Phat Loot Phriday: Burgy Blackheart's Handsome Hat
by Michael Gray 
Feb 11th 2011 at 8:00PM
"It's me hat! It is, specifically, Burgy Blackheart's Handsome Hat!" the ex-orc exclaimed. The orc had changed. Where once stood a powerful, green example of the Horde now swaggered a chest-high pirate gnome. "I'm a sword-swinging gnave! A scoundrel of epic proportions! Ready to raid the gnomeland and leave gno man standing!"
Lolegolas sighed, and sat down in the middle of the street. "I'm going gnowhere until you go back to normal."
- Type: Head
- Equip: Succumb to the curse of Burgy Blackheart.
How to get rid of it: We're not quite sure what it disenchants into or even if it sells. No one's done so yet that we know of. Who'd want to give up such an awesome item?
[Thanks to Debesun for the tip!]
Phat Loot Phriday brings you the scoop on some of the most ... interesting ... loot in the World of Warcraft, often viewed through the eyes of the stalwart Throgg and indelible Lolegolas. Suggest items you think we should feature by emailing mikeg@wowinsider.com. Filed under: Phat Loot Phriday
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
The Black Pot Feb 11th 2011 8:14PM
"I'm going gnowhere until you go back to normal."
Don't you mean gnormal?
Tri Feb 11th 2011 8:15PM
Want!!
Altimeter Feb 11th 2011 8:16PM
So ... this is a hat that, when equipped, turns you into a gnome?
My god, it's horrible.
flawless Feb 12th 2011 2:54AM
I try and get the hat every time I'm in the area, if only to prevent this evil, evil object from falling into innocent hands and transforming them into a disgusting beast.
relmatos Feb 12th 2011 11:01AM
There should be some items with the Cursed tag just like in D&D. you put them on and then you couldnt remove them unless you paid a lot of gold to an NPC to remove it.
This would be the king of those items.
Horsepop Feb 11th 2011 8:36PM
I managed to obtain this launch night. Proceeded to wear it in place of a useful helm the rest of the way to 85.
lowlight Feb 11th 2011 9:01PM
Thanks for the tip! I went looking for this just now, and there he was :)
That's my first cata rare, IIRC. I do remember seeing another, but he was friendly to horde...
Gen Feb 11th 2011 9:50PM
When I try to disenchant my Handsome Hat: "Item cannot be disenchanted"
When I try to sell it to a vendor: "The merchant doesn't want that item."
Kroof Feb 11th 2011 10:44PM
I had a friend tell me about this.
When I went home I immediately went to Vashj'ir and there he was.
No one, even people who liked leveling in Vashj'ir go back there, so there was no competition.
Now however, probably a bit harder to get.
thpthpthp1 Feb 12th 2011 2:58AM
Same, I got it early on when most people probably dident know about it. Think it will get more sought after once everyone knows of its existence.
Stoneblade Feb 11th 2011 10:48PM
Five curses and spite live in each Gnome.
This truth can't be ignored.
The best way to get rid of a Gnome
Is to throw that Gnome overboard.
anotherbiffname Feb 11th 2011 11:58PM
Yeah i got this hat the other day while farming for herbs, i love NPCscan it yelled at me while i was swimming over him
Eudeyrn Feb 12th 2011 1:37AM
Keep in mind this item has a potentially dangerous side effect. You "lose" the buff when you logout, and regain when it you log back in. For some reason, gaining the buff causes you to dismount. (You can recreate this ingame if you mount up, take the hat off, and put it back on.)
The danger comes when you log out, on a flying mount, high in the air. Better hope you can spam whatever ability you've got to slow your descent, before you splatter on the ground.
Eudeyrn Feb 12th 2011 1:38AM
Additionally, the buff from this item causes your mount (any mount) to become much larger than normal, and slightly transparent. It gives a whole new look to the drakes, so even if you don't necessarily like your character looking like a gnome, the visual effect on the mount is worth it.
flawless Feb 12th 2011 2:56AM
All gnomes have slightly larger mounts than other races, for no apparent or explained reason.
Theories abound - the most popular being that it is compensation for being the worst race in all of Azeroth and the known planets.
thpthpthp1 Feb 12th 2011 3:00AM
Try making a macro,
/equip Burgy Blackheart's Handsome Hat
/equip (your normal helm)
an spam that sucker!
Literaltruth Feb 12th 2011 6:39AM
IIRC the reason that gnome mounts are larger than other mounts is that originally gnomes were even smaller than they are now (this was possibly during alpha or beta). When they realised that they were actually *too* small, the devs just scaled them up - it was then easier for them to just autotmatically let the mounts scale up to reflect the new rider size than it was to repose the gnome on each of the "mount with gnome rider" models. Same thing happened with male Tauren I believe - although for them it wasn't so much "too small" as "not big enough yet".
Mochemage Feb 12th 2011 7:56AM
It also has the nifty side effect of making your mounts about half again their size and ghostly-looking. My Ironbound Proto fills the streets of Stormwind and my Chopper and Skeletal Raptor mounts look even more awesome.
harkan_no1 Feb 12th 2011 8:51AM
got it on my shadow priest recently when farming quests for enchanting mats, seems the hat only keeps you in that form whille you wear the hat, and changes you back when you put on your old one, and not able to de it either
sandlwalters Feb 12th 2011 8:02PM
I accidentally killed him lvling my first toon the the first day or two of cata. I LOVE IT. I do the naughty gnome dance on all my horde friends.