tier-sets
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Warlords of Draenor: Tier 17 models datamined
The fine folks over at Adriacraft have been busy digging up models from the alpha client for Warlords of Draenor. Today they released a selection of preview videos for tier 17 armor sets. Shaman, monk, mage, rogue and warrior tier 17 are featured in their own videos, as well as a look at the paladin tier 17 mythic set, shown above. As previously mentioned by Ion Hazzikostas in an interview with Wowhead, the appearance of gear in Warlords will be defined by raid difficulty, rather than just a recolor for each level of difficulty. As with a prior video that highlighted mythic tier 17 for warriors, the paladin set has a lot more flash and moving parts. I really love the draenei flavor to the set -- the naaru-like crystalline emblems on the spaulders are pretty cool. To see all the datamined tier models, head over to Adriacraft's Youtube channel and take a look.
Arcane Brilliance: Taking your mage transmog beyond tier sets
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Arcane Brilliance for arcane, fire and frost mages. Stacey Landry is the resident mage here, bender of space and time, conjurer of delicious confectioneries and expert at dressing well while setting things on fire. She also maintains the mage blog, Manalicious. I haven't written about transmog here yet, which is really a terrible oversight. It was always in the works, though, there's just been so many other things to talk about. But I find myself at liberty to do something a little more light-hearted this week and so let's talk about fashion! Many potential transmog enthusiasts might find themselves getting a bit overwhelmed when it comes to choosing what to wear. You don't need an article that tells you "tier sets look good," because it's kind of a given. They were designed to match each other, so yes, an entire tier set isn't necessarily a wrong choice. At the very least it'll look cohesive, and mages have some great tier sets. But it isn't necessarily an original choice, either, and it won't set you apart in a sea of cloth-wearers or even mages wearing the entirety of Tirisfal Regalia. So what we're going to talk about, for anyone who might be less confident in their transmogging, is how you can take your transmog to the next level and what you should consider as you do. We'll look at color and contrast, how to build a set around a unique piece, or take a potential theme and make it your own.
Patch 5.2: Tier set names
The new tier sets for patch 5.2 finally have names -- well, most of the sets do. Wowhead managed to dig up the names for all of the tier 15 models, with the exception of the rogue t15 set. While rogue set items are currently using the t14 name, all other t15 sets have been changed over. However, the models for all of the sets are nearly complete, and some sets have some pretty neat animation on the shoulder models. Death Knight Battleplate/Plate of the All-Consuming Maw. The shoulders for this piece are two sets of jaws that occasionally open and flick their tongues in the air. Druid Armor/Regalia/Battlegear/Vestments of the Haunted Forest. This model features small fireflies that dart around the branches on the shoulders. Hunter Battlegear of the Saurok Stalker. Mage Regalia of the Chromatic Mage. Monk Fire-Charm Armor/Battlegear/Vestments. Paladin Battlegear/Plate/Vestments of the Lightning Emperor. This set flickers with blue lightning. Please note that the model for this set doesn't quite appear to be complete. Priest Vestments/Regalia of the Exorcist. The hood for this model also appears to include a translucent veil over the eyes. Neat! Rogue Battlegear of the Thousandfold Blades. This is a placeholder name for now. Shaman Battlegear/Regalia/Vestments of the Spiritbreaker. Warlock Regalia of the Thousand Hells. Warrior Battleplate/Plate of the Last Mogu. Take a look through our gallery for a closer look at all of the t15 sets, or head over to Wowhead and use the modelviewer there for a look at the unique animations. %Gallery-177311% Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Would playing on sheer vanity work as raiding incentive?
I have a confession to make. There were a few reason why, back in vanilla, I decided to get into raiding. First, I discovered after hitting 60 on my druid that there was really very, very little to do once you'd hit level 60. Second, I had some friends who told me I would have a spot in their raids if I managed to get a Horde alt to 60. But the third reason was the secret reason, one I kept to myself and didn't tell anyone, even though it was pretty much the most important reason of all, to me. I really, really, really wanted the pretty gear. I didn't really like the look of the Devout set; I thought it was kind of boring. I didn't really care for most of the green gear while leveling. But the first time I saw a priest running around in full Prophecy, I knew that I wanted that because it was pretty. The first time I saw Benediction, I wanted it more than anything else in the world -- not because of the stats, not because of the set bonuses, not because it would make me super-powerful, but because it would make my character look really neat.
World of Wardrobe: Going out in Outland for tier 4
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Now that we've finished our whirlwind tour of Medivh's home and have two pieces of tier 4 in our pockets to show for it, it's time to head to the main highlight of The Burning Crusade expansion and dig up the rest of it. While Karazhan existed on Azeroth, the rest of tier 4 exists in Outland, scattered between two smaller raids -- the lairs of the pitlord Magtheridon and Gruul the Dragonkiller. Both raids were mercifully short when compared to the length of Karazhan, but both required some precision timing by raids to complete successfully. Last week, we touched a little on attunement chains for The Burning Crusade. Long, arduous and a complete pain for those trying to get in on raiding late in the game, the attunement chains in Burning Crusade were systematically removed as the expansion went on. For those who jumped into raiding when The Burning Crusade was launched, however, both Gruul and Magtheridon were required kills to get to the next level of raiding content with the next tier of raiding gear. %Gallery-133615%
Hunter and priest tier 13 art revealed
You know what they say about leaving the best for last? Well, Blizzard waited until the bitter end to give us a preview of what hunter and priest tier 13 will look like. And by "wait until the bitter end to give us a preview," I mean "not give us a preview at all before the patch 4.3 PTR goes live and the art gets datamined at MMO-Champion." Whoops! In any case, the new tier is here, and it's certainly interesting. Priest tier 13, Dying Light, is loaded with some pretty unusual masks that invoke memories of the creepy-cool tier 6. After looking at it for the last few minutes, I can confirm that I will have terrible nightmares tonight involving that mask. Soulless and terrifying. Which, I guess, means they got the design just right. Hunters are getting Wyrmstalker, a cool-looking, Frostwyrm-inspired set. Remember that scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke crawls into the dead Blue Dragon for warmth? And remember how he stayed in there way too long, until it decayed into naught but bone? And then how he wore the dragon's corpse when he went off to fight Deathwing? Remember that? That's what you get, hunters. The full preview of hunter and priest tier 13 is available just after the break or over on MMO-Champion.
World of Wardrobe: Kicking around Karazhan for tier 4, part 2
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Last week, we started the journey to pick up the first raiding tier of The Burning Crusade. Tier 4 was a bit of a revolution in the way that tier gear was obtained. Players no longer had to wait for their particular piece of gear to drop; instead, they looted tokens that were then turned in for the gear of their choice. We saw the beginnings of this back in tier 2.5, but the organizational element of it was sadly missing. By the time The Burning Crusade launched, players no longer had to obtain secondary items for their tier; the tokens were all that was required. But there were other differences that were unique to Burning Crusade raids -- mainly, the placement of tier loot. If you wanted to raid in vanilla WoW, doing so required attuning yourself to the various raids available. In the case of Molten Core, Blackwing Lair and Onyxia's Lair, this was done by completing a quest chain and obtaining an item or clicking an object that would allow you passage into the raid zone. When Ahn'Qiraj was launched, raiders had to complete an epic quest chain in order to open the gates to the raid, and non-raiders had to gather resources and supplies for the battle that would happen after. By the time the 40-man version of Naxxramas rolled around, all that was required was reputation, some gold, and a few items to get in. This all changed with The Burning Crusade, and so did tier sets. %Gallery-133615%
World of Wardrobe: Kicking around Karazhan for tier 4, part 1
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. After the sheer confusion of tier 2.5, players had one more opportunity to get tier pieces in the form of tier 3, available solely from the 40-man version of Naxxramas. As of the launch of Wrath of the Lich King, Naxxramas relocated to Northrend and tier 3 went goodbye, to the disappointment of tier collectors. It's been hinted that the new Darkmoon Faire in patch 4.3 may offer ways to obtain tier sets that are no longer obtainable -- hopefully, this includes the long-lost tier 3. Tier 4, on the other hand, was a step in a new direction. Players were no longer required to obtain additional materials to pick up their tier pieces; all they needed was their class token, and they were good to go. However, tier 4 wasn't found in just a single raid dungeon; it was spread all over Outland in a series of introductory raids meant to prepare raiders for the rigors of Serpentshrine Cavern, Tempest Keep, and eventually The Battle for Hyjal and Black Temple. Tier 4 is scattered through three different raid zones, and today we're going to venture into a zone that still stands out as a favorite in many raider's eyes -- the incomprehensible tower of Karazhan. Once the home of Medivh, Karazhan also offers a variety of cool weapons and off-set armor pieces along with the elusive tier 4. %Gallery-133615%
World of Wardrobe: Shaking the bugs out of tier 2.5
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Ahn'Qiraj was a dramatic change for vanilla raiders, largely because it didn't take place anywhere with a primarily red- and/or flame-based color scheme. Instead, raiders were treated to a sandy desert and a mysterious temple with unending underground tunnels and the oddest scenery in game at that point. Treated, that is, after an incredibly long quest line and a world event that required everyone, raiders and non-raiders alike, to band together and open the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj. It's no wonder then that tier 2.5 is just as odd as the raid zone it originates from. Each set wasn't exactly a major upgrade from tier 2 but had a set name and set bonuses -- not enough of a difference to call it a full tier, but enough that it warranted the -.5 suffix to delineate it as something worth obtaining. These sets aren't iconic so much as ... odd. Rather than representing a class, they all carried the same spiny, insect theme that persevered throughout Ahn'Qiraj -- less "beautiful" and more "Power Rangers meets Mothra." That said, if you're looking for the strangest getup you can possibly stick your character in, tier 2.5 ought to be right up your alley. There's also a host of other unique weapons and armor to be had as well, so let's get to the extermination, shall we? %Gallery-132839%
World of Wardrobe: Bringing home tier 2
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Tier 2 is easily one of the most recognizable, iconic gear sets in World of Warcraft's history. Nowadays, tier sets are designed around the concept of a dungeon or an area in the world. Tier 2, on the other hand, simply presented a cohesive look that practically screamed, "This is my class." Judgement was considered the hallmark of paladin armor design; Bloodfang embraced the sneaky, silent and deadly nature of a rogue. Transcendence was a beautiful reimagining of stained glass commonly found in cathedrals; Nemesis was a dark reflection of everything a warlock should be. If you're looking for a tier set that encompasses everything that your class represents, tier 2 is going to be right up your alley. Last week, we dove into the depths of Molten Core, where Ragnaros awaited, tier 2 pants in his pockets. This week, we ascend the heights of Blackwing Lair to challenge the Black Dragonflight, who seem to have made a habit of squirreling away some particularly pretty pieces of gear and some of the most unique weapons you'll ever set eyes on. %Gallery-132103%
World of Wardrobe: Gathering tier 1
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Transmogrification has created quite a stir among the World of Warcraft population; the possibility of finally being able to customize gear is awesome. It may not quite be the same as the armor dyes people were hoping for, but it still means that old armor sets will be able to be used again, and we're going to get rid of that horrible Every Raider Looks Exactly the Same syndrome that's been haunting the game since ... well, since raiding began. Speaking of raiding, while there's a lot of green gear out there with lovely models to choose from, there are also tier sets -- most of which can still be gathered in game. While the old models may look at little dated to some, to others they represent the most iconic looks that World of Warcraft has to offer. Each set of tier can be found in different raid locations around Azeroth, and we'll be taking you to each in time. For now, let's begin at the beginning with tier 1! %Gallery-131377%
Patch 4.2: Shaman and warlock tier 12 sets revealed
Building on their previews from last week, Blizzard has released sneak peeks at two more tier 12 sets: shaman and warlock. The warlock set is pretty clearly based on Firelands boss Beth'tilac, the gargantuan fire spider queen; the shaman set is a little more general but you can definitely see influences from old Ragnaros gear like the Crown of Destruction. Besides, we all know that the best shaman sets are ones where chains and exploding rocks are involved, so chalk this one up as a win for patch 4.2. Check out the warlock set after the cut, and be sure to check out our full tier 12 gallery below. %Gallery-122557%
Patch 4.2: Druid tier 12 revealed, new tier armor information and models
Wowhead has put up some excellent shots of the previously unseen druid tier 12 armor set called Obsidium Arborweave, as well as new information about the names of other classes' tier 12 sets. Also, we were anxiously awaiting the new molten giant model -- and lo and behold, it is awesome and is definitely the source of inspiration for the warrior tier 12 set.
Patch 4.2 PTR: Warrior tier 12 and recolors
Though it hasn't had an official preview yet, the tier 12 set for warriors is available in the patch 4.2 PTR files, and Wowhead dug it up along with recolors for all of the other already-previewed tier 12 sets. You can even model them on the race and gender of your choice with the 3-D model viewer. If you can't see from the above picture, yes, those are molten giant heads on your shoulders, which is fitting, given the set's name of "Molten Giant Battlegear." When you're done modeling your set on your character of choice, be sure to check out the preliminary tier 12 set bonuses to go along with it. The news is already rolling out for the upcoming WoW Patch 4.2! Preview the new Firelands raid, marvel at the new legendary staff, and get the inside scoop on new quest hubs -- plus new Tier 12 armor!
Patch 4.2 PTR: Tier 12 set bonuses
While the tier 12 sets on the patch 4.2 PTR aren't even technically sets yet, their set bonuses were still buried in the game files for observant folks. Blizzard told the truth -- these bonuses are pretty unique and a lot of them seem based thematically on Firelands, designed to fix some raiding spec issues, or both. Check them out below and after the cut! Death knight DPS 2-piece Your Horn of Winter ability also grants you 3 runic power every 5 sec for 2 min. 4-piece Your critical strikes with melee abilities deal 15% additional damage as Fire damage over 4 sec. Death knight tanking 2-piece Your melee attacks cause Burning Blood on your target, which deals 800 Fire damage every 2 for 6 sec and causes your abilities to behave as if you had 2 diseases present on the target. 4-piece Your Dancing Rune Weapon grants 15% additional parry chance.
Ask the Devs round 5 achievement questions answered
Ask the Devs, Blizzard's developer community question and answer feature, continues with round 5, an in-depth look at achievements detailing the difficulty of changing achievement, making certain rewards account-wide, and whether removed content is ever going to be a part of the game again. Check out the full question and answer session after the break. Quote: Q: When will achievements finally be awarded account-wide? – Larosh (Europe [German]), Eneia & Payasos (Europe [Spanish]), Rageudder & Kellgros (Europe [English]), ??????? (Europe [Russian]), Nyn (North America/ANZ), ?????? (Korea) A: Making achievements Battle.net account-wide is something we'd like to do, but it's not a goal we could provide a current timetable for. All of the original World of Warcraft coding was done with the expectation that the data on every realm would always be independent. Now that we are trying to make as many things as possible account-wide, we're having to rebuild all of those systems. It is absolutely something we want to do, but it will take a lot of time away from other features. source
Ask the Devs Round 4: Weapons and armor questions answered
Ask the Devs, the ongoing, in-depth Q&A series focusing on specific aspects of World of Warcraft, continues with round 4 answers to your questions about weapons and armor. As in the past, the devs hand picked user questions and gave detailed answers, shedding new light on some of the design intricacies that go into creating the World of Warcraft. There are some interesting questions this time around, as always, and even some more interesting answers. Highlights include the need for more armor models, a cool idea about buying quartermaster outfits, the drop rate of the legendary shards for 10- and 25-man raiding, and an interesting fix to prevent players rolling need on items in the random dungeon finder only to throw them up on the auction house. The full Q&A is after the jump.
FigurePets: A Croc, an Egg and a Willy?
Back in June I brought you the news that FigurePrints were bringing out a new range in their 3D printed collectable WoW models named FigurePets. The original line up featured a limited run of three non-combat pets: The Clockwork Rocket Bot, Stinker the Skunk, and Speedy the Turtle -- who was by far my favorite!For the readers out there who were fortunate enough to get their hands on a set of the original FigurePets then you can attest to how awesome they really are -- these little guys rock! I've got mine standing in formation around my Kungen FigurePrint letting everyone who comes near my computer know that I am a WoW player (or should that be "playa?" It does sound far more "gangsta" that way). So it gives me great pleasure to inform you that FigurePets are back with a brand new limited series of three new non-combat pets. The line up this time is as follows:
Breakfast Topic: What's your item set design preference?
It looks like we've got a sneak peek at what may be the new tier sets when MMO Champion uncovered some gear intended for Paladins, Death Knights, and Warriors. Just in case you didn't notice, that's all plate gear and, well, they all look alike. With Patch 3.2 seeing the return of faction-specific armor, a lot of people were thrilled except that most players (including myself) sort of forgot that faction-specific gear such as the old Level 60 PvP sets had shared models across armor types.The reason most of us didn't notice was because this wasn't so apparent back then... the Alliance only had one mail-wearing class and the Horde only had one plate-wearing class. With Shamans and Paladins no longer restricted to one faction and with the introduction of Death Knights in Wrath of the Lich King, more classes appear to share the same item models -- there are three plate and two mail classes on both factions now. This has the downside of homogenizing appearance across classes but the upside of having the near-certainty of putting together a visually cohesive set as well as looking different from the enemy faction's counterparts.So today's question is simple: what design philosophy do you think works best for World of Warcraft? Every path has its obvious benefits, of course. What appears to be the most appealing is something we still haven't seen... faction- and class-specific gear where each class has a completely unique model according to faction. It sounds great on paper but it's more work for the art team and an itemization nightmare -- imagine having to organize those drops in a dungeon! It might be easier to go the Sunwell Plateau route and be done with it! Or heck, do everything Emperor's New Clothes-style, where everyone goes commando! Good idea? No? So, uh, that was just me? Drat. %Poll-31391%
The Queue: Slack-jawed daffodils
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.We have another appearance from Allison Robert today for you Druid players, so that's fun! Guest answers tend to be a lot more fun, no? I certainly think so, because it means less work for me to do! I'm kidding, I'm kidding, but it's definitely fun to spread the love around a little.Chas asked...Has there ever been any lore surrounding Thane Korth'azz and Lady Blaumeux from Naxxramas? The other horsemen seem to have back-stories but I can't find anything on them.
