Arena Season 6: Rise of the Furious Gladiator
by Zach Yonzon 
Feb 6th 2009 at 2:30PM
However, Kalgan reveals that a new boss in another wing of the Vault of Archavon will drop the Furious Gladiator pieces. He makes no mention of past season's gear, and says that the new boss' loot table will be structured slightly differently drom Archavon's. This could mean that the 10-man version can drop the Honor-bought non-set pieces rather than a lower tier of Arena gear and notes that the boss will not drop the chest piece. In the same post, he pegs the chest piece at a 1750 rating requirement, which should probably indicate that the boss will not drop items with a higher requirement (head, shoulder, weapon, etc.). This is an important announcement that ensures the relevance of Wintergrasp. The boss is also expected to drop Tier 8 pieces, making it equally appealing to PvE players.
One important change to the beginning of Season 6 will be that new teams and personal ratings are likely to start below the previous median of 1500, which will result in players climbing the ladder rather than dropping through it. This is a significant change to the system and should provide a more fulfilling experience for all manner of Arena play. He also details proposed costs for all the current Arena items as well as proposed ratings for the new Furious Gladiator gear.
HONOR ITEMS / NO ARENA RATINGS REQUIREMENT
Hateful Gloves
Hateful Legs
Hateful Chest
Hateful Helm
Hateful Shoulders
Hateful Ring
Hateful Trinket (there isn't technically a Hateful Gladiator trinket, but Kalgan is referring to the Medallions of the Alliance and the Horde)
Deadly Bracer
Deadly Belt
Deadly Boots
Deadly Neck
Deadly Ring
Deadly Cape
Deadly Trinket (the Battlemaster trinkets)
Honor costs for the Hateful Gladiator set items are expected to match the current season's Savage Gladiator gear, while the non-set Deadly Gladiator pieces are expected to match Hateful Gladiator non-set items. Those aforementioned items will either be retired at the beginning of Season 6 or lowered in cost. I'm inclined to think they will be retired.
HONOR ITEMS / ARENA RATINGS REQUIREMENT
1400+: Furious Bracer
1450+: Furious Belt
1500+: Furious Boots
1550+: Furious Neck
1650+: Furious Ring
1800+: Furious Trinket (higher version of Medallions, likely higher Resilience)
1900+: Furious Cape
The Honor costs for the Furious Gladiator non-set pieces are expected to match the current Deadly Gladiator non-set pieces. Kalgan also indicates that these will drop off the new boss in the Vault of Archavon.
UNSPECIFIED METHOD OF ACQUISITION / RATINGS REQUIREMENT
1300+: Deadly Relics/Idols/Librams/Totems
1350+: Deadly Gloves
1400+: Deadly Legs
1450+: Deadly Chest
1500+: Deadly Helm
1550+: Deadly Shoulders
Kalgan says that the Deadly Gladiator set pieces will not be as easily accessible as the current Hateful Gladiator items are with Emblems of Conquest, the new tier of raid emblems which will drop from Ulduar. Currently, all pieces of the Hateful Gladiator items are available through Emblems of Valor. It's quite possible that ratings requirements will still be required to purchase the items, only using a different currency.
SEASON 6 ARENA GEAR / RATINGS REQUIREMENT
1600+: Furious Gloves
1700+: Furious Legs
1750+: Furious Chest
1850+: Furious Helm
1950+: Furious Wands/Relics/etc
2000+: Furious Weapon
2100+: Furious Shoulders
2300+: Furious Tabard
Note that the lowest minimum requirement of any type is at 1300, which indicates that teams and players are likely to start Season 6 at a lower rating than past seasons, perhaps 1200 or lower. The spread between the Furious Gladiator set pieces is also very large compared to Season 5's Deadly Gladiator items. There is a massive spread in ratings between the lowest required ratings and highest required ratings, which is indicative of how the new Arena system and Blizzard's philosophy of putting players in their proper brackets. Kalgan importantly puts a disclaimer to everything, however, and mentions that all this information is subject to change. Still, it's a great insight into the process.
Curiously, the highest rating requirement belongs to the Furious Gladiator tabard. It is purely cosmetic but, as Kalgan says, "awesome-looking". At 2300, it is at a higher rating than any Arena item before it, even more difficult to obtain than the 2200 shoulders from Season 4. The changes are likely to come with Patch 3.1 or shortly thereafter, as these items are the PvP equivalent of Ulduar gear. When asked about when Blizzard will stop at the increasingly angry naming convention of Arena gear, Kalgan replies that they plan to stop right before "Foo Jackin' Gladiator". Amen to that.
Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, PvP, Forums, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mezpin Feb 6th 2009 2:35PM
Nerdrage Gladiator.
baldbull Feb 6th 2009 2:37PM
Dear Blizzard,
Please end Arena's and focus your great development resources on PvE content. The majority of players are tired of patch after patch having our classes tweaked, tuned, nerfed, and buffed to appease the epeen-flexing PvP community. You designed this game for its PvE and story-telling abilities, I think it's time to get back to your roots.
Arena has ruined many aspects of this game.
Tay Feb 6th 2009 2:47PM
Wintergrasp is an extremely dumbed down version of Unreal Tournament. With Blizz focusing so much attention on how PvP is rated, I wouldn't be surprised to see them throw in a rocket launcher or BFG for kicks.
JaydsterC2 Feb 6th 2009 2:46PM
Um... Your face has ruined the all aspects of the game for me!
=D
Just kidding, I happen to agree and disagree. I love PVP but am frustrated by it at the same time.
Jorge Feb 6th 2009 3:17PM
Hehe I agree. I've always compared Wintergrasp with Unreal Tournament. Give us a 1st person HUD, some gnome/goblin made rifles, guns and whatnot and it'll be a lot of fun!
Now seriously, Blizz should make Arena a completely separate game. Almost 90% of the so called balancing is because of arena. I'm no pvper but I'm ok with battlegrouds and world pvp. Arena is really hurting the game (the original PvE game that is).
Or simply make a flag for each talent. PvP on? Talent behaves like this, PvP off? then behave like this. I know it implies making two kinds of talents in one, but i don't think that's a hard thing to do for the coders. That is, if you want arena so badly, then you could just tweak it without worrying about breaking PvE.
Taladan Feb 6th 2009 3:26PM
I understand your point but, at the same time, I don't think arenas should end. I like PvP, arenas are a complete different beast than Battlegrounds and Wintergrasp 'cause it requires a lot more synergy between players. A PuG usually don't work in arenas, but may work in other PvP events.
And I do arenas 'cause they give a complete different aspect of gameplay compared with other PvP events. I don't want to "flex my e-peen" as you say, I just enjoy it more than other stuff. I could say the same thing about the absurd, tedious and repetitive dungeons and raids, but some people like it.
Lemons Feb 6th 2009 3:29PM
Yes, blizz, please remove something from the game because I find it difficult am I'm not good at it. kthnxbye.
Taladan Feb 6th 2009 3:30PM
inb4, I know it will piss most of the PvE people with that last comment, but the same can be said about PvE people calling PvPers "e-peen flexers" or whatever.
Zul Feb 6th 2009 4:20PM
I fully agree.
Max Feb 6th 2009 4:38PM
please, give me one aspect of the game that has been ruined by pvp tweaking. just one.
PvE is still fine. Everything still works. Bosses still get downed. Everyone does decent damage. Wtf is the problem?
cronos1212 Feb 6th 2009 4:46PM
One aspect that's been destroyed by Arenas? Rogues. Too powerful in the PvP arena, so we get the nerfbat, killing our viability in anything PvE.
Soon rogues will have to pay to get into groups/raids.
qufee Feb 6th 2009 5:34PM
Absolutly right.
But whos to be blamed?
If all players stoped doing arenas for good the rating system would collapse.
I have been out of arena after the first season because it wasnt fun at all.
The Claw Feb 6th 2009 6:08PM
"Soon rogues will have to pay to get into groups/raids."
You do realise that rogues have been whining that exact same whine for more than four years now? And yet they're still in groups and raids?
Erdinger Feb 6th 2009 2:42PM
He didn't mention what will happen to Deadly Weapons. What will the new arena rating be for those items (if you can't tell from this post...I'm nowhere near a 2000 rated boomkin...but I'd like the resilience weapon for wintergrasp and battlegrounds).
Netherscourge Feb 6th 2009 2:54PM
I hope the new Vault boss is VERY HARD, and not just a 4 minute loot pinata boss.
If that guy is going to drop some T8 pieces, it better damn well require more then people just moving out of the smoke clouds...
smcn Feb 6th 2009 2:59PM
In reality, Archavon isn't any easier or more difficult than most encounters in Naxx. I imagine the same will be true of Archavon 2.0 when compared to Ulduar bosses.
FenSat Feb 6th 2009 3:35PM
I raid now, and will continue to raid when Ulduar comes out. I don't begrudge pugs a weekly shot at tier gear though. In fact, I kind of like the feeling of what basically amounts to a weekly loot lottery (at least, if you are pugging it).
First, you have to hope you aren't pugging it with a bunch of fresh 80's or tragically developmentally disabled people. More than once I've noticed that it was a few of us pretty much carrying the rest of the subpar DPS. (In my opinion, anyone who shows up in S2 level 70 pvp gear shouldn't be allowed in the pug for Archavon.)
Second, you have to hope gear for your class drops. The feeling of downing the loot pinata only to have no gear for your class drop is underwhelming.
Third, you have to hope that the KIND of gear you want for your class drops. The only drop I've received from pugging 25-man VoA was, sadly, the PvP chest which - since I dislike PvP - was like giving Nikes to a guy with no legs...like the gods of WoW said, "Here, Mr. Lock,
Finally, you have to hope it's a drop for a piece you don't already have.
In closing, it's a really, really horrible way to gear up, so don't begrudge people a taste of what the big boys and girls can get a lot more of in considerably less time.
FenSat Feb 6th 2009 3:44PM
Correction to my last post, as I cut off my statement in editing: it's like the WoW gods said, "Here, Mr. Lock, here's a chestpiece that you MIGHT want to use for the 10 minutes or so you are in Wintersgrasp PvPing each week. Enjoy! /snicker"
Cyanea Feb 6th 2009 10:41PM
I got really luck in Vault once.
BOTH my T7 and Hateful leggings dropped. It was a good day.
Dreadskull Feb 6th 2009 2:54PM
Arena Season 7:
"Due to being unable to truly balance the arenas after the previous six seasons, we are now removing them altogether and putting focus again on the war elements that define the 'War' in Warcraft."
Eh, I can always dream.