Farewell to the Broken Shores

Today we bid farewell to Legion and welcome in Battle for Azeroth.  What an exciting time!  New things to see, new places to explore, and new items to collect in our Transmog Tab!  It was fun and, perhaps, one of the most exciting expansions I have played.  I sincerely look forward to the next expansion!

Here are a few of the sights that we will not see for some time as we explore Zandalar and Kul Tiras!

Pathfinder [Hunter]

"Hey, Bob!  I found some ducks!"

They are the scouts that find the enemies hidden camp.  They are the unseen spies that identify our next targets.  They are the ones that hunt for the food that powers the war machine that is the Horde.  Hunters provide many roles for the Horde--ranging from the simple to the dangerous.  The Pathfinders are ready to delve deep into the dark woods and shattered grounds for the glory of the Horde.

Today we go a bit "old school" with a simple transmogrification using pieces that you may have gotten a long time ago--only the cloak and the pants are from the current expansion.  The result is a simple outfit that fits the look of an adventuring hunter in the lands of Azeroth.  Sometimes the enormous belts, huge protruding shoulders, and crazy helms becomes a bit much and wearing cleaner lines and simple color schemes can be soothing on the eyes.

Spaulders of the Ogre-Nabber (Quest: Ogre Abduction - Feralas)

Grimtotem Earthbinder's Vest (Quest: Direhorn Raiders - Dustwallow Marsh )

Rockhandler's Gloves (Quest: A Timeworn Coffer - Sholazar Basin)

Earthbound Girdle (Drop from Satchel of Helpful Goods)

Flesh-Raking Leggings (Heroic Demonic Inquisition - Tomb of Sargeras)

Warsong Boots - Warmill - 50 Iron Horde Scraps)

Cloak of the Burning Vanguard (Garothi Worldbreaker - Antorus, the Burning Throne)

No bracers or helm is needed for this transmog.

Light's Embrace [Priest]

"The Light will prevail with heroes like you."

The Light can be used for many things; to protect the weak, to heal the sick, and to drive the demons away from Azeroth.  Wielding the healing power of the Light; these priests are on the front line of all battles; heroically healing those injured and providing reassurance to those who need it most—the most powerful force in the universe is right beside them.

The shoulders for this transmog were so unique and interesting that I wanted to make a transmogrification around them.  Sadly, I couldn't match the green mist with anything else, but in the end, I think that is fine.  Many of these items come from the Random Number Generator in World of Warcraft and, as such, might take some time to put together.  The end result, however, is quite nice and fits any Priest quite well.

Ferocious Gladiator's Satin Hood (PvP Gear - Legion)

Chaos-Scarred Mantle (Chronomatic Anomaly - Mythic Nighthold)

Robes of Demonic Purpose (Inquisitor Metro or Sotanthor -Legion Invasion Portal)

Orgrimmar Gloves (50 Iron Horde Scraps - War Mill in the Frostwall Garrison)

Cord of Blossoming Petals (Eonar - Normal Antorus, the Burning Throne)

Cloak of the Master at Arms (Relinquished Cloak token - Thaumaturge Vashreen)

No bracers. pants, or footwear are needed for this transmog.

The Trial of Style is Here…Again!

For those who missed out on the Trial of Style last year there is good news; this week starts the second season!  This micro-holiday is a great way to test your creative abilities (especially on a time limit), work towards getting new items for your transmogrification collection, and to have fun doing something you don’t get to do in-game all the time.

The Trial of Style pits you and five other people in a fashion contest.  You are able to queue for the instance at the transmogrifier in any major city.  Shortly after entering the instance a theme will be announced, and you have two and a half minutes to work on your transmog!  Once complete, or when the timer runs out, you take your turns modeling the outfit and voting on your favorite.  The Trial takes about five minutes and is easy to complete.

You earn tokens for competing and the higher up you rank in the fashion show means you get more tokens you get.  These tokens are used to purchase Ensembles for everyday wear and, this year, you can even purchase props which can be used in the Trial of Style instance to help show off your creation.  You may need to queue up several times to get the Ensemble set that you want—but its easy and doesn’t take long at all.

The new Ensembles you can purchase this year are:

Ensemble: Mindwrack Raiment (cloth)

Ensemble: Tundraspite Armor (leather)

Ensemble: Crimson Sentinel Garb (mail)

Ensemble: Goldspine Plate (plate)

The props, while just for fun, will really make your screenshots really stand out — and maybe even help you win.  These items can be purchased in the instance by a friendly vendor.  The props you can purchase are:Trial of Style Flames, Trial of Style Spotlight, and Trial of Style Dance Floor.  These items should be a lot of fun—but sadly only work in the Trial of Style instance.

If you didn't get the sets from last year don't worry: you can still purchase the first season's  Ensembles.  Each set is sixty tokens; so you need to do the instance several times and you can only purchase Ensembles that match your armor type.

You have the rest of this week to take part in the Trial of Style...after that it ends for yet another year.

Tribal [Shaman]

"While we walk a different path from from other Shaman; we still answer the Element's call"

Dealing with the bones of the fallen, with sacred drums and rattles, and wielding carefully crafted totems; these spiritual leaders of the tribal groups of Azeroth take their job seriously.  Protecting not only the lands of their people but the connection with the elements as well; these witch doctors and tribal shamans hear the call of Azeroth to protect not only the sacred land, but their people as well.  Woe to those who defile the ground, who slaughter the innocent, who tread on taboo lands—the wrath of the Shaman is here.

A first look at transmogrification for the Highmountain Tauren.  I have to admit that I have been focused on leveling as a Shaman and, as such, have a lot of ideas for this class.  The helm has always been my favorite but it usually works best with the rest of the set--so I wanted to find something that the helm could go with.  The majority of these items comes from Wrath of the Lich King (my favorite expansion) so you may have some of these items already in your Appearances Tab.  The end result is a good look for somebody that wants a little less civilization in their transmogrification.

Snowstorm Helm (Valitheria Dreamwalker - 25H Icecrown Citadel)

Brittle Flamereaver's Pauldrons (Drop - Isle of Thunder)

Cuirass of Cruel Intent (Icehowl -25H Trial of the Crusader)

Leggings of the Lurking Threat (Anub'arak - 25H Trial of the Crusader)

Ulduar Gauntlets (Drop - Wrath of the Lich King Dungeons)

Wild Gladiator's Waistguard of Victory (Warlords Season 2 PvP - 2 Mark of Honor)

Grimtotem Cloak (Quest:More than Coincidence - Dustwallow Marsh )

No bracers are needed for this transmog.

The Leveling Experience: Not As Bad As You Might Think

As a person who has leveled twelve max-level characters, and is currently working on two more, I want to discuss the leveling process in World of Warcraft.  With the new patch there were changes to the leveling process that took many people by surprise and, if you happen to have read any of the forums, made plenty of people upset.

Yes, I am talking about the zone scaling.

The new leveling experience is not as bad as everybody seems to think—don't listen to the naysayers in the General Discussion on the Blizzard Forums.  There are many bonuses to zone scaling.  I have found that the ability to play though an entire zone a nice change.  I like the story, I enjoy playing though an entire zone to finish up that story.  Also, being able to choose what zone you want to play in (let alone if you want to go to Outlands or Northrend, enjoy Cataclysm or Pandaria) is a welcome change that I enjoy immensely--I absolutely despise Outlands.  I also enjoy the challenge of battling creatures near or at my own level as now I have to play the game instead of putting my mind on auto-mode and killing everything with one blow.  There are other benefits from leveling including acquiring transmogrification items that you may have missed along the way, learning a new class or specialization, and even enjoying the scenery (The Cataclysm changed a lot of things…have you leveled since then?).

People say that the leveling experience is much slower.  While yes, it is, it isn’t for the worse.  We used to be able to blast through the zones; overpowering all obstacles and going through the mind-numbing “experience” just to get from level one to max level as quickly as possible—that's not the type of game I want to play.  But when you look at Classic and the Burning Crusade leveling experience of days gone by even the new leveling much easier and takes much less time.

I look at the leveling experience as re-reading a favorite book.  It takes up my time, yes, but I also get enjoyment from it.  That being said, there are ways to help with the new leveling experience.

Tips to Staying Sane While Leveling 

Wear Heirlooms:  the bonuses to experience gains helps make the leveling process go a bit quicker…much more so than having no heirloom bonuses.  Additionally, you can put high level enchantments on those heirloom pieces (they will scale with the level) for that extra bit of “ommph.”

Be Well Rested:  The game rewards you in the leveling process for taking a break.  Rested experience is amazing and very helpful when working on leveling not just quickly but efficiently as well.  Just make sure to rest in taverns or other places that notify you that you are, indeed, resting.

Turn Up the Volume:  Enjoy the music—either in game or your favorite playlist—as it makes the game go quicker.  I sometimes multi-task and listen to a podcast or two while leveling but more often than not I am enjoying the music in the game.

Realize This Isn't A Race:  Well, not anymore—I have seen plenty of the max level characters and many new Allied Races with their Heritage Armor.  Just enjoy the trip and keep in mind that you will not be first to get your Highmountain Tauren to max level with that shiny new armor—it's already been done.  Take your time, relax, and above all, have fun.

Priestess of the Flame [Priest]

"The flames of the temples must be well tended"

Tending the flames of the temples around Azeroth is quite a task and one that many do not take lightly.  Accorded a special place in the circle of Priests; these individuals are ready for battle no matter where it may take them.

While this set focuses mainly on PvP items gathered from this expansion, there are a couple of additions from previous expansions that help round it out.  Red and gold is obviously the main color scheme and may be different from other Priest’s choices...but this outfit you will help you stand out from the crowd.  Interestingly enough; this set looks good on both male and female models which is not always the case with cloth gear.

Ferocious Gladiator's Satin Hood (PvP Season 6 in Legion)

Primal Aspirant's Satin Mantle (PvP Season 1 in Warlords - Three Marks of Honor)

Dominant Gladiator's Satin Robe (PvP Season 6 in Legion)

Muddied Crimson Gloves (Tanak (Frenzyheart Quartermaster - Sholazar Basin)

Grom'tor's Bloodied Bandage (Quest Reward - Shadowmoon Valley)

Purifier's Drape (Trilliax - The Nighthold)

No pants, footwear, or bracers are needed for this transmog.