I like the nature of their intentions and their ferociousness, i just don't like their model, it's too cartoony imo like the eyes, feet and hands. i liked the blizzcon art more.
The Swarm is never supposed to succeed.
The Swarm is a rite of passage for the young mantid, the Pandaren kill off the weak Mantid while only the strong will return from the wall.
Only those that return from the wall are accepted into society.
The Klaxxi already disposed another Empress, she tried to stop a Swarm with the justification that the Swarm means "Senseless Loss of life", the Klaxxi disposed her because the Swarm is a central object within their culture.
That's why the Mantid always talk about "Preserve the cycle", the Pandaren are supposed to be prepared that only the strongest Mantid survive the Swarm.
The not Sha infested Mantid have a real problem if Mantid that hasn't participated a Swarm get's stuff which only veterans are supposed to have.
"There is a champion among the loyalists, Vess-Guard Na'kal, whose strength comes not from experience or development, but from genetic modification. He was meant to be an example of the future of mantid - the sick idea that we can be born strong, without earning it.
He's a mockery of my work! Gene augmentation was meant for mature, post-swarm veterans ONLY!"
Last edited by Kralljin; 2012-11-03 at 02:07 PM.
They're certainly better than the hive-minded insect races. I especially appreciate they have real buildings and even tanks of some sort. But with all this they're still insects. I don't like insects.
I write this as someone who hasn't yet bothered to do anything in the Dread Wastes but the starting quests that take you to the Klaxxi stronghold.
The way lore is set up mantid could have a future as a PC race with some good development.
P.S. Is it weird I find them so adorable?
The mantid are by far one of the most interesting races that have been introduced, i 'd like to see them developed further.
It is an interesting faction and I'm very curious about their lifecycle and their reasons for the periodic swarming
I love my Mantid brethren. I have a full-on bromance with the Klaxxi.
I really wished we had something similar with the Nerubians, but the Mantid more than make up the lost potential.
I still need an Azol Nerub zone and what happened to the rest of the nerubians. We definitely need more playable races.
The mantid are a great race, and should definitely continue as part of the WoW universe as it progresses further. To me it makes sense that when we kill the empress and free the swarm from the Sha, some of the survivors should spread out - the Mists have fallen and the mantid are a winged race, they should spread all over the world.
I'd also love to see more of the Paragons - we hear great things about them, but don't really see a great deal.
Ever since MoP was announced and we got to know of the Mantid I've thought that the Alliance should have gotten the Pandaren and Horde the Mantid. In that way Pandaria would have been split up: Valley and Jade Forest belongs to the Alliance, Townlong and Dread Wastes belong to the Horde. Would give even more a sense of war and opposal, instead of having this neutral bond between us. Would have fucked up the lore in Dread Wastes big time though.
I'm also a sucker for insects. I Love the Qiraji, I LOVE the Nerubians, and I'm loving the Mantid.
My only complaint is that their names are pronounced as mantits.
The will of the Klaxxi is eternal!
Putin khuliyo
I disagree, I love the mantid, by far my favorite faction, but I wouldn't want to see them leave the Wastes. Part of their appeal is their rich culture, and part of that is their worship of the Kunchong as near divine beings. The swarm has two purposes, to cull the weak, and to protect and follow the Kunchong when they go on their 1000 year rampage. This rampage tramples the ground and makes way for the Kypari trees to grow in their wake, continuing the cycle of amber production the mantid thrive on. The reason the early swarm is so devastating is because the sha's corruption is causing the kypari trees to die, and the mantid are driving and inciting the Kunchong to a point that could lead to their extinction. The eternal cycle has been broken, which spells disaster for the mantid as a whole.
Point of all this rambling is it would be a huge break from their storied tradition and culture to expand beyond Pandaria, and I wouldn't to see that dissolved just to see them in a place they don't belong.
I love the mantids. One of the best new races in a long time. I too want my Wakener title.
~You don't need a reason to help someone.