She Wants It Her Way!!!

Dane Cook aside, it's time for another Shared Topic from Blog Azeroth. I know it's been a while since I've done one of these, and I figured that it was high time that I hop back in that saddle. This week's topic is brought to us by Naithin, creator of Fun in Games.


Pretend for a moment that WoW hasn't yet been released. Or perhaps it is, but you've never heard of the whole SWG NGE debacle, and thus have no fear about dramatically changing how everything works post-release.

You have the original (or BC, or Wrath, or Current, your pick) design docs to start from, but you're free to change absolutely everything if you so choose.

With all this power, what would you change? What would make WoW the dream game for you?


This is a fairly loaded question. Now, I could overload this page with a wall of famously crit-filled Saz text (oh, it could be quite easy...I have my happy/productive music channel rolling on Pandora right now), but I shall refrain. Instead, I'm going to focus on three different aspects of WoW that I'd change if I had such magical designing powers.


Character Customization
There is nothing more that I enjoy more than customizing. My favorite part of creating a character is getting that little avatar to represent the persona that I want to play. Now, I didn't play Aion, but the boyfriend did. One of the few things that I liked about that game (from what I saw at least) was the ability to customize your character to the T. You want to be some obese dude with blue skin? Go nuts. I would absolutely love some of the customization offered up in Aion, or even The Sims 3 to bleed into World of Warcraft. What if I wanted my Night Elf Druid to be a bit shorter than the rest? What if I was curious about how a Draenei looked when pregnant? What would happened if a Gnome and a Tauren just so happened to mate? Okay, that last one may not be able to happen...some of the customization would of course have to fit within WoW's lore, no two foot tall Tauren or seven foot tall Gnomes now...I'm sorry, but the line must be drawn somewhere. However, the ability to be able to choose your players height (within the rough restrictions of your chosen race of course), the facial features, hair color (I'm talking full shades here people), hair type/length/cut (more than what we have now at least), and body build would be very, very awesome.

 
I just have a problem with looking like a clone, okay?


Personal Houses/Guild Halls
Again with the customization. My favorite part of playing The Sims is building my house. I could care less about the micro-managing aspect of the game, even though it is indeed somewhat fun to be that controlling for a bit, but what I mean to say is, I loooove to tinker with the environments in which my avatars live in. I think it would be really neat to be able to "visit" your friends at their various homes around Azeroth, maybe get an insight into what they (or in an RPer's world, their character) may be into in RL. It's a certain personal touch that I simply feel is lacking currently in Azeroth. Not to mention, we could store all of our extra gear in the closets and display all of the nifty items we've hoarded *ahem.*

Real estate would be a bit hard to come by though. Given the physics of Azeroth, coupled with our player population ratio per server, there may not be enough room for everyone to have a house and to keep the continents found on Azeroth from looking like New York City from one coast to the other. The next idea that I'd whole-heartedly accept would be a guild hall. Now, this could simply be a portaled off part in the city; for those of you who remember the PvP room in Stormwind, how that was instanced for pretty much ever, I'm thinking something along those lines. One portal door for all to go into, but inside would be two things: 1) A commons area, decorated/arranged by the GM of the guild and whoever he/she gives decor permissions to and 2) Another portal inside the room in which each player has a personal, dedicated space in which they can "lock" people out of or allow certain people in. When wanting to go visit a person in their room (they must be online), they simply walk up to the personal room portal, a selection box would appear, and they'd choose either their room or the room of the person who has given them permissions to enter. They would not have to be within the same guild to enter (it's magic after all!). Of course each personal, dedicated room would solely be decorated/arranged by the owner, and potentially shared throughout the entire account.

Ideally though each account would get a house in an area of their choosing (apartments available in all major cities, cottages in the country sides, mansions on ocean-front property, etc), and then there would be Guild Hall commons in all the major cities, which would be accessible to all guilds and their players, whether or not the players decide to have a place of their own.


Druid Forms
For the love of everything cute and fuzzy, let us choose our aquatic forms! I want to be a giant sea turtle or orca...this "seal" form is just...well, it's not as pretty as our other forms. If I want to be a giant sperm whale one day, and a tiny star fish the next, who says that I shouldn't be able to? I'm a druid darn it!

Also? I to be able to choose my tree form (bring it back!!) and color. I'd rock the birch tree form, or perhaps even the weeping willow.

Borrowed from Google.

Imagine the /cower emote on that sucker. Win!


Outside of the options to personalize things more, I'm rather fond of how World of Warcraft is currently set up. I love the structure, I'm rather fond of the maps, I love the characters and personalities involved...just give me the ability to give my Shaman bright pink dreadlocks and a place to call my own and I shall be happy until the end of Azeroth!

Hoarders: Azeroth Edition - My Pet Rocks

Welcome to another week of Hoarders, Azeroth Edition! This time around I'd like to get into the topic that first actually got me thinking about doing a hoarders series, Dawn Moore's collection of rocks. Well, this segment maybe not specifically dedicated to her particular collection, but she was part of what inspired today's post! That, and earlier this week a Hunter buddy of mine threw a Happy Fun Rock to my Rogue, and needless to say it made my day/week/month. Now I have rocks on the brain.

Image found on Google. Does not belong to me!

Generally the average player doesn't think about rocks at all when they play WoW. Usually they're seen as a bother to have in one's bags or at best something to vendor. Have you ever taken the time to look at your bag of pebbles and realize that you may very well have a treasure in there? No two rocks are exactly alike after all.

There are many, many different types of rocks that one could collect from various places around Azeroth. Some are really fun, others are just "pretty"...one is even the type you may want to try to avoid if you're a bit superstitious. By now I bet you're just bouncing around anxiously, waiting for me to get to the list. I shan't make you want any longer then!

-----


Happy Fun Rock - Probably one of my most favorite items in game. No lies. This particular rock will drop off of various mobs in Dire Maul.

Pet Rock - Isn't he cuuuuute?!?! I so want one of these lil guys! Apparently the Pet Rock's drop zone is a bit mysterious, but he's definitely out there. I highly suggest reading the comments in the link for this one, it should provide you all with a few laughs.

Slap Rock - "Slap an egg between two slap rocks, BAM, you got breakfast. Slap a muffin in there, POW, you got a waffle." Yes, that's what really it says. Win.

A Pretty Rock - How can you tell? This rock drops off of mobs in various zones/instances. See the link for specific details.

A Very Pretty Rock - They get even prettier! Apparently you can't really tell the difference between this rock and the plain old pretty rock though. This one drops from mobs in Northrend.

Colorful Rock - I personally can't see it...maybe it's my lighting? This particular rock drops off of various mobs from a handful of different zones/instances. Check the link for more information.

Lucky Rock - Apparently you must be pretty lucky to get this rock. It supposedly only comes out of a Primitive Chest, which is located in the Ghostlands, and has a fairly low drop rate.

Very Unlucky Rock - I have one of these. I haven't seen a difference in my luck thus far, but then again my luck was pretty crummy to begin with! If you'd like to try to obtain this rock, pop on your fishing hat and grab your fishing pole. It drops out of a Bag of Shiny Things, which is a reward for various fishing dailies.

Rock - It's just a rock. Nothing terribly fancy. Somehow you fish this thing up in Northrend...with a hook. Takes some mad talent to fish up a rock!

Rock Chip - It's a regular chip off the old rock! Yeah yeah, I suck at making funnies. See the link if you're interested in knowing where to get a part of a rock.

Shattered Rock Fragments - I think these are bits and pieces from faulty Slap Rocks.

Pretty Pebble - They can be found all over the place!

Small Pebble - Most often found in a traveler's shoe.

Polished Pebbles - Considered "projectiles." These were once used by Hunters as bullets. I'm not sure if these are obtainable any longer (probably with the new ammo system they have been removed from the game).

Smooth Pebbles - Same story as the Polished Pebbles. Hunters stuck 'em in guns and blasted them at people, animals, and occasionally trees.

Shiny Polished Stone - A rock that can be picked up in Outlands and various places around Azeroth.

Banded Stone - Found in Northrend.

Black Stone - Found in both the Ruins and the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj. Has an item level of 60.

Cracked Stone - Found in Deepholm/Uldum once Cataclysm launches.

Glimmering Stone Chip - It's...shiny! Only drops off of Iron Rune Golems in Howling Fjord.

Jagged Piece of Stone - Can be found in various places. 'Tis why I give you a link!

Keening Stone - Another new rock to be found come Cataclysm. Drops in Deepholm and Uldum.

Lifeless Stone - Drops from pretty much everywhere. It's been a plague in my bags for years now.

Prismatic Stone Chip - Drops quite a bit in Northrend.

Pry Stone - Your guess is as good as mine...

Scintillating Stone Shard - Another Northrend rock.


Shattered Stone - The life of a Northrend rock must be hard.


Smooth Stone Chip - Fairly common bits of stone.


Translucent Polished Stone - Oooooh, preeetty. Can only be found from the Iron Rune Golems apparently.


Now we have our run of the mill stones that are mined by..well, miners. These are typically used by Jewel Crafters, Engineers, and Black Smiths. Rough Stone, Coarse Stone, Heavy Stone, Solid Stone, Dense Stone

Ice Chip - This item taught a player the Frigid Frostling pet, and item that dropped out of the Satchel of Chilled Goodies that Ahune the Frost Lord dropped, Midsummer Fire Festival 2010. It makes me a sad Shaman to not have this little guy! To see images of him, follow the "Frigid Frostling" link that is provided.

Pebble - Last, but definitely not least, we have Pebble. He's actually a non-combat pet! He will be the reward for the Rock Lover achievement in Cataclysm!!


There is actually quite a list of stones that one could come across, but unfortunately about half  of what I have seen are actually quest items, not collectibles. Therefor, you cannot find them in this list.

-----

So there you have it! Now that you have a rather large list of rocks for you all to go out and collect, I should expect to see some screen shots of some epic collections, right?

Oh! I have a random bonus item to share with you all today. Looking for rocks can often turn up some rather odd items. Rockin' Powder is such an item. I can only imagine what that may be used for...(read the tool tip, you may understand what I'm getting at).


Until next time, happy hoarding!

The Rack: Fishing Outfits

Whether or not you're a role player, chances are pretty good that you have some sort of a fishing outfit. Now, I personally don't have a ton of bag space for a whole outfit, but chances are that if I'm fishing, I'm found to be sporting my Master Kalu'ak Fishing Pole and my Weather-Beaten Fishing Hat.

Here's a list of a few different fishing outfit combinations. Most of these sets can be found via searching through Google, but I also attempted to do a few variations of my own. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Weather-Beaten Fishing Hat
Captain Sanders' Shirt
Blue Overalls
Knitted Sandals
Big Iron Fishing Pole

Lucky Fishing Hat
Brown Linen Shirt
Blue Overalls
Nat Pagle's Extreme Anglin' Boots
Bone Fishing Pole

Lucky Fishing Hat
Captain Sanders' Shirt
Azure Silk Belt
Seafarer's Pantaloons
Nat Pagle's Extreme Anglin' Boots
Fingerless Gloves
Basic Fishing Pole (Doesn't actually exist apparently)

Weather-Beaten Fishing Hat
Blue Overalls
Nat Pagle's Extreme Anglin' Boots
Sea-Bending Gloves
Arcanite Fishing Pole

Bloodsail Admiral's Hat
Bloodsail Shirt
Bloodsail Sash
Bloodsail Pants
Bloodsail Boots
Fishing Spear (NYI)

Weather-Beaten Fishing Hat
Deckhand's Shirt
Sea Dog Britches
Knitted Sandals
Dwarven Fishing Pole (No longer available)

Swashbuckler's Eyepatch (Not Shown)
White Swashbuckler's Shirt
Swashbuckler's Belt
Swashbuckler's Leggings
Swashbuckler's Boots
Jeweled Fishing Pole

Crimson Felt Hat
Red Swashbucker's Shirt
Tattered Cloth Pants
Tattered Cloth Boots
Mastercraft Kalu'ak Fishing Pole


Finally we have one item that every fisherman (or fisherwoman) should have - the Fishing Chair. I personally don't have this item (sad day), nor do I have an image of it to share with you all right this minute, but I assure you, it's the win.

What does your favorite fishing set up consist of?

We Are Legendary

I'm really becoming a fan of the shared topics over at Blog Azeroth. Each week there's a different topic, and they all so far seem to get me thinking about a different aspect of the game or of myself that I seem to always over look. This week's topic is brought to us by the blog creator of Specced For Drama. 

"What would be the perfect weapon for your character(s) and why? Is it something already in game? Is there lore or a roleplay reason that you'd use this weapon? Would you wish for a completely new item to be implemented in the game just for you? What would it look like? Would it have special abilities? Is there a story behind how you got it? Does it have a fancy name like Frostmourne?"

Ah legendarys; so many of us and so few of you. There have been many legendary weapons introduced to World of Warcraft over the years, instilling fear into the hearts of those who have tasted the blade or have had to combat the bubble or feel the spell power of one of these rare items. There seems to exist a legendary for every type of role, but I feel a gap. A missing niche. I'm feeling a certain lack of love for those of us who dual wield without the aid of a titan's grip.

Let us go down the list of legendary weapons that have made their way into various players' hands over the years.


Wrath of the Lich King

Shadowmourne - The most recently added legendary weapon to the game. Intended for those melee classes who use two-handed weapons and love strength. Could also be used as a tanking weapon for Death Knights.
Used By: Fury/Arms Warriors, Death Knights, Retribution Paladins

Va'anyr, Hammer of Ancient Kings - The first legendary in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion to grace us with its presence. Intended for any and all healing classes, but was especially effective in the hands of a raid healer.
Used By: Restoration Shaman, Restoration Druids, Holy Paladins, Holy/Discipline Priests


Burning Crusade

Thori'dal, the Star's Fury - One of three legendaries available in the Burning Crusade expansion. Intended for Hunters, though I suppose it could also be equipped by a Warrior or Rogue for their item slot.
Used By: Hunters, but also Warriors and Rogues

Warglaive of Azzinoth (Right) -A slow main hand weapon from the Burning Crusade expansion. Intended for Warriors and Rogues, but can also be equipped by Death Knights. Requires the off-hand counter part in order to activate its bonus features.
Used By: Fury Warriors, Rogues, and now also Death Knights

Warglaive of Azzinoth (Left) - A fast off-hand weapon from the Burning Crusade expansion. Intended for Warriors and Rogues, but can also be equipped by Death Knights. Requires the main hand counter part in order to activate its bonus features.
Used By: Fury Warriors, Rogues, and now also Death Knights


Vanilla WoW

Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian - A caster staff from the original World of Warcraft. Each class received their own version of this staff (see link for specific info on the different "forms" Atiesh took). No longer obtainable.
Used By: Priests, Druids (Caster), Mages, and Warlocks

Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker - A fast one handed sword from the original World of Warcraft. Most famously known for it's name constantly being spammed in Trade chat in game. Can be used by dual wielding classes and one-handed tank classes.
Used By: Protection/DPS Warriors, Hunters, Rogues, Protection Paladins, and now Death Knights.

Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros - A slow, two handed mace from the original World of Warcraft. It's the MC hammer!
Used By: DPS Warriors, Retribution Paladins, Feral Druids, Enhancement Shaman, and now Death Knights.


As you can see from this list, there is nearly a weapon for everyone...everyone except for those of us who prefer to wield slow, one handed weapons (in the 2.50 range, give or take). Sure Rogues have had their chance at the Warglaives of Azzinoth, and Enhancement Shaman could use (and often did) Sulfuras, Hand of Rangaros. These items just don't feel proper to me to my chosen class/spec. Quite frankly neither do any of the other amazing items on this list.

Now, the next legendary to be released is rumored to be yet another casting staff, much along the lines of Atiesh. This upsets me slightly, but at the same time I can see that it's been a while since casters have seen some love. Wrath was mainly about the healers and two-handed meleers after all (excluding Ferals...I may have to do a part two to this entry to get some polearm love up in here). If I had things my way though, things would be different. Yes, they certainly would be. I would concoct a set of weapons that would be enjoyed by every Enhancement Shaman, all Rogues who like it slow, and perhaps even Hunters.

I love axes, plain and simple. A set of slow axes would be amazing, and I'm sure Orc Shaman would particularly enjoy this pair of legendaries due to their racial Axe Specialization.

The image above is simply an idea starter. Those axes are actually Lionhead Slashers, which are fast Rogue/Hunter axes that can be found in Trial of the Crusader (Lord Jaraxxus). Aesthetically the legendaries would look similar, but I'd prefer if they had a bit more earthy grit to them. Maybe make the blades a bit spikier and have the bodies have more of an elemental theme as opposed to having the Alliance Lion embedded on them.

Emberblade, Blade of the Old Gods

Binds when picked up
One-Hand                               Axe
1005-2900 Damage                Speed 2.60
(650 damage per second)
+ 215 Agility
+ 300 Stamina
[  ] Red Socket
[  ] Red Socket
Improves Critical Strike rating by 175.
Improves Haste rating by  175.

The Twin Axes of the Old Gods
Emberblade, Blade of the Old Gods
Emberblade, Blade of the Old Gods

(2) Your attacks have a chance to increase your haste by 900 for 10 seconds.
(2) Your attacks have a chance to increase your attack power by 2000 for 10 seconds.

Each time you deal an attack, you have the chance to summon elemental spirits to your side. These spirits will grant you healing and aid you in your fight against the great evil. Heals for 5% of your health over 15 seconds, does equal to 15% of your damage done to the mob (can only happen once every 45 seconds).

Emberblade, Blade of the Old Gods

Binds when picked up
Off-Hand                                 Axe
1005-2900 Damage                Speed 2.60
(650 damage per second)
+ 215 Agility
+ 300 Stamina
[  ] Red Socket
[  ] Red Socket
Improves Mastery rating by 175.
Improves Haste rating by  175.

The Twin Axes of the Old Gods
Emberblade, Blade of the Old Gods
Emberblade, Blade of the Old Gods

(2) Your attacks have a chance to increase your haste by 900 for 10 seconds.
(2) Your attacks have a chance to increase your attack power by 2000 for 10 seconds.

Each time you deal an attack, you have the chance to summon elemental spirits to your side. These spirits will grant you healing and aid you in your fight against the great evil. Heals for 5% of your health over 15 seconds, does equal to 15% of your damage done to the mob (can only happen once every 45 seconds).


The last benefit mentioned could possibly happen even if you've only managed to acquire one of the two legendaries in this set, while the bonus of having both would of course only happen if you have both the main and off-hand counter parts. The stats are naturally a bit off and probably over powered (I wouldn't mind keeping it that way!), but this is generally my dream set right here.

Now if only I could get these to the design team and manage to get my hands on them...

Hoarders: Azeroth Edition - So Long, and Thanks For the Fish!

Welcome to yet another week of Hoarders! This week has been a mighty special one, with Deathwing bursting from his hiding place and all. His awakening has created earthquakes, massive fissures, and of course tidal waves. Thanks to the massive amounts of water recently finding its way onto shore, there has been a drastic increase in the number of fish to be found around beaches of Azeroth. These fish, my dear readers, make for very fine weapons.

You heard me: weapons.

There are multitudes of fish out there just waiting to be hooked, and once you catch these monsters, you may use them to run up to your friend Leggolas and smack him upside the head. It's mighty good fun ;  )

Curious as to where you can find these bad boys? Well, let us get to our list than. Shall we?

-----

 One-hands

Dark Herring - Fished up in Northrend and part of the One That Didn't Get Away achievement for the 'Salty' title. Can be used as an actual weapon, seeing as though it is a dagger capable of 109.9 DPS.

Shatterscale Mightfish - A blue (as in item quality, I'm not sure of it's actual color) one-hand fishy weapon. No details yet as to where it's fished from, but I can only assume that it will be from one of the various bodies of water found in the new Cataclysm zones.

Rockhide Strongfish - Another DPS weapon bringing in a whopping 26.7 damage per second. Also part of the One That Didn't Get Away achievement. Can only be fished from the pools of tastyfish which only spawn during the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza.

Steelscale Crushfish - 12.9 DPS and yet another fish required for One That Didn't Get Away. Caught in Ashenvale, Hillsbrad Foothills, and the Wetlands.

-----

Offhands

Old Crafty - If you're Alliance, good luck trying to catch this guy. He's fished up in the waters of Orgrimmar.

Old Ironjaw - If you're Horde, you may have a bit of trouble going after this one. He's fished up only in Ironforge.

Enormous Barbed Gill Trout - This can be found in various areas in the Outlands. No pools needed to nab this one.

Feralas Ahi - Part of the Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme quest (assuming that it's still there of course). This can be fished up from the Verdantis River of Feralas.

Huge Spotted Feltail - This particular fish can be obtained in various Outland zones, and can also be occasionally found in a Barrel of Fish, an item you receive from the Outland fishing daily.

10 Pound Mud Snapper - Found in Elwynn Forest, Durotar, or Mulgore.

12 Pound Mud Snapper - Only found in Mulgore.

15 Pound Mud Snapper - Part of the achievement On That Didn't Get Away. Seems to be acquired through various low level area ponds.

15 Pound Salmon - Fished up in Scholomance, Alterac Valley, and perhaps what once was Zul'Gurub.

18 Pound Salmon - 'Tis a mystery to me for the moment as to where this one's from.

22 Pound Salmon - Found in Winterspring, Eastern Plaguelands, and possible Deadwind Pass.

25 Pound Salmon - Another mystery!

29 Pound Salmon - Part of the achievement One That Didn't Get Away. Very rare catch in Wintersrping, Plaguelands, and a few other select areas where Salmon are known to spawn.

32 Pound Salmon - It's a mystery, and it's heavy. I'm going to assume that it can be found where the other Salmon play.

19 Pound Catfish - Fished up in Darnassus, Stormwind, Ironforge, The Deadmines, Blackfathom Deeps, Scarlet Monastery, and strangely enough, Arathi Basin.

22 Pound Catfish - Found in the Scarlet Monastery, Wailing Caverns, and apparently Arathi Basin.

26 Pound Catfish - Where you can fish it up from, I'm unsure. I do know that it's edible!

32 Pound Catfish - Another fish for One That Didn't Get Away. There's a long list in the comments in the wowhead link provided telling of all the different areas this one's caught in. I know, I'm being lazy : P

34 Pound Redgill - This one can only be fished up in Maraudon.

37 Pound Redgill - Listed as only dropping in Sunken Temple, it apparently can rear it's head in various other zones as well.

42 Pound Redgill - Un'goro and Moonglade are the only two confirmed areas that this fish can be fished from (say that one five times fast!), but I'm thinking there may be a few more areas as well.

45 Pound Redgill - You have encountered an informational error. No specific data for "45 Pound Redgill." Please try again later. (I assume it can be found wherever other redgill can be found as well.)

49 Pound Redgill - Feralas. That's all I have for you.

52 Pound Redgill - Aha! Dataz. This is yet another fish needed for One That Didn't Get Away. Again, in the comments in the link provided has a nice long list of where this guy can be found, but it seems like he still likes Feralas, Un'goro, and Moonglade (along with a slew of others) just like his other not-so-light friends.

70 Pound Mightfish - Bay of Storms in Azshara. Bring a wagon...and maybe a boat.

85 Pound Mightfish - You may need a friend to help you with this one. No specific data on wowhead, buuuut I'm gonna assume that he's from Bay of Storms as well.

92 Pound Mightfish - Weighing in at roughly the same poundage as a pre-teen human child, we have the 92 Pound Mightfish! Again, no real data, but I'm thinking Bay of Storms. I'm always right when I guess anyways, so just roll with it. /sarcasm

103 Pound Mightfish - The heaviest of the offhand fish!  Also on our list for One That Didn't get Away and weighing as much as I do in real life...holy wah. That's pretty darn heavy for a fish. Best bring a team to help you reel in this bugger...Caught in Azshara (Bay of Storms).

-----

Did I mention that many of these fish can be used as weights? Or that you may need a heavy-duty cart to hall them in?

That's all for this weeks folks. Hopefully you enjoyed the content more than the smell! I assure you, it'll start to fade after about a month or so of washing.

Happy hoarding!



~Salty Saz

Hoarders: Azeroth Edition - Bad Romance

If you are the type that blushes easily, you may wish to refrain from reading the rest of this post at work! Generally though the content is safe for public pleasure. *Shifty eyes and a sly grin*

Good evening fellow Hoarders. This week we shall be getting a bit, how do you say...saucy? I'd like you to /afk for a moment to slip into something more comfortable while I go collect the glasses and a bottle of my finest Dalaran drink. Please, make yourself at home.

This edition of Hoarders is all about the Steamy Romance Novel series. So don't be shy. Kick back, pop on some Barry White, and relax with a glass of wine. I assure you that we'll have a good time ; )

-----

A Steamy Romance Novel
As Nahni glided up, the grizzled warrior gave her a hard stare.  "I suppose you're here to collect the reward for killing those murlocs?"

Her eyes wandered down to the glowing broadsword at his side.  "That depends on what the reward is, Marcus."  She twirled her hair playfully, pretending not to notice how he shifted uncomfortably in her presence.  "I may not want it."

Marcus stepped toward her, bristling with a mixture of fear and anger. "The reward is not negotiable!"  He paused for a moment while gathering his nerve, and pressed himself against her diminutive form.  Their lips met hotly, melting her frost armor spell in a torrent of sweltering vapor.

"So, is there another step to this quest?" she teased, her eyes glittering with excitement.

<This goes on for several hundred more pages, without advancing the plot.>


A Steamy Romance Novel: Forbidden Love
Ah'tusa crept silently through the massive underground tunnel, nervously looking over her shoulder in anticipation of the fast moving tram.  "Where is he..." she muttered angrily, stopping suddenly as something moved behind her.  Her eyes narrowed dangerously as her dagger slid from its sheath.

A husky voice echoed in the hollow chamber, "I thought rogues liked to be behind their target."  She spun quickly, driving her blade into a shield of impenetrable force.  "And I thought paladins were supposed to be chaste." she replied with a confident smirk.

Leaning forward, she counted out loud until the invisible bubble dissipated with an audible pop.  "Twelve seconds?  I know you have abilities that last longer than that."

Bony fingers worked effortlessly beneath his armor, unlatching his breastplate and exposing him to the cold air.  "Don't worry my sweet Marcus, that's not a finishing move tonight... I'm just getting started."  He wrapped his arms around what remained of her waist, forcing an excited giggle as he nibbled at her neck vertebrae.

<The rest of the book has several sections that are apparently worn out from repeated readings.>


A Steamy Romance Novel: Northern Exposure
The tiny gnome peered over the railing into the secluded Dalaran courtyard.

"The view from the balcony is amazing.  You have to come see!"

Armor legplates creaked as Marcus walked over, taking in a deep breath as he absently scratched his scruffy chin.

"The Hero's Welcome is no slouch.  And there's something in the room that might interest you."

Tavi bounded into the room, pausing only a moment before jumping onto the massive bed.  She turned to gaze at Marcus with her huge saucer-like eyes, narrowing them playfully and replacing her glowing smile with a diabolical grin.

"Interested in some more company?" she purred as her hands weaved through a complex summoning ritual, stopping only when she felt the warmth of a new presence behind her.

All color drained from Marcus's face as he struggled to protest.  "I... I don't think that's appropriate."

Confused, Tavi turned to see what was wrong.  A hideous fel hound stood ready, drooling onto the floor as it stared intently at the half-armored paladin.

"No!  No that's not what I meant." she stammered as she dispelled the hungry demon.  "I'm sorry, that's not really my specialization...."

Marcus took both her hands in one of his as he reassured her, "It's fine.  What is your specialization?"

Her head snapped up, eyes burning with renewed life as shadowy energy channeled through her hands into Marcus, dropping him to his knees in agony.

"Affliction, actually."

Gritting his teeth, Marcus gestured as light flashed over him, restoring his strength.

Tavi stared anxiously as he rose to his full height, engulfing her in his shadow.  He thrust his hand forward, sending a wave of righteous force through her.  Eyes rolled back as she wavered for several seconds before regaining consciousness.

"I've recently taken the path of... retribution."

The mischievous smirk returned to her face, "Well then, this is going to be fun."

<The remaining pages have a level 99 requirement to read.>


A Steamy Romance Novel: Blue Moon
Tail swooshing and hips swaying, the curvy figure walked purposefully across the lake toward the man resting by the shore; rising quickly as she approached, he appeared visibly happy to be in her presence.  Blue arms flowed over his shoulders as a smooth tail coiled seductively around his waist.  "Why must I travel so far to be meeting man like you?"  Her voice carried a strong, alluring accent.

Grinning wildly, he gently pushed her away, openly staring as the light caught her features.

"Up here!", she exclaimed in playful anger.

With a helpless shrug, he reached into his pack and pulled out a small pouch.  "My wonderful Soola, I've brought you something."  Confidence wrapped his words like a steel blanket.

She plucked the tiny bag from his hands, excitedly pulling it open and revealing a citrine pendant.

"Oh... Marcus, you shouldn't have."

The usual teasing was gone from his voice, "Every facet lights the sky, and my heart, with your beautiful reflection."

Soola frowned.  "Uh... no. I meant you really shouldn't have.  I could craft something better by accident."

For the first time, possibly ever, Marcus looked hurt.  His shoulders slumped slightly, the cocky, ever-present grin missing from his handsome face.

Soola opened her mouth to speak, smiling warmly; a glowing rune appeared above her eyes.  "I don't think I can mend your feelings, even with my Gift."


Despite the statement, her words seemed to do the trick, Marcus smirked roguishly as he adjusted his leg plates, "Well you aren't the only gifted one."

Silence penetrated the room with palpable force as the conversation shifted to the language shared by all races of Azeroth.

Minutes became hours, until their passionate dialog was interrupted by lightning streaking from the cloudless sky, thunderously slamming into the lake's surface and bathing them in steam.

"Is something wrong?", Marcus asked.

"No my Marcus, you're just off to a great start."

The remaining pages have been thoroughly destroyed by the elements.

~Warning Cataclysm Spoiler!!~

A Steamy Romance Novel: Big Brass Bombs
The tough little goblin walked purposefully into the engineering shop, raising her eyebrows at a few items as she approached the shopkeeper.

"How's it going, Jack?"  Her voice seductively brushed his pointy ears with the rough texture of someone who inhaled too much motorcycle exhaust.  

The goblin called Jack looked up and grinned.  "Revi!  It's going much better since you just arrived."  Jack set his arclight spanner on the table.  "What can I do ya for?"

Holding her elbow in one hand, Revi tapped her chin lightly.  "I'm not real sure.  Ya got any specials?"

"Are you kidding?  I've got the best deals anywhere!" Jack replied enthusiastically.  "Just got these in this morning, in all sorts of colors.  Small red rockets, got some in blue and green too."  Revi's disappointed look was not missed by the expert shopkeeper, and he quickly upped the ante.  There was a loud 'thud' as Jack dropped something on the table, "I call it The Big One," he said.  "It's goblin only, very difficult to find."

"Nice, very nice," Revi said, sounding unconvinced.  Her eyes wandered a bit.

"Okay, fine.  I can see you're a goblin of superb taste."  Jack looked around conspiratorially before carefully laying out a new item, buckling the table with an ominous creak.  "It's called..." Jack paused for dramatic effect, "The Bigger One!"

Revi's eyes widened in surprise.  "Is that... is it... real?"  

Feeling the advantage, Jack allowed himself to relax a bit.  Putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair, he replied with lazily narrowed eyes, "It's 100% goblin parts, baby.  Natural resources."

After a moment of hesitation, Revi reached out and gingerly stroked the smooth yellow surface.  "I'll take two!"

"Excellent!  You know, if you like that, you might be interested in some hardened adamantite tubes.  They can enhance the effect."  

Revi nodded excitedly and looked behind Jack at something on the wall.  "What is that?"

Jack looked over his shoulder.  "Oh, those are for reviving dead people."

Revi was intrigued.  "Can they be used on someone while they're still alive?"

Never wanting to miss a sale, Jack responded without missing a beat, "Oh sure!  Tell you what.  You get all this stuff, and I'll throw in a pair of mayhem projection goggles for half price!"

Revi pulled out a sack of coins that made Jack drool.  "Why not?  Motorcycle sales have been good this year."  

As Jack quickly tallied the total, he asked, "This must be a serious raid or somethin'?"

Revi shrugged, "Nah, I got a blind date with a guy named Marcus tonight."

Jack nodded.  "What about that guy from the motor club you was datin'?"

The leather-clad goblin scooped up her bag with one arm, and held up an outstretched hand.  "He never put a ring on it.  A girl's gotta have her priorities."  

Jack smiled and shook his head as he watched her walk out of the shop.

<The remaining pages require a secret goblin decoder ring to read.>


-----

This series, my dear Hoarders, is one of a kind in Azeroth. The Steamy Romance Novels follow a Dwarf Paladin by the name of Marcus and tell the tale of his...endeavors. There must have been one heck of a creative WoW developer who was feeling a bit frisky one night to come up with such an...engaging...gray item.

All of these books are obtained by a Rogue going around picking various mobs' pockets. Here we were lead to believe that Rogues were just after people's wallets...turns out they like to steal books from the back pockets of people as well! Northern Exposure is a bit different though, and instead of being left in a back pocket, it just so happens to be left carelessly in a Bag of Fishing Treasures that you receive as a reward from the Dalaran fishing daily. To find out more about how to acquire each of these books, please click the links that are provided on each of the novels' titles.

That's all for this week. I hope that I've left you satisfied with this edition of Hoarders...*Sexy smirk*

The Rack: Shaman Tier

The Rack is my new weekly installment, and it's the sister column to Hoarders. While I'd love to simply add in collectible gear to Hoarders: Azeroth Edition, there's just too much of it! The Rack shall have it's own little corner of my blog because of this, and shall be a weekly/bi-weekly publication. Enjoy!

Welcome to The Rack! I'd like to begin this series with one of my more favorite collections, Shaman Tier. There is a mighty long list of it, some of which is unobtainable now. I will try to include as many shots of what I have as possible, but seeing as though I don't have all the missing pieces to all of the sets yet, I will be including some images that come from wowhead.com. If these images happen to be of you, thanks for sharing these with the public! If you hadn't, I may have never taken interest in tier sets in the first place. I hope you don't mind me using them too much!

Wrath of the Lich King




Tier 10.5 Heroic (277)
Enhancement
Elemental
Restoration








Tier 10.5 (264)
Enhancement
Elemental
Restoration






Tier 10 (251)
Enhancement
Elemental
Restoration


Sorry for the lack of Saz T10 shots. I'm half and half right now with 251/264 gear, and I can't seem to find my full 251 shots right this minute.

Tier 9.5 Heroic (258)
Enhancement
Elemental
Restoration

Tier 9.5 (245)
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 

Tier 9 (232)
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 















T9 all pretty much looked the same...

Tier 8.5 (226)
Enhancement
Elemental 
Restoration 






 Improper shoulders, never got the 226s!






Tier 8 (219)
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 





Improper helm, never got the 219 version.

Tier 7.5 (213)
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 

Tier 7 (200)
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 









The Burning Crusade






Tier 6
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 
 





 


 Currently own over half of this set.






Tier 5
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 









Currently only own two pieces of this set.

Tier 4
Enhancement 
Elemental 
Restoration 







Old School WoW

Tier 3

 
Tier 2


















Tier 1

There you have it, all of the Shaman tier sets that are currently live. I know for me that this collection is a constant work in progress, especially since I missed Vanilla WoW raiding and only managed to get my T4 set back in Burning Crusade. The Skyshatter set (t6) is probably my favorite set, followed closely by the Valorous Earthshatter (t7.5) set, but really, I'm kind of partial to them all. So many neat looking sets, so little time!

I know that there are also many different PvP gear sets, but a good chunk of them are no longer purchasable and I tend not to collect PvP sets : P Perhaps in the near future I shall dedicate a post just to the different PvP sets! For now though, bask in all that is PvE tier!

I hope that you enjoyed the first installment of The Rack. I assure you, more entertaining posts will come in the future!





Disclaimer: If I linked or marked anything incorrectly, feel free to point it out and I shall fix it asap. Usually I'm a stickler for details, but chances are I flubbed somewhere in here.

Utility, or Just a Buff Bot?

Inspired by the shared topic over on Blog Azeroth, started up by Shop of Runeforge Gossip.

In this day and age of extreme homogenization one begins to wonder "Which classes/specs should I bring to my raid?" With the most recent of changes within WoW it seems now that the variety requirement isn't as steep as it once was. Don't have X buff because you're missing Y class? No problem! Class Z now also offers X buff! So how do you choose who to take in a raid if buffs are so easily covered these days?

I've always been more of a "bring the player, not the class" kind of a person, so long as a certain class wasn't stacked too heavily (after all, four Paladins in a 10 man, no matter what the specs, becomes a bit over bearing loot-wise). With the possibility of strict 10 man only guilds on the horizon though, and more difficult raids at that, many raid leaders are now beginning to look more at what specifically would qualify Z class over X in terms of utility, since now both classes offer the same buffs.

So what should you bring, and why? Well, here's my little narrow scope on what I know.

Shamans
While our survivability may not be the greatest (ask any Shaman who's attempted to live through the AoE fest that is the first few pulls in ICC...any other melee class can survive quite a few hits while the Enhancement Shaman will die in 3-4 explosions unless a healer is dedicated to them) our utility is pretty stellar, in my biased opinion.

- Hex: Need CC? We got it! While we may not be as practiced as our Mage friends with this talent, it is there.
- Heroism/Bloodlust: This has been our staple benefit to raids the world over for years now. While a certain other class may also bring a similar buff, no one is as practiced in popping this type of spell as we are. Shaman haste is more tasty than any other!
- Totems: How we bring buffs to the raid. While certain totems may be improved for certain specs, over all we can switch out our totems to fit any situation.
- Support Heals: While in a DPS spec (especially Enhancement) our healing spells may not be the greatest, but sometimes a raid aware Shaman can help the raid healers save the day. There's been more than one occasion at the end of a long fight where I've had to pop off a chain heal or two to my fellow melee-ers simply because we had lost one too many healers, enabling the team a few more precious seconds to beat up that beasty.
- Wolves: The Enhancement specialty. These guys don't just up the Enhance's DPS, but they also help to heal us. As long as these guys are out, the healers' mana is not being spent on us. They also have a taunt for those "just in case" moments.
- Super sexy.


Druids
Notorious for their survivability despite their leathery gear, a druid is an excellent addition to any raid.

- Cyclone/Bash/Maim: Druids have multiple ways of CCing a mob, but each spec excels with a different form of CC.
- The Almighty Battle Rez: Did your MT die because his healer decided to pick their nose for a moment? No problem! A druid can easily bring them back to life, provided this ability isn't already on cool down because of the noob hunter who decided to stand in the fire.
- Innervate: A healer's best friend. Especially with the new mana restrictions, having a few druids (different specs, of course) in a raid will be a precious thing to have.
- Bear Form: Sometimes a kitty-gone-bear can save a kill if a tank dies! While still a bit squishy due to lack of armor talents, a cat can still take a hit if he/she pops into bear form.
- Insect Swarm: This doesn't have too much of a raid benefit, other than DPS, but seriously...BUGS! Don't make a Boomkin mad, they will swarm you with BEES!!!
- The pimps of all classes.


Warlocks
Them in their cute little clothie armor...they may be a bit on the squishy side, but they're a bit more resilient than you think. Different specs can also potentially bring in certain stuns if such a fight requires it.

- Soul Stones: This can help save a healers life after they lost it, or simply make a run back after a wipe a whole lot shorter.
- Banish: While this may only work on Elemental/Demon types, this form of CC can be awfully useful.
- Healthstones: When used properly by the raid body, this is a healer's friend!
- Ritual of Summoning: Need to get that new DPS that you just pulled into the raid to you in a hot minute? No problem!
- They look wicked doing what they do.


Hunters
The kings of kiting. The masters of beasts. A hunter specced as Survival is not guaranteed to survive, though. Despite that little fact, Hunters have become an amazing utility class.

- Pets: With the new raid wide buffs that pets give out, a Hunter can easily switch between his/her kids to ensure that your raid has what it needs.
- Burst DPS: Instant shots and excellent burst DPS make hunters excellent for random kill-a-mob-during-a-boss fight. Though, even just on bosses, these guys bring great damage to the table.
- CC: While a Hunter may not be able to turn a mob into a horny toad or a sweet little sheep/turtle/piggy/penguin, they do have a few CCish abilities. Marksmen can Silence with their Silencing shot and Survivalists can put something to sleep with their Wyvern Sting.
- Can you really argue with someone who totes around a gun/bow?


Priests
I wish I could give this class love! I just haven't had the privilege of raiding on my Priest yet, thus I feel that I can't give this class the justice it deserves. I assure you though, you'd do well with at least one talented Priest in your raid somewhere. Shadow is deliciously evil, Holy's got them raid heals on lock-down, and Disco brings in those oh-so-sexy bubbles.


Ultimately, when it comes to setting up a raid, it will still be "bring the player, not the class". While some of the more hardcore types will be able to hand choose their raids a bit more to ensure that they have the max amount of utility/buffs, the rest of us will end up relying on what we have, what we know, and a little bit of good ol' fashioned RNG luck.

Hoarders: Azeroth Edition - Get 'em Fido!

Welcome to another edition of Hoarders! This week I've decided that I'm going to be doing an article on rare Hunter pets in celebration of Hunters now being able to have up to twenty five different combat pets. Now, you may have been expecting this series to consist of only items, but this simply is not the case! Be sure to keep tuning in, for I shall cover pets (combat and non combat), mounts, and random collectible items that you may randomly find off of various mobs around Azeroth and Outlands.

-----

All too soon my Hunter's stables shall be over flowing with creatures that have tusks, claws, and fangs. I plan on making an attempt to tame some of the more rare and unique creatures in the game, and I'd like to share with where you can find these beauties yourself. Let's get started then, shall we?

First, I'd like to begin with what I already have. While not all of these pets are necessarily rare, they seem to be at least semi-unique over on my server.

Brody - A white lion with a mane.
Not really incredibly rare, but he is a bit problematic to get seeing as though he is spawned from one of two quests. I was lucky enough to have a good friend of my to ask me one day if I would like him prior to me having to level all the way up to my 50s to be able to take a crack at Sian-Rotam. So, I ran my little level 20-something self all the way through Stranglethorn Vale (with the help of a kind soul who took pity on me getting killed by mobs every 10 feet or so), and managed to get over to the Barrens. Once I arrived my friend hopped over to his horde character and promptly spawned Echeyakee for me. A few excited moments later, he was mine! I really love all of the male lion skins, but he is by far my favorite.

River - A ghostly white leopard. Not a spirit beast.
This one you don't see all too often. This is another recommendation to me by the same friend who helped me obtain my beloved Brody. He actually came out to help me search for the cat figurines that spawn this interesting pet on his Dwarf Hunter (treasure finding ftw!), and within a half hour or so I was taming my dear little River. Here's more information on how to find this leopard.

 
~Random Fact~ Yes, she is named after River Tam for you Firefly fans out there. My guild for the past year has been <Battle of Serenity>. Yes, I'm a total geek.

Tyson - A black devilsaur.
No, he's not rare, but he's still cool looking! I got this guy out in Netherstorm, but he's also obtainable in Un'Goro Crater. He's named after a friend of mine, and the temper kinda fits : P

Gingervitus - A red worg.
Again, she's by no means rare, but I had to have a ginger wolf! For I am a ginger myself. Good reasoning, don't you think? Easily obtainable in Burning Steppes.

Jambi - A leopard spirit beast.
This is currently my pride and joy of my small collection. Loque'nahak is a rare spawn out in Sholazar Basin. He has a semi lengthy time spawn and have several different spawn points within the basin. To catch this beasty, I highly suggest reading the comments over on that wowhead link that I just gave. As with any spirit beast, your best weapon is information. This guy is highly sought after for both Hunters and those after the Northern Exposure achievement, and is located in a very high traffic area thanks to the farm-ability of the area. I actually got extremely lucky with this guy. After finally admiring defeat while hunting for the bear spirit beast (more on him later), I began to level my Hunter in the basin. One morning I logged on to take a quick cruise around this guy's spawn points just before the servers went down for maintenance, and there he was! NPC Scan screamed at me, and after a few false pulls that almost killed my little Draenei butt, he was mine. If you've never experienced the incredible rush you get when you finally nab something this rare, I recommend it.

Okay, enough talking about the kids that I have, now to talk about the ones that I want! This list is a bit long, but I'll try to stick to the rare(er) ones!

Arcturis - A bear spirit beast.
He is certainly not for tanking, but man, he is mighty purty! Prior to getting Jambi, I had actually spent a good amount of time camping this bugger in Grizzly Hills. After one shift of 12 straight hours of no spawn (for he only has one spawn point), much grief from various level 80s threatening to steal him from me, and being rather tired, I called it quits and continued to level on. Someday soon he shall be mine!

Skoll - A blue saber worg spirit beast with lightning.
This guy is incredibly gorgeous. I have yet to try and farm for him, but I'm looking forward to the day that I tame him. Oh yes, he is far too pretty for his own good! You can try your luck at finding him at his various spawn points in Storm Peaks.

Gondria - A purplish ghostly tiger spirit beast.
This is another spirit beast that I have yet to attempt to farm. She is one spirit beast that I originally didn't care much for, but she's definitely grown on me. Gondria has multiple spawn points over in Zul'Drak. For those of you who follow WoW Insider, you may have seen this epic post about some wonderful guildies who spent about 7 hours kiting this amazing spirit beast around until their guild Hunter got online to tame her. Pretty cool stuff, Batman :  )

Aotona - A blue parrot.
Oh Aotona, what a beauty you are! (Oh my...I'm beginning to sound like the Crocodile Hunter...) She's another one of Sholazar Basin's handful of rare spawns. She has several spawn points, and like Loque'nahak, is a requirement for the Northern Exposure achievement. On my server I have perhaps seen one tamed Aotona, so you can see why I'd love to have this bird in my collection!

King Krush - A green devilsaur.
Same model as my Tyson that I already have, but instead of being black he's green! He's the third rare tamable spawn out in Sholazar Basin, and like the other two, he has multiple spawn points and is on the kill list for Northern Exposure. I can't really recall ever seeing this guy being sported around any of the main hubs, thus again, a must have!

Uhk'loc - An all white gorilla.
This is the only all white, tamable gorilla currently in game. Honestly I'm a bit torn between this guy's model, and the dark grey version. Naturally though, I'll more than likely end up getting the rare guy! Just because that's how I roll. Uhk'loc is currently hiding out somewhere in Un'Goro Crater.

Tallstriders - They're...well, ostriches?
In general these guys aren't rare. They're all over Kalimdor in fact, but...there is not one, nor two, but THREE different rare colors for these guys. Honestly, I'm torn as to which one to get! The pink one - can be found out in Mulgore, the purple one - can be found in Terokkar Forest, or the turquoise one - can be found out at Darkshore. Tough choice really, but I'm leaning towards the purple, with pink coming in at a close second!

Nuramoc - A purple chimaera.
This guy I've actually managed to kill a few times (while I'm on anything but my Hunter I tend to kill anything that pops up on NPC Scan...), but he's really a rare spawn out in Netherstorm. I'm not a huge chimaera fan, but this dude looks kinda cool, plus he's rare. Therefor, he's cool in my book!

Scion of Quetz'lun - A white spiked wind serpent.
He's pretty neat looking I must say, for a wind serpent. I'm not too partial to wind serpents myself, but this guy may just be worth going after. You can try your luck at finding him over in Zul'Drak.

Firefly - It's a yellow bug!
These guys aren't rare...in fact they're everywhere if you simply head out to Zangarmarsh. I really just wanted to end my "currently available" list on a geeky note! Once I tame one, you can be sure her name will be Serenity. <3

-----

For now I consider this list to be finished, but I may very well do a Cataclysm edition (Get 'em Fido 2.0 or something to that nature) in a few months time. If you'd like a complete list of all of the currently available pets, and for a sneak peak at those that shall become available when Cataclysm rocks our world, head on over to Petopia to check 'em out!

Happy hunting hoarders!


Edit: I meant to dedicate this post to a good friend of mine who had passed away a few months ago. He's the one who helped me acquire both Brody and River, as well as point me in the direction of the Tallstriders. Today is his birthday, so happy birthday Weezie! You're loved and missed by everyone who knew you over on Aggramar. We love you buddy. <3

Gotta Make That Money, Honey!

Perhaps you're a brand new player to the game of World of Warcraft, or maybe you're a more experienced player who's rolling a new character on a new realm. Either way you're going to need cash. There are some fairly easy ways for you to make gold without having to purchase gold illegally or having to strip on top of a mailbox in Stormwind. You may ask "How?" I shall certainly tell you.

1) Begging - This may work for some, but if you really plan on running around like a noob begging for gold in any of the major cities, be prepared to be shut down. A lot. This form of "earning" gold isn't appreciated by the majority of the WoW population by any means, and it's definitely something I highly discourage.

2) Questing - By far the easiest way to make gold. Not all quest givers will reward you with cash, but in the event that they instead give you gear, I want you to pay close attention. In the event that said quest giver doesn't have any upgrades for you, I want you to choose the item with the highest vendor payout. If you hover your mouse of the items, it should give you a cash value on the items. Once you choose and receive your item, vendor it!

3) Looting - Another incredibly easy way to make gold. Loot everything. Every mob you encounter should never be left laying there glittering. If your bags are full, go through and delete anything that is of lower value than the item(s) on the mob. Trash items, no matter how low in value, add up very quickly.

4) Running Randoms - Queuing up for randoms at lower levels will benefit you in several ways; it'll yield experience, a blue item from a bag on completion of the instance (whether or not this item is useful to your spec remains to be seen), and it'll give you some gold. The trash mobs in randoms almost always drop coin if they're humanoid,  and the trash that the trash mobs drop usually can bring in a nice bit of silver or gold as well. Hitting up the queue while you do your quest grind can be incredibly productive, so I suggest that you do it!

5) Greens/Blues/Epics - Lately I've taken to hitting "greed" on any and all gear that drops in randoms. If the item is useless to me, I vendor it. Now, you can do a few things with the gear that you can come across: you can disenchant the items and use/auction off the materials gained, you can auction off the items themselves if they're BoE (Bind on Equip), or you can simply vendor the item. These days I find that the last option is by far the easiest even though the first two options may have a slightly higher return.

There are of course many other ways to help you make gold. Professions, using the auction house to sell your goods, and completing dailies are other ways to rake in rather large lumps of gold, but usually take up a little more time. For the beginner, I definitely recommend sticking with the five tips (well four, seeing as though #1 isn't really a legitimate tip, nor is it something I condone)  I have listed above until you're a bit more game savvy. When you finally get to that point, start looking into these next three options.

1) Once you feel a bit more comfortable with how things work, begin investing in your professions. A way to make/save gold is to pair a crafting profession with a gathering profession. Skinning + Leather Working, Mining + Jewel Crafting/Engineering/Black Smithing, and Herbalism + Inscription/Alchemy are all great pairs. I'm also a huge fan of Enchanting + Tailoring, since you typically gain tailoring items off of mobs while you level, and then you can simply disenchant the gear you create to level your enchanting skill. In the end though, it is ultimately up to you which two primary professions you choose. Secondary professions (Cooking, Fishing, and First Aid) can also help you bring in some cash through the auction house, so putting in the time and gold to level these professions can also benefit you money-wise in the long run. For more on how to level up your chosen professions, check out this site.

2) Don't ever underestimate the daily quest. Yes, they become boring, but they're usually simple and rather quick. If you don't have gold because you're too lazy to do your dailies, please don't complain to your guildmates. It's not their job to earn your gold, it's yours.

3) Lastly, the almighty auction house! Known more famously as the AH. Now, I am by no means AH savvy, nor am I a huge numbers person or really any sort of expert in this department of WoW. What I can tell you is this: if you want to make quick money from the food you've gathered/cooked, from the materials you've gained, or from the items you've crafted, the AH is the way to go. Sure, you could spam Trade all day, but ultimately you'll probably just end up with more Chuck Norris jokes than you will sales. For those of you wishing to learn how to dominate the auction market, I definitely suggest following the Gold Capped articles over on WoW Insider.


With time, patience, and some good ol' hard work, you should be able to gather enough gold to ensure that your character(s) will remain in decent gear and always have a mount to prance about on. Just remember that most of the things we want are almost never free, but so long as we strive to work for something, we shall profit.


World of Saz 2011