WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How do you show your WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/18/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-show-your-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/18/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-show-your-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/18/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-show-your-wow/#comments Wandering around outside of Azeroth, in the so-called real world, you'll see a lot of World of Warcraft players. Some you'll spot with class t-shirts, others drive cars with alliance or horde window stickers (or even custom license plates), some may wear WoW-themed jewelry, and some even have WoW tattoos. But not everyone feels the need to show off their WoW fandom in an obvious way -- or even at all.

So what about you, readers? Do you have a WoW-themed t-shirt collection so you always have the right shirt for the occasion? Or is there some subtler way you like to show off your WoW love?

Gallery: WoW License plates

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Breakfast Topic: How do you show your WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussiongoodiesswagt-shirttattootattoostshirtworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-goodieswow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-swagwow-t-shirtwow-tattoowow-tattooswow-topicswow-tshirt (Elizabeth Harper) Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 to arrive on May 21st]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/patch-5-3-to-arrive-on-may-21st/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/patch-5-3-to-arrive-on-may-21st/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/patch-5-3-to-arrive-on-may-21st/#comments
The guessing games are over: Blizzard has just announced that Patch 5.3: Escalation will be released this coming week. That makes launch day Tuesday, May 21st for Australian and North American realms and Wednesday, May 22nd for European realms.

If you're not aware, patch 5.3 has a bundle of new content, including new story elements, PvP changes, a new battleground, new scenarios and heroic scenarios, and a lot more. Find the full patch notes after the break.

Continue reading Patch 5.3 to arrive on May 21st

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Patch 5.3 to arrive on May 21st originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 17 May 2013 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 5.3breakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-escalationwow-patch-5.3 (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 17 May 2013 21:24:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[University of Texas and Blizzard COO Paul Sams launch game design academy]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/university-of-texas-and-blizzard-coo-paul-sams-launch-game-desig/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/university-of-texas-and-blizzard-coo-paul-sams-launch-game-desig/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/university-of-texas-and-blizzard-coo-paul-sams-launch-game-desig/#comments If you're looking to go pro in game design, Blizzard COO Paul Sams has teamed up with the University of Texas at Austin to create the Denius-Sams Gaming Academy. The academy will be led and taught by gaming industry executives and the curriculum will be guided by industry veteran Warren Spector. The 12-month, post-baccalaureate program will guide students through creating a game from start to finish, giving them the experience they need to join the gaming industry when they graduate.

"The University of Texas at Austin has a tremendous track record of building nationally recognized programs that generate the leaders and critical thinkers the gaming industry needs," Sams said. "The program will focus on building the skills required for students to lead teams and develop games from concept to completion, while growing talent for the gaming industry."

The program starts in 2014, but with only 20 spots available, you probably have a better chance of getting into a competitive raid guild.

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University of Texas and Blizzard COO Paul Sams launch game design academy originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> denius-samsDenius-Sams-Gaming-Academydenius-sams-gaming-design-academygame-designgaming-academygaming-design-academypaul-samssamsuniversity-of-texasuniversity-of-texas-at-austinutut-austnut-gaming-academywarren-spector (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[This crochet worgen will growl its way into your heart]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/this-crochet-worgen-will-growl-its-way-into-your-heart/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/this-crochet-worgen-will-growl-its-way-into-your-heart/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/this-crochet-worgen-will-growl-its-way-into-your-heart/#comments This crochet worgen will growl its way into your heart World of Warcraft's worgen aren't always friendly, but in the case of this crochet worgen we can confirm cuddliness. WoW player Venuz created this little guy for a WoW craft swap and we've got to say he looks true to in-game worgen, if on a more diminutive scale. Venuz has been crocheting for about 20 years now -- it's her favorite hobby outside of WoW -- and created the pattern for this worgen from scratch. So what's next on the crafting agenda? Venuz says she'd like to make an attempt at a crochet orc.

We have a full-sized image of this crafty creation after the break or you can check out Venuz's gallery on Imgur.

Continue reading This crochet worgen will growl its way into your heart

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This crochet worgen will growl its way into your heart originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> craftscrochetcrochet-worgenworgenwow-craftswow-crochet-worgenwow-worgen (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tom Chilton chats about what's coming in patch 5.3]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/tom-chilton-chats-about-whats-coming-in-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/tom-chilton-chats-about-whats-coming-in-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/tom-chilton-chats-about-whats-coming-in-patch-5-3/#comments blizz tom chilton interview wip We know Blizzard has a lot planned for patch 5.3, which could go live any time now. But to keep us busy while we wait for the next batch of new WoW content, Blizzard Insider has posted an interview with Game Director Tom Chilton. Though the interview mostly summarizes what we already know about the upcoming patch, it provides a great overview of what's coming with a bit of added insight Blizzard's development thought process. Covered in the interview are how the devs felt patch 5.2 performed, the storyline of patch 5.3, PvP changes and the new battleground, new scenarios (and heroic scenarios), gear and the ability to choose which spec you'd like gear for, and visible pet battles.

The patches are certainly coming our way quickly. Are you looking forward to patch 5.3 or still working on patch 5.2?

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Tom Chilton chats about what's coming in patch 5.3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 5.35.3-escalationchiltoninterviewpatch-5.3patch-5.3-escalationtom-chiltontom-chilton-interviewwow-5.3wow-escalationwow-patchwow-patch-5.3wow-patch-5.3-escalation (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Cryptozoic smashes funding goal for new Hex TCG]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/cryptozoic-smashes-funding-goal-for-new-hex-tcg/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/cryptozoic-smashes-funding-goal-for-new-hex-tcg/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/cryptozoic-smashes-funding-goal-for-new-hex-tcg/#comments You've no doubt heard about Cryptozoic, who makes the World of Warcraft trading card game. But these days, Blizzard is focusing on its home-brewed digital TCG Hearthstone and Cryptozoic is working on a new project: Hex, which they call an MMO trading card game. Hex takes advantage of its all-digital nature to add some MMO elements like characters, gear, and guilds to a traditional TCG game. And, while it's not out yet -- Cryptozoic expects the beta to start this September -- the Kickstarter campaign to fund the game is happening now. With 21 days to go, Cryptozoic has already blown past their $300,000 funding goal with $567,000 raised at the time of this writing. Now they're working on stretch goals which will add new gameplay features for everyone -- and new bonuses for backers -- as they're reached.

If you're interested in a different kind of TCG -- or a change of pace from World of Warcraft -- you might want to check out Cryptozoic's Kickstarter. Contributing $10 will get you into the beta this fall and $20 and up gets you beta access and cards once the game launches -- including some special cards you'll only ever be able to get through this Kickstarter campaign.

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Cryptozoic smashes funding goal for new Hex TCG originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ccgcollectable-card-gamecryptozoiccryptozoic-ccgcryptozoic-hexcryptozoic-kickstartercryptozoic-tcgdigital-tcghexhex-ccghex-tcgkickstartermmo-tcgtcgtcg-mmotrading-card-game (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 16 May 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Does WoW still surprise you?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/does-wow-still-surprise-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/does-wow-still-surprise-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/does-wow-still-surprise-you/#comments I didn't start playing World of Warcraft right at launch, but it's safe to say that I've been playing for a long while. For me, WoW is the video game equivalent of an old, worn t-shirt: it's comfortable and familiar. It's a game I often launch when I'm not looking for something fun and distracting, but not anything that's going to challenge me too much. I still find WoW to be a lot of fun -- I wouldn't keep playing if I didn't! -- but it's still usually something I play with the television on in the background.

But sometimes, still, even after all these years, WoW does things that manage to surprise me. Of course WoW has new content -- lately, it's come more quickly than ever -- but even, sometimes, when I'm not looking for it, I'll run into something new. Now and then I bump into quest text I hadn't read carefully before, a Cataclysm change that I'd never noticed, or an Easter egg the developers snuck in.

And you, reader? Do you keep finding that WoW surprises you?

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Does WoW still surprise you? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionsurprisesurprisesworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-surpriseswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Would you play this mocked up Warcraft fighting game?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/would-you-play-this-mocked-up-warcraft-fighting-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/would-you-play-this-mocked-up-warcraft-fighting-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/would-you-play-this-mocked-up-warcraft-fighting-game/#comments Would you play this mocked up Warcraft fighting game Let's be honest with ourselves: chances are we'd all play this Warcraft fighting game mocked up by Redditor GuardianReflex. And while this game isn't a reality, we can always hope that Blizzard will one day allow us to do to participate in an epic battle in which Varian gets to punch Sylvannas in the face (or vice versa). And if this epic, Blizzard vs. Capcom style battle isn't possible, perhaps a pet battle in which we control tiny faction leaders?

But since we aren't likely to see this in actual game any time soon, GuardianReflex is making more mockups based on user requests. We have Thrall vs. Garrosh behind the cut and hope to see more soon!

Continue reading Would you play this mocked up Warcraft fighting game?

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Would you play this mocked up Warcraft fighting game? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fan-artfan-mockupfighting-gamefighting-game-mockupmockupwarcraft-fighting-gamewarcraft-fighting-game-mockup (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Should you play a druid in WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/should-you-play-a-druid-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/should-you-play-a-druid-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/should-you-play-a-druid-in-wow/#comments Should you play a druid in WoW Just getting started in World of Warcraft and not sure what you want to do? Or maybe you've been playing for a while but aren't sure which class you like best. We're here to help by taking a look at what each class can do and leading you to the right one. Today, we're talking druids.

Druids harness the powers of nature to help their friends or harm their foes. They wield can wield magic to harm like a mage or heal like a priest and can shapeshift into animal forms to dive into melee fighting. Like the monk and paladin, druids are a hybrid class that can fill any role in the game they wish: if you play a druid, you have the flexibility to do whatever you please. But are you up to the task of wielding the raw elemental power of nature? We'll take a look at just what druids can do and try to decide if it's the right class for you.

Continue reading Should you play a druid in WoW?

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Should you play a druid in WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> classclassesdruiddruidsfeaturedguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guideworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-classwow-classeswow-druidwow-druidswow-getting-startedwow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraft (Elizabeth Harper) Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Your greatest WoW save]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/breakfast-topic-your-greatest-wow-save/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/breakfast-topic-your-greatest-wow-save/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/breakfast-topic-your-greatest-wow-save/#comments I no longer remember the exact boss or who was raiding with me, but I do clearly remember having a conversation with a friend while I was healing Karazhan. At the time, I was grumbling that I didn't think we had the right group composition to do an encounter successfully -- but it was only after the group's other healer died that my friend agreed. Of course it was then that I decided this wasn't going be a wipe -- something I hadn't thought was possible until just then. (Certainly no one was more surprised than I was when I pulled it off.)

Whether raiding or not, we all have close calls in game -- that was only one of many I've had. But it was certainly memorable. So what about you, dear readers? Share your stories, your near-misses, your especially memorable almost-but-not-quite deaths.

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Breakfast Topic: Your greatest WoW save originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionhealershealingkarazhanworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How do you start a new character?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-start-a-new-character/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-start-a-new-character/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-start-a-new-character/#comments When you've decided to create a new character in WoW, you'd think the actual creation part would be the easiest part of the process. After all the hard part ought to be leveling, advancing, and collecting gear. But for some players (myself included), character creation itself poses a challenge. If you've picked a class, there's still the question of which race to choose -- or if you've picked a race, the question of which class. And, while WoW's character creation mini-game is far from elaborate, there's still the matter of just what your character looks like. But most difficult of all tends to be picking the right name: WoW's been around long enough that many of the names you might usually use in a game have likely been taken.

So tell us, early morning readers: what's your character creation challenge? Does name selection cause you to stumble? Do you have to get your character's look just right? Or is character creation something you fly through, eager to get to the real game?

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Breakfast Topic: How do you start a new character? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> character-creationcharacter-customizationfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-character-creationwow-character-customizationwow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[What's on the horizon for monks in patch 5.3]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/whats-on-the-horizon-for-monks-in-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/whats-on-the-horizon-for-monks-in-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/whats-on-the-horizon-for-monks-in-patch-5-3/#comments What's on the horizon for monks in patch 53 There's a lot of cool stuff coming our way in patch 5.3, including a new battleground, new scenarios, new quests, and a host of PvP changes. But while these splashy changes have been getting all the attention, monks haven't been left out of the action. Be aware that patch 5.3 is still on the PTR which means we may still see changes before anything his the live servers, but working from Blizzard's official patch notes, we can get a pretty good idea of what's coming. Let's take a look!

Help for healers
First up, there's a change to all healing spells that pick their own targets -- which includes things like Renewing Mist and Chi Wave. These abilities will now pick their targets a bit more intelligently. Says Blizzard, "Targets with lower % health will be preferred, and players are weighted more heavily than pets." It's hard to say how much this will impact gameplay in practice, but it's a definitely a buff.

Mistweavers are also getting a buff to Revival, whose healing cap is now 15 raid members (instead of 6) when used in a 25-player raid.

Continue reading What's on the horizon for monks in patch 5.3

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What's on the horizon for monks in patch 5.3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 09 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 5.3monkmonk-changesmonkspatch-5.3patch-5.3-monk-changespatch-5.3-monkswow-monkwow-monkswow-patch-5.3wow-patch-5.3-monks (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 09 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Dark Riders graphic novel hits virtual store shelves today]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/dark-riders-graphic-novel-hits-virtual-store-shelves-today/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/dark-riders-graphic-novel-hits-virtual-store-shelves-today/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/dark-riders-graphic-novel-hits-virtual-store-shelves-today/#comments Dark Riders comic If you're itching for a good World of Warcraft story and patch 5.3 is too long to wait for new story content, Blizzard is happy to oblige with the just-released World of Warcraft: Dark Riders graphic novel. Unfortunately, Blizzard's own description of the comic -- talking about an "enigmatic destiny" and "hidden dangers" -- is too vague and generic to grab our interest. But fortunately we've heard about Dark Riders before and expect good things from writer Mike Costa and artist Neil Googe. So what can you expect to find in this tome of lore? More about the mysterious Dark Riders of Deadwind Pass, who have only been alluded to in the game, the secretive wolf cult, and the Scythe of Elune. But if you're not a lore hound, you'll just have to be tempted by the promise of a good World of Warcraft story in graphic novel form.

World of Warcraft: Dark Riders is available today. You can take a sneak peak at the art or buy it directly form Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $16.01 -- though if you prefer digital, it's $12.99 for Kindle and $13.74 for Nook.

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Dark Riders graphic novel hits virtual store shelves today originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> costadark-ridersdark-riders-comicdeadwind-passduskwoodgoogemike-costaneil-googewolf-cultworld-of-warcraft-dark-riderswowwow-comicwow-comicswow-dark-riderswow-dark-riders-comic (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Newbie's guide to everything you need to know about weapons in World of Warcraft]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-weapons-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-weapons-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-weapons-in-world-of-warcraft/#comments Weapons play a huge role in World of Warcraft, even if you don't play a physical damage class that actively hits people with them. Beyond damage capacity, weapons buff your character's stats and heavily effect your character's looks. While it may seem like there's not much to weapons beyond wielding them -- and for the new player, sometimes wielding them is all you need to know. For experienced players looking for in-depth theory-crafting or number-crunching, this article isn't the place. But, for players just getting started, we'll take a close look at the weapons available, what their stats mean, and try to help you figure out what you should be wielding.

Weapon types
Weapons are broken into three basic types: one-handed weapons which can be wielded with a single hand, two-handed weapons which require two hands, and ranged weapons which also require two hands. You'll also find weapons labeled main hand or off hand, meaning that they can only be wielded in your main hand or off hand -- which comes into play with classes that can wield a different weapon in each hand (dual wielding).

You will also occasionally run into items labeled off hand without a weapon type. These items are typically equippable by any class in their off-hand slot. These can be anything from cosmetic items -- like flowers -- to items that buff stats for classes that can't dual wield but can use one-handed weapons. And, while they aren't quite weapons, shields are considered off-hand items as well.

Continue reading Newbie's guide to everything you need to know about weapons in World of Warcraft

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Newbie's guide to everything you need to know about weapons in World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guideweaponsworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraftwow-weapons (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How do you deal with burnout?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-deal-with-burnout/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-deal-with-burnout/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-deal-with-burnout/#comments If you've been playing World of Warcraft since launch, that's 8 years of your life you've spent in this crazy shared virtual world Blizzard has created. That's a long time to keep up with any hobby, much less a video game, and plenty of time to run into the dreaded burnout. Not that burnout is a bad thing: sometimes we all need a change of pace or a break to keep even our favorite things fun.

So how do you deal with WoW when it just stops being fun? Do you take a break with another game? Catch up with your favorite TV shows on Netflix? Venture out into the non-virtual world for non-virtual time with friends? Read a book? Knit a scarf? And, once you've had time to refresh and recharge, do you find your way back to Azeroth? Or wait for the next patch or expansion?

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Breakfast Topic: How do you deal with burnout? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> burnoutfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-burnoutwow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Should you be playing a warlock?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/should-you-be-playing-a-warlock/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/should-you-be-playing-a-warlock/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/should-you-be-playing-a-warlock/#comments Should you be playing a warlock We've said before that there's a WoW class for every type of player and if you find yourself a bit drawn to the darker side of WoW, perhaps warlock is the one for you. Warlocks have a unique playstyle in the game: they're a bit like mages, in that they're cloth-wearing casters, and a bit like hunters, in that they rely on pets. And yet they don't play very much like either class, relying on DoT (damage over time) spells and channeled spells to do damage and restore their own health and mana.

So is it time to go over to the dark side and level a warlock? Let's look at what the class has to offer.

Just what is a warlock?
As mages are master of the arcane, warlocks are masters of the dark arts, focusing on shadow and fire spells. They summon demonic minions, place curses on their enemies, and drain health from their opponents, and can even send the most fearsome of warriors running in terror. Their abilities are powered not only by their mana pool, but will sometimes cost health, which warlocks can drain from their foes as they die. They do their damage at range, using curses, banes, DoTs, drains, AoEs, and direct damage spells. Warlocks also offer a good amount of utility to a group with conjured Healthstones (which restore health on use) and Soulstones (which can bring a dead player to life) as well as their curses (which cause a variety of negative effects on a monster).

Continue reading Should you be playing a warlock?

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Should you be playing a warlock? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guidewarlockwarlock-minionswarlock-petsworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-class-guidewow-getting-started-guidewow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraftwow-warlockwow-warlock-guidewow-warlock-minionswow-warlock-pets (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[BlizzCon Benefit Dinner tickets on sale tonight]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/blizzcon-benefit-dinner-tickets-on-sale-tonight/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/blizzcon-benefit-dinner-tickets-on-sale-tonight/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/blizzcon-benefit-dinner-tickets-on-sale-tonight/#comments BlizzCon Benefit Dinner tickets on sale tonight If you're still on the lookout for BlizzCon tickets -- and have deep pockets -- tonight's your last chance to get them from Blizzard. Tonight at 7 pm Pacific (10 pm Eastern), Benefit Dinner tickets go on sale for $500 each. Though they're costly, these tickets not only get you entry to BlizzCon, you also get to attend dinner with the Blizzard staff on Thursday before BlizzCon kicks off, giving you, as Blizzard puts it, "an opportunity to meet and chat with game developers, artists, executives and other folks from Blizzard Entertainment." You'll also get a signed piece of Blizzard artwork in addition to the usual BlizzCon swag. And it's for a good cause: all proceeds from the event go to the Children's Hospital of Orange County.

If you're looking for a chance to nab a ticket of your own, be online and ready before 7 pm Pacific (10 pm Eastern) and check out our ticket purchasing tips to get an edge on the competition. There are only 200 tickets available and, even at $500 each, they're certain to sell out quickly. But even if you don't get a ticket, remember that virtual tickets will be available later and you can still enjoy BlizzCon even without a ticket.

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BlizzCon Benefit Dinner tickets on sale tonight originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardblizzard-blizzconblizzconblizzcon-2013blizzcon-2013-ticketsblizzcon-ticketsbuy-blizzcon-ticketshow-to-buy-blizzcon-ticketshow-to-get-blizzcon-ticketswow-blizzcon (Elizabeth Harper) Wed, 01 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What was your first day in WoW like?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/breakfast-topic-what-was-your-first-day-in-wow-like/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/breakfast-topic-what-was-your-first-day-in-wow-like/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/breakfast-topic-what-was-your-first-day-in-wow-like/#comments Over on Reddit, there's a thread where users are reminiscing about their first experiences in World of Warcraft which has me feeling nostalgic for the good old days when I'd just started playing and everything seemed so much simpler. Azeroth was a huge new world, entirely unexplored. I didn't know about gear or raiding or even what awaited me around the next corner. Every word of quest text was new and fresh (though, admittedly, some were pretty tedious to finish).

And, best of all, I discovered gnomes. The first character I stuck with was a gnome warlock who was both tiny and deadly (and pink-haired to boot). I still haven't decided just what was so appealing about gnomes. Was it because they were tiny and adorable? Because of their bright pink hair color options? Perhaps because they jump just as high as any other race, which means each jump for them is basically leaping their entire height? It's probably a combination (newbie me was very fond of jumping everywhere). And even today, my Alliance characters tend to gravitate back to the gnome race. Perhaps they imprinted on me somehow in those first gameplay sessions, I'll never know for sure.

But enough about gnomes: tell us about your start in WoW. Was it a true newbie experience? Did you fall in love with a certain race or class? Even if you just made stupid mistakes, trust us: we've all been there! (As my gnome story proves.) So tell us everything: what was your first WoW login like?

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Breakfast Topic: What was your first day in WoW like? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedgnomegnomesguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvpnew-playerpvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Elizabeth Harper) Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Blizzard offers WoW and antivirus combo ... in South Africa]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/blizzard-offers-wow-and-antivirus-combo-in-south-africa/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/blizzard-offers-wow-and-antivirus-combo-in-south-africa/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/blizzard-offers-wow-and-antivirus-combo-in-south-africa/#comments Good news! Antivirus maker Kapersky Lab teamed up with Blizzard Entertainment to offer bundle that includes WoW, Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Kaspersky Internet Security 2013. Basically, the package is a World of Warcraft Battle Chest plus antivirus package. We think this would be a great package for friends who haven't yet gotten into the game because computer security is awfully important to keeping your WoW account in your hands. Kapersky in particular is designed with gamers in mind with a "game mode" that postpones processor-gobbling scans to free up power for gameplay. The only thing that would make this package better would be if it also included an authenticator, so you really wouldn't have to worry about account security.

The only downside to this package? Currently it's only available in South Africa, where it sells for 399 Rand (or about $44). Perhaps if it's successful there, Blizzard will offer similar packages elsewhere, but for now, new players will need to purchase their game of choice and their antivirus software separately. And don't forget your authenticator!

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Blizzard offers WoW and antivirus combo ... in South Africa originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> antivirusbattle-chestkaperskykapersky-labworld-of-warcraft-battle-chestwowwow-antiviruswow-antivirus-combwow-battle-chestwow-combowow-kapersky-combo (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Superman star Henry Cavill enjoys Skyrim, World of Warcraft]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/superman-star-henry-cavill-enjoys-skyrim-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/superman-star-henry-cavill-enjoys-skyrim-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/superman-star-henry-cavill-enjoys-skyrim-world-of-warcraft/#comments
Sure, we know lots of people who play WoW -- like all of our co-workers -- but we don't expect Hollywood A-listers to be by our side in dungeons and raids. While we'd already heard that now Superman star Henry Cavill played WoW, he recently spoke to British GQ about his love of the game and Bethesda's equally addictive Skyrim. In fact, he enjoys the game so much that he missed director Zack Snyder's call offering him the part. "I saw it was him [calling]," Cavill told GQ, "but the thing is, you can't save World of Warcraft, you can't pause it. It's live." We have that problem all the time, but at least we aren't the only ones. (Though Cavill is clearly up on his WoW etiquette, as it's definitely rude to pick up the phone while you're in a group.)

If you want more of the interview, IGN covers Cavill talking games or you can find the British version of GQ available digitally on iPad, Android, or Kindle. (Sorry, Man of Steel, but Iron Man 3's Robert Downey Jr. is currently on the cover of GQ stateside.)

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Superman star Henry Cavill enjoys Skyrim, World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cavillcavill-world-of-warcraftcavill-wowcelebritiescelebrityhenry-cavillhenry-cavill-world-of-warcrafthenry-cavill-wowman-of-steelsupermanwow-celebritieswow-celebrity (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Our favorite ways to die in World of Warcraft]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/our-favorite-ways-to-die-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/our-favorite-ways-to-die-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/our-favorite-ways-to-die-in-world-of-warcraft/#comments It's safe to say that we've been around the block in World of Warcraft. We've been witness to epic events, scenic vistas, and many, many untimely deaths. Mostly our own. But of those many deaths, some were more memorable than others. Some we've stored away in the recesses of our memory to be revisited and laughed over at a later date. So just what are our favorite WoW deaths? We consulted the WoW Insider team as well as some of our extended network of friends and compiled the best answers into this list.

You might want to look before you leap
WoW can be so beautiful that sometimes we forget it's a game. A game that can kill you. And so sometimes we find ourselves exploring, wandering, or accidentally autorunning to our doom. Oops. Many -- most, in fact -- of our so-called "favorite" deaths seem to involve untimely falls.
  • Sarah Pine: My favorite way of having died was when I first made it to Hellfire Peninsula at 60, running around on my mount exploring (flying was at 70 at that time!), I leaped over a little hill only to find that there was no more land on the other side, because that was the edge of the continent. You fall for a while off of Hellfire before you actually die, I found out.
  • Anne Stickney: Once I decided to see if Outland had invisible walls around the edges. Um, for the record, it does NOT.
  • Brian Wood: I still have fond memories of a multitude of deaths from failing the shortcut jump to get to the Molten Core entrance in vanilla. Had lots and lots of opportunity to practice during ghost runs.
  • Michael Sacco: I liked going to the top of the Temple of Storms and leaping off.
  • @DoctorOddfellow: Well, #1 has to be tree-diving from Teldrassil, right?
  • @hestiahdruid: Shadow Step, Heroic Leap, or the Druid version behind a boss to fall to your doom.
  • @screwlewse: Falling into the lava where Magmaw stands.

Continue reading Our favorite ways to die in World of Warcraft

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Our favorite ways to die in World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> best-wow-deathsdeathdeathsfunny-wow-deathsridiculous-wow-deathswow-deathwow-deaths (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What do you do while you play?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/breakfast-topic-what-do-you-do-while-you-play/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/breakfast-topic-what-do-you-do-while-you-play/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/breakfast-topic-what-do-you-do-while-you-play/#comments Breakfast Topic What do you do while you play A lot of us here at WoW Insider have been playing WoW for a long time -- and we suspect most of you have, too. A long enough time that parts of the game are, dare we say, boring. So while doing our dailies (again) or grinding an alt through a zone we've done half a dozen times before we admit, we're usually multitasking. Sometimes we'll have a movie or television show on, and others we might be reading email or catching up on RSS feeds in another window. It's not that we don't still love the game -- it's just how we stay sane while leveling our dozenth alt.

So, fellow WoW players, we pose this question: what else are you doing while you play WoW? Do you have a favorite television show to put on? A much-loved playlist? Twitter or Facebook in another window?

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Breakfast Topic: What do you do while you play? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> altaltsfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionmultitaskingworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-altswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[How to attend BlizzCon if you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/how-to-attend-blizzcon-if-you-werent-lucky-enough-to-get-a-tick/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/how-to-attend-blizzcon-if-you-werent-lucky-enough-to-get-a-tick/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/how-to-attend-blizzcon-if-you-werent-lucky-enough-to-get-a-tick/#comments As you probably know, tickets for this year's BlizzCon are now sold out. If you weren't lucky enough to nab a ticket of your own, there are still a few ways to enjoy this year's convention -- and they don't even have to cost an arm and a leg.

The bargain basement option: Stay home and follow the blogs.
Total cost: Nothing
No ticket costs, no travel costs, and no need to interrupt your regular weekend schedule. You'll still get the news, as well as commentary, photos, and video from your favorite blog (which we hope is us, but don't judge if it isn't).

Continue reading How to attend BlizzCon if you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket

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How to attend BlizzCon if you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzconblizzcon-2013blizzcon-2013-ticketsblizzcon-ticketsgoing-to-blizzconhow-to-go-to-blizzconwant-to-go-to-blizzcon (Elizabeth Harper) Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Bobby Kotick is one of the highest-paid CEOs in the U.S.]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/bobby-kotick-is-one-of-the-highest-paid-ceos-in-the-u-s/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/bobby-kotick-is-one-of-the-highest-paid-ceos-in-the-u-s/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/bobby-kotick-is-one-of-the-highest-paid-ceos-in-the-u-s/#comments Activision Blizzard head honcho Bobby Kotick was one of the highest-paid CEOs in America last year, Bloomberg reports. Earning $64.9 million -- $55.9 million in of it in stock which he'll vest over the next 5 years, so he isn't just pocketing all of it in cash -- puts Kotick behind Oracle's Larry Ellison, America's top-paid CEO, who earned $96.2 million in 2012. Looking to other game industry execs, Kotick's nearest comparison would be EA's former CEO John Riccitiello, who resigned in March, but made $9.5 million in 2012.

So why the pay raise, an eight-fold increase over Kotick's $8.33 million salary in 2011? It's part of Kotick's new employment contract, which included big bonuses tied to corporate performance. If Activision Blizzard continues to do well, Kotick will keep earning big dollars -- if he hits the highest performance targets, he could be making even more this year.

[Update: Clarified Kotick's stock vesting]

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Bobby Kotick is one of the highest-paid CEOs in the U.S. originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> activisionactivision-blizzardbobby-kotickbusinesskotick (Elizabeth Harper) Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What keeps you coming back to WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/breakfast-topic-what-keeps-you-coming-back-to-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/breakfast-topic-what-keeps-you-coming-back-to-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/breakfast-topic-what-keeps-you-coming-back-to-wow/#comments Breakfast Topic What keeps you coming back to WoW We talked recently about what makes WoW a great game, but sometimes being a great game isn't enough. After all, many players have been in World of Warcraft for years now and some of us have played other MMOs before, after, or between our WoW sessions, which all adds up to a lot of game time. It's hard for any game to stay fresh after so many hours played, and sometimes you just get tired and other times you get outright burnt out.

So what do you do then? Maybe you roll a new character, start on a new server, or join a new guild, but it's just as common to walk away from the game entirely -- sometimes that's the only way to keep things fun for you. But a lot of us -- myself included -- keep coming back to WoW. So just why do we keep ending up back in Azeroth? For me, it's the people -- I keep coming back to play with friends. And, while I imagine a similar story applies to many who leave and return, that's the question I'm posing to you this morning: why do you keep coming back to WoW?

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Breakfast Topic: What keeps you coming back to WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (Elizabeth Harper) Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[How to sign up for the Hearthstone beta]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/how-to-sign-up-for-the-hearthstone-beta/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/how-to-sign-up-for-the-hearthstone-beta/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/how-to-sign-up-for-the-hearthstone-beta/#comments How to sign up for the Hearthstone beta So you've heard a lot about Blizzard's latest game, the free, digital CCG Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and you can't wait to get into the beta. But how do you get in on that sweet, beta testing action? Signing up to beta Hearthstone is pretty simple, but involves a few steps that may not be entirely obvious -- we'll walk you through them so you can have a chance to be one of the first to check out Hearthstone for yourself.

Whether you get into the beta or not, you can get a feel for Hearthstone by checking out the two match videos they've released so far -- one showing Jaina battling Thrall and the other showing Garrosh battling Uther. But for now there's nothing to do but sign up and be patient until the beta gets started. Read on for instructions!

Continue reading How to sign up for the Hearthstone beta

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How to sign up for the Hearthstone beta originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betablizzard-ccgblizzard-hearthstoneccghearthstonehearthstone-betahearthstone-heroes-of-warcraftwowwow-ccg (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[This full-back Illidan Stormrage tattoo is true WoW dedication]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/this-full-back-illidan-stormrage-tattoo-is-true-wow-dedication/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/this-full-back-illidan-stormrage-tattoo-is-true-wow-dedication/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/this-full-back-illidan-stormrage-tattoo-is-true-wow-dedication/#comments Someone clearly was prepared... to get this incredible Illidan tattoo. Found on Reddit, we don't know who the owner of this particular work of art is, but we do know it takes some dedication to the game to adorn yourself with such a serious World of Warcraft tattoo. Of course, this is hardly the only WoW-themed tattoo we've come across -- not even the only Illidan-themed tattoo.

If you know who owns this particular tattoo, why not let us -- or Reddit -- know? Or if you have WoW ink of your own that you'd like to show off, why not drop us a line? We might feature it!

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This full-back Illidan Stormrage tattoo is true WoW dedication originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> illidan-stormrageillidan-stormrage-tattooillidan-tattootattootattooswow-tattoowow-tattoos (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Latest Hearthstone shoutcast pits Uther against Garrosh]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/latest-hearthstone-shoutcast-pits-uther-against-garrosh/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/latest-hearthstone-shoutcast-pits-uther-against-garrosh/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/latest-hearthstone-shoutcast-pits-uther-against-garrosh/#comments
If you've been waiting for more details on Hearthstone, wait no more! Blizzard has released another shoutcasted match to give us an up close look at gameplay. In this video, game designer Ben Brode provides commentary on a battle between the paladin Uther the Lightbringer and the warrior Garrosh Hellscream (if you recall, the last shoutcast showed us a mage battling a shaman).

We won't give away the ending, but suffice to say it's an epic battle featuring interesting tricks like secret cards as well as old friends like Illidan Stormage, Cairne Bloodhoof, and, everyone's favorite, Leeroy Jenkins. Though Leeroy's artwork is familiar to anyone who played the TCG, Hearthstone's version of the infamous Mr. Jenkins is perhaps even more dangerous, summoning whelps that aid your opponent.

So check out the shoutcast and PlayHearthstone's YouTube channel for more videos.

Gallery: HearthStone Sample Cards

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Latest Hearthstone shoutcast pits Uther against Garrosh originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzard-hearthstoneblizzrd-ccghearthstonehearthstone-heroes-of-warcrafthearthstone-shoutcastheroes-of-warcraft-ccgwow-hearthstone (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite solo activity?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-solo-activity/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-solo-activity/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-solo-activity/#comments Sure, we all love to play WoW with our friends, but sometimes schedules don't match up or we just don't have the time to play with a group. So what's there left to do? Solo! It may be different than group challenges, but WoW is full of quests, achievements, dailies, crafting, playing the auction house, and even lower level content you can solo for the for the fun or the challenge. Plenty of these are perfectly practical, netting you gold, experience, or reputation, we find soloing old dungeons are raids to be some of the most fun. Not because it nets you anything useful (because it usually doesn't), but because it's a challenge and an interesting way to revisit parts of the game that we leveled past ages ago.

And, obviously, because when you first played through Scarlet Monastery you probably couldn't pull the whole cathedral at once. And pulling the whole cathedral at once is just plain fun -- at least when it doesn't kill you.

So what about you, Breakfast Topicers? Do you have a favorite WoW solo activity? A dungeon or raid you like to run on your own for the heck of it?

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Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite solo activity? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[BlizzCon 2013 contests announced]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/blizzcon-2013-contests-announced/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/blizzcon-2013-contests-announced/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/blizzcon-2013-contests-announced/#comments Need another reason to be excited about BlizzCon? For the creative types out there (or those who just enjoy admiring the work of creative types), Blizzard has released a preview of the contest lineup for BlizzCon this November. And, though full details are to follow (including complete rules, guidelines, eligibility information, and submission details), you can start planning work now.


BlizzCon 2013 Contests
BlizzCon 2013 Art Contest
The Art Contest is coming back! We can't wait to see your always impressive original Blizzard-based artwork. Carpe diem-there's no time like now to dream up your next masterpiece in the hope of having it displayed at BlizzCon (and winning some great prizes).

BlizzCon 2013 Original Movie Contest
We're looking forward to screening another brilliant selection of original films based on Blizzard games. Whether it's live action, animated, wholly digital, or a combination, we can't wait to see what you come up with.

BlizzCon 2013 Costume Contest
The Costume Contest makes a triumphant return! Every BlizzCon, you keep upping the ante for amazing costumes, and we're sure this show will be no exception. As you're contemplating what you'd like to create, keep in mind that your safety is of paramount importance-that means that any costume you plan to wear should be something that you can easily see out of and safely maneuver in without assistance. In addition, no real weapons, dangerous materials, or large motorized costumes will be allowed.

And, while the costume contest is definitely something you need to be at the convention for -- remember, there's another round of ticket sales on Saturday and we have some buying tips for hopeful attendees -- the art and movie contests are online contests.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2011 Costume Contest Gallery

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BlizzCon 2013 contests announced originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzconblizzcon-2013blizzcon-2013-contestsblizzcon-art-contestblizzcon-contestblizzcon-contestsblizzcon-costume-contestblizzcon-machinima-contestblizzcon-movie-contestcostume-contestmachinima-contestmovie-contest (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Everything you need to know about WoW's talents and specializations]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wows-talents-and-specializati/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wows-talents-and-specializati/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wows-talents-and-specializati/#comments We're going back to basics today to talk about talents and specializations in World of Warcraft. If you're pretty new to the game, you might not know what these are at all, but anyone over level 10 has at least seen the terms thrown around. We're going to explain just what talents and specializatons mean for your character and well as how to get the most out of your talent choices.

What are specializations?
At level 10, every character (save death knights, who start at level 55) is prompted to choose a talent specialization. While many spells and abilities are core to the class -- meaning you'll get them no matter which specialization you choose -- there are also abilities that you only get if you've chosen a particular specialization. Each specialization focuses on a slightly different playstyle, so you should pick the one that most appeals to you.

Continue reading Everything you need to know about WoW's talents and specializations

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Everything you need to know about WoW's talents and specializations originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guidespecializationstalentsworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookiesworld-of-warcraft-talentswow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-specializationswow-talentswow-to-play-world-of-warcraft (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Should you be playing a monk?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/should-you-be-playing-a-monk/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/should-you-be-playing-a-monk/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/should-you-be-playing-a-monk/#comments Should you be playing a monk World of Warcraft has a character class for every type of player... though you may have to hunt around to find the class that's a perfect fit for you. These days, I've found my perfect fit to be the monk. (Though who's to say that I won't change my mind again in the future.) So if you're in the market for a new character -- whether you're a new player or an old hand -- let's talk about why a monk should be at the top of your to-play list.

Just what is a monk?
Monks are masters of weaponless combat who have learned to harness their chi hurt their enemies or heal their friends. While they fight bare-handed, they can (and should!) equip weapons: they can use fist weapons, one-handed axes, one-handed maces, one-handed swords, polearms, and staves and can dual-wield one-handed weaponry. They use cloth and leather armor and, though monks originated in Pandaria (and you'll need the Mists of Pandaria expansion to play one), the class is open to pandaren, dwarf, human, blood elf, tauren, undead, draenei, gnome, night elf, orc, and troll.

They're a true hybrid class who can tank (brewmaster monks), heal (mistweaver monks), and DPS (windwalker monks). For resources, monks have health, energy (for brewmasters and windwalkers), mana (for mistwalkers), and chi. Chi is unique resource to monks: you have four possible points of it and start combat with zero. Some of your attacks will generate chi while others will use it, meaning monks take careful resource balancing.

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Should you be playing a monk? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguidehow-to-play-wowmonkmonk-classmonk-getting-startedmonk-newbiemonksnew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guideworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-classeswow-guidewow-helpwow-monkwow-monk-classwow-monkswow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraft (Elizabeth Harper) Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[How to store your stuff in World of Warcraft]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/how-to-store-your-stuff-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/how-to-store-your-stuff-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/how-to-store-your-stuff-in-world-of-warcraft/#comments If you've played for very long, you may have noticed that you can accumulate a sizable collection of armor, weapons, bandages, food, and just... well... stuff. And while you can (and should) sell things as you go to fund your continued adventures, sometimes you run into things you want to keep. Maybe it's a weapon with a cool look that you might want to use for transmogrification or maybe it's a full set of armor that you use for an alternate talent spec. Whatever your reasons for hanging on to the things you collect in game, it's far too easy to fill up all your available inventory space. So what do you do when you have stuff you want to keep and no place to keep it?

Fortunately there are lots of options for storage in World of Warcraft: all you have to do is take advantage of them.

Stock up on bags
The first and simplest way to expand your inventory is to buy some bags. While you will run into some as you level up, they're probably smaller than those you can find elsewhere. Here's how you can find some shiny new bags with a minimum of hassle...

Continue reading How to store your stuff in World of Warcraft

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How to store your stuff in World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bank-altfeaturedguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guidevoid-storageworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-bagswow-bankwow-bank-altwow-bankswow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraft (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Will WoW ever come to consoles?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/will-wow-ever-come-to-consoles/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/will-wow-ever-come-to-consoles/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/will-wow-ever-come-to-consoles/#comments With Blizzard taking Diablo 3 to the PlayStation, we kind of have to wonder... is World of Warcraft ever going to make a console debut? And before you say it's impossible, that World of Warcraft is too complicated to play on a console, once we would have all said that about Diablo, too. And if Diablo makes the jump successfully -- there's no release date yet, so it's hard to say when we'll be able to judge its success -- maybe WoW will follow. At any rate, seeing WoW come to a console is probably a lot more likely than ever getting that pony Ghostcrawler promised us.

So, fellow gamers, if WoW did come to consoles... would you be playing it? Would it encourage you to buy one of those next gen consoles we've heard so many rumors about? Or would you stick to your PC gaming rig?

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Will WoW ever come to consoles? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> consolediablo-3diablo-iiighostcrawler-promised-me-a-mooseghostcrawler-promised-me-a-ponyplaystationworld-of-warcraft-consolewow-consolexbox (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Pinnacle of Storms is now open in Raid Finder]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/pinnacle-of-storms-is-now-open-in-raid-finder/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/pinnacle-of-storms-is-now-open-in-raid-finder/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/pinnacle-of-storms-is-now-open-in-raid-finder/#comments If you're looking for something to do in WoW tonight you're in luck because the Pinnacle of Storms wing of Throne of Thunder has just opened in the raid finder. If you haven't kept up with the story of patch 5.2's massive Throne of Thunder raid, this wing will pit you against Iron Qon, the Twin Consorts, and even Lei Shen, the Thunder King himself. If you need some help figuring out these fights, check out our PTR guides to Iron Qon, the Twin Consorts, and Lei Shen as well as Icy Veins strategy guides for Iron Qon, Twin Consorts, and Lei Shen.

Good luck and happy raiding!

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Pinnacle of Storms is now open in Raid Finder originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> iron-qonlei-shenraid-finderthrone-of-thundertwin-consortswow-raidwow-raid-finderwow-raidingwow-raids (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Watch out: Most game hacks are actually malware]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/watch-out-most-game-hacks-are-actually-malware/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/watch-out-most-game-hacks-are-actually-malware/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/watch-out-most-game-hacks-are-actually-malware/#comments We know that all of our readers are swell guys and gals who would never cheat at World of Warcraft, but just in case you needed another reason to avoid that kind of thing, anti-virus maker AVG is reporting that 90% of game hacks contain malware. And beyond the fact that using a hack will get your account banned by Blizzard, malware has a good chance to steal your WoW account and other sensitive information -- like bank account information or credit card numbers.

We know it seems to take forever to grind for gold or levels sometimes, but if you see something offering to get you gold, levels, achievements, or anything else with the click of a button -- don't click! If these things sound too good to be true, they probably are. So instead, keep your account secure by avoiding hacks and being sure you only download addons from trusted sources. Your account, safe and secure, will thank you!

[Via The Escapist]

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Watch out: Most game hacks are actually malware originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hacksmalwarewow-account-securitywow-cheatswow-hacks (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Hearthstone gameplay video pits Jaina against Thrall]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/hearthstone-gameplay-video-pits-jaina-against-thrall/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/hearthstone-gameplay-video-pits-jaina-against-thrall/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/hearthstone-gameplay-video-pits-jaina-against-thrall/#comments
If you're hyped about Hearthstone -- or even if you're just curious as to what Blizzard's latest is all about -- you'll want to check out this gameplay video. The video shows a complete match between Jaina (a mage) and Thrall (a shaman), giving us a good look at how the game plays as well as the abilities of these two heroes. And, just so we aren't lost in the newness of it all, the video features a narrated play-by-play to walk us through the action. We've got to say, it looks promising: featuring familiar characters, skills, and abilities, brightly-colored Blizzard art, and fast gameplay.

Psst, Blizzard, our beta keys are in the mail, right?

Well, even if they aren't, we hope this is only the first of many such videos on PlayHearthstone's YouTube channel, because it really just makes us curious as to what other classes and heroes can do.

[via Massively]

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Hearthstone gameplay video pits Jaina against Thrall originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardblizzard-ccgblizzard-hearthstoneccghearthstonehearthstone-ccghearthstone-heroes-of-warcraftheroes-of-warcraft-ccg (Elizabeth Harper) Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[15 easy (and not so easy) achievements to work on while leveling]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/15-easy-and-not-so-easy-achievements-to-work-on-while-leveling/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/15-easy-and-not-so-easy-achievements-to-work-on-while-leveling/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/15-easy-and-not-so-easy-achievements-to-work-on-while-leveling/#comments 15 easy and not so easy achievements to work on while leveling If you've played WoW for more than a half hour or so, chances are you've noticed the game's achievement system, which rewards you with (meaningless) points and sometimes more tangible rewards (like unique tabards or special titles) for doing certain things in the game. You'll find you get achievements for leveling, achievements for completing quests, achievements for picking up gold, achievements for leveling professions, there's even an achievement for visiting the barber's shop. We've gathered some achievements that are a bit more out of the way, but all of which you can either pick up or work on while you're leveling. They aren't all easy, but none of them require you to be level 90 and epiced out.

So if you're leveling but are interested in upping your achievement game, give these a try. We've ranked them in what we think of as order of difficulty. If nothing else, they're a distraction from the leveling grind!

1. Duel-icious
All you have to do here is duel another player and win. Any player -- even if they're much lower level than you are -- will do. We recommend asking a friend to duel with you, but you can request duels from anyone. Just remember to be polite about it rather than just going around challenging everyone in an area to duels!

Continue reading 15 easy (and not so easy) achievements to work on while leveling

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15 easy (and not so easy) achievements to work on while leveling originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> achievementsfeaturedguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guiderookie-guideworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-achievementswow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-screenshotswow-to-play-world-of-warcraft (Elizabeth Harper) Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Looking back at WoW that once was]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/11/breakfast-topic-looking-back-at-wow-that-once-was/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/11/breakfast-topic-looking-back-at-wow-that-once-was/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/11/breakfast-topic-looking-back-at-wow-that-once-was/#comments Sorry, new players, but we're all breaking out the rose colored glasses jumping aboard the nostalgia train for today's Breakfast Topic. Today we're looking back on our favorite game moments: specifically the quests and events we miss from WoW long gone. We're talking about things like the epic end to the Alliance Onyxia attunement quest, ending in Onyxia fleeing from Stormwind -- which, okay, we wouldn't actually miss very much if we'd had to do it recently -- or the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj world events -- which we wouldn't miss, either, if we could still remember all the peacebloom we had to farm.

It's not so much that we want these things to return as they were -- seriously, peacebloom farming -- but it seems a shame that these historic happenings have come and gone from Azeroth, never to be seen or experienced by new players. Because even if these events were annoying -- sometimes really annoying -- they had some truly epic moments that we'd love to relive. So, fellow gamers, what's the epic moment (or moments) you'd like to see brought back to WoW?

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Breakfast Topic: Looking back at WoW that once was originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> epic-quest-chainsepic-questsfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionnostalgiarose-colored-glassesvanilla-wowworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-nostalgiawow-quest-chainswow-questswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite Darkmoon Faire game?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-darkmoon-faire-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-darkmoon-faire-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-darkmoon-faire-game/#comments In case you've been avoiding major cities recently, consider this your monthly reminder that the time of the Darkmoon Faire is once again upon us, bringing another month's worth of carnival games, prizes and fun. Never been? Start by heading to Goldshire or Mulgore, where a portal will take you straight there. If that's too much travel time, you should be able to find mages in all major cities willing to send you to your destination for a small fee. If you want to take advantage, act fast: it will only be here for a week. Once it closes up shop on the 13th, you'll have to wait another month.

So go on, check it out; we promise that this Breakfast Topic will still be here when you get back.

[hold music plays]

Okay, back? Great! Now we can get to talking about everyone's favorite Darkmoon activities. You do have a favorite, don't you? Perhaps it's the island's unique wild pets or a certain top hat. But maybe carnival games are more your style, like shooting yourself out of a canon or tossing rings onto a turtle? Or maybe you're just in it for the pets, mounts, and heirlooms you can buy for Darkmoon Prize Tickets. Whatever your reasons for visiting the Faire, you must have a favorite thing to do once you're there. So share!

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Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite Darkmoon Faire game? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> darkmoondarkmoon-fairedarkmoon-islandfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-darkmoonwow-darkmoon faireWow-darkmoonFairewow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider