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Brooms not going bye-bye (yet)
Everyone is having so much fun with their Headless Horseman brooms these days during the Hallow's End event in WoW, but with an incorrect tooltip and heaps of confusion (including our own) about just how long they'll last, most players aren't quite sure just how much fun they're going to have.Bornakk clears up some of the confusion (which he also had a hand in creating), saying that "the items with a duration on them won't all vanish on November first, you just won't be able to get any new ones." So now here is the factual summary of the official words on blizzard regarding your beloved broom mounts: They last for 14 days, not just for one ride. They last for 14 days of played game time on the character that possesses them, not 14 days of real time, and extending beyond the Hallow's End event for however long you keep them on an unplayed character. Just think about how those of you who were patient and saved up your brooms on an alt can try and sell them later on when Hallow's End is over, but people still wish they could ride in witchy (or Quidditchy) style. Do you think they'll be worth something?
Brooms going bye-bye
Just a friendly reminder-- better get all your broom riding from the Headless Horseman drops in as soon as possible, because when Hallow's End is over, Bornakk says they're all going poof, Epic or otherwise.November 1st is the last day of Hallow's End, so come next Thursday, not only will you be sick from all the candy, but the costumes, decorations, and yes, the brooms will all be gone. Get that magic broom flying in now while you can, because in just a week, they'll be takin' yo' broom.Update: A few players are saying that the brooms will disappear after 14 days of /played time, not after November 1st. My understanding was that when Hallow's End is over, so is the broom riding. We'll find out next Thursday. Happy Halloween!
Hallow's End is here
To anyone who plays World of Warcraft the mention the month of October brings up images of trick-or-treating and bats circling above. That's right, the annual Hallow's End event has begun, and this year it is proving to not only be the best Hallow's End since they started the holiday, it's also the best holiday event of all. I'm not implying that saving Metzen the Reindeer from the pirates in Tanaris wasn't a blast, but there is just something about having both the Wickernan burning and the Headless Horseman riding through the villages of Azeroth that just screams "fun."As I mentioned, the newest incarnation of WoW's Hallow's End holiday event includes a 5-man encounter featuring the Headless Horseman. The fight is fairly challenging, and you can only tackle it once a day, but the items dropped from this fight are pretty amazing. My current favorite is the Sinister Squashling pet, although the paladin tank in our guild is oh so happy to have his Horseman's helm, and cackles madly whenever he gets the chance. The shiny loots dropped in the encounter have raised some bad blood on the part of certain raiders, but I personally hope that we have more bosses in holiday encounters in the future. Anything that brings out sense of humor already so evident in the game is a plus in my book. I just wonder, who will we be fighting in November, an angry pilgrim with an axe to grind?
Breakfast Topic: Yeah, what Eyonix said
The other day Mike wrote about how he considers the Headless Horseman event to be too easy, how giving away epic gear equivalent to those found in Heroics somehow cheapens the epics others have to earn. Evidently he's not the only one with that concern. Posters on the forums were complaining about this very issue, and Eyonix had this to say in reply:Players have a chance to participate in a fun holiday event and get a nice ring (or helmet) two weeks out of the entire year. The drops are great items, and upgrades for many, but they are certainly far from the best in-game. I'm sorry but this event doesn't undermine anything you've accomplished. Are you sure your complaint doesn't stem from the fact that your epic raid loot makes you feel like you're better than others who have lesser gear? I'm not accusing, just asking.He makes a valid point, that Eyonix. While some of the gear from the Headless Horseman encounter is very good, this is something that happens for only two weeks out of the year. Much like the epic loot dropped from bosses for a limited time last year (I can recall a faboo belt I got off a Lich in undead Stratholme) during the fall, these items are only available for a limited time, so act now! Really I see it as a great way to gear up those that can't run Heroics, and currently I think this is the best holiday event we've had. The items are good, but are they so good that they're worth making a fuss over?
Is the Horseman too easy?
Now, a little while ago, Blizzard implemented an Arena points system, where as long as you ran 10 arena matches, you could stock up points and then use them for Arena weapons. So raiders (who didn't PvP much, but wanted the weapons) would save up their points even if they lost, and buy the weapons once they'd saved enough. Arena players, however, cried foul-- they said the Arena weapons had become "welfare epics." So Blizzard required a good Arena rating to buy those weapons.As of Tuesday, it's Hallow's End in Azeroth, and there is now a Headless Horseman event in Scarlet Monastery's Graveyard. Everyone I know (including me) has run the event multiple times, and Epics are dropping like Hallow's End candy. So here's the question: should Blizzard really be giving out Epics for an event that takes just a few minutes and only a modicum of skill? Aren't these as "welfare epics" as they come? Is the Horseman event too easy to be giving out loot like this?Now, obviously, the rings and helm that the Horseman drops are hardly the Arena weapons that Blizzard had to put behind a rating. Though they are Epic, they're not that amazing-- one trip through Karazhan could probably replace all of them. But Karazhan is a ten main raid, and this is an event that can be done with as little as three people once every day (and I wouldn't be surprised to see it soloed by some ambitious Paladin before long). Already, three days into the event, my guild was running a 66 Mage in there just to get a "free" epic ring for him to use, four levels from now. Isn't that a bit much?
WoW Moviewatch: The Headless Horseman
What were you up to last night in-game? If your evening resembled mine (and, by the looks of the crowd, hundreds of my closest friends), then you were hitting up the Scarlet Monastery graveyard to summon and fight the Headless Horseman. The Horseman isn't an impossible fight, but neither is he a pushover -- which is probably appropriate, since he drops epic loot and one of four broom mounts with each kill. But in case you haven't had a chance to jump online and see the fight yourself, I offer this video of the encounter.Previously, on Moviewatch...
Hallow's End quest guides for 2007
Hallow's End has grown quite a bit this year. Adding to the old favorites of Innkeep Trick or Treating, PvP Smoke Bombing and Wickerman raids is the new Daily Quest to trigger the 5-man Headless Horseman event in the Scarlet Monastery graveyard wing. Considering this new mob drops Flying Broom Mounts, Evil Pumpkin Pets and Purple Jewelry, you can guess that he is going to be quite popular with the players.New guides on defeating the Headless Horseman have sprung up around the Net. The fight doesn't seem too difficult for a group of L70s, but you can get an overview of all three phases and the loot table and WoW Wiki.Also check out this excellent Hallow's End guide that covers all the activities for the holiday and lists the reputation gains and item rewards associated with each quest. Now put on your scary face and go get some Hallow's End goodies.Looking for the new 2008 WoW Insider Hallow's End guide? You can find it right here.
More mount mayhem
We have a couple cool mounts coming to us in the very near future, but as with many cool things in life, there's a catch. You can't have your cake and eat it too it seems, even in Azeroth. As David mentioned a few days ago, we will get the chance to purchase an epic Hippogryph flying mount when Patch 2.3 err, lands. But Bornakk has let us know that this baby won't be as easy to get as the Skyguard nether ray mount for instance. When asked about the mounts that will be added into the game when Wrath launches, he had this to say: We do plan to continue adding new mounts to the game, but we aren't ready to go into details on Wrath of the Lich King specific mounts yet. Keep in mind we are adding the Hippogryph mount as a Cenarion Expedition purchasable item in patch 2.3 along with the Engineering only flying mount...The Cenarion Expedition Hippogryph mount is a 280% epic flying mount that requires exalted status and will cost 2000 gold
Patch 2.2.2 is live
Patch 2.2.2 goes live on the servers today as the Test server shuts down in anticipation of the Zul'Aman Patch 2.3. Included in today's patch is the new world event, Brewfest, which begins when the servers come back up and extends for two weeks until October 16. Two days after that, on the 18th, Hallow's End kicks into high gear with the new Headless Horseman event that drops some nice loot for those able to battle this new menace as well as the new flying broomstick mount. Hallow's End will also run for two weeks, ending on November 1st.The notes for the patch are pretty short, just the two events and a list of new graveyards. You can read them after the jump.
Phat Loot Phriday: Blighted Leggings
Last week we got requests to do a lowbie item, and since everyone will be headed into SM Graveyard soon to get the Headless Horseman, I thought I might let you know about another piece of loot hidden in that not-often-traveled instance.Name: Blighted LeggingsType: Rare Cloth LegsArmor: 45Abilities: +17 Spirit Increases damage done by Shadow spells by up to 10. The Shadow spell might make you think Warlock, but the Spirit on these pants says they're for Shadow priests (Warlocks would rather have Stamina, as Life Tap can hook them up with mana as long as they have HP left). And for the level, they're very nice for young Shadow priests to grind with. How to Get It: They drop from Azshir the Sleepless, a rare mob in the Scarlet Monastery Graveyard wing. The GY is also where the Headless Horseman will be spawning during the upcoming Hallow's End holiday, so to get these, just camp your young Shadow Priest outside the instance, and then dive in with your level 70 group to get the Horseman. Once that's done, check and see if Azshir has spawned (he usually spawns in front of the Mausoleum), and if so, bring your Priest in, down him, and hope the pants drop-- they've got a 30% chance.And if they don't drop or he isn't there, worry not. The Horseman is a daily quest, and odds are everyone in your party will want something from him, so put your Priest back outside, come back the next day, and check again. By the time everyone in your party has a broom, you'll hopefully have grabbed these pants as well.Getting Rid of It: Disenchants into Small Glowing Shard, and sells to vendor for 35s 59c.
WoW's own Headless Horseman
Patch 2.2.2 (currently on the PTRs) doesn't just feature Oktoberfest... er, I mean Brewfest event -- there are also some changes to the regular Hallow's End event, in the form of a daily quest to summon the Headless Horseman from inside the Scarlet Monastery graveyard. And the Horseman isn't just here to celebrate the occasion -- MMO-Champion reports he also has an epic loot table featuring both useful gear and toys. On the useful side, there's a DPS caster ring, a healer ring, a physical DPS ring, and a DPS plate helm. But more interestingly, he can also drop broom mounts of four types, one for each level of riding skill. The downside? Your new cool broom mount is single-use only.[Thanks Darkbeard and Boubouille!]
