Patch 4.1 Content Preview: Rise of the Zandalari
Blizzard finally posted a small preview of the Patch 4.1 content, confirming the updated skin of the Amani War Bear in the process.
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker)
In years past, the Zandalar tribe, encompassing the wise and scholarly progenitors of the trolls, heroically assisted the Horde and the Alliance with thwarting the nefarious activities of their brethren in Zul'Gurub and Zul'Drak. Yet the chaos unleashed by the recent Cataclysm has reshaped the Zandalari's philosophy about the world and the dwindling remnants of their race. Led by a mysterious prophet known only as Zul, the Zandalari have issued a call to Azeroth's embattled troll populations: unite into a single mighty empire and save their race from extinction.

Thus far, the Gurubashi and Amani trolls have answered the summons and received aid from the Zandalari, allowing them to rebuild their respective capitals in Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman. Not all trolls, however, have so eagerly adopted the Zandalari's grandiose vision of a new troll empire. Vol'jin and his Darkspear tribe are opposed to the warmongering espoused by Zul. To prevent the burgeoning Gurubashi and Amani troll forces from wreaking havoc on Azeroth, Vol'jin has reached out to his Horde comrades and members of the Alliance for assistance. Should the Darkspears' campaign fail, a new troll empire shall rise and bring war to a world already beset by suffering and conflict.



A Threat Fought in Secret

Using a great deal of discretion, Vol’jin has dispatched Darkspear delegates to the capital cities of Stormwind and Orgrimmar calling for all able-bodied adventurers to investigate recent threats that have risen in the jungles of Stranglethorn.

The outlook isn't good. The Gurubashi tribe, their strength renewed, is running rampant throughout Stranglethorn. Players will have a chance to embark on all-new level-85 solo quests in Stranglethorn and will discover exactly what tribulations lie ahead -- Gurubashi leadership is still largely intact and rehabilitated through the new union with the Zandalari. Along the way, players will assist a sassy, headstrong Darkspear spirit-talker named Bwemba, they'll track down the elusive Hemet Nesingwary, and they'll encounter many of the new Zul'Gurub bosses throughout the steaming jungles of Stranglethorn.


Rewards for addressing the issues in Stranglethorn include an adorable panther pet of your own to care for. Players should seek out Vol'jin's representatives in Orgrimmar or Stormwind Harbor to begin their adventure.


Return to Zul'Gurub

This ancient city has once again become the staging grounds for an empowered Gurubashi people to strike against those who they perceive to be invading their ancestral lands. Now backed by the Zandalari, the Gurubashi present all-new challenges for players in this level-85 5-player Heroic dungeon. While players may see some familiar faces in this dungeon, the encounters and fight mechanics have been considerably updated. For allying yourself with the Darkspears, High Priest Venoxis, Broodlord Mandokir, High Priestess Kilnara, Zanzil, and Jin'do the Godbreaker would like to make one thing clear -- your intrusion will cost you. Take their heads and you’ll be presented with a treasure map. You’ll want to seek out its precious booty, including an account-bound ring with a gem so big it’s visible when worn!


Also, for those with a high enough Archaeology skill, an additional boss can be unlocked in Zul’Gurub. Gri'lek, Renataki, Hazza'rah, and Wushoolay will be randomly selected to put an end to those who dig too deep for greater riches. Should your group survive the challenge, you'll unearth a selection of rewards available from any of the four bosses, as well as loot unique to each boss.


The Amani Regrouped

With the aid of the Zandalari, the remaining Amani have reassembled under new, sturdy leadership in Daakara. Zul'Aman has been converted into a challenging level-85 5-player Heroic dungeon. For those who fought Zul'jin back during The Burning Crusade, much of the dungeon will feel similar, but the mechanics have been updated to suit a 5-player group. Akil'zon, Nalorakk, Jan'alai, Halazzi, Hex Lord Malacrass, and Daakara look to bring their tribe out of hiding and into the spotlight as a force to be reckoned with. Challengers beware.


Both Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub will require players to have a minimum average item level of 346 before they can enter. These two Heroic dungeons will exist in a separate Heroic difficulty tier in the Dungeon Finder, above the current Cataclysm Heroic dungeons. In return, they will offer players item level 353 epic-quality loot. Players can expect to find items for nearly every gear slot available in these two dungeons, though much focus has been placed on offering players itemization for hard-to-fill slots or specializations, such as bracers, helms, shoulders, guns, and wands.


Rare Mounts and More

As with the original iterations of Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman, players will have a chance to obtain updated rare mounts. The Swift Zulian Panther and Armored Razzashi Raptor are obtained in Zul'Gurub, while the Amani Battle Bear can be earned by killing the first four bosses of Zul'Aman in a limited amount of time.


The interests of the Zandalari no longer align with your own. Vol'jin needs your help to stop this play for power. Will you rise to the challenge?
This article was originally published in forum thread: Patch 4.1 Content Preview: Rise of the Zandalari started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 181 Comments
  1. DrRight's Avatar
    yeah I don't know how many of you "meh bronze drake" people did ZA, but if you had, you'd know the war bear was nothing like the bronze drake.

    The bronze drake was completely effortless in every way.

    The war bear took thought and most of all dedication. It wasn't just "if you wipe you lose," you had to go so fast that you needed to pull multiple trash mobs(that really knew how to hurt) and alter your boss strategies to get them done quicker. Most groups failed their first few weeks. The skill-set required to pull it off is way way above the skills of (average) players today.

    Then when you finally did get it you had to hold your group together until all 12-13 people that had contributed got it. You failed a few times on those tries to. And for most guilds, this meant doing an additional 2-3 RAIDS A WEEK on top of what was your normal raiding schedule(assuming you were doing 25s).

    So the war bear did mean something. Of course some groups got good at it and did some alts runs, and black temple came out and made it easier with gear. But even toward the very end if you didn't have some serious experience in your groups you weren't going to get it. Yes I'm sure you have some great story about how you pugged it and it was soo easy but I can tell you from extensive experience that that was not the norm.

    Now the new bear might(will probably) be bronze drake easy, but if its not you are in for a serious reality check.
  1. Oscassey's Avatar
    We gonna bury you!
  1. Nosdrone's Avatar
    People are complaining about the Amani War Bear? Seriously? The bear, that you could buy on any server, for between 5-10k gold? Hm.
  1. Babycake's Avatar
    Here's to hoping the time run is challenging and isn't faceroll.
  1. Mandible's Avatar
    There is no Rastakahn... there is only Zuul...
  1. larrity's Avatar
    be nice if they kept the old tiger, running zg a billion times trying to get that mount and never having any luck, would like a few more shots at it.
  1. sebun's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by tanksin the enhance shamy View Post
    just like when there was gruul why did we kil him again? wasnt he a good guy too at some stage?
    Gruul was killed because Deathwing asked us nicely to do it.
  1. chrisisvacant's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by larrity View Post
    be nice if they kept the old tiger, running zg a billion times trying to get that mount and never having any luck, would like a few more shots at it.
    You only had 4 years.
  1. question1's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Shambulanced View Post
    The amount of "I won't be a special snowflake anymore" qq about the mount dances on the line between amusing and obnoxious, as does the amount of QQ about "recycled" content.
    It is recycled. The mount has only selective color scheme change which can be done by someone familiar with Photoshop in 40mins. But then instances and bosses are rehashes themselves so of course the mounts are too.
  1. Explosion_Rex's Avatar
    Ya know, I knew tons of people would be bitching about this recolored bear mount, but deep down I was really hoping people would be civil about it. Honestly, is it that big of a deal? I play on an old high pop server and I maybe see one Amani Warbear once in a blue moon and I imagine after everyone gets this new bear it will become just as scarce in a matter of a couple content patches. It's a ground mount for god's sake. A ground mount in a world of flying mounts. It will become just as un-special as any other mount before we know it.

    If you have the old one, cool. If you want the new one, cool. But let's be honest with ourselves, this thing is obsolete before it's even released.
  1. HikariOblivion's Avatar
    Good that the new ZA bear is something a group can work towards, and not just a lazy rare drop. There's a lot more fun in that. Hopefully it's as hectic as the original bear run.

    ---------- Post added 2011-03-26 at 12:26 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by question1 View Post
    It is recycled. The mount has only selective color scheme change which can be done by someone familiar with Photoshop in 40mins. But then instances and bosses are rehashes themselves so of course the mounts are too.
    Actually, if you look at it with your eyes, you can see it's not a recolor, but the original coloration that was used in the actual raid.

    Honestly, I'm glad of this, the recolor shown earlier wasn't bad, but I do love that this version of it is FINALLY available.
  1. Gratlim's Avatar
    Gimme my new bronze drake noww! Love the fact that we will break little snowflakes. Anzu is the only epic ground mount anyway.
  1. Winterstrife's Avatar
    Well, the bear looks different from the one you can get from TBC, so here's hoping there will less QQ from the 'Snowflake' players :\
    Can't wait for 4.1, its mount farming time!
  1. Explosion_Rex's Avatar
    I'm gonna call it right now. Zul is Deathwing in Troll form.
  1. Winterstrife's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by chrisisvacant View Post
    You only had 4 years.
    Well I tried for 4 years across all my toons & I never once saw it dropped & I worked pretty hard weekly when it was soloable.
    RNG can be a bitch sometimes... I imagine I won't see my Zin'rok anytime soon either.
  1. mmathes339's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Shambulanced View Post
    Historically, Zandalar was the meeting place of all trolls, even warring tribes, as common people.

    "Trolls dominate Zandalar, all trolls, from jungle to ice, consider Zandalar their homeland. It is neutral territory for their kind, so trolls don’t battle each other when on Zandalar. The same courtesy doesn’t extend toward other races, though, and Zandalar’s trolls are a wicked and voodoo-worshipping bunch who delight in slaying their enemies and devouring their remains. " (Qtd. on wowpedia, in turn quoting Lands of Mystery, the Warcraft RPG reference atlas)

    I don't know where people are getting this version of Zandalari trolls as "peaceful" just because they're noted as "scholarly." They're not. They're just the particular tribe of trolls that tries to unite all troll races, despite tribal tensions. I admit it is a bit perplexing that they would have us wipe out ZG only to decide to bring it back, but I suspect that what others have said (elder god influence through this new Zul figure) is probably what explains it.


    Also, considering that Zandalar, at least on that map (noticeably absent on the WoW maps) is located right next to the maelstrom, the Cataclysm would likely have been an extremelyupsetting event for them. Add that to the fact that the Alliance and Horde have systematically wiped out every major tribe/empire on the continents and you have a crisis that would stir a nation into extreme action. Trolls have been around a looooooooooong time, mon!
    Well, from what I've seen of the Zandalari in LK as well as in ZG as far as trolls go they tend to have a hands off approch, unless they are going to do something amazingly stupid...like bring in the Blood God, or kill off all their primal gods. Basicly, if a troll race is going to do something stupid they genicide them and collect their artifacts to teach the other tribes not to do this crap again. Now it would appear as they want to reunite their troll bretheren rather than wipe them out. Instead of being hands off and teaching future trolls, they have decided to take the lead and reunite the trolls. Honestly, if they weren't so evil and hateful it would be a good thing. lol What has me wondering is...is this the end of the story? What about the Drakkari? Or even going to the Zandilari home land?
  1. Adalwolf's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by bloodwine77 View Post
    I haven't read any reports from the PTR, but is the battle bear a guaranteed drop if you meet certain metrics in the dungeon? I suspect it is like all the other dungeon mounts with 1% drop rate. We'll see some, but not a lot of them. I don't see that many Vortex or Stonecore drakes out in the wild.

    Edit: "can be earned by killing the first four bosses of Zul'Aman in a limited amount of time."

    Ok, I stand corrected. It is officially the new bronze drake.
    You don't know how easy it will be to kill those bosses in time... I don't see many Volcanic Stone Drakes around.
  1. Viziouz's Avatar
    Really excited. <3
  1. mmoc2f0222e775's Avatar
    Ahahahahah, look at all the unique and beautiful snowflakes bitching. Priceless. Happened with the Al'ar reskin too.

    Now I'm just waiting for an Anzu reskin.
  1. Theronus's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Dorfus View Post
    Ahahahahah, look at all the unique and beautiful snowflakes bitching. Priceless. Happened with the Al'ar reskin too.

    Now I'm just waiting for an Anzu reskin.
    You read my mind!

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