Okay, so back when the old Grand Marshal and Warlord PvP sets were scrapped in favor of Gladiator gear for honor, I was actually pretty dismayed, but not for the same reason as most others. I wasn't really concerned about "Welfare Epics" or "AFKavers" simply standing at the entrance of AV and getting good gear because of it. I was sad because the look of the sets was going away!

Yeah, that my sound a bit crazy, but bear with me for a bit, let me explain myself.

With a lot of people complaining that the Burning Crusade has led to the homogenization of the factions, the old PvP gear was some of the last gear that truly differentiated the factions and allowed you to proclaim your pride. The polished golden armor and brightly colored silks of the knights of the Alliance were in clear contrast to the dark, bloody colors of the Legionnaires of the Horde. High-ranking Alliance Warriors, Paladins, and Hunters especially were immediately recognizable by shoulders which carry alliance insignias, and the weapons available to both sides carried insignias and emblems of their respective allegiances.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for giving Shamans and Paladins for both sides (and giving Seal of Blood to the Alliance), but there's still something to be said for having some pride in your faction when you're engaging in Battlegrounds or World PvP, and there's few better ways to show that pride (besides a yell or an emote that the other side won't even understand) than showing your faction's colors or symbols in battle. That was where it was really nice to be able to have that look. It went even more-so for Trolls. Warlord's gear was the only way some Trolls had to ever get some full boot cover on their poor calloused feet.

We've got the stats back from that old level 70 gear, as it is now purchasable for gold and reputation, but unfortunately, it's back with generic skins that are the same for both factions. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. It's probably not quite possible, or at least a bit much work, for them to have the vendors sell the old gear straight up, since they'd have to somehow make the vendors show different sets of gear to Horde and Alliance. But that said, the generic sets seem a bit bland compared to the grand old golden eagle and lion's head crest of the Grand Marshal's Plate Shoulders or the giant spiked crescent of the High Warlord's Plate Shoulders. I'd love to have those back on a level 70 set so my characters can show their support for their faction.

In the interest of fairness, I should note that you can still get the old Horde and Alliance armor looks on the level 60 PvP gear, so if you're willing to take a somewhat major stat hit, you can still show your spirit. But seriously, can't I look good AND have the power to split the skulls of all those Horde savages who dare defile the sacred woods of Ashenvale?

What do you think? Is PvP gear getting too homogenized? Or does all that matter is that a Gnome is dead whether the axe that cleaved them in twain has a Horde emblem emblazoned on it or not?

Tags: battlegrounds, for-the-alliance, for-the-horde, gladiator-gear, grand-marshal, grand-marshals-plate-shoulders, high-warlord, high-warlords-plate-shoulders, level-60-pvp-gear, level-70-pvp-gear, pvp-gear, world-pvp

Filed under: Horde, Alliance, Items, Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Lore, Factions, Battlegrounds