WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. View our terms of service here: http://legal.aol.com/terms-of-service/full-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Build Shop: Warlock 24/37/0]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/build-shop-warlock-24-37-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/build-shop-warlock-24-37-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/build-shop-warlock-24-37-0/#comments
Every Tuesday, Chris Jahosky contributes Build Shop, which takes a look into one of the many talent specs available to players.

Ah, warlocks. Before the Burning Crusade, there was no class I hated more. Of course, my opinion of the class did a 180 once I got my own Warlock to 70. This build (and variants of it) is often called SL/SL, because it picks up both Siphon Life and Soul Link (talents in the Affliction and Demonology trees, respectively). Unlike most other Warlock builds that focus on damage output, this build is meant to help you outlast your opponents by mitigating some of the damage you take, while using Siphon Life and Drain Life to get your health back. Warlocks with this build can be annoyingly difficult to kill, and is still a popular spec in 2v2 Arena.

The downside (and there's almost always a downside, folks) is that you won't top any DPS charts when it comes to PvE -- it's just the nature of the build. If you think you can live with that, I strongly encourage you to try this build out for yourself. I'm a big fan. And if you're looking for even more info on it, Zach covered this build in-depth last week.

Continue reading Build Shop: Warlock 24/37/0

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Warlock 24/37/0 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> afflictionbuild-shopdemonologysiphon-lifesl-slsoul-linkwarlock (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Paladin 5/8/41 + 7]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/build-shop-paladin-5-8-41-7/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/build-shop-paladin-5-8-41-7/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/build-shop-paladin-5-8-41-7/#comments
Every Tuesday, Chris Jahosky contributes Build Shop, which takes a look into one of the many talent specs available to players.

Welcome back to the wonderful world of Build Shop! I've got a lot to say this week, since this is a spec that is near and dear to my heart (even though my Paladin is Protection spec these days) -- Retribution. I've tried to strip it down to the essentials (or what I think is the essentials) so that you can shift points around depending on what you want to do with it.

Continue reading Build Shop: Paladin 5/8/41 + 7

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Paladin 5/8/41 + 7 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> build-shopcrusader-strikeholypaladinprotectionretributionseal-of-bloodseal-of-commandSoBSoCvengeance (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Badge rewards in 2.4]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-badge-rewards-in-2-4/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-badge-rewards-in-2-4/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-badge-rewards-in-2-4/#comments
Now that the patch is upon us, it's a good time for reflecting upon all the new badge rewards available to us in the near future. As a hybrid class with 3 main viable specs (healing, tanking, DPS), it's no wonder that there's a lot of new badge gear for paladins in this patch. Allison did a fantastic write-up of new badge gear for druids a few days back, so I figured I'd follow her format as it relates to paladins!

Holy

Itemization for Healing specs has been pretty solid when it comes to badge gear, and the new stuff is no exception. Just like the Pier 1 set that 2.3 introduced, you'll find lots of healing, spell crit and mana per 5 on the new gear... just more of it.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Badge rewards in 2.4

Filed under: , , , , ,

The Light and How to Swing It: Badge rewards in 2.4 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> 2.32.4badge-gearbadge-lootbadgesbadges-of-justicedpshealingholypaladinpatch-2.3patch-2.4protectionretributionsunwellsunwell-badge-loottanktanking (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:20:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Calling down the thunder]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-calling-down-the-thunder/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-calling-down-the-thunder/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-calling-down-the-thunder/#comments
Every Wednesday (it's usually Wednesday, anyway), Chris Jahosky brings you another page of Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn, a WoW webcomic you'll find only on WoW Insider!

This week, our characters are starting to deal with the aftermath of the Naga attack. For some, the loss is a little more personal. As the Naga will soon find out, they killed the wrong person. As usual, click the image above to view today's page, or the gallery below to start from the beginning.

Don't forget to click the "High Res" button in the upper right of the gallery to view today's page at full size!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Calling down the thunder originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethiltales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:45:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: State of the class]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-state-of-the-class/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-state-of-the-class/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-state-of-the-class/#comments
When I first decided to roll a Paladin, I had no interest in healing or tanking. I rolled one back in the days before Burning Crusade, back in the heyday of the Reck Bomb. The idea of having what seemed essentially like a Warrior who had access to spells and could self-heal was extremely enticing. I've also had a fascination with the Paladin ever since I played Final Fantasy IV (released here in the States as Final Fantasy II). I've had a Paladin in every game I ever played where it was possible to have one.

I used paladins to great effect when I played Warcraft 2, and as anyone who's ever played Warcraft 3 can tell you, paladins were central to the story (Arthas Menethil, better known these days as The Lich King, started out as a Paladin of the Silver Hand under Uther the Lightbringer, the original Paladin). Oddly enough, when I started playing WoW back in June of 2005, my first character wasn't a Paladin (I rolled Horde, and thus couldn't). However, as soon as I started playing as Alliance on a different server, I created one immediately.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: State of the class

Filed under: ,

The Light and How to Swing It: State of the class originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> holypaladinpatch-2.4protectionretributionsunwellsunwell-plateauthe-light-and-how-to-swing-it (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Shaman 0/45/16]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/build-shop-shaman-0-45-16/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/build-shop-shaman-0-45-16/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/build-shop-shaman-0-45-16/#comments
Every Tuesday, Chris Jahosky contributes Build Shop, which takes a look into one of the many talent specs available to players.

It's been a long while since there was a Shaman build featured on Build Shop, and I think it's time that changed. I'm looking at an Enhancement build this week that's built for raid damage yet provides a good amount of utility and group buffs. As expected, the majority of the points go into the Enhancement tree, but instead of putting the remaining points into Elemental to buff personal DPS, this build places them in Restoration in order to provide stronger utility for the raid and additional hit chance for you.

Continue reading Build Shop: Shaman 0/45/16

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Shaman 0/45/16 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> build-shopdual-wielddual-wieldingenhancementpatch-2.4PvEraidingrestorestorationshamanstormstrike (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Encrypted Text: Raiding as a Rogue, Part II]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/encrypted-text-raiding-as-a-rogue-part-ii/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/encrypted-text-raiding-as-a-rogue-part-ii/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/encrypted-text-raiding-as-a-rogue-part-ii/#comments
Every Wednesday, Elizabeth Wachowski or Chris Jahosky write Encrypted Text, a look into the shadowy world of rogues.

Last time, when I discussed raiding on your rogue, I talked about the differences between the 3 talent trees as they relate to raiding, and the Hit cap. A couple of people made comments that basically say there is no magic number for Hit rating that you need to be at, and this is true. I'm not advocating stacking hit at the expense of all your other stats. There should be a balance, and you don't want to gimp yourself in other areas just to stack Hit rating.

Today, one of the things I'm talking about is the Expertise cap, which should be viewed in a similar light -- the information is there so that you can make good decisions regarding your gear. Don't just run out and start stacking Hit and Expertise and leave your other stats to twist in the wind.

Continue reading Encrypted Text: Raiding as a Rogue, Part II

Filed under: , , ,

Encrypted Text: Raiding as a Rogue, Part II originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> assassinationcombatencrypted-textexpertisehit-capraidingroguesubtlety (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Rescue]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-rescue/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-rescue/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-rescue/#comments
Every Wednesday, Chris Jahosky brings you another page of Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn, a WoW webcomic you'll find only on WoW Insider!

It's been almost a month since the last installment of Tales, and I'm very sorry for the delay. About a month ago, my old computer died, taking a good chunk of the comic with it. I've since recovered, and I have a new computer, so Tales will resume it's normal Wednesday updates. As a peace offering, I've made a new wallpaper based on one of today's panels. It's 1920x1200, and you can find it here. Enjoy!

As for the comic, you can view today's page by clicking the image above, or browse to it from the gallery below if you need a small refresher. Looks like Kat arrived with help just in time to save Byron!

Note: When going to the gallery page, click on the HI RES button in the upper left of the screen to see a full sized version of the image.

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Rescue originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethilnagatales-from-the-lion's-pride-innwetlands (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Warrior 17/44]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/build-shop-warrior-17-44/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/build-shop-warrior-17-44/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/build-shop-warrior-17-44/#comments
Every Tuesday (and sometimes Wednesday, when dealing with broken computers), Chris Jahosky contributes Build Shop, which takes a look into one of the many talent specs available to players.

I'm sure some of you noticed that Build Shop went on an unscheduled vacation -- this was unfortunately due to the death of my old computer. My new computer is all set up and ready to go (and plays WoW better than ever), and so I'm now officially back on the scene. There was a lot of talk in the comments from last time about the RiP (Rogue in Plate) build, so this week I'm taking a look at it for those who are interested.

RiPper builds (like 17/44, the one I'm examining) are so named because their DPS potential is quite close to rogues (hence, Rogue in Plate). It's a sustained damage build, similar to a combat spec Rogue, but because of their ability to wear plate (and a shield) have more survivability and off-tank potential. They're quite capable of inflicting incredible damage, and can be especially nasty when paired with a Shaman's Windfury totem.

The Fury tree is utilized extensively for this build -- points are mostly put into Arms in order to grab Impale, which increases critical damage, but it also picks up a few nice talents for tanking and utility.

Continue reading Build Shop: Warrior 17/44

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Warrior 17/44 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> berserker-stancebloodthirstbuild-shopfuryimpalerampageRiPRiPperrogue-in-platewarrior (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Warrior 28/33/0]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/build-shop-warrior-28-33-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/build-shop-warrior-28-33-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/build-shop-warrior-28-33-0/#comments
Every Tuesday, Chris Jahosky contributes Build Shop, which takes a look into one of the many talent specs available to players.

This week's build comes to you courtesy of reader James (who put this together anticipating the changes to the Fury tree coming in 2.4), so today I'm going to dissect his build. Fury heavy builds are quite strong and very popular for PvE encounters through the end game (the most famous perhaps being a variant of 17/44, sometimes called a RiP (Rogue in Plate), which is desirable for the high damage output).

However, this kind of hybrid build has started to see more use in other areas. While not as effective as a RiP build in PvE, these hybrid builds often pick up a weapon specialization from the Arms tree in addition to some utility talents, making them more adaptable in PvP and solo play. James' build is 28/33, and seems to be based off of the standard Fury/Weapon Spec build of 26/35. They have a good bit of variation, though -- James' focus seems to be on PvP, with talents like Iron Will and Improved Intercept, whereas the standard build focuses on damage output.

After the break, I'm diving into my thoughts on the build, but make sure to share your experience and suggestions with James in the comments!

Continue reading Build Shop: Warrior 28/33/0

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Warrior 28/33/0 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> bloodthirstbuild-shopdeath-wishfurywarriorwhirlwind (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Mage 17/0/44]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/build-shop-mage-17-0-44/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/build-shop-mage-17-0-44/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/build-shop-mage-17-0-44/#comments
Every Tuesday, Chris Jahosky contributes Build Shop, which takes a look into one of the many talent specs available to players.

Today's build has been sent in by a number of people now, so this week I'm taking a look at one of the more popular Arena Frost Mage builds -- 17/0/44. There are a number of variations of deep Frost builds, but this one goes far enough in the Arcane tree to grab the very useful and powerful Improved Counterspell. The Frost tree has been synonymous with survivability for a long time, so it's no wonder that it is so often seen in the Arena. As with other builds of this nature, it picks up talents that increase your damage output as well as those that boost your ability to stay alive. Frost allows you to kite your opponents, or hit them with reliable burst damage utilizing Shatter.

As usual, there is some wiggle room with the talent spread, so you may want to shift points around depending on your personal taste, or even the Arena bracket you spend most of your time in.

Continue reading Build Shop: Mage 17/0/44

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Mage 17/0/44 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> arenabuild-shopfrosticy-veinsmagepvpshatterwater-elemental (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:15:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Sentry HQ]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-sentry-hq/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-sentry-hq/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-sentry-hq/#comments
Every Wednesday, Chris Jahosky brings you another page of Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn, a WoW webcomic you'll find only on WoW Insider!

Kat's made it to Sentry Headquarters and is going straight to Vincent Rhames, captain of the Menethil Sentries, for help. Byron's fate is unknown, but Rhames looks ready and able to take on some Naga! Let's hope they arrive in time to save him...

As usual, click the image above for today's page, or the gallery below to read from the beginning.

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Sentry HQ originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturestales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Druid 0/11/50]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/12/build-shop-druid-0-11-50/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/12/build-shop-druid-0-11-50/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/12/build-shop-druid-0-11-50/#comments
Hey there Build Shop fans! This week, I'm examining a heavy Restoration build for druids, with a few points from Feral thrown in (you know, for spice). This build comes to us courtesy of reader Arajal of Dunemaul, who had this to say about it: "Overall my build is mainly a healer spec with some utility thrown in. I like to DPS or tank instances sometimes, and my points in both trees help each role. Natural Perfection is pretty handy while tanking."

I disagree somewhat with the usefulness of Natural Perfection for tanking -- if you're a Druid tank with the proper amount of Defense, you shouldn't be getting crit at all. On the other hand, this isn't a full Feral build, and without Survival of the Fittest I'd imagine it'd be pretty tough to put together a leather set with enough Defense to get the job done, so it could be useful for reducing damage after you take the inevitable crit. I'd consider Natural Perfection more of a PvP / utility talent than anything else, but what do you think?

Arajal also has made some choices in the Resto tree that could be considered unconventional, but I'll let you be the judge. Let's take a look under the hood!

Continue reading Build Shop: Druid 0/11/50

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Druid 0/11/50 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> druidnature's-swiftnessrestorestorationswiftmendtree-of-life (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Skirmish]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-skirmish/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-skirmish/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-skirmish/#comments
Whew! Kat's strange and unknown power saved her last week, and it looks like Byron showed up just in time to save her again. Unfortunately for him, the odds against two Naga aren't so great. Can he hold them off until Kat returns with help? You'll have to keep reading to find out.

As usual, click the image above for today's page, or the gallery below to read from the beginning.

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Skirmish originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturestales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Paladin 40/0/21]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/build-shop-paladin-40-0-21/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/build-shop-paladin-40-0-21/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/build-shop-paladin-40-0-21/#comments
This week on Build Shop I've got another Paladin build for you all to digest -- Shockadin (aka 40/0/21)! I like this build because it's all purpose, allowing you to act as the main healer for an instance if necessary, but giving you the freedom to go grind or farm or what have you without needing to respec. It's also got the potential for some great burst damage, if used properly.

This build picks up most of its talents from the Holy tree, but goes into Retribution for some nice support talents, as well as Sanctity Aura, which is what you'll be using if you're in DPS mode.

Alright, let's dig into this build and see what's going on!

Continue reading Build Shop: Paladin 40/0/21

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Paladin 40/0/21 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> build-shopilluminationpaladinsanctity-aurashockadin (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Levels 41-50]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-41-50/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-41-50/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-41-50/#comments
This week I'm going to continue the class guide by talking about levels 41-50. This is the level range I dislike the most when playing most of my characters (more specifically, 45-50), but I'm going to include suggestions to help you get through it as fast as possible. Since you got your mount at 40, you'll notice a distinct drop in travel time, but please be careful when mounted -- enemy mobs can still hit you, potentially knocking you off your mount to make your escape on foot. You may have chosen to respec at 40 to Protection or Holy, but I'm continuing as Retribution for leveling purposes (though Prot grinding is also quite fun). As such, certain quests / areas may be harder for some specs than others, so I've tried to offer alternative zones when possible just in case you start having trouble.

If you missed the last two installments of the leveling guide, you can find 1-20 here, and 21-40 here. Before we get started on level 41, I have a couple of recommendations: First, make sure your First Aid skill is leveled up and you have a nice stock of bandages, as sometimes you'll be low on mana and a bubble/bandage can save your life. Second, always carry around a stack or two of the best water (and maybe food) you can get, and if you've leveled cooking, try to keep yourself food buffed as much as possible. Third, take a deep breath -- some of the zones you have to quest in at this level range are notorious ganking grounds on PvP servers, and many have tough mobs that may give you trouble (especially if they have a level or two on you). You will likely find yourself running back from the graveyard a lot, and that's always frustrating. Just keep on at it, and you'll get through it.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Levels 41-50

Filed under: , , ,

The Light and How to Swing It: Levels 41-50 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> 41-50guidesleveling-guidepaladinthe-light-and-how-to-swing-it (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:45:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Encrypted Text: Levels 21-40]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/encrypted-text-levels-21-40/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/encrypted-text-levels-21-40/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/encrypted-text-levels-21-40/#comments
Welcome to another edition of Encrypted Text! This week I'm continuing the class leveling guide started by Elizabeth, covering levels 21 to 40. I've only leveled characters on a PvP server, so I know when I hit 20 or so it's time to abandon the safe land of Care Bears for the contested areas where the opposing faction is just waiting to kill you. Luckily, you're a Rogue and thus have an advantage: since you generally keep a low profile, killing quickly and stealthing from target to target, you are hard to spot unless someone much higher level gets right on top of you.

When leveling, especially on a PvP server, use this to your advantage. Unless there's a good reason (like traveling long distances or killing a mob), you should stay in stealth. Even if you're spotted, you still stand a decent chance of getting away -- try throwing something in their face to Blind them, then Sprint away until you can restealth. Well, let's get started. I'm going to assume you've read about levels 1-20, have a good idea of how your Energy and Combo Point mechanics work, and have at least a few points in the Combat tree. If so, read on -- if not, go back and read about your first 20 levels!

Continue reading Encrypted Text: Levels 21-40

Filed under: , , ,

Encrypted Text: Levels 21-40 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> 21-40guideslevelingleveling-guiderogue (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The first step]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-first-step/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-first-step/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-first-step/#comments
I really like today's new page. Kat accidentally discovers that she has a natural ability for something that takes most people years of training. Of course, right now she's too busy getting away from Naga to give it much thought, but you can be sure she'll get around to it.

Will she get away? You'll have to read today's page to find out. Click the image above to view today's page, or the gallery below to read from the beginning.

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The first step originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesshadowsteptales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Hunter 0/45/16]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/build-shop-hunter-0-45-16/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/build-shop-hunter-0-45-16/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/build-shop-hunter-0-45-16/#comments
This week on Build Shop I'm checking out a possible Marksman PvP build for the hunters out there. Hunters have been underrepresented in the Arena until recently, but they've been a staple in battlegrounds for a long while, so it's nice to see them finally gaining a foothold. Today's build focuses on increasing stamina, survivability, ranged damage, and picking up a few nifty utility skills. This is definitely more of a PvP build, and as such you'll want gear that maximizes your ranged attack power, resilience, and stamina to support it. Once you're geared up though, this build should serve you quite well.

One thing this build doesn't include that I'm curious to hear your thoughts on is Improved Arcane Shot. It seems like with the new dispelling power of this shot, you'd want to take this talent but I can't find 5 points to spare for it from anywhere. Perhaps that's why I haven't seen too many builds that have it, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. Is it worth it, or is it more situational? Better in some brackets but not in others? These are some of the questions I'm hoping you can help me answer (because honestly, I don't PvP on my Hunter... I PvP with my Warlock). Read on for my dissection of the 0/45/16 build!

Continue reading Build Shop: Hunter 0/45/16

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Hunter 0/45/16 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> arenabuild-shophuntermarksmanmarksmanshippvpsilencing-shot (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Levels 21-40]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-21-40/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-21-40/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-21-40/#comments
Over here at The Light and How to Swing It, we've gotten behind on our class guide. If you missed the first installment and have just rolled a Paladin, check out Elizabeth's guide on levels 1-20. As Elizabeth said in her article, until you hit 40 or so, Retribution is probably the best talent tree for solo leveling unless you're doing a lot of instances where you are healing or tanking. Even so, Prot and Holy specs get far more effective at 40, so my advice is also to stay Ret until then, as it really will speed things up.

Be prepared -- going from 20 to 40 will take you a lot longer than going from 1-20. If you're on a PvP server you'll have to level in a contested area (this means you are automatically flagged for PvP), and that means you are likely to be ganked by opposing players who will often be a much higher level than you. If you're on a PvE server there is no threat of ganking unless you flag for PvP or wander into an area held by the opposing faction, but the difficulty level also ramps up here as well. Mobs have more health and do more damage, and you will probably find quests are harder to complete. Generally, you won't need to group up for quests (your bubble and your ability to heal yourself is invaluable), but in many zones it's not a bad idea. Since Blizzard increased the amount of experience gained from quests in this level range, it may be advantageous to group up and finish a quest quickly, rather than do it solo.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Levels 21-40

Filed under: , , ,

The Light and How to Swing It: Levels 21-40 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> 21-40guidesleveling-guidepaladinthe-light-and-how-to-swing-it (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The chase]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-chase/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-chase/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-chase/#comments
You know, you don't normally see Naga this close up, and generally that's a good thing. Unfortunately for Kat, they spotted her after she shouted her warning and now want to get up close and personal. She's stuck on top of a very tall tower, so her options are limited, and she knows exactly what will happen to her if she's caught.

Does she get away? You'll have to read this week's page to find out. Click the image above to read today's page, or the gallery below to start from the beginning.

Bonus: I've released a wallpaper based on the cover of the first volume. You can find it here at 1600x1050 or here at 1920x1200. Enjoy!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The chase originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturestales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Paladin 0/46/15]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/22/build-shop-paladin-0-46-15/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/22/build-shop-paladin-0-46-15/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/22/build-shop-paladin-0-46-15/#comments
So recently I put together a list of all the Build Shop articles that have ever been written on WoW Insider, and I found out something surprising -- there hasn't been a Build Shop for paladins! Today, I correct that grave injustice by looking at a heavy Protection build. Without question, a Paladin is my favorite type of tank, especially for 5 mans. Who needs crowd control? Just have the Paladin consecrate everything and let the AoE attacks fly. For those of you who haven't experienced that joy yet, I highly suggest you find a good Prot paladin and let him tank your instance.

I covered Paladin tanking techniques in a past article, so I'm just going to jump right into the build. This is one that people are sure to have mixed feelings about, but then again, that usually happens on Build Shop. The most scandalous suggestion I'm making in this build is not picking up Reckoning, but I have a few reasons why -- read on to find out.

Continue reading Build Shop: Paladin 0/46/15

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Paladin 0/46/15 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> build-shopholy-shieldpaladinprotectionreckoningtank (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Encrypted Text: Examining your spec]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/encrypted-text-examining-your-spec/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/encrypted-text-examining-your-spec/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/encrypted-text-examining-your-spec/#comments So yesterday on Build Shop, I mentioned that I'd gotten an email this past week from a Rogue who wanted to know about the viability of a 30/0/31 build for casual instances, raids and PvP. The short answer is OK, not very, and sure. The long answer is slightly more complex, so this week on Encrypted Text I'm examining exactly where a non-conventional hybrid build like could work, and why there are usually better specs available for both PvE and PvP.

First of all, I'm a big supporter of non-standard specs. I think that your own play experience should help determine where you spend your talent points. However, I do think that you should at least examine why certain specs are tried and true, and how certain talents outperform others. If you never play in any type of group (instance, raid, battleground, arena, etc), then how you spec only affects you. Once you start spending time with other players, though, the way you play and spec starts to directly impact your teammates. Raids especially are all about teamwork, and if you're not contributing 100% in all the ways that you could, you start to become a liability. You become less of a liability in dungeons where fights are generally shorter, but you're still not living up to your potential.

Continue reading Encrypted Text: Examining your spec

Filed under: ,

Encrypted Text: Examining your spec originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> adrenaline-rushcombatencrypted-texthemorrhagepreparationrogueshadowstep (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: One last sunset]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-one-last-sunset/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-one-last-sunset/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-one-last-sunset/#comments
This week's page marks a milestone in the story: the Naga threat has become real, as Kat soon finds out. The events set in motion by today's page will forever alter Kat's life and ultimately change her destiny. How will this all unfold? Time will tell, but there's a good chance you'll find out if you keep reading.

I should warn everyone though -- there is a violent scene in one of today's panels, so read it at your own caution. As usual, click the image above to view today's page, or the gallery below to read from the beginning.

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: One last sunset originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethil-harbortales-from-the-lion's-pride-innwetlands (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Rogue 19/42/0]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/build-shop-rogue-19-42-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/build-shop-rogue-19-42-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/build-shop-rogue-19-42-0/#comments
Welcome to another Tuesday edition of Build Shop! This past week I received an email from a Rogue reader in an up and coming guild that's just starting to raid Kara who says he's a non-believer in the "No Ruthlessness, No Murder, No Relentless Strike -- No Raid" policy. He also wanted to know about the viability of a hybrid build (30/0/31), and how it could be improved for casual instances, raids, and the occasional PvP skirmish. Well, that's kind of a tall order, and I plan to address it more fully tomorrow in Encrypted Text.

However, I will deal with part of the question today by talking about why Combat is the superior tree for PvE in many cases. Although there are many different types of Combat builds (Mace + Sword, Daggers, Fist, etc) these days, I'm going to focus on Combat swords (19/42/0). This is a build that doesn't rely on positioning like Combat Daggers or Mutilate, making it great for fights with a lot of movement. This is also a build which can really crank out the damage with the right weapons and gear. I feel that this is one of the finest and most effective DPS builds in the game -- read on to find out why.

Continue reading Build Shop: Rogue 19/42/0

Filed under: , ,

Build Shop: Rogue 19/42/0 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> adrenaline-rushcombatroguesinister-strikeswords (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:15:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Captain Blain]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-captain-blain/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-captain-blain/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-captain-blain/#comments
Arr, apologies for gettin' this new page up so late in the day, but me thinks it be worth waitin' for. I be talkin' like a pirate because all ye scurvy dogs be meetin' another new character today -- Cap'n Blain.

Wow, it's actually quite difficult to write like that for an extended period of time. Byron begins his search to help Kat find the answer to why Naga have taken an interest in Menethil, and Captain Blain is able to give him some useful information.

Click the image above to check out today's page, or the gallery below if you want to start from the beginning!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Captain Blain originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethiltales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:15:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Year in Review]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-year-in-review/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-year-in-review/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-year-in-review/#comments
Wow. I don't know about you, but 2007 just flew by for me. It seems like only yesterday I was standing in line at midnight to grab my copy of Burning Crusade, and now it's almost a year later. While the new year has already started, it's not too late to look back on some of the changes the Paladin class has seen in '07.

So this week on The Light and How to Swing It, I'm doing just that -- going through this past year and reminiscing about the good (and the bad) changes that paladins have experienced. If you've got any left over champagne feel free to break it out and join me as we toast this past year, and look forward to the year ahead!

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Year in Review

Filed under:

The Light and How to Swing It: Year in Review originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> 2007-year-in-reviewholypaladinprotectionretribution (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[About the Bloggers: Chris Jahosky]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/about-the-bloggers-chris-jahosky/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/about-the-bloggers-chris-jahosky/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/about-the-bloggers-chris-jahosky/#comments
About the Bloggers is a new series on WoW Insider-- twice a week, our writers will tell you a little bit about themselves, and let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better.

What's your main right now?
A Blood Elf Warlock.

For the Horde, or Glory to the Alliance?
Now it's "For the Horde!" But, as you can see... I played Alliance for quite a while.

Favorite thing to do in Azeroth?
Almost anything, so long as I'm playing with friends and not in some awful PUG.

What's the best instance in the game?
I know it's old school, but I always had the most fun in BWL. Great fights, great lore, and dragons. You can't beat dragons. Well, unless you've got a team of 40 level 60s. Then I guess you can. But it's still a lot of work!

What's the number one thing Blizzard could do better?
It's a relatively recent problem, but giving the GM's the power to stop hacked characters from clearing out guild banks would be swell.

The best way to make money in game is...
Quests. I've financed 2 epic flying mounts and several regular flying mounts just by running quests. Additionally, saving money by not having any crafting professions helps...

Favorite mount?
Onyxien the Onyx Netherwing Drake. You can't beat a dragon.

Favorite piece of loot?
Hood of the Malefic, hands down. Aside from making you look like that demon guy in Legend, the wings it randomly sprouts are just awesome.

When I'm not playing WoW, I'm...
Usually messing around in Photoshop, these days. Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn doesn't just create itself, you know! Though that would be sweet.

What accomplishment in-game are you most proud of?
I'd have to go with the number of characters I have at (or very near) level 70. As of this writing, that number is 6 (almost 7).

If you could add one touch of personal flair to your main, what would it be?
A better looking beard. My warlock needs something more evil.

If you had 10 more hours to play every week, what would you spend them doing?
I would spend them wondering what law of physics I had to break to play more than 168 hours a week. My hope is that it's not one of the important laws, and that the physicists don't prosecute.

Filed under: , , , , , ,

About the Bloggers: Chris Jahosky originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> about-the-bloggerschris-jahosky (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Mage 10/47/3]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/build-shop-mage-10-47-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/build-shop-mage-10-47-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/build-shop-mage-10-47-3/#comments
Welcome back to Build Shop! After a two week hiatus to spend time with my family over the holidays, I'm back and ready to get down to some good old fashioned discussion about builds. This week we're discussing a Mage build, something that hasn't been done in a long, long time. For awhile now, Fire has been the tree of choice for the raiding mage (though some vets will remember fire-unfriendly MC and BWL). Although Fire isn't the only spec for raiding, it is the build I'm examining today.

So what makes Fire so great? Well, this build picks up all the damage-increasing talents in the Fire tree, some goodies from the Arcane tree, and even gives you a free point to put wherever you want. Hey, no one can say I'm not generous. Alright, so actually I'm not generous, there just seems to be no general consensus on where to put it, so I'm leaving it up to you. Without further ado, let's jump right in and take a look at what makes this build tick.

Continue reading Build Shop: Mage 10/47/3

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Mage 10/47/3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> build-shopcombustionFirefireballmagepyroblastscorch (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The sentinel]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/02/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-sentinel/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/02/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-sentinel/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/01/02/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-sentinel/#comments
Ah, the rain has finally stopped in Menethil, and the sun has dawned on a new day. Our heroine is left to ponder the events of the previous night, and ultimately decides to report it -- after all, you don't mess around when it comes to Naga.

This page also introduces a new character to the story: Byron, one of the sentries of Menethil and a friend of our heroine. Click the image above to check out today's page, or the gallery below if you want to start from the beginning!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The sentinel originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethil-harbortales-from-the-lion's-pride-innwetlands (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:05:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The meeting]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/26/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-meeting/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/26/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-meeting/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/26/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-meeting/#comments
Hopefully everyone is enjoying (or has enjoyed) a happy Winter's Veil holiday! This week the story continues to unfold as our heroine decides to take a peek out the window to see what that hissing was about last week.

This is where things are starting to get interesting in my little tale here, so make sure to stick around and keep reading to find out what happens next!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The meeting originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethil-harbortales-from-the-lion's-pride-innwetlands (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 2]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-2/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-2/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-2/#comments
Two weeks ago, I presented the first part of a list of gear for aspiring retribution paladins. This week, I'm going to finish up that list and go over everything from gloves to librams to weapons. Again, this list is meant to help your up and coming or aspiring retribution Paladin get geared up correctly. Just as before, I'm going to skip over PvP gear (because that really doesn't require a list) as well as heroic / raid gear, which isn't really immediately accessible to you if you're just starting out. It was commented on last time, but just as a precaution, there is a lot of so called "Warrior" gear on this list and very little that has spell damage or intellect. As you improve your retribution set, you'll likely pick up gear that has more of those stats on it, but for now I suggest going for gear which increases strength / attack power and melee crit above almost anything else. Alright, let's get to it!

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 2

Filed under: , ,

The Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 2 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> geargear-listpaladinretributionthe-light-and-how-to-swing-it (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Encrypted Text: Upcoming Rogue changes]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/encrypted-text-upcoming-rogue-changes/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/encrypted-text-upcoming-rogue-changes/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/encrypted-text-upcoming-rogue-changes/#comments
This week on Encrypted Text, I'm going to go over some upcoming changes to the Rogue class that everyone should be aware of. Rogues have some nice tweaks and some serious changes in the pipeline, so let's get to it.

As a long time fan of the Subtlety tree, I've been really enjoying the last couple changes Blizzard has made to Rogue abilities. In patch 2.3, Hemorrhage was buffed to deal 125% weapon damage, Shadowstep became usable out of stealth, Cheat Death became more reliable -- all great changes. Although the next patch will nerf Hemo down to 110% weapon damage, there's also a talent in the Subtlety tree to increase it's damage by 10%, so heavy Subtlety rogues won't feel the pinch quite as bad.

Another important change that we reported on indirectly a few days ago was a new tweak to Shadowstep -- once activated, it grants a 3 second, 70% speed increase. What does this mean for rogues? Read on and find out.

Continue reading Encrypted Text: Upcoming Rogue changes

Filed under: ,

Encrypted Text: Upcoming Rogue changes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> adrenaline-rushencrypted-texthemorrhagepatchpreparationrogueshadowstep (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The warehouse]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-warehouse/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-warehouse/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-warehouse/#comments
Welcome back! I have the next page in the tale ready for you to enjoy! I really like the art in this one -- I played around with a different style of lighting that I think lends itself well to this scene, and I think you'll like it.

The story continues this week as we follow our new rain-soaked friend into her makeshift home on the docks of Menethil Harbor. Unfortunately, her abandoned warehouse may hide more than it appears... click the gallery below to view the new page and find out!


Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The warehouse originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethil-harbortales-from-the-lion's-pride-innwetlands (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Warrior 8/5/48]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/build-shop-warrior-8-5-48/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/build-shop-warrior-8-5-48/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/build-shop-warrior-8-5-48/#comments
Hey folks! This week on Build Shop I'm examining another Warrior build, but this time it's not about dealing damage with the spec -- it's about taking damage. That's right, it's time for a Protection Warrior build! This one is focused on raid tanking, and maximizing your damage reduction. It's not the most rage-efficient Protection spec out there, but 8/5/48 (and its variants) seems to be pretty popular these days. This build does skip some of the talents that make grinding and solo play easier, so I wouldn't use this one for anything but main tanking a raid instance.

With that said, let's take a look under the hood and check out what makes this build so great at damage reduction and threat generation.

Continue reading Build Shop: Warrior 8/5/48

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Warrior 8/5/48 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> devastateprotectionshield-slamtankwarrior (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:45:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The story begins]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/12/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-story-begins/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/12/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-story-begins/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/12/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-the-story-begins/#comments
First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their supportive comments of last week's premiere. I hope that this series will live up to everyone's high expectations! I'll certainly do my best to try.

This week's page is the start of the first official tale in the series, and opens with a view that is hopefully familiar but different than you remember. Considering where I want this story to go, it was necessary to expand the location a bit, but I think you'll enjoy the change. As usual, click the gallery below to check out the new page, or start from the beginning to refresh your memory!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: The story begins originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicsgraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturesmenethil-harbortales-from-the-lion's-pride-innwetlands (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:45:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 1]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-1/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-1/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-1/#comments
Many of you will remember the series of articles I wrote about maximizing Paladin DPS a few months ago. The point of that series was to discuss how to DPS efficiently no matter what your spec was, but the subject of gear was only briefly touched upon. While it is important to know what to do (and sometimes, what not to do) in a fight, the type of gear you're wearing will heavily dictate how effective you are. There's no replacement for experience, but the right gear will turn a good Paladin into a great one.

With that in mind, I'm creating a list of suggested gear for up and coming or newly 70 Retribution paladins, and where said gear can be obtained. I'm staying away from gear obtained by PvP because you really don't need a list for that, and raid / heroic gear is out because this list is for those of you who are just starting out. Individual pieces will be first categorized by slot, and then by the method obtained (crafted, quest, instance, etc), but I'm leaving it up to you to decide what you should get.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 1

Filed under: , ,

The Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 1 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> geargear-listpaladinretributionthe-light-and-how-to-swing-it (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:15:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Warlock 43/0/18]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/build-shop-warlock-43-0-18/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/build-shop-warlock-43-0-18/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/build-shop-warlock-43-0-18/#comments
Welcome back to another edition of Build Shop, talent fans! I've gotten a couple of emails about Warlock builds, so this week I'm going to take a look at one of the most infamous builds around -- Affliction. When people complain about Warlock DoTs, they've often just had a run in with an Affliction spec Warlock. Boasting up to 5 DoTs (Corruption / Seed of Corruption, Immolate, Curse of Agony, Siphon Life, Unstable Affliction) and a bevy of channeled drain spells, one of these warlocks can make quick work of your health bar. In addition, Affliction warlocks also sport talents that make their DoTs harder to dispel or make you think twice about trying to dispel them.

Amongst warlocks, it's a popular grinding build, able to handle multiple mobs at a time with very little downtime. Though it lacks the higher health pool and greater survivability associated with Demonology warlocks, or the pure nuking power of a Destruction warlock, Affliction is a build which performs well in many areas of the game. Let's take a look at an Affliction / Destruction build that incorporates threat reduction, DoT protection, and maximizes the damage done by DoTs.

Continue reading Build Shop: Warlock 43/0/18

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Warlock 43/0/18 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> afflictionbuild-shopdestructionDoTDoTsunstable-afflictionwarlock (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Premiere!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-premiere/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-premiere/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/tales-from-the-lions-pride-inn-premiere/#comments
Welcome to the very first edition of my new weekly column, Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn! For a long time, I've wanted to share the stories I've dreamed up or have been inspired to write by Warcraft. And with such a rich, lore-filled universe to draw on, the world of Azeroth is the perfect place to tell these tales.

I've always been a fan of graphic novels, so it was an easy choice for me to decide to present these stories in a comic book style format. Each week, a new page of the story will be uploaded for your viewing and reading enjoyment. For the premiere of this new column, however, I'm giving you the cover and the first two pages!

I'm looking forward to exploring many different types of stories in this format as well, from murder mysteries to full on epic tales of battle. I hope that you will enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoy creating them! So, without further delay, click the gallery below to start reading the first issue of Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn!

Gallery: Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Volume 1 - CoverLion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 1Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 2Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 3Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 - Page 4

Filed under: ,

Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn: Premiere! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> comicselwynn-forestgoldshiregraphic-noveljoystiqfeaturestales-from-the-lion's-pride-inn (Chris Jahosky) Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Build Shop: Hunter 41/20/0]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/build-shop-hunter-41-20-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/build-shop-hunter-41-20-0/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/build-shop-hunter-41-20-0/#comments

Hello talent fans, both new and old, and welcome to another Tuesday edition of Build Shop! It's been awhile since this column examined a Hunter build (a heavy Survival build way back in June), and I think it's high time we changed that. When it comes to grinding, farming, or straight up sustained DPS, there's arguably no better build for a Hunter than Beast Mastery.

If you're new to the Hunter class, at first glance there doesn't seem to be much in the Beast Mastery tree that looks appealing. A lot of the talents in the tree seem to affect your pet more than you... and for the most part, this is true. BM hunters sacrifice increasing their personal DPS in order to buff their pet's. As such, pet choice matters a little more than it does for Marksman or Survival hunters. But it's not all about the pet -- there are some significant buffs to the Hunter (and the Hunter's party) further down in the tree. Read on, and take a closer look at a standard Beast Mastery build.

Continue reading Build Shop: Hunter 41/20/0

Filed under: ,

Build Shop: Hunter 41/20/0 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> beastbeast-masterybestial-wrathbuild-shophunterthe-beast-within (Chris Jahosky) Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST WoW Insider