Breakfast Topic: Once more through the breach
by Matthew Rossi 
Oct 21st 2009 at 8:00AM
Yes, that's right. My JC alt was a level 70 warrior. And now, he's a level 76 warrior. And I'm having a blast seeing all the stuff I've already seen four or five times now (depending on if you count my Horde alts and taking into account that they have different quests to some degree) on a class I've already leveled to 80 twice. (I also leveled my draenei warrior to 76 before abandoning him.) To be honest, part of it is the fun of trying out a fury spec designed entirely around as much self healing as possible with the Glyph of Bloodthirst and Blood Craze, and part of it is just that I missed these particular questlines.
I really like questing through Howling Fjord. Sure, it would make more sense to do it on a different class, but I already leveled two shamans, a DK and a paladin through these zones. Why not go back to a warrior? After all, we all know I like warriors and I'm completely freaking insane, and I'm enjoying tweaking the self-healing build for minimum down time. (I also made sure to get the healing trinket from the Wrathgate questlines to ensure as much self healing as I could.)
I won't pretend that I'm not also taking advantage of heirloom shoulders, chestplate and a weapon: I'm not an entire masochist. Still, I'm really enjoying what I'm doing, surprisingly so. It's fun to see all those quest NPC's again, the ones I have no reason to visit on my main. It's fun to level a new profession (I also picked up inscription on my DK this month, so I'm rapidly turning into a one stop shop for my main's raiding needs) and to find those quests I managed to miss the first time.
So I turn again to you: do you like leveling alts? Are you enjoying your climb through the zones of Northrend, or even Outland or old Azeroth?
Filed under: Paladin, Shaman, Warrior, Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Leveling, Alts, Death Knight, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
mtsadowski Oct 21st 2009 8:09AM
I think the headline you were looking for was "Once more unto the breach." I'm not trying to sound uppity, I'm simply justifying one semester of Shakespeare. I finally got to use that knowledge.
/paid too much for college
Calybos Oct 21st 2009 8:19AM
I enjoy "alts" and leveling so much that I don't technically HAVE a "main." All my characters are at various stages of leveling... and once they reach the max level, they get retired so I can go back to quests and exploration again.
flawless Oct 21st 2009 8:22AM
You're correct, it is indeed "Once more unto the breach".
It also makes no sense whatsoever using it in this context, but whatever :)
Jordan Oct 21st 2009 8:54AM
I, uh, have a confession... I didn't even realize that was Shakespeare, I always thought Garrick from Baldur' Gate coined that one.
/didn't go to college
Corso Oct 21st 2009 8:58AM
"I'm not trying to sound uppity"
Please do not apologize for being intelligent. There is to much of that going on lately. Thank you for sharing your education with us and helping to make us all a bit smarter.
Agerath Oct 21st 2009 10:15AM
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'
(For the curious).
mtsadowski Oct 21st 2009 10:45AM
I loved Henry V. It was like Braveheart for the English. And if I'm remembering the correct history, the Battle of Agincourt was the invention of the middle finger (The Brits use 2 fingers).
Microtonal Oct 21st 2009 2:45PM
Yeah, you can never really go wrong with Shakespeare.
The thing about the Battle of Agincourt being the origin of flipping the bird is an urban legend, though. A raised middle finger was considered a rude gesture at least as early as the late Roman Empire, and there are a few scattered mentions of it in ancient Greek drama.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_(gesture)
mtsadowski Oct 21st 2009 3:28PM
But... but... I read it on the internets. How could it be wrong... okay, old joke.
Thanks for that info - I had no idea. History is cool.
relmatos Oct 21st 2009 8:19AM
I already leveled 5 chars to 80, I'm now leveling a rogue and saving the rest for cataclysm.
I love leveling alts even with the lack of groups for low level instances.
Every time I level a new char I find something new that I missed in my previous chars.
Zakarii Oct 21st 2009 8:21AM
I like leveling alts alot. I went through a Shammy, Paladin, Druid and Warlock before deciding on Warrior. Love it so far, and Arms is pretty awesome with Engineering. (Bladestorm + Rocket Boots ftw!)
rjoseph Oct 21st 2009 8:25AM
I dreaded alt leveling before, but heirlooms make it fun. They are 3 items I don't have to worry about -- they take no damage, level as you go, etc. I can spend more time questing and pvping without having to worry about gear. Plus the extra xp makes it all the sweeter. Great idea, Blizz!
WoWie Zowie Oct 21st 2009 8:31AM
i've got a mage, paly, and dk at 80. the mage is my guy, the paly was the 2nd toon i ever made and i put so-so effort in gearing him to pinch heal/tank something for a friend, the dk is fail and only there to gather ore and herbs for my main.
i have a warrior at lvl 45 now, my first horde toon! he has no heirloom items of course, but it def is going fast anyway. i make sure to log out at inns and stuff and he gets about a level/day
A Nonny Mouse Oct 21st 2009 8:38AM
Come on Rossi. You can't excuse yourself for not playing a new class by the fact that you've done it before a few times when you're always playing heavies. Don't you wonder what it'd be like to play something squishier and more delicate through that stuff? ;)
That said, levelling new characters pretty much seems to BE the game for me, apart from roleplay. >_> Hell, I'm planning to level a goblin of every class, no heirlooms, no RAF.
bleuchz Oct 21st 2009 8:39AM
I'm currently leveling my third healer through, fully twinked out on heirlooms and I'm loving the experience. I'm using the battlegrounds whenever I'm bored of the quest grind and it makes things alot easier. There's just something about getting cozy with a cup of coffee and and doing the quests you've done many times before. Almost like a bit of nostaligia.
Rhabella Oct 21st 2009 9:06AM
I, personally, like the rhythm and flow of it all. You can sit down for a couple hours one evening and get 3-5 levels if you know exactly where to go at what stages of your leveling and walk away with some feeling of accomplishment.
The same may or may not be said after an evening of Tourney dailies, farming heroics for badges, or banging your head against an encounter in a raid. Those things can be fun when they go well, but never nearly as consistently rewarding as dinging an alt a few times in one sitting.
Darky Oct 21st 2009 8:42AM
i have an 80 DK dps, a 62 disc/shadow priest, and over 9000 level 20 alts lol, i love EVERY class and EVERY aspect of the game but never enough to bother grinding my way to 58 again (i really hate old world questing, awkward and frustrating), wtb cataclysm
Darky Oct 21st 2009 8:56AM
(every aspect as in mechanic not quests)
Aarkan Oct 21st 2009 10:16AM
IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAND!!!!!
cmichaelcooper Oct 21st 2009 8:48AM
I like leveling alts to a point, but maintaining momentum is critical for me. If I lose that feeling of making progress that toon will then sit for weeks or months without getting played. I have a rogue sitting 1 bubble away from 74 because I lost momentum and playing the character is more tiring than fun.
My current leveling alt is a prot pally at 53 with heirlooms. It's the most fun character I've leveled because I am continually trying to pull larger and larger groups. After leveling characters 1 or 2 mobs at a time, it is almost giggle-inspiring to pull 8 mobs 4 levels higher and be able to take them down and still have nearly full health and mana.
I just hope I don't lose momentum.