The Icecrown Citadel raid buffs, Hellscream's Warsong and Strength of Wrynn, have increased from 10% to 15% today. This is great news for those guilds just on the cusp of downing a boss -- expect to see quite a few new Lich King kills and some more progression in the next day or so.
The buff is going to keep increasing, so expect it to go to 20% in about four weeks.
Enjoy!
Tags: hellscreams-warsong, icecrown-citadel, icecrown-citadel-buff, icecrown-citadel-raid-buff, patch-3.3.3, patch-3.3.3-changes, patch-3.3.3-wow, strength-of-wrynn, world-of-warcraft-patch-3.3.3, wow-3.3.3-changes, wow-new-patch, wow-patch, wow-patch-3.3.3, wow-patch-news
Filed under: Raiding
Apr 27th 2010 at 1:30PM 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Goodk4t Apr 27th 2010 1:33PM
I am hopping by the time it reaches 30%, Cataclysm release date will be announced, because we will pretty much be done with Wrath...
Wowcoholic Apr 27th 2010 1:55PM
It'll probably sit at 30% for two months before the Echo Isles/Gnomeregan events happen....and then it's only a matter of time! :D
cortezgroup Apr 27th 2010 1:33PM
Lawls.
Cyrius Apr 27th 2010 1:35PM
Awesome! I am excited to try it this weekend! This buff is helping our uber casual guild quite a bit! Thanks Blizz for thinking about us small people :P
Marshal Apr 27th 2010 1:39PM
Ohhh man, ohhh man. Now our raid leader will most definitely put up another raid night this week....can't wait!
Barinthos Apr 27th 2010 2:25PM
That's what I'm thinking as well. We were able to take out the entire first wing in ICC with the 10% buff with somewhat relative ease, but we kept hitting the enrage timer with Festergut by a few seconds. Hopefully this will give us that little bit of help to get at least one more boss down.
kunukia Apr 27th 2010 1:48PM
Woot, because I am very casual, as is my guild...and I want to see endgame for once!!!
Manadar Apr 27th 2010 2:22PM
That's what the normal version is for, or that was the original plan they forgot somewhere along the way.
kunukia Apr 27th 2010 2:23PM
:P you can't make me feel bad about it. Family guild FTW.
Aedilhild Apr 27th 2010 2:59PM
You might want to phone Blizzard, Manadar, because it sounds like they're not doing it your way.
It's heroic that's for 1) the best players and 2) players who carry on about how easy they think normal is.
So: get.
Manadar Apr 27th 2010 3:52PM
I see that the casuals (or just bad players) don't wanna put in any effort in the game but still want all the loot from hardmodes. You got your normal mode, you get the same gear as the best players in the world except a little less stats and not any heroic tag, you get a fancy title, you get to see and kill all the bosses in the last raid in the expansion, even the Lich King, and you still want loot from something that's clearly too hard for you?
I want to raid hard modes for the challenge. Stuck on a boss? I see what I can improve on a personal level, I might come back next week with some more upgrades etc. The downgraders here apparently don't like a challenge and just wanna raid hard modes to get better gear so they can epeen in Dalaran while showing of their awesome GS or whatever you're using to determine what a good player is.
I guess I'll get downgraded again since there's too many of these gear horny people reading these news.
Foxfyr Apr 27th 2010 4:04PM
Who exactly is talking about hardmodes? The buff only affects normal mode.
Aedilhild Apr 27th 2010 4:21PM
Manadar, only a small percentage of the game's millions of subscribers raid, let alone clear instances on 25-man; let alone on hard or heroic modes.
If this were a matter of easy access to rewards, Blizzard would have introduced a sliding scale buff, 0-30%, from the day Icecrown Citadel opened. Long after hardcore raiders will have turned their attention to the Ruby Sanctum and Cataclysm, players without optimal opportunities or capacities for progressing through the instance will have the greatest advantage to do so — likely five months from the world-first downing of Arthas and three months from now.
Why would anyone begrudge casual players gearing up long after i264 has become old news? Because their objection isn't over rewards that aren't earned. It's about their *own* preoccupation with gearscore and the privilege they've come to expect out of it. Check your last post for "loot" and "gear" if you don't follow me.
Nate Apr 27th 2010 4:30PM
the buff is present in both normal and heroic modes
Manadar Apr 27th 2010 4:29PM
The buff affect hardmodes, Foxfyr. If that wasn't the case I wouldn't have any problems with it since it let everybody see all the content. And you still dodge the fact that the only difference between heroic and normal mode is the challenge and gear. You clearly don't want a challenge, so there's nothing left but gear for you in there.
kunukia Apr 27th 2010 4:37PM
Heck yah, I will enjoy the gear, but as Aedilhild says, I will getting it MONTHS after the really uber players (such as yourself, I presume) are moving on to even better stuff. I will probably never get to hard mode, even with the 30% buff. You can rest assured that I recognize my inferiority at all times.
But you know, I don't resent it. In fact, I am just having a ball playing the game. :)
kunukia Apr 27th 2010 4:39PM
My last comment is for Manadar, natch...
Manadar Apr 27th 2010 4:49PM
Well clearly you have a challange in normal mode if it's gonna take you months, kunukia. I hope you'll get to LK and down the guy, but you know this is a game for the guys in good guilds too, and by making the hard mode easy they leave us with nothing but LK to raid.
kunukia Apr 27th 2010 4:53PM
Well, my main did the first four bosses Sunday. I assume you defeated the Lich King within a couple weeks, so, however long or short a time it takes me is bound to be just ages after you. You are so awesome.
PKthe13thvah Apr 27th 2010 5:04PM
Manadar...you know you can shut off the buff, right? If you still want a challenge on the hardmodes, turn off the buff. It is OPTIONAL.