Tuesday Morning Post: Patch 3.3 downtime edition
Poor Matt. He was just one week off from keeping his Val'anyr. But seriously, it's finally here. Patch 3.3 is the culmination of the Wrath of the Lich King experience. Informed by everything they've learned so far, in class balance, in mechanics, in lore, this is the crown of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. This is the epic climax of one of the main stories of the universe (Still, one would do well to remember that it is not the main story, and there is plenty more lore to be had. There were two games before the Lich King even came on the scene, after all). And of course, beyond it all lies the promise of the Cataclysm, and I can hardly wait.
But before I go into fanboy mode, we'd best move on. There is, of course, a huge downtime coming up in order to facilitate the patch installation, and because of that, you probably have some time to catch up on your reading. I'd definitely recommend you look through our recently and constantly updated Guide to Patch 3.3, which provides a pretty handy roadmap to what's coming. Beyond that, we have our usual roundup of news from the past few days below the cut. Happy reading and Happy Patch 3.3!
Hot News and Features
One of the most anticipated features of Patch 3.3 is the Dungeon Finder tool. We have a mini-FAQ to help you master this new system.
WoW, Casually takes a casual look at Patch 3.3.
It's not easy being fabulous. Just ask this faction leader.
The WoW magazine needs a new Editor-in-chief.
Check out what some other news outlets are saying aboutWoW's 5th anniversary.
Here's some pretty sweet news from Jeff Kaplan: We'll be seeing more Wrathgate-style cut scenes in the future.
Ghostcrawler talks healing in Cataclysm.
Wow.com is still looking for Priest and Hunter columnists. Find out how to submit your application at the link.
Class News and Guides
Arcane Brilliance offers a Patch 3.3 guide for mages.
Shifting Perspectives takes a peek at Patch 3.3 balance gear
Spiritual Guidance has a guide to Patch 3.3 for priests.
Spiritual Guidance also helps new priests make the transition from leveling to healing.
Encrypted Text is keeping it subtle this week.
The Light And How To Swing It has some advice for low level paladin tanks.
Totem Talk is still wandering through the deep dark forest of shaman itemization.
Rossi looks at prot warrior PvP.
Scattered Shots is picking through WotLK Hunter loot.
Raid Rx has a few cheap tricks for healing the heroic mode Valkyr Twins.
Items, Dungeons, Professions, and More
Scrolls of Lore has leaked a nice little preview of the Worgen starting zone.
Fishing Pools will always grant successful casts in Patch 3.3. What does that mean for the fish market?
The Overachiever looks at grabbing Hail to the Chef.
So you took advantage of Pilgrim's Bounty to power level your cooking to 350, but where do you go from there?
Inside Bounty discusses profession bonuses.
WoW Rookie looks at leveling PvP style.
Ready Check discusses dealing with raid group breakups.
The Art of War(craft) helps you get started in Strand of the Ancients.
Odds and Ends
December's Guild of the Month contest is on. Get your submissions in!
Speaking of Swag Dog, they have a guild now.
He is (or was, depending on who you ask) part of the Lich King too, so it's a good idea to get caught up his lore. Check out Know Your Lore: Ner'zhul.
Blizzard now has Facebook pages up for its major franchises.