transmogrification
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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.
Layering a transmogrification look from the Darkmoon Faire
So maybe you don't want to wear one of the umpteen million tier sets or dungeon sets out there. You want to look different, unique, stand out in the crowd ... we get the picture. There's an art to putting together a transmogrified look without just picking up a labeled set, and it involves the careful use of layering. Check out the couple above, from poster fwerp on Reddit, who have taken layering and off-set pieces and turned out a couple of outfits that are sure to have them blending in with the Darkmoon Faire crowd. What's shown above is a set of roleplay outfits -- note the lack of spaulders -- but all it takes is a little creativity to toss together a look just like it, one that you can transmogrify for your own use. These are both cloth sets, so casters, if you're looking for something other than the usual robe and glowing shoulders getup, take a peek after the break and see how you can put this together for yourself!
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?
The Daily Quest: Good for me
WoW Insider's on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative, and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere. So have you tried out the Raid Finder? Or maybe just the raid itself? Did you get any good stuff? Or heck, have you found your perfect transmogrification set yet? Patch 4.3 has been nothing but a ball of fun so far as far as I'm concerned, and everyone else seems to be having a good time too -- but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about, of course. Check out these posts from around the blogosphere for some frank 4.3 discussion. Orcish Army Knife points out that transmogging heirlooms isn't really that big of a deal. Tree Heals Go Woosh is uncertain how to feel about the new Raid Finder feature. Cynwise's Battlefield Manual goes over the new Arena season, PvP gear and epic gems. Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.
Transmogrification sets from Sunwell Plateau, part 2
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and we'll show you how! While you're blazing your way through the Sunwell Plateau, don't forget about the other items you can nab along the way. In addition to the gear and items that drop in the raid, bosses drop Sunmotes, which can be traded along with various loot drops in Sunwell Plateau for other loot items. To trade these items, look for the NPC Yrma aboard the boat in Sunwell Harbor. In addition, there is also plenty of unique-looking gear on Smith Hauthaa over in the armory section of the Isle. Unlike the other gear to be found on the Isle, everything that Hauthaa has can be purchased for justice points rather than fished out of an instance. If you've got a glut of justice points, it may be worth it to check out Hauthaa's wares and see if there's anything that catches your eye for transmogrification. %Gallery-140766%
Shifting Perspectives: The best and the worst of patch 4.3
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Shifting Perspectives for cat, bear, restoration and balance druids. This Tuesday, we chortle our way through 5-man trash. Oh, patch 4.3. I didn't know what to expect from you after so many bad, ugly, or just plain bizarre PUGs on the public test realm, but you turned out to be pretty cool. I don't have to wear ugly gear anymore, the Dragon Soul raid is live, Vengeance blows up like a grade school volcano science experiment, and Deathwing no longer roasts all my archaeology dig sites with the sadistic glee of an NPC who knows that I will never get the Crawling Claw if I am dead. On the downside, I have to deal with Echo of Tyrande trash ("Hey, where'd the healer go?"), and Thrall still does not seem to have realized that the rest of the world moved on to epic mounts several years ago. You win some, you lose some.
Transmogrification sets from Sunwell Plateau, part 1
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and we'll show you how! Sunwell Plateau was one of those raids that nobody ever expected to see -- nor did they expect additional items for their tier sets. However, the raid was well received. Raiders turned their focus to Sunwell Plateau and the loot within, including three new additions to their tier 6 sets in the form of belts, boots and bracers. However, despite carrying the same name as these tier sets, the models on these items didn't really match the sets at all. But fear not -- if you're looking for a snazzy matching outfit, the Sunwell has some unofficial sets that are absolutely gorgeous. These are the sets that the belts, boots and bracers were made for, and they're perfect for transmogrification. Check the gallery below for the sets, and follow us after the break for strats and guides to Sunwell Plateau. %Gallery-140766%
World of Warcraft strikes the Hour of Twilight
It's patch day for all you World of Warcraftizens out there, and this one promises to be a doozy! Players everywhere are applying body paint, creating massive "BLIZZARD 3:16" signs, and waving about giant foam hands in anticipation of the updatey goodness. Patch 4.3 will go live later today with a wealth of updates to the game, the biggest of which have to be a trio of heroic dungeons and a new raid, Dragon Soul. The patch also introduces legendary daggers for rogues, a transmogrification system to allow players to change the look of their gear, a raid finder, a rework of the Darkmoon Faire, and special Void Storage to free up more bank and inventory space. Our sister site WoW Insider has been covering all of the Patch 4.3 madness with aplomb, so catch up on all the goodies coming to the game over there!
WoW fashion blogger tells why transmogrification's hot for every player
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. I'll let you in on a little secret: Sometimes, the real impetus behind getting featured here among our 15 Minutes of Fame interviews is to get enough people drop me a note telling me what a nice person and great resource a player is. That's the case this week with Kirina of WoW fashion blog Kirina's Closet. Yeah, she runs a pretty mean blog and forum for enthusiasts of unusual and unique WoW outfits -- but I ended up pinging her because I kept getting notes about what a helpful, welcoming resource she and her site are to other players. I can only wish my high school chemistry teacher (yep, that's Kirina's calling during offline hours) had been so sympathetic. With the ability to change the outward appearance of our gear right around the corner for all of us image-conscious players, I knew Kirina would have some pointed comments about the advent of transmogrification. Will transmogging be as significant to the mainstream player base as it is to fashion fans like Kirina? She thinks it will be, and she tells us why after the break.
Cleaning up Black Temple for transmogrification tier gear
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and we'll show you how! Trying to head through the Black Temple for transmogrification gear? Be sure to check out the previous two weeks of articles for the start of Black Temple. Illidan's stronghold holds a score of villains to fight your way through, but this week we'll be discussing the last three. A lot of raiders mistakenly thought that Black Temple was the last raid of The Burning Crusade, until they heard news of the Sunwell patch and yet more raiding content. For many players, however, Black Temple was a disappointment, not because it lacked in stunning visual scenery or interesting boss mechanics but because despite the changes to raid size, Black Temple was still not really widely obtainable. For many players, the closest look they'd get at Illidan Stormrage was The Burning Crusade trailer -- a pity, to say the very least. Nowadays, those players at level 85 can go back and experience that content -- and I suggest you do! The Black Temple contains a lot of interesting lore and events, and the Illidan fight, while ridiculously easy, does see the return of a familiar face from Warcraft III. %Gallery-136573%
5 reasons you should love Cataclysm
Oh, Cataclysm. You've gotten such a bad rap. Despite popular opinion, what we got from the Cataclysm expansion was nothing short of a miracle -- one that was desperately needed after the prior two expansions' worth of content. But it's undeniably difficult to look at the current expansion with anything other than an overly critical eye, considering the fact that we're playing through all that content right now. In hindsight, it's likely the current expansion will grow on us, and some time in the distant future we'll be looking back on it with rose-colored glasses just like we do the others before it. Don't get me wrong -- while classic, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath all had absolutely fantastic reasons to love them, things didn't seem so rosy and wonderful when we were all playing through that content, and there was just as much grumbling in each of those expansions as there is about Cataclysm now. But hey -- there's still plenty of reasons to love Cataclysm.
Breakfast Topic: Could transmogrification save archaeology?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. Ah, archaeology -- a secondary profession with so much potential in theory, and the mind-numbing death of many hours of playtime in reality. I was originally really excited about a global scavenger hunt as a downtime activity, but after skilling it up, I lost interest. Piecing together tons of vendor trash in the hopes of my next find's being a rare became just another grind for items. Now that the Cataclysm expansion is winding down, I've been thinking about where archaeology could grow from here. Certainly there will be more toy-type items and account-bound epic gear to chase after, but what else could this profession bring to the game? It occurred to me that with the coming of the transmogrification feature, digging around Azeroth could be made interesting again. Instead of adding a number of gray-quality artifacts to sell for pocket money, why not have the common finds be transmoggable art pieces? Think gray-quality versions of gear, good only for costume unlocks. What better way to bring old stuff back to the present than by having us literally dig it up? It could work as an avenue to bring back discontinued tier looks (imagine digging in Eastern Plaguelands for pieces of original Naxxramas raid gear) or even open up items that never were before available to players (like a giant totem skin for two-handed maces, so you can look like a tauren warrior from Warcraft III)! Where else do you think archaeology could go? What do you think we could be digging up in the next expansion?
More transmogrification gear from the Black Temple
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and we'll show you how! The Black Temple is a massive, massive raid zone featuring nine bosses, more than any other raid zone in The Burning Crusade. If you're headed into the Temple to farm up gear, be aware that every boss in this zone must be killed in order to get to Illidan. High Warlord Naj'entus opens a gate to the outer courtyard from the sewers upon his death. Supremus opens the way from the Illidari Training Grounds into the Temple proper. All four bosses in the lower level of the Temple must be killed to continue into the Den of Mortal Delights. Luckily, you don't have to run all the way to the top once Supremus is dead. As part of the Black Temple attunement chain, players had to speak to Seer Olum, located in Serpentshrine Cavern, for a quest to go speak with Akama in Shadowmoon Valley. In order to prevent Illidan from discovering Akama's plans, Olum sacrifices his life. His spirit can be found just inside the sewer entrance, and once Supremus is dead, Olum will teleport players to the lower level of Illidan's Citadel. %Gallery-136573%
Patch 4.3: New UI improvements
Patch 4.3 is bringing with it some quality-of-life user interface changes as well as new features such as a completely revamped reforging interface and a bag search feature. In addition, targets on the minimap will now denote their relative height, either above or below you, now that we live in a world with three dimensions where flight is possible. This is excellent news. As Blizzard continues to upgrade and tweak the default user interface, new features are added that have their genesis in addons, quality-of-life improvements that players have requested, or just upgrades to existing tech. Hit the jump for a list of new improvements and updates coming to the WoW default user interface. %Gallery-139457%
Brave the Black Temple for tier 6 transmogrification gear
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and we'll show you how! Death knights, we've covered some transmogrification choices for you, and you just got the delightful news that you can purchase your starter sets on the 4.3 PTR servers. Rejoice! For the rest of us, it's time to return to the tier 6 gathering, which stretched through two different raid zones -- three, if you count the pieces hiding in Sunwell Plateau. However, though the boots, belts and bracers available in Sunwell were labeled with set names, they didn't actually match the tier 6 set. That's all right, though; we aren't headed into the Sunwell just yet. Instead, it's time to venture into the lair of Illidan Stormrage. Once called the Temple of Karabor, a sacred site to the Draenei, the temple fell to the might of Gul'dan's Horde, who proceeded to transform it into a headquarters for the Shadow Council. It's changed hands many times since then, but as of The Burning Crusade, the Black Temple is Illidan's territory. %Gallery-136573%
Patch 4.3 PTR: Replica armor, heirlooms, and death knight starting gear
The Darkmoon Faire is offering old sets as promised! Vendors Barum and Baruma currently sell replica armor -- that's armor with old models but no stats. For now, only Dungeon Set 1 and Dungeon Set 2 models are available to choose from, but perhaps we'll see other models added to the vendors' inventory over time. There's a bonus to that replica armor: It's not restricted by class. Though Dungeon Set 1 was never restricted, Dungeon Set 2 originally could only be obtained on a per-class basis. That's not all, however. Right next to the replica armor vendors is an heirloom vendor who sells all heirloom items for Darkmoon Tickets. Heirlooms that were only previously available through points are now available for playing games and racking up tickets at the Darkmoon Faire. And if that weren't cool enough -- hey death knights, remember how you wanted to get your hands on your old starter gear sets? If you hit Acherus on the 4.3 PTR server, Quartermaster Ozorg has all death knight starting armor sets and weapons available for purchase. For those who are not death knights -- no, you cannot purchase the death knight starter gear. It's for death knights, not for you! Check out the gallery for the full array of items on the heirloom, replica armor, and Ebon Hold vendors. %Gallery-138585% 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!
World of Wardrobe: Plate tier look-alikes for death knights
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. I feel kind of bad for the death knight class. While every other class in the game has had tier sets galore, death knights got a late start. So all those lovely tier sets from vanilla through The Burning Crusade are specifically for all the other classes, while death knights are left in the lurch with nothing to call their own. But that's not really the case, actually -- scattered throughout The Burning Crusade are recolored versions of most of the old sets. For death knights, these sets have to be plate, but other than that, they don't really have a requirement. Death knights can look like whichever class they prefer, paladin or warrior ... only dead. Since all prior World of Wardrobe columns have been focused on every other class, we're going to give the death knights out there a little love -- and a little advice on where to go if you want some cool old-school gear. Paladins and warriors, if you'd like a little plate variety, this one is for you, too!
World of Wardrobe: Hiking around Hyjal for tier 6
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Tier 6 is the last tier that was released in The Burning Crusade -- and it's also got a unique twist. When the Sunwell raid was released at the end of the expansion, players looked forward to new armor and weapons. But what they got was an additional set of tier tokens for boots, belts and bracers for their tier 6 set. Oddly enough, the belts, boots and bracers weren't quite an exact match to the set itself -- check out the gallery for a look at the full five-piece set, plus the belts, boots and bracers from Sunwell Plateau. This set was the last to offer eight full pieces of gear; later sets would stick solely to the five-piece model. However, getting all eight pieces of tier was a pretty substantial task. When Hyjal Summit was released, players had to kill the first boss in the zone as part of the atunement to enter Black Temple, the third raid to hold tier 6 tokens. At that point in time, Sunwell Plateau hadn't even been implemented, so nobody knew of the upcoming final three pieces of tier. Instead, players focused solely on moving through Mount Hyjal on their way to Black Temple, preserving the events of the past and collecting some pretty amazing loot in the process. %Gallery-136573%
