Dangers of Azeroth: Roaming Elites
by Elizabeth Harper 
Mar 17th 2006 at 11:00AM
We were all newbies
once, with all the lack of knowledge of the game world that implies. However, has anyone else noticed that
Blizzard has a tendency to hide unpleasant surprises where you least expect them? You know what I'm talking about
- roaming elite monsters, just waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting newbie. Members of the Horde have banded
together to form a Son of Arugal
Victims Support Club - and joking or not, it's important to be aware of these dangerous newbie-killers. I
would also suggest, for the Alliance side, a branch of the club for Stitches and Mor'ladiem, two troublesome elites
wandering through lower level areas in Darkshire. And perhaps there are even more of these roaming troublemakers
of which I'm unaware - how do you handle them when you find them? Group up to take them out, come back for
revenge later, or die quietly and learn to avoid them in the future?Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
vahlere Mar 17th 2006 11:25AM
A piece of advice. If you see an agent. You run.
Griswald Mar 17th 2006 11:38AM
The Wandering Forest Protector in Ashenvale is my all-time most annoying wandering Elite.. He's shown up at the WORST possible times on more than one occasion, forcing me to cut and run (and sometimes die) from whatever battle or quest I was engaged in.. King of the Foulwead being the most annyoing one to bail on..
Although nothing beats the time I was grouped with some random level 22 warrior (I was a level 23 mage), and we came across him, and I said "dude back up, let him pass".. and he rushed him and started fighting.. He died in about 20 seconds. I ungrouped and never talked to him again...
mike b Mar 17th 2006 11:40AM
These roaming elites have always been one of my favourite dilemmas. The first time I ran into stitches shortly after release, I was in awe! Later on, though, a specific battle with stitches would be one of my favourite moments (very long moments) in my experience. As a druid in my mid 30's I was traveling with a like priest who happened to be my best friend. We decided to take out this monger who had plagued us so many times before. I spent most of my time in bear form tanking and doing what little damage could, while getting heals from the priest, occasionally shifting out to heal myself. This however quickly depleted both of our mana pools. However, the lower level folks in the area were quite happy we had him distracted and helped us out as they could, allowing the priest to recoup some mana while I continued to batter him as best I could. After nearly 15 minutes and at least 3 different groups of youngsters coming by and helping out while they could we finally beat him. It was my first Stitches kill. Quite rewarding. I kept that bone-thing he drops for a while as proof of our victory. Fun stuff.
I go back to take my revenge on these roamers, now-a-days. However I still have much vengeance to seek against those blasted devilsaurs in Un'Goro.
~Burnsie Mar 17th 2006 11:49AM
If I am alone, or in a couple and we are below the elite's lvl, I will run. Sometimes I fire off a frostbolt or two first though, just for laughs.
If the elite is at my level and close to what's in my little band (usually it's two or three of us) then we will fight.
The sting of death is so minimal in WoW and a minor annoyance - excpet when in an Instance - that I don't let it trouble me that much when I do die. I just run back to my corpse. No biggie.
Mike Mar 17th 2006 12:04PM
The Wandering Protector in Ashenvale. I've never fallen victim to him, luckily. But there have been a couple times when I have been questing in the Greenpaw Village/Lake Mystral area and almost crapped my pants when a giant tree-man came lumbering out of the woods.
The Outriders in the Southern Barrens: are they elite? Also, those wandering orcs or whatever near Loch Modan. I'm not sure if those guys are elite, but I think I've been whooped up on by those two groups at least once apiece when I was just minding my own business.
Dark Mar 17th 2006 12:53PM
Even if you're not a noob, who hasn't fallen prey to the courier outside of Stratholme?
Cohaagen Mar 17th 2006 12:55PM
I fell to Mor'Ladim so many times in my mid 20's and early 30's that recently (I'm 48) I found myself on a run from the Blasted Lands to Stranglethorn, and I trekked out of my way just to take him down. He didn't drop anything, and I got no XP for it, but it was still one of my best earned and most-satisfying kills in my WoW career.
Eliah Mar 17th 2006 2:16PM
Vultros in Westfall. My first run-in with him was over before I could figure out why the sun had gone away. Later I came back and killed him in revenge, along with any Dust Devils I could find, but still. He was pretty surprising at level 14.
mk Mar 17th 2006 7:18PM
I remember Mor'Ladim most fondly, especially since his was the last quest line that I did in Duskwood. If you paid any attention to the storylines in Duskwood, then Mor'Ladim's quest line proves to be a bittersweet coda to your work in Duskwood before you move on to tougher pastures.
After having to avoid and work around him for so long, it was fun to gather a small PUG--3 people, myself playing a warrior--and hunt him down. We just avoided a full party wipe because the druid in the group raced back just in time to heal me as I kept swinging away (I don't care what anyone else says; dual-wield on a warrior is crazy fun). If I weren't on his quest line I would have been satisfied. But to finish the quest by paying respects over his unmarked grave, as if to let him know he's been a good adversary? That gave me chills and allowed me to leave Duskwood completely satisfied with the experience (the 2H sword you get at the end isn't that shabby either).
That said, I do miss the watcher's cries across the wood, if only to hop onto General chat and ask "Okay, who let Stitches out again?"
But that's what alts are for...
Adam Mar 17th 2006 11:34PM
Stormwind Sewer Beast.
50 elite croc that hits like a mofo.
I remember jumping into the canals as a lowbie and getting one-shotted by him. Later on I tamed him as a pet (had to use a freeze trap to survive the taming).
crsh Mar 18th 2006 12:58PM
Slight correction, Vultros and the Sewer Beast are not elites, they're rare spawns; Vultros is simply above your average player level for the zone (Westfall is 10-20, Vultros is ~25; Sewer Beast is indeed lv50).
Favourite wandering elite? Devilsaurs in Un'goro, despite their size you never see them coming, they sneak up on you from behind and turn you into jello.
tsm Mar 20th 2006 8:49PM
Nobody has mentioned the Alliance Outrunners who roam the Barrens. A group of four tiger mounted level 25 elites who have laid waste to countless unsuspecting lowbies.
Everyone now and then I encounter them as I cross the barrens and even today, as a level sixty, I never fail to dismount and slay them. Slaying them never fails to satisfy me.
Some things ARE forever.
Mike Mar 21st 2006 7:07AM
"The Outriders in the Southern Barrens: are they elite? Also, those wandering orcs or whatever near Loch Modan. I'm not sure if those guys are elite, but I think I've been whooped up on by those two groups at least once apiece when I was just minding my own business."
I mentioned them back at #5 ;)
Although I did call them Outriders. I'm not sure what they're actually called.
Anyway, I had a close encounter with them once when I was running to Thousand Needles from XR. I was in the high 20s, so nothing the the Barrens wanted a piece of me. As such, I had auto-run on and I was checking my map periodically. Well, I checked my map a little South of Camp Taurajo and when I came back WHAMMY! 4 Allies slightly lower level than me were all pounding on me. I ran and got away from them, but it was a close call.