4.3: Dragon Soul and Transmogrification

With 4.3 on the PTR, it isn't long until we get the final heroics, raid and features for the current iteration of the game.

With the patch comes three heroics: End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight.

The final of the three instances segues directly into the last raid of Cataclysm, Dragon Soul. But how will Deathwing meet his demise? Even with the Dragon Soul to weaken his armour, help of the Dragon Aspects and Thrall, and the might of a cadre of heroes, he who was once Neltharion the Earth-Warder is nigh on immortal, having transformed into something far greater than a black dragon. Now consumed by the hatred and even the powers of the old gods of Azeroth, Deathwing and his sprouting tentacles will have to be weakened to the point of defeat and then permanently imprisoned far beneath the world, much as the Titans once imprisoned the old gods.

I speculate that Alexstrasza, because of her history with Neltharion and more recently his incarnation as Deathwing, will land the final, incapacitating blow, allowing the other aspects to deal with Catacylsm's big bad guy once and for all. However that will be.

Along with the new instances and the final raid come various features: a cross-realm raid finder, void storage, and transmogrification being the most prominent of additions and changes to the game. There are some very cool weapons and pieces of armour out there to discover. Some will take a bit of work to acquire, while others will be nigh on impossible to attain.

I put together a set for my mage. It will take a bit of work to gather all of the necessary pieces. Following is just one option:

Items used:
Chief Architect's Monocle - Fineous Darkvire, Blackrock Depths [Acquired]
Mantle of the Elven Kings - Trash drop, The Eye
Shadow of Dread - Nefarian, Blackwing Descent
Firehawk Robes - 2,200 Valor Points.
Firehawk Gloves - 1,650 Valor Points.
Embereye Belt - Naresir Stormfury, Firelands and Mount Hyjal
Boots of the Black Flame - Tailoring
Red Sword of Courage - King Ymiron, Utgarde Pinnacle
Igniter Rod - Ignis the Furnace Master, Ulduar

Peace.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

One More Level

Every day, I try to do three profession dailies: Fishing and Cooking with my mage, and Jewelcrafting with my priest. So far, I have gained a few fishing skill points, vendor trash and a fishing hat; bought five or six cooking recipes; and bought two rare gem designs and saved up 15 tokens to be spent on others.

Gem cutting is a tricky business. It's hard to find time to dabble in everything I want to, and so the tokens pile up while no gold comes in from buying cuts and putting them to good use.

4.0.6 brings with it some notable professions changes:

• The Bag of Shiny Things from the Fishing dailies will have a chance to include a rare fishing pole. That, plus the currently existing but rare Strand Crawler, will continue to make doing the dailies worthwhile.
• Three new meta gems are being introduced. They will be rare world drops, so I would imagine the designs will go for a pretty penny and be snatched up before anyone can sneeze.
• Minor, but important changes to some existing meta requirements will make certain metas (eg. Chaotic Shadowspirit Diamond) much more popular and BiS for certain classes.

My progress so far
Gaiwyn is level 84, 525 enchanting and 460 tailoring. I have yet to try and take advantage of being a max level enchanter and am taking my sweet time to both level to 85 and level tailoring. Archaeology has slowed down for me, but I will get there eventually.

Ilyaena is also level 84, and is 525 jewelcrafting and 525 mining. However, as a Draenei, this is not max level jc, but 10 points short; so I haven't quite got Working Around the Clock. I could be starting on Uldum this week, provided I find time to play. I look forward to healing at 85 (more on that below).

Selaena is level 83, with 517 herbalism and 485 alchemy. I intend to work my way through Deepholm to get herbs to level alchemy some more. Eventually, I will have to take advantage of transmutes. Truegold transmutes could still be quite lucrative.

On the gold-making front, I am at just under 40k, and am slowly selling enchants and glyphs. I still have a lot of things to work out (professions-wise) as well as a few things stockpiled in my guild bank, ready to be sold at the right time. Right now though, I just want to enjoy the game and get my three chosen toons to 85 with maxed professions. :)

Level 85 Holy Priest Preview
I want to heal at level 85. I have enjoyed it in every iteration since rolling my priest during the Burning Crusade expansion. I love melting faces, but I want to focus again on keeping people alive. There's just something about that sense of accomplishment when you play well as a healer and get through each challenge successfully. I don't profess to be the best healer out there, but I have never been terrible at it either.

Holy build (6/33/2) - I can't say for sure if this is what I'm after for normals and going into heroics, and I won't know until I try. But I've played around with the talents and this looks like a good holy build that incorporates both mana conservation / regeneration and utility, while making sure there is enough emphasis on Renew: a more important spell for holy priests than ever before.

Spiritmend Cowl (Tailoring)
Pendant of Elemental Balance (Vendor - Honored with The Earthen Ring)
Blight-Lifter's Mantle (Quest - Lost City of the Tol'vir)
Cloak of the Dryads (Vendor - Honored with Guardians of Hyjal)
Anraphet's Regalia (Anraphet - Halls of Origination)
Crimsonborne Bracers (Drahga Shadowburner - Grim Batol)

Roffle's Ruffly Gloves (Binds when equipped)
Truth-Seeker Belt (Quest - Stormwind City)
Narkall's Leggings (Quest - Twilight Highlands)
Hekatic Slippers (Rajh - Halls of Origination)
Veneficial Band (Lockmaw - Lost City of the Tol'vir)
Ammunae's Blessing (Vendor - Honored with Ramkahen)
Figurine - Dream Owl (Jewelcrafting)
Blood of Isiset (Isiset - Halls of Origination)

Staff of Siphoned Essences (Erudax - Grim Batol)
Scepter of Power (Setesh - Halls of Origination)
Book of Origination (Binds when equipped)
Wand of Untainted Power (Forgemaster Throngus - Grim Batol)

See it on Wowhead.

Peace.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Reflecting on Forged Saronite 3.3

Well, a fair bit has happened since I last posted here. 3.3 was released and so the dungeon tool went live. So far it is working out ok, although the wait times are still not terribly satisfactory.

Gaiwyn is very close to exalted with Sons of Hodir. I am focusing more on my mage now, as with the release of Icecrown Citadel and the three new dungeons, not to mention daily heroics, there is a lot for me to do now.

I already got four upgrades for my mage, from running through the dungeons on normal:
Tattered Glacial-Woven Hood
Mantle of Tattered Feathers
Marwyn's Macabre Fingertips
Splintered Icecrown Parapet

I also finally created a guild of my own: Vested Interest. It would be nice to have other people around to talk to, but I'm not really advertising its presence a great deal. So far no one has shown any interest in a casual, non-raiding guild anyway. Oh well.

As far as upgrades are concerned, consider the following:

Gaiwyn's plan of attack (aka mage love through pugging):
1. Run heroic Forge of Souls until Arcane Loops of Anger and Very Fashionable Shoulders have been acquired. Seethe is a bonus.
2. Run heroic Pit of Saron until Ancient Polar Bear Hide, Prelate's Snowshoes and Nevermelting Ice Crystal have been acquired.
2a. If Seethe was not acquired from Forge of Souls, run Pit of Saron until Engraved Gargoyle Femur is acquired.
3. Run heroic Halls of Reflection until Sightless Crown of Ulmaas, Bracer of Worn Molars, Suspiciously Soft Gloves, Strip of Remorse and Soulsplinter have all been acquired.
3b. If Engraved Gargoyle Femur was not acquired from Pit of Saron but Seethe was acquired from Forge of Souls, run Halls of Reflection until Shriveled Heart is acquired.
4a. Purchase Talisman of Resurgence and Band of the Invoker with Emblems of Triumph.
4b. Run both random heroics and 10-man Icecrown Citadel.
4c. If Khadgar's Leggings of Conquest can't be purchased, run normal Pit of Saron until Rimewoven Silks are acquired.
5. Spend Emblems of Triumph on Mantle of Catastrophic Emanation.
5a. Spend Emblems of Frost on Volde's Cloak of the Night Sky.
5b. Spend Emblems of Frost on upgrades when possible: Gloves of False Gestures, Hood of Fiery Aftermath and Belt of Omission.
Bonus: Try and have Deathfrost Boots and Leggings of Woven Death crafted before Cataclysm is released.

Long road ahead for a casual player. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Shaman

Couldn't think of a better title for this post.

Since my warrior is 80 and I don't have time to find groups for running even normal Trial of the Champion, I simply log her now to do the Argent Tournament dailies. Once I have 50 Champion's Seals, I'll be able to get two Claymores of the Prophet. Upgrading to a weapon with haste isn't really very good, but it will give me a slight DPS boost in preparation for chain instancing (normal Icecrown and Trial) once 3.3 hits. The gear won't exactly roll in, due to my limited play-time, but I should be able to gear up for heroics in a few weeks.

And so I decided to level another toon. My rogue and shaman are the only other two that have epic flyers, so I flipped a coin to see which one to give Cold Weather Flying to, and start playing.

I was leaning towards shaman anyway -- since his mount is way cooler and I had just levelled a melee toon -- so when the coin flip backed me up, I grabbed the tome and started carving (or at least lightning bolting) my way through Borean Tundra.

Now he's level 71, and I will try and play him as often as I can. I guess I got sick of playing my priest, but I'll get her through those last two levels eventually. I just feel like damaging stuff.

Also, it will be fun to level Engineering.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Ulduar Caster Wishlist

Best in Slot gear is very hard to work out, especially considering that different specs benefit slightly differently from certain gear compositions; raid makeup can make a difference; and then of course there are Tier bonuses to take into account.

When it comes to hit, there are three considerations to make: talents that increase chance to hit; the Draenei racial bonus; the buffs that Shadow Priests and Balance Druids provide. This means that one should have maximum hit gear and then scale it with other pieces according to current raid makeup.

I used to find it pretty easy to do back in TBC raiding. If there was a Draenei in my party, I would switch out a ring that had +12 hit on it. I also swapped out a few pieces for trash, which of course required a lot less hit.

With Ulduar here, and me being unable to raid due to not having found a casual 10-man raiding guild as of yet, I can still look at available gear and see what works in terms of BiS / Tier 8.0 pieces. One can only dream.

This is what I came up with:
Precision (3/3); Required Hit: 367
Cowl of Icy Breaths
Pendant of the Shallow Grave
Valorous Kirin Tor Shoulderpads
Drape of the Spellweaver
Raiments of the Corrupted
Runetouch Handwraps
Valorous Kirin Tor Gauntlets
Binding of the Dragon Matriarch
Leggings of Unstable Discharge
Treads of the Dragon Council
Emerald Signet Ring
Lady Maye's Sapphire Ring
Elemental Focus Stone
Eye of the Broodmother
Firesoul
Igniter Rod
Nurturing Touch
Totals: 367 Hit; 527 Crit; 220 Haste

I also worked out some other pieces to get for swapping in and out, depending on the presence of a Draenei and/or the 3% hit buff from a Shadow Priest or Balance Druid. Circumstances depending, the following are some pieces that are worth getting. It may even pay to mix some of the above pieces around in order to have 4/5 Tier 8.0 for the 4-piece bonus.

Lifespark Visage and Valorous Kirin Tor Hood
Pendant of the Piercing Glare
Valorous Kirin Tor Tunic
Combustion Bracers
Handwraps of Resonance
Conductive Cord
Valorous Kirin Tor Leggings
Stormtip and Plasma Foil
Pillar of Fortitude and Unraveling Reach

Then, of course there are gems and enchants to take into account. So being at the hit cap is dependent on quite a few factors. You can't plan completely unless you know how circumstances will be constantly. And even then it takes a bit of juggling and takes time to build up the gear.

Happy raiding.

Edit: See the wishlist on Warcrafter.net.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Build 9972

Testing in Ulduar continues, as do changes across the classes. 3.1 must be getting pretty close now. I'm not really that excited about it. Maybe because I play reasonably casually now and am mostly focusing on levelling my alts.

Paladin: Level 67. Enjoying the last vestiges of Nagrand.
Warrior: Level 66. Enjoying Nagrand quests, despite Dvaenya still being there.
Priest: Level 74. Love melting faces.
Death Knight: A handful of heroics down, so around 20 Emblems collected so far.
Mage: Uh, guess I gotta log in for a weapon enchant for Dvaenya's axe and my cloth cooldown... Not much else to do. :o

As for 3.1 builds, I am currently looking at going with the following specs - at least as one of my two possible specs, were I to purchase the dual-spec ability for any of my active toons:

Fire Mage (20/51/0)
Moving away from Frost and going neither Frostfire nor Arcane. With the changes to the Glyph of Molten Armor, it might just be worth it.

Fury Warrior (18/53/0)
Titan's Grip gives large bursts of rage, so I see both Anger Management and Improved Berserker Rage as unnecessary. Otherwise, I would not have enough points to take Bloodsurge.

Shadow Priest (14/0/57)
I decided to take Improved Vampiric Embrace and Psychic Horror. They will both be nice talents in heroics.

Retribution Paladin (12/5/54)
Not much I can say about this. The changes to Exorcism should make taking the glyph worthwhile. And the changes to the Glyph of Seal of Blood should make it worth taking, too.

Blood Death Knight (54/17/0)
Time for a change. I will no doubt have Unholy as my second spec (when I can afford dual-spec for him), but I am keen to try out Blood at level 80. Mark of Blood and Hysteria should both prove to be nice.

Mutilate Rogue (52/17/2)
Back to daggers?! Yup. Don't worry, I will still get some swords for my Combat spec. I am just keen to give Mutilate a shot again. At least, at 80 (when she gets there!).

So, where are the usual Hunter, Druid and Shaman builds? To tell the truth, I can't be bothered either playing with specs or playing them. I know I went to all the trouble of getting my Shammy his epic flyer at 70, but for now I have no intention of levelling him. ^^

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Death Knight Ding

MMO-Champion have put up a YouTube video showcasing Tier 8 armour.

My Death Knight is level 80. I will probably finish Icecrown with him, regardless. I also need to start doing heroics for gear upgrades and reputation. I equipped his Titansteel Destroyer. The funny thing is, his 2H mace skill is 1/400. It's a long grind ahead of me, full of misses. :p

As I said previously, I will probably level my Priest to 80 next. I'd better start saving cloth and stuff for crafting her level 78 gear. :o

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

More Ulduar Testing

It looks like Ulduar boss testing is coming along nicely. On the US PTR realms we will be getting access to three more bosses this week. I haven't bothered logging into the test realms. I don't have any intention of dedicating myself to raiding, so don't really see the point.

My Death Knight is 78 and is wearing all his crafted and enchanted level 78 blue gear. My Warrior is still 65 but I am now dual wielding Honed Voidaxe and Warsong Howling Axe. Too bad my armour is so terrible. :(

The change to the hearthstone cooldown in 3.1 (from 60 mins to 30 mins) will be helpful. And the change to Lightweave Embroidery is good, too -- it is being changed to a chance on spellcast to increase spellpower by 250 for 15 sec.

With talent tree changes will come revision of my character builds. I will update the Character Overview post to reflect these changes after 3.1 goes live.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Will I See Ulduar?

As I continue to play my alts I am reminded that I enjoy levelling. There is no commitment to being somewhere at a particular time. I really do like playing casually more than being part of the raiding scene, week in and week out.

The game is my hobby. But I want it to be a hobby that doesn't consume me or dictate how my evening will play out. Everything should come before playing. That's the reality.

Who knows whether I will get to experience Ulduar when 3.1 goes live. But I'm not fussed. I didn't get T5, so I don't expect to get T8. Raiding is fun but it also prevents one from having ultimate flexibility. I can't live like that anymore.

As for my alts: well, my Death Knight is still 77 but I now have all of his 78 blue gear enchanted and ready to go, as well as Titansteel Destroyer ready for when he hits 80. Running heroics will suffice for gear, although I'm sure there will be opportunity to run Naxxramas casually with friends' alts, too.

My Priest is still level 72 but she has finished Borean Tundra, which means I will be hitting up Dragonblight next time I log her shadowy presence.

I've really been enjoying playing my Warrior. I am only halfway through Zangarmarsh but she is already level 65 -- caught up to my Paladin. I managed to get Warsong Howling Axe in just one run of Blood Furnace, and will get Honed Voidaxe as soon as the opportunity to do Ring of Blood presents itself.

I enchanted the axe with Greater Savagery and have another scroll sitting in my bags for the other one. The rest of my gear is terrible, but that should change as I venture into Northrend in three levels.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Three-quarters Cleared

We cleared three of Naxxramas's wings last night on normal (10-man): Arachnid, Plague and Construct. One wipe each to Grobbulus and Gluth wasn't too bad, considering some were there for the first time (my first Gluth fight) -- also, especially since we wiped the floor with them the second time around. I was the only person to die on Thaddius, and I'm still not sure why. One second I was moving to my +ve companions; the next: dead.

It was a good raid, anyhow. We will be clearing the Military Quarter on Sunday, as well as taking down Sapphiron and Kel'Thuzad. I look forward to 25-man raiding, but that may be a few weeks away yet, as we continue to gather the numbers. Normal Malygos raiding should be coming up pretty soon, too.

Last night saw me attain two gear upgrades too: [Grieving Spellblade] and [Spaulders of the Lost Vanquisher], which I turned in for my [Heroes' Frostfire Shoulderpads]. And I crafted, gemmed and enchanted some [Glacial Slippers] in preparation for Sapphiron (may not need them until we do it on heroic).

I continue to quest in Icecrown, ever so slowly. Once finished there I will clear The Storm Peaks, hopefully gaining me enough Sons of Hodir faction to get new shoulder enchants.

Here's to Sunday. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Improve Your Gear

On my guild forums, there is a link to a website that helps you to assess your gear (or look at other people's gear). I have a lot to improve on with more than just what pieces I have, but it is a work in progress, just as gathering gear is. Website added to sidebar.

One thing I really need to do is socket my belt. Once that is done, all I can really do is get a better cloak to make it worth enchanting with more than spell penetration, and slowly replace my blue pieces.

My Tailoring and Enchanting continue to be levelled very slowly. For both, it is a matter of obtaining mats. I hope to quest in Icecrown some more after my Christmas / New Year holiday. That will gain me more reputation with Argent Crusade and Knights of the Ebon Blade, cash from questing, and greens to DE for Enchanting mats. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Heroism

I've been doing a few heroics. My gear is slowly improving. I still need a lot of cloth to level my Tailoring, but at least I am making progress. I crafted my Magnificent Flying Carpet last thing tonight. Can't wait to take that bad boy for a spin around Northrend.

My Enchanting has also improved. I just hope to be able to enchant more gear with orange recipes for guaranteed points. ;)

We did Black Temple again tonight but failed to get the Illidari Council down. I kept losing aggro on High Nethermancer Zerevor when he became immune to magic attacks. I guess I needed to pull him as far to the left as I could, but it just wasn't happening.

At least I hit Revered with Ashtongue Deathsworn. That much closer to another Exalted faction. :)

Here is my current pre-raid gear layout:
Head
Encircling Burnished Gold Chains
Dark Runic Mantle
Back
Egg Sac Robes
Wrists
Gloves of Distorted Time
Girdle of Bane
Breeches of the Caller
Stone-Worn Footwraps
Ring 1
Ring 2
Trinket 1
Trinket 2
Flameheart Spell Scalpel
Prison Manifest
Rod of the Fallen Monarch

I should get Naxxramas upgrades eventually, but will do my best to save Emblems of Heroism to get badge gear. Two more badges and I get the 50 Badge Achievement, too. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Gaiwyn's Raiding Wishlist

Gaiwyn's Raiding Wishlist

Head
Gothik's Cowl
Valorous Frostfire Circlet

Neck
Cosmic Lights
Wyrmrest Necklace of Power

Shoulders
Mantle of the Corrupted
Valorous Frostfire Shoulderpads

Back
Shroud of Luminosity
Pennant Cloak

Chest
Gown of the Spell-Weaver
Heigan's Putrid Vestments
Valorous Frostfire Robe

Wrists
Bindings of the Expansive Mind

Hands
Gloves of Grandeur
Valorous Frostfire Gloves

Waist
Cincture of Polarity

Legs
Leggings of the Wanton Spellcaster
Leggings of Atrophy
Valorous Frostfire Leggings

Feet
Boots of Impetuous Ideals

Rings
Signet of Manifested Pain

Trinkets
Dying Curse
Extract of Necromantic Power
Illustration of the Dragon Soul

Weapon
The Turning Tide
Life and Death
Greatstaff of the Nexus

Off-hand
Surplus Limb

Wand
Gemmed Wand of the Nerubians

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Level 80 Pre-Raid Plate DPS Gear

Pre-Raid iLevel 200 Plate DPS Items

Bind on Equip
Cloak of Bloodied Waters
Cast Iron Shackles
Signet of Edward the Odd
Stained-Glass Shard Ring
Tears of Bitter Anguish

Blacksmithing
Spiked Titansteel Helm
Spiked Titansteel Treads
Titansteel Destroyer

Jewelcrafting
Titanium Impact Choker
Titanium Impact Band

Leatherworking
Ice Striker's Cloak


Heroic Drops
Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom
Jedoga Shadowseeker
Edge of Oblivion

Prince Taldaram
Bonegrinder Breastplate


Azjol-Nerub
Anub'arak
Chitin Shell Greathelm

Krik'thir the Gatewatcher
Golden Limb Bands


Drak'Tharon Keep
King Dred
Incisor Fragment

Novos the Summoner
Breastplate of Undeath

The Prophet Tharon'ja
Mojo Masked Crusher


Gundrak
Eck the Ferocious
Engraved Chestplate of Eck

Gal'darah
Hemorrhaging Circle

Slad'ran
Snake Den Spaulders


Halls of Lightning
General Bjarngrim
The General's Steel Girdle

Loken
Planetary Helm
Colossal Skull-Clad Cleaver

Volkhan
Shroud of Reverberation



Halls of Stone
Krystallus
The Prospector's Prize

Maiden of Grief
Hammer of Grief

Sjonnir the Ironshaper
Bands of the Stoneforge

Tribunal Chest
Sword of Justice


The Culling of Stratholme
Chrono-Lord Epoch
Mobius Band

Meathook
Legplates of Steel Implants


The Nexus
Anomalus
Rift Striders

Keristrasza
Flame-Bathed Steel Girdle
Sphere of Red Dragon's Blood

Ormorok the Tree-Shaper
Band of Frosted Thorns


The Oculus
Cache of Eregos
Gauntlets of Dragon Wrath

Varos Cloudstrider
Legplates of the Oculus Guardian


The Violet Hold
Cyanigosa
Gauntlets of Capture

Erekem
Cloak of the Gushing Wound

Xevozz
Necklace of Arcane Spheres

Zuramat the Obliterator
The Obliterator Greaves


Utgarde Keep
Ingvar the Plunderer
Staggering Legplates

Prince Keleseth
Strategist's Belt


Utgarde Pinnacle
King Ymiron
Gold Amulet of Kings
Meteorite Whetstone

Svala Sorrowgrave
Echoing Stompers


Emblems of Heroism
Pendant of the Outcast Hero (25 )
Verdungo's Barbarian Cord (40 )
Mirror of Truth (40 )
Sigil of Haunted Dreams (15 )


Reputation
Argent Crusade
Fang-Deflecting Faceguard (Revered)
Argent Skeleton Crusher (Revered)

Knights of the Ebon Blade
Death-Inured Sabatons (Exalted)
Runeblade of Demonstrable Power (Revered)

The Sons of Hodir
Spaulders of the Giant Lords (Revered)

The Wyrmrest Accord
Legplates of Bloody Reprisal (Exalted)


Other
Band of the Kirin Tor (8,500g)

Mordreth
Head
Neck
Shoulders
Back
Chest
Wrists
Hands
Waist
Legs
Ring 1
Ring 2
Trinket 1
Trinket 2
2H Weapon
Sigil

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Level 80 Pre-Raid Caster Gear

Pre-raid iLevel 200 Caster Items

Bind on Equip
Dragon Prow Amulet
Dark Runic Mantle
Runecaster's Mantle
Sash of Jordan
Prison Manifest

Jewelcrafting
Titanium Spellshock Necklace
Titanium Spellshock Ring

Tailoring
Deathchill Cloak
Ebonweave Robe
Moonshroud Robe
Spellweave Robe
Ebonweave Gloves
Moonshroud Gloves
Spellweave Gloves


Heroic Drops
Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom
Amanitar
Amulet of the Spellflinger
Silken Bridge Handwraps

Elder Nadox
Elder Headpiece

Herald Volazj
Staff of Sinister Claws
Wand of Ahnkahet

Jedoga Shadowseeker
Subterranean Waterfall Shroud

Prince Taldaram
Necklace of Taldaram


Azjol-Nerub
Anub'arak
Sash of the Servant
Ring of the Traitor King
Rod of the Fallen Monarch

Hadronox
Egg Sac Robes

Krik'thir the Gatewatcher
Stone-Worn Footwraps


Drak'Tharon Keep
King Dred
Savage Wound Wrap

Novos the Summoner
Cursed Lich Blade
Temple Crystal Fragment

Trollgore
Cowl of the Dire Troll

The Prophet Tharon'ja
Overlook Handguards
Spectral Seal of the Prophet


Gundrak
Drakkari Elemental
Living Mojo Belt

Gal'darah
Arcane Flame Altar-Garb

Moorabi
Shroud of Moorabi

Slad'ran
Slithering Slippers
Wand of Sseratus


Halls of Lightning
General Bjarngrim
Traditionally Dyed Handguards

Loken
Ornate Woolen Stola
Flowing Sash of Order
Woven Bracae Leggings

Volkhan
Giant-Hair Woven Gloves


Halls of Stone
Sjonnir the Ironshaper
Forge Ember

Tribunal Chest
Mantle of the Tribunal


The Culling of Stratholme
Chrono-Lord Epoch
Gloves of Distorted Time

Dark Runed Chest
Mantle of Deceit
Band of Guile

Meathook
Belt of Unified Souls

Salramm the Fleshcrafter
Forgotten Shadow Hood
Necromancer's Amulet


The Nexus
Commander Kolurg / Commander Stoutbeard
Opposed Stasis Leggings
Cleric's Linen Shoes

Grand Magus Telestra
Telestra's Journal

Ormorok the Tree-Shaper
Gloves of the Crystal Gardener


The Oculus
Cache of Eregos
Crown of Unbridled Magic
Ancient Dragon Spirit Cape
Cuffs of Winged Levitation
Staff of Draconic Combat

Drakos the Interrogator
Drakewing Raiments

Mage-Lord Urom
Sash of Phantasmal Images
Pendulum of Telluric Currents


The Violet Hold
Cyanigosa
Azure Cloth Bindings
Cyanigosa's Leggings
Mark of the War Prisoner

Ichoron
Globule Signet

Moragg
Solitaire of Reflecting Beams

Xevozz
Footwraps of Teleportation

Zuramat the Obliterator
Zuramat's Necklace


Utgarde Keep
Ingvar the Plunderer
Breeches of the Caller
Annhylde's Ring

Prince Keleseth
Wand of the San'layn


Utgarde Pinnacle
Gortok Palehoof
Ring of the Frenzied Wolvar

King Ymiron
Girdle of Bane

Skadi the Ruthless
Netherbreath Spellblade
Staff of Wayward Principles

Svala Sorrowgrave
Cuffs of the Trussed Hall
Sorrowgrave's Breeches


Emblems of Heroism
Encircling Burnished Gold Chains (25 )
Plush Sash of Guzbah (40 )
Sundial of the Exiled (40 )
Handbook of Obscure Remedies (25 )
Ward of the Violet Citadel (25 )


Reputation
Argent Crusade
Signet of Hopeful Light (Exalted)


Kirin Tor
Robes of Crackling Flame (Exalted)
Flameheart Spell Scalpel (Revered)


Knights of the Ebon Blade
Sterile Flesh-Handling Gloves (Revered)
Belt of Dark Mending (Exalted)


The Wyrmrest Accord
Ancestral Sinew Wristguards (Revered)
Sandals of Crimson Fury (Exalted)


Other
Signet of the Kirin Tor (8,500g)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Level 60 vs Level 71

I have continued to play my warrior. She is now level 60, which means Titan's Grip has become a reality, It didn't take long for me to level my 2H axe skill from 1 to over 280. One Blood Furnace run later and it is at 299/300.

Anyway, hitting stuff with two huge axes is just as much fun as I anticipated. It was easy enough to adjust to the rage gain difference. Levelling to 70 will be fun indeed. ^^

I have decided to drop Blacksmithing in favour of another gathering skill. If I pick up Skinning, then essentially I will have three skinners. However, I prefer playing a warrior to both druid and hunter, who are my other two skinners. Besides, gathering professions are likely to increase my income a little bit.

In getting my journeyman riding skill, it pretty much cleaned me out. Gaiwyn only has about 60g right now. I will have to do a whole lot more Borean Tundra questing and maybe see if enchants are in demand at all.

After all, I have to save up 1,000g by level 77 for Cold Weather Flying. :/

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

12 Levels to Go Till Titan's Grip

I have been playing Zlaenya a lot. I ran Zul'Farrak five or six times to get three pieces of blue gear: Vice Grips, Big Bad Pauldrons and Ripsaw. It was the axe I was fervently after, but in the process I got a decent whack of XP and the two pieces of armour.

Both of my axes are currently enchanted with +15 Strength. I don't think I will upgrade them for a while, despite my off-hand being a level 40 weapon. Maybe one more upgrade before level 60, when I can dual-wield two-handers! I hope to run Blood Furnace multiple times until I have two Warsong Howling Axes. XD

I ran the latter part of Maraudon twice, getting Elemental Rockridge Leggings and Blackstone Ring off Princess, and Megashot Rifle from Tinkerer Gizlock.

In 10 levels or so, I hope that I will be able to take my warrior through Blood Furnace by dual-boxing my brother's warrior, as I have been doing. 26" LCD screen is so w1n. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Pally Power

Because I decided to level my Paladin's Enchanting, I ended up playing her last night. I was surprised at how much Paladins have changed. It confused the heck out of me to see three different Judgements and then realise that the whole dynamic of judging and sealing has changed.

After spending a long time altering my layout as I quested (and mucking around for ages making a mount / Crusader Aura macro that works), I realise that I'm still going to have to go back and change things around to benefit me the best both for tanking and while soloing. I still have mana issues while questing, so this is something I will just have to sort out as I get used to playing again.

Incidentally, I blew a whole lot of Enchanting mats on levelling her Enchanting to 345. I need more Large Prismatic Shards to push it to 350, and then it will be just a matter of either making Void Spheres or getting Enchanting drops as I continue to level, and applying those for skillups. GG two Enchanters. ;)

Dvaenya is level 64. How I will respec tonight is: 0/51/4. I've been reading a little about how to actually play a Protection specced Paladin well. I knew the basics, but seeing as I play so many classes it can be hard to come to grips with everything you should know in order to be a good player with each given class.

At level 66 I get Seal of Corruption, which should make a difference to tanking / killing stuff.

I'm still having fun with my Warrior. She is level 42 now. I will get Ripsaw from ZF, which I can wield at level 45, and continue replacing gear from the AH and from each instance I zip into as she levels.

I may also replace my Curve-bladed Ripper at level 48 with an Axe of Rin'ji. Maybe.

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Dual Wielding Enchanted Axes

The other day, I ran Temple of Ahn'Qiraj with a few people, mostly from one of our server's high-end guilds. It was good because it pushed my Nozdormu rep from Unfriendly to halfway through Honored. If only Hydraxian rep went up that fast. XD

What's unfortunate is that my rep gain could be better. I never won the roll for Head of the Broodlord Lashlayer, even though some -- nay, most -- people who won it when we raided BWL weren't even up to that part of the questline, nor pursued it any further or put it to good use. I was a dedicated Silithian, and yet I never received the head; thus, I cannot gain Brood of Nozdormu rep through Silithid Carapace Fragment turn-ins. AQ40 it is.

And what this teaches us is that 40-man raiding had its negative points. Trying to win a roll against 39 other people is like beating your head against a brick wall in the hopes that you will find its weak point. Oftentimes it is futile. The ironic thing is, I won Head of Nefarian on our maiden kill. o.O

Yesterday, I had the day off. I took the opportunity to play my little warrior instead of my mage. I made five levels and at 38 am ready to do a complete clear of Scarlet Monastery -- having done the prerequisites for the main quest: In the Name of the Light. I guess I will need to spec my brother's warrior to take her through. ;)

What's fun is that every ten levels or so I have been upgrading my warrior's blue weapons. I am sticking with axes, as they tend to have a higher top-end damage. And besides, Draenei don't benefit from any particular weapon, and since axes look so cool, I might as well go with a convention, right?

Currently, she is wielding Sickle Axe and Steelclaw Reaver -- both enchanted with Crusader. It looks friggin' mean -- and when they both proc at the same time: raaaape. ;)

I will enchant my next upgrades with either Strength or Potency, depending on the current cost of Essences of Earth -- seeing as I currently have a huge supply of Large Brilliant Shards, Greater Eternal Essence and Illusion Dust, from having run Stratholme a few times.

Enchanting BoP items is going to be incredibly welcome, now that Inscription has introduced Armor and Weapon Vellum III. XD

I have run into a wee bit of a gold issue right now. I can't really get motivated to do dailies even though I'm running low on cash. I really want to go into the expansion with enough money to purchase my Tailoring and Enchanting upgrades. Still, it's not a huge issue. Having a lot of gold is nice; but it's a luxury, not a necessity. ;)

I guess I need to stop impulsively buying stuff. Yesterday, while searching the AH for Iron Ore for levelling my warrior's Blacksmithing, I noticed that there was a whole lot of cheap Dark Iron Ore. So I logged my mage and bought a heap of stacks to take into Blackrock Depths to increase my reputation with the Thorium Brotherhood. I also found that there were some cheap Lava Cores, so I also got ten of those. :)

The funny thing is, Iron Ore was way overpriced, so I didn't end up increasing Blacksmithing at all. But I did get a nice chunk of Thorium Brotherhood rep. :o A few more MC runs for more cores and I will be working towards two reps at once. ;)

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore

Heroic Mage Lootz

Looking through the caster loot list from level 80 heroics, there is some seriously nice iLevel 200 gear. I have filtered out as many items as I can to narrow down the following mage wishlist. Where possible, I disregarded items with Spirit on them, as this stat is still next to useless for a mage.

Head
Elder Headpiece
Forgotten Shadow Hood

Neck
Amulet of the Spell Flinger
Necklace of Taldaram

Shoulders
Dark Runic Mantle
Mantle of the Tribunal

Back
Ancient Dragon Spirit Cape

Chest
Arcane Flame Altar-Garb / Drakewing Raiments
Egg Sac Robes / Ornate Woolen Stola

Wrists
Azure Cloth Bindings
Savage Wound Wrap

Hands
Silken Bridge Handwraps

Waist
Belt of Unified Souls
Sash of the Servant

Legs
Sorrowgrave's Breeches

Feet
Cleric's Linen Shoes
Stone-Worn Footwraps

Fingers
Annhylde's Ring
Band of Guile
Globule Signet
Ring of the Frenzied Wolvar
Ring of the Traitor King
The Prospector's Prize

Trinkets
Forge Ember
Mark of the War Prisoner
Pendulum of Telluric Currents

Weapons
Netherbreath Spellblade
Cursed Lich Blade
Staff of Draconic Combat

Off-hands
Telestra's Journal
Temple Crystal Fragment

Wands
Rod of the Fallen Monarch
Wand of the San'layn

Gaiwyn of Proudmoore