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Here are the tier 17 armor sets non-PUG WoW raiders can loot in Highmaul
With the first raid of World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor right around the corner, Blizzard has released a preview of the Tier 17 armor sets in all their glory. There are three variants of each set: the Mythic version (which has a unique skin compared to the others), the Heroic version, and the Normal version. Raid Finder raids no longer drop tier sets, thus reducing the overall number of available sets by one from the end of Mists of Pandaria. Player opinion seems to be somewhat split on whether or not the sets are good matches for the aesthetic of the expansion and the individual classes, as well as the split between the Mythic versions and the other versions of each set. The raid that drops these pieces, Highmaul, will be available starting on December 2nd for Normal and Heroic, with Mythic launching a week later on December 9th.
Neverwinter shows off new Black Ice armor sets
Neverwinter's Curse of Icewind Dale is two weeks away, and the team at Cryptic hopes to whip up interest by showing off the new armor sets coming with the update. Module 3 will allow players to forge this new type of armor from black ice, a special material that they'll be picking up from quests and adventuring. There are two different types of sets that each class can make from it, Corrupted and Purified Black Ice armor, each with its own stat builds and the ability to be powered up for a limited time. The armor not only looks all cool and jaggedy but it will help protect characters from the new black ice damage that's also coming in the new area. The studio posted pictures of the armor sets for each one of the classes, a few of which you can check out after the break.
February 26th sees the inclusion of trading post previews for Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 gives you a fair amount of control over the appearance of your character's armor and weapons, but it's still heartrending to spend a bunch of money on the trading post only to find out that you've bought a Merciless Jacket of Searing Ugliness. But fret not, fashion-minded players! Starting with the game's next major patch on February 26th, you will be able to preview armor on your characters straight from the trading post! Are there other features in the patch? Well, technically, yeah. I mean, you can choose your daily achievements instead of having to fulfill an arbitrary set, which will work nicely with the existing Laurels rewards. And there's new team vs. team matchups in PvP, guild missions in PvE, and further elaboration of the large meta-storyline started back in January. There's even a new PvP map. But who cares about any of that? The important part is previewing items off the trading post. [Thanks to Jesse for the tip!]
Tier 14 Armor Previews available
Yesterday afternoon, Blizzard CM Kaivax posted the Tier 14 armor previews on Battle.net. Kaivax clarified that the item level of Tier 14 gear would be 496, putting it 7 levels ahead of the reputation-based epics, which sit at 489. It's streets ahead of the 463 and occasional 476 gear which has been datamined from normal and heroic dungeons so far. I'm really not convinced that players who want to raid at a decent gear level won't have to grind out endless reputations, but that's a grumble for another day! If you head over to the previews on battle.net, you can see every class's set. What do you think? I'm... well, I have mixed opinions. I don't want to moan or rain on Blizzard's parade, but this shoulder size arms race is getting way out of hand! I can't help looking at the mage set and thinking "man, if a mage Blinked in that, he'd fall over!" Priests seem to have similar issues, coupled with what appears to be a pope hat, which I guess is fitting. The warlock set is cool, but it looks more like a DK set to me. Warriors are going to have to spend some time on the bench press to carry their shoulders around, and those tennis ball size beads are going to be a bother when monks are rolling. On the good sides, though, the druid set is really great, I love the mask! And, as someone who's switching raiding mains for mists, I'm really relieved that I like the shaman set. I'm not completely sold on the mask, but the firebird look works for me, even if my dwarf shaman might have to have a trip to the barber so her red hair doesn't clash! Naturally, all this is just my opinion, purely subjective, rather than any objective assertion. What do you think? What would you rate "wow!" and what gets a "what the...?" Are you a fan of the giant shoulders? It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
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!
