Two on the Path of conquest.

Msaker and Droonda. Tonight we did The Path of Conquest quest chain. Just the two of us. Flying mount was pretty much required for us to do it alone. Nachmahd gave us a hand on the very last part, healing while we killed our last two Crazed Colossi. There was a nice +Defense and +Shield Block ring for Msaker, and Droonda took the +Attack Power, of course.

Two worlds collide. Ours vs. Theirs. We win.

Who's crazy now?

Two too pretty.

Easy gear, for Shaman or Tank. Bring a healer. Or three.

Last night Msaker, Droonda, and our friend, Nachmahd, went to Netherstorm to run a little quest for Professor Dabiri at the Protectorate Watch Post. The quest chain is a mere 3 quests long, and the middle quest is a simple bombing run for which they provide the mount! The starting quest is called "Recipe for Destruction."

The rewards are lucrative. 20 gold and some nice gear. +88 Healing mail armor for the Shamans, and a +30 Defence trinket for me, the Warrior.

We spoke with Captain Saeed, who stands close to the Professor, and he brings a group of Ethereal soldiers with him, up into Mana Forge Ultris. There we square off with a huge voidwalker called Dimensius.

Tanking is simple enough. The healer's job undoubtedly tougher. I sundered and devastated and shield slammed and fun was had by all. Dimensius is slain and we go and collect our loot.

But Msaker isn't the only toon in town. What of Blackhoof, recent convert to the Restoration side of Shamanism? He could certainly use a +88 Healing chest piece.

So Blackhoof flies out and the 3 Shamans take the fight on. Droonda didn't tank, none of us did. We simply kept the Captain alive. And kept him alive. And kept him alive. And and and... Well, the sun's set, the cow's have come home, glaciers recede, advance, recede, bonds mature, investements accrue, seasons change, and we healed a little more.

Yes, it was a lot of healing. We healed in shifts, kept Mana Spring and Mana Tide totems down, and we pulled back and drank when we ran low, healing in shifts. Yes. You can actually back away to where you can simply sit and drink Draenic Water to restore your mana. Why waste a potion???

And in the end the Captain prevailed, and Blackhoof got himself some nice +Healing armor.

Funny part about this fight is that it seems the 2nd person on Dimensius' threat list gets to be a "mini bomb" That had them "blowing up" in a purple flash and hitting the cieling. In the last fight Nachmahd, our friend, was "the bomb." It was kind of amusing (that's how long a fight it is) to watch him drinking and blowing up and eating and blowing up. It got to where we was hanging out in door openings so he wouldn't be blow so high. First fight, unbeknownst to the tanking Msaker, it was Droonda that played this game.

All in all, an easy fight, even for three, provided you can get some good healing in. The three of us went with first two, then three healers, and it amounted to easy loot.

Later on Msaker returned to the Shadow Labyrinths. Easy. No wipes and every boss on the first try. And, again, no shield off Hellmaw, and no shoulders off Murmer. Good thing reputation with the Lower City continues to roll in.

A Tanks Request.

Posted in the community section. http://forums.worldofwar.net/showthread.php?t=389139

Originally Posted by Ziloxus from the official forums:

This post is something of a cathartic exercise for myself. If someone gets something out of it great, if not that's fine too. I feel like I got it out of my system before the next pug either way.

Things every warrior tank thinks every non-tank should know.

My ability to generate threat over an extended time frame is inversely proportional to your ability to generate threat.

Huh? Ok here is what I mean, we will use a mage for this example but the same applies to rogues hunters, or anything else not a warrior or a bear druid.

As a fight commences both of us have two bars. We both have big full green health bars. Under my health bar is a big empty bar. Under your health bar is a big full blue bar. When you do dmg, it drains your blue bar. When I give or take dmg it fills my red bar. You have all the ammo you need at the start of a fight to make all kinds of threat which will pull all kinds of aggro. I don't have much ammo to generate threat or take aggro, it takes me a minute.

The difference is that at the beginning of the fight, your threat making resource; mana, is full. You at this moment can activate whatever ability you want and instantly create tons of threat. Mine is empty. My resource, rage, fills up as I give and take dmg. Over the course of the fight I will get a lot to spend, so the longer the fight goes on the more and more threat I make.

Problem is at the beginning of the fight I have little or no rage. It takes me time to build the threat to hold aggro off of you.

So what does this mean to you? It means that if you start every pull with your biggest most evil 10 second cast fireball, it"s gonna be real tough for me to get aggro off of you with my empty rage bar.

How to apply this advice: You need to learn to pace your dps. Whether you are a mage or a rogue or a lock whatever (except hunters who feign death whenever the cooldown is up) start off the fight with lighter lower dmg attacks.

As the fight wears on rank it up to the bigger meaner stuff. You can do the same amount of dmg, but instead of front loading all of your dps (and threat) back load it.

Seriously, this is the biggest problem I see with every single DPS class in the game. Yes, I can taunt the mob off of you, but then the taunt is on cool down. What if the mob then does an aggro wipe like a knock down and it goes after you? What if it stuns me right after I taunt so I can't build threat? You should be trying to play in such a way that you don"t ever have to see the warrior taunt outside of extenuating circumstances like aggro wipes.

When not to stun.

Ok so you have a stun button. I"m happy for you, no really I am. Stun buttons are great. You see a mob start to cast a heal or a "Level 5 Death to Tank" stun him, that"s fabulous. You see something chewing on a healer, stun them, awesome. A mob "attempts to run away in fear" go nuts stun lock them to the floor.

So why insist on stunning a mob I just pulled? Why stun the mob I just taunted? Here is what happens when you do that. When I am tanking I don't really do dmg to make rage. My little red bar fills up when I take dmg. If you stun early in a pull I don't get pounded on so I don"t gain threat so I don"t hold aggro, so someone like a healer or a mage is going to get the aggro. This wont usually produce a wipe, most mobs you can stun aren't a big deal, but seriously, why make things more difficult then they need to be?

If you absolutely need a rule of thumb, wait till there are two sunders on a target before you stun it.

What to do when you get aggro.

The tank won't always hold aggro. That"s a fact. Maybe the tank sucks, maybe he got feared, maybe he got stunned, maybe you just unleashed a cruise missile that crits the target for umpteen gazillion points before the tank had so much as an auto-attack on the mob. Whatever the reason, eventually you are going to have the mob beat on you.

If you are wearing pajamas and the mob is elite I understand the panic that sets in. You don"t want to get two shotted. I don't want that either. So let me explain first the two things NOT to do.

Don't nuke the thing with another cruise missile! You just pulled aggro so why go nuts trying to dps the thing to the floor before it can kill you? This isn't a lvl 11 Defias Pillager, most likely you wont take it down in time. What you WILL do, is generate another gajillion points of threat that the tank needs to top to get it off of you. Stop hurting it. If you have a threat mitigator (cower, feint, fade, feign death) use it, if not. Just hold still for a sec. It wont be for very long, soon enough you will be sticking it full of sharp metal things or setting the mob on fire again. Just don"t make it harder for the tank to get the thing off of you.

Don't run for the hills! I am a bit baffled as to where this gut reaction comes from. When you were lvl 40 did you outrun a bear or something? I don't think you did. Do you think if you run far enough you will drop aggro? In an instance an elite mob will not drop aggro until you are dead or until you have left the instance. Running won't keep the mob from chewing on your keester the whole time you run around, really it won't. The mob runs the exact same speed you do. Guess who else runs the exact same speed you do. That's right, me!

So if train A leaves Pheonix at 5:10 a.m. Pacific time headed east at 45 miles per hour, and Train B leaves San Diego at 5:10 a.m. Pacific time headed east at 45 miles per hour, at what point does train B catch up to Train A? That"s right! Never! So when train A dies in a monstrous fireball or twisted metal and diesel fuel, it is probably even going to blame train B for not saving it.

You need to run TOWARD the tank, at the very least hold still.

Ok Pally OT, bear OT or other Warr OT, when should you taunt off of me?

Um, really close to never. Why on earth are you taunting off of me? Are you trying to prove a point? Are you trying to demonstrate that you can tank as well as me? Great for you! You have tank buttons too. Now I have to burn my taunt to pull the mob back off of you so you don"t die, or so the healer doesn"t waste mana on you. Now my taunt is in cool down if I need it.

The only time you should taunt off the main tank is if I ask you to. When will that happen? Only if the healer dies and I need to bandage, or if it's a fight that requires a tank rotation. That's it.

Now of course there are times when things are confusing, something is chewing on the healer and you are trying to save the day and I taunt and then you do too. That"s fine, you did the right thing in saving the healer, don"t beat yourself up about it, you don't need to apologize to me for it either. I saw what happened, I"m 4% smarter than I look.

When should you bubble me?

I hope this is a priest asking this, I really don't need divine intervention thanks. If you bubble me I don't get threat from taking damage. Don't bubble me before a pull. Don't bubble me early in a pull. If my bar is mostly red, sure if you think I need the extra mitigation and there isn"t time for a real heal, bubble me.

Don't BOP me please, it's a fantastic way to kill healers.

The pull.

Sometimes we aren't going to fight the mob out where it is standing. Some times I will even shoot the mob and then duck behind a corner. This is not the universal "unleash your mana wielding ranged casting might" signal. What probably happened is I saw a little blue bar under the mob out there; I want him to come to me so I shot him, then broke line of sight. If you shoot him, guess what, he will stand right where he is and shoot back. Then I have to go out there and risk pulling the whole room to get him off of you unless you figure out how to duck behind corners too, that is assuming that the Moonkin and the Hunter standing next to you didn't just take your cue and unload their blue wad all over the mob you just launched WWIII on.

The sheep

We pull 3 mobs on accident. You can sheep or seduce or scattershot or whatever. That's a fabulous idea. Don't sheep the thing I am beating on! You know what will happen? It will break and I will already have another move queued up behind the move that broke the sheep which will break the next sheep you are trying to do since you didn"t change targets. You might not be familiar with the "F" key. Click me, then click "F", now you are targeted on my target, so target something else, anything else and sheep that.

Multi mob pull

Ok so we just got more than we can handle and I am tanking 3 mobs with no offtank. Attack my target would you? I only have so much rage to spread around. If you start shooting something that I am not concentrating on your going to pull aggro, then I have to decide whether I let you die, or whether I go pull it off of you and risk letting the rest of the party die while they keep attacking the thing I was attacking. The "F" key works great for this too.

The off tanks target

Just because I am the main tank does not mean that my target is the most important target to kill. In fact, often it is the opposite. I am the main tank because I take the best beating. The Hunters wind serpent that is tanking that other orc over there wont hold up as well as me. His target needs to die first. My target should be the last one to die. Those other tanks aren't built to take the abuse I do, help them out. I will be ok, I have all kinds of squishies watching my back. Seriously, go fight the other guy"s target.

Almost 70. Do I go deeper Protection, plus Arms that support Tanking? Or is Fury DPS still a viable option for dungeons/raiding?

So I got to thinking about improving performance, and came up with the following build:

10/0/51.

Arms Talents - 10 point(s)
Deflection - rank 5/5
Iron Will - rank 5/5

Protection Talents - 51 point(s)
Anticipation - rank 5/5
Shield Specialization - rank 5/5
Toughness - rank 5/5
Last Stand - rank 1/1
Improved Shield Block - rank 1/1
Improved Revenge - rank 3/3
Defiance - rank 3/3
Improved Sunder Armor - rank 3/3
Improved Taunt - rank 2/2
Concussion Blow - rank 1/1
Improved Shield Bash - rank 2/2
Shield Mastery - rank 3/3
One-Handed Weapon Specialization - rank 5/5
Improved Defensive Stance - rank 2/3
Shield Slam - rank 1/1
Focused Rage - rank 3/3
Vitality - rank 5/5
Devastate - rank 1/1

I hate to keep putting money down to test out theories.

And if the guild already has two full Protection Warriors, would I, as a Fury Warrior, find a role as DPS?

Fury+Protection. Looking for some thoughts.

Can I play a Fury Warrior, and be Protection at the same time? I.e. can I level, and tank, with one build?

My experience with playing a Warrior has been pretty much that of leveling one up. I've never been a regular group's "main tank."

But I do know a thing or two about tanking, I think, and I always carry a shield and a +STA one-hander for tanking purposes.

A couple of days ago I joined a pug in the Auchindoun. Not sure which part of it. The level 70 Mage that went with us (Shadow priest, two hunters, the mage, and me) complimented me on my tanking. Thanks. Not bad for a Fury + some Arms Warrior I guess.

But I'm always wondering "Can I do more?"

Blackhoof got a whisper the other night. "You Resto?" "No." Nothing more. Somebody was seeking a healer for an instance, and they decided to go with a Shaman?? Hmm. But I do know, as an Enhancement Shaman, that I'll sooner or later need to set up one of those "Take a number" units to dispense tickets, and then I'll call out, in general chat, "Alright. #53. #53? I'm ready to join your group now. /Invite please." You know everyone wants an Enhancement Shaman along to join their groups. Ah, ha, ha! I jest! qq

Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes, "Can I do more?" Can I be of more use to others than just myself. And, frankly, now that we've made Droonda a killer queen, gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind, anytime windfury procs, she does do a little DPS. She gives my DPS numbers a run. Stormstrike and she steals my aggro.

So, could I party better if I were a tank that could do some damage? I.e. keep some of my Fury, to let me put my The Planar Edge to use someday, and still be more of a tank than I am now, go into the Protection tree some?

Can I be Fury/Protection and enjoy the benefits of both worlds? It's got to improve my tanking from what it is now. But would I give up too much DPS?

What do you think? My reasoning is below...

Link to build.

Warrior Talents TalentsMinimum Required Level: 70Required Talent Points: 61

Fury Talents - 30 point(s)

Cruelty - rank 5/5
Critical strikes are good.

Unbridled Wrath - rank 5/5
Need more rage!

Commanding Presence - rank 5/5
Improves Battle Shout for fighting, Commanding Shout (at 68) for tanking.

Dual Wield Specialization - rank 5/5
I need to remain viable in DPS for grinding/questing.

Enrage - rank 5/5
This leads to Flurry.

Flurry - rank 5/5 (filling this talent last to 70)
This for the fighting.

Protection Talents - 31 point(s)

Anticipation - rank 5/5
Defense skill is good.

Shield Specialization - rank 5/5
Put that shield to use when I'm using one.

Improved Shield Block - rank 1/1
More blockage.

Improved Revenge - rank 3/3
Stunning.

Defiance - rank 3/3
Need threat to hold aggro.

Improved Sunder Armor - rank 3/3
Faster, cheaper, sunders, easier threat maintenance.

Improved Taunt - rank 2/2
"Don't hold back too much. I've got it."

Concussion Blow - rank 1/1
Stunning. If it's stunned, it can't hurt me.

Improved Shield Bash - rank 2/2
Silence.

One-Handed Weapon Specialization - rank 5/5
This must apply to off-hand one-hand weapons as well.

Shield Slam - rank 1/1
Threat.

So, to you Warriors out there that Tank and DPS. How does this look? I don't PvP at the moment so don't see the need for Mortal Strike.

Now I briefly played around with a 41 point Protection build earlier. I liked the feel of Devastate.

Now with a The Planar Edge in hand, would Devastate be worth getting vice the ten points I've put in Enrage+Flurry?

I'm thinking the One-handed Weapon Specialization + Dual Wield Specialization must stack so for PvE/non-tank fights, I'd be dual wielding.

110% damage on main hand + 85% damage on off-hand. (vs. 110% on main hand + 60% on off-hand).

Or I could skip Shield Slam and take Blood Thirst.

Is the 30 rage getting me 217+ damage and +150 health recovered worth it?

Versus the 20 rage 478-502 damage, plus threat?

Thoughts on the proposed build please.

Edit: Some further analyses on my part, and using Llew Mason's Armory analyses, and the numbers there.

Improved Shield Bash silences for 3 seconds. Ordinary Shield Bash will interrupt the spell and stop casting from same school for 6 seconds. That's probably enough, and this would be a PvP ability. 48% of Protection Warriors use it. So I could drop that. Improved Revenge is used even less, 43% of Protection Warriors use it.

Now Concussion Blow, Defiance, Shield Slam, and Shield Specialization, all of which I've planned, these are the Top 5 talents Protection folks take. Good. Vitality is next, but too far down the tree. Toughness next, and I can take that.

So I'll drop Improved Shield Bash, and Improved Revenge and put the points into Toughness.

The same 0/30/31 build, but following the crowd.

P.S. Yes, yes, my gear sucks. I'm casual and suffer from self-induced altitis. I won't be tanking your Karazhan raid. Nonetheless, advice would be appreciated.

Edit: Deflection. 5% Parry. How do I work that into the build? I'd assume 5% parry chance is 5% damage avoided. Which means rage generation is avoided. Keeping One-handed Weapon Specialization over in the Protection tree generates 10% more damage, which implies more rage. Parry would decrease my rage, more damage would increase it. Since I'm also Fury, and need rage, it seems that it's best to not take Deflection at the cost of One-handed Weapon specialization.

Transformation.

Msaker has been a Mortal Strike Warrior for some time now. In his 40's he was Fury, dual wielding for leveling goodness, but upon getting into Alerac Valley, and getting his mitts on an Ice Barbed Spear, he was specced for Mortal Strikes because that was good for burst damage and that's good in the Battlegrounds.

Yes, I had a shield, and I knew the basics of holding aggro, and I considered myself a "Tank." But sword and a board don't a tank make. Yes, I'd tanked Scholomance to good acclaim. But how was I going to stack up in the Outlands? Where, oddly, there are no Warriors tanking. (I see why, since Outlands is clearly Paladinlands with regards to plate gear.)

So, I stepped into the machine, journeyed to the Undercity, and became transformed. I am now a Tanking Warrior. Full Protection down to Devastate, some points in Fury for crit chance, and the rest of the points in Arms. I'm not sure if it's a typical build, but for me, it seems to fit the requirement. (I am now putting points into Iron Will after being stunned over and over by the Orcs in the Blood Furnace. I can't tank if I'm stunned.)

(Scene from the Blood Furnace. Yes, that is a Tabard of the Protector from the Dark Portal opening event.)

So, my first order of business of practice with the new build. Into the Armory wing of the Scarlet Monastery. I killed everything, including Herod, and then Thunderclapped his students. I never even paused. Into the Cathedral wing. I killed everything, looking for Scarlet gear for my wife's Paladin, and even started into the Cathedral itself, pulling, and killing, two at a time. Again, without a worry. I don't know if I can solo the Cathedral or not, but it looks awfully promising that I can. The build worked, and I've got my buttons set up decently.

So, test of fire, back to the Outlands for a real instance.

I didn't have any quest there, not having done the Ramparts yet, but into the Blood Furnace we went. A Resto Shaman for healing, a lock, mage, and somebody. Woot. One death and we cleared the instance.

So, still full of energy, positive rage, and after dinner, I returned, and this time went into the Ramparts, Paladin, Mage, Warlock, and Rogue with me. No deaths until we hit the Dragon. Woot. And this Paladin, Protection specced, healed like a Priest. I see now why Holy Priests are furious. This guy was main healing, and handled it great.

Protection Warrior Tank. This is going to be an interesting career move.

P.S. Devastate feels a lot like a Rogue finishing move. My MetaHUD puts sunders up like combo points, and while you can Devastate with any number, the more sunders you have, the more damage you do. But, rather than get cleared, the sunders are refreshed! So it's like finishing moves that you can do over and over. At least that's what it felt like.

Life in the Swamp. What's up with the gear? One of these races is not like the other.

The questing continues. Blackhoof discovered that windfury weapon buffs on two weapons do not both proc, unless they're different ranks of the buff. He felt pretty powerful there. But, being Shaman, there is a nerf incoming.

Msaker and Droonda also started the quests there in the Marsh. The Lost Ones fell to our Orcish invasion of Umbrafen Village, and we rescued the Cenarion Refuge Tauren lady. Next stop for them will be assisting the Sporelings

I'm enjoying the Swamp.

And Msaker is still wearing his rare PvP gear. Now some of the greens that are dropping, or are quest rewards, they've got a bit more +Stamina on them, and more Armor, but none of them have any decent crit rates. I've even sold a few socketed greens because the +4 Crit Chance gem I can buy for it just doesn't seem worth it. The synergy of having the full PvP armor set is still greater than the Outland greens, and I'm singing the blues.

I like crits. I party with a healer. What do I need a lot more armor for? And, by the time I need to behave like a responsible warrior, and be prepared to tank for others, I'll have level 65+ greens and blues. Other than the mining helmet I got from the goblin who ran the mine under Thrallmar I've vendored all the Outlands plate I've gotten. And the items I could actually use, belt and bracers, I had to find those on the Auction House.

And, for love of all that is Holy, or Shadow if that's your ticket, why is all plate in the Outlands for Paladins? The Maghar Orcs are giving out Paladin plate for crying out loud!

Work with me here:

Orcs!

<>

Paladins!

(The two don't mix! Seriously.)

Death in the Mosh Pit.

Last night was a good night.

Last night I, Msaker, rustled through my bank account and bags, sold all that I could spare, and amassed another 300 gold. Mind you this was on the heels of my own purchase of the training required to ride an epic mount just days earlier. Not sure how I managed it, but there it was. The last of the auctions collected from the mailbox and tallying the figures, 300 gold.

Now Droonda had already been given some gold. Blackhoof had given her no small amount already, his Outland questing going well enough. (And the big cow has had an epic mount since forever now.) And Darban-"I'm not a bank alt!!!"-ville has been selling a lot of Outland derived loot and materials. Her activities provided a large amount of the cash Msaker needed, and Droonda got some as well.

Anyway, Msaker rejoined the story in progress, in Kargath, and he goes to the Burning Steppes in his quest to get a little more thorium. And in a "pics or it didn't happen" moment (I'll add pics later! - added) I actually mined an Arcane Crystal. WTF? I've been mining thorium for months and that's my first one. Ever. I was so shocked I had to screen shot it. When it turns out I need 3 for an Arcane Rod for my enchanter, Darban-"I'm more than an enchanting alt"-ville, my heart sinks a little. (Blackhoof later transmutes it, with a little Thorium, into an Arcanite Bar. Woot! I was perplexed however that the item text wasn't orange for legendary.)

All the Thorium will buy plans so I can craft an Imperial Plate set for Halcyon, my wife's Paladin.

So, back to the story, Droonda logs on and I tell her to check her mailbox. She's got cash. I've returned to Orgrimmar and ask her to meet me at the wolf seller. It's time she bought her epic mount. I gave her the last 250 gold she needed and she picked the Swift Gray Wolf. She's got her trinket and I've now got spurs made and am waiting to put them on her boots. Two Orcs on fast wolves. Nice.

So, that mission done we hearth back to Shattrath and fly back to Falcon Watch to wrap up some odds-and-ends projects.

Not much later we're asked by a guildie could we please come to Un'Goro Crater. ... That's like 20-30 minutes away. What did he want? His level 54 Blood Elf, Mortannon, had found King Mosh and wanted to kill it and see what loot it dropped, and skin it for mad amounts of Ravasaur Leather.

Well, we fly to Shattrath, port to Orgrimmar, and fly to Marshals Point. The hunt was on.

Well, the first go wasn't stellar. Droonda was not wearing her "Healing" outfit and the 54 Hunter's DPS wasn't that great, and King Mosh has 61,000 hit points, and that's 10 times what I have. I'm stomped, the Hunter goes down, and Droonda, beloved Shaman Princess, bites the dust of Un'Goro Craters floor.

Alright. Plan B. Mortannon logs off and brings out Maelstrom, his level 65 Undead Warrior. Msaker would tank, Droonda would be healing in her Healer gear, and Maelstrom would DPS.

The first fight I noticed the bear was feared a lot. Msaker was never feared. The second fight I was feared over and over. But with a Tremor Totem out I recovered quickly enough.

And the 2nd time King Mosh did the dust munching thing. Pwned. Shammy and two Warriors.

We loot and King Mosh had a Jade Plate Chest Armor hidden on him (not a bad piece of armor) and Mortannon returned and skinned King Mosh. The big guy dropped 1 piece of Ravasaur Leather. One. :) Ah well.

We saluted Mortannon and hearthed back to Shattrath. We did finish the couple of quests we'd started and then we journeyed to the Cenarian Refuge in Zangarmarsh and logged off for the night.

P.S. Going to Paris for the weekend. Woot. Viva la vacation.

Ding. The big 6-0. For my second time.

Msaker, aka Oddity, finally reached level 60. My 2nd character to do so.

Some thoughts...

Blackhoof, aka Darkhoof, my Tauren Shaman, reached 60 in a raiding guild on a PvP server. By 60 he was already wearing a lot of his Elements (Tier 0) set. He was a regular to the Plaguelands and Stratholme. His hearth was set to Kargath for the regular Blackrock Spire runs, Upper and Lower. He very seldom ventured into the Blackrock Depths. He was Restoration spec'd and had assumed the role of healer, backup, for raiding groups. No PvP in his raiding days after reaching Sergeant in his 40's. The "Dungeons," the holy trinity of Stratholme, Lower Blackrock Spire, and Upper BRS, then Molten Core, were his home for months after reaching 60. (For some reason Scholomance he only went once. First time ever he'd gotten the Coif of Elements, and nobody wanted to go back. He got the key to the place on his own so remains ready to return and get the major mana potion recipe from the ghost vendor.)

Msaker has not done any quests into Blackrock Depths yet. There are a great many yellow exclamation marks in Kargath, but he's been holding off on them until Droonda is ready to accompany him. (She's level 54 now. Coming along too. Orc Power!) He has done one single quest out of the Bulwark in the Plaguelands, and that was to plant our banner in a camp of the Scarlet Crusade. Otherwise, getting to 60 involved doing all the quests in Feralas, then moving to Felwood, then doing a lot of the quests in Winterspring. Last night we went to the Sunken Temple and knocked out 6 quests there. Next stop will be BRD. He worked up to level 45 on a PvP server, but finished up on an RP server. He's halfway to Exalted with Frostwolf. He dinged following a win in the Arathi Basin. Turning in the three marks got him really close. Completing the quest to cap four resources, took him over to the Ding. (And my XP bar is now replaced by a Faction bar. 80 )

(My god, was it really so long ago that I had just reached level 30? Last December, the 28th or thereabouts, to be exact. Here's the link. )

It is interesting to me, because I see several parallel courses to getting to 60. There's the Blackrock route, the Plaguelands route, or the Winterspring route.

With Blackrock you are put on the path of fighting Dragons (Nefarian) and the old Elementals (Ragnaros). You visit Blackrock Spire, Molten Core, and Blackwing Lair. Adventuring here takes you from small 5-man parties to 40-man raids.

Ironically the Dragons are opposed by the Elementals, and are pitted against one another in a war to control Blackrock Mountain. And each side has forces sympathetic to your causes as well. Vael is a dragon most distraught about having to decimate you. He'll help you in UBRS against Rend in fact. And Duke Hydraxis gives you rewards for killing other Elementals.

The Plaguelands find you combating the Scarlet Crusade, yeah, those racist "good guys" that even the Alliance don't like, and the Scourge operating out of Stratholme and Scholomance. The Plaguelands will find you going from assaulting Scholomance and Stratholme to Naxxramas, from 5-man parties to 40-man raids.

The route of Winterspring appears to be a whole lot more solo orientated. The experience is not gotten by instances but by faction grinding. Kill hundreds of the Timbermaw's enemies to become their friend. There's some quests out of Everlook in Winterspring itself. But not one instance in Winterspring or noticeable story arc even.

... It just occurs to me as I type this ... expansion's are promised once a year now. The Burning Crusade and the Outalnds will be this year's offering. What about next year? The Emerald Dream? Obviously the Timbermaw and Winterspring are nice little lead-ins to this.

And I'd love to see Gilneas and Kul'Tiras be brought on-line. These Coastal and Insular nations would figure into any expansion involving the Naga, the Maelstrom, and their Queen Azshara.

Since neither Blackhoof or Msaker are raiding now, earning Battlegrounds honor and reputation is earning them rewards as well. Even Blackhoof is getting rewards that compare to his Molten Core days, and Msaker is getting some of those for himself.

And I'm still doing quests and seeing places I haven't already done and seen in going on two years played. Wow. Now we're adding the Outlands and two new starting areas on top of that. I've yet to "complete" the game and there's even more coming.

Bottom line, there are so many ways of getting to 60, enjoying yourself at 60, getting ahead at 60, and moving on from 60, it's just never ending.

Oh, yeah: Ding. :)

P.S. How do people have 5 or more level 60 characters? Dear lord, how much time does that take?! Ask my wife, and she'll tell you, I play a lot. Msaker's time played to 60 was 18 days. ... The enjoyment is as much in the departute, and the journey, as the arrival and plans for more.

A shout-out to the healers! (Especially Nawah, a Druid from Illidian.)

I came into the AB match after it started. We had 3 resources,the Alliance 2. I left the top scorer. Why? Towards the end we rushed the Stables, didn't have to, we just wanted to, and I scored like a mad man. Why? Good healing. I was cutting them up and staying alive to dish out more.



Thanks for the heals!

Getting those mallets was too easy.

Jintha'Alor. Msaker, Nachmahd, and Droonda, and two guild Warlocks take Jintha'Alor and teach the Vilebranch Trolls a lesson: Don't mess with the Horde. What a hoot. We rode through there with 95% single pulls. One troll at a time. Too easy. Not enough pots, but that's a different story. The only point where we had multiple mobs was in the cave with the Keeper. It was her and two guards. Sure, Nachmahd and Msaker are 55, the Warlocks, Derier and Azghul, mid-50's, and Droonda, 48, made easy work of it.

Msaker later went into Alterac Valley. He was, level 55 mind you, in Auction House [Greens], #8 in Killing Blows. Woot.

Maraudon and the Princess dies.

No offense, but if you've 3 faces and 4 hands and horns and crap? You're going down. For your own good. Primordial Titan or not.

Last night Nachmahd, now level 54, Droonda, now level 48, and Msaker returned to Maraudon. We ran into a priest friend of ours, Ferinthul, and he left the group he was with and joined us. To that other group: Nyah nyah. (Quite a vote of confidence I must say.)

We partied with Ferinthul our second time to Maraudon, as we worked through the Purple Side and collected the Celebrian Diamond. Our first time we worked through the Orange Side and got the Celebrian Rod. Now Ferinthul was missing this part so last night we again went through the Orange Side. Our 1st night we went with a Warlock in the guild, Azghul by name. The other two nights we went with Ferinthul, a level 47 Priest.

We rocked the house. Nachmahd hits like a Mack truck, and Msaker can do a little damage himself, but he's mostly trying to keep aggro. (Holding aggro is more important than dealing damage.) Anyway, we returned to Celebrias and freed him. And we continued on to the Princess. And we downed her. Two Shamans, a Warrior, and a Priest? Pwnage. And, man, that Warrior is getting some heals!

We all had flight points in Moonglade from attending some party there earlier in the year. So that worked out great.

We'll want to get back into Maraudon. I think Droonda would look pretty cool with a Gizmotek Buckler. That was the same buckler that Blackhoof until he went to ZulGurub and got the Zulian Defender. (The old style defender too, it was HUGE!)

Otherwise it's Alterac Valley weekend and we're enjoying that too.

Tonight, Jintha Alor and getting that Mallet made so we can get back to ZulFarak and get our trinkets. Veggies are good.

Msaker out.

Druids to watch out for. Two wipes then a Paladin.

Wife and I were in Westfall. We wrapped up the Defias quests and escorted the Traitor to the Deadmines. We were ready to go after Van Cleef himself.

We ran back out to Moonbrook, she an 18 Druid, me a 19 Warrior. One of the group was a level 20 Druid. Rather, it was a level 20 cat. He'd joined us for the traitor and so, running alongside him, I asked how he liked the cat form. "Great! I love it!" Did he take the Feline Swiftness talent? "Huh?" "You know, run speed of 115% first point, 130% second point?" "Oh, where is that?"

We put the group together. A level 17 Priest, who did know his stuff, and a level 18 Rogue I believe.

As you are fully aware, level 20 Druids in cat form are immune to most forms of damage. As we zoned into the instance he runs ahead and aggro's a mob of workers and 3 of the elites. He was not immune to any form of damage. And we weren't either. We run back to our bodies. "I'm the Warrior, I'll pull, I'll tank." That's a reasonable request, isn't it? I've got a shield, I've got a Priest, two druids, and a rogue behind me. Except the 20 cat runs to the right aggroing as he goes, the rogue shoots at something to left and I simply stand there in stunned disbelief. Hell, at that point it's pretty much a Dance Off! for all the good resistence is going to do.

I message the priest "Take care." and the wife and I simply leave the party, take the spirit rez, and fly up to Redridge. A warrior and a druid are pretty handy together and we clear out a few of the quests there. But then we decided to take another stab at the Deadmines.

I'm whispered by a guildie of the new guild we (Freewind, Itarilde, Greenclaw) are in. "Deadmines?" "Sure. Got room for 2?" "No, sorry, only one." Well my wife, Itarilde, is aching to get back to Guild Wars so she says "Have fun."

The guildie is a level 20 Warlock. With us were an 18 Druid, a 18 Priest, and a 17 Mage or so. The guildie was first time ever in the Deadmines. The Mage knew the place. The Priest didn't say thing one. The Druid. ... I wonder if you see where I'm going with this.

We zone in, the Druid changes to bear form and charges. He's being beaten like pancake dough by a mob of defias stuff, he cries "Help" and I run back out of the instance with the others. We zone back in. "I'm the tank. Let me pull with my gun." "Shut up" the druid says. "I'm doing DPS." I run recap and in fact, tanking, I was #1 in damage output. The Warlock's Succubus was #2. The druid was #3. Whatever. I've also /ignored him. I think he added "I want to hurry this up because I power grind." Not being to hear his response I informed the group "This isn't grinding, it's an instance. Patient wins the day." Or something to that effect.

And it goes well. I don't get a lot of heals from the druid, but I pull the mobs, one or two at a time, and hold their attention tanking them. Very manageable for us. Before we get to Smite I've taken him off /ignore.

So far, so good. They get the adds, I pull Smite away from the boat and hold him. The adds dead we hurt Smite enough, and yada yada yada, Smite's dead. Some sword drops. Nothing special. I simply greed it. It's no upgrade. The druid is beside himself. Fourth time there and still no hammer for him. We work up the ramp and then we have our first blue item drop. It's a one-handed sword. I ask if I can need it. Nobody objects. So I do. So does the Druid. He wins it. At this point I should have told my guildie "Kick him or I'm out of here." But I'm new in the guild, there's more depending on finishing this than the druid (who's only there for loot anyway).

We continue on. The Warlock's succubus manages to be given a target on an upper deck. Next thing we know there's 20 defias around us. Most of us die except the mage who's ran up and jumped on the big wheel. We rez and return, and the mage jumps down. We proceed up the and manage to be wiped by Greenskin. We return to the instance and it's reset.

So we had this reckless Druid in catform, we had this Druid ninja looter, and we're getting sloppy. The druid has no reason to remain, and we get the offer from a Paladin in the guild who'd come and help. The Druid won't leave. "This is good xp" he says. But, at least he leaves, the Paladin joins us and we run up and get Van Cleef. (The place had respawned for the most part as well.)

The Cape of the Brotherhood dropped. Warlock, Priest, Mage, and Warrior there. (The Paladin is beyond that level.) They all greed it, and, nice guy that I am (I'm no Ninja Looter) I greed it too. The Mage came away with a nice +Agi & +Sta cloak. Wonder if I could have put it to better use and should I have needed it?

So, I turned in the head, got new mail leggings, and wondered how many runs to have the /random chance at getting the things I want by luck, and without the ninjas.

Druids in cat form are very viable. Like I already told you, my cat form Druid topped the damage charts on run by simply backstabbing mobs otherwise working on hunter pets. But a cat that thinks he's Superman, lose him like he was a leper or something.

Ninja Looters? Give them the boot immediately. They're only going to Ninja the next thing they want too.

Agent of the Forsaken. Life on a PvP server. Life's not over until you're 60. Life ends at 60 rather often. Enjoy it.

Darkhoof took the night off. No doubt ruminating on some of the grasses of Mulgore, recovering from the blistering he got in Molten Core Wednesday night.

Oddity though, lazy Orc that he is, has been just resting up a storm in the Undercity. Level 38 and some amount of rested xp built up again.

It's time to hit the pavement Orcy boy. "Lok'tar!"

I make sure my gear is repaired, my bags are empty, I check the mail and grab the stuff that didn't sell and run it back to the Auction House again.

I'd got an invite to go later to Razorfen Downs but that companion-in-arms had not appeared in the realm yet.

I exit Lordaeron (Thanks, Human Race, for the nice city. Too bad we've got it now!) and turn westwards. I don't know why I decided to run, but I did, and I headed out to the Sepulcher.

On the road I saw some younger characters heading the same way. One had acquired a Worg and the Worg was chewing his butt but good. He might have kept going and the Worg might have lost interest except the Worg had managed to daze him. I got to within charge range and let that Worg have it. I looted the body and saw the Worg's heart was still collectable. I gave it to it's intended victim since I know he would shortly have a quest to recover more such hearts. I ran on after he'd thanked me and I'd cheered.

I reached the Sepulcher but then decided that what I wanted to do was clear up some quests in Hillsbrad. "Ganksbad" is what they should call it. Gank Mill and South Gank. :) I jest. But I also wasn't running there to PvP. I've got 40 to reach, and by gum, I will. Eventually.

First quest on the list was to collect a few more skulls from the pesky humans. The poor Deathguard in Tarren Mill, stuck there guarding the place, had sent me out to do his business. And his business had me collect him 30 skulls. Nice. Agent of the Forsaken is what I am.

I've seen leper gnomes. I've seen dark dwarves. I've seen Undead elves and humans and trolls.

We Orcs were torn from our homeworld of Draenor. We were once noble, we embraced nature and it's forces. But the Scourge came and corrupted us.

I guess unlike the other races, where pure representatives are still to be found, Orcs are, to a man, woman, and child, corrupted forms of our once noble selves. I'll be very happy if one day I can return to Draenor and find an Orc cousin who remains untouched by the scourge. Would he be a tusked brute driven to constant warfare? I think not.

But here I am. Product of the scourge. Tusked and with fire in my eyes!

So, Orc Think here: You need 30 skulls? Okee dokee.

And I also had to get some shards from some Forsaken traitors being held by, or in the protection of perhaps, the mages of Dalaran. And I needed to collect some stones off these mages and researchers as well.

Since Dalaran was closer to the Sepulcher than the village of Hillsbrad, that was my first stop.

The prison camp is easy enough to find. The guards are laughably inadequate to keep a warrior such as I out, and one by one the traitors met their end, leaving me with the shards they had sought to turn over to the Dalaran mages. The last of them was guarded by a mage who dropped a journal. It accounted her tests of the shard. It accounted her attempts to establish the material characteristics of the shards. It accounted for about 12 pages more than me, a brute Orc, cared to read. "Ah, maybe somebody cares back in Lordaeron!" Into the bags it went. "Zug Zug!"

I then moved out to the old city of Dalaran. Most of it's been bubbled, whether it is protected or devastated inside is a question. Outside it's only ruins with the odd Dalaran researcher wandering around. They carry stones for some purpose and I managed to pry a few from the more than few cold, twitching, fingers.

Now Dalaran is on the "run path" for the Alliance to go to the Scarlet Monastery. The Scarlet Monastery is the questing destination for both sides, from about the mid-30's to 40 or so. What that mean is every so often I'd spot Alliance, individuals or small groups, running past the place. One such Alliance, a Druid, ran rather close. I checked the level, 34 or so, and figured "Me Orc! Me have business to do!" so I turned my attentions back to the folks of Dalaran.

Now after this Druid had passed a Dwarf rode up on this massive Ram. (Them's good eatin'!) His level was ??. Karma, remember that? He waved, I waved, and he rode off.

And shortly I had the shards I needed, and the stones too. Next on my list of jobs was to collect 30 Human Skulls.

So I went to Hillsbrad Fields and I played out the neverending battle between Orc and Mankind and it took a while but eventually I had my 30 skulls. (How is it possible that these Hillsbradians don't all have skulls? What's up with that? Are they degenerates? What's holding them together??) While I whittled down the population, and whittled down their successors, I did see a few Alliance scurrying about. Usually at a distance, always moving the other way. Yay! (Ooh. I forget to mention I dinged 39 at Dalaran. Yes, the skulls quest is below my level, but a quest is a quest, I can earn reputation with the Undercity, and sometimes it just feels good to harvest skulls.)

Bags full of stones, shards, and skulls, I made my way to Tarren Mill and turned it all in.

A freind whispers me and asks if I need help in Stranglethorn Vale. You bet, I reply.

So I flew from Tarren Mill back up to the Undercity and then took the Zeppelin down to Grom'gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale. This friend was Onaeveim who has helped me in the past.

Camp Nesingwary's is a little busier than normal. And while I hunted tigers and raptor and panthers there are more than one or two misunderstandings there between Horde and Alliance.

There was a ?? Rogue wandering the area. At one time I came within a hairsbreadth of me and another killing him. His vanish foiled since I'd put a Rend on him. And there! He lets out a last breath! As I let out mine. :( No Honor Kill for me. Later he'd find me alone and kill me without too much threat to his neck.

But I do manage to get a good bit of hunting accomplished. Ona joining me at times, other times ranging ahead, or looking for trouble behind. He encounters a Paladin and a Mage and makes a, most likely astute, assumption as to their possible sexual orientation. Further on we run into a hunter, or rather Ona does, and then this ?? Warrior runs into me, and then all hell breaks out. There's Ona, 60, me, 39, and like 4 Alliance, 2 or 3 ?? to me. "Darkhoof's got to come!" says Ona. "Okee dokee" says Oddity. Oddity leaves the world in the Spirit form, and Darkhoof comes alive in Orgrimmar (dust, not grass, he's been munching on it would seem). I, as Darkhoof now, astral recall myself to Kargath and then jump a pridewing down to Grom'gol. Before I land I see that Grom'gol is under attack. Good. Not far to go to find the fight.

There's Ona, surrounded by 4 Alliance, all level 60's, some younger ones, the Orc guards are out fighting too, some Horde players as well, and I run in, Frostshock one on him, and then a Flameshock and it dies. I'm rooted and then a 60 Hunter starts firing! I Frostshock! and Frostshock! and come free and knife the little guy to death with my Sorcerous Dagger! Earthfury gear for the win! (Since I'm not at all Elemental specc'd. I'm a healer. Not a fighter.)

It's raging. Back and forth. I do die twice. But I get 8 HK's. It's late and we'll have to leave soon. But Theido joins us. A guild Druid. And Ona and I change to Ghostwolf form and Theido gets into cat form and we run up the coast. Ooh, I'd hate to run into us. Little Gnome Warlock with pink Princess Leia buns? Left without the means to self-motivate. Night Elf Hunter lady. Remember us? We remember you!

And Ona says "This is what I'm talking about." Yeah. It was fun. I'm sure it was fun for the Alliance too. We live a little, we kill a little, we die a little. We need to have fun. (And keep company with at least one level 60 friend around.)

Droonda and Oddity visit Shimmering Flats. Pick up broken goblin parts. Wonder if goblin engineering is really all it's cracked up to be. (All the parts would say "Yes" to that question.)


We had gotten a note from some Orc warrior in Orgrimmar to go visit another Orc stationed at the edge of the Shimmering Flats, that vast expanse of salt and crusty beats at the bottom end of Thousand Needles.

There was something up that involved the insects we know as the Silithid. Folks know them early on because a small hive can be found in the barrens south of Camp Taurajo. Our next place to encounter them is in the western end of the Shimmering Flats. There is a large hive area in sands of Tanaris, and yet another below the swampy waters in Un'Goro Crater. Like stepping stones leading to a war, the largest concentration is in Silithus, and what nightmares await us beyond the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj?

But Oddity and Droonda weren't taking on the armies of the Qiraji. We were going to simply harvest some parts off a few randomly skittering about bugs.

They are curious things. Sometimes you can kill one quite close to a neighbor. Other times you attack one that is all alone and they'll call for help and you find yourself surrounded by them and running for safety. Being a level 38 Warrior it was not a difficult quest. (There is a follow on quest attained by collecting a bug part.) Oddly, we entered their hive there, with the glowing egg sacks hanging from the cieling, and we dispatched these creatures here one by one. I even mined a few ooze covered mithril veins, so it was more than just bug parts.

We returned to the Orc stationed on the border and concluded our business with him, given, of course, the quest to follow-up elsewhere again.

But the evening was early and the expanse behind us was calling. I thought Droonda might enjoy seeing the Goblin racing track. While there we were given a few quests to accomplish and we set out accomplishing them. Killing Basiliks, killing scorpids, collecting goblin racing machine parts.

Those parts were scattered everywhere. And yet folks trust those Zeppelins?? And yet the other alternative for cross-world travel is boats, and who builds boats? Ever been to the Dead Mines? Right! Goblins. It's therefore no small wonder that every now and then, when you're expecting a comfortable flight across the world, you will instead find yourself falling from great heights into the unknown. You may remember the recall so many months ago, when Captain Placeholder was brought in while the boats, and the Zeppelins too I assume, were being worked on.

With all those quests accomplished what was surprising was there was no fights with Alliance. There was something in the local defense channel. Some Night Elf Druid had attacked someone while they were fighting something but the Druid was run off without a death. I later saw the Druid, level 30, and on seeing me and Droonda he immediately changed to cat form and disappeared. We encountered a level 31 Dwarf Hunter in some big water filled blast hole but we're banking karma so we let him be. I know that someday that Dwarf Hunter will plant as many arrows in our back as he can, and I hope the karma I've banked will find him squashed flat, like some Looney Tunes 'toon, by Sulfuras, The Hand of Ragnaros, wielded by an avenging guildmate. That mace is coming. I see the descending shadow now.

And while we watched the start of one of the races a ?? Night Elf Warrior appeared. She rode around but did not dismount. And then her ward appeared. A level 39 Night Elf Hunter who appeared to be speaking with the same goblins as we were. Walk tall, carry a big stick, and have a level 60 guildmate cover your six. [Recipe: For Success].

After the races we headed back. I continued on to Stonetalon Peak and did a few circuits of the Charred Vale to mine some more mithril and iron.

The hammock in Sun Rock Retreat was a welcome sight.

The Solo Warrior needs bandaids.

Droonda and Oddity were accompanied by Ona, a guild Shaman, as we took on Razorfen Kraul. We needed to wait for Droonda to get to level 32 so we could do all three quests there. Get Razorflank's Heart (which I'd done already) for someone in Thunderbluff, gather a sample of bat guano for the silly alchemist in the UC, and take some gophers in to gather blue tubers for the goblin in Ratchet.

I enjoy Razorfen Kraul. As I already related, with a group of five, this was a simple enough dungeon crawl. The pigs are rarely in groups larger than two. Cleave with a big axe works wonders here. And Ona can heal and deal damage. It was fun. He'd launch a chain lightning and I'd charge in. I'd hamstring runners until I could outright land an execute on them. Droonda stayed in back and was primarily our healer and cast earthshock to disrupt casters and frostshock to slow runners. Ona had been through once or twice so we took on the mini-bosses. Those Death guys. Droonda got herself a wonderful blue axe out of the deal. It didn't take long and we'd gotten the last boss and no small amount of loot. I think Droonda enjoyed it. I remembered her early days in Ragefire Chasm and she had gotten quite stressed with all the activity going on. She's much more confident now, and she should be! She's a Shaman. A Shaman with some big friends. That never hurts.

We concluded the foray into Razorfen Kraul by escorting a goblin held prisoner back out. The path we took constituted of a line of armored boars which we'd already cleared. A few additional boars charged from out of nowhere but they were quickly dealt with. Quest reward, a +6 ring, I took the Agility one, I soon sold to a vendor.

Outside we waved goodbye to Droonda as she headed north to the Crossroads and Ratchet. Ona and I had one more mission to accomplish. There was a renegade Forsaken to be found across the Gold Road in Razorfen Downs named Ambassador Malcin. We entered the Downs and tracked down Malcin, but I died before I could take his head. Ona resurrected me but I was quickly tracked down and died again. The second time I was rezz'd I moved clear away and up a thorn and sat overlooking Malcin's tent and Ona. We waited and waited and waited. Ona told me about his past life in another place where he played a Dark Knight and the adventures there amongst the stars. Malcin wasn't going to reappear it seemed. Ona went out and found Malcin had moved tents! We found him and this time I got his head. Success. I returned to the Undercity and returned the head to Varimithas, the bat guano to the apothecary, and then all the way back up to Ratchet to turn in the blue tubers. I've found the next quest now, and that's to pay Razorfen Downs a visit and kill the Lich there.

Oh, yes, almost forgot my point. If you're a Warrior you'd better be good at making bandages. Lately, when I've had a bit of spare time I'll run up to the Scarlet Monastery and beat up on those punk Crusaders. They're elite so they'll do a little bit of damage. After every third fight I apply a good heavy silk bandage and then move on. What's nice is in addition to dropping lots of loot, they also drop the silk I use to make the bandages I need in order to keep killing them. That's pretty much come to a stop now that I've dinged 37. I'll have to get Droonda up a few levels and then we'll head out to Desolace. That's a change of scenery for Droonda. (And being a Shaman we'll have it easy with her casting water breathing on us. :)

Alliance to the right of them,
Alliance to the left of them,
Alliance in front of them,
Suff'ring blades from the shadows
Storm'd at with magical hell
Boldly they rode and well
Into the Molten Core
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the Requiem Forty.

Darkhoof entered Molten Core tonight. Many hours later left following Baron Geddon's demise. 5 bosses isn't a bad run for us.

The Earthfury Epaulets dropped but I was outbid by another Shaman. Sigh. All the DKP in the world won't help you win a roll.

---

Later Oddity recovered his body in the waters outside of Nesingwary's Camp in Stranglethorn Vale. He'd been left there by a trio from some Alliance guild, a warrior, a rogue, and some other such. On coming back, finding the surroundings empty, he proceeded to engage the young tigers and panthers for the first of the hunting quests. When all of a sudden along comes a 40 dwarf hunter. Sure enough if I were to wave I'd be ganked. If I ignored him I'd be ganked. Now I was on a tiger, and a panther caught wind oh him, and of a sudden this cat comes out of stealth to attack me. I allow some rage to be built up and then fear them. This cat flees and I kill the tiger. I'm in no mood for PvP so I move on into the jungle.

Well the Hunter proceeds to put a Hunter's Mark on me. So, I knew I'd shortly have a cat on my butt and he'd be firing arrows at me from afar. Sure enough, a concussive shot hit me. Then, oddly, he starts waving. I proceed to cut him down, landing an execute that drops him to the jungle floor.

If the Hunter's Mark was to get my attention, and the concussive shot merely to slow me so he could approach, and the wave a sincere indication of friendship, then I appear to have overreacted and for that I'd apologize.

But after the earlier ganking I'd gotten from the trio, and the Hunter's Mark is a slap in the face of an enemy, I was in no mood to die over the matter.

I hate Gank Nesingwary's.

35 with a Bang Howdy.

Well, on reaching level 34 I was very confident my wife and I could handle a little questing in Thousand Needles. She was a level 29 Shaman and I was a Warrior with a big freaking axe and a healer along for company. So we met in Orgrimmar after she'd completed a successful run through Shadow Fang Keep with Darkhoof, her mentor.

From there we, she and Oddity, hopped on some Wyverns and flew up to Thunderbluff in Mulgore.

Oddity and Droonda above the hills of Mulgore.

Mulgore. It's beautiful countryside. I love the ambient sounds of nature, the pine trees, the chill blue pools, the high walls enclosing the area like a mother's loving embrace. Thunderbluff itself is quite nice. Awesome vistas from the bluffs overlooking the green plains and the wandering kodo and striders. One doesn't feel more in tune with nature than visiting Thunderbluff. It stands to reason that the Tauren race undertook the mysteries of the Druids. This is also where the Horde comes to train in guns. Peace, and the means to keep it, at least in this corner of the world.

To be forever on the run from the Scourge, or the other, newer, evils that are arising just now, just doesn't seem right. Perhaps Draenor can't be recreated, and is forever lost now, but perhaps a spot can be found here on Azeroth where folks can raise their little ones in line with their own creeds. Mulgore seems a beautiful spot for it. Wasn't that all Thrall wanted for his clan? That and, perhaps, a little revenge?

It was a quiet day when we arrived at Freewind Post there in Thousand Needles. And there were quests aplenty to undertake. A dedicated Warrior with a healing Shaman to support him made short work of everything thrown before us. We raided Grimtotem Village for the documents. We returned to rescue a young Tauren woman. We returned yet again to summon a monstrously large windserpent. We returned one more time to relight the summoning fire, and again slay the windserpet. We tracked down an alien egg, we hunted down a hyena of some strength, we raided the Harpies outpost, and we raided the centaur outpost, and we started the Tests. Droonda completed the Tests to the point of visiting the Scarlet Monastery, and Oddity later completed that part as well.

It was a glorious day. During the quests and the running around Droonda dinged 30! Congratulations, my dear. She returned to Orgrimmar and Oddity moved on to the Undercity where he would wait for an expedition into the Scarlet Monastery. But Droonda was not quite done yet for her level 30 Shaman quest returned her to Thousand Needles. Darkhoof accompanied her, gentleman cow that he is, and dispatched a sneaky snake level 43 Night Elf Rogue that was prowling around. She got her new Air Totem and we returned back to the safety and warmth of Orgrimmar.

Later that day the battles got more intense.

Oddity with his new Sword of Omen.

The shield shown, the Commanders Crest which I won by slaying Commander Springvale in Shadow Fang Keep, is of lesser rank now, and I only keep it because 1) It goes with the white and light gold Illuminati guild colors, and 2) I can't use the Aegis of the Scarlet Commander yet, for which I'll have to be level 39 first. Until then it is stored in the bank. And before that, at level 37, I'll be able to use Herod's own Ravager, taken from his dead fingers, a very slick looking two-handed battle axe. With these in the bank is Herod's Helmet as well.

I got all this phat loot after I entered the Scarlet Monastery, at the behest of Varimathras, with some good friends. Carlspackler, the largest Warrior I know, a Tauren wielding a Halbeard of Smiting. Lexia, Mage extraordinaire, and keeper of every pet I'm familiar with, including Murky, a Murloc orphan who she's trained to dance the most delightful little ditty. Gambi, Priest, decurser and healer, and not your usual undead. Oddity left there, enriched and enthralled with the warrior ethos, level 35.

Oddity was already wearing the Scarlet Boots, the Scarlet Gauntlets, and the Scarlet Wristguards from the Auction House. He acquired the Ravager on an earlier run with Egan the Warlock, and Ona the Shaman, and the Helm on this run. A friend has the level 32 Scarlet Belt and promised them to me.

What he has left to acquire at the Monastery are the level 34 Scarlet Chestpiece, level 37 Herod's Shoulder, and the level 38 Scarlet Leggings off Herod.

And then, before I know it, I'll be level 40 wearing Plate and riding a wolf.

Walk tall, follow three level 60 guildies, and you can't go wrong.

A Warrior's Journey. From obscurity to getting a real nice axe.

Dinging Level 29 with my Warrior Oddity seems like so long ago. I vaguely recalled the moment I turned 29 and vowed to enter the Warsong Gulch and fight for honor till I'd earned my Sergeant's stripes, or I dinged 30, whichever came first.

And did I ever fish up a storm. I mean the waits to get into Warsong Gulch are everlasting. I sometimes waited an hour, killing time by speaking with the Battle Master in Orgrimmar and heading out to the Crossroads and then running up to the Oasis up North where Deviate Fish spawn.

But one third of my way to Level 30 and I thought to myself "This sucks. I'm getting nowhere." I'd earned all of two stripes for my time spent here. So I decided to head out into the real world and return to the Way of the Warrior.

I'd gotten a Warrior quest back when I was level 20. The Brutal Armor quest. I'd gone to Stonetalon Peak to get some ore out of one of it's mines. I'd already mined some of my own iron ore and smelted it into bars. And I'd gotten some powdered Azurite from the Azureload Mine in Hillsbrad. What I had left was to get some Phlogistone (or something like that, Me Orc! Me Smash! Me not so bright always!). But I wasn't worried about it. The quest reward for completing that armor set wasn't as nice as what I could already make myself. BUT it was a Warrior quest and I figured I'd have to complete that one to get the one I really wanted, my own Whirlwind Axe.

Not really going anywhere and on my way south of Camp Tarajo to look for green mobs to kill I heard a group was looking for a tank for Razorfen Kraul. Checking real quick I realized the component I needed for my Warrior quest was actually found in RFK. Yay! And I had one quest there already, that was to get the heart of Razorflank. So I volunteered my axe and shield and was invited into a group.

It was a glorious run my friends. I the level 29 Tank, the Mage 30, the Priest 28, the Rogue 29, and a Hunter 28. I tanked and was 2nd on the DPS, the mage coming in first, and we did not have a single death. Not one. We were through there in a little over an hour. We were stoked on completing that one. A pick-up-group that good is something few and far between. Turning in the heart of Razorflank saw me dinging 30, and already having gotten a nice shield out of RFK I opted for the mail girdle quest reward. And with the phial of phlogistan I went to the armorer in the Barrens and he made me the promised Brutal Haubrek. This piece of chest armor was as nice as what I was wearing, but in different ways. One emphasized Strength and the other Stamina. Both could have their purpose.

But there was more to the Brutal armor set as I was to learn. Gloves, Leggings, and Helm as well. These turned out to be easier to acquire. I got the component for the Helm by killing a Chimera in the Charred Vale, and I returned it to the armorer and had a helm made. It wasn't as nice as what I was already wearing.

I then turned my attention to the new Warrior quest set for me. That was to journey to Fray Island and speak with The Islander. (Yes, it's a pun. :) I had to prove myself and it was just so easy. Even the big guy, Will, he fell to my blows without me even breaking a sweat.

So now I had the quest to go get my Axe. I volunteered the help of a guildmate and for that help assisted him with his own character. What a sweet axe for a level 30 Warrior. If you can get your hands on one, do so. With new axe in hand I continued on my journey to complete my Brutal Armor set.

The Brutal Leggings would be fashioned for me when I returned to the armorer with the shinbones taken from Dragonmaw Orcs. These are the Dragonmaw Orcs that patrol the Wetlands. To get to them I had to journey first from Hillsbrad to Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands. This would be my first run there. It was a quick journey and I avoided the attention of the various beasts by sticking to the road. I even escaped the notice of the one Alliance I came across and that was a Level 60 Warlock. (Whew.)

On reaching Hammerfall and getting the flightpath there, I then turned south and headed into the Wetlands. Again, no Alliance and the Dragonmaw's fell to the Whirlwind Axe like there was no tomorrow. And I dinged 31 while doing it. Not bad.

Now having gotten the shinbones, and being so far south already, I decided "Why not?" and decided to head out to the Badlands. I journeyed up the Dwarven tunnels, killing a couple of defenders very easily (that Whirlwind Axe is AWESOME!) and making my way through the Loch Modan region.

Actually entering the Badlands was equally anti-climatic. The wolves spotted me right away but I just kept running. My Warrior abilities kept me healthy with their every blow it seemed and I eventually arrived at Kargath.



From there I hopped on a Windrider and flew south to Grom'gol where I'd been the day before collecting tusks for the axe quest. I love the sea.




I then hopped on the Zepplin out of there and flew up to the Undercity where I turned in the legbones and collected my Brutal leggings.

I then hearthed back to the Crossroads and then flew north to Splintertree Post. I had one last piece of the Brutal armor set to get and that involved collecting Satyr hooves. So easy. I wasn't one-shotting these level 28 Satyr, but close enough. Cleave is a wonderous thing. (One cleave hit was 456 points of damage!) And while a collected my hooves I noticed I was making good progress on the experience front as well. Before my hearthstone had cooled down for reuse I dinged 32. On dinging, I hearthed back to the Crossroads, flew to Orgrimmar, got some more Warrior training, and then ran down to Sin'jin Village where I collected the last piece of my Brutal Armor set, the gloves.

You know, if you can get all these quests done, you're already wearing something better than the quest rewards. For a newcomer with modest means maybe it's a good set. For someone twinked and pampered like Oddity, well, it was a bit of a let down. But, wasn't that fitting afterall? For do we not find tears at the end of every Warrior's journey?