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Midsummer Fire Festival: Need help juggling?
The Midsummer Fire Festival is pretty decent for a WoW holiday -- good experience and gold from extinguishing and honoring fires, fun cosmetic rewards and occasionally mind-numbing achievements. Wait, what was that last one? Torch Juggler has become notorious this year, as the achievement is not only difficult for people who are unable to click their mouses and buttons fast enough, but it is also part of the meta-achievement for completing the Midsummer Fire Festival and gaining the title "Flame Keeper." So, here's how to get Torch Juggler in three easy steps. Get about 15 Juggling Torches. For five Burning Blossoms, the holiday's currency gained through honoring fires, desecrating fires and dailies, you can purchase five Juggling Torches. Go to Dalaran. A common mistake is that many players attempt this achievement in other capital cities. You need to be in Dalaran! Download and install the mod Juggler. Juggler is a simple addon that you activate with /juggle or /juggler. The addon replaces your mouse wheel with a series of actions that select a torch and then selects where to throw the torch. Download Juggler at [Curse]. Activate Juggler, aim your mouse underneath your character and spin your mouse wheel faster than you've ever spun it before. Is this cheesing the achievement? You bet it is. But frankly, the achievement requires dexterity that might not be possible for many people, and factoring in other variables like lag time in Dalaran makes this addon worthwhile. And there you have it. The worst part of the Midsummer Fire Festival is now put to rest, so you can go on having fun.
Breakfast Topic: Farewell, Midsummer
The Midsummer Fire Festival is just about wrapped up, and all of the quests, lore and drops are going with it. It's sad to see it go, but all good things must come to an end. Daniel asked what you were doing with the time left the other day, but now that it's pretty much done for, have you gotten your hands on all you wanted?My one and only goal for the Fire Festival was to get my hands on Ahune's Frostscythe. I've wanted a scythe on my Priest ever since Warlocks got one as a quest reward back in the day. I probably have pretty much the best guild in the world, because they took turns rotating alts to summon Ahune for me throughout the festival. When the thing finally dropped, we had killed the Frostlord roughly eighty times and we got five Scorched Stones for various people. We have decided my loot luck could not possibly be worse.How about all of you? Did you get the brazier? The dress? Did you say 'forget it' and blow all of your Blossoms on Midsummer Sausage? Most importantly, did you stock up one these sweet new fireworks?
It came from the Blog: Let's honor and desecrate fires!
It's time again for another It came from the Blog event. Come one, come all to the Zangarmarsh realm and join us in honoring the fires of the Horde and desecrating the fires of the Alliance as a part of the new and improved Midsummer Fire Festival.Here are the details: When: Sunday, June 29th 4PM Pacific (That's 5PM server time, 7PM Eastern) Where: Meet at Orgrimmar, Zangarmarsh Server (US) How: Send Robiness or anyone in It came from the Blog for an invite to the guild and the event. Last year's event was fun, but there are new things to do this year including running around defending fires and desecrating those of the Alliance and collecting Burning Blossoms. So if you're not busy earning your Arena Season 4 gear, perhaps you could take time out to join us.
Midsummer Fun: The Midsummer Merchant
So by now, you've done some of the Midsummer quests, desecrated a few flames, and you have a bunch of Burning Blossoms burning a hole in your pocket. The question now is: What are you going to do with all of those? Sure, you can throw them in the nearest Festival Bonfire for the sweet buffs, but you can also spend them at the Midsummer Merchants and Midsummer Suppliers located next to every Capital City's fire. After the break, we'll look at exactly what you can buy and what they do.
Midsummer Fun: A Thief's Reward
While not the fastest way to earn Burning Blossoms, stealing the opposing faction's flames is the most fun way to do it, I think. How do you steal the enemy's flame, you ask? Easy! Run into the heart of their capital city and click on their bonfire. Okay, maybe that isn't very easy, but knowing where you should be going makes it less difficult, at least.To acquire to flames, simply run up to the bonfire and click on it like you would a chest or similar item. Once the casting bar has completed, the fire will be placed in your inventory automatically. Right click on that item to begin a quest, one quest for each fire. Unfortunately, these quests require level 50 to begin.Alliance Flames Exodar - The Exodar Flame is one of the more hidden simply due to the town's layout, but you'll run into the least amount of player resistance here. You'll find the Flame of Exodar in the back of The Crystal Hall, the northmost wing of the city's three wings. Darnassus - You will run into a little more Alliance opposition here than in Exodar, since Alliance players generally pass through here to begin the Unusual Activity chain. Luckily, you don't even need to enter Darnassus itself to reach the flame. It is in Rut'Theran Village, a few steps away from the dock to/from Auberdine. Ironforge - This is where you'll see the most Alliance interference, most likely. The flame is in the Hall of Explorers, far in the back of the city. If you want to avoid going through the front door and getting slammed by all of the players auctioning and banking at the front of the city, I recommend doing the Stormwind flame first and using the Deeprun Tram since it will take you pretty close to the Hall of Explorers. If Stormwind is highly populated on your server, you may want to do it the other way around. Stormwind - This city has become fairly popular since The Burning Crusade, so this might challenge you more than Ironforge depending on your server. The Stormwind flame is just next to the Stockade. If you don't know where the Stockade is, go west from the Trade District and across the first bridge you see. If you look north along the Canals, you'll see the Stockade Meeting Stone. Run towards that, and the flame will be on your left. If you need to make a quick getaway or drop some heat from guard aggro, pop in there for a minute or two and people will forget all about you. Horde Flames Silvermoon City - If you play on an RP server, you'll probably run into a fair amount of opposition in this city. If you play on a PvP server, you'll probably skirt by without much issue. The Silvermoon flame is right on the edge of the Court of the Sun, just after you exit Murder Row. Murder Row has a distinct lack of guards, so if you need to drop some aggro, flailing wildly in this section is a good way to make the guards give up and go away. Oh, and if you play a gnome, you can hide from players under the lilypads in the fountain. I'm serious. It works. Undercity - This is one of the more populated cities, but that's balanced out by the fact that it has the most exposed flame of them all. Ride straight in the front door, enter the courtyard, and it's on your left. Easy enough. Orgrimmar - The flame is pretty close to Thrall's chambers in the Vallery of Wisdom, just a few steps away from the corpse of Mannoroth. There will be a lot of player interference in this area, but you can dodge and/or leash most of the guards if you enter the city from the side entrance and sneak along the back of the city. If you need to make a quick escape, dip down into the Cleft of Shadow and spend a few minutes inside Ragefire Chasm, just as Horde players can do with the Stockade. Thunder Bluff - Your mileage may vary as far as the opposition you run into. I got in and out pretty clean, but this city's population varies wildly per server. The flame can be found on The Spirit Rise. The easiest route is to simply take the elevator up, ride straight to the bridge across, and then go straight for the flame. The guards from the main area of the city will leash on the bridge, and you likely won't pull more than one or two guards on your way to the flame. What does stealing these flames get you? Well, each of them gives a guaranteed 25 Burning Blossoms, for a total of 100 if you gather all four flames. In addition, each of them allows you to pick one of the following: 5 Elderberry Pies, 5 Midsummer Sausages, 5 Fire-toasted Buns, 5 Toasted Smorcs, 10 Fiery Festival Brew, or 10 Handfuls of Summer Petals. Level 70s also receive 9 gold, 10 silver per quest. If all you want from the festival are those minor goodies, completing these can actually save you a fair amount of Blossoms. If you're after things like the dress or the vanity pet, it's not as good of a deal on the currency front.So, what happens if you turn in all four of the flames? Well, I'm glad you asked! That is where the quest A Thief's Reward comes in. You turn the flames in at any of your own capital cities, and those same people will over this to you when they've gotten all four. 5 gold, 10 silver, and the Crown of the Fire Festival is your prize for all of your hard work. Blizzard really enjoys making hats hard to get, don't they?
Midsummer Fun: Incense for the Summer Scorchlings
Incense for the Summer Scorchlings' Horde equivalent is Incense for the Festival Scorchlings. I arbitrarily decided Summer sounds better than Festival, so that is what I've used as this guide's title.This quest is about as straightforward as quests can get. The first step is to head over to a capital city that belongs to your faction, and find the Festival Talespinner (Horde) or the Festival Loremaster (Alliance). You are informed that there are emissaries of the elemental plane, spirits of fire, near each of the bonfires around the world. If you wish, you can take some Summer Incense to one of these emissaries to honor them.There are bonfires in just about every zone in Azeroth, including the newbie zones near whichever capital you've found yourself in. However, before you run out and finish this quest there, you might want to pick up your other Midsummer quests first and plot a more efficient route. You can probably hit a bonfire while you're passing through another zone for a separate quest. In this case, your best choice may be to do it in Ashenvale while completing Unusual Activity. Be careful on PvP servers, as many of these bonfires will be a warzone since there are prizes to be gained for desecrating the other faction's flames.Once you've spoken to the Scorchling and given him your incense, you'll be treated to a fun little scene and, of course, your reward: A single Burning Blossom.
Midsummer Fun: Torch Catching
Torch Catching is the quest that becomes available to you once you've completed Torch Tossing. You can get it in the same place as the quest that came before it, in any capital city of your faction. This quest can seem really hard at first, but there's a trick to it. You should try the quest on your own at least once before reading the trick and see if you can figure it out yourself.After mastering the art of Torch Tossing, the Master Fire Eater has a new challenge for you: Catch Torches! He supplies you with some Unlit Torches to use in your attempts to master this skill. These torches can only be lit with the bonfires in the capital cities, so don't stray too far from the capitals before you attempt this quest. Near the bonfire, right click on your torches (or push your hotkey if you chose to hotkey them, which is unnecessary for this one) and you will light one, and throw it high into the air. Your goal is to catch the torch when it comes back down. If you catch it, it will be tossed back into the air immediately, so be ready to catch it again! It doesn't go straight up and down, so be ready to move around a lot. Your goal for this quest is to catch it four times in a row without missing. If you miss it, prepare to face the Flames of Shame! Also, the flames of holy-crap-I'm-on-fire. If you miss just one, you'll need to start over from the beginning until you get all four.Completing this quest rewards you with five Juggling Torches and five Burning Blossoms. Additionally, completing this quest will open up Daily versions of Torch Tossing and Torch Catching, appropriately named More Torch Tossing and More Torch Catching. The only differences between the original versions and the daily versions is their requirements are more difficult. Hit 20 braziers instead of 8 for the former, and catch 10 torches rather than 4 for the latter.Now, do you wanna know the trick to completing this quest? Don't try to look up at your torch to follow it. Zoom your camera out and look down at the ground. Follow your torch's shadow, and try to stay a step or two ahead of it. This works best when there aren't a few dozen other people trying to do the quest at the same time. If one city is too crowded, hearth back to Shattrath and try somewhere else. Ironforge and Orgrimmar are likely to be packed full, so try Silvermoon City or Exodar instead.
Midsummer Fun: Torch Tossing
If you've been in Shattrath or one of your faction's capital cities, you've likely been directed to the Master Fire Eater by one NPC or another to learn something from him. When you meet the fellow, he decides you need some practice and a bit of a test before you become a Master Juggler yourself!Torch Tossing is his first test out of two. It is far, far easier than the one that follows it, so don't get cocky if you dominate this one! If you look around the area where you find this quest, you will probably see a set of braziers forming a W shape. These will be your targets. Your ammunition will be a set of Practice Torches. Keep in mind that as soon as you accept the quest, your timer will begin. Before you accept, try to get your camera and yourself pointed in the right direction, and stay near the bonfire or you won't be able to toss your torches.A Hunter's Mark-esque arrow will appear above one brazier at a time. That's the brazier that you should be aiming for, and every few seconds this mark will move to a new one. Use your torches, target that brazier with the targeting circle, and throw! The targeting circle is small and might take some getting used to, so don't worry if you fail the first (or even the second) time. Another really good tip is to hotkey these torches; place them on your action bar. Being able to push 2 and target the brazier is much easier than clicking on the torches each time. It'll save you precious seconds needed to complete this quest in the allotted time frame.You only need to hit 8 braziers, so if you've hit a good rhythm, you've probably sealed a safe victory. The reward for your excellent tossing ability is five Burning Blossoms and access to your next test.
Midsummer Fire Festival quest guides
As I am sure you all know by now, whether it be through WoW Insider or logging into the game and seeing it firsthand, the Midsummer Fire Festival went live this morning (June 21st) and will remain so until July 4th. The holiday has received a full revamp since last year, and has quite a few new rewards and quests. Some of those rewards have pretty hefty prices attached to them in the form of Burning Blossoms, and are a little intimidating. I sat down early this morning to figure out how many Blossoms I needed for what I wanted on just my main, and the total came to just slightly over 1,100. Ouch! Surprisingly, it isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. A simple tour of Azeroth can net you hundreds of Blossoms, and the Festival offers many other options, too. If you're looking for a little help or guidance in your quest for holiday treats, WoW Insider is here for you! Click the links below to hop over to our Midsummer Fire Festival quest guides. Where to begin - Just starting your Midsummer adventures? Find out where the quests are to be found! A Thief's Reward - Sneak into enemy territory, be handsomely rewarded. Desecrating the Flames - Sneak near enemy territory, be handsomely rewarded. Includes a list of all of the fires in Azeroth and Outland. Incense for the Summer Scorchlings - Take a moment out of your day to honor the spirits of summer. Torch Tossing - Your first step toward becoming a master fire juggler! Torch Catching - Your second and final step toward becoming a master fire juggler. Unusual Activity - The Twilight's Hammer is up to something, but what? Epic revelations (and loot) await you! Bonfire buffs - Honoring the flames before you go out to level or grind can bring some pretty nice rewards. Ribbon dancing - Not level 70 yet? Find out how engaging in a bit of Midsummer revelry can change that for you. The Midsummer Fire Festival is upon us! Check out WoW Insider's complete quest guide to collect those Burning Blossoms as well as our guide on how to spend them. Also, don't forget to eyeball our screenshot gallery of Midsummer events. Finally, find out how to kill Lord Ahune, and check out our break down of his loot table.
Midsummer Fun: Desecrating the Flames
The quickest, easiest way to make gold and Burning Blossoms in the Midsummer Fire Festival is to tour the worlds, stopping at each of the flames and bonfires, both Horde and Alliance. There are many of these locations, both on Azeroth and Draenor. Honoring a flame of the same faction nets you 5 gold, 95 silver, and 5 Burning Blossoms. Desecrating and extinguishing the opposing faction's bonfires earns you 11 gold, 99 silver, and 10 Burning Blossoms.Be warned, desecrating a bonfire flags you for PvP, if you are not on a PvP server. Both on PvP and PvE realms, expect many of these sites to turn into warzones. You can expect the worst of this action to be near the neutral Goblin towns such as Booty Bay and Gadgetzan. The flames are practically right next to eachother, so battles for dominance are inevitable.Scouring the entirety of Azeroth and Outland for these flames can be a bit of a task, so we did it for you! A list of all of the bonfire locations are below, with the settlement they are closest to listed. They are all more or less in the direct vicinity of the Horde, Alliance, or Neutral town mentioned.The easiest way to complete this is to start at one end of the continent, either far north or far south, and work your way up/down zone by zone. While you're doing this, you can also pop into the various opposing enemy cities to begin A Thief's Reward.Horde Fires Stonebreaker Hold, Terokkar Forest Shadowmoon Village, Shadowmoon Valley Garadar, Nagrand Zabra'jin, Zangarmarsh Thunderlord Stronghold, Blade's Edge Mountains Thrallmar, Hellfire Peninsula Stonard, Swamp of Sorrows Flame Crest, Burning Steppes Kargath, Badlands Hammerfall, Arathi Highlands Tarren Mill, Hillsbrad Revantusk Village, Hinterlands Sepulcher, Silverpine Forest Brill, Tirisfal Glades Tranquillien, Ghostlands Falconwing Square, Eversong Woods Razor Hill, Durotar The Crossroads, The Barrens Sun Rock Retreat, Stonetalon Mountains Shadowprey Village, Desolace Splintertree Outpost, Ashenvale Brackenwall Village, Dustwallow Marsh Bloodhoof Village, Mulgore Freewind Post, Thousand Needles Camp Mojache, Feralas Alliance Fires Allerian Stronghold, Terokkar Forest Wildhammer Stronghold, Shadowmoon Valley Telaar, Nagrand Telredor, Zangarmarsh Sylvanaar, Blade's Edge Mountains Honor Hold, Hellfire Peninsula Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands Darkshire, Duskwood Sentinel Hill, Westfall Goldshire, Elwynn Forest Lakeshire, Redridge Morgan's Vigil, Burning Steppes Thelsamar, Loch Modan Kharanos, Dun Morogh Menethil Harbor, Wetlands Refuge Pointe, Arathi Highlands Southshore, Hillsbrad Aerie Peak, Hinterlands Chillwind Camp, West Plaguelands Nijel's Point, Desolace Astranaar, Ashenvale Auberdine, Darkshore Dolanaar, Teldrassil Azure Watch, Azuremyst Blood Watch, Bloodmyst Theramore Isle, Dustwallow Marsh Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas Neutral Towns with Alliance and Horde Fires Area 52, Netherstorm Everlook, Winterspring Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale Cenarion Hold, Silithus Gadgetzan, Tanaris In addition to the material bonus that comes with desecrating the opposing faction's flames, don't forget that you have good reason to keep your own faction's flames burning! Keeping that flame alive provides a really nice buff that you ought to take advantage of, or at least help your fellow member of the Horde/Alliance by preserving that buff for them. Is it worth fighting tooth and nail for? That's up to you to decide!Update: Reader Elory has made a checklist using this information and some additional information provided by our other readers. It's formatted for easy printing, and you can check off the ones you've already done as you go. Thanks, Elory!
Midsummer Fun: The bonfire buffs
When headed out to level, farm, or grind during the Midsummer Fire Festival this year, be sure to head to the zone's bonfire for your side (there's one outside of almost every Horde or Alliance settlement) and throw in a blossom. You'll be glad you did, no matter what your level. You'll get one buff right off the bat: The Fire Festival Fury buff. This 60 minute buff will not only give you a straight 3% to your critical strike chance, but you'll also get a damage shield that will do fire damage equal to your level to all who attack you. That's right, Thorns, eat your heart out. But what's even better is that it doesn't stop there.
Around Azeroth: The Brazier of Dancing Flames
While many players on the Public Test Realm and delving into the mysteries of Sunwell Terrace, Kadathwack of Cenarion Circle has been collecting Burning Blossoms. They are gathered during the Midsummer Fire Festival which, though not due until June, is currently on the PTR. He has turned in 350 Blossoms to acquire a new festival reward: the Brazier of Dancing flames. Worth the price?Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? Because we'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We prefer full screen shots without the UI showing. And please, no more sunsets. No, really. Ok, only if it's a sunrise in new Patch 2.4 lands. We'll take those anytime.%Gallery-1816%
