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Patch 5.3 PTR: Blood in the Snow overview
If you've been wondering what's been going on in Ironforge during Cataclysm and Mists, patch 5.3 ought to fill you in. The first of two scenarios required to unlock the quest chain for 5.3, Blood in the Snow tells the story of Moira Bronzebeard and her attempt to prove to both the Bronzebeard, Wildhammer, and the Alliance itself that the Dark Iron are worthy allies. One tends to forget that Moira's roots lay originally with the Bronzebeard clan -- and she's not out for blood, she's out to prove that both she and the clan she now runs aren't the one-dimensional villains everyone would like to make them out to be. Does she succeed in this goal? Well ... that remains to be seen. But given Cho's story of the three clans, the tale that pointed out that both Wildhammer and Bronzebeard were being perhaps unnecessarily paranoid, it looks like the dwarves might finally be moving in a direction of actual unity. Meanwhile, the scenario itself is actually pretty fun, and presents a bit of a challenge without being impossible. Please note: This post contains spoilers for patch 5.3 content.
Patch 5.3 PTR: Heroic and new scenarios available for testing soon
Players that have been participating in the patch 5.3 PTR testing may have noticed that there's not exactly a lot of new content to test out just yet. That's about to change with the next patch update -- according to CM Vaneras over on the EU forums, all new and heroic scenarios should be available for testing with the next PTR update. This includes all new 5.3 lore scenarios -- and if you're wondering whether you'll be able to test both, you can put your mind at ease. Both factions will be able to participate in all new scenarios, and the disguise mechanic introduced when Dagger in the Dark and A Little Patience were released with patch 5.2 will be implemented. As for heroic scenarios, players will be able to participate in that content as well -- there's a new section in the scenario queuing system that will allow players to queue for heroic rather than regular scenario content. EU players can leave feedback on the official forum thread, and presumably US players will have their own thread for doing so as well. If you've been itching to find out more about upcoming 5.3 content, this is your chance to take a peek and give your feedback on the content. If you're interesting in participating, you can download the PTR client via your account management page on Battle.net, as well as copy an existing character over to the PTR. Blizzard seems to be looking specifically for people's reactions to the relative challenge of the scenarios, as well as feedback regarding the new bonus objective system. Keep your eyes peeled, we'll have more information on all of the new scenarios once they are available and open for play.
Patch 5.3 PTR: New scenarios and Lorewalker Cho
Patch 5.3 has some changes coming for scenario content. In addition to the new heroic versions of all existing scenarios, several new scenarios have been added. Unlike patch 5.1's Dagger in the Dark and A Little Patience, all scenarios will apparently be available to both sides upon patch 5.3's release. Much like what we're seeing with these faction-specific scenarios in patch 5.2, players of either faction will be given a disguise so that they may play through the other faction's content without fear of being murdered. But there are a few other developments with scenarios as well. Upon logging into the PTR, both Alliance and Horde players will receive a letter from Lorewalker Cho, asking them to come to the Lorewalkers area in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Once there, Lorewalker Cho offers a quest that triggers a story scene briefly explaining the story behind the Blood in the Snow scenario, complete with visions of Varian Wrynn and Moira Bronzebeard, and asking players to complete the scenario so he can know the rest of the story.
