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Wrath 101: Factions and reputation
Reputation in Wrath of the Lich King works a lot like it did in The Burning Crusade, except refined. Most of your reputation will come from dungeon runs and questing, and not grinding mobs off in some random corner of the world. At the same time, they've thrown in some 'extra' hooks to some of the reputations that make it pretty different from what it used to be, for better or for worse. That's what we'll be digging into here.FactionsThe Horde and the Alliance each get a set of factions: The Horde Expedition and the Alliance Vanguard. These are a bit unusual, because those two primary factions have four other secondary factions. For the most part, those secondary factions don't have any rewards of their own. As you gain reputation with the sub-factions, your overall Horde Expedition or Alliance Vanguard reputation goes up, and that determines your rewards. Why did they do it that way? I don't know, but they did!
Wrath 101: How to get to Dalaran
Dalaran, as we all know by now, is Wrath's equivalent of Shattrath. It's a neutral city with portals back to every other major city (each faction's four capitals plus Shattrath), it has profession trainers and a bank (but no class trainers besides Mage and no auction house), and we'll probably be spending a lot of time in it once we all hit 80. It floats above Crystalsong Forest in central Northrend. But how do you get there? Mages can teleport there at level 71, and give portals there at 74. So that's one option. Similarly, you can get a Warlock to summon you, if they can find players around to help. Players also get quests to go there legitimately and get attuned to use the crystal that teleports you up and down at level 74, but who wants to wait that long? Enter the Battleground summon. This is how I and almost everyone I know got to Dalaran the first time, and it goes like this: Find someone in Dalaran ("/who Dalaran" is helpful for this) and ask politely if they are willing to group with you and queue the group for a battleground. When you get into the battleground, /afk out (or play it through). Poof! You're in Dalaran. This works at any level, for any character (although you do need to ensure the person queueing you is in the same battleground level bracket as you; thanks to Faeries Wear Boots for pointing this out). Once there you can set your hearthstone at any of several inns for quick return, and there is a flight point at Krasus' Landing - if you grab a flight point or two in Dragonblight for connections (Mo'aki Harbor being the easiest), you should then be able to fly to Dalaran from most flight points in Northrend. Arthas awaits and so do your questions. Find the answers you've been looking for that will help you with your journey into Northrend and to level 80 with Wrath 101.
Wrath 101: Upgrading equipment in minutes on the AH
New Wrath greens are dropping fast and furious, as are BoE blues, plus crafters are cranking out new Wrath pieces to level up and much of this is getting dumped on the Auction House. If you're still wearing Outland greens and blues, I highly recommend heading directly to the AH and search the Armor and Weapons section. Sort the results by level so new Wrath items will show up at the top. Now, go crazy.Last night I found four pieces that were significant upgrades to what I was wearing. On my Feral Cat Druid I replaced my Staff of Beasts with an Aquatic Great Staff of the Tiger (+40 Agi, +40 Str.) I also picked up Vrykul Shackles, Arctic Chestpiece and Deacon's Wraps (for his healing kit). Clearly this won't work well for those who are Kara geared (and beyond) but for everyone else, you can grab some excellent pieces for 10-50 gold. If you have trouble determining if a piece is an upgrade, install the RatingsBuster AddOn that translates stats into direct benefits (i.e. +5 Agility displays as +0.13% Crit & +0.26% Dodge for my Feral Druid.)Arthas awaits and so do your questions. Find the answers you've been looking for that will help you with your journey into Northrend and to level 80 with Wrath 101.
Wrath 101: An introduction to raiding
For some of you, your eyes will be on the goals of end game. You're not going to need as many consumables now as you did before. This represents a change in Blizzard philosophy. Don't even think about using Mana Oils or Wizard Oils (or stones) as they will not work on items over level 70. Pro tip: Chances are, you'll be using your present weapons for a while. Might as well use any you have left over for those while you level until you come across a replacement weapon. Naxxramas It once hovered over the Eastern Plaguelands. Now you can find this entry level instance in Dragonblight to the east. Players that experienced the old version of Naxx will notice many similarities in this latest rendition. Many of the bosses have returned (with the exception of a particular Knight from the 4 Horsemen). Obsidian Sanctum This is the first entry level Onyxia style boss you'll encounter. Sartharion is surrounded by 3 mini-boss dragons. Think of it as a modified Zul'Aman instance challenge. You can set the difficulty of the encounter by sparing any number of dragons. Leaving all 3 up when you engage Sartharion results in more items (and better quality). The Sanctum is also located in Dragonblight below Wyrmrest Temple. The Eye of Eternity Malygos makes the Eye of Eternity his domain. This is the only raid instance you will find in The Nexus. Before you can summon Malygos, you need to have the Heroic Key to the Focusing Iris (or its 10 man counterpart, the Key to the Focusing Iris). It'll be the first instance where you get to engage the boss on flying mounts! Check out our walkthrough of these three early Wrath raids in the gallery below! %Gallery-36897% Arthas awaits and so do your questions. Find the answers you've been looking for that will help you with your journey into Northrend and to level 80 with Wrath 101.
Wrath of the Lich King class changes roundup
Over the last two days, the WoW Insider team has been busy reviewing and gathering all of the still-current class information to bring you up to speed for your first steps into Northrend. You've probably had a chance to get a handle on your class since most of the changes were pushed through in patch 3.0.2, but you have an extra ten levels ahead of you, an extra ten talent points, and a whole bunch of new skills and abilities you're going to need to learn. Don't know what to expect? We're here for you. If you do know what to expect? Well, I guess you can keep reading if you want. We'll let it slide just this once. Death Knight - Being the new class on the block, there's certainly been a lot to talk about in the recent months. Daniel Whitcomb points you toward much of it, including leveling builds, in-depth looks at their core abilities and mechanics, as well as some sage advice from Allison Robert. Druid - Speaking of Allison Robert, she'll be your guide today if you're looking for more on the Druid class. Talent builds, a glimpse at raid healing as Restoration, the rise of the Moonkin and much more can be found within.
Wrath of the Lich King 101
The much-anticipated Wrath of the Lich King expansion has arrived for World of Warcraft, and may well be one of the most popular expansions we've ever seen in the MMO industry. That said, WoW players may find themselves a bit overwhelmed by their unfamiliar surroundings. Fortunately, our friends over at our sister site WoW Insider have been tearing into WotLK, and put together a series of guides called "Wrath 101." The WoW Insider guides will give you an in-depth look at the Wrath expansion's geography, and help you to find your way around. We've rounded up the entire guide series and assembled them for you here. Enjoy, and keep watching Massively for our ongoing news and features focusing on the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Wrath 101: How to get to Northrend and where to go once you're thereHow do I get to Northrend? For Alliance, head to the northernmost dock at Stormwind Harbor to get to Borean Tundra or take the boat out of Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands to be dropped off in Howling Fjord. Wrath 101: Level 70 PvP gearIf you were looking forward to getting gear upgrades through Honor at Level 70 when Wrath of the Lich King finally arrives in a few days, you probably shouldn't hold your breath. I know I advised doing a lot of PvP, but I meant that you should be keeping all that Honor for Level 80 rewards. Wrath 101: Getting from Borean Tundra to Howling Fjord and vice versaOne of the questions frequently asked is which zone will you be leveling in first? A large majority of players will pick Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord. Why not both? Wrath 101: Alliance flight paths in Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, and DragonblightWe'll all be storming the (figurative) gates of Northrend, in one of two zones: Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord. The zones are pretty large, but fortunately, they're replete with flight paths. Wrath 101: Horde flight paths in Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, and DragonblightPreviously, we covered the Alliance flight paths of the first three zones in Northrend. Now it's the Horde's turn.
Preparing for Wrath: Were you prepared?
Illidan screamed "You are not prepared!" to us all in the Burning Crusade. It turned out that most of us were, especially after the release of patch 3.0.2. Over the past eight days Allison, Zach, and I have looked at what it takes to get you prepared for Wrath of the Lich King.Even if you haven't been preparing every day for the past week or so, you can still get caught up quickly and easily. In each of our guides we give you some tips that only take about 20 minutes or so in game. Everything from cleaning out your bank, to stocking up on food, potions, and stones, to making sure that you have enough money for your travels.Take a look back at our preparation guide. Are you prepared? Preparing for Wrath Day 8 – Your bank Preparing for Wrath Day 7 – Eat, drink, and be merry Preparing for Wrath Day 6 – Have a nice night with some pots, stones, and oils Preparing for Wrath Day 5 – Dungeoneering and you Preparing for Wrath Day 4 – Addons for leveling Preparing for Wrath Day 3 – PvP like there's no tomorrow Preparing for Wrath Day 2 – The dying wallet Preparing for Wrath Day 1 – Get your act together
Wrath 101: Horde flight paths in Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, and Dragonblight
Previously, we covered the Alliance flight paths of the first three zones in Northrend. Now it's the Horde's turn. Once you've gotten to Northrend and possibly taken an awesome turtle boat to your choice of starting zone, you'll be mostly getting around by Wind Rider (flying mounts, of course, don't work in Northrend until level 77). Note that there will be zone-specific information and maps after the cut; if you don't want to see anything about Northrend before you go there, don't click.
Wrath 101: Alliance flight paths in Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, and Dragonblight
In about nine short hours, we'll all be storming the (figurative) gates of Northrend, in one of two zones: Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord (I'll be Fjording first, in case you were wondering). The zones are pretty large, but fortunately, they're replete with flight paths. And one of the questions I can promise you are going to see for the first week or so in /1 is: "Where is the FP?" But you, gentle reader, will not be asking this question, because I'm going to tell you where all the flight paths are (Horde-side friends, your version of this post is coming soon). First off, you'll need to know how to get to Northrend in the first place. Fortunately, we've got your back. And once you do get there, you may want to shuttle from one starting zone to the other. Turtle boats to the rescue! Now once you've picked a zone, how do you get around within it? Note that there will be zone-specific information and maps after the cut; if you don't want to see anything about Northrend before you go there, don't click.
Wrath 101: Getting from Borean Tundra to Howling Fjord and vice versa
One of the questions frequently asked is which zone will you be leveling in first? A large majority of players will pick Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord. Why not both? Not to worry, there's a far easier way of getting from the Tundra to the Fjord and back again. You don't necessarily have to go back to your capital city zones and then transfer to a different zeppelin or boat. Our new walrusian friends the Tuskarr will be supplying the main modes of transportation with really big turtles. Those Goblin turtle mounts are no match for these behemoths. These carrot powered turtles will shuttle players from Borean Tundra to Dragonblight where they can then hop off and switch turtles in order to resume their journey to Howling Fjord. Don't worry, trips are free. Note that all of the Tuskarr ports have flight paths for both factions for easy access to and from.
Preparing for Wrath Day 2: The dying wallet
Off a question on professions we recently took in Ask A Beta Tester, it occurred to me that it would probably be helpful to provide players with a few ballpark figures on budgetary expectations for Northrend. Blizzard's been pretty frank about its desire to reduce ingame inflation, so it's reasonable to expect a number of compelling demands made on your e-wallet (especially if legions of grasping guild leaders worldwide get their wish and start taxing the living hell out of you). Bottom line? You're going to bleed gold out of your ears unless you exercise some financial restraint. But...whatever. Screaming over the ingame cost of everything keeps me from looking at my real-life stock portfolio. I need a drink.PROFESSIONS: Your first few minutes on the continent, no matter where you land, are going to be pretty expensive if you train up your tradeskills immediately. Polar22 in the AABT comments provided an extremely helpful link to WarcraftEcon confirming that each major and minor trade skill, with the exception of First Aid, will cost 35g to level to Grand Master. First Aid is more expensive at 50g. So, assuming you train your two major tradeskills in addition to Fishing, Cooking, and First Aid, count on being out 190g in addition to whatever it will cost you to train new recipes. WarcraftEcon estimates the total damage for an average player will clock in around 400-500g for these initial recipes and the Grand Master skill-up. That sounds broadly accurate from my experience in the beta, so plan on toting 500g along if you want all of your professions trained up immediately. The bleed begins!
Wrath 101: Level 70 PvP gear
If you were looking forward to getting gear upgrades through Honor at Level 70 when Wrath of the Lich King finally arrives in a few days, you probably shouldn't hold your breath. I know I advised doing a lot of PvP, but I meant that you should be keeping all that Honor for Level 80 rewards. Blizzard has stated that Season 3 rewards will not be available for Honor points, and that Brutal Gladiator items will retain their ratings requirement. Zarhym explains that there are no plans to make Season 3 gear available through the Honor system because there will no longer be any new rewards for Arenas at Level 70. Since all Honor gear available through vendors are two seasons old, all current Level 70 rewards will remain as they are. In another post, Wryxian explained that the personal ratings requirements for Brutal Gladiator gear will also stay in place, pointing out that the gear will last well through the Northrend leveling experience. To that end, Blizzard intends for the gear to be "somewhat limited in availability."
Preparing for Wrath Day 3: PvP like there's no tomorrow
If you were to do only one thing before Wrath launches, might I recommend my favorite thing? PvP. I mean PvP of the fun sort. The casual PvP that should be healthy for everybody -- the Battlegrounds. Forget Arenas. It's a season in limbo and no Arena points are being awarded tomorrow, with everything from teams to ratings be wiped thereafter. The only thing that really matters now is Honor. It's the one currency aside from Gold that will still be viable deep into Wrath of the Lich King. Since Blizzard announced that Honor will not be reset, it makes perfect sense to stockpile it. Let Adam and Allison duke it out with their graphic duel. We'll ninja this feature and head off into the Battlegrounds to do some PvP of our own.Unlike Badges of Justice which will only be legal tender for Level 70 item rewards, or Arena Points, which will be wiped clean the moment we ding 71, Honor will still be usable to purchase on-level rewards. Of course, we can expect inflation to apply -- a pair of Guardian bracers today cost 11,794 Honor and 20 Warsong Gulch Marks of Honor, but data suggests that the Deadly Gladiator bracers will cost 39,400 Honor and a 1660 personal Arena Rating. The Guardian belt and boots currently cost 17,850 Honor and 40 Eye of the Storm / Arathi Basin Marks of Honor, but looks like they'll cost 62,000 Honor and 1630 and 1720 personal Arena ratings respectively.The current Honor cap is at 75,000, with each type of Mark of Honor capped at 100. This means that at the cost of the boots and belt, you'll only be able to purchase one piece when you hit Level 80 and play a few games through Season 5 when it starts on December 16. It's still not a bad deal if you've stored away all that Honor to begin with. And this is only if you choose to go for the best of the best... the Hateful and Savage Gladiator equivalents should be much more affordable. I wouldn't trust the current prices just yet -- anything can change once the PvP item vendor finally becomes accessible in Lake Wintergrasp. That said, any Honor you will have banked for Northrend will be a good investment.
Wrath 101: How to get to Northrend and where to go once you get there
How do I get to Northrend?For Alliance, head to the northernmost dock at Stormwind Harbor to get to Borean Tundra or take the boat out of Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands to be dropped off in Howling Fjord.For Horde, the zeppelin in Ogrimmar leads to Borean Tundra and the zeppelin out of Undercity will take you to Howling Fjord.Consider camping out your character at one of these spots the night before launch so you can head right over as soon as you have the expansion loaded on your system.
Preparing for Wrath Day 4: Addons for leveling
While many of us have an army of alts, it's probably been a while since we've leveled our mains. Our mains are the special character for us. The main is the character that we agonize over every stat and piece of gear. With that kind of dedication and interest, we want to be sure that leveling our main goes as smooth as possible. Even if you don't take care of your main to that extent, getting out into the world and leveling again can be somewhat of a transition.One of the best ways to help with this transition is to make sure that you have all the necessary addons already configured properly before Wrath of the Lich King goes live this Thursday. While there are hundreds that you can choose from, only a few are going to really help you level quickly and like a pro.Continue reading on after the break for a quick and efficient list of addons that are going to help you level.
Preparing for Wrath Day 5: Dungeoneering and you
I can see that Adam's post yesterday was something of a graphical hit with readers, which frankly I am at something of a loss to reproduce. Stupid Adam with his stupid Photoshop. It's pictures you want? I got your pictures right here, pal. Did Adam get to see Arthas in a highly compromising position? An action shot, dare I say? Anyway, leaving aside that unpleasant little intrasite feud that will probably escalate and leave millions of people dead, I wanted to use today's Preparing for Wrath to remind people that some things, especially if you're a hardcore achievement bunny like me, are going to get a lot harder to do once Wrath goes live. I think we can all agree that Outland is going to empty faster than a Dave Matthews concert after the cops show up, so you're going to want to exploit the fact that most people are hanging around Shattrath with nothing to do. Foremost among the things you're probably not going to be able to do (at least easily) on once Wrath hits? Outland dungeons. Warriors and Paladins will also want to be aware of a certain demographic shift that's going to affect the likelihood of their getting a group slot.
Preparing for Wrath Day 6: Have a nice night with some pots, stones, and oils
There's only six more days until Wrath's release. Each day until the release we'll take a look at one thing you can do to prepare for the expansion. Taking a half hour here and there to get things ready before release will let you spend more time in Northrend and less time doing some of the un-fun things.Yesterday Alison cover bringing the right food and drinks to Northrend. Quite important to get ready ahead of time if you want to level quickly and easily. Along the same lines are potions, stones, and oils to take with you on your journeys.Let's take look at a long list of some easily obtainable items you should stock up on now. The goal of this list is to go over things that will survive through death. So we're not putting things like elixirs on it. No need to waste lots of expensive items when you die. Also, while flasks are definitely an option to use if you have them, chances are they're all used up with the last bit of raiding in Burning Crusade.
Preparing for Wrath Day 7: Eat, drink, and be merry
If you're planning on entering Northrend at 68, or if you're going to bring a toon that's new to 70 and isn't sporting a lot of good gear yet, setting aside a few choice consumables may help ease the pain while you're leveling. Even if your character's well-geared, you can take advantage of the early-bird specials being offered by a number of vendors in Azeroth and Outland who are already selling Northrend-level food and drink like Pungent Seal Whey. Check in with your local innkeepers to see what they have stocked, sell off the Outland-level equivalents, and set aside a few stacks of upgraded food and drink from vendors with whom you probably have a reputation discount. This will save you some time and gold before you board a zeppelin or boat for the north. If you're still leveling cooking, now's a great time to get to 375. You can also lay in a stash of buff food that will not only help get you the achievement The Outland Gourmet, but will help you complete The Rokk's daily cooking quests a little bit faster (and the Rokk has an achievement of his own). And it certainly won't hurt to have some buff food around for your first few dungeons.
Preparing for Wrath Day 8: Your bank
There's only 8 more days until Wrath's release. Each day until the release we'll take a look at one thing you can do to prepare for the expansion. Taking a half hour here and there to get things ready before release will let you spend more time in Northrend and less time doing some of the un-fun things.It might seem a tad strange now, but that big bank of yours is going to be more or less worthless once Wrath hits the streets. Just about everything is going to plummet in value. Liquidate your assets now or be in worse of a position than our real life economy is.There are some exceptions to that of course. You'll probably want to hang onto enchanting mats, since they can still be useful and high-value in the long run. You might also considering hanging on to some herbs for those leveling inscription. Most other raw minerals however can probably be safely sold now.
