Posts with tag world-of-warcraft

Rogues who are stealthy fans of pickpocketing in Warlords of Draenor have more to cheer about in the upcoming patch 6.1. Griftah, the fence of dubious motives who has been taking Dingy Iron Coins and turning them around, in a roundabout way, for gold, has now expanded his inventory. Along with the usual fencing duties and quests to turn in coins for gold, Griftah also sells a variety of leather masks in a variety of colors, all for the low low price of a thousands or so Dingy Iron Coins -- more, if the masks are fancier.

And if you're a toy collector to boot, Griftah's got a deal for you -- for 10,000 Dingy Iron Coins, you can be the proud owner of a Barrel of Bandanas. This toy summons a barrel of random bandanas for you and all your friends, so everyone can get in on the bandana-wearing fun. It's nice to see that Griftah hasn't forgotten his rogue pals -- and even nicer to see a steady supply of fashionable masks. Pickpocketing has never been this much fun. Check out the slideshow for screenshots of all available bandanas and their costs.

A fresh round of updates have been added to the World of Warcraft Fan Art section of the official site, as well as new pieces for the Warlords of Draenor Art gallery, and a new World of Warcraft comic. The fan art in particular features some really stunning pieces highlighting the various Warlords of Draenor, as well as a creepy and perfectly suited idea for a warlock armor set. The full images are all available for download, and I might just be changing the wallpaper on my computer this time around.

The concept art takes a look at what appears to be some concept work of Gorgrond, and two shots of Shattrath City. It's the Shattrath pieces that are really interesting, because you get a view of the city with the dome in place, and removed -- and the removed version is far more similar to what we've got in Outland today. What's interesting though is that the dome in-game cannot be traveled through, which makes me wonder -- is A'dal's future home under there, or did the design elements change at some point? More importantly, are we going to get in there at some point in the future?

Head to the official post to check out all of the new goodies. And if you have a Warcraft fan comic or fan art of your own, don't forget that you can always submit them to Blizzard to be considered for future updates!

A new customization option is on the way for garrisons in patch 6.1 -- you'll now be able to change what tunes are playing while you collect your work orders, mine, gather herbs, or just hang out. How? It all begins with a quest to build a boombox big enough to hear no matter where you're at in your garrison. This quest sends you across Draenor to gather the required parts for the jukebox of your dreams, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be fully implemented as of yet -- while I could collect the first piece on the list, a relatively easy to find drop from shredders on the Talador coast, further items weren't fully interactive.

However, from what we've seen so far via datamining on the PTR, your quest doesn't end when you create the boombox. You'll need tunes to fill the thing -- and there are a wide variety to choose from. Most city themes are included, as well as old favorites like Lament of the Highborne and the Karazhan Opera House music. Keep in mind that because all of the sounds are datamined material, there's no guarantee that these options will make it to live servers.

Given the sheer amount of music Blizzard has produced in conjunction with its games over the years, this is honestly a really nice way to bring all those great themes from the past back into relevance, and allow a little more customization as well. Future builds should fix any quest bugs and further reveal what we have to do to obtain all the tunes our hearts desire -- until then, I'm going to try and wrestle with the decision of what I want to hear while I'm hanging out with my followers and friends.

The 10 year anniversary of World of Warcraft decided to wrap up in style with a special gift mailed to players that have been with the game since the very beginning. Players who created an account within 60 days of World of Warcraft's original launch and have maintained their subscription for all ten years have been mailed a very special physical gift -- a miniature recreation of the orc statue that graces the courtyard of Blizzard Entertainment's home in Irvine, CA. If you are eligible for the gift, you should receive an email indicating your gift is on the way at your registered Battle.net email address.

This is probably one of the nicer statues I've gotten from Blizzard. It looks very much like cast bronze, but I believe it's the same resin material used for their deluxe line of action figures. And although I say it's a miniature recreation, it's not that small -- the statue measures roughly 9" from base to tip of the taller axe. The base includes a message on the bottom that reads "The orc statue is a constant presence in our life at Blizzard Entertainment. It's where we meet to talk, to eat, to celebrate. As we celebrate ten years of World of Warcraft, we present this token of appreciation to you, stalwart adventurer. Thank you for being a constant presence in our lives as we adventure together."

Head to Battle.net for more information regarding eligibility for the gift, and be sure to check out our gallery for shots of both statue and box.

Battle Pet collectors have something to look forward to with Patch 6.1 -- new Battle Pets and a new achievement are being added, according to information Wowhead has datamined from the 6.1 PTR. New Battle Pets have been added to bosses in Sunwell Plateau, Black Temple, and Hyjal Summit, and another tier has been added to the raid-collecting achievement, Raiding With Leashes III: Drinkin' From the Sunwell. A dozen new pets have been added to the raids.

In a new press release, Dark Horse Comics has announced the upcoming release of a multi-volume series detailing the history of the Warcraft universe. Warcraft Chronicles will reveal untold stories about the birth of the cosmos and beyond, presumably filling in the details on all that history we've been missing regarding Azeroth's creation, the wars that took place, and other tantalizing pieces of Warcraft lore. Although it is being produced in conjunction with Dark Horse Comics, the book is not being presented as a graphic novel, but instead a hardcover book with over twenty full page illustrations by World of Warcraft artist Peter Lee.

The first volume of the series is due out on November 4, 2015 in comic shops, and November 17, 2015 in bookstores. For lore fans, this looks like it's shaping up to be the definitive book to pick up this year, and sounds like it may very well be full of brand new lore spanning the length of Warcraft's history, starting with the mysterious beginnings of the cosmos itself -- something that plenty of lore fans have been wanting for a very, very long time. You can pre-order your copy of World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 today over via Amazon, or check with your local comic book retailers to pre-order a copy as well.

Sure, collecting followers for your garrison is pretty fun -- after all, they head out on missions and can potentially bring you back all kinds of valuable rewards. But what about your garrison while everyone is away? Oddly enough, there are a few different potential garrison denizens that aren't followers. You'll never send them on a single mission. But they'll come hang out at your garrison anyway, if you go out of your way and rescue them from whatever unfortunate situation they've accidentally stumbled into.

That's where Peckers the Majestic comes in. This fearsome looking raptor will gladly follow you back to your garrison if you take the time to help him out. Don't expect him to be too terribly friendly, though. While you can pet the raptor, he'll respond by promptly giving you a swift kick and running away. Apparently, he's been taking lessons from Ruthers the bad yak. Yet despite his temperamental disposition, he's a pretty cool addition to any garrison -- so how do you get this ornery raptor? You'll want to head to Gorgrond.

If you have yet to get it done, you might want to hit up Molten Core in the next week or so. The 10th anniversary celebration for World of Warcraft officially ends on January 5, 2015 -- and both Molten Core's 40-man LFR experience, as well as the Southshore vs. Tarren Mill PvP battleground will be taking their leave. Completing Molten Core will earn you an ilvl 640 epic helm as well as the Core Hound Chain that will give you a Corehound of your very own to ride -- but there's also a chance to pick up Hatespark the Tiny, a new Battle Pet, and the Flames of Ragnaros, a special cosmetic item that will give your weapon a fiery glow.

As for the battleground, winning a battle on either Alliance or Horde side will net you an achievement as well as a special account-wide title, Southshore Slayer, or Tarren Mill Terror. To queue for Molten Core, you'll need an ilvl of 615, but that's relatively easy to get at level 100. Once the anniversary event is over, these items and achievements will no longer be available -- so you'll want to get a move on if you want to collect and complete them all before they're gone for good.

---

Maybe you forgot someone on your gift-giving list this year -- or maybe you're more interested in potential gifts for yourself. Either way, Blizzard has a potential solution for you -- World of Warcraft is now 50% off in the online store. For $9.99, you'll get classic, Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, and Mists of Pandaria all rolled into one, as well as 30 days of free game time in the bargain.

This is the digital download edition, meaning no boxes required, and you can either purchase the gift for yourself, or gift it to a friend or loved one and bring them along on your journeys in Azeroth. But if you'd like to grab this deal, you may want to hurry -- the sale ends on January 5, 2015. Head to the Battle.net shop to take advantage of the savings and pick up a copy.

A fresh round of updates have been added to the World of Warcraft Fan Art section of the official site, as well as new pieces for the Warlords of Draenor Art gallery, and a new World of Warcraft comic. While there aren't any costume updates this time around (and those are usually some of my favorite updates!), the Fan Art section includes a new piece by breathing2004, as well as a gorgeous painting of a pit lord by artist Xinxin Zhong, and both are worth an extended look.

As far as the concept art goes, there's some new shots of various scenery around Draenor -- and they include some really cool day-to-night transitions. I'm not sure if this was an active element in planning Draenor's zones, but if this kind of concept art helped with the development of what we see in game, I hope they keep it up for any expansions to come. Draenor has some of the best scenery I have ever seen in the game, and I'd love to see that particular streak of excellence continue. Head to Blizzard's official post to take a look at all the new art updates, and the new Warcraft community comic while you're at it.

If you've seen any of the photos or footage from BlizzCon this year, you have doubtless seen at least a few shots of a larger than life Grommash Hellscream statue, proudly poised atop Mannoroth's decapitated head. Although the full-scale piece is off limits, Blizzard has opened preorders for a slightly smaller version of the statue on the official Blizzard Gear Store. The statue, measuring a full foot and a half in height, was sculpted in house by Senior Sculptor Brian Fay, art directed by Nick Carpenter, and features paint work by none other than Senior Illustrator Lauren Austin -- that would be the woman also responsible for the gorgeous art in Blizzard's Lords of War animated series.

If you're looking to pre-order, you can head to Blizzard's official site -- but be warned, for something this detailed and large, it's going to cost you. The Grommash Hellscream statue is $350, and is expected to be shipped by the end of August, 2015. Check out more images of this impressive piece and preorder one for yourself if you're so inclined at the Blizzard Gear Store.