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The Queue: Level 90 boost, follower iLevel, world bosses
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) will be your host today. Jpec asked: Does anyone else still have a level 90 boost lying around? I haven't been able to figure out what to do with the one I got through my Warlords purchase, so it's just been sitting there. Right now I'm torn between using it on my Monk (the only tanking class I don't have at least a 90 of) and my Shaman (one of the only DPS classes that has intrigued me enough to get past level 20 that I don't have maxed yet - I'm also considering healing). Any thots?
Our must-have Warlords of Draenor addons
There are some addons that we all know, love, and use -- and have for numerous patches and expansions now. I'm talking about mainstays like Deadly Boss Mods or Recount. But with the new features in Warlords of Draenor (not to mention new addon development), it's worth taking stock of your current addon collection to see if there's something new that might make your gameplay a little easier. This collection of addons is the WoW Insider team's favorites -- and must-haves -- for tackling Warlords of Draenor content. It doesn't list every addon we use, just our personal favorites and the mods we find particularly useful this expansion. Have your own necessary addons? Let us know about them in the comments!
Know Your Lore: Breakout Characters of 2014, Part Two
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. When last I was writing about this, we covered some characters that got their chance at the spotlight in 2014. Real life then conspired to interrupt me, but I'm finally back, almost a month into 2015, to talk some more about 2014. Timely! Anyway, I don't think my choices are going to be groundbreaking or shocking for anyone. We all know my biases, but you may be surprised by some choices anyway, because sometimes, I actually try and ignore my biases and be fair. Sometimes. Ga'nar Straight up - I expected to hate Ga'nar. When you first meet him, he's your typical blustering orc, going on about murdering Iron Horde with his shovel (granted, they had him digging out latrines, I'd be pretty upset too) and posturing at Hellscream as you retreat from Tanaan. But something happened on the way through Frostfire Ridge. He started to grow on me. He was arrogant and hotheaded, yes, but also brave and well, such an orc about everything. And when he challenged Durotan, he showed a quality I hadn't expected in him - as Durotan refused to even fight him, declaring that he would stand and let Ga'nar kill him if necessary, Ga'nar backed down. The final confrontation with Fenris Wolfbrother (and the revelation that Fenris was the eldest son of Garad and Geyah) ultimately revealed Ga'nar's true self to the player. I'm a sucker for heroic sacrifices. Always have been. And this was a heck of a heroic sacrifice, all told - after dispatching their wicked elder brother, Ga'nar refuses to allow Durotan to die, instead hurling himself, a lone orc (say it in Muradin Bronzebeard's voice) against the forces of the Iron Horde, and his death buys victory for his people. I'm sorry, but as much as I often bag on orcs, this was an excellent heroes' death for Ga'nar, and it won my affection.
The Queue: A heirloom full of rubles
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) will be your host today. Hello Queue peeps! Let's answer some WoW questions today. Kvanje asked: Q4tQ: Has there been any word on Garrison Campaigns? I received quests the first two weeks after level 100 (the mole machine and the Sargerai), but haven't seen any in the month since. Judging by the forums, I'm not alone.
Know Your Lore: Highmaul and the Gorian Empire
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. "Why Highmaul?" is one of the most frequently asked questions I get these days. It does seem a little strange that we are raiding the capital of ogre civilization when one would think we should be facing down the leaders of all of the Iron Horde we've been fighting against throughout the leveling process. But there's method and reasoning as to why we're invading the ogre stronghold, and it absolutely ties back into the Iron Horde. When one thinks of ogres, one hardly thinks of things like intelligence or cunning -- it's usually the complete opposite. But the ogres of Azeroth are a far, far cry from what they once were, not so long before the events that opened the Dark Portal and began the First War. The Draenor we're currently visiting may be a slightly altered universe, but the history remains by and large the same. And in both instances, there was a point in time where the ogre race ruled supreme.
The Queue: Deadmines serenade
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today! I liked Westfall's new storyline and the Heroic Deadmines revamp, but man, sometimes I wonder what it would have looked like if it were in fact turned into a musical extravaganza. But having the boss sing at you while you were fighting would be admittedly distracting. It'd probably feel like raiding the Small World attraction at Disneyland. Jorsha asked: Q4tQ: with the notice yesterday of the patch 6.1 build heading to the PTR, I have to ask, what is the difference between a PTR and a Beta? A PTR is usually the term used for a patch. A beta is a term used for something larger, like an expansion or a new game. They both mean the same thing -- it's a realm created for the specific purpose of testing new content/features/mechanics, but a beta is usually much larger scale. In addition, PTR realms are open to everyone from day one, while beta realms usually require an invitation or code to get in, at least in the earliest stages.
The Queue: A little savage music
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today! Man, Warlords of Draenor has one of the best soundtracks out of all of the games. If you didn't pick up the Collector's Edition, you can still get the soundtrack from iTunes. I totally recommend it. gazaaa07 asked: Q4tQ: Do you think we should run through actual raids with our followers as healers/DPS/tanks? We would have a chance of getting loot for ourselves and ilvl specific armour/weapon tokens for our followers on the same reset cycle as normal raid save I think this is a cool idea, but not for current level raids. However, it'd be fun to go to old content with my followers at my side. You don't necessarily need them, but they'd be fun to have along, you know? Alternatively, have a mission with a single current-content boss, and you and the followers go take them on. Rewards aren't raid gear for you(There are more than enough opportunities to get raid gear currently), but gear and items for your followers. Could be fun, who knows? Love to see a system like Dragon Age's tactical combat system thrown into the mix for it.
The Queue: Dancing gifs, dinosaurs, bulky plate armor
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today. Let's talk about the Maniraptora. For one thing, the Maniraptora is a very large clade, including various subgroups, one of which is the birds - this means that the Maniraptora is the only surviving clade of dinosaurs, since all bird species are included within it. In addition to birds, the segnosaurs, the various raptor species (Dromaeosauridae) and the Oviraptorosauria were all members of the Maniraptora. It's almost certain that all members of the Maniraptora (indeed, possibly all Coelurosauria) were feathered, with body plans and bone structures we would find convincingly bird-like. In case you are wondering this is why I'm so bloody annoyed that in 2015 we're going to have another Jurassic Park sequel with featherless raptors. Similarly, WoW raptors just irk me now. Put some damn feathers on them! They had feathers. I get that people refuse to accept that T-Rex had feathers (although it did) but the Maniraptora were even more ludicrously birdlike than that, because they literally are birds and all dinosaurs closely related to birds. If your movie has any member of the Dromaeosauridae in it, and they're not feathered, your movie is wrong. Same for games, same for any media. They had feathers. HemttTanker asks: Two questions: Does the 2 week timer for Highmaul follower missions start when the mission first becomes available or when the mission is attempted? If I have a Highmaul follower mission sitting in my queue and I go kill enough raid bosses to quality for the next tier of reward, does the mission I have upgrade or does that only apply to the next one two weeks later? As far as I'm aware it acts like any timer, it resets based on server time. If you keep that follower mission sitting in your queue and then unlock another tier of reward, it'll apply when the mission resets in two weeks. I admit that I may be misunderstanding how this timer works, but this is my current understanding.
The Queue: Emergency Rossi Edition
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today. There's been a slight calamity, and so the glass has been broken and the emergency Rossi has been brought forth to write this edition of The Queue for you. Think of me as a helpful, somewhat hairy, denizen of the frozen north. A helper sasquatch, if you will. Since I have a cat named Sasquatch, here's a picture of him being helpful. At least he thought so, anyway. Morte asks: Q4TQ: Can you do the Tanaan Jungle intro quests with a friend or is it a solo experience? I know that a guildmate of mine did it grouped with his wife and they both completed it together.
Learn to beat World of Warcraft's newest raid... in 60 seconds
We realize that there are a couple of different ways to treat that title, so let's be clear: This video guide will teach you how to beat all of the bosses in Highmaul in 60 seconds. It will not teach you how to take 60 seconds to defeat all of them. Yes, it could go either way, but did you really think you could drop World of Warcraft's raid in a minute of playtime? Nope, it's all about length of tutelage, not length of execution. The even shorter version is the universal raid guide for the game, of course: Move out of the thing, stack up if you see everyone else stacking up, and kill the little things. But it's the fine details where everything is really decided. click on past the break and get a minute-long dose of how to not be the one responsible for wiping the group.
Know Your Lore: The History of the Burning Legion
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. They exist to destroy. The entire cosmos and everything in it is a means to an end, and that end is the extinction of existence itself -- all worlds stripped bare, or shattered. All that lives dead. All that can support life corrupted and befouled. Within the ranks of the Burning Legion are fiends who enjoy the corruption of mortal hearts, who savor the slow degradation of those who willingly sign the pact -- but in the end, the purpose of the Legion is the purpose of its master, Sargeras -- and that purpose is the unmaking of all things. Feared and reviled on a host of worlds, the Legion has brought devastation everywhere it has alighted. Only one world ever survived a direct assault by the Legion, the poor, beleaguered, wartorn world of Azeroth. Twice now, the shadow of the Legion has fallen over this world of mortals, and yet, while far greater beings, god and demigods stood and fell against their might the world of Azeroth managed to find a way to balk the coming of the Burning Legion not once, but twice. For that singular distinction, Azeroth has earned the Legion's undying enmity. It's not a question of if the Legion will return. It's a question of when. How did this nearly infinite host of nihilistic hatred and fel-touched fury arise? What are the hosts of the Legion and why do they march on this crusade to destroy all that exists?
Engadget's 2015 CES Field Guide is an insider's view of the future
For 48 years, journalists, technologists and futurists alike have flocked to the biggest tech show on Earth in the hopes of sighting the next great technological wonder. And now you too can explore the exotic objects on display at CES 2015. In an effort to direct the gaze of the armchair gadget gawker, we've built a real-time field guide to the labyrinthine halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center and beyond. Over the next week, we'll compile a compendium of photos and videos revealing the ins and outs of the biggest and boldest booths and give you a visual guide to the latest in technological innovation. So make sure to check back as the week wears on. Herewith, your touch-friendly companion to the wild world of consumer electronics.
The Queue: Garrisons forever
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. At this point, I think it's fair to say the holiday season has concluded. No, you may not extend it to Valentine's Day. Hopefully we'll see some Warcraft news on the horizon soon. Patch 6.1, anyone? gazaa07 asked: if you could create a new building to be used for your Garrison (can be anything), what would you build?
Know Your Lore: Archimonde and the Burning Legion
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. He is what some would call the lesser known of the triumvirate that led the eredar of Argus prior to Sargeras' intervention. Certainly he lacked the camaraderie of Kil'jaeden and Velen -- he had little to do with the grudge match Kil'jaeden carried, nor did he particularly care where Velen had gone, or what he was doing with the eredar who chose to turn down Sargeras' offer. What he was, however, was far more deadly in comparison. With no grudges to distract him, Archimonde was easily one of Sargeras' most effective military commanders -- cunning, incredibly powerful, and deadly. Archimonde's tale stretches two different points in Warcraft's history. The first, thousands upon thousands of years ago, before Azeroth's continents had split and settled into the familiar placement we see on maps today. The second, not so long ago at all -- and his appearance leveled a city, brought together and united a world divided in hatred, and ended the precious gift of immortality given to an ancient race long secluded and hidden away. Please note: The following Know Your Lore contains a few small spoilers for Warlords of Draenor.
The Queue: Wee little unicorns
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today! It's the little things in garrisons that make me happy. Like these teeny tiny unicorn figurines that the orc bartender in the Horde inn has apparently set out on display. Why unicorns? Who knows? CaptainCakewalk asked: Q4tQ: Is there anything anyone else has a hard time remembering in WoW like me with Void Storage? I always forget about First Aid until some point near the end of the expansion when I suddenly remember there is usually an achievement or two surrounding it. Until then, there's just no need to level it up, really.
The Queue: Buffalo in the house
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) thinks buffaloes are pretty awesome, actually. That is a buffalo that probably should not be in a home but inexplicably is, for whatever reason. But our first question is from a Buffalo who should presumably be in a home and is far less, you know, covered in hair and likely to stampede if frightened or threatened. g8rcody asked: My name is Buffalo, and tomorrow is my birthday! Can we have a buffalo themed queue? It's a WoW Insider tradition! It is by now, isn't it? I'd hate to break the streak. Happy birthday!
The Queue: Doomhammer, Orcs, and Winter Veil
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today. The more I think about it the more I wish WoW had no race restrictions on classes. I realize there's lore reasons for it, but frankly, if someone wants to play an Undead Paladin at this point I say good for them, make it happen already. Blood elf druids? Gnome hunters? Tauren rogues? Draenei warlocks? Just open the floodgates. You guys talked about this a lot, so consider this me addressing the issue. I am for removing all race restrictions on classes. Draenei druids? Orc druids? Human shamans? Yes. All of it. g.dawsonplus3 asks: Why are there no Winter Veil decorations on Draenor? Surely in that wild and savage (tm) land we would want some cheer, pretty lights, good food and a reminder of home to hearten us? I really miss it and see no reason why this didn't happen; surely if they had decorations in Panderia . . . Pandaria was still on Azeroth. It's possible that the inspiration for the Winter Veil celebration existed before the Sundering and thus was heard of even on Pandaria. But not only is Draenor an alien world, the first time any of the natives there heard of Azeroth was when you came through the portal. To be honest I haven't even noticed if there are decorations up in the Garrison or not. I'd accept that, since the Garrison was built by Azerothians.
Get started with fishing in Warlords of Draenor
Virtual fishing may not seem like the most exciting thing to do with your in-game time, but it can be a useful profession to have. And in Warlords of Draenor, even if you've never picked up fishing before, you'll find it's been streamlined to make it easier to level. Fishing in Draenor is also the path to the water-walking mount Crimson Water Strider and the unique Land Shark pet (as well as a number of other unique pets and mounts if you decide to trek back through older content). Plus, fishing can help you quickly advance cooking and first aid (with which you can create handy Healing Tonics)... and even make some decent gold on the side by selling fish to everyone who thinks fishing is too time-consuming to bother with. Still, the profession does have its downsides. Because there are three sizes of fish, multiple kinds of fish-specific bait, fish flesh, and plenty of miscellaneous extras you can fish up, fishing can take up a lot of space in your bags -- we wouldn't recommend going on an extended fishing trip without an empty bag to hold everything you fish up. Also, it's definitely not excitement central, which can put a lot of people off. But in our opinion, it's an excellent task to work on while catching up on social networks or watching TV, because you can turn up ambient sounds (i.e. the splash of your fishing lure) and mostly ignore the game -- just clicking to pick up your catch and throw your line out again. And did we mention how useful fishing can be? And the amazing Land Shark? Focus on that! Have you got your heart set on leveling fishing and unlocking the level 3 Fishing Shack to give you access to all of the fishing fun Draenor has to offer? Read on for how to get started, no matter what your skill level is.
WoW guides to help you through the new year
The end of the year is a time in which we all look back and reflect, and in the case of WoW Rookie, that means looking back and reflecting on the guides of the year. While Warlords of Draenor has changed much of the game we've been playing -- like all expansions before it -- we have plenty of getting started that are good resources for players new or returning to WoW. If you're feeling a little rusty on your essentials, here are our favorite guides from 2014. Pet battles. It's no secret: we love pet battling. The collecting, the leveling... it's like a miniature version of WoW inside WoW. Whether you're looking to get started with Warlords-level battling, power-level your pets, or brush up on battle pet basics, we've got you covered. Collecting. There's a lot more to collect in the game than pets! We've got guides to help you grow a potential collection of mounts and titles. If you're looking to collect transmog gear, you'll want to work on soloing classic dungeons. Leveling. If you're leveling a new alt and not just boosting to 90, the leveling grind can be tedious, so you'll want to check out our advice on spicing up your leveling game -- though if you've been gone from the game for a while, you may want to check our guide on how to get back into WoW. And, finally, once you get to level 100, you'll definitely want to check our list of what to do at level 100. Garrisons. As soon as Warlords of Draenor arrived, everyone had questions about garrisons -- and we've got answers. Check out garrisons 101, what you need to know about garrison followers (and garrison follower abilities), how to get resources, which buildings to choose, and where to get level 3 blueprints. Have anything you'd like to see WoW Rookie cover? Drop us a line and you may see it covered in a future WoW Rookie! Just because you don't know everything there is to know about World of Warcraft doesn't mean you can't play your A-game. Visit the WoW Rookie Guide for links to everything you need to get started as a new (or returning) player, with new sections on garrisons and what to do at level 100.
Know Your Lore: Wrathion and Draenor
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. We may have helped him in Pandaria, but we certainly didn't fulfill whatever it was Wrathion had on his peculiar wishlist of things to do in regards to his plans for Azeroth. The Black Prince has stated on more than one occasion that he seeks to protect the world from some kind of impending attack by the Burning Legion. He even showed us the vision he'd seen as part of the expansion-long legendary quest chain in the last expansion. Yet when the chain came to a close, Wrathion was less than pleased with the results -- he wanted a clearly defined winner in the battle between Alliance and Horde, and he didn't get it. It was his next plan of action that was perhaps the most surprising, however. In the novel War Crimes, Garrosh Hellscream is placed on trial, and the end result for the former Warchief was a trip back in time to an alternate version of Draenor, courtesy of the bronze dragon Kairoz. But Kairoz wasn't alone in his efforts to take Garrosh back. Wrathion helped him out. And that's pretty strange when you think about it, because unleashing the Iron Horde on Azeroth seems like a really funny way to protect the planet. So what gives? More importantly, where is Wrathion now?
