Posts Tagged ‘weapon’

Transmogrification and the Changing Face of WoW

7 December 2012 | No Comments » | pixiestixy

It’s something that I wished would happen in WoW for a very, very long time. That is, the option to modify the appearance of armor in some way or another. Last I wrote on this topic, the idea was but a dream that seemed, perhaps, just maybe, on the horizon.

Since then, transmogrification has become a force that drives many of us players who like to collect. And earlier this week, we learned via community manager Zarhym’s Twitter account that by Patch 5.2, transmogrification may become less restrictive in terms of allowing similar weapon types to be transmogrified. Here were his exact words:

.@iizeppii Removing main-hand/off-hand Xmog restrictions maybe by 5.2. Also allowing Xmog of weaps w/ similar anims (2H axe/2H sword, etc).

Continue Reading

The Dungeon Master: The Fighter Class

21 November 2011 | No Comments » | Randy Denosha
This time in The Dungeon Master we are going to suit up in an armor and grab a door for a shield because it’s time to get into the deets of the Fighter class  from Dungeons and Dragons Online.

In the earlier Barbarian post, I stated that I enjoyed fighters more than barbarians, stick with me and you’ll learn why.

When a player wants to start a fighter, almost any race is available and viable. For those min-maxers out there, the type of fighter you wish to make may sway the race selection. Going fr a ranged fighter with a bow? You’d be best off rolling, wait for it, an elf. Is two-handed face smashing more your forte? Then a half-orc is your best bet. There is one race that might favor the fighter a bit more and that is the human. Humans edge out other races thanks to an extra feat and the fighter gets an extra feat to select every 2 levels. Continue Reading

The Dungeon Master: The Barbarian Class

21 October 2011 | No Comments » | Randy Denosha

This time in The Dungeon Master column we are going to rage our way into the depths of the barbarian class from the game Dungeons and Dragons Online.


So let us get into it, shall we?

For everyone that wants to begin a Barbarian, they have to keep some things in mind. One is your weapon; it doesn’t matter if the player is an half-Orc, a Human or a Warforged, the player will be using two-handed weapons. Any generic “just-found-it” two-handed weapon will do.

Now the half-Orc does loan itself the best for making a barbarian, but making it a Warforged or Human is not that bad of an idea either. Warforged do get some enhancements that boosts the usage with two-handed weapons and the extra feat the player gets when they are a Human can open up some nice possibilities with feats.
Continue Reading

The Dungeon Master: The Catacombs Adventure Pack

14 October 2011 | No Comments » | Randy Denosha

The first adventure pack on review at the new The Dungeon Master column is called the Catacombs. This DDO adventure pack is created for characters between level three and four. We at LoreHound did an Instance Gratification of this adventure pack so go check that one out here, if you want.

I’ll wait for you to finish it.

This adventure pack holds a whooping eight different adventures. And, of course, there’s some really nice loot at the end, which includes several ghost touch weapons, an eternal wand of cure minor wounds for quick stabilizing of party members and a really nice robe for Wizards and Sorcerers called the Robe of Duality. Those are the gems, but there are many more valuable upgrades for all manner of classes. Continue Reading

Patch 4.2 Legendary Staff Preview: Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa’s Rest

28 April 2011 | 6 Comments » | Amatera

The latest in the (admittedly short) line of Legendary-level items to grace Azeroth is the staff known as “Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa’s Rest.” This is one geared towards the offensive magic users, with stats/procs engineered specifically to send those greedy, little healer types running in the opposite direction. Though said stats have not yet been released, the description given in the official preview hints that it will “duplicate destructive magics, and also bestow upon its wielder the ability to transform into a member of the Blue Dragonflight.”

The former would seem to imply a few different possibilities. Maybe it doubles an enemy’s spell and sends it flying right back? Perhaps it has a chance to cast a random, highly destructive spell from a pre-defined set (Stragos style)? Or could it simply, on occasion, cast one of your own spells twice? Nobody but Blizzard knows at this point, but if you ask me, they all sound like fun, highly-desirable abilities.

As you can see in the image above, the staff will be constructed in stages, but turning it from a humble marshmallow-roaster into a pointy, hurty, rune-laced weapon of mass arcane destruction won’t be easy. You’ll need to embark on an epic quest line involving both the Blue and Bronze Dragonflights and, at times, enlist the help of your fellow guildmates to complete it. Here’s the attached lore blurb for those who are interested:

Ever since the death of the Dragon Aspect Malygos, the blue dragonflight has struggled with appointing a new leader. Its members are now torn between the two likeliest successors: Kalecgos, who champions reconciliation with other races; and Arygos, a scion of Malygos who believes that his kind should withdraw from the world and forge a new path. To end the constant debates and arguments, the flight has agreed to gather during the Embrace—an extraordinary celestial event in which Azeroth’s two moons come into perfect alignment—in the hopes that a new Aspect will be selected.

Yet a recent discovery by the bronze dragon Anachronos bodes ill for this impending ceremony. The timeless dragon has detected sinister magic at work around the Nexus, the blue flight’s frozen lair in Northrend. Along with this find, he has glimpsed a terrifying vision of Azeroth succumbing to flames. The link between this chilling portent and the blue dragons remains unclear, but Anachronos has called upon what some of his kind deem the “short-lived” races to investigate further. If a hero does not rise to the challenge and find the truth, Anachronos’s dire vision of Azeroth’s undoing could become reality.

Sadly, as cool as it looks, this one isn’t for me. I just don’t have any offensive staff-wielders in my stable of Level 85 toons (and to be honest, my guild no longer has the wherewithal to fulfill such an endeavor). One last bit that may be worth clarifying, though. I noticed the following statement in the preview:

Only those who have emerged triumphant against the evils lurking within Blackwing Descent, The Bastion of Twilight, and the Throne of the Four Winds will be eligible to begin the legendary quest.

This seems to indicate that for a character to even begin obtaining Dragonwrath, they must have made significant progress in the game’s current tier of raiding. Perhaps you’re required to have cleared every boss in the dungeons mentioned above (or at least earned the achievements for them)? It would seem odd for Blizzard to state it that way, otherwise.

Either way, good luck to those who are prepared for and capable of making the journey! Claiming ownership of a Legendary item is certainly something worth bragging about.

Gear Check: Pre-Heroic Gear for Plate DPS

10 March 2011 | No Comments » | Kershocker

A paladin was my first character in World of Warcraft. Kershocker the Holy Paladin. I know what you’re thinking: “LOL u leveled as holy, noob l2p.” I admit it, I was definitely a noob [Proof], but one day, while spamming Holy Shock and Exorcism, I decided to learn how to play my class. Boom! Retribution Paladin!

When it comes to DPS, I’ve always loved the Melee classes. Inflicting as much damage while standing right in the middle of all the action is good times. When you want to gear a Plate DPS class, all of them share one thing in common: Strength. That’s why it’s quite simple to identify an upgrade, if it has more Strength than your current item, it’s probably an upgrade. Still, there are a few other stats you need to consider if you wish to maximize your DPS. I’ll try to make a priority stat list for every single Plate DPS class and it will be followed by gear you can and should get before stepping into heroics.

Retribution Paladin: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap > Mastery > Critical Strike > Haste

Dual Wield Frost DK: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap > Mastery > Critical Strike > Haste

2-H Frost DK: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap = Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike

Unholy DK: Strength > Hit Cap > Haste > Mastery > Expertise Cap > Critical Strike

Fury Warrior: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap> Critical Strike > Mastery > Haste

Arms Warrior: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap > Critical Strike = Mastery > Haste

Now on to the gear.

Continue Reading

Gear Check: Gearing your Rogue for Heroics and Raiding in Cataclysm, Part 2

2 March 2011 | No Comments » | Heartbourne

Get the right gear and you'll be able to take on Mathias Shaw.

Last time, we broke down all the gear you can get via reputation rewards and dungeon/heroic drops. Let’s run the delicious gear rogues can get from crafting, Justice and Valor points.

For Engineers, you’ll definitely want to pick up your Agile Bio-Optic Killshades. They are better than anything you’ll see in heroics and well beyond. The materials aren’t cheap and you’ll need to run heroics to get a Chaos Orb, but hey, nothing is free.

All Assassination rogues should seriously consider getting Belt of Nefarious Whispers. It’s one of the only leather items with hit and mastery, a golden combination that you don’t even need to reforge unless you are really overboard on hit (unlikely at this point). It got sockets in patch 4.0.6, making it even worthier. You’ll need quite a few mats and pay a Leatherworker well for their 2 Chaos Orbs.

Assassin’s Chestpiece has an unfortunate amount of crit on it, though the hit is nice. If you really want to squeeze out a little more DPS you can pick it up, but again, it ain’t cheap, especially with three (!) Chaos Orbs required. Continue Reading

Gear Check: Gearing Your Restoration Druid for Heroics

15 February 2011 | No Comments » | Barugaara

No longer relegated to a permanent tree form, choosing the right equipment for your Restoration Druid is more important than ever! But you’ll have to wait until you your gear is up to snuff before you start playing dress-up. As with all of our Cataclysm Gear Check guides, we’ve provided you with a variety of ways to hit that elusive 329 ilevel cap required for entrance to Heroic 5-man dungeons.

Remember that while it eventually evens out a bit once you outfit yourself with Heroic and raiding items, initial healing and mana management can be a little tricky in this expansion, even with the pieces shown below.

Stat Priority: Intellect > Spirit > Haste > Mastery > Crit

Generally, you are going to want all of your gear to have spirit on it. However, if a piece has a significant abundance of intellect, don’t hesitate grabbing it!

As a Druid, we are gifted with the nifty ability to wear cloth gear. Or more appropriately, we were. We now receive a intellect bonus for wearing all leather, so that is definitely worth going for.

Chances are if you have leveled to 85, you have ran into all of the six new factions this expansion. As it turns out, these guys are real nice and are willing to hand out some (more or less) free blues to get you started. I would recommend checking them out.