Tree Burglar

I Blame Koris

2010-04-19T13:56:00.001-05:00

Who's Koris you ask? Well, let me explain a little.

In this lovely screenshot (don't judge my UI back then) we have Koris trying to drag Ignis back to our afk group at the top of his ramp. As you can probably tell, he's not going to make it much further. This is an example of a Koris of the facepulling, aggro stealing, tanking with a level 13 green shield variety. He's the pocket-tank I talk about from time to time, even though his main spec is facesmashing.

By now, you're probably asking yourself "So what did Koris do THIS time?" Do not fear good readers, I shall explain.

In all honesty, it's not entirely Koris's fault. I logged on at midnight to just clean up some auction stuff, and 3 friends suckered me into joining them for a few heroics. They're all collecting badges and gear for Koris's Herald of the Titans run, and I still needed several achievements for my Glory of the Hero, so it was a good plan.

After a few runs, and a few achievements later, they were stopping because Koris had set up a 10 Ulduar hardmode group to go collect them some more gear for Herald. I offered to take my little druid, since she could use the gear and achievements, and was soon in raid. I casually mentioned that if we just so happened to get to Mim and Yogg, I'd like to bring in my big druid since those were the only two HMs I needed for my Rusted, but didn't think much of it. It was already 1 am, and I didn't think we'd mow through the other bosses fast enough for people to want to do Firefighter and Yogg+1 that late.

Boy... that'll teach me not to underestimate the sleep deprivation of raiders again. After slaughtering XT, someone pips up with the suggestion to go kill Algalon. Now, I realize he's old news to quite a few, but I've never even seen the boss before. Quickly switch to big druid, and listen to instructions while not panicking about what my framerate is going to do during this fight. So of course we one-shot him and very nearly get the no-deaths achievement.

Swapped back to little druid, and we skipped our way through the next bosses. It was my first time being in Freya's room with an herbalist, and let me just say, holy hell. That's a lot of flowers. By this point, it's closing in on 4am, and I'm expecting us to just do normal for the final 3 bosses. But nooooo, mister raidleading Koris announces that we're gonna do Firefighter, so I switch druid's again.

Firefighter, with credit for Champion of Ulduar. /flex

I've blogged before about my special problems with Yogg. Fortunately, tonight, the clouds decided to behave. No DC's, no stupid people, no surprises. 9 minutes later, he was dead and 5 months after we first started on it, I finally had my Glory of the Ulduar Raider done.

But like I said, it's all Koris's fault. Without him, last night I would have just logged on, done auctions, and gone to sleep at a reasonable hour. Instead, my little druid is well on her way to Champion of Ulduar, over halfway done with her rusted proto, and picked up several pieces of gear. As for my big druid, only missing 3 for my red proto, 2 bosses for Champion of Uld, and is now . Oh right, this too.

<3 Koris

Refer A Friend: Meh

2010-04-14T01:02:00.001-05:00

Well, so far, the most important thing I've learned with Refer a Friend is that warriors really aren't for me. We're level 17 and I'm just about ready to delete the character entirely. Questing sucks, instances are worse, and I'm just really not enjoying it.

/sigh

I'm thinking I'm going to leave the warrior at 30 and work on something else, but everyone keeps saying it gets better... eventually. Gimme a timeframe here people =P

I'm having more fun getting myself and the brother killed though... Lava, zeppelins, water, cute fuzzy monsters that rip you to shreds.

Also, do your class quests when they become available. Even if it looks stupid and like something you can do later on, you'll get experience for it on level and won't get to level 16 and realize that you don't even have a blasted taunt.

Not that I speak from experience or anything.

Where's Khi?

2010-04-12T00:49:00.001-05:00

*waves*

I'm still alive, I promise.

Those of you that follow me on twitter might know that I've been playing very little lately. I actually let my account expire for about a month, which was a nice break, but I'm back now =) I have a new job, with random hours, which means money but pretty limited and sporadic playing hours. I'm hoping to have a new computer within the next few weeks or so (depending on some RL expenses coming up) but even then, I don't think I'll be able to get back to raiding due to work for now.

In the meantime, I'm going to spend the vast majority of my time working on alts. I have quite a few as of now, and since my brother just started up a new account today, going to be getting quite a few more through Refer a Friend. And the rocket. Who doesn't want a rocket?

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard something about the Cataclysm class changes that were announced this past week. I'm pretty disappointed by what they've said about trees so far, but hoping it'll change. You probably won't see any blog posts from me about the changes until beta at the earliest, but check out some of the blogs over there on my feeder if you want some thoughts -->

I'm probably not going to be blogging much in the coming weeks, but I'll try to not have a long silence again like this was. No promises though, RL is kinda a mess right now.

All that said, got a few questions for ya =)

Any tips on RaF? He has a level 80 paladin on the same server, so he's probably gonna dualbox and just run us through things, but I've been told that may slow us down significantly.
Seen any good gaming computers lately? Hoping to find something on the cheaper side, but don't want to have to replace for a good while.
If my posts for a while are nothing but rambling about whatever alt I'm working on at the time, what kind of information might you find useful or interesting?

Gifts from the Elders

2010-03-07T20:55:00.001-06:00

Just under two weeks ago I posted a challenge... Bloggers from around the World of Warcraft could write up posts from the perspective of an Elder passing on wisdom to someone that is new to an area of your expertise.

Let me just say, wow! I've been shocked at the response this little idea has gotten and how much it's grown. Writers from all around Blog Azeroth, and even a few I think we picked up through the WoW.com link have posted their tips and advice. 17 people in all wrote up and submitted guides of all sizes and types. I'd like to thank each and every one of them. Every one of these is great (and I've bookmarked more than a few myself!)

Without any further rambling, here's the list of every blogger that participated. Now, it's your turn! Go read, comment, and add the RSS feeds if you like =)

Elder Psynister left us nuggets of wisdom in the form of various gifts.

Elder Tarinae wrote up a few things that all players should know, from gems to abbreviations.

Elder Cheesekings posted some tips for baby hunters, mages, and trees.

Elder Ardol had some advice for any class that you're going to level.

Elder Jen went a slightly different direction and wrote about making gold while leveling.

Elder Lissanna finished up her moonkin guide for someone that just finished leveling.

Elder Vrethir made a list of things to do to keep your healer happy.

Elder Poneria captured some beautiful scenery from Azeroth to remind us to relax sometimes.

Elder Aoirselvar created a guide for all baby hunters to teach us how to kite.

Elder Edainne wrote a post with general tips for leveling anything and everything.

Elder Zahia made a step by step list for setting up Grid for healers.

Elder Ophelie has a funny little guide with tips ~~not~~ to do in random instance groups.

Elder Jaedia posted some information for someone getting ready to choose professions.

Elder Cynwise had some great tips for any of us that are planning to PvP anytime soon.

Elder Derek wrote a post with little things for a leveling mage to do (or not do!) to make their life easier.

Elder Gazimoff put together a list of various types of mages that a new roleplayer might be interested in.

Elder Lilith took a step further back and wrote up some things someone brand new to the World of Warcraft might wish to know.

Make sure to leave these bloggers some love =) Comments will make them smile, and cyber-cookies are amazing.

And finally, another idea: Noble Garden is the next in-game event and starts in about a month. If someone else in the Blog Azeroth group has an idea, as both of these recent holiday events have been an amazing success and lots of fun, that might be a good time for yet another blogging event.

(And please, if I messed up a link, misspelled your name, or worse, forgot you, let me know!)

RP: The Library

2010-03-03T22:54:00.000-06:00

As a good chunk of you know, I've been spending some time dabbling in the RP community on Feathermoon with Arrens and Anna and such. I've been having fun, and might have gotten inspired a bit ^.^ I don't know how often it will be, but at least some of the posts going up on this blog will be RP related in the coming weeks and months. For those that aren't interested in reading such things, feel free to ignore any post that begins with "RP", but I hope you at least check it out =)

I make no promises: This isn't something I've done before, and there's no telling how it'll turn out. If you're looking for high quality stuff I'd suggest looking elsewhere =)

That said, on with the show!

There is a small shop in Stormwind, just off the canals inside the Dwarven District. The sign outside the door reads "Gnomish Mapmaking Group". Though the paint is bright and fresh, the wood itself looks old and a bit worn, and the letters have started to lose their sharp edges. The gossiping shop girls of the town might tell you a story full of action and romance, about how the owner valiantly fought legions of undead to find her one true love and bring him home safely again. The real story is in ways more boring and tragic, but that is not part of our tale at this time. Instead, tonight I'll tell you a story that begins in this very shop, and though the owner is mentioned, it's one of her boarders that shall catch our attention.

Khisha grabbed the needle with her teeth, careful to keep the tip pointing away from her. She reached down to grab the final strap of the saddle and pulled it through the loop. There. Let me just get this sewn and I'll finally be done. The Draenei grabbed the needle again with her left hand and began her careful stitches across the leather.

"Oy! Khisha, your blasted pet is getting into my herbs again!"

The hunter sighed, frowning down at her almost complete creation before draping it over the bar in front of her. She trotted down the stairs, and found an angry gnome waiting at the bottom.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think he could get in the door, or I would have just tied him instead." Khisha shrugged as they walked down the hall together. "I know he has no interest in eating your plants, Dex, but I'm still not sure why he keeps trying to get into their bags."

Delorixie glared into the room as they came to a stop. There were small sacks nailed all across one wall, maps in various stages of completion across from it, and directly across from the door was a long desk with papers strewn across the top, and shelves crammed with colored bottles underneath. The entire room smelled of old books and herbs. In the middle of it all was a long, brown crocolisk that was seemingly trying to shake a canvas bag apart with his teeth.

"I don't care why he's messing with my stuff, I just want him to quit. Keep him upstairs if ya have to." As the taller of the pair knelt down by the animal, the gnome continued under her breath. "Of course, you could always just keep him in the stable like normal hunters do." From the glare that was shot her way, Dex may not have been as quiet as she had thought.

"You know I can't right now. One call from the exarch and fifteen minutes later I'm across the continent." Khisha smiled sadly at her companion before turning back to the reptile. "Now Darwin, you know you're not allowed to be in here. Come on boy, let's get you back outside and I'll find you some lunch."

A few minutes later, the crocolisk was happily devouring a sheep flank as his master looked on. The tall Draenei was considering designs for her next saddle when the quiet was interrupted by clanging from her pocket. Khisha pulled out a round metal object, slightly larger than the palm of her hand, and pressed one of the gems embedded in the side. The sound ceased, and the projection of a male eredar appeared above the device.

"Greetings Khisha." Though the hologram wouldn't have even reached her knee, the voice came through loud and deep. "We managed to get a disk to the final member of the team this morning, and all of the others are ready."

The hunter gave a small sigh. "Understood, sir. Is the port location still the same?"

"Yes. Your group should arrive in a fairly secluded area of the monastery, but be on your guards always. The disk will activate in fifteen minutes, so make sure you are not leaving anything behind again." The young female blushed. Surely they'd eventually let her forget that incident with the bow. It wasn't like she had ever done it before or since. "I don't need to remind you to be careful. We're sending you into the middle of a Scarlet Crusade stronghold."

"Yes sir."

"Good hunting, Khisha, and walk in the Light."

The hologram went dark, and the hunter turned and started inside at a brisk walk. "Come, Darwin. We don't have much time." She glanced back to make sure the beast was following. "Dex! Where are you?"

A voice called back from the front of the shop. "I'm up here."

Khisha stepped into the 'business area' of the store and found the gnome perched precariously on a stool, trying to reach a high shelf.

"By the Light Dex, you're gonna fall again. What are you trying to grab?"

"There's a small map of the Lakeridge area. Should be edged in red, just a few inches long." The Draenei reached up, and quickly handed a scroll to her friend. "Thanks girly. What was it ya needed?" Khisha held up the metal disk, and the gnome's smile dropped. "Oh. That time, eh?"

"Yeah. I was hoping to have a few more days, but what can I do." The hunter shrugged. "At least it should be a short one."

"Be careful. I'll let Katyi know, just in case you need her when you get back." Dex leaned forward, and pulled the taller female into a brief hug. "Don't go gettin' yourself killed, ya hear?"

"Yes, mother," Khisha said with a laugh. As she started up the stairs to grab her bags, she called over her shoulder. "Thanks again for helping me get packed. We'll see you in a few days!"

Khisha glanced over her shoulder. Darwin was sniffing the air, and his tail was twitching, but he didn't seem alarmed. The hunter had found a small room off of the main hallway that seemed to be where books involving dragons were sorted. The rest of the team had moved on farther into the monastery's library, but her assignment was to dig through these tomes. As she didn't see or hear anyone down either hall, the Draenei turned back to the leather bound book in her hand.

"Black... green... Grim Batol." She sighed and shut the book, dropping it into a pile by her foot. "By the light, I just want details on the Bronze Flight or Netherstorm. None of this other elekk dung." She stepped back up to the shelf and started looking again. Khisha was brushing a bit of dust off one inscription when she heard Darwin let out a low growl. She spun around, dropping into a crouch even as she reached for her bow.

"Well well well. It seems we found ourselves a little lost alien." There were two men in crusade uniforms standing just beyond the doorway. The one that had spoken was swinging an axe by his knee, looking almost lazy. His companion was bouncing a mote of fire between fingertips as he smirked.

Khisha swallowed heavily. She reached back and grabbed three arrows out of her quiver while mentally plotting the fight. It was two against two, but she knew they'd have a much easier time getting backup. Not to mention, the small space inside the room would make things more difficult on her with the bow. Darwin was crouched at her feet and hadn't stopped growling since the crusader first spoke. If she could just get out into the hallway...

In less time than it took to draw a breath, the bulky crusader's axe was swinging towards Darwin and the other launched a jet of flame at Khisha. She threw herself to the side, and felt the heat from the explosion behind her as the magic impacted with the old, dusty books. The hunter raised herself up on one knee and launched an arrow at the mage. The head pierced his shoulder, causing the incoming fire to shoot above her head. Khisha had a second to breathe before a wall of flame caught her across the back.

Fire.

Pain.

Falling.

Hearing a scream, she weakly rolled onto her stomach, and looked back. From where she had landed, it looked like the entire room and all of it's contents had exploded. Darwin had his teeth sunk into the thigh of the mage, and the warrior was sagged against the wall, blood pulsing from a wound in his side. Her back was screaming in agony, and she had broken at least her right arm in the fall. Khisha reached down and pulled her disk out of her front pocket and turned it to the right jewel. Red gem... Warning. She turned it once more, thumb hovering over the transportation crystal.

"Darwin!" she rasped out, holding the disk out towards the crocolisk. After one more shake, he dropped the mage, and limped toward Khisha. Her pet was only a few feet away when the warrior let out a yell. With what seemed his last burst of energy, the crusader launched his axe at the Draenei. The world seemed to slow as Khisha attempted to roll away, but the weapon was moving too quickly and she too injured. Suddenly, her view was blocked by a large mass covered in scales. She heard a wet 'thunk', and felt more than saw as Darwin landed across her back. She screamed even as she pressed the jewel on the disk and the pair was yanked through space and magic.

TBC

A Small Introduction

2010-02-26T08:50:00.000-06:00

Even more changes have been made to the blog in the past few days, and even though some minor color changes will probably happen, it's pretty set for the most part.

If you're reading at the site and not through a reader, you'll notice a shiny new header with 4 mysterious characters up there. Who are they? What are they wearing?

Listen well little grasshopper, and I will tell you.

Starting on the left, the female druid is Khilana. She was my main from the time I started playing WoW till the end of BC, tree all the way. In the image, she's wearing the Tier 5 set (SSC/TK stuff), with a pretty staff out of Hyjal. She never had the entire T5 set, and would never have gotten the staff, but they're pretty. And purpley. <3

Beside her is Khite, my dps Death Knight. She's pictured in the Tier 10 tank set, just because I like the look of the red better than the blue dps set. She may never get the entire T10 set, but she'll end up with several pieces eventually. And yes, the weapon is Shadowmourne. No way in hell she'll ever get it, but it's nice and shiny, right?

Moving over to the other side of the tree, you'll see my main tree Khiow. He actually looks exactly like he does in that picture, with one exception. He's currently got the green version of that staff, but the red went better with the rest of the image ^.^

And last but not least, there's little Dex on the end. Even though she's no longer the cute little pink pigtailed gnome that she once was (see below), Dex still holds a special place in my heart and she has almost as many raiding stories from BC as Khilana. She's not 80 yet, but I sat down earlier this week and dug thorugh EJ, figured out how to spec as 3.3 frost, and her and Squirtle have been tearing it up. I mean, 14k crits are yum. In the header she's wearing the full Arcanist set, which she actually has a large chunk of. Our poor tank is never going to get Thunderfury =\

And now, I finish packing and run out the door for a fun little road trip. I'll be in touch on Twitter through my phone, but not likely to be able to get on a computer till we get back Sunday night. Keep shooting me links for the Elder event, I'll collect them when I get back Monday and add to my list =) You've still got over a week, so no rush.

Elder Blogging Event

2010-02-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

For the last in game holiday, The Physician's Log set up a fun little event for us bloggers. Taking a page from her book, I've got an idea for the current holiday, the Lunar Festival. I probably wouldn't have thought of this without her setting that up, so send her some cookies =)

One of the big parts of this holiday in-game has characters traveling the world to find various elders and pay them a little respect. In return, they pass on a few words that might be wisdom, and you continue on your way. Similarly, we bloggers have the opportunity on a regular basis to share a bit of advice, but it's often directed toward those that already have some experience in our area.

So for this Lunar Festival, I have a bit of a challenge for you: Write something directed not at those that have months or years of experience, but for those that are just getting started.

You're the Elder. Pretend you're smart for a few days =P

Who can join in?
Anyone that has a Warcraft blog =) And hey, maybe you'll even end up with a few more followers by the end of this shindig!

When is this happening?
Starting right now. You've got almost 2 weeks to write something up and get it published, but I do ask that you have sent me the link to your post by noon CST on March 7th. I'm going to try and have the big post of links to everyone that participated up by that evening.

What exactly do I do?
Post 10 tips for those level 10 mages that are just now trying to figure out what that strength wand does. Write a several page essay on how beginning tanks can kick butt in a dungeon. Pass on a few sentences of advice for someone that's just now getting started in the blogging community. Anything and everything can be covered! Length and content is up to you, just try to direct it at someone who's a newbie.

Okay, it's written. Now what?
Post it! =)
Somewhere in your post, please include a link back to either this post or the Blog Azeroth topic so that anyone else that's interested can find out more. Once your post is up, send me a link as a comment here or at the BA forum, or as a DM on Twitter.

Unlike The Physician's Log, I'm not talented enough to offer shiny prizes, but you will get your name and blog linked for others to find it =) Free publicity's always good, right?

Questions? Comments? Do I need to explain anything more?

Blog Lists and Stuff

2010-02-22T15:31:00.000-06:00

If you're reading at the site, and not through a reader, you might notice that my blog list over there ----> has changed today. I've gone through and cut some non-tree blogs and ones that haven't been updated in a long while, and was going to add several that I've discovered since doing the list.

And then halfway through I got a tad overwhelmed. So, instead, I imported my google reader tree list, and set it to display the 10 most recently updated. I may end up altering it some once I see how it works for a week or so, but we'll see.

I changed/updated a few more things over there on the sidebar, feedback is love =)

That's not god, that's your tank. And he's angry.

2010-02-19T19:35:00.002-06:00

That title has absolutely nothing to do with this post. But it's catchy. So it's staying.

If you've been following me on Twitter, or reading the blog, you might have noticed that the majority of my WoW time has been spent on alts lately, and not on raiding.

There's a reason for that unfortunately.

My computer is, and always has been, a complete and total pile of crap. Ever want to see what 25 man raids look like on 2 fps? Yeah, didn't think so.

Since the launch of Wrath, I've been able to overcompensate for my computer being so terrible by knowing my class and role backwards and forwards, spending hours reading and watching vids about the encounter, and doing what I can to overgear the fights.

As Resurgence treks further and further into 25 Icecrown however, it's been getting more and more apparent that my plan is no longer working. I remember looking at the healing reports from a Blood Queen attempt and being so disgusted and angry that I just had to walk away from my computer.

Ya know the times where you're just so freaking tired of something that you want to cry? Yeah, that's been these past several weeks. Tuesday I logged on before the raid and I thought 'I hope I end up waitlisted tonight'. When you're beginning to dread raiding, something's wrong.

I'm a good raider, and I personally think I'm a pretty damn good healer. But sometimes there's things that you just can't control.

So until I'm able to afford an upgraded computer, I've decided to step back from progression 25 man raiding. Unfortunately, with how our 10s are currently set up, that means I'm likely to not be included in the progression 10 raids as well. It sucks, I'm not happy, and I've tried everything else I can think of, but that's the way it is.

To clarify, I'm not leaving the game. I'm not going to quit blogging. I'm not stopping raiding. Things will just be different.

So, without raiding, it looks like I'm going to be spending a good bit of time on my alts, both on Stonemaul and the dabbling I've done on Feathermoon. I've also got a few achievements I'd like to finish up on Khiow, and hoping to finally get the Guardian of Cenarius on Khilana. I'm still going to kill Arthas before Cata, it'll just be a bit further down the road than I'd like. But yeah, this will be a few months of leveling.

=(

*kicks computer*

Gearing Your Sapling: Part 2

2010-02-18T23:40:00.003-06:00

Part two of my gear list. If you missed it, head back over to part 1 which covered Weapons through Chest.

The big differences between this and the first part is I'm no longer including a link for the boss that drops each item. That took up a pretty large chunk of time, and it didn't seem that it ended up being very helpful.

As a reminder, this is primarily to get a resto druid raid ready. If you're looking for a total start-from-scratch list, check out Angelya's post here. Her list has quite a few items that didn't make my top 5, so may be more helpful for some of you =)

Bracers

Bejeweled Wizard's Bracers - BoE crafted by Tailors

Moonshadow Armguards - BoE crafted by Leatherworkers

Ghostly Wristwraps - Trash drop in the heroic Frozen Halls instances (Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, Halls of Reflection)

Wristguards of Subterranean Moss - Drops from Ick (2nd boss of normal Pit of Saron)

Cuffs of the Shadow Ascendant - BoE purchased with 60 Emblems of Valor.

Cuffs of Winged Levitation - Drops from Cache of Eregos (Spawns after defeating 4th boss of heroic Oculus)

Hands

Runetotem's Handguards of Conquest - Purchased for 30 Emblems of Triumph at vendor at the Argent Tournament

Essence of Desire - Drops from Devourer of Souls (2nd boss of heroic Forge of Souls)

Suspiciously Soft Gloves - Drops from Marwyn (2nd boss of heroic Halls of Reflection)

Marwyn's Macabre Fingertips - Drops from Falric (1st boss of normal Halls of Reflection)

Gloves of Dismal Fortune - Drops from chest that spawns after defeating either 2nd boss in normal Trial of the Champion.

Belt

Braid of Salt and Fire - Drops from Ick (2nd boss of heroic Pit of Saron)

Strip of Remorse - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in heroic Halls of Reflection)

Binding of the Tranquil Glade - Drops from the Champion's Cache (Spawns after defeating 1st boss of normal Trial of the Champion)

The Confessor's Binding - Drops from Confessor's Cache (Spawns after defeating Paletress, possible 2nd boss, in normal Trial of the Champion)

Sash of Blood Removal - Drops from Gal'darah (4th boss in heroic Gundrak)

Legs

Runetotem's Leggings of Conquest - Purchased for 50 Emblems of Triumph at vendor at the Argent Tournament.

Leggings of the Snowy Bramble - Drops from the Champion's Cache (Spawns after defeating 1st boss of heroic Trial of the Champion)

Rimewoven Silks - Drops from Scourgelord Tyrannus (3rd boss of normal Pit of Saron)

Leggings of the Haggard Apprentice - Drops from chest that spawns after defeating either 2nd boss in normal Trial of the Champion.

Leggings of the Winged Serpent - Drops from The Prophet Tharon'ja (4th boss of heroic Drak'Tharon Keep)

Feet

Spellslinger's Slippers - BoE crafted by tailors

Prelate's Snowshoes - Drops from Scourgelord Tyrannus (3rd boss of heroic Pit of Saron)

Ice-Steeped Sandals - Drops from Forgemaster Garfrost (1st boss of normal Pit of Saron)

Sandals of Crimson Fury - Purchased at Wyrmrest Temple at Exalted with the Wyrmrest Accord.

Cleric's Linen Shoes - Drop from the commander (1st boss in heroic Nexus, faction specific)

Rings

Band of the Invoker - Purchased for 35 Emblems of Triumph from vendors in Dalaran or at the Argent Tournament

Heartmender Circle - Purchased for 35 Emblems of Triumph from vendors in Dalaran or at the Argent Tournament

Oath of Empress Zoe - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in heroic Halls of Reflection)

Band of Channeled Magic - Purchased for 25 Emblems of Valor from several vendors in Dalaran (Easiest place will be the emblem room in your faction's area)

Spiteful Signet - Drops from Devourer of Souls (2nd boss of normal Forge of Souls)

Band of Guile - Drops from Dark Runed Chest (Spawns after defeating Mal'Ganis in heroic Culling of Stratholme)

Annhylde's Ring - Drops from Ingvar the Plunderer (3rd boss in heroic Utgarde Keep)

Signet of Purity - Drops from Eadric's Cache (Spawns after defeating Eadric, possible 2nd boss, in normal Trial of the Champion)

Signet of Hopeful Light - Purchased at the Argent Vanguard at Exalted with the Argent Crusade.

Titanium Spellshock Ring - BoE crafted by Jewelcrafters

Ring of the Frenzied Wolvar - Drops from Gortok Palehoof (2nd boss in heroic Utgarde Pinnacle)

Trinkets

Ephemeral Snowflake - Drops from Marwyn (2nd boss of heroic Halls of Reflection)

Nevermelting Ice Crystal - Drops from Scourgelord Tyrannus (3rd boss of heroic Pit of Saron)

Je'Tze's Bell - BoE world drop

Darkmoon Card: Greatness - BoE quest reward from the Nobles Deck

Darkmoon Card: Illusion - BoE quest reward from the Prisms Deck

The Egg of Mortal Essence - Purchased for 40 Emblems of Heroism from several vendors in Dalaran (Easiest place will be the emblem room in your faction's area)

Spark of Life - Drops from Sjonnir The Ironshaper (Final boss in heroic Halls of Stone)

Talisman of Troll Divinity - Drops from The Prophet Tharon'ja (4th boss of heroic Drak'Tharon Keep)

Forge Ember - Drops from Sjonnir The Ironshaper (Final boss in heroic Halls of Stone)

Soul Preserver - Drops from Dark Runed Chest (Spawns after defeating Mal'Ganis in normal Culling of Stratholme)

And the Secret's Out...

2010-02-14T22:59:00.001-06:00

For this Valentines Day blogging event, I got to secretly admire Windsoar over at Jaded Alt. I've only been following her blog/twitter for a month or so, but I've enjoyed what I've seen so far. She's so amazing that she got not one, but TWO SAs!

If you ever want to talk to someone that knows a lot about various classes, check her out =)

She talks about various things on her blog, including raiding, alts, Addons/UI, and just general Warcraft things.

I've had a lot of fun stalking her, and even though I decided to skip the poetry, I enjoyed writing sneaky comments on her blog ^.~

I also hunted her down in game, and sent a little present... BTW, I hope you like the black dress, cause you were gonna be stuck with whatever came out of that first box no matter what =P

I probably had more fun than I should have with this event, and I really hope that similar things are done for other holidays. Thanks again to Dristanel for setting this up for us =)

And dearest Windsoar, I hope you've enjoyed my little adventure... Maybe next year we'll do this again ^.^

And to my stalker... I did mention that I'm going to kidnap you and keep you right? *Glances at trap*

Forget the Roses, I'll be Stalking Someone

2010-02-12T17:22:00.000-06:00

While the in game Valentines event has been going on for a bit, and in the real world, we've been overwhelmed with candy hearts for a month, the coolest Valentines event in the blogging world was started up by Dristanel over at The Physician's Log and supported by Blog Azeroth.

Basically, interested people could all go sign up by a certain deadline, and then yesterday she sent out assignments. Each of us has been assigned a blog to go stalk, and someone has been given our's. *gulps nervously*

At the end of a few days, they'll reveal themselves, and we'll have an amazing party and live happily ever after.

Okay, I might be making up that last bit >.>

But hey, this will be fun =) Keep an eye out on your fellow blogger's posts, might see some entertaining comments. And next year you can always sign up if you missed it this time around ^.~

Account Security

2010-02-08T02:58:00.001-06:00

A raider getting hacked is bad. Even without worrying about the guild bank, their own characters' gear, gold, and such are probably toast, at least till a GM can hopefully restore them.

But you're special, you haven't been hacked. No worries, right?

Bullshit. Doubt anyone that's been hacked ever thought they'd lose their account. No matter what your security is right now, there's probably something more you can do to keep your info safe.

So, you can go read over Blizz's Security Checklist. Some basic info about things you can do to keep your account/computer safe, as well as links for things you want more details on.

But, if for some reason or another, you still get your account stolen, you need to know what to do next.

First, try to get in touch with an officer. Text someone, hop in vent, log into a second account in game and whisper them. Let them know what's going on, and keep them updated throughout the process.

Then, start on the nice shiny blue guide Blizzard so lovingly made up for us because they're also so tired of this crap.

3 main places you may need to contact at Blizzard are:

Call Billing if any information has been changed on the account: 1 (800) 59-BLIZZARD. This includes password, e-mail, or info with an authenticator.
Open a ticket in game to a GM explaining what you know so far. If you can't get in game, get a friend to, just make sure that the name of one of your characters is in the ticket.
If you think that whoever is on your account is using it to do Bad Things, e-mail Account Admin with what info you have, so that they have that on file if any reports are sent in: wowaccountadmin@blizzard.com

Now that you've gotten the ball rolling, take some time to figure out exactly how this happened, and how to fix whatever caused it. Blizz's link on types of thefts may help. A post on the CS forum has much more detail, and it may be a bit overwhelming, but if you're having trouble finding the root of the problem I'd check it out.

There's a massive post on the CS forum with most of this info and some more, check it out for more questions.

Want to save yourself most of this trouble? Just get the authenticator already. That said, even with one, don't get careless. Your WoW account likely isn't the only sensitive info on your computer. Bye bye CC info?

Love is in the Air: SFK Boss and You

2010-02-07T03:43:00.005-06:00

Getting Started:

You probably want to form the group before you head to the instance, as most people already in the zone seem to have already used their summon. As with other such daily summons, the liars seem to come out of their hiding places, so if you want to guarantee that everyone actually has their summon, I'd recommend grouping with friends.

Even for a well geared group, having a second tanking type makes the encounter so much easier. A real tank would be best, but even a leather or mail wearing DPS could fake-tank one of the mobs and make the fight go smoothly, and save your healer a good bit of stress.

You don't have to do anything before going to the instance. Summon, zone in, the guy by the inner door offers the daily quest and the bag. Open the bag, and have all melee but your fake-tank use the purple potion (Perfume Neutralizer). Have your last member drink the green potion (Cologne Neutralizer.) Healer and ranged can drink either, they'll just have to move out of the other color puddles on the ground.

Elaborating more on this: The Perfume Neutralizer (purple) will make you not take most damage from the boss with the purple bubble and the purple puddles on the ground. The Cologne Neutralizer does the same for the green equivalents.

The Fight:
Once you turn in the quest, there's some chat from the head apothecary, and then the fight begins. Be careful not to turn in the quest until your group is all ready.

The purple mob, Apothecary Hummel (marked Skull in the picture), will become active first. His bubble will do significant damage to anyone within a few yards of him, unless they are using the purple potion. The tank needs to try and turn him so that his spray will not hit the ranged. Tank him where he stands, and DPS him down.

After Hummel is dead, your main group should then swap to the third baddy, Apothecary Fyre (marked triangle). After the quest is turned in, he'll run to where the triangle is very artistically drawn on the SS. It takes a few seconds, but once he activates, he'll be running haywire everywhere and generally pissing off your tank and melee, but kill him as best you can, while avoiding the pink and green puddles he leaves on the ground. He does some minor melee damage, but his main attacks are the puddles he throws. As long as your group can move out of the ones that are doing damage to them, he's fairly easy.

During this, the second mob, Apothecary Baxter (X in the SS), will become active. He'll have run over to the X on the picture, and should be 'tanked' where he stands by your green dps. Your fake-tank will want to keep Baxter facing away and at distance from the main group, as his aura and spray will do lots of damage to anyone that's not immune to it. Once the main group has killed Fyre, they can come over and help kill Baxter. The melee may want to swap to the green potion as they're running in.

Once they're all dead, head back over to loot the shinies. Good luck on the mount =)

Notes:
For a very well geared group, it is possible to power through the encounter without a second tank. It's hard on the tank and healer though, and you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a fake-tank. My dps geared, specced, and presenced DK took care of Baxter with no problem. It really depends on your gear level and the amount of melee/ranged dps you have as to if tanking them separately is vital or not. Use your best judgement =)

There are little adds that run around during the encounter, but their damage is unnoticeable.

You'll probably need to refresh your potion between each kill, but you may have to cancel the buff first in order to get the timer to restart. It's been acting odd, and hasn't been fixed as far as I'm aware.

I wouldn't suggest doing this with less than 3, as at least one healer, and dps are probably needed to kill the group before you healer starts going OOM. You could fake tank the entire thing, but a real tank makes your life easier. And you will need a healer. Because healer's are sexy.

Got questions? Ask! I'll do my best to reply =)

Low Level LFD

2010-01-28T23:03:00.001-06:00

It sometimes rocks. It's a different way to level. At times, it's almost instant queues, no matter what role.

But let's face it. People are still learning their classes for the most part, and it sucks.

You've all seen the melee hunter.

You may have heard of the warrior that rolls on +int gear.

But I have found something so special, so unique, I'd bet my hat it's something you've not come across before.

Yes, yes I am indeed speaking of the ranged rogue.

Daggers and swords are too lowly for this fine fellow. Instead, he turns to his weapons of choice: the white vendor throwing knives!

With these trusty blades in hand, he can relax back by the (non-melee thank you very much) hunter and the healer, and casually toss the (slighly less dangerous than baby rabbits) razors of death.

From this positioning, he's just in the right place to be out of immediate danger, has a lovely view of the fight, and can be just lazy enough to enjoy a beer, a cig, or other less mentionable out of game leisure activities.

Boss fight after boss fight, this creative dwarf looks combat in the eye and knows no fear. (He'll also never know the joy of being above the healer on the dps meters, but meh, what's that worth?)

A word of caution though... If you are indeed planning to go out and employ this clever instancing strategy, beware: for some reason, the other people in your party often become increasingly hostile, and often resort to drastic measures to prevent you from showing off your epic throwing skills. I heard a rumor that once such a rogue even got kicked from the group =(

*toddles off to queue again*

Don't let the sarcasm bite you on the way out!

Gearing Your Sapling: Part 1

2010-01-26T12:50:00.004-06:00

Whether you're a fresh 80 that's looking to gather gear to work towards being able to heal raids, or a druid that's been 80 for a year but has decided to make a resto offspec, or somewhere in between, one of the most common questions is how to get the easiest good gear possible. Hopefully this will help a bit =)

This list does not include any raid, EoF, or Primordial Saronite crafted gear. It's not the end all list, just a guide of things to try for to get a set going. Horde items are listed, Alliance can go look up their equivalent if needed. (Please let me know if you find any wrong/broken links)

Order is Best > Worst. I'm only listing 5 items for most slots, so there may be alternatives, I'm just listing those that I think are best.

Part 1: Weapons - Chest
Look for part 2 here.

2H Weapon
*While the top two are good choices, the best combination pre-raid is going to be 1H/OH*

Blood Boil Lancet - Drops from Devourer of Souls (2nd boss of normal Forge of Souls)

Unspeakable Secret - Drops from Forgemaster Garfrost (1st boss of normal Pit of Saron)

Staff of Draconic Combat - Drops from Cache of Eregos (Spawns after defeating 4th boss of heroic Oculus)

Staff of Wayward Principles - Drops from Skadi the Ruthless (3rd boss in heroic Utgarde Pinnacle)

Staff of Sinister Claws - Drops from Herald Volazj (4th boss of heroic AN: Old Kingdom)

1H Weapon
Val'anyr, Hammer of Ancient Kings - Okay okay, I'm kidding... We can wish though right?

Hammer of Purified Flame - Reward from the quest chain starting with the Battered Hilt (Random drop from any of the ICC heroics, can also be picked up on AH for a nasty amount of gold)

Surgeon's Needle - Drops from Forgemaster Garfrost (1st boss of heroic Pit of Saron)

Spectral Kris - Drops from the Black Knight (3rd boss of heroic Trial of the Champion)

Bone Golem Scapula - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in normal Halls of Reflection)

Mariel's Sorrow - Drops from Eadric's Cache (Spawns after defeating Eadric, possible 2nd boss, in heroic Trial of the Champion)

War Mace of Unrequited Love - Drops from Keristrasza (5th boss in heroic Nexus)

Off-Hand
Shriveled Heart - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in heroic Halls of Reflection)

Handbook of Obscure Remedies - Purchased for 25 Emblems of Heroism from several vendors in Dalaran (Easiest place will be the emblem room in your faction's area)

Faces of Doom - BoE Inscription crafted, check your local scribe or AH

Temple Crystal Fragment - Drops from Novos the Summoner (2nd boss of heroic Drak'Tharon Keep)

Prison Manifest - BoE drop from the Violet Hold heroic. These are normally very cheap on the AH, likely better off purchasing instead of attempting to farm.

Idol
*Get it. First EoT purchase. Love it.*
Idol of Flaring Growth - Purchased for 25 Emblems of Triumph at vendor in Dalaran or at the Argent Tournament.

Head
*Out of the T9 pieces, the helm is the best one to skip, and purchase the EoT non-set instead*

Mask of Abundant Growth - Purchased for 75 Emblems of Triumph at vendor in Dalaran or at the Argent Tournament.

Runetotem's Headpiece of Conquest - Purchased for 50 Emblems of Triumph at vendor at the Argent Tournament.

Tattered Glacial-Woven Hood - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in normal Halls of Reflection)

Fallen Sentry's Hood - Drops from Falric (1st boss of normal Halls of Reflection)

Gaze of the Somber Keeper - Drops from Confessor's Cache (Spawns after defeating Paletress, possible 2nd boss, in normal Trial of the Champion)

Neck
Love's Prisoner - Drops from Bronjahm (1st boss of heroic Forge of Souls)

Arcane Loops of Anger - Drops from Devourer of Souls (2nd boss of heroic Forge of Souls)

Evoker's Charm - Purchased for 19 Emblems of Conquest from several vendors in Dalaran (Easiest place will be the emblem room in your faction's area)

Symbol of Redemption - Drops from the Black Knight (3rd boss of heroic Trial of the Champion)

Dragon Prow Amulet - BoE drop from the Utgarde Keep heroic. These are normally very cheap on the AH, likely better off purchasing instead of attempting to farm.

Shoulder
*Tier 9 is the way to go. Get it asap*

Runetotem's Spaulders of Conquest - Purchased for 30 Emblems of Triumph at vendor at the Argent Tournament.

Frayed Abomination Stitching Shoulders - Drops from Marwyn (2nd boss of normal Halls of Reflection)

Grim Lasher Shoulderguards - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in normal Halls of Reflection)

Mantle of Tattered Feathers - Random drop from the Frozen Halls instances (Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, Halls of Reflection) WoWHead claims normal and heroic, iLvl suggests normal only.

Dark Runic Mantle - BoE drop from the Halls of Stone heroic. These are normally very cheap on the AH, likely better off purchasing instead of attempting to farm.

Cape

Cloak of the Fallen Cardinal - Drops from Scourgelord Tyrannus (3rd boss of normal Pit of Saron)

Disguise of the Kumiho - Purchased for 25 Emblems of Valor from several vendors in Dalaran (Easiest place will be the emblem room in your faction's area)

Wispcloak - BoE crafted by tailors

Reanimator's Cloak - BoE drop from the Drak'Tharon heroic. These are normally very cheap on the AH, likely better off purchasing instead of attempting to farm.

Ancient Dragon Spirit Cape - Drops from Cache of Eregos (Spawns after defeating 4th boss of heroic Oculus)

Chest
*Again, get your T9 as soon as you are able.*

Runetotem's Robe of Conquest - Purchased for 50 Emblems of Triumph at vendor at the Argent Tournament.

Merlin's Robe - BoE crafted by tailors.

Chestguard of Broken Branches - Drops from The Captain's Chest (Spawns after defeating the gauntlet in heroic Halls of Reflection)

Mord'rethar Robes - Drops from Devourer of Souls (2nd boss of heroic Forge of Souls)

Robes of the Cheating Heart - Drops from Bronjahm (1st boss of normal Forge of Souls)

Armory Character Feed for Twitter

2010-01-25T07:37:00.001-06:00

With all of the shiny changes to the armory, one of the best things Blizzard added was a customizable RSS feed for your characters' recent activity. With the right settings, this can be a cool thing to add to your Twitter (or other sites if you wish), but with the wrong settings it can be a bit of a mess.

To start setting up your character's RSS feed, go to the armory and log into your BNet account, and then find the character that you'd like to start with.

Now, down on the right hand side of the page you'll see a box of Recent Activity, with the RSS icon in the top right corner. Click that icon, and we're moving on.

First, you need to select which items you'd like to update your feed with. For something that's posting to Twitter, instead of just sitting non-intrusively on a blog for example, there are things you may want to uncheck.

Exploration: I'm sorry, but most of us really don't care that you've explored Borean Tundra on the 6th character. And to be honest, you probably don't really care either, except for the big milestones, such as exploring Northrend.
Quests: This is kinda an iffy one. Unlike Exploration, it's not likely to be very spammy, but at the same time, it is kinda... Boring. Think about it, keep or discard as you want.
Professions: On a leveling character, this would get old really fast. On an 80, you're much less likely to see updates, and do you really care that you just caught your 1000th fish?
World Events: They sit there looking innocent for most of the year, and then one week SPAAAAAM. Again, up to you. If you want the only thing your followers see to be updates about the holiday for it's entire duration, keep it. If you want to update them about other things as well, scrap it.
Dungeons and Raids/Player vs. Player: If you're a raider, keep D&R and consider dropping PvP. If you're a PvP'er, keep PvP and consider dropping D&R. If you do both, keep both and live with the fact that some of your successes will not be posted.
Achievement Criteria: Please please please for the love of all that is good and chocolaty please uncheck this. Updates about the fact that you've successfully killed a rat are just sad, and can get annoying.
Boss Kills: Again, a situational one. As someone who regularly runs 5mans, I'd rather not spam ya'll with "Khiow has killed King Ymiron... again." That said, someone who only raids on their character may want to keep this, and update their followers on their progress in ICC.

Last on point #1 is the Loot settings. I suggest keeping this, but making some adjustments. We probably don't need to see every time that you win an epic in a heroic and there's no enchanter to zap it. At the same time, if you just won a totally amazing badass cloak out of ICC 25, share it! Pick a minimum item level that you think works for what you're doing, and it will only update about items that level or higher. I've got mine set to 245 atm I believe, 232 was getting me updates out of the heroic Frozen Halls, which I didn't want.

Moving on, #2. Here, you can add up to 4 different characters (for a total of 5) and have them be updated in the same feed with the same settings. To add a character, just type CharacterName@Realm and click the plus sign to the right. It'll add that one, and open the box for you to add another.

And last but not least, once you have the feed configured how you'd like it, click the copy to clipboard down at the bottom. It should automatically add the link for the RSS feed to your clipboard, and you can paste it in where you like.

Once you have your link, head over to your automatic feed updater. Most of us seem to use TwitterFeed, and as that's the only one I've messed with, that's the only directions I'll be giving. Use something else? You're screwed <3

Log into your account (Or create one if you like) and click the Create New Feed button. It should be towards the upper right of the screen.

On the first page, name the feed and paste in the link. Go ahead and test the feed with the button at the end of the line. If it says you're good, then click the "Advanced Settings" link at the bottom of the page. You can fiddle with lots of things here, but the only one we're going to worry about is the Update Frequency. For a typical armory feed, checking for updates every 30 minutes and posting 2 updates at a time seems to work best. If you find yourself wanting longer between updates, or more/less posted at a time, feel free to adjust. A word of warning though, I strongly suggest not going over 3 updates at a time. It gets spammy very very fast, and followers don't like that and become not-followers =\

Once you're done with that, click Continue to Step 2.

Here, select the Twitter link, and follow the steps to authenticate your account. If you've used this for Twitter before, you should be able to find your Twitter account in the drop down list. If not, go ahead and click the shiny blue "Authenticate Twitter" button, and obey their every command. Including the one to mail caffeine to me. After that, click the Create Service link at the bottom, and you're all set.

More questions? Check out Blizzard's FAQ about this service.

Play around with this. There are plenty of settings, and lots of ways to customize. You may find that you don't want to have the feed updating to Twitter after all. And no pressure: You can always go back and make a new feed, and change anything you don't like.

Have fun =)

OMFG There's a Chick in Vent!

2010-01-24T20:57:00.000-06:00

-.-

While most things related to being a female and playing online games have been covered in blog posts over and over, the one I've found to be the most annoying and frequent seems to be a little underwritten.

If you're a girl raider, you probably have experienced something similar. You're in a raid, getting ready to (or in the process of) kicking ass. For some reason or another though, you find it necessary to speak up in vent. If you're in a good guild run, not a big deal normally. In a PuG... Oh dear =(

A recent example perhaps. Was doing ToC 25 on the little druid this past week with a PuG I joined at Twins. We downed them and moved onto Anub. As we were charging in, tank starting to throw things at the boss, I realized no one had mentioned ice. Here, I was faced with two choices:

Assume the raid all knows what they're doing, and a ranged dps or three is already planning to take care of that little problem.
Assume that this is in fact a Stonemaul PuG, and that we're all going to die horrible deaths screaming in agony.

Pretty obvious choice eh? So little old me speaks up in vent. "Who's knocking down the ice?" A few seconds of silence, then: "Are you a white chick?" "Um, maybe?" "Oh good. I've been trying to find one on WoW all day."

First of all, come on. We're in a raid fight, and I'm asking an important question. Secondly, WTF? If you were going for hitting sexist and racist in one sentence, you might have made it there. And I had to ask my question again -.-

And for the record, we did die horrible deaths screaming in agony. Ever seen a tree scream? I't's not pretty.

To be fair, the blame isn't always on the 12 year old boys that freak out in vent when they hear a voice that's higher than theirs. The girl that spends the entire raid flirting with various people in vent? Yeah, you've probably encountered her too.

In yet another 25 ToC pug, this one a few months back, there was such a ~~woman~~ girl. From the moment she logged into vent, she was giggling at every 'amusing' comment one of the boys made, and dropping flirtatious lines left and right. It was obviously annoying some, but enough of the group found her entertaining, and so she kept on.

For the unaware, this type of girl is often bad. And not good bad, I mean bad like dying to fire on Gormok. And then poison on the worms. AND trample on Icehowl. (And yes, she did get 2 battlerezzes. Did you know it was possible for someone to bat their eyelashes verbally? I'm pretty sure that's what happened.)

At this point, I was so ashamed of my gender that I was considering a sex change. Not really. But there was no way in hell I was going to talk in vent after everyone being subjected to this stunning example of the fairer sex. I mean, it would take alot. Such as no one doing interrupts on JarJar. >.>

If there's one good thing about being a woman in voice chat, it's that everyone shuts up when you start talking.

So got JarJar interrupts handled, and I retreat back to my little silent hidey spot. Except when people were calling out different and just plain wrong orders on Faction Champs. So again little Khi steps up and starts doing what I do best: Ordering people around. FC died, and I managed to stay silent for the rest of the run.

After the raid, one of the pugs sent me a tell remarking on the fact that I was such a different example of a female raider than the one that had taken up most of the attention that night. But what he didn't seem to get is that the majority of the women that play WoW are normal players. Anyone that tries to say that girls are worse/better at this game is pretty full of it. Or trying to start something.

That said, the girl players that seem to get the most attention are those like our little pug damsel of my distress. Making a bad name for all us kick ass ladies =(

TL;DR
The boys and the girls need to grow up a bit sometimes.

Mini-rambling-not-quite-rant-done.

And yes Koris, that is the girl you're thinking of. Good news she seems to have disappeared since them =)

Smallish Update

2010-01-23T10:26:00.001-06:00

Due to epic failure on the part of ATT, after getting back from the holidays, I had one day of fun before the internet died for 2.5 weeks. I'll skip the rage here, but maaaan that sucked >.< Sadly, that, combined with sporadic raid attendance during the hols means that I've been bumped from raider to waitlist-er. So, with ICC being conquered by other adventurers, had a bit of time on my hands =\ The good news is I've gotten quite a bit done since getting back online Tuesday.

With Khiow, other than Emblems of Frost, there's not a whole lot of progress I can do without a raid. I'll be crafting him the ICC boots early next week, and I think I'll have enough badges for the T10 helm on Tuesday. Other than one random heroic a day though, he's not seeing much action. *sadface*

Khite still had a bit of gear to get from Triumph badges, but looks like I'm done with that now. There are still 2 pieces outa Halls of Reflection she could use, but other than that, she's in the same situation as Khiow. Need more raids =\

And that brings us to the main reason for this post... Little druid Khilana *grin* And yes, she is my second 80 druid. On the same server. And yup, she's a tree too. Her offspec is kitty while Khiow's is boomkin, so a little different. I got her from 77 to 80 this week, and I've been getting her gear and sneaking into raids since then. She killed the Twins, and almost Anub (fucking 3% wipe with a pug) in ToC 25, and has been very very rapidly getting gear. I think I'll have my 4 piece T9 later today.

I know Blizzard wanted to make it easier for us to gear up new players or alts, but I think they made it a bit too easy. Khilana's been 80 for 2 days, and she's almost ready for ToC10/Uld25. And that's with only 1 crafted/BoE item. Don't misunderstand me... For me right now, this is fun. It rocks. I've got epics coming out my ass. But it's not really a challenge. When I hit 70 back in BC, it was weeks later that I got my first epic. And I had to work for that. But now? It's like they're candy.

I dunno. I like many of the changes that Blizz has made over the years, but I'm getting to the point where I want more of a challenge with some things. The hardest thing about most raids is fighting my computer =\ When they first made the changes with Emblems of Conquest dropping everywhere, I liked the idea in general, but thought they should have only bumped it one rank. IE, Valors drop everywhere, but EoC were still restricted to Uld 25, and EoT only coming from ToC. And now, with Triumphs everywhere, I'm going back to that idea. Conquest badges now would be a good stepping stone, but require people to still spend some time, effort, and blood to get ready for progression raiding.

*shrug* Just my opinions. What do ya'll think? If you've hit 80 since 3.3, how have you liked the gearing process? If you've had new players join your raiding team, do you think the lack of difficulty has been a good thing or a bad thing? Cake or pie?

...
Dammit.
Now I want cake.

'Twas a Few Weeks Before Christmas...

2009-12-06T16:06:00.001-06:00

'Twas a few weeks before Christmas, and all through Northrend,

The players were waiting for 3.3 to begin.

Arthas was waiting, high in his cold castle,

Preparing things to cause adventurers hassle.

His lieutenants were waiting, his guards were ready,

Against the Ashen Verdict they'd be holding steady.

Tirion and Darion were marshaling their troops

When a small voice high in the citadel called "Oops!"

"My lord and master, I hate to remind you,

But you still need to write a villainous speech to

Strike fear into the hearts of those who attack

And send them running with our swords at their back."

Arthas frowned in thought, and with inspiration stood

"How about 'None may challenge the Brotherhood?"

Blood-Queen Lana'thel sighed and shook her head.

"I'm afraid, dear Lich King, that one's already been said."

"Now for you, insects! Boldly you sought the power..."

Arthas shook his head and thought for an hour.

"You face not Arthas alone, but the legions I command?"

Sindragosa stepped up. "Perhaps you don't understand.

"Sir, your speech must be original and unique to you.

Not something in the past lesser villains have used."

The Lich King glared and stomped from his room.

"Just wait, I'll think of something full of evil and doom!"

As Arthas chugged egg nog, feeling sad for himself,

Professor Putricide stepped up to the shelf.

"Have you thought, perhaps, instead of darkness and evil,

Making your speech about something more seasonal?"

The Lich King thought and thought, and gave a great sigh,

And there might have been a tear that escaped from his eye.

"I love Winter Veil, with all the colorsh and ice,

And presents and songs and shnowballs are nice.

"But I'm the evil they try to shweep under the rug.

And bad guysh don't get cookies and a kiss and a hug."

Putricide shouted back as he left with a grin,

"If you want that to change, you know how to begin."

Arthas made up his mind, and got really busy,

Making presents and costumes and a sled in a tizzy.

He called up his men, and said "Here'sh the plan!

We're going to shpread winter cheer throughout the land."

"Sho put on the hats, you can pick one of red or of green,

And get ready to have the best Winter Veil you've sheen.

With frostwyrms in front, and a flying shleigh behind,

We'll give a try to being cheerful and kind."

Though scared and uneasy, his Scourge forces agreed.

And they loaded the sled with things they might need.

The gifts were included, some chocolate in cups,

A few blankets tossed in for the kittens and pups.

"The children of Azeroth will get presentsh in bulk,

And in the name of all evil, Marwyn, enough with the shulk.

We're doing this my way, even if you aren't happy.

Now get in the damn sleigh and better make it shnappy."

With more egg nog in reach, and reins in his hand,

A fairly drunk Arthas flew over the land.

Leaning over the edge and shouting, he shared

"For thish year's Winter'sh Veil, you are not prepared!"

3.3 Items: Tasty Tree Trinkets

2009-11-24T17:55:00.002-06:00

*Warning: Wall of text incoming. Be prepared*

I'm only including trinkets that I think are truly GOOD for resto druids. There are some that are decent, and perhaps even good with odd gear or spec combinations, but my list is based on what the majority of raiding trees will be looking for. My personal preference is normally towards reliable trinkets, where the effect is not based on a chance proc or on use. I don't always get my wish, but you may find this list biased that way just a little =)

The Pretties

Ephemeral Snowflake
Let me mop up a little drool here...
First, the haste use effect is very nice. I've been hoping for a reliable haste trinket, but an on use is not a bad choice here. What makes this trinket truly amazing is the mana restore, which procs off of EACH TICK of our heals, including overheals. According to a WoWHead commenter,

for example: means wildgrowth with glyph gives 6 targets a hot which ticks every second for seven seconds:
wildgrowth = 643 mana
trinket returns: 7 * 6 * 11 mana = 462 mana

A 6 target healing spell that costs less than 200 mana? *fwibble* Unless I get to the gear point where mana is insignificant and my haste is higher than I'd like, I'd consider this one of the BiS trinkets. And one of the best things about it, this trinket drops from one of the 5 man heroic instance. Anyone should be able to obtain this, so good luck with the drop =)

Nevermelting Ice Crystal
This one I'm a little iffy on still. It's easy to obtain, dropping from one of the 5 man heroics, and has a decent amount of spell power. While the on use effect is going to be pretty underpowered in most situations, with 4pc T9, it becomes vastly more appealing. For a tree with the 4 set bonus that's not having mana issues, this could be a very nice trinket, but I think I'll be leaving it taking up bagspace myself. I honestly expect to see the CD on the use lowered a bit, or perhaps the effect itself buffed slightly, but even then it's not quite as appealing in most situations or gear levels.

Althor's Abacus
Depending on how this proc works, this is either going to end up being a BiS trinket for many, or a very situational trinket. IF this can proc from WG, IF it is a smart heal and will try to land on someone that actually needs the health, or IF the internal CD is reasonable, this could be great. Unfortunately, there seem to be too many unknowns still. At worst, this will be something I'd pick up to use on heavy raid damage fights. At best, I'll be fighting most of our healers to try and pick it up. This looks to drop from 25 man Gunship battle, so it will be available with the first stage of the content release, but hopefully we'll see some testing results soon.

Show of Faith
Or any of it's previous incarnations (Je'Tze's Bell, Sif's Remembrance). This has been a popular trinket model for all of Wrath, but lately I've been seeing more and more trees replacing it with different choices. That said, it is still a good trinket if you're lucky enough to find one available. The Show is from 25 Yogg +1 or +0, Sif's is off of 10 Thorim HM, and the Bell can be picked up off your local auction house for a few Kg on most servers. This provides approximately 65-80 Mp5, so keep that in mind when comparing against your other options.

Solace of the Fallen
In comparison, the normal version of this trinket provides a reliable 128 Mp5. The heroic version is even more amazing, but not everyone is lucky enough to have that available *Innocent whistle* If needed, the normal and heroic versions of this trinket do stack, but most of us won't need that much Mp5. It is a very very shiny trinket, and most 25 raiding guilds are killing Jaraxxus on a pretty regular basis, so not the most difficult to obtain.

Spark of Hope
Even though spirit is no longer the chocolate that it was for us trees, it is still one of our most powerful stats. The Spark grants about 20 spellpower and 250 mp5 for us, and while it's not one of the best trinkets out there, it is a decent choice for a 10 raiding resto, or a tree that's having some serious mana issues.

Gnome... It's what's for dinner.

The Unmentionables

Now, time for a little fun. These next two are trinkets that are currently not quite nice enough to make my list, but I'd not be shocked to see changed.

Purified Lunar Dust
Currently, compared to even the normal version of the Solace, this is a pretty disappointing trinket. If it ends up having a 45 second CD, even with the 19 iLvl difference this is going to give lower Mp5 and only 3 more spell power. I expect to either see this buffed pretty significantly, or the internal CD made very short. That said, it is obtainable through Emblems of Frost, which will make it a decent choice for some raiders.

Sliver of Pure Ice
Currently, the Mp5 from this trinket will typically match what you'd be getting from the Show of Faith, and that's only if the player is activating the use effect on cooldown each time. Even if it does end up getting buffed to be competitive, I'm not particularly fond of the mana pot type use, but it could end up being a decent option for 10 man raiders. As of this writing, it seems that it's drop location is still unknown, so it may end up that this trinket isn't even available for a good while after the first stage of Icecrown Citadel opens.

TL; DR
"Khi, just quit jabbering and tell me what trinkets to pick!"
Well, it's always going to depend on your gear, spec, the encounter, and you're role. That said, basic ideas...

10m Raiders
Ephemeral Snowflake
Sif's Remembrance
Nevermelting Ice Crystal

25m Raiders
Ephemeral Snowflake
Solace of the Fallen
Althor's Abacus

5 Years Later...

2009-11-23T08:39:00.000-06:00

Well, it's the 5th Anniversary of the World of Warcraft. Some of us have been around since the beginning, some of us have been here just a few short months.

The game itself has changed, grown, and evolved into something that at times barely resembles the original game that so many started to play. One of the main draws to WoW has always been it's dungeon and raid system. A baby character can begin their journey into instances before they even hit level 10, and characters at max level can spend hours upon hours combating the powerful evils that plague Azeroth.

Levels 1 - 30

The early stages of Vanilla WoW have always been more about learning your character's class and abilities, and about the world itself. My favorite instance early on would probably be Deadmines. The instance is easy enough that characters can complete it on level, but it still encourages players to make cautious pulls at times, and work together as a team in order to overcome the encounters. For any Alliance character that's taken the time, the quest chains that end in Deadmines reveal some fascinating lore that continues to be relevant to the game for a long long time.

Levels 31-60

This was honestly a difficult choice... I really love some of the instances and raids in here, but there are several true stand outs. Scarlet Monastery is an amazing place for a character to level, and the different wings allows a group to choose where they next adventure. Maraudon is still the most beautiful instance in the game, and the length of it truly makes a group feel they have accomplished something great when finally killing Princess.

However, even with all of that, Blackrock Depths is the most epic 5 man instance in the game. Even now, it is the longest 5 man in the entire game, and has more bosses than most raids. You are here, in the empire of the Dark Iron dwarves, trudging your way to their leader to attempt to end some of the corruption. It's a long, hard, frustrating instance, but with a group that's willing to work for it and stick around, probably still my favorite instance in the entire game.

Outland

With the release of Blizzard's first expansion for the World of Warcraft, in addition to new races, a new profession, and 10 more levels for a character to gain, an entire new world and it's dungeon's was made available. The Tempest Keep instances were all fun, but challenging in their own ways. Magister's Terrace and Sunwell, even after they were nerfed, were designed well to challenge those that tried to take them on. Kara is still an amazing instance, with a great storyline and variety of encounters. Nearly all raids of the Burning Crusade expansion are epic in their proportions, and by introducing the 25 and 10 player raiding, Blizzard made it so that more than just a tiny portion of the playerbase was able to step foot inside.

All of that said, the Caverns of Time instances, with the method they introduced of letting players witness and participate in historical events, were some of the best dungeons we've seen in the game so far. The 5 mans were interesting, challenging, but still fun for anyone that was prepared to tackle their evils. The Battle for Mount Hyjal was just amazing, and so different than anything most players had encountered before. And, love it or hate it, the attunement process did limit those able to venture inside to the select elite that were able to defeat the very worst of the tier beforehand, making them believe that they had fully earned their right to take on the evils of the past.

Northrend and Beyond

Now, it's your turn! What is your favorite instance or raid of the current expansion? What are some things you'd be excited to see introduced in Cataclysm? What makes a dungeon amazing, or terrible, in your opinion?

All images here were borrowed from WoWWiki =)

Why Yogg is Still Hard When I Outgear him by a Ton

2009-11-18T00:44:00.001-06:00

So, for anyone who's not done Yogg before, he has several phases that are all decently complicated, and that's without hardmode.

However, even though I've killed him several times over, I find phase 1 to be very very very hard sometimes.

Main goal in phase 1, don't hit the clouds. There are evil green clouds that float their way sinisterly around the room. When you touch one, it spawns an add that attempts to slaughter your raid. One probably won't be successful. If two clouds are bumped, most raids are gonna be making a corpse run.

Now, for a player that's done the fight several times, avoiding the clouds becomes fairly simple. Unless you've got a special computer.

This is where a screenshot would be great, but I'll do my best...

The clouds lie.

The clouds that show up on my screen are not in the same places that they really are. So I'll be running through empty space and causing adds to spawn, all while seeing other people running through 3-4 clouds and nothing happening.

Makes for a great attempt. >.<

Luckily, if I realize it at the beginning of the fight (IE, when I see the tank running through 3 clouds on his way to Sara) I can just hide by the door and do nothing for all of phase 1.

And really, I need to find better things to do when I've sat myself for a raid >.>

WoW Bloggers & Twitters by Server

2009-11-07T19:54:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking for quite a while that we need an address book of sorts for all of us WoW players that also enjoy reading or writing about the game online. Some of us blog, some of us Twitter, some of us do both =)
So, I've set something up, and we'll see how well it ends up working.

Google Docs Spreadsheet

Shiny, no? The basic info I'd like to have in here, at least for the time being, is a player's primary version of the game, server, character, e-mail address, blog address, and twitter name. I realize that not everyone will want that info made public, so just submit whatever you're comfortable with.

Now, this listing is only as good as the people contributing to it, so please contribute and pass it around!

If you have any questions, or wish to be included, you can comment here, @KhiTree (or DM) on twitter, or e-mail me at Khi.Tree@Gmail.