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Season 6 PVP sets are a true upgrade
Here's a really interesting followthrough by Blizzard I never thought I'd see. You may remember a thread a few months back where the OP complained that the PVP sets were boring-looking or visually uninspired; Zarhym responded matter-of-factly replied that the looks of the armor sets would improve over time. While PvE players receive loot that was (ostensibly) culled from the sinewy piles of continually larger and more powerful foes, PvP players receive gear crafted by their faction's tailors, smiths, and leatherworkers -- gear made to get the job done. As one became more and more renowned, their gear would reflect said prestige. I imagined that statement meant that the new models for Season 6 gear would be (subjectively) cool-looking and (objectively) different. Well, MMO Champion has put up a mostly-complete preview of Season 6 gear models pulled from the seedy underbelly of patch 3.1's data files, and I'm a little surprised and a lot impressed.Yes, you're probably having the initial reaction that I did upon clicking the link above. "These sets look like what's available now," you're saying, brows furrowed, lips pursed. They do look quite similar, but take a closer look. Things have changed! We talk a lot about upgrades here, but these new sets go beyond stat increases -- the armor has been visibly beefed up, more parts of your body covered, more adornments added, more magic seeping from its seams. The shaman head and shoulders appear to be morphing from the pebble-smooth surface into something far more menacing. The paladin's armor has become adorned with glowing gems and the neck protected. There's a gradual metamorphosis going on here that really shows what Blizzard was talking about when they said that the PvP set models would improve over time, and I can't wait to see what Season 7 looks like.
Blizzard updates armor sets page with Season 4
The World of Warcraft official armor sets page has been updated to feature the Season 4 or Brutal Gladiator pieces. Just as with past sets, you'll be able to review the armor pieces on each class and their respective races as well as view the stats for each item. Season 4 started on June 24, after a long 30 week wait since Season 3 began, finally opening the floodgates for Sunwell Plateau-level PvP gear. Check out WoW Insider's extensive Brutal Gladiator gear guide and comprehensive gallery for more detailed information on Season 4 gear.
Five is the new eight
Bornakk has pretty much laid down the law. Eight piece armor sets are dead as we know them. Despite Claymore from Medivh's call to bring them back, Blizzard is happy with the way the five piece tier sets are working out, and that's the way they're planning to keep it.Kind of a shame, because as Claymore says, seeing someone with a full eight piece set was pretty epic. It took a lot to pick up every since piece, and some of the eight piece bonuses were pretty cool for their time. But just like the 40 man raids, there were lots of problems with eight piece sets as well. I never completed mine, just because my guild had moved on from where the gear was dropping before I was able to pick all the pieces up. And five piece sets give a lot more options as to customization-- with the extra, non-set pieces, players can choose to focus on a certain stat over others, which couldn't be done with the full eight piece sets.So in general, it's a good move-- bigger is not always better. Nostalgics may long for the days of Bloodfang and Giantstalker, but five piece armor sets are here to stay.
Tier 6 on Blizzard's game guide
Just in case you haven't seen them yet (and you probably have, because you are a knowledgeable WoW Insider reader), Blizzard has added the Tier 6 armor sets to their game guide.It's an easy little interface, and you can very easily see any of the armor sets (and all of their variants, which makes me think that it might be cool if the different spec variants actually looked, y'know, different) on any race, and even any gender of your choice. Gaze at the beauty of the Skyshatter set! Be in awe of the Warlock's Malefic armor! And puzzle why Paladins got yet another strange-looking armor set. Blizzard should just put ballerina gowns on them next time and be done with it.
Armor sets page updated
I don't know about you, but I've been waiting for Blizzard to update their armor set page since the expansion was released. After all, it's nice to have an easy point of reference for set stats and appearances, but Blizzard's page has been stuck in a drab pre-BC format, without including new races or new sets. However, for those who simply must know, you can now find updated armor set information (including where to find each set) on Blizzard's European site -- though the US site is still a bit out of date.Update: Blizzard's US site picked up these updates on Monday, the 19th.[Via Warcry Network]
Ask WoW Insider: How does tier gear work?
Our question today at Ask WoW Insider concerns tiered gear and where to get it. Candide from Hallowed Arcana on Farstriders writes: "So as a new lvl 60, (Actually to 61 now)I have no tiered gear. Whats worse is I have no idea where to start. Do I need teir 1 through 5 gear before I can get teir 6? I have been playing WoW for a year now, but actual time played is only something like 20 days so in most things I am still a noob. My guild is usually very friendly and helpful but they are all working the run to 70 while im limping along at 61. Can you please expalin to me what gear I should look for, what tiered gear is, and where to get it. The whole tiered armor concept can be daunting to new players -- can you help Candide sort it out? Got questions? Hit us up at ask AT wowinsider DOT com; every week we'll pick one of your questions to publish and be answered by your peers.
Confessions of an Outland clown...
I feel for Grim, posting on the EU forums about some of the armor options in Outland. I really do. As my Troll priest (above, in both soloing and healing gear) stocks up on Outland quest rewards I have to wonder what Blizzard's item designers were thinking. Are they all colorblind? Did they never consider that people might use many of these quest rewards together, and perhaps in a way that would encourage their eyes to bleed? I certainly don't feel like a hero defending Azeroth from the Burning Legion -- I feel a lot more like a clown. And all I can say is thank goodness I have shadowform, which obscures all of the conflicting colors. And considering Grim's post on the EU forums, I can only imagine I'm not the only one.
Official PvP Armor Set Information
Blizzard has put up official info on the new PvP set updates on their armor sets page (just select the PvP superior or PvP epic set from the pull-down menu on the right). We will see these new sets up on the live realms after the 1.11 content patch. This does make the PvP sets look less shabby in comparison to the PvE options, and hopefully further planned PvP improvements planned for 1.12 will make matters even better for those that prefer PvP content.
