Transmog yourself into an Avenger!
6 blue posts to read before Diablo 3's launch
Cross-realm zones coming soon
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsTuesday Morning Post: End of Hallow's End edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Nov 1st 2011 at 7:00AM
Downtime this morning consists of a series of rolling restarts starting at 10 a.m. PDT. So whether you're fighting off a fall cold, a hangover, or a tummy ache -- or if you're feeling fine, you lucky bum -- you should have some time to read up on the week's news with us. There's a good mix of patch 4.3 and BlizzCon 2011 stuff to review, so you'll probably want to read on.
Hot news and features
- Blizzard held a Mists of Pandaria live developer Q&A, and we have a transcript.
- With the new Mists of Pandaria talent system, is talent choice still a myth?
- Ghostcrawler had a few words to say about the Pandaren monk.
- Matthew Rossi takes a critical look at Cataclysm.
- Mat tells you why you just might like Blizzard DOTA.
- I tell you why you should consider playing Diablo 3.
- Have you made your grievances heard with #OccupyGregStreet?
- WoW Archivist looks back at some the great hoaxes of WoW.
- Want to take your guild to a new realm or the other faction? Now you can.
- Korean and Taiwanese servers are testing a twice-weekly raid reset.
- The rogue legendary dagger proc has appeared on the patch 4.3 PTR.
- Check out some of the new titles coming with patch 4.3.
- Valor point gear has appeared on the patch 4.3 PTR, and we have screenshots.
- World of Wardrobe offers some old plate tier look-alikes for the tier-deficient death knight.
- WoW Rookie helps you choose your realm type.
- Check out the official tier 13 death knight preview.
- Josh Myers takes an early stab at the mechanics of the monk.
- The Light And How To Swing It takes a swing at the new Pandaria talents for retribution paladins. We take a similar look at those talents for tanking paladins. We also discuss the myth of the melee healer.
- Shifting Perspectives examines the new MoP talents for balance druids and feral druids.
- Arcane Brilliance takes a look at the new mage Pandaria talents.
- Scattered Shots looks at the hunter news out of BlizzCon 2011.
- Totem Talk has some post-BlizzCon restoration thoughts. We also take a look at the new Pandaria talents for enhancement shaman.
- Spiritual Guidance talks to some of the priests of BlizzCon 2011. We also look at the new MoP talents for shadow priests and for healing priests.
- Encrypted Text looks at the rogue news of BlizzCon 2011.
- Blood Pact looks at the new warlock talents for MoP.
- The Care and Feeding of Warriors talks about specializations in Mists of Pandaria.
- Raid Rx opines on the future of healers in Pandaria.
- Lichborne searches for the iconic death knight look.
- The gear levels for patch 4.3 raids have been revealed.
- Yet another recipe for the High Society Top Hat has been found in the patch 4.3 PTR.
- Gold Capped talks about the possible economic ramifications of the Pet Battles system. We also look at the newest Mobile Auction House updates.
- Addon Spotlight picked some random addons off of Curse and reviewed them.
- Ready Check peers into the future of raiding.
- The Lawbringer dispels some panda myths.
- Chris Metzen gave a recent interview in which he talked about heroes.
- We talked some guildmates who met up at BlizzCon.
- The New York Times had some stuff to say about BlizzCon 2011.
- Know Your Lore continues looking at player impact on the world via quests. We also take a look at the highlights of the BlizzCon 2011 Lore Q&A Panel.
- About The Bloggers talks to Lisa Poisso.
- World of Warcrafts looks at the cosplay of Christina Sims.
- WoW TCG is releasing some awesome new dungeon decks.
Filed under: Realm Status, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Irysh Nov 1st 2011 7:35AM
So, did anyone else not get the mount again? This year I received two sabers, one plate helm (on my Mage), 10 brooms, and countless pumpkin cloth helms and pets, but NOT that mount! I ran HH daily on three toons, to boot!
Three years and counting now...
Jet Nov 1st 2011 7:52AM
I have run that every year since it's inception,on multiple toons. Never missed a day. Never seen the mount. That's 112 "loot" filled pumpkins this year alone. At least a couple of my clothie's got the helm,instead of my silly warrior. If anyone says they upped the drop rate,I'm gonna have to disagree. Here's a haiku I wrote for the Headless Horseman:
F@@@ Off
Suzaku Nov 1st 2011 7:51AM
Logged in on the first day and received the plate helm and saber. On my warlock.
After about 8 attempts, finally got the helm on my DK. It dropped again on my warlock. The saber never dropped again.
For the fifth consecutive year, no mount.
Thundrcrackr Nov 1st 2011 9:24AM
I ran it daily on 3 toons too. Got the helm on the 2 toons who couldn't use it. The one who actually needed it, didn't get it. And to add insult to injury, he HAS gotten it every year prior...when it wasn't an upgrade. The first year it was an upgrade is the first year he didn't get it. Very depressing. (Don't even get me started on the mount - didn't see a single one this year.)
Swifteye Nov 1st 2011 10:02AM
Didn't get the mount, but not really that depressed about it because I knew from the outset how rare it was and not to get my hopes up... my DK's Veridian Netherdrake breathed a sigh of relief; she won't get replaced for at least another year.
Otherwise, the holiday was kind enough to me. I got the helm (which was the only thing I was *really* hoping for) on the very first day, so I didn't have to sweat it more and more as each day counted down. Got the very DK-fitting title three days after the holiday went live (oh thank you thank you whoever decided to knock G.N.E.R.D. Rage down from 50 HKs to 10!). And got the instant-favorite Feline Familiar on the second day.
Can't complain, all and all. The mount would be super-cool to have, but eh, not so much that it's worth totally emoing and/or raging over when I got so much other nifty stuff that I wanted... *shrug*
ravyncat Nov 1st 2011 10:42AM
To add insult to the injury of your no mount story...I received three that I had to delete. I deleted 10 sinister squashlings and at least 5 cloth helms.
Having to delete the mounts made me want to cry. I wish I could trade them to people in my group or something instead of wasting them.
The only thing I wanted was the plate helm because it is a BIG upgrade for me.
I got it....on my druid. *cries*
Gotta love that RNG...NOT!
Despite that it was a fun holiday. I love my feline familiar. ^^
Caylynn Nov 1st 2011 11:01AM
Still no mount here. :( Run it every day, multiple times per day back when we could bring in alts and keep running it in an attempt to get the mount for mains, and I still don't have it. :( Don't have either of the Brewfest mounts either - been running that every year too - although I wasn't high enough level to earn it when you could still buy the ram with tokens. :(
Oh, and I'm still convinced Marrowgar does not have an INT shield on his loot table. Ran ICC every. single. reset. when it was current content. Never saw the shield drop. Never.
RNG hates me.
Kuro Nov 1st 2011 12:09PM
If they would make the bags BoA like they do with the ones from the LFG that would be lovely.
I ran it every day on most of my 8 alts--mainly to amass quick JP to get enchanting mats cuz they so farking expensive. I deleted an untold number of punkin helms and squashlings -- enough to supply a bakery with sub-par quality pie filling for the upcoming Thanksgiving season.
5 helms -- none on toon that need it.
3 swords -- none on toon that need it.
1 mounts -- alliance DK alt who I made to be an AH mule. :/
Oh...halfway through the holiday I went.. "let me run Kara to see if I can get that horse..." killed Attunmen and cursed my luck sitting there looking at the bracers that always drops and the leaden despair trinket...
...that's no trinket.. that's a horse.
Sqtsquish Nov 1st 2011 4:56PM
Been trying every available day for 3 years on my hunter and my rogue(s) (yep 2 of em) and never ever seen anyone ever get the saber. I have the mount on 2 alts though (but never a rogue or the hunter).
Eyhk Nov 1st 2011 5:21PM
Seriously Blizz. BOA. It's not that hard. Unless the entire BOA system is just a crude hack that doesn't really "just work". Having to delete one mount, one sword, and two plate helms just because they dropped for the wrong toon, is just plain stupid and not fun at all.
Big Shoe Nov 1st 2011 7:50AM
Luckily, I had the mount on both of my 85s from a couple years ago, when it still dropped off the horseman himself, because I never saw it otherwise this year. Likewise, I never found the helmet (which was beautifully itemized for my warrior's Fury off spec) in my pumpkin bag, despite seeing every clothie I know get it multiple times. I really wish they had allowed the helmet and saber to be bought with tokens!
zinckiwi Nov 1st 2011 8:11AM
I don't understand why, with all the people wanting the mount and complaining about the LFD-based limitations on their attempts, they wouldn't stick it on the vendors. Make it an obscene amount of both Hallow's End tokens and cash -- make it a 10k gold sink even -- and that would at least let the people who have coveted it for the past four holidays actually get it.
keifang1 Nov 1st 2011 8:29AM
Ran 6 85s everyday did not see the mount drop on any of them. Everything else I seen so many times that it was a pain to delete them. Only thing that i really got out of the event was two AWESOME pets...Love the Feline and the Creepy Crate!
Philster043 Nov 1st 2011 8:28AM
I got the mounts for both my 85s last year. I was a little surprised because it seemed like the drop rate was higher because the previous year, I didn't get either. But this year I never saw them either (though I didn't need them, I was still doing the HH for the other loot).
The Sinister Squashling had never been easier to obtain though. The previous two years I had to work so hard on getting it - and this year I think I must have seen it drop at least 20 times from these Handful of Treats, plus at least five times while fighting the HH. Nobody's probably complaining about that one this year.
Philster043 Nov 1st 2011 8:44AM
Well, they were 80s back then, though. =)
Myf Nov 1st 2011 8:45AM
What a cute noam :3
hwacha Nov 1st 2011 9:00AM
I got the mount last year, and its been my main mode of transport since. Good thing, too, since I havent heard of anyone I know get it this year.
No helm though. I refused to run it on my alts past getting the rings I needed, knowing I'd be crushed if my druid or mage got the plate helm my warrior so depserately needs...
rockychristine Nov 1st 2011 9:11AM
Got the mount on the very last day! Mount and Hallowed Be Thy Name completely make up for the long power outage from that Halloween Nor'Easter.
Ace Nov 1st 2011 9:51AM
After running it every day on all five 85's, I finally got it yesterday... on my druid. I think its the only flying mount I have on him since I don't use mounts, I shapeshift... Was actually the only toon I DIDN'T want it on...
Dreamquencher Nov 1st 2011 10:40AM
I am deeply disappointed that my warlock failed to get the Headless Horseman's reins for the fifth year in a row. World event gear and items need to become account-bound rather than soulbound. Rift already does this, which is just one of many things that keep me playing Rift rather than WoW. After five years and 8 level 80+ characters, I stopped playing WoW (except for holidays) in March 2011 because of the insanely difficult and frustrating instances vs. Wrath (see the discussion in the comments here: http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/the-cataclysm-a-critical-examination/) . If I could gear up my alts easier during holidays and world events (including stashing away account-bound, max-level rings, trinkets, weapons, etc., for my lower level toons, as one can do in The Other Game), I'd be hanging out in Azeroth rather than Telara. Off to finish the final few levels to max out my chloromancer...