Posts with tag thunder-king

Patch 5.2 and beyond with Dave Kosak

by Anne Stickney Feb 27th 2013 at 8:00PM

Hot on the heels of the official patch 5.2 trailer, we had the opportunity to sit down and speak with one of the developers behind it all. While chatting with Lead Quest Designer Dave Kosak about patch 5.2 and its development, one thing became incredibly clear -- 5.2 is definitely not just a raid and a few dailies. There is far, far more to be seen and experienced in the new patch.

Read on for some of the details behind the trailer released earlier today, the story in the new patch, daily quest development, scenarios, and even a few hints at what's in store for patch 5.3.

Please note: There are a couple of minor spoilers for 5.2 content in the interview. Nothing huge, we promise!

Filed under: Interviews, Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2: The Thunder King official trailer

by Anne Stickney Feb 27th 2013 at 12:00PM

We may not have gotten a trailer for patch 5.1, but we've certainly got a good one for patch 5.2! In a departure from earlier trailers, the trailer for 5.2 skips the narration and instead features some eloquent poetry courtesy of Lorewalker Cho. The trailer comes hot on the heels of the release candidate on the 5.2 PTR, suggesting that perhaps we should be expecting that patch next week. Pull on your troll-killing boots and prepare for a raid the likes of which we haven't seen since Ulduar. The Thunder King comes!

I'm awfully excited for this patch, and even more excited to see a new trailer from Blizzard. We haven't had a proper patch trailer since patch 4.3 -- and this particular trailer is a vast, vast improvement from the Hour of Twilight trailer in Cataclysm. What do you guys think? Are you ready for patch 5.2?

Filed under: News items, Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 PTR: Heroic 25-player raid testing announced

by Matt Low Feb 26th 2013 at 8:00PM

We're almost there! I'm not sure if this is the last batch of testing to occur but over the next few days, a flurry of 25-player heroic raid testing will be available for players on the PTR. The current build on the PTR has reached release candidate status which certainly means we're getting closer and closer to the patch 5.2 being deployed on to the live servers. Be sure to grab yourself a full suit of tier 15 gear before storming these heroic bosses though. Expect your gear to scale up to help you in your efforts.

WoW Insider Throne of Thunder boss impressions

Today's blue post with full details can be found behind the cut below.

Filed under: News items, Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 PTR: Killing Throne of Thunder's Ji-Kun

by Olivia Grace Feb 12th 2013 at 2:00PM

Rejoining Lore from TankSpot and his guild Months Behind, Ji-Kun was our next target. Hers is an interesting fight, which somewhat split the group's opinions, leaving us undecided on whether it was genius or gimmick.

Rather like Alysrazor in Firelands, Ji-Kun has a mechanic involving feathers. Actually, she has several mechanics involving feathers, if you include Quills, but the main one I'm thinking of here, indeed the main mechanic of the fight as it is intended, is Daedalian Wings. The tooltip isn't enormously useful here, but this is the buff received by players when they loot feathers from killing off the Hatchlings in one of the nests. Ji-Kun is positioned on a very elevated platform in the center of a circular room, with five other platforms positioned around the edge, below her level, and four more platforms positioned above her.

These platforms are the key to this fight, which, apart from their mechanic, is, frankly, rather dull. Some of your party will be traveling to and from the lower platforms, while most will likely remain on the upper.

Filed under: Raiding

Know Your Lore: The Zandalari

by Anne Stickney Feb 10th 2013 at 4:00PM

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 are the first of the troll Empires, the first of the troll tribes, and in fact, the first of trolls as a cohesive race. The Zandalari have seen it all, from the very dawn of civilization to the evolution of the night elves to the Sundering to countless wars to present day. They have been watching both the culture and the assorted tribes of trolls splinter further and further, into smaller and smaller tribes. They have been watching as their race continues down the slow path towards eventual extinction, with little choice in the matter.

The Zandalari are tired of watching. As some of the first known intelligent races on Azeroth, they have seen it all, from vast troll Empires to splintered sub-groups. They are not about to walk that path to extinction quietly. After all, there's another, far more ingenious option available. And although their first plan may have failed, their second plan is far more likely to succeed, given the strength of their allies of old. In patch 5.2, we're about to face off with the Zandalari for the second time -- the first being the revamp of Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman in Cataclysm.

But who are the Zandalari? Why should we care about this random group of trolls over any other?

Please note: This post contains some spoilers for patch 5.2 content.

Filed under: Lore, Know your Lore

Patch 5.2 PTR: Ji-Kun, Durumu, and Primordius raid testing announced

by Matt Low Feb 6th 2013 at 9:00AM

Three bosses will be available for Throne of Thunder testing today, all on the 10-man difficulty. If this is your first time testing, your gear will automatically be scaled up to meet the ilevel required in this raid zone. Tier 15 gear should also now be available from the Flaskataur NPC in front of the faction shrines so consider picking up a set and testing those out in addition to the encounters! Not sure how to find the raid zone? Here's how you can get into the Throne of Thunder.

WoW Insider Throne of Thunder boss impressions

The blue post announcing today's testing can be found behind the cut below.

Filed under: Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 PTR: Introduction to Thunder Isle

by Matt Low Jan 31st 2013 at 8:00PM

With patch 5.2 slowly getting closer to a release on live servers, a minor quest has been added for both factions to help send players to the Isle of the Thunder King. You'll see a quest discovery on the side where you'll be summoned.

Your help is needed.

Warning: Spoilers for patch 5.2 content incoming! Don't hit the link if you don't want to know what happens or why the Alliance and Horde are here!

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 PTR: Additional Wrathion quest sound files

by Olivia Grace Jan 30th 2013 at 3:00PM

Spoilers Additional Wrathion quest sound files

Spoiler Alert: Adriacraft has been back with more of their datamined audio files, and wow, these ones have some spoilers in them. If you don't want to have spoilers about Wrathion's questline, or anything else for that matter, definitely don't watch the video, or hit the break to read any more of this post.

Final Warning: Spoilers after the break. Really big spoilers. Do not hit the link below if you don't want to know.

Filed under: Lore, Mists of Pandaria

Tier 15 set bonuses unveiled in latest PTR patch

by Dawn Moore Jan 10th 2013 at 7:00PM

The latest build in development for the patch 5.2 PTR has brought us a first glimpse at the tentative set bonuses for tier 15. Wowhead released the datamined information yesterday evening and some of the set bonuses are mighty interesting. Take for example, the rogue two-piece bonus, which increases the duration of finishing moves as though the rogue had an additional combo point ... Up to a maximum of six points. The DPS death knight two-piece also sounds a bit interesting; check it out below.

Death knight

Blood two-piece Reduces the cooldown of your Rune Tap ability by 10 sec and removes its Rune cost.
Blood four-piece Your Bone Shield ability grants you 15 Runic Power each time one of its charges is consumed.
DPS two-piece Your attacks have a chance to raise the spirit of a fallen Zandalari as your Death Knight minion for 15 sec.
DPS four-piece Increases the duration of Army of the Dead by 15 sec.

Filed under: Raiding, Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 PTR now live; character copies available

by Michael Sacco Jan 2nd 2013 at 3:00PM

When Blizzard said that the PTR for patch 5.2 would be available early January, they really meant early January! The PTR is now available, with character copies and level 90 premades ready to go. Patch 5.2 will bring the Thunder King raid and a number of other additions, including:

A new daily quest hub: The Isle of the Thunder King -- the Kirin-Tor Offensive and the Sunreaver Onslaught face off to lay claim to Emperor Lei Shen's island stronghold and the treasures contained therein.
Two new world bosses, Nalak the Storm Lord and Oondasta
An option to purchase Sunsong Ranch to make it a resting point like an inn. Work orders will come in from various factions, and completing the work orders will grant you reputation with the issuing faction.
All world bosses are now Tap to Faction. This new system offers every eligible player of the same faction that engages a boss the chance to earn loot.
And more!

Check out all of our patch 5.2 coverage right here.

Filed under: Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 Throne of Thunder datamined preview

by Anne Stickney Dec 27th 2012 at 3:00PM

Have you been wondering what's behind the doors in that preview image of the Throne of Thunder that was posted last week? Players have commented that the place seems reminiscent of both Ulduar and the Black Temple -- in a good way, as both raids were incredibly popular when they were current content. While there isn't an official preview for the raid just yet, datamining has uncovered a glimpse of the raid zone in its raw state.

Reddit user Silencerr put together the above video as a tour of sorts of the new raid zone. Because this is just datamined files, it likely won't look exactly like this on live servers -- the lighting isn't present, and any filler doodads, mobs, or bosses are absent. Basically, it's the sandbox version of what the raid will look like -- and anything can change between the PTR and now.

However, the video is actually pretty neat. It's dark, it's gloomy, and the broken halls are frankly kind of disturbing. It almost reminds me of those creepy crypts underneath Karazhan, although there are no Upside-down Sinners floating around. More importantly, this raid appears to be massive, and definitely on the scale of zones like Black Temple or Ulduar. It's huge, it's menacing, and I can't wait to see what it looks like fully-realized and implemented in game.

Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.

Filed under: Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 PTR: Tier 15 models datamined

by Anne Stickney Dec 22nd 2012 at 9:00AM

The intrepid minds over at Wowhead have been busy datamining as much of the new 5.2 PTR as they can, and they found the models for the next round of tier gear. While tier 15 doesn't appear to have names just yet, the models are pretty representative of what will likely be a very primitive-feeling raid, with animal and tribal themes throughout. The looks are incredibly detailed, iconic, and honestly I think as far as the rogue set is concerned, this is one that I'm not going to transmog over.

Tier 15 also seems to have some of the most interesting belt designs I've seen in a long time. Some of the sets have belt buckles that are even animated with sparks and other oddities. While not all of the tier sets are complete and available for viewing, each has at least a few pieces that you can check out if you're so inclined. Take a look at Wowhead's post for still images and 3D models of each of the different tier sets.

Filed under: News items, Mists of Pandaria

Patch 5.2 reveals a 13-boss raid tier and new scenarios

by Olivia Grace Dec 21st 2012 at 9:00PM

Patch 52 13 boss raid tier, new scenarios

Revealed details about patch 5.2 lists four new scenarios, Infiltrating the Shipyard, Alliance and Horde versions of Isle of the Thunder King, and To the Skies! The last of these includes a stage called "Mount your Pterrorwing!" This sounds almost ridiculously fun, and all of these scenarios point to heavy Zandalari involvement in the upcoming patch 5.2 content. But, it seems from the information we have so far, the Zandalari are the initial force which must be overcome in order to tackle the true threat. There are also a couple of zones listed which are currently undefined, of which Defense of the Alehouse screams scenario or dungeon. Some new 5-man content would be welcomed!

Wowhead has also datamined information on the bosses to be found in the Throne of Thunder, classified as a raid, so presumably the raid zone pictured above. There are currently 13 bosses shown, with varying levels of information currently available for each.

Filed under: Mists of Pandaria

New heirlooms in patch 5.2 resemble the old but bring in the new

by Michael Gray Dec 21st 2012 at 8:40PM

New round of heirlooms resemble the old but bring in the new

Patch 5.2 is thundering down on us this holiday season, bringing a raid, a Thunder King, and all kinds of shenanigans. It even has some great news for those of us who like to level small hordes of alts: new heirloom items!

Of course, there's a twist. The new heirlooms like the War-Torn Ancient Bone Bow may superficially look like the old Charmed Ancient Bone Bow, but it's actually a different item. That's perfect in one sense, since the War-Torn Ancient Bone Bow now goes all the way to level 85. But it's a bummer for people who like to collect and save their points, since it means you'll probably have to rebuy it. The Vengeful Heartseeker, Battle-Forged Truesilver Champion, and many others enjoy this treatment in patch 5.2.

Granted, this is pretty early in to the PTR cycle. It's entirely possible that Blizzard intends to provide an upgrade path. But you have to spend all those points on something, and heirlooms items have always served as a very effective point sink. I suspect we'll all be buying new heirlooms soon enough.

Filed under: News items

Know Your Lore: Who is the Thunder King?

by Matthew Rossi Dec 21st 2012 at 9:00AM

It has been written that when the great Lei Shen first looked upon the lands of the mantid, he did not feel fear, but inspiration.

As he began to unify his people under a single banner and subjugate the other races of Pandaria, he knew that the mantid would never succumb to his authority. They spoke his language, the language of strength. He commanded his slaves to construct the Serpent's Spine, a magnificent wall that spanned the length of the empire.

It would take many generations to build. But Lei Shen knew how to motivate his subjects. Fear. Fear of the mantid moved mountains, raised armies, secured his empire, and built his wall.

The Thunder King, from Dark Heart of the Mogu

Before he could apply the lessons of the mantid, however, Lei Shen would first need to rise to power, which he did with the aid of an ancient lost artifact. This artifact allowed Lei Shen to annihilate his rivals and cement his power over the mogu, and the Thunder King is said to have built the Mogu'shan Vaults to contain this weapon.

Filed under: Lore, Know your Lore, Mists of Pandaria

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