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Tier 10 armor set gallery
Blizzard finally released the last of its Tier 10 sneak peeks, the long-awaited shaman set, and it did not disappoint. Now that all of the waiting is over -- at least, the waiting for sneak peeks -- we've assembled a gallery of the Tier 10 sets for all classes. It looks like Blizzard really took their time on these sets. Some I may not like as much as others, design-wise, but they all have top-notch texture work and attention to detail. Check out the wool pattern on the shaman set, or the fiery brands on the warrior set, or the two-toed hunter boots. A lot of the sets are adorned with moving parts, too, like the druid shoulders, which snap and bite periodically. And most of them follow a very cohesive theme -- "stuff we've seen in Wrath up to this point." The warrior set should immediately remind you of King Ymiron, the rogue set is, well, a geist, and the death knight set might as well be called "Arthas Jr." So, check out what you've got coming in Patch 3.3. With the new Dungeon System, a week or so of heroics will get you a full set of Tier 9 gear and get you all set to face Arthas, if you're up for it. %Gallery-77820% Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
Another batch of armor skins for WAR
Mythic Entertainment just released eight new armor set designs for Warhammer Online. This part, two of three, features redesigns and comparisons for the Marauder, Shaman, Chosen, Witch Elf, Archmage, White Lion, Witch Hunter, and Knight of the Blazing Sun. They are seeking feedback from players, which can be shared in this forum thread.The studio drew a bit of criticism for their first batch of redesigns because they seemed to be comparing low resolution versions of the older sets versus high resolution renders of the new sets. It seems as though they've avoided that this time around.One thing we've always loved about the gear in WAR (even the old skins) is that it has such visual depth, dimension and personality. Rather than looking as if it was simply added as a distortion map on your character (that bends and stretches with his body), each piece appears individual, nicely interlocking with the others on top of your character. The higher end gear looks quite dark and Gothic, as if it was meant for pain and battle and the new designs show a much more obvious progression than the previous sets, that's for sure (most obvious in the Chosen and Knight).
FigurePrints price reduction, armor sets available
Our friends over at FigurePrints have a few pieces of news to share this weekend: first of all, they've dropped the price in the EU from €129.95 (which was about $166) to €99.95, which lines up with the US price of $129.95. The reason given for the original higher price was exchange rates, but they now say things have settled down enough where they can line up the prices. No word on if EU people who ordered them at the higher price will be getting a refund, so I'd assume they won't.Also, they have now implemented the Tier armor sets we were told about in our interview at BlizzCon -- instead of ordering a FigurePrint with your usual gear on it, you can instead choose to dress your character in Tier 1, 2, or 3, dungeon set 1 or 2, or the original PvP Rare or Epic armor sets. That's designed so that characters don't have to go back and collect all of those pieces -- if you'd rather remember your character in that original armor from the vanilla game, there you go.
New armor set skins are coming to WAR
It seems Mythic is ignoring any and all naysayers as it's steadily ploughing ahead with improvements to Warhammer Online. Patch 1.3.1 just introduced a bunch of tweaks to the endgame and Jeff Skalski's producer's letter mentions a number of cool features coming ahead in 1.3.2. A new post on the WAR Herald is now telling us that the Art team has been busy redesigning all the tier 4 armor set skins.Part one of this reskinning series shows off new concepts for six different classes, including the Blackguard, Squig Herder, and Zealot for Destruction and the Bright Wizard, Engineer, and Swordmaster for Order. The new armor sets are looking pretty amazing if we do say so ourselves, however, there's one minor sticking point. In terms of comparison, some players don't feel that the old sets are being fairly represented. Each of the old sets are shown in-game at what appear to be extremely low screenshot resolutions, while the new sets are richly detailed and colored 3D renders or screenshots from a game client with maxed graphics. Nonetheless, Mythic is looking for your feedback on the new designs, so make sure you give it to them on the official forums.[Thanks to JP]
Mighty Battle: Warlock and Warrior Tier 9 sets
It's the final day of Mighty Battle! The past four days has seen the Horde and Alliance battle it out in an epic brawl involving empty armor sets! After four days of battling, I've adjudged eight Tier 9 armor sets to have won roughly the same number of matches and drawn a few. In the polls, the Horde have been the overwhelming favorite, which either means Blizzard loves the Horde more or I called it wrong - although both are quite likely. What happens today?Today is the last day we'll pit armor based on how well they represent their faction, their class, and how generally badass they look. Badass must be criteria why the Horde are edging out the Alliance armor sets, which look more goodass than badass. Anyway, hit the jump to see how each faction's Warlock and Warrior sets stack up against each other! %Gallery-68283%
Mighty Battle: Rogue and Shaman Tier 9 sets
The Mighty Battle continues! Today we'll took at another pair of mail and leather sets, this time for the Rogue and Shaman Tier 9 sets from the Crusader's Coliseum. For the past three days, we've pitted suits of armor against each other in an all-out brawl determined by the armor design's faithfulness to its class, representation of its faction, and overall badassery. It's the first time we're seeing faction-based PvE Tier armor in the World of Warcraft, so we'll see who comes out on top.While I've outlined my criteria for judging the armor sets, we've spiced things up with a reader poll to see which armor you guys like and from the results thus far it looks like the Horde have gained a good edge in the voting. Is it a result of faction-bias? Are the armor sets really that much better for the Horde? Hit the jump to find out! %Gallery-68283%
Mighty Battle: Paladin and Priest Tier 9 sets
It's Day Three of Mighty Battle, and the competition has only begun to heat up! In our head-to-head comparison and review of the new faction-specific Tier 9 armor sets, the Horde have edged ahead with a pair of wins and a draw while the Alliance follow closely behind with a win and a draw. Today we'll examine the Paladin and Priest armor sets and see which faction comes out with the knockouts. Glancing above I'm sure you already have an idea of how this match-up is going to go, but we'll forge ahead, anyway.Hit the jump to see the battle! %Gallery-68283%
Mighty Battle: Hunter and Mage Tier 9 sets
The Mighty Battle continues! Today we'll take a look at the Alliance and Horde versions of the Hunter and Mage Tier 9 sets. Yesterday's battle saw both factions score a victory each as the Horde Death Knight armor edged out its Alliance counterpart while the Alliance Druid set neatly trounced its Horde opponent. Each armor set will take on the opposing faction's equivalent in a three round tussle that covers how well it looks as a class set, how much it represents the faction, and overall design. Of course, these are all just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt. Players' tastes vary, so I'll preface my qualifications by saying that I, uh, am a fan of John Galliano, have the fashion sense of Brüno, and read medieval fantasy fashion magazines. Oh alright, none of those are true, except maybe the first one which still has nothing to do with World of Warcraft armor design. What the heck, this is a humor piece, anyway, so let's get right into battle! %Gallery-68283%
Horde vs. Alliance Tier 9 Mighty Battle!
The full Tier 9 previews are finally out, courtesy of MMO Champion. Whatever your opinions are on faction-specific armor - there are arguments to be made for and against it - it's reasonable to say that some of the sets look pretty darned good. It's the first time we're seeing faction-specific armor sets in a long time, so we'll actually get to do something we can't do with old armor sets - we'll pit the Horde and Alliance against each other in an armor face-off!In our Tier 9 Mighty Battle, we'll pit one faction's version of the Tier 9 armor against the other and judge them based on the following criteria: Thematic integrity to class - We'll look at how well Blizzard's armor design represents the class. The best kind of class armor should be recognizable as a perfect representation of that class. For example, the Warlock's Tier 5, the Corruptor Raiment, or the Paladin's Tier 2, the Judgement set, both look unmistakably diabolical and righteous, respectively. Thematic integrity to faction - Because these are the first faction-specific PvE sets, we'll also examine how well the armor sets embody each faction and their archetypal - or stereotypical - representation. Overall design - Of course, aside from looking true to the class and faction, an armor set can just be plain badass. Everybody wants to look good, right? Tiebreaker, how each armor class stacks up - Since we're scoring ten classes, we'll avoid a tie by scoring the armor sets based on their armor type, too. Because the armor sets share models across armor class, we'll award points to each faction based which side has better designs overall. Kind of like an electoral college, but without the chads. The Mighty Battle begins after the jump! %Gallery-68283%
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 evolutionary design of Arena gear
When we reported on MMO Champion's sneak peek at the new Furious Gladiator gear, you might have found that new Arena sets were somewhat familiar. They should be. Arena Season 6 item sets are slight variations on a theme. Most of the pieces are recolored versions of the Season 5 multi-tier sets, but the head and shoulder pieces are entirely new models.What many players who don't like the sets seem to miss on is that this is something entirely new in the game. Blizzard has always done recolored versions of armor, but this is the first time by my reckoning that they have done evolutionary tier gear. [EDIT: This isn't entirely true. Reader Suzaku pointed out that the leather armor from Level 60 PvP sets evolved. My bad on missing out on that.] When I first encountered Blizzard's new multi-tiered PvP gear system, I was apprehensive about the next season's gear because I was afraid it would be difficult to match pieces visually. Arena gear had, prior to Season 5, been mere recolors of PvE raid sets, so there was no contuity from the one season to the next.The problem with that was upgrading from one season's set to the other created visual clashes. As much as we like to min/max, PvPers like to look good, too. Enter Season 5 and the multi-tier gear system. There were three different sets of gear but all of them melded seamlessly into the other, with minor discrepancies in color. The introduction of an entirely new set of gear with completely different designs in Season 6 would have invalidated not just one but three sets of gear. However, the new design philosophy builds upon the older models, evolving -- as Alex put it -- like Azerothian Pokemon.
Season 6 PVP sets are a true upgrade
Here's a really interesting followthrough by Blizzard I never thought I'd see. You may remember a thread a few months back where the OP complained that the PVP sets were boring-looking or visually uninspired; Zarhym responded matter-of-factly replied that the looks of the armor sets would improve over time. While PvE players receive loot that was (ostensibly) culled from the sinewy piles of continually larger and more powerful foes, PvP players receive gear crafted by their faction's tailors, smiths, and leatherworkers -- gear made to get the job done. As one became more and more renowned, their gear would reflect said prestige. I imagined that statement meant that the new models for Season 6 gear would be (subjectively) cool-looking and (objectively) different. Well, MMO Champion has put up a mostly-complete preview of Season 6 gear models pulled from the seedy underbelly of patch 3.1's data files, and I'm a little surprised and a lot impressed.Yes, you're probably having the initial reaction that I did upon clicking the link above. "These sets look like what's available now," you're saying, brows furrowed, lips pursed. They do look quite similar, but take a closer look. Things have changed! We talk a lot about upgrades here, but these new sets go beyond stat increases -- the armor has been visibly beefed up, more parts of your body covered, more adornments added, more magic seeping from its seams. The shaman head and shoulders appear to be morphing from the pebble-smooth surface into something far more menacing. The paladin's armor has become adorned with glowing gems and the neck protected. There's a gradual metamorphosis going on here that really shows what Blizzard was talking about when they said that the PvP set models would improve over time, and I can't wait to see what Season 7 looks like.
WoW Rookie: Hear, hear for tier gear
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Reader Nick writes in with a question we've been planning to tackle here at WoW Rookie for a while now: "Hey, I'm semi-new to the game, but I don't understand what a 'tier' is. My bro has a level 80 Blood Elf Hunter, and he's always saying 'Oh, he has Tier 5; I got Tier 8.' What does that mean?"The answer to all this math is nothing more complex than the progression of class-specific armor sets. (Oh, and tell your brother he can't possibly have T8 on the live servers yet -- that's going to drop in Ulduar.) Over the course of the game, Blizzard has introduced three-, five- and eight-piece armor sets for each class. These are the so-called "Tier #" or "T#" sets that you hear so much about, all obtained by raiding. Distinguishing between the sets grew confusing as new dungeons, raids and expansions were added, so players began referring to these armor sets in numerical order.
Full Tier 8 armor sets beginning to emerge [Updatedx2]
We're starting to see full Tier 8 sets emerge from folks around the web. Many thanks to everyone who's sent us images in!We've compiled what we have in a gallery below. Obviously we'll be adding more to it over the next hours / days as we get more pictures and what not.The druid armor looks particularly cool I think, and is featured on the image above. Click it for a higher resolution image.The warrior set reminds me of Tier 5 from SSC/TK, and I do not like that. Not one bit. But... at least it's not the Paladin Tier 4 set.We'll let you know when we have more sets in for your eyes to enjoy!Update: Shaman Tier 8 gear added.Updatex2: All classes Tier 8 gear added and concept art as well. Big shout out to MMO-Champion for providing the new shots. Click here for first shot of new gallery entries. %Gallery-45769% Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.
The Queue: Leveling, bug reports and the Scourgeborne
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.Andrew asked...For those of us who won't be able to play Wrath for a while still, what would be the best route to catch up with everyone and get into raiding as quickly as possible?Just quest, really. Finding a good place to grind out mobs can technically be better XP per hour, but really, that's a horrible way to experience the expansion your first time through. Most of the people that did it that way (such as Nymh) did it after they'd already seen all of the leveling content in the Wrath beta. Just quest. The order I did zones in is this: Howling Fjord, Dragonblight, Grizzly Hills, Zul'Drak, Sholazar Basin until you hit 77, then get Cold Weather Flying and move on to Storm Peaks or Icecrown until 80. Exchange Howling Fjord for Borean Tundra if you want. I just went with the Fjord personally because it had fewer people.
A look at the Death Knight's 'dungeon set' and other goodies
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/A_guide_to_Death_Knight_starting_gear'; Death Knights have it pretty good. Old school players will remember the pain of collecting our dungeon sets, such as the Shaman's The Elements or the Paladin's Lightforge Armor. These weren't class-specific armor sets, but for a long time they certainly represented the best of how some classes looked. Completing these armor sets were a real pain, with key pieces dropping off the end bosses of what were then the hardest dungeons in the game. Head pieces dropped off Darkmaster Gandling in Scholomance, leg armor dropped from Baron Rivendare in Stratholme, and the chestpiece from General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire.In Wrath of the Lich King, Death Knights won't be hoping for drops from bosses. They won't need to. If Wrath breaks as planned, Death Knights will be getting upgrades in every slot before they even reach Level 60 -- through quests. This includes a full complement of absolutely badass armor that isn't really an Item Set but a visually matched assortment of blue (literally and item level-wise) gear. I think I'll dub it the Deathplate Armor. Check out the gallery for a look at all the quest swag Death Knights get through questing. %Gallery-28750%
Blizzard updates armor sets page with Season 4
The World of Warcraft official armor sets page has been updated to feature the Season 4 or Brutal Gladiator pieces. Just as with past sets, you'll be able to review the armor pieces on each class and their respective races as well as view the stats for each item. Season 4 started on June 24, after a long 30 week wait since Season 3 began, finally opening the floodgates for Sunwell Plateau-level PvP gear. Check out WoW Insider's extensive Brutal Gladiator gear guide and comprehensive gallery for more detailed information on Season 4 gear.
WWI '08 Panel: Gear Resets
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And if current information holds, you'll be looking like one of his elves when you hit Northrend. Say goodbye to your cool-looking level 70 purple gear and say hello to starting over with greens. It'll be like reliving your junior high photo day -- or worse. Answering a specific question about the topic of ugly, mismatched armor during the WWI Q&A session today, the developer panel gave a cheeky answer: We ended up having a little clown action, ok, a lot of clown action in TBC. We aren't going to eliminate it, but we are going to improve it. You won't be happy 100%, but we could just solve it by making everything gray.I think this answer is perfectly reasonable. After all, it gives you an incentive to keep going for better gear: embarrassment. However, on the positive side, Blizzard will offer more armor customization in Wrath. For example, they will make Raiding sets look different from PvP sets. For me, this means if I spy someone wearing a clear-cut PvP getup, I'm going to get the heck outta Dodge lickety split.
Outland Reputation Battlegear
Although Blizzard has designed a plethora of content for your leveling pleasure, the vast majority of play time occurs once you reach the level cap. It can be very frustrating reaching the level cap only to find that substandard gear limits your ability to be competitive in PvP. In patch 2.4 the World of Warcraft development team added a series of gear sets for purchase from quartermasters of Outland factions. The Battlegear sets are of a superior quality and are equal to the Level 70 High Warlord sets that can be purchased with honor points. These introductory level 70 sets will help boost your gear as you enter endgame battlegrounds and get your feet wet in the arenas. The pieces can be purchased by becoming honored with Cenarion Expedition, Honor Hold/Thrallmar, Keepers of Time, Lower City, and the Sha'tar. Which faction has the piece you need varies from set to set, but for the complete set you must be honored with all five of these factions.
Outland reputation set- Shaman (Enhancement): Seer's Linked Battlegear
This is the PvP set for Enhancement Shaman. The Battlegear sets are of a superior quality and are equal to the Level 70 High Warlord gear that can be purchased with honor points. The pieces can be purchased by becoming honored with Cenarion Expedition, Honor Hold/Thrallmar, Keepers of Time, Lower City, and the Sha'tar. Complete sets require honored with all five factions as listed below: Seer's Linked Battlegear Slot Rep Seer's Linked Gauntlets Hands Lower City Seer's Linked Helm Head Thrallmar/Honor Hold Seer's Linked Leggings Legs Keepers of Time Seer's Linked Armor Chest The Sha'tar Seer's Linked Spaulders Shoulders Cenarion Expedition Seer's Linked Battlegear Armor Str Sta Int Seer's Linked Gauntlets 407 21 33 Seer's Linked Helm 530 20 30 Seer's Linked Leggings 570 22 42 22 Seer's Linked Armor 652 12 42 Seer's Linked Spaulders 489 13 42 Total 2648 88 180 22 Seer's Linked Battlegear Resil Dur Mp5 Gems Seer's Linked Gauntlets 29 28 40 Seer's Linked Helm 24 24 70 M, R Seer's Linked Leggings 28 22 90 Seer's Linked Armor 14 22 120 R, R, Y Seer's Linked Spaulders 17 13 70 R, Y Total 112 109 390 Set Bonus 2: 35 Resilience Set Bonus 4: Reduces the cooldown of your Stormstrike ability by 1 second. Return to the complete Outland Battlegear list
