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The Celestial Tournament

The Celestial Tournament:

WoWScrnShot_080114_145234

This guide is to introduce pet battlers to the Celestial Tournament event; it aims to offer some explanation about the event itself, as well as observations on the encounters faced within, and suggestions towards strategies to overcome those encounters. It should be noted that there may very well be pet teams that complete the challenges in a more definitive manner, but that these teams have worked for me.

The Celestial Tournament is a series of challenging PvE Pet Battle encounters, representing the pinnacle of PvE Pet Battles in the Mists of Pandaria expansion. The tournament may be accessed by speaking to Master Li at the celestial court on the timeless isle, once you have accumulated 15 or more lvl 25 pets. Once inside the tournament scenario, participants will be faced by a series of 7 pet battles, all of which must be completed without being able to heal or revive any pets. The opponents found within the tournament vary each week;  the final round opponents are always the four celestial pets, while the first round opponents change weekly in set groups.

Week1: Wise Mari, Blingtron 4000, Shademaster Kiryn

Week 2: Lorewalker Cho, Dr Ion Goldbloom, Sully McLeary

Week 3: Taran Zhu, Chen Stormstout, Wrathion.

Completing the weekly quest The Celestial Tournament by defeating the celestial tournament is the only way to obtain the celestial coins used as currency with Master Li, and therefore the only way to obtain the four uncageable celestial pets. Completion of the celestial tournament for the first time awards a bonus 2 coins, allowing players to purchase their first celestial pet immediately. Completion will also award the achievement The Celestial Tournament. Defeating all of the encounters available through the scenario will give the achievement Master of the Masters  while collecting all four celestial pets will grant Celestial Family.

 

 Round One Opponents:

Week One Opponents:

Week 1 pet battlers

Wise Mari:

Wise Mari brings a set of water themed pets to the tournament. The aquatic Carpe Diem, the magical Spirus, and the elemental River. Carpe Diem’s Dreadful breath ability can weaken your back line pets if left unchecked, and should be dealt with swiftly.

Team:Wise Mari pet team

Open with Alpha strike, then replace Carpe Diem’s cleansing rain weather by using Call Darkness on round 2. Use Nocturnal Strike on round 3, then spam Alpha Strikes until Carpe Diem dies. The Crow should last long enough into Spirus to Nocturnal Strike again. The Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling can just spam Breath until Spirus dies, and continue to do so against River up until the Dragonling is about to die, typically on the turn that River’s Whirlpool ability will resolve, when you should use Explode instead. River should now be low enough that almost any pet can finish him off, here we use an Arctic Hare for its burrow ability.

 

Blingtron 4000:

Blingtron 4000 has a set of wealth related pets; the elemental Au, the golden critter Banks, and the familiar looking mechanical Lil’ B. Both Banks and Lil’ B are reliant on attacks with multiple small ticks of damage (Make it Rain, SMCKTHAT.EXE), so pets with flat damage reduction abilities here are at an advantage.

Team:Blingtron pet team

Open with Bubble, then spam Water Jet until Au dies. Once Banks is swapped in, use Swarm of Flies, then spam Water Jet until the Swamp Croaker dies. Do not refresh Bubble against Banks, as Make it Rain will swiftly deplete the charges. The Shale Hatchling should open with Stoneskin, which negates Banks’ Make it Rain ability, then spam Poison Spit exclusively. Once Lil’ B enters play, take the first turn to refresh Stoneskin, then make use of Burn until the Hatchling dies. Lil’ B should be so low by then that almost any pet with elemental attacks would be able to finish him off. Here we make use of a Phoenix Hatchling’s burn ability.

 

Shademaster Kiryn

Shademaster Kiryn brings the humanoid Nairn, the mechanical Stormoen, and the beast Summer. Nairn can do significant damage to your back line pets through using Call of Winter, combined with his resilience through humanoid self healing and Giant’s Blood. Stormoen can also do serious damage if left unchecked, by setting up a lightning storm and combining it with turrets to cause significant mechanical damage.

Team:Shademaster Kiryn team

While the Qiraji Guardling may be difficult to acquire (It only spawns during the months of WoW summer), it neatly encompasses the ability to send Nairn to the back line, and deal with Kiryn’s second pet, Stormoen. Opening with Blackout kick will stun Nairn and interrupt his turn. Use Crush on until Stormoen has used its Call Lightning ability, then overwrite that with Sandstorm. From here you can Crush until Stormoen dies. Do not refresh the duration on Sandstorm however, as it will counter your own Clockwork Gnome. Blackout kick Nairn back to the back line after Stormoen dies, then crush against Summer until the Guardling falls. The Clockwork gnome should enter the encounter by building a turret, then activating it’s repair ability. Once repair is completed, build another turret, then metal fist until Summer dies. Continue to build turrets whenever possible against Nairn but do not repair, as prolonging the matchup will only weaken the maggot on the back line. Once the clockwork has died, use acidic goo to boost the effectiveness of consume against Nairn, and Burrow when Consume is on CD.

 

Week two opponents:

Round 2 opponents

Lorewalker Cho:

Lorewalker Cho brings the flying owl Wisdom, the magical broom Patience, and the dragon Knowledge. Lorewalker Cho is a straightforward encounter which should pose little issue with the correct team.

Team:Lorewalker Cho team

Open with Gravity, then use Laser until the Coilfang Stalker is near to death, at which point it should use Surge of Power. Similarly, the Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling only needs to use Breath to defeat Patience, and should aim to use Explode before Knowledge kills it. As your dragonling should be faster than Knowledge, it should be easy to exploit the mechanical passive for an additional round of Breath while still accomplishing this. By this time, Knowledge should be low enough that the Qiraji Guardling can easily finish it, although you may want to use Blackout Kick if Knowledge is still under the effect of Amplify Magic.

 

Dr Ion Goldbloom:

Dr Ion Goldbloom brings the evasive flying pet Screamer, the beast Trike, and the infuriating magic pet Chaos. Goldbloom can be a troublesome encounter, with Screamer making for frequent alterations to the pet line up, and Chaos contributing an element of randomness to the team. For this reason I recommend challenging Dr Goldbloom first in any clear of the celestial tournament.

Team:Dr Ion Goldbloom pet team

The Nether Faerie Dragon should begin the encounter with Evanescence, as Screamer will have gone first and already be airborne. Screamer will use Feign Death if it is below 50% and Lift-Off is on CD. Moonfiring on turn two may be sufficient to drop Screamer low enough to trigger Feign Death, if not an Arcane Blast on turn three will be required.

Use the free turn from Feign Death to swap in Crow, who should use Call Darkness followed by Nocturnal Strike, with Alpha Strikes available to finish off Trike. At this point Screamer will be brought back to the front line, and will Lift-Off again before using Feign Death to bring Chaos to the front line. You may wish to use this turn to bring out your Lunar Lantern.

Chaos can be a difficult pet to beat, given the unpredictable nature of its damage output. The Lunar Lantern can mitigate some of that by use of Flash and Soul Ward, as well as the magical pet passive ability. Once Chaos is defeated, Screamer will again return to the front line, but should be easily dispatched.

 

Sully McLeary:

Sully “The Pickle” McLeary, comic relief of the alliance introductory quests to Pandaria, has brought a team of whiskery pets to the tournament; including the now-undead Socks, the killer rabbit critter Monte, and the aquatic Rikki.

Team:Sully McLeary pet team

Opening with Acidic goo will cause the Maggot’s Chomp ability to hit even harder, hopefully pushing Socks into his free immune round early. Burrow during this round to hit Monte early, and continue to Chomp until the Maggot dies. At this point, Monte should either be dead, or so low that either of your flying pets can step in and finish the fight.

 

Week Three opponents:

Round 3 opponents

Taran Zhu:

Taran Zhu brings a trio of Pandaren monks; Yen, Bolo, and Li. The monks will bring a barrage of status altering abilities; with blinds, stuns, feign death and self heals making for a frustrating encounter. Fortunately they are all humanoid, so bring out your (un)dead!

Team:Taran Zhu pet team

The Crate should open with BONESTORM, as the trick to beating Taran Zhu is in exploiting his single pet type team with area damage. When stunned, swap in your Unborn Val’kyr and Curse of Doom, spam shadow slash until the Val’kyr dies once, then use Unholy Ascension in your free turn. Bring the Creepy Crate back out and BONESTORM again, then try to put out any Curses or Agony that will land. If lucky, you may just get a third BONESTORM before your crate dies.  If you do not have access to an Unborn Val’kyr, this encounter is equally doable by bringing a second pet with access to BONESTORM.

At this point, Taran Zhu’s line up should be looking ragged, and the Devouring Maggot can clean up. Remember to acidic goo to increase its self healing through Consume, and Burrow in between to reduce incoming damage.

 

Chen Stormstout:

Chen Stormstout brings the beast Tonsa, the critter Chirps, and the elemental Brewly to the tournament. Brewly is another pet whose accuracy debuff can throw the outcome of the battle off course, and for this reason I recommend defeating Chen first in any run of the Celestial Tournament.

Team:Chen Stormstout pet team

The Darkmoon tonk should open with Shock and Awe, and then follow up with Ion cannon (even if the tonk is stunned by Tonsa’s opening Headbutt) to defeat Tonsa. Chirps will most likely destroy the tank while the recharge period on the ion cannon is still taking place, but fit in whatever attacks you can if not. The Kun-Lai Runt only needs to use Rampage in order to defeat Chirps, and should attempt to Frost Shock and Thrash Brewly when it arrives. This can be difficult to achieve however, as Brewly will open with Inebriate. The Sea Pony, or any pet with strong elemental attacks, should be able to finish off Brewly with the advantage gained by the Runt.

 

Wrathion:

Wrathion brings the undead Cindy, the dragonic Alex, and the suspiciously named dragonic Dah’da. Cindy is notable for many small ticks of damage from Blistering Cold, interspersed with the avoidable Ice Tomb. While Alex brings strong self healing and damage, Dah’da is pure damage.

Team:Wrathion pet team

The Snail should start with an Absorb, then Shell Shield. Dive before the Ice Tomb resolves, then continue to absorb, refreshing Shell Shield as necessary. Continue to play out against Alex, but don’t expect for the Snail to achieve much in terms of damage, it is mostly there to absorb damage until the Blistering Cold debuff fades.

Once the Scourged Whelpling enters play, Call Darkness to weaken Alex’s self healing ability, then use Dreadful breath to damage both Alex and Dah’da without having to suffer Dah’da’s damage output. Your whelpling may be sufficient to kill both dragons, but if needed the Sporeling is available to finish off either.

 

Round Two Opponents:

Celestial opponents

The second round of the tournament is against the four Celestial Pets themselves. While only a single pet per encounter, these celestials each take only half damage from attacks, and represent a challenge greater than that of the Fabled pets of Pandaria. Fortunately, they are prone to attacks with a ramp up time, and attacks that incur a long recharge time, as the damage is less likely to be lost into overkill than against normal pets.

Xu-Fu, Cub of Xuen:

Xu-Fu is a beast pet, with strong Beast and Magic attacks, and an incredibly strong self heal in the form of Feed. However, he healing from Feed can be negated by not allowing Xu-Fu to deal any damage.

Team:Xu-Fu team

Xu-Fu should be a very simple fight. Open with Decoy, use Missile once, then Explode. Repeat with your second Zeppelin, and if Xu-fu isn’t already dead, the Darkmoon tonk has both Shock and Awe and Ion Cannon available as finishers.

 

Yu’la, Broodling of Yu’lon:

Yu’la is a dragonkin, with a strong damage reduction effect in the form of Emerald Presence. Fortunately, she has a very predictable rotation of attacks that allow you to exploit the free round in Lift-Off.

Team:Yu'la team

The Fox Kit should open with Bite, before Yu’la uses Emerald Presence. Bite again before she Lifts Off, then Dazzling Dance as Lift Off resolves. Finally Howl as the Fox Kit is about to die. The Anubisath Idol should use Crush up until Yu’la uses Emerald Presence again, indicating that she will Lift Off next turn. Use that turn to Stoneskin instead, then Deflection as Lift Off is about to resolve. Repeat that pattern through the second Anubisath Idol if required and Yu’la should die.

 

Chi-Chi, Hatchling of Chi-Ji:

Chi-Chi is a flying pet, with a very strong elemental attack in the form of Fire Quills, which can hit three times in a round if Chi-Chi is the faster pet. It also has self healing from Tranquility and damage avoidance from Ethereal. Beating Chi-Chi requires high damage between these recovery abilities.

Team:Chi-chi team

The Wyrmling can Pass on the first round, and Deflect on the second, as Chi-Chi will start Tranquility and use Fire Quills. Amplify Magic on round three as Chi-Chi becomes Ethereal, then start using Feedback until the Wyrmling dies.

The trick to defeating Chi-Chi is in the correct timing of Spirit Spikes. Chi-Chi will become Ethereal on rounds 3, 7, and every fourth round thereafter. If you set up Spikes on the turn prior to Ethereal, and your porcupette is slower than Chi-Chi, then the effect will be wasted. For example, if your wyrmling dies on turn 5, it is better to open with Spectral Spine on turn 6, and Spikes on turn 7. This will ensure than on turn 8, Chi-chi will still be faster (and therefore likely to strike three times), and your spikes will be in place to cause maximum damage. Once you have this timing right, Chi-Chi should be defeated.

 

Zao, Calfling of Niuzao:

Zao is a Beast with two strong beast attacks, and it’s Wish ability is a 50% heal. The strength of Zao’s self heal necessitates high damage to burst the calfling down.

Team:Zao pet team

The Sunreaver Micro-sentry should open with Fel Immolate. The sentry must use Call Lightning on the turn before it dies, which may vary by whether Zao hits or not. Judge this timing cautiously however, as Zao is the faster pet. Once the Storm is in place, use Black claw to increase its damage, then start using Hunting Party, continuing with the second raptor if required. The damage ramp up should ensure that Zao dies before a critical Wish resolves.

 

Shopping List:

Wild Pets:

  • Crow: A wild pet that spawns on the Darkmoon Island.
  • Arctic Hare: A wild pet that spawns in Storm Peaks. Many alternative rabbits are suitable.
  • Emerald Shale Hatchling: A wild pet that spawns in Deepholm. Any of the Shale Hatchlings are suitable.
  • Swamp Croaker: A wild pet that spawns on the Isle of Thunder
  • Qiraji Guardling: A wild pet that spawns in Silithus around the Scarab gate during the summer months.
  • Devouring Maggot: A wild pet that spawns in Howling Fjord. Many alternative maggots are suitable.
  • Nether Faerie Dragon: A wild pet that spawns in Feralas
  • Dragonbone Hatchling: A wild pet that spawns in Dragonblight
  • Mei Li Sparkler: A wild pet that spawns in the Krasarang Wilds
  • Unborn Val’kyr: A rare wild pet that spawns in various locations around Northrend. This pet can be replaced by either a Creepy Crate or Fossilized Raptor.
  • Kun-Lai Runt: A wild pet that spawns in Kun-lai summit
  • Silkbead Snail: A wild pet that spawns in Jade Forest
  • Scourged Whelpling: A wild pet that spawns on the Icecrown Glacier
  • Sporeling Sprout: A wild pet that spawns in Zangarmarsh

 

Profession based pets:

 

World event pets:

  • Lunar Lantern: A rare pet purchased through the Lunar Festival world event. Nordrassil Wisps are also suitable.
  • Creepy Crate: A rare pet purchased through the Hallows End world event. Fossilized Raptors are also suitable
  • Darkmoon Tonk x2: A rare pet purchased through the Darkmoon festival monthly event.
  • Darkmoon Zeppelin x2: A rare pet purchased through the Darkmoon festival monthly event.
  • Fox Kit: A rare pet that can be purchased with Tol Barad commendations, or dropped from foxes on the peninsula. Many alternative foxes are available.
  • Shimmering Wyrmling: A rare pet that can be purchased through the Argent Tournament in Icecrown Glacier
  • Spectral Porcupette x2: A rare pet that can be purchased with giant dinosaur bones on the Isle of Giants

 

Rare drop pets:

  • Phoenix Hatchling: A rare pet that drops in Magister’s Terrace from Kael’thas
  • Coilfang Stalker: A rare pet that drops in Serpentshrine caverns from Lady Vashj
  • Anubisath Idol x2: A rare pet that drops from the Twin Emperors encounter in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.
  • Sunreaver Micro-sentry: A rare pet that drops from the Haywire Sunreaver Construct on the Isle of Thunder
  • Zandalari Kneebiter x2: A rare pet that drops from Zandalari dinomancers on the Isle of Giants. Zandalari Anklerenders are also suitable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matchmaking Design in Heroes of the Storm

Blizzard posted a new blog about matchmaking in heroes of the storm!

Quote from: Blizzard

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen several conversations pop up within the Heroes community in which some players seemed a little mystified by how the matchmaker is intended to work, and how it interacts with the regional game servers around the world. We’d like to shed a bit more light on matchmaking in Heroes of the Storm, and hopefully clear up some of the questions you may have.

Skill-Based Matchmaking Our primary goal with Heroes of the Storm matchmaking is very similar to the one we had with StarCraft II: To provide skill-based matchmaking that offers very even games in which players win around 50% of the time. We learned a lot while we continued to build and develop the StarCraft II matchmaker, and we’ve been pretty happy with that system’s ability to provide very even matches overall throughout the years. Unlike StarCraft II, which is largely focused on 1v1 play, Heroes of the Storm is a team-based game. Having to account for 5v5 play, as well as the variety of roles a player can fill in Heroes posed a whole new set of challenges for us in terms of matchmaking. We’ve taken the lessons we learned from StarCraft II and are improving upon our work there so that we can bring that same level of quality in matchmaking to Heroes. We aren’t finished, though, and throughout each testing phase we’ll continue to improve on the work we’ve already done in order to bring you the best matchmaking experience possible in Heroes of the Storm.

Team Compositions It’s no fun when your favorite Hero gets snatched up by someone else in a game lobby before you have a chance to make a selection yourself, which is why we allow you to select your Hero before you even enter unranked matchmaking queues. Once you’ve made your selection and entered the queue, the matchmaker will then create a balanced team for you by finding other players of similar skill who have selected Heroes in complementing roles. In addition to this, we’ve also added a number of rules to the matchmaker in order to help further encourage the creation of well-rounded team compositions.

  • No more than 3 Warriors.
  • No more than 4 Assassins.
  • No more than 2 Support.
  • No more than 2 Specialists.
  • No more than 3 Melee heroes.

However, there are also a number of ways you can override these restrictions.

  • If you’re in a full party, the rules no longer apply to your team and you can use any composition you like.
  • If you’re in a partial party, you can still create team compositions that fall outside of the matchmaking rules.
    • For example: A three person party that enters the queue as three Support Heroes is allowed. The matchmaker will do its best to round out your team, but your party will not be grouped with any more Supports.
  • Getting into a game quickly can often times be more important than waiting a long time for the perfect composition. So, if a party has spent six minutes or more in the matchmaking queue, the rules may be broken in order to find a match. We’ll be keeping an eye on this rule to get a feel for how it impacts matchmaking, and may make adjustments to it in the future.

We’ll keep improving on this aspect of the Heroes matchmaker so that you’ll continue to receive well-balanced team compositions as often as possible whenever you queue for unranked matchmaking.

Arranged Team vs. Random Team Arranged teams, or a group of players who enter matchmaking as a full party, are often able to better coordinate, communicate, and execute strategies than opposing random teams, which are teams made up of individual players grouped together via matchmaking. Though random teams can and do win against arranged teams, our win percentage data shows that arranged teams generally have a slight advantage over their random counterparts. We feel that better games generally come from matching arranged teams with one another, and random teams with other random teams, and the Heroes matchmaker actually prefers to create games this way. Due to the relatively low Tech Alpha population, however, we’ve configured the matchmaker in such a way that it currently allows arranged and random teams to play against one another if an opposing team with a similar-sized party could not be found. We’ve done this in order to get you into games faster, rather than making you wait when a more suitable matchup isn’t readily available. As the pool of invited Heroes testers is increased, these situations will occur less often. Eventually, the matchmaker will be able to consistently match arranged teams against other arranged teams and random teams against other random teams. Whether a team is made up of individual players, a group of five friends playing together, or any combination in between, you can rest assured that the matchmaker will always take the team’s overall skill into account in order to find even matchups.

Finding the Best Game Server for You We want all of our players have the most epic Heroes experience possible, and we’ve begun adding game servers located in regions around the world to help make that possible. Our end goal for you as a player is that you’ll never need to worry about what server to connect to for unranked play, and we’ve implemented tech which allows the matchmaker to find the best game server for you automatically. In order to make this process as seamless as possible, the Heroes client first determines your round-trip latency (a.k.a. “ping”) to all of the servers connected to the region you log into. Next, your ping information is used in combination with your individual skill rating to find and match you with other players of similar skill who also connect to your server. Making server selection automatic in this way allows us to easily add new game servers in the future, which will continue to improve responsiveness for players around the globe. This system is already in place for unranked play, but due to the limited pool of Tech Alpha players and ongoing development work, you may occasionally find yourself in a game that’s not quite as responsive as others. Keep in mind, though, that those situations should become less frequent as we continue to make improvements and invite additional testers from each region to play Heroes. Additionally, as we continue to design and develop ranked play, we’ll likely consider other server selection options which make more sense for that aspect of the game. We’ll always strive to find a great match for you both in terms of player skill level, as well as game responsiveness.

Future Improvements We’re constantly evaluating how our matchmaker is performing, and we’re always on the lookout for new ways to improve the quality of the games it finds for you. Stepping ahead just a bit, we’d like to give you a brief preview for some of the ideas we’re considering for Heroes matchmaking in the future.

  • We’re currently exploring ways to assess individual player performance with finer granularity than wins vs. losses, and adjust your skill rating accordingly.
  • We’re also thinking about how we’d like to find matches for players who frequently abandon in-progress games, and are considering matching so-called “leavers” with others who exhibit similar behaviors.
  • Finally, we’d like you to feel comfortable playing with all of your favorite heroes, even if you’re trying a hero out for the first time. We’re looking into ways in which we can potentially adjust your individual skill rating by allowing the matchmaker to take into account how much you’ve played using your selected hero thus far, and find even matches accordingly.

Hopefully, we’ve managed to help answer a few questions you may have had about matchmaking and regional play. If you’d like to share feedback on anything we’ve mentioned today, don’t forget to stop by the Technical Alpha forums to share your thoughts with us. Stay tuned right here on the official Heroes of the Storm site to keep up with the latest game news as it’s announced, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter by following @BlizzHeroes.

Garrison Building Perk Changes 8/8/2014

garrisons pic
This morning’s patch has, once again, brought some changes to some of the building perks for the garrisons. Here’s an overview of the changes:

Building Removed Effect Added Effect
Profession Buildings Level 2 Rewording Allows followers with the profession trait to work here, granting a unique bonus.
Inn Level 1 Recruit random followers every week Each day a visitor offering a quest will spend the day at your inn. These can be dungeon, world or raid quests.
Inn Level 2 You get to choose the traits for recruited weekly followers. Recruit random followers every week
Barracks Level 2 Raises follower limit cap by 5 Allows a follower with the bodyguard trait to accompany you as a guardian in Draenor zones.
Barracks Level 3 Allows a follower with the bodyguard trait to accompany you as a guardian in Draenor zones. Raises follower limit cap by 5

Gorgrond Rare Locations Guide

In Warlords of Draenor there are many rares in each zone, a lot of them are to kill while leveling to diversify the leveling experience. It’s a combined and improved version of leveling and the timeless isle. To help you keep track of them all we’ve compiled a list of all the rares we’ve been able to find. Remember WoD is still in beta, anything can change. If we missed any feel free to leave a comment with the location and name of the rare mob or event. Click on the map for a full size version.

Number Rare Name Image Comments
1 Stomper Kreego photo GorgrondRare1_zps9249d727.jpg
2 Sulfurious photo GorgrondRare2_zps285fa4cb.jpg
3 Gelgor of the Blue Flame photo GorgrondRare3_zpsd6bf8cb2.jpg
4 Rolkor photo GorgrondRare4_zps3038c3ef.jpg
5 Char the Burning photo GorgrondRare5_zpsd6d85e4d.jpg
6 Sylldross photo GorgrondRare6_zpsdff1cf3c.jpg
7 Hyve Queen Skrikka photo GorgrondRare7_zps10a29d29.jpg
8 Bashiok photo GorgrondRare8_zpse5b96f36.jpg
9 Riptar photo GorgrondRare9_zps36eeca6c.jpg
10 Sunclaw photo GorgrondRare10_zps6d22d86d.jpg Use the ropes to climb to the top. Or fly to the top with the Lumber Mill outpost Shredder ability.
11 Blademaster Ro’gor photo GorgrondRare11_zps6ec6eea1.jpg Level 100
12 Horgg photo GorgrondRare12_zps0b0428cd.jpg Level 100
13 Morgo Kain photo GorgrondRare13_zps69ab82f1.jpg Level 100
14 Hydra Vignette Boss photo GorgrondRare14_zpsfe269e8a.jpg Level 100, No unique name yet
15 Botani Trio Vignette Bosses photo GorgrondRare15_zps5b60bec8.jpg Level 100, No unique name yet
16 Mother Araneae photo GorgrondRare16_zpse72ed1c6.jpg
17 Stompalupagus photo GorgrondRare17_zps92c4e29b.jpg
18 Fossilwood the Petrified photo GorgrondRare18_zps18f39a9f.jpg

 

New World of Warcraft Comic: Gul’dan and the Stranger

Quote from: Blizzard
New World of Warcraft Comic: Gul'dan and the Stranger

The drums of war have begun to sound for Draenor’s orcs, and the power-mad warlock Gul’dan is the latest to play them. Brimming with fel energy, Gul’dan is convinced that his people will gain glory and strength if they only kneel to the demonic Burning Legion. But a hooded stranger has recently arrived in Gul’dan’s camp with a somewhat… contradictory vision.

The stranger has walked in places where terrifying war machines will soon shake the earth. From the smoldering ridges of Gorgrond to the hunting grounds of Nagrand, he watches over the orcish ranks, stoking their dreams of a united Horde: pure, free, and utterly dominant. And he has a message for Gul’dan.

We invite you to read and download the free comic, “Gul’dan and the Stranger,” written by Micky Neilson and illustrated by Alex Horley.

Learn more about Gul’dan’s past and future at Characters of Warcraft: Gul’dan.

Draenor Ability Perks Every Other Level, Hearthstone: Observer Mode And Next Content Release

The recent WoD beta build (that had a character wipe <editor’s tears rolling down the webpage>) changed the draenor ability perks to be gained every other level. Celestalon confirmed that the uninteresting ones were baked into the abilities.

In Hearthstone news, an observer mode is being worked on and the next content release will feature a new card set larger than 30 cards!

Zone Preview: Spires of Arak

Quote from: Blizzard

In our latest Warlords of Draenor zone preview, we turn our gaze upward to the beautiful Spires of Arak. Here, the winged arakkoa plot atop their high perches, well out of the reach of the brutal Shattered Hand orcs and the cursed wingless outcasts below.

Located in the southernmost part of Draenor, the Spires of Arak is a zone of soaring heights and shadow-drenched crags—but as with much of the planet, the beauty of this place hides something sinister. Game Designer Don Adams and Associate Quest Designer Johnny Cash fill us in on what to expect.

What awaits players among the Spires of Arak?

Don Adams: First of all, we love the arakkoa, and we knew players would be excited to see them again. The Spires of Arak is their home territory, so it felt like the right place to really dive in and explore their culture. We already teased the flying arakkoa at BlizzCon, but players might be surprised to find the familiar cursed arakkoa from The Burning Crusade there too, only with a fancy new model. We felt it was important to portray both sides of the arakkoa, and their duality gave us some interesting themes to draw on throughout the zone.

In The Burning Crusade, the arakkoa of Skettis had pretty much fallen entirely into evil, but in Warlords of Draenor we see them at a crossroads. They’re outcasts, hated and oppressed by the flying arakkoa who are torching their villages with an enormous beam weapon fixed atop Skyreach. To make matters worse, the Shattered Hand orcs have begun expanding into the region, killing anyone in their path. These arakkoa outcasts are caught between several enemies, and they really have nobody on their side before you show up.

Over the course of the zone, you’re helping this shady resistance group of cursed arakkoa to make their final stand. You’re learning about the curse they bear, the ancient gods of their land, and the very real threat posed by the Adherents of Rukhmar, the ruling caste of zealous arakkoa in Skyreach. Your adventure leads to two climactic events in the zone: one involving the plight of the outcasts against the flying arakkoa, and another focusing on the Shattered Hand fortress of Bladefist Hold.

What’s the zone’s ambience like?

Don Adams: You first enter the zone through a mountain pass that shows off some of the harsher elements of the landscape. Boulders are suspended overhead by huge thorny vines reaching out from the mountainside. As you progress down the path, arakkoa refugees push past you in a mass exodus from Skettis. You reach a dramatic vista to see Skyreach looming high above a forest canopy stretching out into the horizon.

Skyreach and its satellite spires maintain an imposing presence throughout the entire zone. You can look up and see them from pretty much anywhere—a constant reminder of the threat looming overhead.

Overall, the vibe in the zone is dire and dark, with hints of light scattered throughout. You are helping these underdogs, and they’re extremely shady and creepy, but you can sense some potential within them. Hopefully players will connect with the cursed arakkoa and forgive them for the whole “monstrous kaliri” thing back in Terokkar.

What are some of your favorite locations in the zone?

Don Adams: You can get a great sense of the look and feel of the Spires of Arak from the Artcraft post detailing the zone’s level design and environment art. The forested regions are dark and mysterious, while the sun-bathed coastal plains are blanketed in brilliant wildflowers. There are contrasting visuals throughout the zone, and yet somehow it all feels tied together.

One of my favorite areas has to be Skettis, with its narrow alleys that evoke the feeling of a bustling bazaar; the wild, uprooted terrain; and precarious walls. We wanted to show that a landslide had swept through the city, and you can actually follow the wash all the way down the mountain to find more ruined pieces settled in the ponds below. Skettis is such a great intro to the zone, offering a straight-on view of the glorious Skyreach from the dilapidated slums full of squatting outcasts.

I also absolutely fell in love with the Howling Crag, which is a bonus objective area on the northeastern side of the zone. The canyons, caves, and land bridges crisscrossing through the area create this very cool vertical element with several tiers of gameplay space. The place really feels hidden, and since we don’t explicitly send you there for quests, you get to discover and explore it on your own.

One last area I’d like to call out is Veil Akraz, one of the outcast villages blasted by the Skyreach beam weapon. It’s such a great display of the destructive power in the hands—talons?—of the Adherents of Rukhmar. You really get the sense that this was an idyllic little outcast village, and now it’s an inferno with a scar of glassed earth running through the center.

What outposts will players be able to build in the Spires of Arak, and how do they impact the Garrison?

Johnny Cash: Alliance commanders, your Garrison forces have established Southport on the western coast as your home away from home in the Spires of Arak. Horde, your forces have erected Axefall not far inland. Heroes of both factions, you’ll quickly find that your outpost is struggling to survive.

As you quest through the Spires of Arak, you’ll be presented with the choice to construct an Inn to help you house more soldiers and supplies or a Trading Post to establish trade agreements with friendly locals. Which building you choose to construct also leads to a unique quest line.

Based on your choice, you’ll receive a powerful ability usable within the Spires of Arak. The Inn lets you hearth to your outpost on a very short cooldown and also gives you the ability to gain rested experience anywhere in the zone. The Trading Post grants you the ability to call in a smuggling run, which lets you purchase rare and powerful goods unavailable elsewhere—you’ll find these very helpful as you battle the Adherents of Rukhmar and the Shattered Hand.

To the south of your outpost, Rivett Clutchpop has set off with the Steamwheedle Draenor Expedition on a daring drilling venture. However, something has gone terribly wrong, and you’re the only one who can help. After rescuing Rivett and his crew, you’ll receive blueprints to construct a Salvage Yard at your Garrison. Your Salvage Yard will offer you a daily selection of, well, salvage. Sometimes you’ll get vendor fodder, but there’s always a chance your hardworking salvage crew will find something truly tantalizing.

The zone has a little something for everyone, and there are tons of other surprises waiting as you brave its formidable terrain.