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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe Queue: Firelands FAQ
by Mathew McCurley 
Jun 28th 2011 at 11:00AM
It's patch day, and with patch days come many questions. Luckily for you, we've gathered some of the most frequently asked questions about Rage of the Firelands in this handy, Queue-sized guide, so that you can embark on your patch day shenanigans without a worry in the world. Well, unless you happen to be on a PVP server; in that case, have fun doing your dailies.
With the extended maintenance and hints to read the patch notes, Blizzard looks to be setting us up for a fiery Tuesday. There's a lot of fire in our future. I know that it is too soon (ha ha, get it?) to start thinking about what's coming next before we've even sunk our teeth into this new stuff, but I have a feeling that after three to four months of lots of fire, whatever is coming down the pike is going to need a hint of refreshment and a fire-lite motif. Nonetheless, I am excited for all of this new content.
Follow along below for the answers to some of the most common questions about patch 4.2 and all it entails.
What's going to happen to my valor points?
All valor points will be converted into justice points. The justice point cap, however, remains at 4,000 points. So you'll be give justice points up to the cap. If you have any valor points left over, they will be converted into currency at a rate of 47 silver per point.
Let's say you have 3,000 justice points and 1,100 valor points. Since you cannot get over 4,000 justice points, 1,000 of your valor points will be turned into justice points, and 100 will be turned into 47 silver per point.
Do I need to be attuned to the new raid instance?
No. The Firelands is immediately accessible by heading to the Sulfuron Spire in Hyjal. Grab nine or 24 of your bestest friends and head in to punch new bosses in their loot bags.
Where do I go to start the new daily quests?
The new daily quests that open up the Regrowth and the Molten Front are available at the Shrine of Malorne in the southwest portion of Hyjal.
What quest do I have to complete to open up the new dailies in Hyjal?
In order to access these new quests, you will need to have completed up to and including the quest Aessina's Miracle, in which the ancient Aessina quenches the fires consuming the western forests of Hyjal. After you complete this quest, you should be able to access the new content at the Sanctuary of Malorne.
There're only like 4 or 5 quests at the new hub! How do I get more?
You start at the Sanctuary of Malorne and have a few quests a day until you get 20 Marks of the World Tree, the new personal currency you accumulate by completing these new dailies. After 20 of them, which is a few days of dailies, you head into the Firelands and the Molten Front proper. Keep doing dailies for more Marks of the World Tree.
How do I get started on the legendary quest chain?
Players must first kill a Molten Lord inside of the Firelands or have completed any one of the achievements for the previous raid tier (clear Bastion of Twilight, Throne of the Four Winds, or Blackwing Descent) to open up the beginning quest for Dragonwrath, which sends you back to your capital city and onward to the Bronze Dragonflight.
Are there any new factions to gain rep with?
Raiders will be able to gain reputation with the Avengers of Hyjal. Reputation will be capped out early with trash kills in the instance, so many boss kills will likely be needed to reach exalted with the faction.
What are crystallized firestones, and why are people so excited about them?
Crystallized firestones are items that drop from heroic mode bosses in the Firelands and allow you to create heroic versions of items that never had heroic equivalents. For instance, items you purchase from the valor points vendors now have a heroic version that you can purchase with the regular item plus a firestone. This is great for relics, tanking guns, and other slot items that have trouble being put on loot lists because of their relatively class-specific nature.
Has the amount of hit rating gone up for bosses?
No. Blizzard originally was tossing around the idea to increase the hit rating needed to hit cap on the new bosses, but this is not the tier that that is happening. Perhaps next tier. Right now, hit ratings are staying the same.
What's the deal with all the hunter "taming challenges"?
Patch 4.2 is introducing 10 new pets for hunters to tame, including lava spiders, an obsidian cat, a metallic crab, a ghost owl, and more. Each potential tame has a gimmick or vulnerability that must be exploited before the hunter can tame the beast. These new unique taming challenges are scattered around the Regrowth and the Molten Front daily questing hubs.
Any 5-man content?
There are no new 5-man dungeons coming with patch 4.2. You can still get valor points from doing your seven weekly random Zandalari and heroic dungeons.
Does the new arena season start tomorrow?
No. The new arena and PVP season begins usually one week after the current season ends. After Season 9 ends, the numbers will be crunched and rewards will be given out, including titles and drakes, to the winners of the PVP season. This usually takes about a week. Once that is all done, PVP Season 10 will start up.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer 'em!
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 12)
Sunaseni Jun 28th 2011 12:27PM
No, Noselacri. That's a strawman argument and not what he said at all. I can make a strawman in the other direction: you're saying that everyone is obliged to answer every single question about 4.2's valor point conversion or which I should take. See how strawman arguments work? Argue against what he said, not stretching the logic of what he may have said and arguing against that stretch.
The point was not that you SHOULDN'T be answered, but that you SHOULD be shown a method to find the answers for yourself so you don't have to wait in order to get the answer. It'll also empower you to answer the question for other people if you so desire.
SR Jun 28th 2011 12:30PM
Meh. Can't keep up the Grade-A Poopface quality if I'm too afraid of getting a few snarky comments and people using my logic for me.
Besides, it's patch day. What else is there to do than cluttering the comment system? >.>
SR Jun 28th 2011 12:34PM
If a random stranger came up and asked me where the milk was, and there's a directory that maps out the entire store right next to him...
Just saying. I'm not entitled to look at the directory to find it for him.
Schiffer Jun 28th 2011 12:54PM
Have to agree with everything that was said here.
No one is obligated to answer a question. The information is there if I know where to find it, or have the time to look for it.
But, just like Jaq said, "google it" is becoming the new "I'm a douche bag and know more than you" approach to dealing with people on the internet. It's rude. If you know the answer and have the time to type a response, then answer it. If you don't know the answer, then don't answer. This is 2011. I'm quite aware Google exists. I'd venture to guess that 99% of the people here know how to use it.
Seriously, this is The Queue. It's where people come to get answers to questions that they haven't seen. All of you, grow the fuck up and thanks for spamming my inbox with your bickering.
Noyou Jun 28th 2011 1:12PM
As a daily reader of "as the Queue turns" I had no problem with the OP's question. I did have a problem with "This information is in patch notes". I know what you are saying by being able to google stuff but like others have said this site is all about info. Not necessarily easy info or difficult info. No reason to put a comment out like that unless you are trolling. I'm sorry if you are having a bad day and don't want to "Spoon feed" someone info. You can choose to not respond or help but posting a comment like that is either A) helpful or B) productive. Hell we posted about 6+ pages of comments over 2-3 Queues when someone asked what beer he should have when he dinged 21. You can argue beer is non related to WoW but I certainly would beg to differ. I think they go together quite nicely. /cheers.
SR Jun 28th 2011 1:21PM
Schiffer, that's exactly the type of behavior that I'm frowning upon. I can't stress this enough that "WE", as the general population of the internet, are NOT responsible for spoon feeding you information. The fact that you're still trying to justify and STILL try to think that you're not at fault whatsoever, when the information has been going around for quite a while now, and make complaints about people who are not only not required to be your social slave but STILL pointed out the obvious truth (and where you should probably start looking instead of posting a rhetoric question that did, indeed, get answered in 20 seconds or less of searching) just proves that you're a self-entitled lazy person that needs to "grow the fuck up" and start considering that the world does NOT revolve around you.
I can't believe I have to explain something like this.
Schiffer Jun 28th 2011 1:32PM
I didn't "demand" that anyone "spoon feed" me information. I asked a question. Cutaia is the one that pointed out that the "patch notes" response was rude. Judging from the voting on comments, he's not the only one. I simply agreed with him.
Like I said, no one is obligated to answer a question. This is The Queue. The place people ask questions. I asked a question.
Maybe you can't read what I'm writing from your vantage on the horse.
In regards to your milk in a grocery store metaphor: No one asked you specifically for the answer. This is a general forum. If someone was in the grocery store and said loudly "can someone help me find the milk", they're hoping an employee will answer them. Most other patrons of said store will ignore the person, maybe a friendly passerby will say "back in the corner". No one will walk up to that person, pointing at a 3 page directory, and say "hit control+F you lazy self-entitled fuck."
Is courtesy really that much to ask?
loop_not_defined Jun 28th 2011 1:35PM
I think this is relevant to the thread: http://tinyurl.com/avnorv
MattKrotzer Jun 28th 2011 1:50PM
Also, I'm very much in agreement with Cutaia in this topic. The information wasn't available through the standard means. I have no problem with the OP asking.
But considering the number of times we see repeated questions, or even questions that were answered in the Queue in which they are being asked, it can get frustrating to treat some of these people with an appropriate level of tact and class.
Don't get me wrong, I LIKE answering questions. But sometimes I know that the answer is just a google search away, and that getting the level of detail for an adequate answer (because people complain when I half-ass my answers) is going to take me more time than if they'd just searched for it themselves.
I'm not making a blanket "Everyone should just google it" statement. But sometimes, it wouldn't hurt, either.
Bynde Jun 28th 2011 2:01PM
Pet Peeve Rant ahead:
"By your logic, we should abolish The Queue entirely. All these answers can be found elsewehere (mostly patch notes, with a little extra WoWpedia or Googling)."
Exactly. Thank you.
Enough with the "that's not an approved question" shit already. Some of you people act like actual paper and ink is being wasted here.
Don't discourage questions. This is the PLACE FOR QUESTIONS.
Even if you think the question is "dumb" or "already answered" don't discourage people asking. Some people are juts getting their feet wet, other forget an answer...whatever the reason it doesn't hurt anyone here one bit if someone repeats a question already answered.
Theres plenty of room here.
Noselacri Jun 28th 2011 2:11PM
In summary:
Being an asshole doesn't make you sophisticated, edgy, a courageous warrior against the oppression of political correctness, or a truth-teller. It makes you an asshole.
Sunaseni Jun 28th 2011 2:27PM
Now just for a bit of levity after all of that, here's another email, Schiffer.
DonNochay Jun 28th 2011 2:44PM
I absolutely LOVE the fact that the dude who calmly and decisively tells him that it's in the patch notes gets downvoted, yet the usual queue-goers who spew the same thing AFTER his post get upvoted.
scherbaddie Jun 29th 2011 12:16AM
@nose,noyou,cutaia
"His knowledge of where the information rests implies he knows the answer."
Actually, it doesn't. I knew it was in the patch notes but because I don't play a dps caster, I wouldn't be able to recall exactly where to get the quest and "it's in the patch notes" would be the best answer I could give.
Saying "I know I read this in the patch notes, but I can't recall the details right now" is not the same as "just google it". Don't project your own negative tone onto what you read.
Knob Jun 28th 2011 11:10AM
Now that Firelands is coming, let's speculate on future raids in this expansion. Do you think we'll see a War of the Ancients raid? I know it was hinted at during Blizzcon (Afrasiabi said that we're going to see the Infinite Dragonflight in action), but with Firelands having been pushed from 4.1 to 4.2 and Abyssal Maw being cancelled, do you think WotA will end up on the chopping block as well? And will we ever hear about where Deathwing is holed up? We always knew that Illidan was in the Black Temple, Kil'jaeden was waiting to be summoned in the Sunwell, the Lich King was on top of the Icecrown Citadel....but where is Deathwing? It seems like he doesn't have an iconic place to call his lair.
wow Jun 28th 2011 11:14AM
With all the people, including myself, that want to punch that dragon in the face, I thinking he holes up in several places, so people can't find him. Problem is he is so bleedin' big that there aren't very many places for him to hide, except in areas of the World that haven't opened up to us players yet. (Spoiler: Future expansion. hehe)
Come on Deathwing Raid.
Know this Deathwing. I am coming with you and I am bring 10+ million of my friends. You will die soon, dwagon!!!! mhuuaaaaa
Shinanji
Stray Jun 28th 2011 11:26AM
Well, seeing as he was holed up for a long time, I don't think it'll be anytime soon (read: until he's approachable to be fought) that he'll stop just flying around at random throwing hissyfits. He's doing his little rebellious "I'm free! I'm free!" thing right now.
Though I think it could be interesting if his lair was the top of a volcano. The previous bosses leading up to him could be in a labyrinth of caves within? I really couldn't see him wanting to be "indoors". Some high aerie, especially a deadly one, would be perfect for him. Kind of like that fire elemental in Ashenvale, only on a more epic scale.
The Dewd Jun 28th 2011 11:40AM
It's possible that we're never going to actually fight him. (I don't believe, this, but i'm just throwing it out there.) If it's true that someone is pulling his strings, it's possible that we'll be going after whoever the puppeteer is instead. It's also possible that we'll have to fight through his minions in his secret volcano lair in order to let Alexstrasza have another shot at him.
Thyen Jun 28th 2011 11:42AM
I'm thinking that dear old Deathwing is in Northeron. Look on your map... there's a section of it that's completely unused in Eastern Kingdoms, above the Plaguelands. Try to fly there and you hit an invisible wall.
Considering 'Lord Prestor' said he came from Northeron... it kind of makes sense. I'll bet the zone opens for dailies in the 'Deathwing Patch' like the Firelands daily zone is opening for this one.
Ilmyrn Jun 28th 2011 11:56AM
Hey Thyen, Blizz answered the question about Northaeron in the last Lore Q&A. Northaeron is basically northern Twilight Highlands.