winter-veil
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Feast of Winter Veil begins on Monday
The season of Winter Veil is nearly upon us, adding a big dose of holiday festivity to the game world. Even if you've done this holiday before, it's hard to resist the temptation of getting your own Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater, filling out your battle pet collection with a Lump of Coal, or just getting into a snowball fight. Patch 5.4 files suggested some changes to the holiday this year, and Wowhead says we can look forward to new a new pet and toy this season. If you're looking forward to participating in this year's holiday festivities, Winter Veil will run from December 16 to January 2, and you'll find holiday decor and events in most major cities. Happy holidays!
WRUP: 'tis the season
The season of gift giving is here. It's always an odd one for us Azerothian gamers. We'd love to give WoW related gifts, but there's only so many stuffed animals and game cards one wife or husband should receive. So while asking our intrepid staff of WoW journalists what they're playing this weekend, we also asked what WoW gift would bring a smile to their faces. Hope springs eternal, right? Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) I picked up Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and I'll likely be playing that. I loved A Link to the Past, it was one of my favorite SNES titles when I was younger, and this one is just hitting all the right nostalgia buttons for me, plus it's got a new gameplay twist that makes the puzzles even more entertaining to figure out. I might play a bit of WoW while I'm at it, just to finish capping out my valor for the week, or possibly poke around in The Secret World, which is actually a pretty entertaining MMO, although it hasn't captured me in quite the same way that WoW did. Bonus answer: I found a really cool coffee mug on etsy that has the hearthstone symbol engraved in it, and I'm still debating whether or not I want to get it.
Patch 5.4 PTR: Datamined files point to possible Winter Veil revamp
Wowhead has found some new items over on the patch 5.4 PTR. The latest round of datamining has dug up several items with a Greatfather tag -- Greatfather's Box of Greatness, Greatfather's Path of Cenarius, Greatfather's Satchel, and a new mount, Greatfather's Riding Turtle. Keep in mind that all datamined material is, of course, simply files that may or may not actually make it into the live iteration of the game. But the only Greatfather we know of at the moment is a jolly guy who hands out gifts once a year during the Feast of Winter Veil. Winter Veil received a revamp in 2011 when the Abominable Greench was changed to a world boss of sorts that required multiple players to kill, and several quests were added and changed. But the essential part of Winter Veil has always been the presents under the tree, and each Winter Veil has always introduced a new item and a new achievement to go along with it. However, the addition of satchels and boxes, as well as a mount, sounds much more like the other traditional holiday bosses that have required queuing for a dungeon to complete. Do we have a Winter Veil revamp in the works here? We won't really know until December, but it's certainly interesting to think about -- and if this is the case, will we see any other holidays get a makeover as well?
Reminder: Don't forget your in-game Winter Veil gifts
No matter how busy you may be over the holidays, try to find a few minutes to log in and collect your Feast of Winter Veil gifts in Orgrimmar or Ironforge. As you probably know, the Feast of Winter Veil brings us a new gift each year which can be quite difficult to obtain once the holiday is over. This year players will actually receive two items in their 2012 Feast of Winter Veil gift, Foot Ball and The Pigskin. So, basically we got a soccer ball and an American foot ball ... Meaning our WoW characters will continue to get more exercise than most of us. (Even if you only raid two nights a week for four hours, you'd have to work out more than an hour every day of the week to keep up with your night elf.) Players will also earn the achievement They're Both Footballs? when opening their present. In years past, exclusive gifts included the Clockwork Rocket Bot, Crashin' Thrashin' Racer Controller, Red Rider Air Rifle, MiniZep Controller, and the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater. All those items are still obtainable, though most of them have only a small chance to drop when opening Stolen Present, the quest reward from You're a Mean One... (a daily quest which can only be completed during the Feast of Winter Veil). Players typically have until the end of the Feast of Winter Veil to collect their gifts, so grab them before Jan. 2, 2013.
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: World of Warcraft TCG Feast of Winter Veil Collector's Tin
12 Days of Winter Veil is under way here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, 12 chances for you to win some of the awesome swag we've accumulated over the year. Whether you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Today we're giving away a Feast of Winter Veil Collector's Tin from the World of Warcraft TCG, courtesy of Cryptozoic Entertainment. The delightfully festive collectible tin includes: 1 Card Set (9 Rares) 2 Mini-Pet Cards 3 Packs of War of the Ancients 1 Deck Box To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, December 28, 2012. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You may only enter once. One winner will be chosen at random and we will contact you via whichever method you've used to comment. Official rules here.
WoW Archivist: WoW's zaniest merchandise
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? With only five shopping days left until the Feast of Winter Veil, it is officially holiday crunch time. To inspire you in your shopping goals or maybe point out the perfect gift for that special raider in your life, WoW Archivist presents the zaniest WoW-themed real-world merchandise of all time. Strange swag Every BlizzCon has its swag bag, but 2008's edition, celebrating the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, has to be the zaniest ever. In addition to Diablo III "sinamints," a can of "zerg creep" goop, and a pandaren beer cozy, the bag included an inflatable Frostmourne or an inflatable "Bubble Hearth Beach Ball." The latter is a Divinely Shielded dwarf using an uninterruptable hearthstone -- in beach ball form. The bag also included a package of tissues labeled "QQ noob," masks of Azeroth's races (reminiscent of the Hallow's End in-game versions), and a Frostmourne keychain. The keychain is notable for its several outward-facing spikes. It takes falling on your keys to a whole new level of pain. The full-size Frostmourne replica is more dangerous, but you're also not carrying it around in your pocket mere centimeters from your genitals. Or are you?
Breakfast Topic: Dear Greatfather Winter...
Each year the people of Azeroth count their blessings, cross their daggers, tuck a shrunken head (or two) under their pillows, and wish upon a star that Greatfather Winter will bring them just what they've always wanted. It won't be long until colorfully wrapped presents appear under the trees in the great cities of Orgrimmar and Ironforge. At this time of year, it's traditional to write letters to the generous Greatfather of Azeroth, asking for your heart's desire. Whether it's an in-game item, like a mount, or a weapon, a piece of armor, or a pet; or something in the real world, like a collector's edition, a novel, or a plushy wyvern, if you ask really nicely, Greatfather Winter might just shimmy down your chimney and leave a stocking just for you. So what would you ask for? Let me get this show on the road. Dear Greatfather Winter, I've been ever so good this year, and I'd really, really like a monk jumper like Bashiok has. That's not a lot to ask. Sure, it's a real life item, but is that a big deal? And if it had to be an in-game item, I'd ask for a water strider mount. Unless, of course, we could ask for items not currently in game, in which case I'd ask for a rep tabard! And if you're not willing to put your holiday faith into Greatfather Winter, there's always WoW Insider's 12 days of Winter Veil, that's going to be here before you know it, with a bounty of gifts to give away! So tell us, and Greatfather Winter, what do you want for Winter Veil? Post your letter over at Battle.net, too!
WRUP: Ghost of Azeroth Present
The holidays are fully upon us, descended around the house and home like the drifting snow the season is famous for. It's been a rough week, and I'm not going to say much. As many of us are parents -- and all of us are human beings with basic emotions like compassion and empathy -- well. Everyone's said nearly everything. We're feeling it, too. Most of this article was written by Thursday night, so if we seem too jovial... that's because none of us could have known.
Breakfast Topic: What are your Feast of Winter Veil goals?
Happy Feast of Winter Veil! Last year, we in the It came from the Blog family of guilds put on our Gaudy Winter Veil Sweaters in order to get the feat of strength achievement: A-Caroling We Will Go. We called it Caroling Carnage, only there was far more caroling than carnage. Still, as usual, it was a good time and we succeeded in our goal. For this year's event, I hope that Blizzard has another fun surprise present and accompanying achievement. My goal will be to have just as much fun as last year with the It Came From the Blog gang. But we won't have that gift in our hot, little, virtual hands until Dec. 25, so I'll just have to wait to plan. Otherwise, I have the Feast of Winter Veil meta, and I'll probably ignore everything but the gift opening. I don't know, maybe I'll get an unforeseen flash of festiveness. I do have my new pandaren to take through the quests. I wonder how she'll look in that Santa outfit ... Are you going to be joining in the festivities this year? If so, do you usually start right away, or wait until toward the end of the holiday? What do you think this year's present and achievement are going to be? %Poll-79519%
The OverAchiever: Guide to Winter Veil 2012
'Tis the season! Winter Veil 2012 runs from Saturday, Dec. 15 through Tuesday, Jan. 2 this year. As with most of the WoW holidays, the Merrymaker meta is required for What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been. Those of you who are still on the lookout for your Violet Proto-Drakes will want to keep an eye out for any achievements you still need. Even if you don't want or don't need any achievements, Winter Veil also gives you the opportunity to turn your mount into a reindeer, become a snowman with a unique dance animation, and get noncombat pets and unique holiday items. This is also the only time of year where pets like Father Winter's Helper won't disappear with an excuse over how busy they are making toys, so if you want to run around for an extended time with gnomes dressed in Santa outfits, seize the day. As always, I'll be up as the holiday goes live to make necessary additions or corrections to the guide, but we're not anticipating any major changes to Winter Veil this year.
Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite in-game holiday?
I love Halloween. I am a big fan of the spooky, the creepy, the gloomy, dark and dank. It enthralls me, it's mysterious, it's fun! I'm talking real life here, now, not candy buckets in cities. I'm not a huge fan of the in-game Halloween, it seems too jokey, too trick-or treat and candy-focused, missing the scary side. But, having said that, I do like the Headless Horseman. He, well, his head is very entertaining, with its constant issues with his disappearing body and horse. I also like Love is in the Air and Noblegarden, they're wonderfully corny and cute, with the bunny ears and the lovebirds. Winter Veil isn't bad either, but perhaps that's because I have a child-like love for Christmas. But my favorite in-game holiday by a long shot is Brewfest. I really like the music, for a while at least. With my habit of alt-tabbing to work while leaving the game running, leaving a character standing in a Brewfest zone for long periods of time is annoying at best! The games are really fun, and the in-game drunkenness does bring a smile. If Coren Direbrew was as entertaining as the Horseman, and the rewards were as fun as the Lovebird or the Picnic Basket, this could be a perfect holiday! What about you? Which in-game holiday tickles your fancy, and are there any that you despise?
The OverAchiever: The worst (maybe) holiday achievements
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, some holidays are easier to survive than others. I've been getting a lot of comments and feedback from players recently over troublesome elder placement during the Lunar Festival (the one next to the Razor Hill flightmaster seems to be a particular issue -- more on this in a future article), and it spurred me to start thinking about problematic holiday achievements as a whole. Thing is, Blizzard's really put a lot of effort into its holidays over the past few years, and most of them are much less time-consuming and frustrating then they used to be. So how many really troublesome holiday achievements are there these days, anyhow? Most of them didn't figure prominently in our evil achievements series (with one sterling exception), but I'll grant that not all of them are sunshine and roses. But then of course, there's that one. Yes, that one -- the achievement shat into existence by Satan himself onto a bed of Ed Hardy clothing with bad Japanese pop music playing in the background. You know the one I'm talking about.
Breakfast Topic: Did you accomplish your Winter Veil goals?
The gifts have been unwrapped. The cheese logs have been consumed, the Greench's plans foiled, the eyes shot out. The Winter Veil holiday is drawing to a close today -- you have only a few short hours to get everything you wanted to accomplish done. (If you don't want to miss anything, you should probably check out The Overachiever's Guide to Winter Veil 2011.) That said, those of us here at WoW Insider want to know: Were you able to achieve all your in-game goals for the Winter Veil holiday? Did you get all the achievements you hoped for? Was Greatfather Winter kind to you? Did you make a fortune selling Small Eggs? Or did you just say "bah, humbug" to the entire holiday?
It came from the Blog: Join us for Caroling Carnage
This year's unique Winter Veil gift is the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater. You can wear this lovely sweater while caroling in enemy cities in order to earn this year's unique achievement: A-Caroling We Will Go. If you don't get this Feat of Strength by the second of January, then you will have received an ugly holiday sweater for nothing. (Well, almost nothing. You still get the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater achievement, but that's not as exciting.) So the It came from the Blog family of guilds will be singing our hearts out (probably literally) in enemy cities this Friday night for our Caroling Carnage event. When: Friday, Dec. 30 at 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST, 9 p.m. server) Where: Meet under the tree in Orgrimmar on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) Who: Any level Horde character, the higher the better. How: Ask anyone in It came from the Blog for an invite to the guild, if you are not in our family of guilds already. Warning: As our delightful singing will take place in enemy cities, we will not be welcomed as cheerfully as carolers are in shelters and assisted living facilities. There will be death -- our death -- and lots of it ... hence, Caroling Carnage. If you decide to make a death knight in order to join us, please make sure you are welcomed into the Horde before the beginning of the event. For one night, don't wait in those long Raid Finder or space opera queues. Instead, join us for some dangerous singing while wearing fashionably questionable clothing. Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All members can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
Breakfast Topic: What do you think about the new holiday boss style?
We've come to expect our holiday bosses to work a certain way here in World of Warcraft. Once every few months, we get a chance to go queue up for a unique boss that drops some nice loot to provide easy upgrades for casual players, and we get a daily package with a chance at some sort of fun pet or mount, as well as a BoE weapon. This has been a very nice arrangement for all involved. This year on Winter Veil, Blizzard muddied the waters a bit. Rather than put the boss in a dungeon, Blizzard put him right smack dab in Alterac, uninstanced, and made the daily package come from a daily quest. Now, if you want to kill him, you have to fly out to him and grab a group, then take him down.
WRUP: 'Twas the night before the night before Winter Veil
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too! Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Those of us here at WoW Insider are busy decking the halls, trimming the trees, and in the case of Mat McCurley, making last-minute reservations at a New York City Chinese restaurant. Dec. 25 means something different to all of us, but to me, it will always mean one thing: presents. Getting presents. Lots and lots of presents. And since the true meaning of Christmas, contrary to all those television specials, is getting gifts, I organized the first ever WoW Insider Winter Veil Secret Santa. After the break, all our columnists are giving each other gifts such that they may receive gifts in the true spirit of the holiday -- with a little bit of traditional WRUPing mixed in, too. In that same spirit, I'm offering you, the reader, some of the absolute worst Christmas movies and TV specials. It's all condensed into bite-sized videos for your holiday enjoyment.
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: Purple Puffer loot codes from WootLoots.com
12 Days of Winter Veil is under way here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, from loot codes to gaming mice to decor and apparel. Whether you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Who wants more loot? Well, the answer to that is obvious: You do. Today from WootLoots.com, we have four Purple Puffer pets to add to your collection. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. You can only enter once. We will choose four winners at random. Make sure the email address you use to post entry comments here is one that you check regularly, because that's how we'll contact our winners. Because this is a purely digital item, readers of all regions may enter for a chance to win.
How to profit off Winter Veil
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen and Fox Van Allen aim to show you how to make money on the Auction House. Check out Fox and Basil's reboot of Call To Auction, and Email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! Winter Veil is probably one of the most profitable game holidays. There are lots of achievements and quests people do, and some of these involve acquiring things that can be sold on the Auction House. The most interesting thing is that none of the things people will be needing require a maximum-level character to get and are, in fact, farmable by just about anyone over level 6 or so. Small Eggs Let's start with Small Eggs. Five of these are used to make the five Gingerbread Cookies required for the holiday quest Treats for Greatfather Winter. Small eggs are easily farmed, but the demand for them between Dec. 15 and Jan. 2 is more than can reasonably be farmed by any one person. People in the know have been preparing since last year and have stockpiled these eggs. That said, the bulk needed to meet the demand generated by just about every single active player doing this quest on all their characters is pretty high, and these eggs don't come up on the Auction House that often for cheap. For the next few days until demand drops off a bit, people will buy these for between 2g and 5g, and if you have a character capable of killing level 6 monsters, you can farm hundreds an hour in Eversong Woods outside Silvermoon.
WoW Insider Weekly News Update for Dec. 16, 2011
The WoW Insider Weekly News Update is your source for all the biggest stories from the past week wrapped up in a neat little video package. Mathew McCurley hosts your quick look at this week's biggest news. If you haven't already subscribed to the WoW Insider YouTube channel, you should! This week's top stories include: Blizzard announces Battle.net Balance. Blizzard also announces Battle.net BattleTags. Winter Veil is here. Blizzard reclassified items for Dragon Soul's Raid Finder difficulty. Win a Nightsaber Cub loot card from WoWTCGLoot! Here's how to enter: Subscribe to the WoW Insider YouTube channel and comment on the video over on YouTube for a chance to win! We'll contact our winner via YouTube on Friday, Dec. 23.
Breakfast Topic: What are your goals for Winter Veil?
Deck the non-religious halls with joy that is totally unrelated to this guy who may or may not have been the savior, depending on your own personal beliefs that we all totally respect. It's time for Winter Veil! The Feast of Winter Veil is a two-and-a-half-week-long, pine-scented, in-game holiday consisting of dwarves, off-brand orc Santas, and unappealing spiced cookies. And who could forget all the gift-giving, murder, comic mischief, getting this close to regionals, and ... please tell me they're not going to make us go back to Outland again. No, seriously. Please. There are space ghosts there. But enough about the sheer terror of being haunted by the specters of the dead and feeling their cold essences devour your soul -- this is Winter Veil holiday! So what are your plans for the holiday? Are you going to be saving Metzen the Reindeer this year? Or are you going to be all Scrooge-like and let this holiday pass you by? Working on achievements? The Overachiever is here to help! Count on us for advice on Azeroth's holidays and special events, including new achievements, how to get 310% flight speed with achievement mounts, and Cataclysm reputation factions and achievements.
