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Patch 5.2 PTR: Introduction to Thunder Isle
With patch 5.2 slowly getting closer to a release on live servers, a minor quest has been added for both factions to help send players to the Isle of the Thunder King. You'll see a quest discovery on the side where you'll be summoned. Your help is needed. Warning: Spoilers for patch 5.2 content incoming! Don't hit the link if you don't want to know what happens or why the Alliance and Horde are here!
Patch 5.2 PTR: Additional Wrathion quest sound files
Spoiler Alert: Adriacraft has been back with more of their datamined audio files, and wow, these ones have some spoilers in them. If you don't want to have spoilers about Wrathion's questline, or anything else for that matter, definitely don't watch the video, or hit the break to read any more of this post. Final Warning: Spoilers after the break. Really big spoilers. Do not hit the link below if you don't want to know.
Patch 5.2 PTR: Shocking raid preview of Lei Shen
This is it. This is the final battle of the Throne of Thunder (excluding Ra-Den, of course). It's just going to be you and your party against Lei Shen. I'm telling you, this guy has many different ways to fry your raid. I haven't taken on a boss this technically complex since lady Vashj or even Yogg-Saron. Lei Shen has multiple phases along with intermissions in between them. Read on about the different ways you can wipe!
Patch 5.2 PTR: Jin'rokh and Lei Shen raid testing announced
We are in for a treat. The testing schedule Jin'rokh the Breaker and Lei Shen have been announced. Jin'rokh is currently the first boss of the instance while Lei Shen is the last boss. Not sure what the relation is between Jin'rokh the Breaker and Jin'rohk, The Great Apocalypse (if there is one). As always, your gear levels won't matter for the purposes of the PTR. What you're wearing will scale up accordingly to help with testing. Here's how to get into the Throne of Thunder. For previous bosses tested, you can check out Olivia's take on Horridon or my impressions of both Horridon and Iron Qon. Raid Testing Schedule - January 25 On Friday, January 25, we will be testing two more raid encounters in the Throne of Thunder. Each encounter should be available at approximately the listed times below for all Public Test Realms. Jin'rokh the Breaker - 10 Player Normal 10:30 PST (13:30 EST, 19:30 CET) Lei Shen - 10 Player Normal 16:00 PST (19:00 EST, 01:00 CET) As always, this testing schedule is very fluid and subject to the realities of a beta environment. We might have to change the time of a testing session, change the boss being tested, or cancel a test entirely, due to bugs, server hardware issues, etc. This is particularly true for these early tests as we are still nailing down overall patch stability. Keep an eye on this forum for the latest information, and thank you in advance for testing and providing feedback. Important Testing Notes Q: How do I get into the raid zone? A: At the northeastern edge of the swamp on the Thunder King's island, there is a Shado-Pan camp in a small cave. A sewer grate in this cave will take you directly to the zone-in point for the raid zone. (As more of the island unlocks, players will be able to access the main gate directly.) Q: What gear do I use to test the raid? A: As we did for Beta raid testing, we will be scaling players' gear inside the raid in order to facilitate testing. Gear will be scaled (up or down, as appropriate) to item Level 502 for the purposes of testing Normal modes. source
Patch 5.2 PTR: Tier 15 models datamined
The intrepid minds over at Wowhead have been busy datamining as much of the new 5.2 PTR as they can, and they found the models for the next round of tier gear. While tier 15 doesn't appear to have names just yet, the models are pretty representative of what will likely be a very primitive-feeling raid, with animal and tribal themes throughout. The looks are incredibly detailed, iconic, and honestly I think as far as the rogue set is concerned, this is one that I'm not going to transmog over. Tier 15 also seems to have some of the most interesting belt designs I've seen in a long time. Some of the sets have belt buckles that are even animated with sparks and other oddities. While not all of the tier sets are complete and available for viewing, each has at least a few pieces that you can check out if you're so inclined. Take a look at Wowhead's post for still images and 3D models of each of the different tier sets.
Patch 5.2 reveals a 13-boss raid tier and new scenarios
Revealed details about patch 5.2 lists four new scenarios, Infiltrating the Shipyard, Alliance and Horde versions of Isle of the Thunder King, and To the Skies! The last of these includes a stage called "Mount your Pterrorwing!" This sounds almost ridiculously fun, and all of these scenarios point to heavy Zandalari involvement in the upcoming patch 5.2 content. But, it seems from the information we have so far, the Zandalari are the initial force which must be overcome in order to tackle the true threat. There are also a couple of zones listed which are currently undefined, of which Defense of the Alehouse screams scenario or dungeon. Some new 5-man content would be welcomed! Wowhead has also datamined information on the bosses to be found in the Throne of Thunder, classified as a raid, so presumably the raid zone pictured above. There are currently 13 bosses shown, with varying levels of information currently available for each.
Know Your Lore: Who is the Thunder King?
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. In light of the news of Patch 5.2, let's take a look at who the Thunder King is. Lei Shen was the first ruler of the mogu, the first to unite his people. In a very real sense he was the first Emperor of what is today Pandaria. He cleverly united the mogu people not merely through force of arms or even powerful magic, but through motivation. He learned the lessons of strength by studying the mantid, and applied the lessons he learned to his own people. It has been written that when the great Lei Shen first looked upon the lands of the mantid, he did not feel fear, but inspiration. As he began to unify his people under a single banner and subjugate the other races of Pandaria, he knew that the mantid would never succumb to his authority. They spoke his language, the language of strength. He commanded his slaves to construct the Serpent's Spine, a magnificent wall that spanned the length of the empire. It would take many generations to build. But Lei Shen knew how to motivate his subjects. Fear. Fear of the mantid moved mountains, raised armies, secured his empire, and built his wall. The Thunder King, from Dark Heart of the Mogu Before he could apply the lessons of the mantid, however, Lei Shen would first need to rise to power, which he did with the aid of an ancient lost artifact. This artifact allowed Lei Shen to annihilate his rivals and cement his power over the mogu, and the Thunder King is said to have built the Mogu'shan Vaults to contain this weapon.
