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How to look like a priest with transmogrification (even if you're actually a mage)
In high fantasy, the archetype of the priest is a patient, powerful figure whose strength comes from his vigilance and his faith. This iconic archetype exists in World of Warcraft as well, manifesting in the form of inspiring heroes like Tyrande Whisperwind or Prophet Velen. Want to follow in their footsteps? Well, you'll have to roll a priest ... At least, that's what you had to do prior to patch 4.3. Now, thanks to transmogrification, all cloth wearers can finally "take the cloth." This week, I'll be showing you how to create the look of a traveling, battle-ready priest. With the draped hood and cloth foot wraps, I want to call on the idea of a medieval monk or friar sent to a far-off land on a divine errand. The set is wearable by all cloth wearers, so even mages and warlocks can get in touch with their holy side. Most of the key pieces come from a recolored version of the Absolution Regalia (priest tier 6), with a few twists to make the outfit look less crisp and uniform.
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: 2011's warrior in review
Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host. In the past, I've done Year in Review columns and liked them well enough. The first one I wrote was in 2007 and discussed rage normalization, which to my eyes was the biggest and worst change the warrior class had undergone in The Burning Crusade. Flash forward four years. Here we are in 2011, and rage normalization has been with us for a year and the sky didn't fall. This has me in a contemplative mood. The future is Mists of Pandaria and a new talent system, but right now, it's time to look back at what were the biggest developments for the warrior class. I don't necessarily mean good or bad, here. These are simply profound changes, things that may have also affected other classes but which definitely affected us. While 2011 was a year we made contact (because we're melee, we have to make contact) it was also a year of a great many changes. Mastery I've talked about it before, but mastery really has been a game-changer for warriors this past year. Fury warriors got so much out of the stat before patch 4.1 that the amount of mastery they have at base was nerfed from 8 points to 2 points. It worked, after a fashion, because until patch 4.3, it became impossible for fury warriors to assemble enough mastery to make them interested in the stat again. It may be possible with Dragon Soul gear for TG fury, but with arms the dominant DPS spec for warriors in Dragon Soul raids right now, it's not likely to be tested exhaustively.
How to transmogrify your mail wearer into a glimmering gladiator
Upgrading your armor proficiency in WoW is a pretty forgettable aspect of the game, but to the transmogrification enthusiast, it creates some potentially interesting looks for level-capped players who wear mail. Mail worn before level 40 is intended to be worn by warriors and paladins and thus has a very different aesthetic than the green and gray mail that hunters and shaman are accustomed to. The look above is an all-mail set created with hunters and shaman in mind, especially those who are sick of looking like earthy animal lovers all the time. By combining a few utilitarian-looking accessories with several pieces from an extravagant level 30 armor set known as Glimmering Mail, we're able to create the look of a flashy celebrity gladiator who is ready to win the crowd once more. Want to recreate this look?
Big stakes and the end of an expansion
Guys, I don't know if you know this, but we have just pried the elementium plates off of the back of a dragon so big 25 people can stand on him. After that, we killed the mutant kaiju version of him, who was so big his head alone was bigger than us and four other giant dragons. I'm sorry, but you have to be 50 kinds of jaded to not enjoy this. One of the things I've really enjoyed about patch 4.3 and the Dragon Soul raid is how it unabashedly throws massive, crazy, world-ending doomsday events at you. Between fending off not one but two faceless ones from within bloated abominations, balking an ancient earth elemental giant at the base of Wyrmrest Temple, and defeating Ultraxion and then taking on Deathwing himself, the fights feel enormous. The stakes are huge, and while the supposed saviors of Azeroth spend a lot of time thinking really hard at a McGuffin, we step the heck up. Whether you are hitting it via Raid Finder, attending your weekly 10-man hardcore raid, or participating as a member of a casual 25-man raid alliance (or anything in between), in terms of pure aesthetics, Dragon Soul is a very satisfying raid in terms of pure scope and sweep.
Burning Crusade weapon models 'mogged the most
MMO-Champion recently released an incredibly interesting set of data about the most popular items used in weapon transmogrification, finding out that 62% of the top five transmog weapons across all classes are from The Burning Crusade. Only 20% of the top five items are from the classic WoW world, with 18% of the weapons coming from Wrath of the Lich King. 0% of the top five items are from the most recent Cataclysm expansion. The Burning Crusade is heralded as the golden age of World of Warcraft, a time when the genre that WoW perfected hit a beautiful peak, a wonderful balance between difficulty and accessibility, that appealed to the hardcore MMO veterans who dominated the genre until the Wrath of the Lich King days. Others hated it entirely. No matter which way you lean, it's clear that The Burning Crusade had strong art direction, with otherworldly weapons and armor juxtaposed against traditional fantasy tropes. The fact that Burning Crusade items are the most popular right now does not surprise me in the least. Check out all of the statistics, as well as each class' top five transmogged weapons, over at MMO-Champion.
Breakfast Topic: Have transmogrification limits stymied your character's look?
I love transmogrification. I just want to get that out of the way. I think it's the best basic feature to come to WoW in a long time, and it vindicates all those fashion pieces I saved in my bank over the years. I won't lie. I love playing pretty dress up. That said, Blizzard's transmogrification system is definitely more than a little limited. Most things must be transmogrified with items of the same type, and you can't transmogrify certain items at all. For me, this has certainly caused some problems. For example, I'd love to wear a leather eyepatch on my death knight, but since he's a plate wearer? No go. I would pretty much wear an Ashkandi forever and ever if I could, but if I pick up a two-handed axe in a raid or instance? Can't transmog it. My hunter has it even worse. I roleplay her as more of a backwoods, live-off-the-land type turned sniper, so she'd be more likely to dress in brown or black leathers instead of big, flashy suits of mail armor. Alas, under the current rules of transmogrification, I'm stuck with tier 11 while her Defias Leathers stay languishing in the bank. Finally, I had every intention of dressing up both my blood elf paladin and my gnomish warrior in level 60 PvP gear, but you probably heard that only those characters with the old high-level titles get to transmogrify that stuff for now. So what about you? Are some of the transmogrification rules keeping you from putting together the look of your dreams?
Patch 4.3 PTR: Replica items bring back classic looks
Well, we were teased about it with this year's Darkmoon Faire preview, and now we get a taste of what's to come: replica items. Our friends and cohosts for this year's WoW Insider party at BlizzCon (which you should totally go to) over at Wowhead News have found a heap of these items, for both the original Dungeon Set 1 look and the upgraded Dungeon Set 2. As yet these items seem to be purely cosmetic, offering the look of now-lost sets. There's no sign yet of Tier 3 (original Naxxramas gear) or BC Season 3 Vengeful PVP gear right now, but who knows? This is certainly a step in the right direction for that happening. I'm pretty excited, let me tell you. While my main warrior has the sets he wants, one of my alts would look fantastic in Battlegear of Heroism. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into 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!
Addon Spotlight: Transmogrification made easy with MogIt
Each week, WoW Insider's Mathew McCurley brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same. Patch 4.3 might be coming sooner than we think, with this past week's torrent of information about the upcoming content, Dragon Soul. With it comes transmogrification, a new in-game system designed to let players have some flexibility and customization options when it comes to what armor they are wearing. Your stats will stay the same, but the look of your items can be changed over and over again. I'm a big fan of transmogrification and enjoy throwing together new armor sets and outfits in anticipation of this new feature. Is there a way to make cataloging, wish-listing, and creating outfits even easier? Oh, you bet there is, through the wonderful world of addons. This week's workhorse is MogIt, your one-stop shop for creating outfits and checking out what gear looks like, creating a wishlist of gear to collect, and more. If you're nuts for transmogrification, then MogIt needs to be in your addon arsenal.
Blizzard clarifies transmogrification rules
Blizzard has been getting loads of questions about transmogrification, the new system coming in patch 4.3 that allows players to change the look of the gear they currently possess. Many players have been asking for more gear customization, and Blizzard has answered with this new system. However, there are rules, and Blizzard has finally laid out the full list of what can and cannot be transmogrified, as well as what types of restrictions apply. The list is not intended to be all-encompassing, but does give players a good idea about what is acceptable and what is not. Personally, I am still of the opinion that a lot of the fun items that will not be available for transmog purposes should be. It's Warcraft, after all, and the goofy aesthetic has permeated all aspects of the game. It's not a huge loss, but one that would have its fun purposes. All in all, these transmog rules feel pretty lenient and acceptable to me, and I think that the new system is a great step in the right direction for more player customization.
Totem Talk: What weapon will you wear?
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem Talk for elemental, enhancement, and restoration shaman. Josh Myers once only tackled the hard questions about enhancement but has recently expanded his sphere of responsibility to all shaman DPS specs. (And no, two-handed enhancement is still never coming back.) Weapons are the most defining characteristic of an enhancement shaman. If you're in Orgrimmar and you see two friendly Tauren decked out in Erupting Volcanic gear, you look to the weapons to tell them apart. If they've got one weapon and a shield, they're a caster and probably not worth inspecting (especially true in the case of that Lodur fellow). If they're dual wielding awesome axes, fearsome fist weapons, or magnificent maces, they're a true shaman.* When transmogrification was first released, tier gear was the talk of the town. Black Temple groups were organized, classic raids were soloed, honor was hoarded for Burning Crusade PVP sets. To me, though, armor is just a backdrop. It's the scenery behind the Mona Lisa. The picture wouldn't be complete without it, but it isn't the focus. While the rest of my friends were obsessing over tier gear (except Tyler Caraway, who will still just look like a boomkin 24/7), I found myself agonizing over one simple question: Which weapons would I wear?
Recap of Blizzard Entertainment at Gamescom 2011
Blizzard has returned from Cologne, Germany, and the Gamescom convention with tales of triumph, competition, and tons of patch 4.3 goodness for us World of Warcraft players. The community site's blog was updated with a big recap of all of Blizzard's events from the show, in case you missed any of the fun from the live streams. World of Warcraft was represented by top guilds For the Horde and Ensidia trouncing through the Firelands in live raids for Gamescom attendees, as well as the new patch 4.3 features Void Storage, Raid Finder, and transmogrification. StarCraft 2 showcased some cool show matches between top players, and Diablo 3 had a big hands-on gaming area that, obviously, filled up quicker than humanly possible. Seriously, can't that game just come out already? Blizzard wrapped up its recap with familiar dance and costume contests, with winners earning a trip to BlizzCon in October. Check out the full recap at the World of Warcraft community site for an awesome video of the Diablo 3 street art from the show.
Breakfast Topic: What's the next big change?
With the coming of transmogrification (the ability for players to customize the cosmetic look of their gear while retaining the statistics of the newest loot) in patch 4.3, Blizzard has broken a six-and-one-half-year-old ironclad philosophical premise that players should not have control over the appearance of their gear. According to Blizzard, armor was never dyeable because of the intricate texture work each piece of armor was comprised of; key pieces of armor and weapons were meant, at a glance, to let players know the power and prestige of their friend or foe. Transmogrification is a bigger change than a lot of people realize. However, this is not the last time Blizzard will make such a huge change to the WoW philosophy. What will be the next big thing? Will it be a cross-faction race in the next expansion? Will players finally be given more customization options in the wake of the absolutely awesome transmogrification? What big change to WoW will Blizzard make next that seemingly goes against every grain we've come to expect? What are you hoping Blizzard works into the game that we had never really thought could be a part of World of Warcraft?
Blizzard issues transmogrification system clarifications
The new transmogrification system announced this week will allow players to change the appearance of their gear without losing the stats associated with them. This new system will be launching with patch 4.3. For everything you need to know about transmogrification, check out our Queue FAQ on the system, as well as Blizzard's official preview. Many players had questions, however, about the minutiae of the system. Will players be able to convert weapons to legendary skins that they have completed or found? Will there be alternative ways to find cool set items without having to go back to the old content and farm for it? What about some of the gear that isn't available anymore or hard to get? Can we use silly items with the transmogrification system? Blizzard's Kaivax and Zarhym took to the forums to issue some clarifications on these questions and more. Players will need to have both items, the item to be worn and the item to be used as the model, for transmogrification to work. There will not be free presets of gear to choose from, so you will need the pieces you want to wear in the transmogrification process. Also, Blizzard is exploring new, alternative ways to distribute older gear like the death knight starter armor and the old dungeon tier sets. Blizzard also wants to respect the hard work of the artists, so we may not be able to use silly items, such as fish that are daggers and what-not. Hit the jump for lots of blue posts.
