Flameseeker Chronicles: Navigating the newest War in Kryta update

The most recent update to Guild Wars didn't look like much at first glance and was nearly overshadowed by the Mesmer skill balance. It seemed like a few minor things: a new signpost in Lion's Arch Keep, a couple of collectors, and a single guy spawning outside towns in Kryta. But it turned out to be a big weekend as players discovered that there was so much more to it.

The first addition people noticed was the "Wanted by the White Mantle" signpost in Lion's Arch Keep. The concept is familiar to us thanks to the Zaishen Signposts from last year -- most players knew immediately to check back daily for a new bounty. Sure enough, there has been a new one every day.

The reward for completing the bounty is similar as well: you receive XP, gold, and a reward -- more in hard mode. But rather than ZCoins, you receive War Supplies for your efforts. These handy little items have several uses depending on what you do with them or who you give them to. The other addition to the War in Kryta is Courier Falken, and a thousand Leeroy jokes were made about this gentleman in the first hour after he was discovered.

So what are these War Supplies, who is this Falken guy, what else has been added with this update, and why don't you want to miss it? Follow along after the jump for a complete rundown on what's new in Kryta.

War Supplies

Let's take a look at these first. You can receive them several different ways. Peacekeepers and White Mantle now sometimes drop "Confessor's Orders" when they are killed. The icon reads "Instructions from Confessor Isaiah. These commands will never be executed now, but the document may reveal useful information to the right person." The right people are Master Scout Braden in Lion's Arch Keep and Arabel in the Shining Blade Camp. Either of these NPCs will give you one box of War Supplies in exchange for three of these Orders. They are also given as a reward for completing the daily Shining Blade bounty or for helping Courier Falken reach his destination safely -- we'll look at those options in more detail in a moment.

Once you've received some War Supplies, you have a few different options. They offer a five-minute buff to armor and health regen -- +5 and +1 respectively -- when double-clicked. While it does not specify any restrictions, the item can not be used in PvP. I found this out the hard way and apologized profusely to my RA team for my embarrassing performance in the name of research. Alternatively, you can save them for collectors. Zadok in Lions Arch Keep or Elder Rabne in the Shining Blade Camp will give you one Royal Gift in exchange for 15 War Supplies. Royal Gifts can contain a huge variety of items, many of them new to Guild Wars. Easily at the high end of the value scale are three new miniatures: Livia, Salma, and Evennia. Prices for these are at their typical crazy brand-new-item levels -- I spoke to an ally who sold his mini Livia for 50 ecto and was lamenting not waiting a bit longer, as the price is rising. At the other end of the scale you have a chance of finding a Scroll of Adventurer's Insight in your gift. In between are all manner of items of every value: sugar, booze, scrolls, summoning stones, conset components, and much more. The full list can be found on the wiki, as well as a pretty interesting drop rate tracker.

Finally, you can save your war supplies and trade 25 of them to a Shining Blade Forager in Lion's Arch Keep or the Shining Blade Camp in exchange for a Medal of Honor. This mysterious little item can be used for... well, we honestly do not know at this point. As the icon text points out "It's uncommon, so it must be valuable, right?" At the time it's got no known use, but thanks to some of the community's intrepid .dat miners the current speculation is that they will be traded for items like Shining Blade weapons.

So how do you get them? Read on.

Wanted by the Shining Blade

All these cranky new Peacekeepers and White Mantle roaming Kryta are quite a nuisance, and Princess Salma is willing to pay handsomely if you're willing to take out some of their leaders. Check out the signpost in Lion's Arch Keep to pick up the quest, which changes at 16:00 UTC (9:00 AM PDT) each day. The quest rewards scale up when you're in hard mode, just like the Zaishen quests. Once you kill the boss, the quest will update automatically and you can head back to Princess Salma for your reward. As of this writing, the quest text is sending you to GToB, but ignore that and go back to Lion's Arch Keep, it's just a bug.

If you're interested in elites, don't forget that these bosses all carry them. Check the list before you leave town and adjust your bar and secondary if needed.

Courier Falken

Falken is an enthusiastic fellow, and you need to be prepared if you want to help him out. He will spawn randomly outside any town in Kryta, so if you're seeking him you might have to zone in and out a few times until he shows up. He'll immediately begin running for the next town. Nothing can stop this guy from getting to his goal, not even the hordes of White Mantle that ambush him along the way. Your job is to save Falken from himself, because he'll dive in and start fighting the Mantle whether you are there or not, and you need him alive to receive the reward. If you're able to during a fight, keep an eye on Falken and his skills, because his monster skill is Falken Punch and it's worth looking for if you want a laugh. It's a hilarious and overpowered skill that deals 100 damage, knockdown, and burning. It's even got its own shout: "Falken...PUNCH!"

Once Falken reaches the next town, he'll stop at the portal and give everyone in your party gold, XP, and War Supplies as a thank you for assisting him in his adventure. This quest is repeatable and available outside every outpost. The reward is the same in normal mode and hard mode, so there's no need to make it more difficult unless you want the challenge. You'll have some extra assistance in your travels in the form of Shining Blade members, so that will help a bit as well. Random NPCs now drop from the trees as you leave town, joining your party as allies. You'll want to keep an eye on them because they're a bit enthusiastic themselves, but ultimately they are quite an asset.

New loot

Finally, War Supplies aren't the only new items players are chasing. As players began exploring the new content over the weekend, exciting information emerged: new items. There are three White Mantle miniatures to act as counterparts to the Shining Blade minis: Confessor Dorian, Confessor Isaiah, and a Peacekeeper Enforcer. There are also 16 new Unique weapons and shields, something for every profession. All of these new items are rare drops from Mantle and Peacekeepers and drop in both normal and hard mode. It's very early, so things such as drop rates are still being researched, but the Wiki already has a list of who drops what. If you're searching for a particular item like I am -- I need the Firebrand -- it's a good place to start.

This can all be a bit much for players trying to keep up as new information and content comes fast and furious, so hopefully this helps you navigate -- you don't want to miss out. Finally, I want to throw out a quick thank you to Qanar and Lensor for helping me with this week's screenshot. Thanks for the fun, guys!