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!

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.

Defender [Warrior]

"Halt!  Who goes there?  Just kidding."

They are the guards and the watchers; dedicated to keeping their homes and families safe.  They are the keepers and defenders; willing to risk their own lives for others.  They spend long hours under the hot sun in faraway places and frequent the many taverns while not on duty.  They are the ones that respond the quickest the threats in the heart and borders of Horde territory.  They are the defenders of the Horde and they are here slay the Alliance which would threaten the Horde--at all costs.

The belt helps to bulk up the body of an already bulky Tauren which make the character appear massive...perfect for a warrior.  The helm was very hard to chose for this transmogrification...that is why I went with no helm.  This set started with the chest, legs, and belt and moved on from there--eventually adding in the spiky features of the PvP gear.  The items for this transmogrification should be easy to get if you haven't gotten them already--with the exception of the belt which can only be dropped by Aggramar on mythic difficulty.

Ferocious Gladiator's Plate Shoulders (PvP - Legion)

Blackrock Chestpiece (Level 2 War Mill in your Garrison)

Blackrock Legplates (Level 2 War Mill in your Garrison)

Ferocious Gladiator's Plate Gauntlets (PvP - Legion)

Grond-Father Girdle (Aggramar - Antorus, the Burning Throne (M))

Ferocious Gladiator's Plate Warboots (PvP - Legion)

Nightmare Shroud (World Drop - Broken Isles)

Like with most Tauren transmogrifications; no bracers are needed.

Antorus, the Burning Throne Raid Awaits

The time has come to confront the Burning Legion within Sargeras’ seat of power.  Kill the things!  Take their loot!  Save the world!

Release Schedule

Tues Nov 28 

Normal and Heroic difficulties Open

Tues Dec 5

Mythic difficulty and Raid Finder Wing 1 - Light's Breach 

Tues Dec 19

Raid Finder Wing 2 - Hope's End

Tues Jan 2

Raid Finder Wing 3 - Forbidden Descent

Tues Jan 16

Raid Finder Wing 4 - Seat of the Pantheon

I run the Raid Finder so I have a little bit more time to prepare but those who have active raiding guilds or lots of friends can get in there now...are you excited?

Happy Pilgrim's Bounty!

Its time to feast upon such delights as Spice Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry Chutney, Candied Sweet Potato, and Slow-Roasted Turkey!

It is also that time of year to finish up those Pilgrim's Bounty achievements as you work towards that Violet Proto-Drake and collect two pets (Turkeys...of course) and even a toy if you haven't done so already.  While there are no new items for this year's holiday; you can still enjoy flinging food (or eating it) with your friends and loved ones as we celebrate the season of sharing and food together.

The holiday will end on November 27...so you still got some time.

Happy Hallow's End

Taurens enjoy a good holiday and what is better than a holiday that celebrates with candy!  Happy Hallow's End from all of us here at Transmog for Taurens.

Patch 7.3: Argus and Beyond

Patch 7.3 finished up last week with the third and final chapter of the Argus Campaign.  With many people stating that not only is this the last major patch of Legion but that we also have eight weeks until the Raid opens; this may leave many Taurens feeling very sad.  Don't worry, though, there is still plenty to do while we wait for the new Raid to open.

Transmog Items

Patch 7.3 gives us access to some wicked-looking transmog gear that we all should be working on collecting.  Over the next several weeks I will be looking at the sets as they relate to Taurens in a special series on this blog.  However, not only is there wearable items to collect but there are also weapons out there in the Invasion Points...so make sure to do those Invasions so that you can get the weapons to transmog in the future.  The weapons don't always drop, so just keep doing them until you get what you want/need.

Mounts

There are a slew of mounts to collect, not only in this patch but the expansion as a whole.  Mounts include Reputation Mounts and some random drops.  From Golems to Mana Rays and Talbuks, and several other spectacular ones in between; this is a great time to go searching for more mounts to add to your ever-growing collection.

Pets

Some of us like to find a battle pet that works seamlessly with our new outfits; and there are plenty of pets out there to choose from.  There are new tamable hunter pets (mana rays, talbuks, new cat's, and marsuuls) and a variety of interesting and unique battle pets to find as well.

Artifact Power

With the introduction of the Netherlight Crucible it is, once again, time to start acquiring more Artifact Power so that your Relics can be updated quickly which roughly equates to surviving a bit longer on Argus while you are looking for things you still need.

Happy Winter Veil!

Greatfather Winter is on his way to bring gifts to the Horde and Alliance!  A very happy Winter Veil; may your eggnog be tasty, your Auction House items sell, and your presents underneath the tree be wondrous.

Happy Pilgrim's Bounty!

This Pilgrim's Bounty I hope you're able to avoid the tragedy of the different foods on your plate touching one another.

Corgi Pet Available for 12th Anniversary

Don't forget to get your pet Corgi before time runs out!  Here's how to get it.

1.  When you log on to World of Warcraft check your mail.  There is a 12th Anniversary package waiting for you.  Open it up and accept the quest and note the 200 Timewarped Badges that you just got as well.

2.  The Quest takes you to Orgrimmar, you can use the portals found in Dalaran to get you there quickly.  Look for Historian Ju'pa in The Valley of Spirits--Spoiler Alert:  He's a Troll with lots of people hanging around him.

3.  You can purchase your Corgi with the Timewarped badges you got in the mail.

4.  Congratulations!  You have a Corgi now.

Happy Halloween from Helheim

Helya readily accepts the souls of those who have not yet gotten the Headless Horseman's mount...space is currently at a premium (Helheim is filling up fast) so make sure to send your RSVP today!

Farewell Draenor

Today we bid farewell to Warlords of Draenor and welcome in Legion.  What an exciting time!  New things to see, new places to explore, and new items to collect in our Transmog Tab!

Here are a few of the sights that we will not see for some time as we explore the Broken Isles!