Concordance!

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 gnomecore World of Warcraft

So, have you got your Concordance yet?

By now I have it on four toons. Those would be Micromantica (Frost), Mindebad (Frost), Backston (Marksmanship) and Faerella (Affliction) – in other words, those classes largely focused on one spec for me.

There was no special grind. Just LFR, emissary questing and order hall missions.

Now when I’m getting Concordance on one spec, I would switch to play the other specs and boost them to 52 as well. After that? I stop worrying about Artifact Power at all. This would be the end of the line. I would focus on gold probably.

Reaching this level of artifact power makes me try even the specs which I’m uncomfortable with. And once I learn and master – they suddenly become comfortable and cool.

Micromantica is now a badass firestarter. Not exactly a new and an exciting spec for me, but it’s fun in raids by all means.

Mindebad spent two days reading guides and tweaking talents, but I’m so into Unholy now that it gives me shivers! I’ve even combined a brand new cool transmog for my now Plague Knight:

Mindebad-Unholy-Death-Knight

I’ve also checked out the model sets for plate robes and skirts (quite a rare occasion in plate armor company), and I found that Heart of Fear offers very cool outfits :) My next destination during the coming weekend.

Legion is not only alt friendly, it’s spec friendly as well.

Trivia: Anticipation

June 22, 2017 gnomecore Legion, Mounts, Questing, Raids, World of Warcraft

With Tomb of Sargeras out yesterday, I can’t yet put my nose into it until the next week (because LFR).

As much as I’m anticipating the new raid environment, I’m not being lazy. I have lots of things to do. And here’s what happens:

My toons are now diligent about carrying sacks full of loot from both Emerald Nightmare and The Nighthold. I’m starting to finish my Nighthold model sets, and the rest of toons are lacking just 1 to 3 pieces.
I’m exploring the role that I’ve largely ignored before: HEALING, and on every available class now. I got the general idea of every healing spec aside discipline priest, and I’m running the raids as a healer with big pleasure. It’s strangely relaxing compared to tanks or even dps. Maybe I’m gonna even try healing Tomb of Sargeras. On top of all, the queues for healers are smaller.
Midsummer holiday is up, and there are four new achievements with bonfires: added in Draenor and Broken Isles. Got them quickly, and earned 150 flame flowers in process. I rummaged through the holiday goods list, and I saw that I lack one pet and one toy. So I’ll be getting them during weekend.
New Archaeology project is up this week, and although I have an artifact appearance for the 8 solves, I’m heading to the bigger achievement. So one more thing to do on weekend.
My reputation race is on, and Team Valar’jar/Highmountain (Micromantica, Aurinko, Bons, Paitsu) was the first to obtain a faction mount from bonus chest! Aurinko won a Highmountain moose.

Now I can safely ignore Highmountain emissary days – I just got myself a weekend from world quests :) The same is gonna happen with other factions.

Kil’Jaeden Death Cinematic: Your Thoughts?

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 gnomecore Legion, World of Warcraft cinematic, kil'jaeden death, Legion

*Spoiler alert

On the first day Kil’Jaeden was defeated, and the raid cinematic leaked to the internet. As a LFR raider and a lore addict I won’t be able to wait until August 8, when I see it with my own eyes, so I decided to watch it tonight.

Here it is.

The encounter happens at the Legion ship and in Twisting Nether, so it’s quite enough to make the kill final (like Archimonde).

What is interesting is that Kil’Jaeden, unlike his bro Archie, saw all the Legion business as the only option. He corrupted many worlds, committed all the atrocities and followed the fallen titan only because he never believed that defeating Sargeras was possible. He just picked the winning side – as he thought it was. But in Broken Shore cinematic he was already in big doubt.

And now, before his death he tells Velen that he was envious of the Prophet’s gift, faith and vision. He’s sorry that he couldn’t see many paths as Velen did.

And it’s slightly different reason why he chased draenei so maniacally. This was not in favor of serving Sargeras. If you remember, he put aside his Legion duties to chase them. It was brother love that moved him, and it was the betrayed love. And there’s no hate stronger than the one transformed from love.

So now, dying, he sees that mortals are quite capable of defeating Legion and Sargeras. That total destruction is not the only option. And that heel-to-face turn is not surprising, if you consider his history.

The other big thing in the cinematic is Illidan’s gambit. Not at all surprising: he always makes an unexpected and rushing move for what he thinks is best. Sadly, all his moves always end in failures.

Anyways, it could work this time. He dragged Argus from the galaxy far-far away and turned it into Azeroth satellite, judging by its size on screenshots and in cinematic ending.

A brilliant move – to some extent. The planet is where the high ranks and most armies of Legion reside, and also its forge. So it’s gonna be very convenient to strike at it, hanging nearby than inventing some spaceships or means to rip a fabric of reality and send armies far away from home. And as we presumably closed the rift in Tomb of Sargeras (did we? All the pillars thing should have worked), it’s not the endless demon armies now. They can’t summon them like they did before!

On the other hand, it works both ways. The Legion’s major stronghold is at our doorstep, and the armies would be vast, albeit without reinforcements. And what’s with the “kill them in Twisting Nether” thing? And what’s with Sargeras himself? Is he at Argus too? Won’t he slice Azeroth in half if he is?

It seems that we can take out their major forge and base camp now, but will it end all the demon thing and Legion’s generals?

We shall see.

Class Mounts: Priest

June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 gnomecore Legion, Mounts, World of Warcraft class mounts, Legion, mounts, priest

*Spoiler alert: the post is Aurinko’s diary, so if you plan to see priest mount story in game with your own eyes, you may want to skip it.

Aurinko – Priest

Priest story is the most intriguing considering lore. You go to Azsuna shore to join Magni Bronzebeard, Brann Bronzebeard and a dwarven priest girl on their errand to discover a secret Titan vault!

It’s hidden underwater near the Maelstorm, so we go there by submarine:

Here we are, and we go deeper. Meanwhile Brann asks his brother how Azeroth talks to him (yes, the planet contains a Titan’s soul and she talks to Magni).

And we’re here, deep underwater. Brann looks for a lever, but the doors open by Magni’s tricks, as he knows many secrets now, and is supernatural.

We enter a cool hall, combining the beauty of Vash’jir outside and the Titan godlike architecture inside:

These balls of light encapsulate the only three sentinel birds left. We are briefed about it by a friendly mechagnome.

We must prove that we’re pure of heart and not submitting to the void lords and old gods by fighting the huge throng of titan creatures! Yeah, right… not submitted to Old Gods when one of my cooldowns throws me into madness :)

The encounter is long, contains many-many mobs, and requires running, positioning, dpsing, and mass dispelling some enemies. The fight was extremely interesting and fun. And strangely… it was very soothing and calming. I think it’s because we’re fighting very clean creatures and constructs of light rather than your common fire puddles and tendrils. And the room is very nice too.

Yay, we’re pure of heart! We can take the birdies home. But of course there would be a ceremony.

Here comes:

They also come in three colors:

The cutest things ever. I am and will be riding it.

You may read another mount stories for all classes:

Class Mounts: Shaman

June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 gnomecore Legion, Mounts class mounts, Legion, mounts, shaman

*Spoiler alert: the post is Schlitzchen’s diary, so if you plan to see shaman mount story in game with your own eyes, you may want to skip it.

Schlitzchen – Shaman

It’s one of the easiest quests among all.

We just need to set order in Air realm. Thunderaan says that there are some rebel genies, and we need to put a leash on them. So we travel to the Throne of Four Winds.

The place is always gorgeous.

Once you’re there, you need to replicate the raid encounter. It means that you need to beat all the shit out of three genies.

Apparently they replicate their raid abilities, only this time you’re on your own to cope with them.

And there’s nothing serious happening. Shaman characters in Legion are the squishiest of all: I just never notice how I lose my health even in the open world against common mobs. Like I’m just doing a world quest, and suddenly half of my health bar is gone! And we also have very few options to restore ourselves.

Even so, the encounters don’t pose a slightest problem. You just go and do your normal stuff: pour damage in the genie, don’t stand in fire, kill adds. And they die quickly.

Well, not die. They submit, we don’t want them dead.

Order is restored, and Thunderaan, instead of being our last trial, simply says “Thank you” :)

Back in your order hall, there’s a thunder ritual, and a majestic one!

Power overwhelming!

And everyone rejoiced :)

The blob is actually very nice. I never thought I would be riding it, but for now I do. It comes in three colors and even three textures: White Thunder for Enhancement, Fiery Storm for Elemental and Sea Green for Restoration.

A pleasant, quick and very beautiful questline, although not heavy in lore.

You may read another mount stories for all classes:

Class Mounts: Rogue

June 19, 2017June 20, 2017 gnomecore Legion, Mounts, World of Warcraft class mounts, Legion, mounts, rogue

*Spoiler alert: the post is Hexen’s diary, so if you plan to see rogue mount story in game with your own eyes, you may want to skip it.

Hexen – Rogue

So, you’re hanging out in your order hall, and then you’re briefed that Legion agents are now in faction capitals! Both Alliance and Horde.

What we’re gonna do? Assassinate them!

To make this fun, your order hall agents will get busy with YOUR faction cities all by themselves. And YOU are sent to the opposite faction capitals… Legion agents are corrupted citizens who look perfectly normal, and they have full support from the capital guards and maybe players – it’s a scenario, but in real PvP life.

Whoopee!

My exploration experience and playing both factions pays off here at large scales. I know all the shortcuts, I know the exact plans of every capital and how to get there.

The quest requires exquisite rogue skills, or you just won’t be able to stab the guys in the back.

First my goblin goes to Exodar. Orgrimmar -> Felwood -> flight on my own wings to Rut’theran village -> a perfectly safe night elven ship gets you right to the city gate. Easy cake, there’s no one there except a low level draenei, and the city itself has more holes than cheese. The wandering draenei “priest” is accompanied by a large killing robot. We toss a distraction pebble, robot looks that way and lingers, but the priest continues walking, so he’s alone. Attack from the shadows – done!

I died once here – I didn’t know how deadly that robot was. VERY deadly, basically one shot me on my first attempt.

To Darnassus we go!

Sneaking through the portal and into the city with stealth was easy. It’s a pleasant straight walk to the city exit which opens into the woods.

There’s some enchanting lady among the THRONGS of weak mobs. Trying to AoE was a fat chance. Cemetery run across the whole tree from Dolanaar. This time it’s just three quick stabs and running like hell from the others. Done!

Teleport to Dalaran -> Orgrimmar -> Twilight Highlands -> pleasant flight over Khaz Modan to the mighty gates of Ironforge. The snitch is there, right in the throne room of the Three Hammers. He stands at the exit, but there are at least five guards which will run at you when you come out of shadows.

I’ve tried to kill him two times (and almost did), then I went to Wowhead for clues.

Turns out that you need to steal a key from him, then unlock his armor. And then he could be killed easily. Oh.

I steal the key, unlock the armor, and start killing him :) Even so it’s not an easy task, because he’s always starting to run away, and guards are running at you immediately.

But Subtlety has this very useful major hit which teleports you behind the victim’s back, and it’s also the strongest one. So I just kept using it – thus teleporting away from the guards with each stab and hitting the guy. Even so, not an easy kill.

Vanish, here we go to Stormwind. Via tram of course!

I was sneaking around Stormwind near midnight. Not too many people were around, but the Auction House and the market square were crowded! Our final goal is Stormwind’s auctioneer.

And it was easy.

The only reason I took this picture was my rushing nature. I just couldn’t wait until a detecting guard with a torch would pass by. By the way, how cool and immersing it is :) He holds a torch, and he saw me!

The second time I knew better. I sneak into the auction house, and it’s just one hit in the neck, when I finish my task. I wouldn’t bother with another cemetery run at this moment. But I didn’t even have to :) Vanished, sneaked to canals, and teleported back to Dalaran to claim my reward.

This mount was really well earned! Hails from Garona:

That idiot of an admiral (we hates him):

Kudos from Valeera Sanguinar and Taoshi (these two we likes)

And a gift from Ravenholdt Manor:

It’s big

WoWScrnShot_060917_235507

Will you be my Valentine?

Yeah, we’re friends now

Off to the skies!

As you could have possibly guessed, the rogue mount quest is one of the most perfect among all classes. Despite consisting for 50% of cemetery runs, it was extremely fun and engaging. And the mount is… fine. Well, I wanted it more than ever judging by screenshots, but it bounces too much when you ride it.

You may read another mount stories for all classes:

Class Mounts: Warrior

June 19, 2017June 20, 2017 gnomecore Legion, Mounts, World of Warcraft class mounts, Legion, mounts, warrior

*Spoiler alert: the post is Bons’s diary, so if you plan to see warrior mount story in game with your own eyes, you may want to skip it.

Bons – Warrior

You’ll never know what you have to do in warrior’s scenario! Any guesses?

Yeah, you have to PROVE yourself to Odyn. Again. And again. And again.

Seriously, orc overdose in WoD was not that tiresome. And it was at least justified. But there’s not a single reason for vrykul overdose in Legion.

From since you enter Stormheim to a pair of dungeons to world quests to raid, spruced by Warrior order hall campaign (if you happen to play one) – you are proving yourself to Odyn. It’s all the same boring shit. It’s like a damaged vinyl when needle jumps over and over to repeat one and the same song. And the song is not even nice.

I was surprised I was not sent to Helheim to collect some valarjar soul stones, Helya’s lantern or whatever thing because they could do that, no kidding.

Lore aside, it actually appeared to be quite fun. Warrior’s mount quest is three encounters against only three challengers. And this is it:

The first comes a hard hitting drogbar, followed by a swift blade master of Shal’dorei and then a valar’jar girl with some heavy Light attacks.

The encounters were very much fun. They were hard enough, and I had to calculate some strategies. Even if you’re in Protection, you won’t survive the whole fight without correct moving and positioning. The last girl gave me some hard times, and I had to think and move like a fly.

Odyn is really bored of all this PROVING shit himself: