3.2.2 And My Return

Onyxia, queen of the Black Dragonflight, beckons high level challengers to enter her lair once more. With updated loot, the updated encounter makes a few visits worthwhile once again.

In other news, I have started playing again after such a long hiatus. I respecced my mage to Frostfire (0/53/18) and have been levelling my priest as Shadow (14/0/52). She is now level 75 and making good progress through Grizzly Hills.

With 3.2.2 we are getting closer to the 5th anniversary of the game. Everyone will get an Onyxian Whelpling. We are also celebrating Brewfest and I have already seen people with the much coveted Violet Proto-Drake, as a reward for completing What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been.

That's about all I have to say for now. It's good to be back in-game, but it doesn't mean I can commit to playing regularly or consistently. I still can't find the time to dedicate myself to a raiding guild. But I do want to get back into doing heroics, at least, and definitely want to experience the new Onyxia encounter.

Peace.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Bear Essentials

Ding: 78.

Achievement: Fo' Grizzle My Shizzle.

I also completed Explore Grizzly Hills, netting me the Explore Northrend achievement. I got Tabard of the Explorer in my mailbox, as a reward.

If I can finish off Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, I will get both a World Explorer achievement and a title: the Explorer.

Next stop: Zul'Drak. Maybe. It depends on whether I am able to handle those undead mobs in Icecrown now that I am 78. >.<

Whatever happens, I will clear every zone before I am happy. I'm in no hurry to do it; but I will do it.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Titanic Lightning Rods of Supreme Brilliance

I finished Dragonblight last night and started on Grizzly Hills tonight.

Dinged 77 and got my Cold Weather Flying. Ah, it's good to be able to fly again!

I flew around the rest of the Northrend zones. Words like 'epic' and 'amazing' fail to describe the splendour and incredible magnitude and magnificence of this continent. Such varied environments; such humongous structures; such an amazing array of creatures; and such extreme activity everywhere.

I really love the Titan lore and Storm Peaks captures so much of this across its mountainous terrain: giant structures built into the mountains; rune-inscribed golems roaming the mountain crags and paths; huge temple structures that bring a new definition to monolithic architecture.

I couldn't capture in my screenshots the scope of all there is to see, but I can say that I was in absolute awe of the superb job the design team have done in every gigantic zone. There is so much to see and it all takes your breath away.

Take the time to fly around Icecrown, Storm Peaks, Sholazar Basin and Crystalsong Forest -- and actually look at everything. You won't be disappointed.

Gundrak, Zul'drak

A Huge Crater in Zul'drak

Steps to the Zul'drak Plateau

Crystalsong is Breathtakingly Beautiful

Beware the Creatures of Icecrown

Before logging off, I decided to try and find a good spot to farm Frostweave Cloth. I am going to need hundreds of them to get my Tailoring up. I tried a spot in Icecrown, but the mobs there are level 80, so I would recommend waiting until level 79 and grinding out your last level there if you are after cloth, like me.

I also went to Zul'drak. Just outside of the Argent Crusade area, there is an ongoing undead event. You can kill a number of mobs at once, with a decent droprate on cloth. The downside of this is that the respawns are pretty haphazard and sometimes you can't get out of combat. I had a couple of close calls and had to run for my life a couple of times.

One bonus of killing the undead mobs, though, is that one of them dropped a Manual: Heavy Frostweave Bandage for me.

I intend to continue questing in Grizzly Hills and then probably Zul'drak until reaching 79, when I will do my Frostweave stint and hopefully be able to craft my Magnificent Flying Carpet at Level 80. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore