On the search for Heavy Frostweave Bandages
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 1st 2008 at 5:00PM
One of the weirdest changes in Northrend so far is the way First Aid training works, strangely enough. Used to be that once you hit a certain level, you could just go run to the trainer to train up the next wave of bandages (or you could buy a manual from a trainer somewhere), but not so in the expansion: to get Heavy Frostweave Bandages, you have to depend on what seems to be a world drop.The rules are still a little hazy, and the plans to get it seem to be somewhere between experiment and superstition: we know for sure that you need to have 390 First Aid already to get the book to drop (though you need 400 to actually use it), and we know that it can drop from almost anywhere in the world. But apparently there are a few places where it drops more often: in Zul'Drak, sometimes in Sholazar Basin, and sometimes in dungeons. Other than that, everything else is just rumors -- I haven't gotten the book yet, and I've been 400 since I had enough Frostweave to level up.
Very strange, and strange choice by Blizzard to do it this way in the first place. It also appears that a stack of Heavy Frostweave Bandages sells to vendors for only 5g, so the days of nabbing lower-than-3g stacks of cloth on the AH and selling them to vendors for a profit may be over. Which is fine, because your guild's tailor could probably use it anyway. But I am bummed I haven't see the manual drop yet -- the better my gear gets, the less the non-heavy bandages do for me.
Update: Yes of course they can't be on the AH, because as you can see in the screenshot above, the manual is BoP. Never mind. Thanks, commenters.
Filed under: Tailoring, Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Economy, Leveling, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Shevaresh Dec 1st 2008 5:05PM
Of *course* you don't see them on the AH, what with being BoP and all.
Ekimus Dec 1st 2008 5:08PM
Wow...you guys posted a screen shot, and linked to the item....
It clearly states BoP.
On a more serious note, I would guess that the increased drop rate correlates with a specific Zone. That Zone, being appropriate to the level at which Blizzard wanted you to learn the new bandages. Why? God only knows...
Rob Dec 1st 2008 5:03PM
"Binds on pick up" says in the picture.. ;)
Blake Dec 1st 2008 5:27PM
When I wanted to learn this, say, 2 weeks ago, I just looked it up on Wowhead, got some hints as to where to farm in Zul'Drak, went there when I wasn't the right level, and it quickly dropped after about 10 minutes of farming.
So yeah, we can have a long post on how this is a rare drop and impossible to get, or maybe you can buy a BoP on the auction house, or you could have just linked to one of many WowHead comments that tells you where you can easily find it. It's really not that complicated.
epic Dec 1st 2008 6:37PM
reg VH every person in my guild got it while running it.
vinniedcleaner Dec 1st 2008 9:10PM
Three of us were questing in Icecrown the other night, and one of the manuals dropped off one of the Nerubians near the encampment, I lost the roll... but then 2 Nerubians later it dropped again and I got the hook up
Mitch Dec 2nd 2008 9:31AM
As epic says it drops *very* often in regular Violet Hold. Dropped for anyone in my group that could use it in one run.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Dec 2nd 2008 11:22AM
I finally got mine too, but damn if I can actually remember where I picked it up. I think it was in the Sholazzar Basin.
But I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually make this trainable for the next expansion.
Preston Dec 2nd 2008 12:22PM
The manual drops constantly in instances. I've seen it drop three times in a row from trash mobs. It's not rare or difficult to obtain.
Arel Dec 2nd 2008 3:03PM
This dropped for me in Drak'Tharon Keep. Also because my brother loved that dungeon for some reason, we ended up running it about a dozen times. As far as I can remember, this always drops off the mobs right before the first boss.
SnippyMcPhail Dec 1st 2008 5:07PM
Uhhh it can't be on the AH... its BOP....
dot... dot... dot....
Antises Dec 2nd 2008 12:55AM
I'ts a little mean, but I can't help but to love when the writers at WoWI does this :D
Bop...oh man - classic.
Aubrecia Dec 1st 2008 5:08PM
When I ran the Violet Hold the other night, four of them dropped from the spawns in there. I finally rolled on the last one after realizing I was the only one who still needed it, but still, Violet Hold seems to be a good place to look for them. It was the first place I'd ever seen one (obviously, since I would have picked it up before then otherwise).
Shibdaddy Dec 1st 2008 5:26PM
Same here, it dropped enough in my 1st trip to the Violet Hold that everyone in my party was able to get one.
Lish Dec 2nd 2008 9:51AM
Same here. First trip into VH the manual dropped from the first mob we killed, but I lost the roll for it. Fortunately the second mob killed also dropped one. A very good place to get it.
stabbington Dec 1st 2008 5:09PM
It drops all the time in instances. I don't know how many you've done, but on my 3 characters I've gotten it on my first run each time. I wasn't rolling against anybody else because all 4 already had it.
I just looked at it as a way to ensure you did at least one instance run.
skreed Dec 1st 2008 5:12PM
I saw 3 drop in my first Violet Hold run a bit more than a week ago. My assumption has been that the drop rate in dungeons (at least... 75+ dungeons) is exceptionally high provided someone in the group needs it.
Quickly checking wowhead loot tables confirms at least part of my suspicion... it doesnt seem to drop in UK/Nex or either Azjol Nerub dungeon.
kv83 Dec 1st 2008 5:10PM
It has a VERY high drop rate in any instance above 75, so it's rather EASY to get. You only can get a drop if you have actually someone in the party who still needs it and has a high enough skill though.
Drak'tharon Keep and Violet Hold are propably the first ones, where it can drop. Easy to get, so :)
wyss.john Dec 1st 2008 5:11PM
The first time I ran violet hold one dropped for everyone... I have seen several since then (since some people didn't have them). I thought these would be hard to obtain, but that does not seem to be the case.
Rondrer Dec 1st 2008 5:11PM
Shortly after I hit first aid 400 i went into Violet Hold. The book dropped 5 times on the first 5 mobs. I waited with the roll until we settled things out but I was the only one still needing it. I bet it would have dropped many more times if i just didn't take it.