Many of you may have noticed my blog has been some what lacking again, additionally I haven’t giving Michelle over at Warcraft Outsiders for a couple of weeks. Firstly if you are an avid reader who checks this blog compulsively every day I apologise for disappointing you. There are a couple of reasons as to why my blog has lessened somewhat recently, mostly this is because I am moving jobs. A couple of weeks back a put in an application with another company and was very happy when it was successful. But aside from the turmoil involved in leaving one company and joining another I have found my enthusiasm for Warcraft somewhat lessened. Sure I have enjoyed logging on to do heroics and raids here and there but overall I am playing a lot less.
On a more positive note I have been thoroughly enjoying showing Ianthe (a friend of mine who just reached 80) through heroics and hopefully soon raids. We also finished off our 200 rate arena matches last night just in time for the cut off on Tuesday.
I think I will probably continue on this lessened play schedule until 3.1 comes out then it will be full steam ahead into Uldar!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Moving foward
Monday, March 16, 2009
For glory! For honor! For… a Murloc?
In a genius manoeuvre clearly designed to make Blizzard piles of easy money the current arena tournament features a unique, desirable and achievable prize. All players who participate in 200 rated matches in the arena tournament will receive an armoured murloc pet.
Subsequently a large number of players who would never step into arena have paid their US$20 and stepped into the arena tournament realms. Alassiel with her insatiable desire to collect pets is one of these people so joined by Sellia and I, Triptych was reformed.
Although we have certainly lost our fair share of matches we have also won many of them. Typically against teams such as “Nom nom nom Murloc”, “Strip or Win” and “Murloc or bust”
As a team we are defiantly improving and I am confident in saying we suck less! Did I happen to mention I am playing a Death Knight?
Warriors in 3.1.0 - PvP and Stances
You may have noticed my post a little while back about protection warriors in PvP. Well it appears we (by we I refer to all warriors not just tanks) are due for a buff in the next patch, a buff mostly aimed for PvP so all you Death Knights better watch out.Apparently all our stances will “suck less” with the penalties being reduced and a armour penetration effect added to Battle Stance. Currently of the three warrior stances one (Battle) is essentially a lack of stance with no bonus or penalty and the other two offer a bonus that comes with a penalty. So Berserker Stance gives you additional critical strike rating but increases the amount of damage you take and Defence Stance reduces the amount of damage you take but also reduces the amount you deal. The latest build is set to give Battle Stance an increase in armour penetration and halve the penalty of both Berserker and Defensive Stances.
Although these changes are squarely aimed at PvP where a warrior in Berserker Stance is easy prey with a nice big damage boost against them the changes to Defensive Stance will be fantastic for the tanks out there who will effectively deal an additional 5% damage.
We will also be getting a new ability; Shattering Throw deals damage, reduces armour and removes an invulnerability effect. It will have a 5 minute cool down, cost 25 rage and but will only be usable in battle stance. This will be a big deal for PvP warriors who will be one of only two classes who can offer some beat down to an ice blocked Mage or shielded Paladin. However It’s PvE effects will be somewhat limited as I highly doubt any raid bosses will be susceptible to this.
Last but not least there will be reductions to the cool downs on Last Stand and Intimidating Shout.
As a final note, I can be beaten by Death Knights.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
You what Malygos?
After many failed attempts at Malygos last week I wasn’t expecting great things when I joined a PUG Tuesday evening for 10 man Eye of Eternity. To say I was pleasantly surprised when we one shotted him would be an understatement. So I can finally say that I have downed all raid cont in Wrath of the Lich King. Unfortunately as I have yet to complete heroic Oculus (I really should get around to that) I do not quite have the meta achievement.
If anyone is interested as to how it was so much easier with the PUG it comes down to two things. Firstly a Death Knight that was pulling the sparks perfectly onto each other and a Mage that topped out at 8.5k DPS which is INSANE!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Warcraft Outsiders
The kind folks over at Warcraft Outsiders have posted an article I wrote. I will be writing one or two each week with a focus on instances. To begin with I will be covering the basics but I intend to work up to some more advanced details about raiding and end game.
Warcraft Outsiders is a spin off from the Videogame Outsiders podcast. Both are a great listen!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Black Temple - Super Bowl of not Standing in Things
After a moderately successfully session of wiping repeatedly on Malygos and some premade PVP on Saturday night we decided to set up a Black Temple run for the following evening. Sadly we didn’t have enough guildies on to make up a full raid and ended up PUGing about a third of the raid out of trade chat. The first seven bosses were fun with the fact that nearly half the raid paid no attention to what anyone said, refused to wait for people and need rolled on items we agreed to distribute at the end merely a mild annoyance. However once we hit the Illidan council things got worse! I really shouldn’t be surprised as the stupid things people say and do when they think they are anonymous but I am. The evening was saved for me by the following comment on Wowhead for the Illidan council
“Well My friends its time for all that experence to pay off because Illidari council is the SUPER BOWL OF NOT STANDING IN THINGS!”
Sadly we did not down Illidan as we were unable to get past the second (fire elemental) phase.But it is all too easy to get caught up on things like how I will never raid or group with anyone from
Also thankyou very much to Samyell and Smeric. Sam for his very helpful information of what to expect from some of the boss fights and Smeric for handling the majority of the loot rolls. Oh and thanks to Strag for coming into Vent and keeping me sain.
Their cold dead faces - Death Knights and PVP
There has been mounting complaints that Death Knights are over powered in PVP, I’m sorry but I just don’t see it. Perhaps it is that my PVP experience with death knights is too limited, maybe I have just been lucky and only fought bad players or it could even be that a protection warrior (especially a Dwarf with a racial that counters disease) is a good counter to a Death Knight. Sure they have a lot of interesting and annoying tools but nothing that can’t be overcome. You are welcome to take my post with a grain of salt because I haven’t actually played a Death Knight but just the other day I managed to kill a Shaman, Death Knight duo (Keep in mind this is essentially four kills including a shaman’s Ank and Death Knight’s “come back as a ghoul” thing), sure I didn’t have much health left at the end but I was still the victor.
My comment earlier about protection warriors being a good counter to a Death Knight may in fact not be too far from the truth. I can silence, stun, disarm and sunder them while introducing my shield to their cold dead faces. But until I can craft a PVP protection spec and get into some more battlegrounds and arena I wont know for sure.
Alassiel, Sellia and I are reforming Triptych on the Arena Tournament realm. We have all signed up and will be participating in the 200 matches so Alassiel and Sellia can get their Armoured Murloc pets. Alassiel will heal for us as a restoration druid, Sellia will stay as a frost mage and I will create a Death Knight. It seems like this is will be an interesting chance to try the class without the bother of leveling it. Worst case I realise I can’t do it and swap to a fury warrior or perhaps even a protection warrior.
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