WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.Raid Rx: Recap of recent healing changeshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/raid-rx-recap-of-recent-healing-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/raid-rx-recap-of-recent-healing-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/raid-rx-recap-of-recent-healing-changes/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poohbah of World of Matticus and a founder of Plus Heal, a discussion community for healers of all experience levels and interests Catch his weekly podcast on healing, raiding and leading, the Matticast.

There's been some large changes to healing for some of the classes in recent builds. This week, we'll recap and go through the classes to see what's new. You might be interested to know that at level 89, my priest has 250k mana. Who wants to wager that 300k mana is the maximum cap at level 90? Remember with the new intellect and mana system coming in with the expansion, intellect stats no longer raise the mana pool anymore. Your mana regeneration is governed strictly by your spirit levels.

Priest

Lightwell receives a few tweaks to the healing numbers. More importantly, it now has a glyph that completely changes the functionality of the spell. Glyph of Lightspring turns Lightwell into an automatic healing ability with a catch. Lightwell will only heal players with health lower than 50%. It will only perform the check once every 5 seconds. That is a fair compromise to me. I've never been truly satisfied with Lightwell since my experience has shown me that most players never click on it when it really matters. At least this glyph helps remove control from them and I gain the knowledge of my Lightwell kicking in when it'll be needed.

Continue reading Raid Rx: Recap of recent healing changes

WoW InsiderRaid Rx: Recap of recent healing changes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>druidfeaturedguidehealinghealing-guidehow-to-healmonkpaladinpriestraid-guideraid-healingraiding-guideshamanwow-guidewow-healingwow-raid-guidewow-raid-healingMatt LowFri, 25 May 2012 13:00:00 ESTThe Lawbringer: Diablo sells lots, Blizzard dodges another bullethttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/the-lawbringer-diablo-sells-lots-blizzard-dodges-another-bulle/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/the-lawbringer-diablo-sells-lots-blizzard-dodges-another-bulle/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/the-lawbringer-diablo-sells-lots-blizzard-dodges-another-bulle/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Mathew McCurley takes you through the world running parallel to the games we love and enjoy, full of rules, regulations, and esoteroic topics that slip through the cracks.

Blizzard has been off to a pretty good start with Diablo III, selling who-cares-at-this-point millions of copies of the game people have been waiting over a decade to get their hands on. The craziest part about the whole thing is that it lived up to the hype -- a new Diablo game that felt like a Diablo game. Good for you, Blizzard! That's not what today's Lawbringer is about, no sir or ma'am. I've got a few topics I'd like to ramble on about today.

You know those days in high school when the teacher was inbetween lesson plans and they just sort of rambled to you for that one day that they had set aside in case Federico didn't understand the "green light" symbolism in The Great Gatsby? That story happened, but I changed the names to make it more funny to the people who get the joke. Great way to start off this edition, right? Make the most inside-baseball column on WoW Insider get a little more in-jokey. Mat, you sure know how to hook 'em.

No, wait, stay. I've got lots to say about Diablo III, the potential issues with the real money auction house, and my own thoughts on the cross-realm compromise and dodging the dreaded "merge." I think you'll have plenty to say in the comments after today's topics -- they are some of my favorites.

Continue reading The Lawbringer: Diablo sells lots, Blizzard dodges another bullet

WoW InsiderThe Lawbringer: Diablo sells lots, Blizzard dodges another bullet originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>diablo-iiifeaturedlaw-bringerreal-money-auction-houseworld-of-warcraft-lawworld-of-warcraft-legalwow-lawwow-legalwow-terms-of-usewow-touMathew McCurleyFri, 25 May 2012 12:00:00 ESTDrama Mamas: When marital troubles are played out in guildhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/drama-mamas-when-marital-troubles-are-played-out-in-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/drama-mamas-when-marital-troubles-are-played-out-in-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/drama-mamas-when-marital-troubles-are-played-out-in-guild/#commentsFiled under: ,

Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

The above video has nothing to do with this week's letter. Deal.
Hello Ladies,

I am a member of a fairly old casual raiding guild. Coming into Cataclysm, our GM/RL left for a hard core guild and leadership was transferred to other officers. There were some hard feelings and it was a very rough patch but we persevered for the most part. We were even able to recruit as our new raid lead, a returning raid team member who had quit playing WOW for personal reasons.

Unfortunately, those personal reasons involved his wife having multiple affairs, some via Wow. Worse, he told quite a few guildies about it when he left. Even more worse, she was a guild member also and as she has communicated, he "allowed" her to come back.

Continue reading Drama Mamas: When marital troubles are played out in guild

WoW InsiderDrama Mamas: When marital troubles are played out in guild originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicedramafeaturedguild-adviceguild-dramaguildchatmarital-troublesplaying-wowraid-leaderraidingwarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aRobin TorresFri, 25 May 2012 09:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria: Sunwalker Dezco for Warchiefhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Spoilers for Mists of Pandaria in this post.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy Sunwalker Dezco. As a tauren, I love the idea that there's a tauren presence in Pandaria, and that unlike most of the Horde the leadership of said tauren, actually uses the quotes around the word Warchief when talking about Messere Hellscream.

I first met the Sunwalker in the Krasarang Wilds. He was leading an expedition to Pandaria inspired by the visions of his wife. After that, I ran into him again helping out against the mantid, then in Kun-Lai Summit at the Temple of the White Tiger, where he gives out a quest to meet with one of the August Celestials within the Temple of the White Tiger. After Xuen, the White Tiger, tests your mettle, he allows you and Dezco (if you're Horde) to go south. Pretty much everything Dezco says or does shows that he's loyal to the Horde, but clearly less than enamored with Garrosh and his particular way of leading it. Dezco is very involved with the quests leading to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms as well as Krasarang and Valley of the Four Winds, and he's at once a determined bringer of the light and a much more tolerant and reasonable Horde figure than we've seen in some time.

I'm just glad to see a new, no-nonsense tauren lore figure, and to see the tauren taking some initiative in Pandaria. And I admit, I love the idea of a sarcastic tauren paladin.

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: Sunwalker Dezco for Warchief originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>DezcoHordekrasarang-wildskun-lai-summitloremists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-lorePandariaShuhaloSunwalker-DezcoTaurenvale-of-eternal-blossomsvalley-of-the-four-windsMatthew RossiThu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTEnjoying the spoils of progresshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/enjoying-the-spoils-of-progress/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/enjoying-the-spoils-of-progress/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/enjoying-the-spoils-of-progress/#commentsFiled under: ,

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I enjoy a lot of aspects of World of Warcraft, and one of those aspects is the actual playing of the game. I like combat, whether I am tanking or DPS, the active working through of encounters and even the unfolding of trash pulls. I like learning what new mechanics do, how fights unfold and how they can be successfully completed. I love all of that -- but what I also love is the period after mastering content.

I shamelessly admit it here. I love when content goes on farm. I was ecstatic as Firelands went from hard to easy. I love feeling my gear improve, seeing my DPS or health go up, looking at my avoidance and mitigation and realizing that yes, I actually can get passive unhittable just through gear. (I'll miss that when the two-roll combat system comes out.) I like going back, months down the road, and tearing Baleroc in half like wet tissue paper. Remember me?

Part of this is simply because I like WoW best when I'm killing stuff. I don't like to sit idle in Stormwind or Orgrimmar, and I'm not terribly moved to stand around hawking my crafting wares or playing the Auction House. These are fine activities, to be sure, but they're most certainly not what I like to do in the game. No, the reason I played seven years ago is the reason I play now, because I like to hit things in the face with the largest possible things I can.

And taking their stuff -- I mustn't forget how much I like taking their stuff.

Continue reading Enjoying the spoils of progress

WoW InsiderEnjoying the spoils of progress originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dragondungeonsi-am-greedyI-am-riding-a-purple-dragoninstancesinternet-dragonslootplundering-tombsraidsstufftaking-stufftransmogtransmogrificationMatthew RossiWed, 23 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Glyph of Inquisition and the myth of the no-brainerhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-glyph-of-inquisition-and-the-myth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-glyph-of-inquisition-and-the-myth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-glyph-of-inquisition-and-the-myth/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Light and How to Swing It for holy, protection and retribution paladins. Seasoned ret paladin Dan Desmond is here to answer your questions and provide you with your biweekly dose of retribution medicine. Contact him at dand@wowinsider.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

Back in October, the blues issued a challenge to themselves, a goal for their new talent system in Mists of Pandaria -- there would be no mandatory talents, zero "no-brainers" or similarly choiceless situations. The same has been said for glyphs in the past, straight from the mouthparts of the head crab himself.

Now we all know that there has always been a chasm of varying width separating what the designers intend for a system and what we as players experience. Sometimes the devs do really well and the gap is but a crack in the sidewalk, while others look more Springfield Gorge, and others still like Valles Marineris on Mars. Even so, we can hardly blame them -- we players, as a whole, are a fickle bunch. It is only natural that a group numbering in the millions would have diverse opinions on what works and what doesn't, particularly when it pertains to how each of us play the game.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Glyph of Inquisition and the myth of the no-brainer

WoW InsiderThe Light and How to Swing It: Glyph of Inquisition and the myth of the no-brainer originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredglyphsguide-to-paladinsguide-to-palliesguide-to-pallyspaladin-guidepaladin-infopaladin-talentspally-guidepally-infopally-talentsretribution-paladin-the-light-and-how-to-swing-ittalentswow-paladinwow-paladin-infowow-paladinswow-pallywow-pally-infoDan DesmondWed, 23 May 2012 15:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Archimonde the Defilerhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/know-your-lore-archimonde-the-defiler/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/know-your-lore-archimonde-the-defiler/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/know-your-lore-archimonde-the-defiler/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Let this scar signify the first blow against the mortal world. From this seal shall arise the doom of men, who, in their arrogance, sought to wield our fire as their own. Blindly they build their kingdoms upon stolen knowledge and conceit. Now they shall be consumed by the very flame they sought to control. Let the echoes of doom resound across this wretched world, that all who live may hear them and despair.

He came to destroy the world, and he nearly did. If not for the combined efforts of the orcs of the Horde and their allies under Warchief Thrall, the human refugees led by Jaina Proudmoore, and the night elves under Tyrande Whisperwind, Archimonde the Defiler would have walked up to Nordrassil, the World Tree that sits atop Mount Hyjal, and he would have consumed it utterly. With it, he would have gained all the power of the Well of Eternity that has seeped up the tree's massive roots over tens of thousands of years, making him quite possibly the most powerful entity Azeroth has ever seen, even including beings like Deathwing, the Old Gods, and potentially even Sargeras himself.

In the end, however, the mortal races banded together in a desperate alliance and held Archimonde and his Burning Legion away from the tree long enough for Malfurion Stormrage to play a final, desperate plan that Archimonde couldn't anticipate, because it involved self-sacrifice, the loss of the night elven immortality. For Archimonde, who had lived for more than 25,000 years constantly coveting power, the idea of giving it up was unthinkable. Combined with his ego and arrogance, he was effectively blind to the danger, and so he died.

We hope. Make no mistake -- Archimonde, of all the Burning Legion, came the closest to actually destroying Azeroth. Neither Sargeras nor Kil'jaeden ever walked Azeroth bodily. Archimonde did. Neither Sargeras nor Kil'jaeden ever set eyes on the Well of Eternity. Archimonde stood mere yards from it, drawing the power from Nordrassil. The Defiler very nearly did exactly that to all of Azeroth.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Archimonde the Defiler

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Archimonde the Defiler originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Archimondefeaturedguideguide-to-loreKiljaedenlorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSargerasThe-Burning-LegionWell-of-Eternityworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 EST3 things the Black Market Auction House needs to succeedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/3-things-the-black-market-auction-house-needs-to-succeed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/3-things-the-black-market-auction-house-needs-to-succeed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/3-things-the-black-market-auction-house-needs-to-succeed/#commentsFiled under: ,

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The Black Market Auction House seems to be a controversial topic. Some players love the idea, while some players utterly detest the idea with every ounce of their being. Regardless, the theory behind the Black Market Auction House is a solid one. Removing gold from the WoW economy is something that is desperately needed in the days of Auction House kings, in order to balance everything out. If the Black Market Auction House works, it'll even out player gold to a reasonable level, keeping items on the regular Auction House at reasonable prices.

And for those who spent the tremendous amount of time it takes to amass their fortunes, it means that they finally have something to spend their reward on, something tangible and -- let's face it -- something pretty cool. In expansions past, we've only had one or two really major gold sinks to speak of, whether crafted mounts, or really useful mounts purchased from a vendor. Once those mounts were purchased or crafted, there was a vast sea of nothing for people to spend that gold on.

But the potential for abuse runs pretty high with this thing. And as I pondered the potential side effects of the Black Market Auction House, I realized there are certain things that really need to be in place to make it work effectively.

Continue reading 3 things the Black Market Auction House needs to succeed

WoW Insider3 things the Black Market Auction House needs to succeed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>black+market+auction+houseblack+market+auction+house+wowblack-marketblack-market-auction-houseblackmarketauctionhouseblackmarketauctionhousewowcrafting-recipiesgold-sinkmadam-goyamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamop+black+marketmopblackmarketrare-mountsrare-petsremoved-from-gameserver-economytier-3world-of-warcraftwow+black+marketwow+black+market+auction+housewowblackmarketwowblackmarketauctionhousewrathionAnne StickneyMon, 21 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTDrama Mamas: The case of the needy guildieshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/drama-mamas-the-case-of-the-needy-guildies/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/drama-mamas-the-case-of-the-needy-guildies/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/drama-mamas-the-case-of-the-needy-guildies/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

Welcome to this week's episode, in which Lisa compares me to baked goods. I think I'm more like a Disney villain, but benevolent. You be the judge.
Dear Drama Mamas

I'm the new gm of a social guild. As such we find that we get a lot of players who are new to the game entirely. We try and help the out but lately we have a number of new people who seem to be taking the "we are happy to help" and running it for all it's worth.

I'm a firm believer is looking for the solution yourself and then asking if you don't find anything. Particularly with resources like wowhead, noxxix, wow insider and blogs for every other thing you could ever hope for.

Continue reading Drama Mamas: The case of the needy guildies

WoW InsiderDrama Mamas: The case of the needy guildies originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicedramaentitledentitlementsfeaturedguild-adviceguild-dramaneedyplaying-wowwarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aRobin TorresMon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 ESTThe Queue: Run Boy Runhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/the-queue-run-boy-run/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/the-queue-run-boy-run/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/the-queue-run-boy-run/#commentsFiled under: ,

Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.

Go to iTunes and buy Woodkid's new track, Run Boy Run. There is not a man alive who manages to get my adrenaline pumping via music better than he does. You will not regret your purchase. If you don't have Iron, get that one, too.

naterybird317 asked:

When do you think Mists of Pandaria will be released? What was being tested in the Cata beta at the time of the official announcement? I ask because I wonder if at the time of the announcement were beta testers testing 85 content or were they still level capped between 80-85? I feel like we're getting really close to the official announcement.

Continue reading The Queue: Run Boy Run

WoW InsiderThe Queue: Run Boy Run originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>diablo-3diablo-iiifeaturedguideironmists-of-pandaria-release-dateqaquestion-and-answerrun-boy-runwoodkidwow-answerswow-daily-answerswow-daily-questionswow-guidewow-player-questionswow-q-and-awow-questionsAlex ZiebartMon, 21 May 2012 11:00:00 ESTSunday Morning Funnies: Prematurehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/sunday-morning-funnies-premature/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/sunday-morning-funnies-premature/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/sunday-morning-funnies-premature/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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Sunday Morning Funnies is your weekly list of WoW-related web comics.

This week, we've got comics about the upcoming expansion, Mists of Pandaria, as well as a couple of comics about Blizzard's latest release, Diablo III, that weren't to be missed from your usual favorites.

Know of a WoW-related comic that recently updated after a hiatus that isn't on this list or a new one that has never been featured? Let me know in the comments section!

Continue reading Sunday Morning Funnies: Premature

WoW InsiderSunday Morning Funnies: Premature originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredworld-of-warcraft-comicworld-of-warcraft-comicsworld-of-warcraft-funnieswow-comicwow-comicswow-funniesAmanda MillerSun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 ESTThe Care and Feeding of Warriors: The fury of Diablo 3http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-the-fury-of-diablo-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-the-fury-of-diablo-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-the-fury-of-diablo-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host.

The past week I have been doing two things in terms of my video game time. I have been tanking heroic Dragon Soul, and I have been playing a barbarian in Diablo III. And frankly, they bleed together, because although World of Warcraft's story draws directly from the Warcraft RTS and setting, WoW had Diablo in its DNA. Don't believe me? Roll a paladin in Diablo II, then go take a look at what paladin talent trees looked like when vanilla WoW launched.

So for the past week, as I contemplate the Mists of Pandaria revamp to talents and specializations, the huge rage redesign, and how the class is going to work, I keep casting covetous eyes onto the barbarian I keep rocking faces on. Now, Diablo III and World of Warcraft are different games with different design philosophies. WoW tries a lot harder for balance between competing classes because it has more classes. D3 has five classes, and no two of those classes does what it does the same way. The witch doctor and the wizard and demon hunter all fight from range, the barbarian and monk both fight in melee, but how they do these things is thoroughly different, and D3 doesn't have the tank/DPS/healer trinity to consider. You chug potions, you spec for survival, and you blow stuff up.

Still, there are things I really want to see Mists steal from Diablo III. Like, say, its version of Revenge. That thing is sweet.

Continue reading The Care and Feeding of Warriors: The fury of Diablo 3

WoW InsiderThe Care and Feeding of Warriors: The fury of Diablo 3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Matthew RossiSat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 ESTArcane Brilliance: Going back to the future with Alter Timehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/arcane-brilliance-going-back-to-the-future-with-alter-time/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/arcane-brilliance-going-back-to-the-future-with-alter-time/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/arcane-brilliance-going-back-to-the-future-with-alter-time/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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Every week, WoW Insider brings you Arcane Brilliance for arcane, fire and frost mages. This week, we're going to jump into the not-so-distant future -- specifically, the day we hit level 87 in Mists of Pandaria. We're going to need 1% of our base mana, some plutonium, and 1.21 gigawatts, and we're going to need to be moving at 88 miles per hour.

Mages are getting a fair number of new or reworked spells and talents in Mists of Pandaria, but arguably the most intriguing of the bunch is Alter Time. Continuing along with the time -manipulation theme already established by spells like Time Warp, upcoming talents like Temporal Shield, and the time chicken tier 13 armor set, Alter Time allows us to transport our mages back in time to the ancient era of six seconds ago.

It's an incredibly interesting mechanic that works in practice about how I expected it to in theory, which is both good and bad.

Continue reading Arcane Brilliance: Going back to the future with Alter Time

WoW InsiderArcane Brilliance: Going back to the future with Alter Time originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>alter-timearcane-mage-arcane-brillianceback-to-the-futurefeaturedfire-mage-arcane-brilliancefrost-mage-arcane-brillianceguide-to-magesi-hate-warlocksmage-arcane-arcane-brilliancemage-fire-arcane-brilliancemage-frost-arcane-brilliancemage-guidemage-infomage-spellsmage-talentsmistsmists-betamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-talentsmop-betamop-beta-testingmop-changesmop-expansionmop-mage-changesmop-mage-spellsMoP-mage-talentswow-expansion-betawow-magewow-mage-infowow-magesChristian BeltSat, 19 May 2012 14:00:00 ESTDungeon Mastery: Shado-pan Monasteryhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/dungeon-mastery-shado-pan-monastery/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/dungeon-mastery-shado-pan-monastery/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/dungeon-mastery-shado-pan-monastery/#commentsFiled under: ,

Kun-Lai Summit is host to the Shado-pan Monastery. In Mists of Pandaria, you'll undoubtedly get a chance to experience and help rid the instance of Sha influence. Megan and I decided to check the place out and see what the deal is. We teamed up before when she carried me kindly tanked for me in the Stormstout Brewery. Like last time, I healed on my holy priest, Megan tanked on her druid, and we were accompanied with two hunters and an enhancement shaman. Your group needs to be at minimum level 87 in order to queue.

The video above is a little under 50 minutes long. We would've been able to move quicker if I hadn't been in combat all the time.

Yeesh. Even the Matticus needs a drink from time to time.

Gu Cloudstrike

Cloudstrike is the first boss your group will challenge. You'll run into Cloudstrike outside on a plateau just as you leave the first chamber. It's a three-phase encounter involving Cloudstrike and a flying serpent.

Continue reading Dungeon Mastery: Shado-pan Monastery

WoW InsiderDungeon Mastery: Shado-pan Monastery originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 18 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dungeongu-cloudstrikeinstancekun-lai-summitmaster-snowdriftmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betanormalpandasha-of-violenceshado-panshado-pan-monasterytaran-zhuMatt LowFri, 18 May 2012 17:00:00 ESTThe Lawbringer: Blizzard and Valve settle on DOTAhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/the-lawbringer-blizzard-and-valve-settle-on-dota/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/the-lawbringer-blizzard-and-valve-settle-on-dota/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/the-lawbringer-blizzard-and-valve-settle-on-dota/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Mathew McCurley takes you through the world running parallel to the games we love and enjoy, full of rules, regulations, and esoteroic topics that slip through the cracks.

One of the highest-profile disputes in the gaming industry has come to a settlement agreement. Blizzard has agreed that it will back off from Valve's use of the DOTA trademark for commercial use, while Blizzard retains noncommercial use of the term for modders, map creators, and the community revolving around the game. In addition to the commercial/non-commercial separation, Blizzard has officially changed the name of its upcoming Blizzard DOTA to Blizzard All-Stars, so expect a new branding push soon. At the end of the day, I am still bewildered as to why we're fighting over DOTA, an acronym and phrase that comes packed with baggage and various connotations.

Back in 2010, Rob Pardo told Eurogamer essentially that trademarking DOTA was a slap in the face to the community that created the genre, and for a company that built a great deal of its success on mods, it seemed genuinely out of place for Valve. While everything is always about money, sometimes things are about money just a little less. With its own products announced using the DOTA name and former-DOTA developers having joined S2 Games and Riot Games to create Heroes of Newerth and League of Legends respectively, the MOBA genre is healthy.

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WoW InsiderThe Lawbringer: Blizzard and Valve settle on DOTA originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 18 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>artsblizzard-dotadotafartsfeaturedheroes-of-newerthlaw-bringerleague-of-legendsmobariots2-gamesvalveworld-of-warcraft-lawworld-of-warcraft-legalwow-lawwow-legalwow-terms-of-usewow-touMathew McCurleyFri, 18 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTThe Azeroth Ethicist: Cheating (or not cheating) the roll systemhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/the-azeroth-ethicist-cheating-or-not-cheating-the-roll-system/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/the-azeroth-ethicist-cheating-or-not-cheating-the-roll-system/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/the-azeroth-ethicist-cheating-or-not-cheating-the-roll-system/#commentsFiled under:

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I was healing a Well of Eternity PUG a few days ago when I got a whisper from the group's warrior tank.

Warrior: Could you help me out with something?

Me: Sure, what do you need?

Warrior: If Varo'then's Brooch drops at the end, would you roll on it for me?

Me: Um ...

I'd been off in my own little world watching health bars and thinking about next week's Shifting Perspectives column and hadn't paid any attention to the group's composition. It turns out the DPSers were a mage, a hunter, and -- oh, there we go -- a frost death knight. So in the event that the strength trinket dropped, the warrior tank wanted me to roll on it and, if I won, give it to him over the DK. He probably asked the mage and the priest to do the same thing, but the group was quiet in party chat, so I have no way of knowing.

We had a small and, to his credit, civil conversation over it, and there are a few issues here on which I'd like to get readers' opinions.

Continue reading The Azeroth Ethicist: Cheating (or not cheating) the roll system

WoW InsiderThe Azeroth Ethicist: Cheating (or not cheating) the roll system originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>5-man5-mansazeroth-ethicistdeath-knightdramadropsethicsloot-dramaloot-systemloot-systemsmoralsnot-diablopugpuggingpugsrollrollingvarothens-broochwarriorwell-of-eternityAllison RobertThu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTSkill Mastery: Shield Barrier takes the beating for youhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/skill-mastery-shield-barrier-takes-the-beating-for-you/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/skill-mastery-shield-barrier-takes-the-beating-for-you/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/skill-mastery-shield-barrier-takes-the-beating-for-you/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Shield Barrier is one of my favorite new abilities. One of the reasons I love it is that it scales both with the amount of rage you have when you use it and with your attack power, meaning that it will continuously get better as you level and gear up. Shield Barrier provides you with a damage absorption shield that, when used with the minimum amount of rage (20 rage), puts up a respectable amount of absorption. On my level 89 tauren warrior, above, it did roughly 6k with a baseline use, eating more than half of that Agitated Seedstealer's fire spell.

But when used at full rage, it can do significantly more. The most I've seen was a 20,000 absorption shield, which will admittedly be fairly rare because it's hard to ensure you have exactly 60 rage when you use the ability. You're more likely to pepper the area with 10k or 12k absorbs that make soloing an absolute dream. Tanking in 5-mans, it's still a potent part of your arsenal, but you're much more likely to alternate it with Shield Block there.
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Shield Barrier is an ability warrior tanks have probably needed for a very long time, a way to mitigate incoming damage no matter what it is. I personally love the ability.
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderSkill Mastery: Shield Barrier takes the beating for you originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>mists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-specializationShield-BarrierShield-BlockWarriorWarriorsMatthew RossiWed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: The Burning Legionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/know-your-lore-the-burning-legion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/know-your-lore-the-burning-legion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/know-your-lore-the-burning-legion/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

They burn worlds to ash. They render the verdant uninhabitable. Theirs is not the evil of mad chaos, leaping to corrupt for amusement or decadence. They are the means by which the mad Titan seeks to unmake everything. They are the Burning Legion, and it is their purpose to end existence. Nothing less will satisfy Sargeras.

Yet even within the seemingly monolithic forces of the Legion, there's room for political intrigue of a sort. While Sargeras has seemingly caused his own exile from the seat of power, his former lieutenant Kil'Jaeden now leads the Legion, a position he seemingly aspires to hold indefinitely. And Azeroth is directly in his crosshairs.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: The Burning Legion

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: The Burning Legion originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Archimondefeaturedguideguide-to-loreIllidanKilJaedenlorelore-guideNathrezimNerzjulrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSargerasThe-Burning-LegionThe-Lich-KingVelenworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 ESTHow I learned to love tanking againhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/how-i-learned-to-love-tanking-again/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/how-i-learned-to-love-tanking-again/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/how-i-learned-to-love-tanking-again/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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So yeah, I'm tanking again. There are a few reasons for this. Reason #1 is my experiences testing prot in the Mists of Pandaria beta. Quite frankly, I think it's going to be much easier to level to 90 as a tanking warrior, what with the spec working quite well on the beta at the moment. Since I expect us to be doing so by August at the latest, I wanted to get a jump on things.

Another reason is simple necessity. We needed a tank; I happen to be capable of doing the job and doing it well. Even back when threat was harder than it is now, I always knew I was a respectable tank. I pay attention to my positioning, I know how to use my cooldowns, and I've got a lot of experience with the role. When my guild found itself short a tank, it seemed like the right thing to do. It's just plain easier to recruit a DPSer and have someone established doing the tanking.

I've asked before if it's time to kill tanking. Almost a year down the road from that question, here I am tanking again. I think what I'm learning is that, at present, it's fairly easy to tank decently and not very hard to tank well, but tanking itself is now split into two halves, and one of them is actually more difficult than it has ever been. It's easier to learn but not easier to master.

Continue reading How I learned to love tanking again

WoW InsiderHow I learned to love tanking again originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>DPSfeaturedguide-to-warriorstanktankingtankswarrior-guidewarrior-infowarrior-talentswow-warriorwow-warrior-infowow-warriorsMatthew RossiWed, 16 May 2012 14:00:00 ESTThings to do while everyone in your guild is out playing Diablo 3http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/things-to-do-while-everyone-in-your-guild-is-out-playing-diablo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/things-to-do-while-everyone-in-your-guild-is-out-playing-diablo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/things-to-do-while-everyone-in-your-guild-is-out-playing-diablo/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Is it just me, or are the realms kinda dead today? Well, that's probably because everyone in the known universe (with the possible exception of on-call firefighters and paramedics or surgeons who are not currently engaged in removing brain tumors) is off playing Diablo III. That's fine. I don't judge.

But sometimes you need something to do whenever other people aren't around to provide mental stimulation. Here are a few quick suggestions that will make your in-game life slightly more interesting until everyone gets back (and a lot more interesting afterwards):

  1. Submit a GM ticket asking if WoW's orientation around gear upgrades constitutes a dismissive critique of the nudist lifestyle. (Editor's Note: Don't do this.)
  2. If you have guild bank privileges, feng shui the contents.
  3. If you don't have bank privileges, spam the officers with letters accusing them of betraying the proletariat.
  4. Macro /y BOING to your space bar.
  5. Edit guild ranks to more accurately describe members. "Officer" is a less descriptive term than "Untrustworthy Gurthalak-Stealing Suck-Up."
  6. Run through Stormwind/Orgrimmar shouting that the Rapture has occurred.

WoW InsiderThings to do while everyone in your guild is out playing Diablo 3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>diablo-3diablo-iiifeng-shuigurthalaknot-diabloAllison RobertWed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 EST