Last Week in WoW: Surviving extended maintenance edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Feb 19th 2013 at 9:00AM
Maintenance is extra long today, slated to start at 1 a.m. PST and last for 12 hours. While you're waiting through the drought, why not read on? Our usual roundup of all the latest news awaits.
Hot news and features
- You won't lose your valor points after all in patch 5.2.
- You will be able to cross-realm raid patch 5.0 raids in patch 5.2.
- We have a guide to getting those cool new patch 5.2 mounts.
- Patch 5.2 dailies will come in two alternate flavors: PvE or PvP.
- There's some PvP healing changes coming to patch 5.2.
- Those annoying gold bags in LFR raids will have a chance to contain new bonus items in patch 5.2.
- We preview more of the patch 5.2 Throne of Thunder raid bosses. This time, the target is Ji-Kun.
- Strength Polearms are back in patch 5.2, and they're even working on allowing warriors to duel wield them.
- Fishing and leatherworking may be getting revamps (or at least leveling aids), but not in patch 5.2.
- Want to PvP in patch 5.2? We have a guide to get you prepared.
- The Ra-Den encounter will have limited attempts in patch 5.2.
- Alex lays out the problems with valor points in the Mists era.
- Has your guild fallen apart? We have some advice. To start, don't panic.
Class news and guides
- We have some tips for improving your DPS, regardless of your spec or class.
- Thinking of trying a new death knight spec in patch 5.2? Lichborne has some advice for you.
- Scattered Shots looks at hunter gear in patch 5.2.
- Totem Talk helps you conquer the last bits of tier 14 raiding on your restoration shaman.
- The Light And How To Swing It reviews tier 14 for paladin tanks.
- Encrypted Texts waxes philosophical about the reasons to play a rogue.
- The Care And Feeding of Warriors has advice for leveling from 31 to 60.
- Blood Pact has some advice for solo killing dragons that drop dragon mounts.
- Patch 4.2 has some new jewelcrafting changes, and we have a guide to profiting off of them.
- We have some tips to make some easy gold as a new player (or new character).
- Anne examines the possibilities of free-for-all PvP battlegrounds.
- Olivia discusses the ideas of cross-realm arenas and abolishing arena teams altogether.
- Anne argues for removing valor point upgrades permanently.
- Is it time for a cross-realm Auction House?
- We caught up with long-time mega-guild The Syndicate as they usher in a new generation of gamers.
- South Korea's WoW players are rekindling the community on their servers.
- Know Your Lore examines the strategy and tactics of Garrosh Hellscream and speculates on Wrathion's true motives.
- Joe catalogues his first week as a long time Alliance player playing a Horde character.
- Blizzard has released a new short story, The Trial of the Red Blossoms, that sheds light on the Shado-Pan.
- WoW Archivist looks back at some of the major news stories about WoW colliding with real life, for better or for worse.
Filed under: Realm Status, News items
