Tuesday Morning Post: Icecrown and Hallow's End edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Oct 20th 2009 at 7:00AM
Happy Tuesday morning and happy Hallow's End, everyone. That's right, WoW's coolest holiday's in full swing. Or is when the servers are up. If you're going after the Hallowed title, we have a Hallow's End achievement guide for you. If you're thinking of going after everyone's favorite cackling headless holiday boss, we have a guide to the new Headless Horseman loot. Of course, maybe you just want to do some good old fashioned trick or treating. We have something for that too.
Of course, while the revelry continues on live servers, the testing continues on the test servers, and there's been quite a bit of activity.
The icecrown raid has now seen some testing, and we have a list of abilities and achievements for the first boss, Lord Marrowgar. On the raid lore front -- don't click these next couple links unless you want to be spoiled -- we have animation for the Lich King himself and news of Bolvar Fordragon.
There's also speedier reputation grinds coming, as well as bind on account status for the Sons of Hodir shoulder enchantments. We may also be able to transfer bind on account items between factions. Also, leatherworkers will be glad to know that Arctic Fur is now purchasable, and aspiring Loremasters will finally get a list of their completed quests to help their search.
Of course, what with the 5 AM to 11 AM Pacific downtime, you'll have time to read all of the above and more, I'm sure. With that in mind, here's a few more choice tidbits from the past week for your approval:
Hot News and Features
- If you've already signed up for Battle.net, be sure to grab Mr. Chilly!
You still have time to get in on our latest Creative WoW headset giveaway.
- The Patch 3.3 PTR soldiers on with new builds and new information. Here's some of the latest stuff from the newest build.
- Have you followed the official Warcraft twitter yet? If not, you may be missing out.
- Take a sneak peek at the Death Knight manga.
- Congratulations to Armed Forces, September's Guild of the Month.
- The WoW devs will be taking questions live on twitter.
- Shadow priests got some sweet buffs in Patch 3.3.
- Warlocks got some changes in the latest Patch 3.3 PTR build as well, and a look at their tier 10 gear.
- Totem Talk rounds up the shaman Patch 3.3 PTR changes..
- Mages got a simplified Scorch and a buffed Elemental in the latest PTR build, among other things. Arcane Brilliance also has a more in-depth look at the Patch 3.3 changes for Mages thus far.
- The Light And How to Swing It looks at the latest news from the Patch 3.3 PTR on paladin Tier 10.
- Encrypted Text starts from scratch with rogue character creation.
- Rossi's Warrior is getting back to where he once belonged. Rossi also thinks Whirlwind may need to go.
- Here's some raiding UI news: Lowbie Raids are gone, everyone gets to place marks, and in general, chaos chaos and anarachy reign in Patch 3.3.
- WoW Rookie discusses making time for raiding.
- Ready Check takes on the Twin Val'kyr.
- Ghostcrawler has some clarification on the removal of armor penetration.=
- 15 Minutes of Fame sits down with WoW, Eh? Cartoonist Cadistra.
- Deathwing comes to life in this fan's sculpture.
- Episode 7 of Season 3 of The Guild is up.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
phaer Oct 20th 2009 7:35AM
"...and in general, chaos chaos and anarachy reign in Patch 3.3."
anarchy* (:
bob Oct 20th 2009 8:03AM
"Sinister Calling" is a horrible thing. It is an "achievement" based not on skill or merit or dedication but on luck. I could build my whole life around Hallow's End for two weeks and still not get the meta achievement. And that is just BS plain and simple.
ROB13 Oct 20th 2009 8:11AM
Ohh gee, aren't MOST holiday achievements based on luck? You're a little late here pal.
bob Oct 20th 2009 8:17AM
Not at all. The other achievements require only time and dedication. What sets Sinister Calling apart is that the only way to get it is the luck of the RNG. And since it is required for the meta, the meta is dependent on the RNG. This is not a way of keeping the meta rare, or hard to get. It simply removes any meaning from getting it at all.
Think of it this way: how many people would have gotten the brewfest meta if it required acquiring a random drop Wolpertinger (instead of a quest) and a Brew Fest mount? Any one who was willing to do the quests could kill Dierbrew and anyone could get the Wolpertinger.
Sinister calling is based on having a lucky time with the RNG, nothing else.
xtremebmx_77 Oct 20th 2009 8:28AM
Sounds like someone wasn't able to get Sinister Calling last year. =)
bob Oct 20th 2009 8:49AM
Yeah. Nerd rage. Guilty as chargerd.
Still you have to at least consider that it is a bit suspect to make an "achievement" that depends on a random number generator.
Amaxe Oct 20th 2009 10:34AM
Yeah I'm another one who couldn't get the squashling last year and may not get it this year. I think the observation is still valid: To base the completion of a meta-achievement which is solely based on the luck of the RNG (trick or treat or instnace) and then on who wins the roll for the drop (assuming the HH battle) makes it pretty frustrating for those of us the RNG scorns.
Or maybe I'm just in a foul mood because the extra traffic on my server is making the game unplayable for me right now. I'm at high latency and am used to one second delays. But now, one second delays become 20-30 second lag spikes.
I hope there is a maintenance today (didn't see an announcement yet) and it fixes this and that it is not the way of things now, or I'll be forced to stop playing after my card lapses, which I'd hate to do
Deadly. Off. Topic. Oct 20th 2009 10:43AM
Someone forgot the Candyheart achievement. That was a bitch to complete last year since you had to first get lucky to get a bag and then get lucky to get the hearts.
A lot of people were screwed around with the "last candy" until they nerfed the achievement and made it so that you had to get a little less than perfect, but it's still a bitch to achieve.
bob Oct 20th 2009 10:48AM
It isn't a bitch to achieve. It isn't anything to achieve. There really is no achievement involved. It is a random number. Scarab Lord was a bitch, Onyxia attunment was a bitch, rep grinding is a btich... all this "achievement" is is a /roll.
Stag Oct 20th 2009 11:31AM
Stop crying, it's pathetic.
The achievement isn't a gimme and requires some luck... Suck it up sunshine!
bob Oct 20th 2009 12:27PM
I'm not crying. I even called nerd rage on myself. I'm making a distinct effort to be civil and make my case in a logical manner.
The achievement does not require "some" luck. It is completely dependent upon luck. Blind, random luck. No matter what you do, or how dedicated a player you are if you are not lucky, you will not get the achievement. My problem is that this is not an equitable way to decide who can get the achievement.
It would be nice if my druid's swift flight form moved at 310% speed but I'm not going to quite the game if I don't get the meta. I'm just pointing out that the "achievement" is really not an achievement.
RetPallyJil Oct 20th 2009 8:37AM
Yes, it's difficult. That's why you get a flashy swirly light when you manage to complete it.
I finally - finally - got my Squashling yesterday ... and then three hours later, got one in a Treat Bag.
Never give up!
Finnegan Oct 20th 2009 8:41AM
Love Is In the Air was much the same way: entirely too dependent on the RNG. Blizzard took steps to mitigate, but not remove, that particular annoyance. Maybe they will also raise the drop rates on the Squashling and Hallowed Helm... but, seeing as the holiday was live last year and they already took out the Mask achievement (which really WAS a horrible thing, and almost impossible), I doubt they'll change what's left.
Narshe Oct 20th 2009 8:47AM
Im enjoying Hallows End, not so much for HH or even the achievements in general, but just the atmosphere.
Sinister Calling really is a terrible Ach and im trying for it on two toons. One is my Druid who didnt get the Squashling last year (the only item he missed last year out of EVERYTHING even back when you needed all the MASKS, and my DK who is "fresh" for this holiday and i at least can enjoy it all over again since i had no reason to do it all once again on my druid or priest...
Direbrew was a great boss so i hope the improve the drops after the maintenance, im not expecting amazing loot but something worthwhile at least, these rings are pretty lame and nothing for a tank even at least to get, hrm.
http://joekey.deviantart.com/gallery/
Kia Oct 20th 2009 9:21AM
Yeah, Sinister Calling -sucks-. I'm finally on track to get my Violet Drake in February, as long as this stupid achievement doesn't ruin it. I did manage to get the Squashling on my first trick or treat yesterday, but I'm still nervous about the likelihood of the helm. ._.
Moonkinmaniac Oct 20th 2009 11:38AM
You need only have it in your inventory I believe. If it drops from horseman ppl, pass it around you can do so with those in your group. Its just a stupid cloth helm. Help each other out please. (I already have my protodrake, but like to help everyone get it)
humperdinck Oct 20th 2009 3:33PM
@Moonkinmaniac We tried passing the helm around in a group last night, doesn't work. Only the person who won the loot roll got the achievement credit.
Arlo Oct 20th 2009 9:52AM
Agree. To save a lot of headache, they should just have had everyone "/roll" for the achievement (say if you rolled a 1-2, you get the title, if you roll 3-100 you do not). It amounts to the same thing.
What exactly does this achievement reward? Blind luck. That's all. You could Trick or Treat every hour on the hour for the entire two week duration, run the Horseman every day (even find groups that take you along once you've used your summon) and not get this. On the other hand, you could log the first Sunday, get both RNG drops that morning, and be done by lunch.
At least with "School of Hard Knocks", I knew that if I didn't get it (I did) it was on me. This one just says "roll a die to determine if you get this achievement". Plain and simple.
xagnut Oct 20th 2009 11:41AM
I'm surprised at the number of folks who don't know the Squishling & Hat for Sinister Calling can come from Trick or Treating the Innkeepers. I've got it on all my alts from last year and already all but one alt I've made up since.
Another thing that boggles me is the number of people selling/buying wand zaps for incredible amounts of gold. Day two of a fourteen day event and you're already spending gold on it? I mean, your gold and a fool and his money and all that but...
15 gold for a Ninja Zap? Seriously?
artifex Oct 20th 2009 4:46PM
The very first day I ran HH, I got all three things I needed from him: first fight, two drops were the squashling and the helm. People started greeding, and I asked; what, don't we hit need? They said well, no, just hit greed for that round. So I did, and got both of them. Second round, the broom dropped, and we were free to hit need, and I got that, too. Then we finished the other 8 rounds. (Yes, 8; unlike the brewfest boss, HH let everyone call him twice, each)
Darn good thing I got those done when I did, too, because my DSL modem here is dying every 5 minutes of a defect (being recalled) and the replacement won't get here til Thursday. So I'll have to hump it getting other achievements I need after then.
p.s. First anniversary coming up; very first achievement I ever got was on the 26th of October last year, for getting a handful of candy at an inn when I left the starter zone :)