Breakfast Topic: I love Ashkandi
by Matthew Rossi 
Feb 13th 2012 at 8:00AM
Pretty much no weapon model in the history of World of Warcraft has affected me like Ashkandi, Greatsword of the Brotherhood has. To me, it's emblematic of all that I love about Warcraft's model design -- excessive, bold, imaginative and evocative.
From the moment my guild first started running Blackwing Lair, I wanted one. I ended up getting a Sulfuras instead, which is certainly a fine weapon in its own right, but as much as I liked Sulfuras, I always knew I was making the logical decision (take the one that drops first) over the one my heart wanted (wait for Ashkandi). Years passed. We moved out of BWL and into AQ, then Naxx, and then The Burning Crusade launched. No model could replace Ashkandi in my heart. The Gladiator sword, Despair, Cataclysm's Edge, Apolyon, The Lionheart Executioner -- all fine models, all solid weapons. None could take its place.
From the moment my guild first started running Blackwing Lair, I wanted one. I ended up getting a Sulfuras instead, which is certainly a fine weapon in its own right, but as much as I liked Sulfuras, I always knew I was making the logical decision (take the one that drops first) over the one my heart wanted (wait for Ashkandi). Years passed. We moved out of BWL and into AQ, then Naxx, and then The Burning Crusade launched. No model could replace Ashkandi in my heart. The Gladiator sword, Despair, Cataclysm's Edge, Apolyon, The Lionheart Executioner -- all fine models, all solid weapons. None could take its place.
Ashkandi became more than a weapon to me, a symbol for the game itself. The impracticality of the model only endeared it to me more, the narrow blade exploding outward past the ridiculously elaborate hilt. When Cataclysm launched and I heard that Nefarian would return and he would have a Reclaimed Ashkandi on his loot table, I was at first ecstatic and then demoralized. The Reclaimed is, well, far more practical. The blade isn't so ludicrously broad and long, the hilt looks strong enough to take the stress of use. In general, although you can clearly trace the line of descent between the weapons, the new Ashkandi didn't reach me. And so I returned again and again and again to Blackwing Lair over the course of the years I've played it, seeking Ashkandi.
Some people collect pets or mounts or both. Some love achievements or holidays and world events. Some people hoard all their old armor sets or weapons. For me, it's always been swords. I keep other weapon models, but I love swords, and for me, Ashkandi is the sword in World of Warcraft. Sure, there are other awesome swords, other swords with amazing lore, epic quest lines and big chunks of WoW history, and I love all those swords too. I kept my Quel'Serrar and still have it in my bank, not Void Storage, so I can take it out and use it whenever I want. I've got a Jin'rokh, an original OEB, a King's Defender and a Spiteblade, and countless other swords I love and use.
But for me, all these swords are like the knights in a king's court, there to provide context and reflected glory for the king. And the king is Ashkandi, and it always will be. Because I still remember the first time I saw it and said wow without a trace of self awareness or irony. I still remember that fresh wonder, reading the flavor text and realizing that this was Anduin Lothar's sword. The Brotherhood in question is the Brotherhood of the Horse.
I wouldn't be writing lore articles for this site if not for the interest in finding out who these people were that Ashkandi gave to me. It's more than a weapon to me. It is World of Warcraft. I don't know if anything has given me greater satisfaction in-game than being able to use this model, and frankly it's made transmogrification my favorite feature of the game, because I will be able to use Ashkandi forever. This sword deserves to be gripped in a fist, not dusty in a bank somewhere. As crazy as it sounds, this mass of pixels that anyone who kills Nefarian enough time can pick up is strangely personal to me. It's not a legendary, but that just makes it better in my eyes.
A legendary will always end up in the bank. Ashkandi is forever.
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Filed under: Paladin, Warrior, Breakfast Topics, Death Knight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Nina Katarina Feb 13th 2012 8:08AM
That's a great article, and I'm glad you found your perfect weapon. But I'm not quite sure how we're supposed to respond to it as a breakfast topic. Is there an implied question? I guess the question is, have you had an emotional attachment to a piece of artwork in the game?
I haven't had that emotional attachment to an item yet. I mog all my clothes on my main and main alt, but I haven't yet changed the weapon because I don't really care one way or another about any of the weapon designs.
I do have an emotional attachment to that stretch of stream by Tarren Mill, where the sagefish run. Great bit of game art.
Noyou Feb 13th 2012 4:36PM
Well, like any good write up, it is supposed to spark conversation. I think this one does that. I also believe each class should have it's signature item- something they would want to use throughout their playing time. Tanks might want a shield, Mages might want a staff. I have only transmogged one thing so far (goggles) but I appreciate it will be there when I do find my signature items for my toons. Well played Rossi. Well played indeed.
Peebers Feb 13th 2012 8:09AM
lmao our wars were so sad, that damn sword NEVER dropped for them. got my mal and cts though.
Peebers Feb 13th 2012 8:16AM
are there any players out there thatre more sentimental about gear than vanilla raiders?
I'm so casual now, I can't imagine ever getting the same feeling of accomplishment I got from completing nightslayer and bloodfang. I do remember the sweet taste of spite when I outbid the guild rogue class leader by 1dkp for rhe guild first perditions blade. yum!
Shepherd57 Feb 13th 2012 8:35AM
I liken it to old age. Are we not all fond of our youth and what it represents. For Old School WoWers it is Vanilla or BC. The artwork, the attunements, the rep grinds, and all the other things that go along with Vanilla or BC. I started one month after Wrath's release and I think that those were the good old days compared to this Cata model of everything for everyone. I think what Blizzard has done with the game is fantastic on the whole, but nothing is better then the feeling of nostaglia that comes along with playing a game longer than someone else.
Luotian Feb 13th 2012 8:39AM
Ha, not all of us! I started during BC, and though I do remember the sense of wonder I had in my falling off cliffs and getting hopelessly lost adventures, I have to say that I, at least, have enjoyed Cataclysm and everything its brought to the table. Between it and Wrath I can actually play the game instead of simply getting lost in a big big world.
Blayze Feb 13th 2012 10:21AM
I started during Vanilla. Still playing today. Wrath was the best, most accessible and enjoyable part of this game until 4.3. Come Mists, I'll stop guild raiding for good in favour of Raid Finder.
Nostalgia for anything before Wrath confuses me. The game was terrible back then, we just didn't know better.
Plainswander Feb 13th 2012 11:56AM
Blayze: "Nostalgia for anything before Wrath confuses me. The game was terrible back then, we just didn't know better."
I'm not nostalgic for the grindiness, the high barriers to entering endgame, or the "Attune ALL the things" philosophy, but I am nostalgic for the aesthetics. Wrath gear looked like MUD (well, everything up to epics looked like mud - then it all looked like OMG SPIKES), and cataclyms is just... it's nice, but it's all the same.
Vanilla and BC had a wider variety of looks achievable at lower levels, more reliance on the whole kit than just OMG SHOULDERS, and a greater willingness to play with color and idea rather than "just make it fecking HUGE, slap some glowy stuff on it and call it a day".
Fortunately, with Transmogging, I don't have to be nostalgic any more. Viva the return of taste of WoW.
Sterb Feb 13th 2012 5:28PM
"Nostalgia for anything before Wrath confuses me. The game was terrible back then, we just didn't know better."
TBC was pretty terrific and in particular, I'm talking about the attunements. I went back with another character and did all the attunement chains for Black Temple and honestly, they're fantastic, fun, and give you a real sense of the lore (and why you're going into a raid).
Nowadays (or several patches ago), we went to Blackwing Descent to beat up some dragons. Why? Who knows, who cares; they drop purples.
Adnarish Feb 13th 2012 8:29AM
Great write-up Matthew!
I have a very similar fondness for the Hammer of the Naaru. From the moment I first saw it, browsing through the exciting new loot tables of The Burning Crusade raids, it sparked a small fire in the back of my mind that eventually made me return to the Paladin class. The pursuit of this weapon, which I finally got early last year, wasn't quite as daunting (High King Maulgar doesn't really compare to the whole of Blackwingf Lair, after all) but I imagine our responses to seeing it finally equipped on our characters was much the same!
And then came Landslide...
Mycroft Feb 13th 2012 9:19AM
I'm sort of the same way. I loved the Battered Hilt questline. I got to go there and do the stuff. I *personally* did this whole quest chain, and got all this awesome lore, just for me. This great and powerful sword chose to bond with *me* as its wielder! Then some blood elf told me "lol u can't use sowrd" and gave me a mace instead. But I loved that mace, and was proud of it, and raided all throughout the end of Wrath with it and started Cata with it.
Finally got to mog it, and bleh, it's not a mace at all, it's just Power Torrent with a handle. :/
Aurilia Feb 13th 2012 9:45AM
@Mycroft Unfortunately, the same's true for the Quel'Delar sword when transmogging a caster sword with PT. It's very disappointing.
Plainswander Feb 13th 2012 11:52AM
Power torrent needs to GO AWAY, at least, the visual on it. Textbook case for hiding echants if ever there was one. I'm wiellding a STAFF dagnabbit, not a plasma lollipop!
Dimmak Feb 13th 2012 8:37AM
The question is simple, what is that one iconic weapon you always wish you had. My hunter got Ashkandi, full tier 2 and a Dragon Breath weapon. My guildies though I was getting a stat stick... but I did it all for the look.
I am still looking for the perfect two handed sword, Endbringer is strong for me and I have an original Zin'rok. But I wish we could recolor these blades to perfection.
Edymnion Feb 13th 2012 3:40PM
The molten fists out of Hyjal.
I just want those, and a pair of endgame fist weapons to mog into them for my shammy, and I will be happy. =P
Noyou Feb 13th 2012 4:36PM
I'm still looking. I can't seem to find the perfect gun for my hunter. Either they look like super soakers or they are too damn simple. I like the DK sword with glowing runes for my DK. Other than that, I am looking for the perfect staff for my mage, daggers for my rogue, shield for my paladin, etc. etc.
Evelinda Feb 13th 2012 11:16PM
Those fists! I feel the same way. Combined with shaman tier 5,it's one of the best looks available, in my opinion.
Bobby Earl Feb 14th 2012 8:56AM
@Emdymnion
Unfortunately, as Enhancement, you'll probably end up with some version of No'Kaled in either hand for quite some time. If you PvP, however, you can basically pick what form your weapons take as there are options for just about everything. I have my PvP gear set mogged to the Merciless version of T5 (it's got better coloration than the PvE Cataclysmic set IMO) and I know I will always be able to use my Molten fist weaps regardless of the season.
Luotian Feb 13th 2012 8:37AM
I have to say, Rossi, I'm not the same at all. Not that I don't love gear, because I'm sort of a fanatic about it...I just really like simple models. I love Transmog now simply because I can keep my armor streamlined and use the simplest bow (never ever ever a gun for the love of Elune keep those things away from my game!) and staff/polearm I can find. I think there is real elegance in simplicity.
Shepherd57 Feb 13th 2012 2:07PM
I agree completely. The approach I took to my feral druid was, "if I were a few hundred years old and one with nature what would I dress like." I have a simple brown staff, and my gear is transmogged into brown and green tones.