Or

"There's no such thing! Is there?"

Engineers have among the greatest freedom to choose our allegiances throughout Azeroth and Outland. While Jewelcrafters and leatherworkers spend hours and days making a name for themselves with the Furbolgs of the Timbermaw, or the druids of Cenarion, Engineers remain free. No such slaves to the grind of reputation, we. For what could we learn from the various factions of the lands? It's little they can teach us, and little we would gain from the work done. No, our main choice of faction has always been to join M.E.G.A. or to take our lives in our hands and join G.E.E.K.

With few exceptions. There are several factions we can seek out whose expertise in Engineering allows us to learn a thing or two (quite literally) from them. In this lecture we will discuss where an enterprising Engineer can go to learn some of the rarest schemata known: those derived from earned reputations.

The factions with which you'll need to work are the Zandalar Tribe of trolls in Stranglethorn Vale, the Cenarion Expedition, predominantly in Zangarmarsh, and the Consortium, predominantly in Netherstorm. Zandalar trolls will require you to join their battle against Hakkar, the Blood God, and his priests in Zul'Gurub. This will require a raid 20 strong, though if you've mastered the art of flying you'll likely find you need somewhat fewer than that to be effective. The Cenarion Expedition has agents posted in the western barrens of Hellfire Peninsula, but the main camp can be found further west in Zangarmarsh. They offer work mostly in and around Zangarmarsh itself, including, most prominently, reputation earned from delving into the Coilfang Reservoir: Underbog, Slave Pens, and Steam Vaults. Consortium reputation can be earned in Auchindoun, but only in the Mana Tombs, and that only until you've reached Honored. Beyond that you'll need to visit Nagrand for Ogre beads or, ultimately, Netherstorm for a variety of work.

Zandalar: Ya tie da vine t'da shineez an' ya be seein' betta.
The Zandalar tribe of trolls is located on Yojamba Isle, just off the western coast of Stranglethorn. From their they launch attacks against the minions of Hakkar the Soulflayer, the God of Zul'Gurub. Reputation with the Zandalar can only be earned through attacks on Zul'Gurub or using items obtained therein. The items, which are small gewgaws such as coins and bijous, can sometimes be found on the auction house, but they can be quite expensive. Unfortunately for the Engineering troll hunter, it can be difficult to organize a raid on Zul'Gurub.

• Ah, ya be a Friend t'da Zandalar!

However, if one is persistent and insistent, the reputation can be more than worth the effort. Once the trolls are friendly towards you, tinkers, you'll be able to purchase a schematic for a Bloodvine Lens, seen at right on Chief Engineer Geargrinder (Who would like to note that it was a long time ago, and those shoulders were actually quite stylish back then. -PG). The Bloodvine Lens is a leather piece, so can be worn by anyone of appropriate Engineering skill who can wear leather armor. The Lens is monocular, and emits a visible glow from its one crimson lens.As you'll see, the Lens is well suited to the rogues, cats, and hunters among you, granting as it does a sizable bonus to your ability to strike critical blows. Some of you, notably Survival hunters, will notice the Lens does not augment our Agility, but rather our Stamina. To that, Hoof and Horn can only say that the Zandalar are the most primitive tradition-based branch of the most primitive tradition-based sentient race in the Horde. One cannot expect both technical prowess and sensible design from such a people. The Lens does also slightly increase the wearer's stealth detection, though we caution young tinkers that the use of the word "slightly" in any Engineering design should be taken as meaning "imperceptibly" in many cases.

Producing a Bloodvine Lens requires five each of Bloodvine and Souldarite, a Delicate Arcanite Converter, eight Powerful Mojos, and four Enchanted Leather. The Lens itself does not require a reputation, and binds to its wearer, so it can be produced for another Engineer, provided they are rated to 300.

• T'anks f'da work, Babalon, we Honor ya roun' d'fiyah!

Pressing on with the tasks assigned by the Zandalar tribe, Engineers can earn the right to purchase the schematic for Bloodvine Goggles. The Goggles are a binocular cloth headpiece, and rightly so, as the casters among you will agree. Granting as it does bonuses not only to one's spell hit rating but also to one's spell critical rating, a cloth piece seems appropriate. The Zandalar aren't totally guessing here, it could be said. Additionally, the Lens' stealth detection is replaced by mana regeneration in the Goggles, which can be quite a help.

Manufacturing Bloodvine Goggles will require four Bloodvine, five Souldarite, a Delicate Arcanite Converter, eight Powerful Mojos, and four Enchanted Leather. Similar to the Lens, these goggles require only Engineering, not a reputation. As they do not bind until worn, they can be made for another appropriately rated Engineer. It should be noted that it may be hard to find a market for these goggles, so Hoof and Horn advises you not produce them prior to a customer's order.

• While ya workin', don' forget t'gatha da pieces!

Please note that the Bloodvine and Souldarite needed for these schematics are obtained from inside Zul'Gurub as well. Don't go rushing off to get your reputation and forget to gather what you'll need if you plan to make one of these items! Keep your mining pick handy and track minerals when you can. Hakkari Thorium Veins will yield up Souldarite to the patient miner, and Bloodvine can be obtained from the residents of Zul'Gurub, with some "negotiation."

Cenarion Expedition: Wait, wait, you're going to love this.
Once you've ventured into Outland and are making your way around Hellfire Peninsula, you'll notice a small encampment of druids in the western area near Thornfang Hill. These Cenarion Expedition druids will soon point you further west to Zangarmarsh, where the Cenarion Refuge houses the bulk of their leadership in a well-resourced town. They will have a number of quests available to you, in order to begin the long process of earning Exalted status with them. And don't despair, Engineers. The schematic they offer is obtained at Friendly.

Once you are Friendly with the Cenarion Expedition, you can purchase a schematic to make a Green Smoke Flare. This flare, when used, will produce a bright green plume of smoke at the targeted location. The smoke will dissipate in five minutes, making for an easily spotted marker until then.

Clever and perceptive Engineers will note that this schematic is merely another color version of several existing flares which do not need any reputation at all in order to learn. Further research will reveal that the smoke flares are seldom used at all, except for certain amusing sight gags. Placing a green smoke flare in the vicinity of the posterior of a sleeping associate is always entertaining to all [Except the sleeping associate, of whom many pictures were taken. -PG].

In light of the usefulness of the smoke flare, and the fact that the "earned" reputation schematic is merely another color, you might be tempted to discuss your dissatisfaction with the elves of the Cenarion Refuge. Chief Engineer Geargrinder is irrational on the topic, but among the things overheard before Gnomish profanity and the sound of explosions drown out all else is a reminder that refusing to "lift another finger for those sad sack swamprats" does not seem to offend them, and even "lifting one finger maybe, but only one per hand," gets no response.

The Consortium: Crafters of the Master Key
As you progress through your career and the wilds of Outland, you'll likely meet your first Consortium trader when you come across Aeris Landing, in the southwest of Nagrand, just north of Oshu'gun. Here you'll be invited to take your first steps along the Consortium's career track. You'll find that it is well worth the trip, however. Of the four schematics we can learn from reputation, here you'll find the schematic from which you gain the most (any) use: the Elemental Seaforium Charge, which can be purchased once you are Revered with the ethereals. This is the pinnacle of controlled explosives, and can be used to open most locked doors and chests, including lockboxes.

To manufacture Elemental Seaforium requires two Elemental Blasting Powder, a Fel Iron Casing, and a Handful of Fel Iron Bolts. These will produce a pair of Charges. The charges can be used by any Engineer of 350 rating or higher to blow open locked chests or doors, when lacking a rogue. They can even be used on Lockboxes, though the operation is a little tricky. You'll need to activate the charge before the trade is opened, otherwise clicking on it will cause the charge to go into the trade field, rather than be applied to a lockbox in the "will not be traded" field.

Elemental Seaforium is also a vital component in the manufacture of the Flying Machine. Since it can be traded, Engineers not yet Revered with the Consortium can still commission four Charges, or purchase them at auction, and put them to use.

Cleaning up Shop
The engineer is given short shrift on reputation schematics. There is no way to put it otherwise. We learn two schematics from a raid faction in Azeroth, only one of which any one Engineer would ever need. We learn two more in Outland, only one of which even produces an original effect. However, to an Engineer of soul and substance, the use of a device is secondary to the knowledge of how to craft it. Far better to have and not need than to need and not have. And don't burn down the forest when you get that Green Smoke Flare. You were warned.

This concludes the lecture on Reputation based schematics.

Tags: Bloodvine, Cenarion, Consortium, Reputations, Schematics, Seaforium, Zandalar

Filed under: Engineering, Tips, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Humor, Factions, Guides, RP, (Engineering) Hoof and Horn R & D