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Totem Talk: Tier 13 and Patch 4.3 for restoration
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem Talk for elemental, enhancement and restoration shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and co-host of the For the Lore and Raid Warning podcasts), shows you how. Last week, we had a chat about transmogrification and your choices as a restoration shaman. We also covered the shamanistic style through the years, covering the various tiers of gear and how they were defined through their art style -- strong tones of the elements and classic Warcraft shaman iconography. This past week, we finally got our first look at the shaman tier 13 set. Opinions have been varied, ranging from love and adoration of the set to outright hatred of it. So I thought this week we could talk a little bit about the shaman tier 13 armor set, as well as speculate as to what we might see this week in the upcoming patch 4.3 information and what it could mean for restoration shaman.
Patch 4.3: Rogue tier 13 is "Bat"man-inspired
Tier 13 continues to be one of the most intriguing raid tiers in terms of aesthetic armor sets that Blizzard has ever put out. Every set this tier has been a labor of love based either on some cool story character or a cool idea kicking around inside of the designers' heads. Rogues will be sporting the new Blackfang Battleweave in the upcoming patch 4.3, fusing together concepts of an Azerothian-styled Batman complete with bat shoulders, a cowl, and a nice patterned outfit. I think this is going to be the most controversial armor set this tier among players, and I do not understand why. Personally, the rogue set just looks cool, no matter what it is based on. Tier 13 is the fantasy tier, as has been mentioned by Blizzard over and over in each of the tier 13 reveals. At this point in the expansion, the designers and artists are having fun making their versions of cool armor and fun ideas that they've been kicking around. From Time Wizards and tentacle faces to Deathwing look-a-likes and Azerothian bat men, I think this is one of the most unique tiers yet. And really, who epitomizes rogues better than the Dark Knight himself? %Gallery-134409%
Patch 4.3: Zarhym clarifies tier 13 drop methods
One of the most intriguing non-story tidbits to come out of the recent flood of patch 4.3 news is the fact that tier 13 will not be purchasable with valor points. If you want your tier 13 set, you will have to raid for it. Zarhym has clarified how this will all work in a forum post. Here's the juicy stuff: All pieces will drop from multi-class set tokens. Ten-man raids will see a slight buff to drop rates to compensate for the lack of purchasable tier pieces. Valor point gear will feature a wider array of gear for a wider array of slots, meant both for people who are having trouble with token drops and for people who don't raid at all. There will be three tier 13 sets for each class: Looking For Raid level, normal level, and heroic level. Each will have a different item level, but you'll be able to mix and match pieces from all three sets for your set bonuses as needed. For the complete text of Zarhym's post, check after the break.
Blizzard reveals mage tier 13 raid gear
Blizzard has been on a spree of patch 4.3 raid information recently, first showcasing the new warrior tier 13 Colossal Dragonplate Deathwing-inspired armor as well as the warlock tier 13 General Vezax/Faceless Ones-inspired set called the Faceless Shroud. Druids and shaman also got to see their new gear. Mages are next up for a tier 13 sneak peek as well as a retrospective on the previous tier sets to showcase all the past mage regalia for transmogrification when the patch hits. This new set, Timelord Regalia, looks absolutely awesome, with crazy explorer goggles and a nice color scheme. Mage tier sets have always been pretty cool, in my opinion, but this takes the cake. I love the goggles. Cataclysm armor design has been top-notch throughout, and this final raid's epic sets really bring home the weight of our actions at the end of the expansion. %Gallery-133939% Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Patch 4.3: Shaman tier 13 armor revealed
Continuing with the trend of patch 4.3 tier 13 previews, today shaman get to see what their upcoming tier set looks like. As with the warrior, warlock, and druid sets before it, the shaman set is incredibly detailed. In fact, I'd highly suggest checking out the full-size image in the gallery below to get a closer look at it. The set is called Spiritwalker's Vestments -- pretty aptly named. Blizzard Entertainment The best shaman sets are a mix of the animal and the elemental. This tier combines huge wolf-skull shoulder pads, bone fetishes, and fur with glowing shards of amber crystal. The entire set is lashed together with lengths of rope and heavily stitched leather, which lends the set a savage bearing. source So what do you think? I like it, myself -- so far, tier 13 seems to be embracing the heart of what makes a class. Warriors have battle-hardened armor taken from their greatest kill, warlocks embrace the dark and tainted magics through robes reminiscent of the Old Gods, druids literally wear nature, and now shaman are a hail to the primal days of shaman past. It definitely makes me curious as to what's next. %Gallery-133830%
Patch 4.3: Warlock tier 13 preview
Following up on last night's warrior tier 13 preview, Blizzard has released a warlock preview this afternoon. Reverse alphabetical order, perhaps? As you can (sort of) see above, the latest warlock tier, called Faceless Shroud, is delightfully creepy. Blizzard's thoughts behind the design of this set is as follows: Warlock - Faceless Shroud A set with the flavor of the Old Gods about it - General Vezax from the Ulduar raid was a reference point. Any warlock tier is a great opportunity to bring a dark and warped aesthetic to player gear and this set was especially ripe for the treatment. Replacing the caster's face with writhing tentacles was the 'hook' I started the concept with and built out from there. We always try to include numerous points of illumination into a tier set as it helps to tie the various armour pieces together – whether that be glowing gemstones, fiery runes or, as in this case, bulging otherworldly eyes! source Tentacle face? Tentacle face. Additionally, Blizzard included a warlock tier retrospective with this tier 13 preview. They might be encouraging you to use transmogrification in patch 4.3. Just maybe. And heck, why shouldn't they? %Gallery-133073% Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Patch 4.3: Warrior tier 13 armor revealed, looks like Deathwing
Oh, what a wonderful day to be a warrior. Blizzard has just released a preview of the tier 13 warrior set, Colossal Dragonplate, releasing with the raiding content in patch 4.3. Blizzard decided to fashion this warrior set after Deathwing himself, giant metal chin and all, and it looks absolutely fantastic. Included in the blog post is a retrospective on all of the warrior tier sets from the beginning, which hints at retrospectives for each class coming up as patch 4.3 approaches. Check out the Blizzard blog post for the images from all of the previous tiers as well as a great picture of the new warrior tier set coming in the next patch.
Breakfast Topic: How will you use the transmogrification feature?
Yesterday, we got huge news out of Irvine (via Germany): Last week's teaser screenshot showing three ethereals is actually a glimpse at new features coming in patch 4.3. And of all these new features, the one that seems to have the most players talking is transmogrification -- that is, being able to alter the appearance of the armor you currently have equipped. Being a WoW fanatic, I can't help but dream of the possibilities. How would you use the transmogrification system? Is there a specific gear set that you want to transmogrify into? For me, it's all about those priest tier 6 shoulders -- the height of shadow priest fashion. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
