Blizzard slowing debuff reduced to 50%. This is not only a cause for mourning on the parts of mages everywhere, it's also a very good reason to invest fully in the next excellent Frost talent I've come to know and love...

Permafrost. What's better than having a Blizzard which slows your enemies down by 75%? Having a Blizzard which slows them down by 85%, of course, which is exactly what Permafrost does! Permafrost slows your targets by an additional 10%, meaning they have even more difficulty reaching you. And if they do reach you, you've got this next ability to throw at them...

Ice Barrier. I hate Mana Shield. I really do. Since I played a priest first, Mana Shield feels like such a cop-out, a cheap date of a spell which looks pretty when you ask it out to dinner but by the end of the night has not only consumed all the money in your wallet but is trying to suck out your brain too. Blizzard threw Mana Shield at mages in a claim to make us less squishy, but really they wound up giving us a spell that only makes us more vulnerable, because it drains the thing we need more than hit points alone to survive: our mana. There is no logic behind giving the most mana-hungry class of all a shield ability which eats away at our mana, unless they just like to see us use Mana Shield and then run madly around the battlefield, robes flapping, trying to dodge the enemy while being unable to cast anything because our pretty blue bar is empty.

Enter Ice Barrier, which to me is even better than that most famous of all priest spells, Power Word: Shield. Ice Barrier has a minute-long duration. At its very best, PW: Shield has a 30-second duration. Like PW: Shield, Ice Barrier absorbs damage (up to 3,300 at rank 8) without draining mana. But Ice Barrier has something even more elegant and delicious up its sleeve: when properly-spec'd in its companion talent Shattered Barrier, Ice Barrier ensnares your enemies, giving you either time to run away, or time to blast their faces with your Shatter crit combos.

Summon Water Elemental. The signature talent for Frost mages, and for a reason. Properly spec'd, mages can have a nice, friendly (if a bit squelchy) pet join them in combat for up to a minute every 2.4 minutes. The best part? Damage done by your elemental does not add to your threat.

Cold Snap. It's nice having an emergency button, and Cold Snap is just that - it clears the cooldown on all recently-used Frost abilities. I use it in PvE when additional foes join the fight and I need to re-snare all of my attackers or reset my shields. I use it in PvP when I need to summon my Elemental again, when someone breaks through my freeze early, or when I'm suddenly on the receiving end of some nasty crits.

Deep Freeze. I'm going to be controversial and leave this talent on my list. Yes, it got nerfed big-time before Wrath launched, and yes, it's situational, but I like it. A lot. There's nothing like mages who can stun a frozen target, thus preventing them from doing damage, and then keep on blasting away with the damage spells, getting Shatter crits. Because Deep Freeze presents yet another option to, well, keep your target frozen for an extra 5 seconds. It's useful when soloing, it's useful when doing PvP, and it's even useful when clearing trash mobs in dungeons.

Top Reasons to Love Frost Spells (to follow along, visit wowwiki here):

Ice Armor. I didn't use this spell much as a PoM/Pyro mage, and with good reason. Why slow your enemies when you can just pop Molten Armor and crit them to death? But for Frost mages, Ice Armor acts as an offensive frost spell, and thus can trigger your freeze ability. If an enemy hits you, they have a 15% chance of being encased in ice and unable to move for 5 seconds, without you having to do anything at all. The freezing proc for Ice Armor is great for battlegrounds, especially Warsong Gulch flag runs. It can also be a good, if unpredictable extra escape card when trying to get out of difficult PvE situations.

Ice Lance. Who doesn't love a spammable instant-cast spell which can be cast while on the run and does triple damage when targets are frozen? Like Blizzard, Ice Lance is probably of only passing use to non-Frost mages, but for those who have followed the winter's chilly call, it's a formidable ally.

Ice Block. Ice Block is the mage's panic button. We use it in PvE when we gain aggro and mobs come racing at us intent on sending us to meet the spirit healer. We use it in PvP to avoid spells, attacks and big angry red hunter pets which would otherwise kill us. But the nice thing about being Frost spec'd and using this spell, is that paired with Cold Snap, you can use Ice Block a lot more frequently, including at least twice in every arena battle.

Mages are a power-hungry class, no doubt about it, and most of us got into this business for the huge crits, devastating spells, beautiful fireworks, and sheer spellpower of which the class is capable. Having blasted my way through 70+ levels of faster-than-light Pyroblasts and the incredible boosts to spell crit and damage of the later Arcane tree, I am happy to say that the power, control, and utter beauty of Frost is now my spec of choice. Happy winter, everyone!

Why a Ninja May Be the Best Thing to Happen to Your Guild

Every guild goes through a golden age, when the members are friendly, the guild bank is well-organized, and everyone knows the correct loot roll to make on that super-nice item which just dropped from Utgarde Pinnacle. And then it happens. Someone steals half the guild bank and resells it on the Auction House. Someone rolls "need" after everyone else in the raid has agreed to make a "greed" roll. And then your guild members wake up out of their happy little reveries and realize: We've been the victims of a guild ninja.

Unless you run a guild called NinjazRUs, it's understandable that you and your fellow guild members would feel pretty upset after a member walks away with your hard-earned loot, gold, and trinkets. After all, most guilds have a rule, be it written or unwritten, to be nice and respectful to your other guild members. And by their very actions, a guild ninja violates that rule.

But fear not, noble guilds of Azeroth! Guild bank theft and ninja loot rolls are not the end of the world. Recovering from a guild ninja may actually make your guild stronger, healthier, and better-prepared than ever before.

Often the occurrence of a guild theft or a loot ninja is a good time for members to sit down and think long and hard about your guild's scope and direction. If you're still feeling too hot, angry, and pissed off about the ninja, then at least take some time to read the following tips before taking drastic and perhaps irreparable action.

What not to do when dealing with a guild ninja:

• Don't Overreact. Just because one person stole from your guild does not mean that everyone is suddenly unworthy of trust. Don't suddenly change all your rules, don't demote everyone down to Peon status, and don't suddenly close off access to the guild bank. This type of overreaction leaves guild members confused, worried, and may sometimes even scare people into leaving your guild. Worst of all, it punishes ordinary, every-day, hard-working guild members by treating them like potential ninjas themselves.
  
• Don't Cut off Communication. When someone gets kicked out of the guild, usually people want to know why. If you don't want to talk about it openly among the masses on guild chat, then at least let your guild members know that your decision to remove said player from the guild was not arbitrary - there was a solid reason why they were /gkicked. If you are going to be opening up the issue, either to your officers or to your entire guild, set a time to do so and make that public. In short: let your guild members know that there is a process for dealing with what happened, and that you are available to discuss the issue.
• Don't Engage in Slander. Don't start shouting to your officers, your guild members, the Trade channel, and the public at large about your guild ninja. Whatever the reason for their theft, hot-headedly spamming their name in front of the Auction House is more likely to make you look foolish than it is likely to hurt the player who pulled a ninja.
• Don't Spread the Blame. It doesn't matter who introduced the ninja to the guild, who left the item lying around in the wrong guild bank tab, who didn't explain the rules for loot rolling well enough, or who didn't perform a better background check in the recruitment process. Nearly everyone feels a little violated after a guild ninja, and the last thing you want to do is to make people feel worse by pointing the finger.

Once you've got your emotions in check, it's time to figure out how your guild is going to recover from the ninja, and the bottom line for doing this is: communication. Every guild member should be made aware of the ninja and any work on your part to deal with the theft. These same members should also have their voices heard, and any concerns they have addressed. Open up chat with your officers, or depending on how your guild is formulated, with your member base at large, and get down to analyzing the causes and repercussions of the theft, and how your guild is going to cope.

To do when dealing with a guild ninja:

• Ask Questions. Talk with your guild officers, and figure out how to address what happened. Every guild is different, but in most cases asking questions like these can start you off on the right track:
  

1. What actions are being taken to respond to the ninja?
2. Was the ninja someone you knew well? Do they have alts in your guild?
3. Do you need to change any guild policies to help reduce chances of having another ninja down the line?
4. How has the theft impacted guild morale? How are you explaining the ninja or any policy changes which resulted from the ninja to your member base?

• Be Positive. What is possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to your guild has happened. But the road to recovery is a learning process, and a chance to get to know everyone in your guild a little better. While one person violated your guild's trust, the rest of you can work together to make your guild even better than it was before. Instead of adding additional rules to your guild charter, or tacking on more questions to your member application, try hosting a guild social event, where members can get to know and trust each other without the pressure of dungeon-running. If timing is an issue for your guild, try opening up a guild forum for members to interact as their schedules permit.
  
• Keep Information Flowing. Keep your members updated through the guild message of the day. Hold scheduled information sessions where members can share any confusion or concerns regarding the ninja. Make sure any changes in guild policy are clearly expressed to guild members using every possible method of in-game communication. And follow up with guild members in a week or two to clear up any lingering issues.
• Reinforce the Basics. No guild is perfect, and you may experience a ninja in the future, no matter how well-written your guild policies or or how well they are enforced. So instead of rewriting your guild charter with restrictions, rules and legalese, or burdening your officers with the weight of policing your members, consider instead reminding all members that your guild, like every other, should be founded on a basis of respect and trust, and that all members have the duty of acting with courtesy within the guild.

There is no denying it: guild ninjas suck. But they can also be a powerful learning tool for you and your guild. Figuring out how you and your guild members are going to respond to the ninja may actually help to unify your guild policies, unite your officers, and "rally your troops" toward the common causes of better guild communication, higher trust, and increased awareness for all your guild members. Good luck!

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.