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by Published on 2018-08-12 06:43 PM

Battle for Azeroth Island Expeditions Guide
Battle for Azeroth brings a new Island Expeditions feature. Taking what the team liked from Mists of Pandaria's scenarios and stepping it up, these expeditions take a team of three players to uncharted islands across the Great Sea in search of Azerite against advanced AI opponents.

  • The first team to collect a certain amount of Azerite wins.
  • Each island is randomly generated and so there is always something unique and new to find.
  • The enemy AI does not behave like normal scripted creature AI. They will fight in a much more unpredictable way.
  • Island Expeditions are role agnostic, meaning that they do not require a Tank, Healer and DPS in order to succeed.
  • Difficulties include Normal, Heroic and Mythic.
  • There is also a PvP mode where the enemy AI is replaced with 3 players of the opposite faction.






Island Expeditions Loading Screen



How to Unlock Island Expeditions
You will unlock the ability to queue for Island Expeditions by progressing your War Campaign. At one point you will receive a quest that places you in a solo scenario on a small island and has you go through the ropes of what a basic Island Expedition entails. Completing this will unlock the ability to queue for Island Expeditions on all characters on your account provided they are 110 or above.


Where to Queue for Unlock Island Expeditions
Once you unlock Island expeditions you can queue for them at the Expedition Map in the following locations:
  • Alliance - Boralus Harbor
  • Horde - Port of Zandalar





Island Expedition Difficulty Modes
Island Expeditions have 4 difficulty modes:

  • Normal - Collect 6,000 Azerite.
  • Heroic - Collect 9,000 Azerite. Requires item level 295.
  • Mythic - Collect 12,000 Azerite. Requires item level 315.
  • PvP - Requires item level 295 and a group of three to queue.


Replayability of Island Expeditions
Islands are a unique experience every time you queue up for one. There are countless different themes, enemies and environments you can come across and it's random each time you start one. There will also be different puzzles and obstacles to face every time you visit.

Island Content that is randomly generated:

  • Creatures
  • Capture points
  • Chests and Azerite Nodes
  • Questgivers
  • Consumables and Shrines
  • Start Locations
  • Weather
  • Environmental hazards
  • Caves, Ships...and more!




Island Locales
Three different island locales will be active at any given week with a total of 7 locales at release.

  • Dread Chain
  • Molten Cay
  • Rotting Mire
  • Skittering Hollow
  • Whispering Reef
  • Ungol Ruins
  • Verdant Wilds




Island Expeditions UI
When you click on the map you will see your weekly Azerite quest progress as well as the three active Islands for the week. A drawing next to the island maps will showcase what type of enemy is found on that island. You can also select the difficulty before queuing up. Mousing over the difficulty will show you the reward for completion.



Map
The Island map behaves like most other games with Fog of War. Things that are close enough to see for one of your group members are updated on the map. It displays various objectives on the island including Azerite node locations, events, quests and the location of the enemy team. There is also an Azerite Detector timer that counts down and when it runs out, all sources of Azerite will be displayed on the map.

  • Blue diamond shapes mark an Azerite source.
  • Skulls mark a mini-boss that rewards Azerite.
  • X symbols mark an Azerite source in an area that hasn't been explored yet.
  • Faction symbols mark the enemy faction players on the map.
  • Both factions have a ship icon that mark the initial spawn point.


Enemy AI
Battle for Azeroth will feature new NPC AI for Island Expeditions. This AI is not scripted and will not behave in the way a normal creature usually does. This new AI will behave more like actual players taking part in PvP would. Examples include polymorphing or sapping your healer while you are engaged in a boss fight. This AI also is well aware of important map objectives and will constantly be giving you a run for your money as you race to complete objectives. This AI can make strategic decisions as well. They may stop what they are doing to come disrupt the objective you are working on or to steal your Azerite. Different opponents will also have distinct personalities and unique behaviors. An example would be Sneaky Pete, a rogue who likes to disrupt healers.



Island Buffs
There are several buffs that can be found on islands:

  • Azerite Energy - These globes come from more powerful enemies on the island and are needed for Give Me The Energy
  • Shrines - Similar to the shrines on Timeless Isle, you can find these across the islands, allowing for a single player to utilize the buff.
  • Other Items - You can find other buff items around the island that give you a one time use ability or food that heals you.


Island Consumables
A seafaring vendor shows up at the docks each day to provide unique buffs and consumables to use on the island at the cost of Seafarer's Dubloons earned from expeditions. These power ups tend to fill in role gaps. Examples include buffs to make an Arms Warrior more tanky or another consumable that allows a Mage to heal.

LevelNameEffect
120Siege Engine Controller
Use: Summons an Upgraded Siege Engine to ride and battle with for 20 min.
120Engineered Spyglass
Use: Instantly detects all sources of Azerite on the island.
120Signet of Stormwind
Use: Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character for 5 sec.
120Blessed Bandage
Use: Apply the bandage, restoring 3% health every 5 sec. for 10 min and dealing 5 Holy damage to attackers.
120Grapeshot Grenade
Use: Throw the grenade, dealing 50 Fire damage to enemies within 5 yards.
120Lightprism
Use: When you heal damage, fire Holy bolts at enemies in a cone in front of the caster.
120Sanctified Scroll
Use: Calls down a shaft of pure Holy light, empowering allies inside of the beam with 10% increased damage dealt and healing them every 5 sec. Lasts for 30 sec.
120Links of Faith
Use: Unleash chains of light that root all enemies within 15 yards for 30 sec.
120Trick Vest
Use: Absorbs 75 damage, and deals 150 Fire damage to enemies within 10 yards when removed.
120Hidden Cannon
Use: Fire a hidden blunderbuss, dealing 100 Fire damage to enemies in a 8 yard cone and knocking them back.
120Sun Stone
Use: When you heal damage, fire sun bolts at enemies in a cone in front of the caster.
120Bloom Shroom
Use: Create a mushroom bloom, empowering allies inside of the bloom with 10% increased damage and healing them every 5 sec. Lasts for 30 sec.
120Root Ball
Use: Unleash powerful roots that root all enemies within 15 yards for 30 sec.
120Thornberry
Use: Consume the berry, restoring 3% health every 5 sec. for 10 min and dealing Nature damage to attackers.
120Mystical Cauldron
Use: Creates a cauldron that raid members can use to gain the benefit of a flask appropriate to their class and talents. Cauldron has 30 uses and lasts for 10 min.
120Demolisher Controller
Use: Summons an Upgraded Demolisher to ride and battle with for 20 min.
120Signet of Orgrimmar
Use: Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character for 5 sec.
120Deepforged Plating
Use: Apply the plating to your armor, reducing physical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.
120Burstforce Explosive
Use: Take 10 Fire damage and launch yourself towards your nearest ally.
120Forge Hammer
Use: Breaks the target's armor, increasing physical damage taken by 100% for 60 sec.
120A.T.O.M.I.K. Target Painter
Use: Paint a target location, causing a barrage of powerful Arcane warheads to land there after 10 sec, dealing 500 Arcane damage to all enemies within 20 yards.
120GG-118 Micro-Jetpack
Use: Changes your jump into a fiery leap. Deals Fire damage and knocks down enemies at the impact location.
120Miniaturizer
Use: Shrinks the target, reducing damage dealt by 50% and movement speed by 50% for 60 sec.
120Rabbit's Charm
Use: Hold the charm, reducing your chance to be detected by enemies for 30 min.
120Unluckydo
Use: Throw an unlucky charm that disorients all enemies within 10 yards for 20 sec.
120Ratwhisker Luckydo
Use: Hold the luckydo, granting you 20% spell reflection for 10 min.
120Netherwind Wand
Use: Deals 200 Arcane damage to enemies on a line in front of the caster.
120Arcane Mirror
Use: Hold up the mirror, reducing magical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.
120Phasing Stone
Use: Puts the target in an unstable phase, increasing magical damage taken by 100% for 60 sec.
120Flashfire Brew
Use: Drink the brew, increasing Critical Strike damage and healing by 200% for 5 min.
120Brainsmasher Brew
Use: Throw a keg of powerful brew that stuns all enemies within 10 yards for 20 sec.
120Soulbinding Mist
Use: For 60 sec, 100% of the damage you take will be copied to an enemy target.
120Spear-Mint Gum
Use: Eat the gum, increasing damage dealt by 20% for 10 min.
120Springstep Cola
Use: Drink the cola, increasing Dodge chance by 20% for 10 min.
120"Healthy" Chips
Use: Eat the chips, healing 50% of maximum health.
120Clashgrain Bar
Use: Eat the bar, increasing Parry chance by 20% for 10 min.
120Void Wand
Use: Deals 200 Shadow damage to enemies on a line in front of the caster.
120Dark Mirror
Use: Hold up the mirror, reducing magical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.
120Blackrock Plating
Use: Apply the plating to your armor, reducing physical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.


Island Expedition Rewards
Island Expeditions are going to be the most lucrative form of gaining Azerite power. While the Azerite you gain during the match goes towards your faction, you receive some for yourself in many different ways.




Mounts - Island Expedition Rewards
There are some mounts that are rewarded from Island Expeditions!








Pets - Island Expedition Rewards
There are some pets that are rewarded from Island Expeditions!








Weapons and Armor - Island Expedition Rewards
There are some new models and color variations of existing models in the weapons rewarded from Island Expeditions.

LevelTypeSlotNameModel Viewer
325Off HandOff HandPlundered Sapling Seed
 Modelviewer
325Off HandOff HandPlundered Ambershaper's Egg
 Modelviewer
325Off HandOff HandPlundered Sand-Scoured Fetish
 Modelviewer
325Off HandOff HandPlundered Codex of Otherworldly Vision
 Modelviewer
200ClothShouldersPlundered Runecaster's Mantle
 Modelviewer
200LeatherShouldersPlundered Shoveltusk-Hide Shoulders
 Modelviewer
200MailShouldersPlundered Dragonrider Spaulders
 Modelviewer
200PlateShouldersPlundered Gjalerbron Pauldrons
 Modelviewer
325ShieldOff HandPlundered Torga Blessed Bulwark
 Modelviewer
325ShieldOff HandPlundered Totem Barrier
 Modelviewer
325ShieldOff HandPlundered Jadefury Shield
 Modelviewer
325ShieldOff HandPlundered Beacon-Light Bulwark
 Modelviewer
1CosmeticHeadPlundered Blue Captain's Hat
 Modelviewer
1CosmeticHeadPlundered Crimson Captain's Hat
 Modelviewer
1CosmeticHeadPlundered Pirate Admiral's Bicorne
 Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne HandPlundered Heart Hacker
 Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne HandPlundered Ice-Etched Axe
 Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne HandPlundered Skullsplitter
 Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne HandPlundered Iceshard Bite
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed AxeTwo HandPlundered Fury-Fin Axe
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed AxeTwo HandPlundered Molten Reaper
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed AxeTwo HandPlundered Wingblade Axe
 Modelviewer
325BowRangedPlundered Biting Shot Longbow
 Modelviewer
325BowRangedPlundered Longhunt Bow
 Modelviewer
325BowRangedPlundered Bow of the Chosen
 Modelviewer
325GunRangedPlundered Amber Slinger
 Modelviewer
325GunRangedPlundered Windblaster
 Modelviewer
325GunRangedPlundered Dragon Roar-Barrel
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Horn Pummeler
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Obsidian Scale Smasher
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Stump Mace
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Mrggll Masher
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Paragon's Mace
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Geode Gavel
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Frost Scepter
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Coilpoint Scepter
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Mogu Scepter
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Essence Font Scepter
 Modelviewer
325One-handed MaceOne HandPlundered Sandstone Gavel
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Troll Ceremonial Basher
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Petrified Tree
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Tenderizing Crusher
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Fireheart Pummeler
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Crag Basher
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Twilight Pummeler
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed MaceTwo HandPlundered Firegeode Mace
 Modelviewer
325PolearmTwo HandPlundered Poleaxe of Intimidation
 Modelviewer
325PolearmTwo HandPlundered Vanguard Trident
 Modelviewer
325PolearmTwo HandPlundered Jinyu Spear
 Modelviewer
325PolearmTwo HandPlundered Berserker's Poleaxe
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Splitblade Slicer
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Sand-Dweller's Scimitar
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Carapace Linked Longsword
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Sandfury Blade
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Celestial Finblade
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Jinyu Longsword
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Swarmer's Blade
 Modelviewer
325One-handed SwordOne HandPlundered Seacrystal Blade
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed SwordTwo HandPlundered Jadestar Blade
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed SwordTwo HandPlundered Blade of Northern Kings
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed SwordTwo HandPlundered Scalebane Claymore
 Modelviewer
325Two-handed SwordTwo HandPlundered Farakki Hacker
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Voodoo Dancer Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Sea-Sinew Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Hozen Chieftain's Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Silverpaw Staff
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Thorncrowned Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Keeper's Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Oracle Fin Staff
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Squidcaster
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Embercrystal Staff
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Tainted Scarab Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Flamecaster Stave
 Modelviewer
325StaffTwo HandPlundered Waterbearer's Staff
 Modelviewer
325Fist WeaponOne HandPlundered Bear-Carved Fists
 Modelviewer
325Fist WeaponOne HandPlundered Coral-Scale Claw
 Modelviewer
325Fist WeaponOne HandPlundered Drillbore Fists
 Modelviewer
325Fist WeaponOne HandPlundered Twinscale Handblade
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Junglestalker's Talon
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Tiki-Bound Blade
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Seatusk Shiv
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Barb-Edged Dagger
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Twinbarb Shanker
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Trident Barb
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Darkscale Blade
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Twinblade of the Tol'vir
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Darkblade of the Old Gods
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Petrified Kelp Blade
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Waterspeaker's Spellblade
 Modelviewer
325DaggerOne HandPlundered Shadow-Infused Blade
 Modelviewer
325WandRangedPlundered Death Chatter Wand
 Modelviewer
325WandRangedPlundered Desert Hexxer
 Modelviewer
325WandRangedPlundered Light-Binding Wand
 Modelviewer
325WandRangedPlundered Dragonfist Wand
 Modelviewer
325WandRangedPlundered Wand of Tentacle Horrors
 Modelviewer


Island Expedition Achievements
The Expedition Leader is the Island Expedition meta achievement, rewarding the Expedition Leader title.

NamePoints
Archipelago ExplorerComplete expeditions to five different islands.
10
Azerite AdmiralCollect 1,000,000 Azerite on Island Expeditions.
10
Bane of the ChainAchieve victory in an expedition to Dread Chain in PvP.
10
Bayside BrawlerWin 10 Island Expeditions in PvP.
10
Blood in the WaterWin 20 Island Expeditions in PvP.
10
Clash at the CayAchieve victory in an expedition to Molten Cay in PvP.
10
Competent CaptainWin 20 Island Expeditions on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Dread ChainAchieve victory in an expedition to Dread Chain on any difficulty.
10
Expedition LeaderComplete all of the Island Expeditions achievements listed below.
20
Expert ExpeditionerWin 50 Island Expeditions on Mythic difficulty.
10
Give Me The EnergyCollect 30 globes of Azerite Energy on Island Expeditions.
10
Helping HandRescue all of the explorers on Island Expeditions listed below.
10
Heroic: Dread ChainAchieve victory in an expedition to Dread Chain on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Heroic: Molten CayAchieve victory in an expedition to Molten Cay on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Heroic: Rotting MireAchieve victory in an expedition to Rotting Mire on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Heroic: Skittering HollowAchieve victory in an expedition to Skittering Hollow on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Heroic: Un'gol RuinsAchieve victory in an expedition to Un'gol Ruins on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Heroic: Verdant WildsAchieve victory in an expedition to Verdant Wilds on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
Heroic: Whispering ReefAchieve victory in an expedition to Whispering Reef on Heroic difficulty or higher.
10
I'm Here for the PetsObtain all of the Island Expeditions battle pets listed below.
10
Island ConquerorComplete the Mythic Island Expeditions achievements listed below.
10
Island SlayerComplete the PvP Island Expeditions achievements listed below.
10
Metal DetectorLoot 100 Seafarer's Dubloons.
10
Mire MarauderAchieve victory in an expedition to Rotting Mire in PvP.
10
Molten CayAchieve victory in an expedition to Molten Cay on any difficulty.
10
My DubsLoot 10 Seafarer's Dubloons.
10
Mythic: Dread ChainAchieve victory in an expedition to Dread Chain on Mythic difficulty.
10
Mythic: Molten CayAchieve victory in an expedition to Molten Cay on Mythic difficulty.
10
Mythic: Rotting MireAchieve victory in an expedition to Rotting Mire on Mythic difficulty.
10
Mythic: Skittering HollowAchieve victory in an expedition to Skittering Hollow on Mythic difficulty.
10
Mythic: Un'gol RuinsAchieve victory in an expedition to Un'gol Ruins on Mythic difficulty.
10
Mythic: Verdant WildsAchieve victory in an expedition to Verdant Wilds on Mythic difficulty.
10
Mythic: Whispering ReefAchieve victory in an expedition to Whispering Reef on Mythic difficulty.
10
No TouristWin 10 Island Expeditions on Normal difficulty or higher.
10
NotoriousWin 50 Island Expeditions in PvP.
10
Reef MadnessAchieve victory in an expedition to Whispering Reef in PvP.
10
Rotting MireAchieve victory in an expedition to Rotting Mire on any difficulty.
10
Ruined the RuinsAchieve victory in an expedition to Un'gol Ruins in PvP.
10
Skittering HollowAchieve victory in an expedition to Skittering Hollow on any difficulty.
10
Skittering SmashedAchieve victory in an expedition to Skittering Hollow in PvP.
10
Sucker PunchKill a player that is affected by a Sticky Starfish on Island Expeditions.
10
Team DeathmatchSlay all of the Horde champions listed below.
10
Team DeathmatchSlay all of the Alliance champions listed below.
10
Tell Me A TaleComplete all of the Island Expeditions quests listed below.
10
Un'gol RuinsAchieve victory in an expedition to Un'gol Ruins on any difficulty.
10
Verdant WildsAchieve victory in an expedition to Verdant Wilds on any difficulty.
10
War for the WildsAchieve victory in an expedition to Verdant Wilds in PvP.
10
Whispering ReefAchieve victory in an expedition to Whispering Reef on any difficulty.
10
by Published on 2018-08-11 12:27 PM

Patch 8.0.1 Hotfixes - August 10
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Appearances and Animations
  • The Toad pet family ability "Swarm of Flies" will now continue to swarm around the Toad instead of staying in place.
  • Hammer of Wrath’s impact visual should now appear on its target.

Classes

  • Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • All Feral Affinity-granted abilities increased by 15%.
    • Feral Affinity Energy regen bonus increased to 45% (was 35%).
      • Guardian
        • Lunar Beam will now correctly heal and deal damage while on an elevator.

  • Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Beast Mastery
      • All damage abilities increased by 3%.
    • Marksmanship
      • All damage abilities increased by 3%.




  • Warlock (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Fear mana cost reduced to 10% (was 15%).
    • Affliction
      • Summon Darkglare cooldown now resets at the end of encounters.
      • Demonology
        • All damage abilities increased by 5%.

Creatures and NPCs
  • Alzzin the Wildshaper no longer deals excessive damage.
  • Chromie’s health has been increased.
  • Bastillax’s health has been decreased.
  • Darkmoon Faire
    • The Blight Boar encounter in Darkmoon Faire is no longer more difficult than intended.

Items
  • Fixed a bug that was causing several trinkets to fail to proc when cast at max range.

Player versus Player
  • Racial Abilities
    • Light's Judgment deals 50% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
    • Light's Reckoning deals 50% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.

  • Death Knight (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Unholy Strength increases Strength by 10% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 15%).
      • Frost
        • Pillar of Frost increases Strength by 10% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 15%).
      • Unholy
        • Wandering Plague (PvP Talent) damage reduced by 50%.
        • Necrotic Strike's (PvP Talent) Necrotic Wound healing absorption reduced by 33%.
        • Virulent Plague deals 10% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
        • Virulent Explosion deals 10% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.

  • Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Restoration
      • Focused Growth (PvP Talent) reduces the mana cost of Lifebloom by 40% (was 60%).
      • Focused Growth (PvP Talent) increases the healing of Lifebloom by 30% (was 50%).

  • Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Beast Mastery
      • Dire Beast: Hawk (PvP Talent) damage reduced by 40%.
    • Marksmanship
      • Careful Aim increases Aimed Shot damage by 50% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 100%).
      • Aimed Shot deals an additional 15% damage to targets you have not damaged yet when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 50%).

  • Monk (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Windwalker
      • Fists of Fury now deals full damage when engaged in combat with enemy players (was a 20% reduction).

  • Paladin (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Retribution
      • Righteous Verdict increases the damage of Templar's Verdict by 10% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 15%).
      • Execution Sentence increases damage to the target by 15% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 20%).
      • Word of Glory healing reduced by 20% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players.
      • Divine Purpose increases damage and healing by 20% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 30%).
      • Hammer of Reckoning (PvP Talent) gains a stack when targets with your Greater Blessings take 2.5% of your maximum health in damage (was 5%).
      • Vengeance Aura (PvP Talent) increases Holy Damage and Critical Strike chance by 3% per stack (was 4%).
      • Vengeance Aura's (PvP Talent) duration reduced to 8 seconds (was 10 seconds).

  • Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Discipline
      • Sins of the Many increases damage by 8% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 12%).
      • Trinity (PvP Talent) increases Atonement healing by 12% (was 20%).
      • Archangel (PvP Talent) increases healing and absorption by 20% (was 30%).
    • Shadow
      • Edge of Insanity (PvP Talent) now properly reduces damage taken when at or above 90 Insanity (60 Insanity while talented into Legacy of the Void).

  • Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Prey on the Weak increases damage dealt to the target by 5% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 10%).
    • Death from Above (PvP Talent) increases Eviscerate/Envenom/Dispatch damage dealt by 10% (was 15%).
    • Assassination
      • Fixed a bug that caused Creeping Venom (PvP Talent)'s duration to be refreshed to a longer duration than intended.
      • Creeping Venom (PvP Talent)'s damage has been reduced by 50%.
      • Deadly Poison deals 20% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
      • Vendetta increases damage dealt to the target by 20% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 30%).
      • Toxic Blade increases Poison damage dealt to the target by 20% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 30%).
      • Garrote deals 20% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
      • Subterfuge causes Garrote to deal an additional 50% damage when cast from stealth in PvP situations (was 100%).
    • Outlaw
      • Plunder Armor (PvP Talent) reduces the target's max health by 10% (was 15%).
      • Plunder Armor (PvP Talent) increases the Rogue's max health by 10% (was 15%).
      • Thick as Thieves (PvP Talent) increases the damage you and your Tricks target deal by 10% (was 15%).
      • Brigand's Blitz (Azerite Trait) is no longer gained from Control is King's Adrenaline Rush.
    • Subtlety
      • Shuriken Combo increases Eviscerate damage by 3% per stack when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 5%).
      • Night's Vengeance (Azerite Trait) effectiveness reduced by 66% in PvP situations.

  • Shaman (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Restoration
      • Spirit Link (PvP Talent) now redirects 35% damage to the team (was 50%).
      • Spirit Link's (PvP Talent) mana cost has been increased by 12.5%.
      • Spirit Link (PvP Talent) reduces the heal generated by Spouting Spirits (Azerite Trait) by 80%.

Quests
  • "Continue Your Training: Master Woo" and its corresponding daily quest have been temporarily removed.

PCGamer Interview - Battle for Azeroth's Prepatch Story and Bugs
PCGamer interviewed Ion Hazzikostas and John Hight on the prepatch drama that has happened recently both in terms of the reaction to the story and the bugs.



  • The team anticipated that the prepatch events would be pretty controversial.
  • Ion loves the Warbringer Jaina short.
  • Pragmatic ruthlessness and honor/justice are both encapsulated within the question "what is the Horde?"
  • The team had a lot of anticipation to release Old Soldier after the reactions from Warbringer Sylvanas.
  • The story of Battle for Azeroth will continue to be expanded on both inside and outside of the game and the pacing should keep people happy and engaged the whole expansion.
  • Ion thinks the major reactions to what Sylvanas did is that of questioning if her decisions define the Horde as a whole. Old Soldier is supposed to show that this is not the case.
  • The reactions of the community is expected and understandable. Ion mentions the internet's reactions to the Red Wedding during Game of Thrones and how emotions run high when something you love is torn down.
  • You can't alienate people and never let them back in, but a good story should have ups and downs that compliment each other.
  • A fun part of WoW is that the story is episodic. If it seems like they are doing something blatantly obvious and repeating past stories, people should stay tuned because they are setting you up for a surprise.
  • The internet can be a giant game of telephone. During the Blizzcon announcement, the question of Teldrassil was who attacked first, Alliance or Horde? It was to build anticipation until Alpha when the timeline of the events was pretty straightforward.
  • People want to look for an explanation for events that make them uncomfortable, but sometimes storytelling is just that.
  • If the team had their way, none of the story would be revealed before an expansion, but the benefits of a beta outweigh keeping the entire story a surprise.
  • Blizzard tries to keep major story points hidden until they are experienced in the live game. This is mostly done by excluding major cutscenes from testing periods.
  • There is a lot of stuff that the players will see for the very first time in just a few days; some really big story beats that they can't wait to share.
  • Any time the screen goes black and nothing happens during the beta, this is an indication that there is a missing piece not available to decrypt yet.
  • The team likes to use the prepatches now to set up the story and bridge the gaps between expansions.
  • Prepatches are previews to something that is a part of the expansion while also having a fleeting "you have to be there to experience it" piece.
  • The goal is to make each prepatch deeper and more memorable and act as a rallying cry to come re experience this world.
  • The team wants this prepatch to be something that is reflected upon with nostalgia years down the road.
  • This time around, the team went back and set up a scaling method that could be done coherently instead of the Warlords one in which each spell was manually readjusted. Applying this massive infrastructure change to 14 years of data came with some unexpected bugs.
  • A lot of these bugs were caught during the PTR and beta phase, but it isn't until the live game that you can catch a lot of content that most players don't test on the PTR.
  • Ion says the game is pretty stable at this point and most of the early prepatch issues have been solved.
  • The fix involved hand tuning a lot of values. This wasn't a code bug but involved a lot of math. The team had underestimated the impact the absence of artifact weapons would have.
  • They wanted to understand the underlying issue instead of just blindly fixing them.
  • The 60-80 leveling range was sped up because the team agreed this was a range of leveling that was taking longer than intended. They were aware of it in 7.3.5.
  • They are tracking the launch of Battle for Azeroth to go well. With the new sharding technology and beta testing, they anticipate the launch to go smoothly even with a global launch.
  • The team is happy with the speed that they corrected the prepatch issues even though they know this doesn't excuse having them in the first place. A 14 old game that is this complex is bound to have some issues, however.
  • The expansion launch is just the flick of a switch because prepatch puts all the data into the player's computer beforehand.
  • The work that the team has done in the past few weeks is to assure that Monday and Tuesday go as smooth as possible.


Mail Esports Interview on Wow's Maturing Storyline
Mail Esports interviews Gary Platner and Terran Gregory on WoW's evolving story.



  • Landmark storytelling games were not out yet when WoW launched in 2004.
  • World of Warcraft storytelling inspirations are much different now than in the past.
  • Vanilla storytelling was much more of a hyperbolic fantasy, comic book-esque story. This is what people gravitated towards during that time.
  • Nowadays, audience sensibilities have gravitated to a more thoughtful, compelling narrative. Blizzard has followed suit and is starting to tell more stories like this in WoW.
  • WoW is still finding new players all the time. Some of them weren't even alive when the game was released.
  • Gregory sees some of the younger generation embracing WoW on Twitch and loves it.
  • The WoW demographic also showcases a lot of parents and older generations.
  • The storytelling has matured with the audience.
  • Much like successful daytime soap opera, Wow has adopted the practice that for every character that goes out, one gets weaved in, but you can't do them all at the same time.
  • Garrosh Hellscream was the first example of a character that saw a full ark through expansions. Community engagement shifts these narratives as well.
  • Every quest in the game has a unique name, and it's sometimes a monumental task to think of a new name for a quest nowadays that isn't taken already.
  • The team decided to go with the story of Battle for Azeroth because they wanted something a little more personal and emotional after Legion.
  • The team wants to focus on the people involved in the war and progressing them as characters.
  • Old Soldier was the first high-fidelity CGI cinematic released outside of being an expansion introduction. They had an opportunity to make a second and it seemed right to do so.
  • The team knew that Old Soldier would connect well because a lot of players would be feeling like Saurfang at this point.
  • The passion people have for Wow is what has kept it popular all of these years, and it's this passion that will keep it going for many years to come.


Riot - Ghostcrawler Moves to Head of Creative Development
Ghostcrawler has moved from being Lead Designer on League of Legends to Head of Creative Development at Riot. They are continuing to work on other games.

In an interview with Variety Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill asked what the future of MMOs looked like. "I think we have a view, others have a view, players have a view. World of Warcraft continues to be a dominating game. There is a really good argument that going head-to-head with ‘WoW’ may not be the best move, but who knows. We’re exploring a lot of stuff, thinking about a lot of stuff."

Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
Hello friends,
I wanted to let you all know that I moved off the League of Legends team a few weeks ago to take on an expanded role. I am still very much at Riot, but I am no longer the lead designer on League. The new lead designer is Andrei “Meddler” Van Roon.

My new position at Riot is head of creative development. We don’t typically make a big deal about titles at Riot, however, I plan on still keeping up an active conversation with you all, so I wanted to explain a little bit about what this role means so you’ll have some insight into the kinds of topics I’ll be most effective at discussing.

We’ve been up front that we want to put the S in Riot Games, and I am helping with that effort. In addition, we have been taking Runeterra as a world more seriously, as you’ve probably realized with the release of the Ryze CG and the world map. While telling stories is really important to us (and I hope many of you), there is a limit to the kinds of stories we can tell in League of Legends without getting in the way of a competitive, multiplayer game. So, many of our stories will have to come through other mediums, and of course that possibly includes other games.

I look forward to all of the “GC was kicked upstairs where he can’t do much harm to LoL” memes. Let me know if I can help you with those in any way.

League of Legends is in great hands, arguably even better hands. I know it’s hard sometimes as players to have a full appreciation for how many people collaborate to make League happen. League development is very much a team effort (a large team effort), and it’s almost impossible to detect the influence of any single contributor, even a lead designer. The direction for League comes from a leadership team, to which Meddler is a great addition. He has been working on League longer than I have, and he knows all of the nuance, weird rules, and “tribal knowledge” of League design better than I do. He has a long memory of things we tried and why they worked or didn’t. He knows where the bodies are buried. I’ll also still be Meddler’s boss, so if he disappoints you, just let me know and I’ll take care of things. In all seriousness, I wouldn’t be able to step away if the design team on League wasn’t so strong.

I’ll still be out there playing the game with you, and I promised the development team that I’d always let them know what I think, by posting on Reddit of course. I’ll keep an eye on Boards as well (and more attention to the lore Boards now), but the easiest way to reach me is probably on Twitter at Ghostcrawler.

In keeping with my reputation of buffing frost mages, Meddler promised to take good care of Lissandra.



Fan Art - No Glory TV Spot
Gen Kim combined some cinematics to create a TV Spot.



This Week in WoW History
We're taking a look back at old MMO-Champion posts and World of Warcraft news that occurred during this time in previous years.

Timeless Isle Vendors
The Timeless Isle was an addition in Patch 5.4, and brought some new end-game content. The vendors in this zone accept Timeless Coin as currency, and after a few iterations some cool items were added. The Reins of the Heavenly Golden Cloud Serpent mount is still purchasable for 100,000 Timeless Coins. Also, the Censer of Eternal Glory can be used to collect the secondary PvP currency.


The Burdens of Shaohao
This five part series tells the story of Emperor Shaohao, and sets the story of the Mists of Pandaria. After the emperor fights doubt, despair, fear, and anger, he recognizes that his people have succumbed to the same emotions. The emperor must make a sacrifice for the good of his people, if he wants them to survive the sundering.


World of Warcraft 10th Anniversary
In preparation to the 10th anniversary of World of Warcraft, there was a blue post revealing some of the content players will get to experience. Molten Core, Tarren Mill and Southshore PvP are iconic Vanilla experiences. To remember some of the earliest parts of the game, these would make a return in the form of a 40-player Raid Finder for Molten Core, and a Tarren Mill vs. Southshore battleground


Legion Confirmed
World of Warcraft: Legion was unveiled at Gamescom in 2015. The cinematic teaser showed Gul’dan in the Tomb of Sargeras, releasing a foe we have not faced in a long time. During the event some of the major additions of the expansion were also revealed. A new Hero Class, the new continent, artifact weapons, and order halls. Some of the key allies and villains were also mentioned.


Infernal Mounts
The Infernal Mounts model was added to the game files in 2016. Two of these color variants were used in Legion as rewards from Nighthold Heroic and Mythic. The Frostshard Infernal was added in the Battle for Azeroth Pre-Patch as a reward for the No Stable Big Enough achievement. The Coldflame and Flarecore Infernal recolors have not been used yet, and could potentially be used in the future.


Demon Hunter
The new Hero Class announced at Gamescom was the Demon Hunter. This new class would have two specializations, Havoc and Vengeance. This is the only class in the game with only two specializations, with one being DPS and the other tank.

by Published on 2018-08-10 08:30 PM

Chris Metzen Interview
Scott Johnson had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Metzen and talk to him about how he is doing and the how the community treats artists they disagree with.

We've recapped some of the major points below, but listen to the entire thing for context!


  • Whenever Metzen would draw Thrall, he would draw him a little bit more upright than other Orcs
  • Early Blizzard played lots of Samurai Shodown 2 and Wan-fu was one of the characters. Wan-fu has a necklace of balls, which was the inspiration for Thrall's Balls.
  • Metzen had back surgery and couldn't move around as much for four months.
  • It's hard to watch people get attacked because their movie, comic, or game displeases some number of people out there.
  • Metzen isn't going to attack a director publicly on the internet if he didn't like a movie, he'll just not buy a ticket to his next movie.
  • During Diablo 3 when there was a lot of controversy over decisions, the community really raked Jay Wilson over the coals. He just happened to be the public face at the time.
  • Metzen was very lucky, as he was a public face for many years, occasionally did or said something stupid, and the fanbase would call him out. This included things like Red Shirt Guy. He made a mistake on stage under pressure and confused two characters.
  • Metzen always felt very embraced by the community, and was appreciative of that. The internet can turn on you quickly and it would be hard to re-establish trust.
  • What if you wanted to be an artist, filmmaker, or make games, but you grew up with an internet that literally stoned people that displeased them. What kind of incentive is that for a young person with imagination right now?
  • There is sometimes an appalling lack of empathy for the artists that are standing up there and trying to keep the discussion going. There is a lack of empathy for that person and their heart, imagination, soul, and their spin on things. Take a step back and take a breath, everything in life isn't going to please you.
  • If you didn't like something, such as the Last Jedi, take the opportunity to introduce someone to an expression of Star Wars that you love. Take the opportunity to engage positively. Pay forward elements of the franchise you loved.
  • Christie Golden being attacked was embarrassing to Metzen on behalf of the community. Christie is an important voice on the Story and Franchise Development group at Blizzard and helps the game developers expand the story of the game.
  • Metzen tried to hire Christie Golden for years, as she is an amazing voice and storyteller.
  • The attacks on her were not only misplaced, but unfair and unjust.
  • The last Warcraft thing that Metzen worked on was the BlizzCon 2017 Battle for Azeroth cinematic. They started on it over two and a half years ago.
  • Every expansion people complain and lose their minds, complaining that everything sucks and the game is ruined. Then a couple months later, we are into the expansion and the tone has shifted to "This is the most Warcraft it's been ever". Let the story play out.
  • Have some empathy for the artists that are giving you everything they've got. You may not agree with every decision they make, but they are people too.
  • Metzen isn't interested in going back to a regular job, such as a Creative Lead, anytime soon.
  • Metzen had the chance to do a voice for an upcoming animated show recently. It was a very limited part, but it was fun to get back in the studio. It was nice to be part of something creative that didn't rest on him.
  • If Metzen comes out of retirement to do something big, he wants to build a show that people love. An adventure that fires the imagination and heart, about people growing up together and finding themselves together in the midst of really high octane geeky stuff.
  • Some of the things that used to drive Metzen crazy while he was at Blizzard he now has a fondness for after looking back at them.
  • Metzen feels much better than he did two years ago in his last interview. Stepping away from Blizzard worked.
  • Remember that empathy is important, especially in today's climate. Things are tense and there is a lot of hate out there, so to find that same kind of binary aggressiveness in our hallowed nerdy halls is disconcerting. We are supposed to dream the big dreams of a fantasy of a better tomorrow and being better people.
  • We are all in it together, be good to each other.


Battle.Net - New Avatars Added
Battle.Net added some new avatar options for players with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for players that pre-ordered.






Fan Art - Anduin Wrynn: The Little Lion
Embran released a nice cut of multiple cinematics that focus on Anduin.

by Published on 2018-08-09 10:02 PM

Live Class Tuning - August 9
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Before Battle for Azeroth launches four days from now, we're making some additional adjustments to several specs based on how they're playing at level 120. We're working on the following via hotfix to the live game:

Death Knight (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Frost
    • All damage abilities increased by 3%.
    • Breath of Sindragosa damage reduced by 12%.

Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • All Feral Affinity-granted abilities increased by 15%.
  • Feral Affinity Energy regen bonus increased to 45% (was 35%).

Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Beast Mastery
    • All damage abilities increased by 3%.
  • Marksmanship
    • All damage abilities increased by 3%.

Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Holy Nova damage increased by 20%.
  • Holy
    • All damage abilities increased by 8%.

Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Assassination
    • Crimson Tempest damage reduced by 10%.
    • Subterfuge bonus reduced to 80% (was 100%).

Shaman (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Elemental
    • All damage abilities increased 4%.

Warlock (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Fear mana cost reduced to 10% (was 15%).
  • Affliction
    • Summon Darkglare cooldown now resets at the end of encounters.
  • Demonology
    • All damage abilities increased by 5%.

The following PvP-specific hotfixes are also in-testing today and will go live before Battle for Azeroth launches:

Racial Abilities
  • Light's Judgment deals 50% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
  • Light's Reckoning deals 50% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
  • Death Knight (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Unholy Strength increases Strength by 10% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 15%).
  • Frost
    • Pillar of Frost increases Strength by 10% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 15%).
  • Unholy
    • Wandering Plague (PvP Talent) damage reduced by 50%.
    • Necrotic Strike's (PvP Talent) Necrotic Wound healing absorption reduced by 33%.
    • Virulent Plague deals 10% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
    • Virulent Explosion deals 10% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.

Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Restoration
    • Focused Growth (PvP Talent) reduces the mana cost of Lifebloom by 40% (was 60%).
    • Focused Growth (PvP Talent) increases the healing of Lifebloom by 30% (was 50%).

Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Beast Mastery
    • Dire Beast: Hawk (PvP Talent) damage reduced by 40%.
  • Marksmanship
    • Careful Aim increases Aimed Shot damage by 50% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 100%).
    • Aimed Shot deals an additional 15% damage to targets you have not damaged yet when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 50%).

Monk (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Windwalker
    • Fists of Fury now deals full damage when engaged in combat with enemy players (was a 20% reduction).

Paladin (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Retribution
    • Righteous Verdict increases the damage of Templar's Verdict by 10% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 15%).
    • Execution Sentence increases damage to the target by 15% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 20%).
    • Word of Glory healing reduced by 20% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players.
    • Divine Purpose increases damage and healing by 20% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 30%).
    • Hammer of Reckoning (PvP Talent) gains a stack when targets with your Greater Blessings take 2.5% of your maximum health in damage (was 5%).
    • Vengeance Aura (PvP Talent) increases Holy Damage and Critical Strike chance by 3% per stack (was 4%).
    • Vengeance Aura's (PvP Talent) duration reduced to 8 seconds (was 10 seconds).

Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Discipline
    • Sins of the Many increases damage by 8% when engaged in PvP combat with enemy players (was 12%).
    • Trinity (PvP Talent) increases Atonement healing by 12% (was 20%).
    • Archangel (PvP Talent) increases healing and absorption by 20% (was 30%).
  • Shadow
    • Edge of Insanity (PvP Talent) now properly reduces damage taken when at or above 90 Insanity (60 Insanity while talented into Legacy of the Void).

Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Prey on the Weak increases damage dealt to the target by 5% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 10%).
  • Death from Above (PvP Talent) increases Eviscerate/Envenom/Dispatch damage dealt by 10% (was 15%).
  • Assassination
    • Fixed a bug that caused Creeping Venom (PvP Talent)'s duration to be refreshed to a longer duration than intended.
    • Creeping Venom (PvP Talent)'s damage has been reduced by 50%.
    • Deadly Poison deals 20% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
    • Vendetta increases damage dealt to the target by 20% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 30%).
    • Toxic Blade increases Poison damage dealt to the target by 20% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 30%).
    • Garrote deals 20% less damage when engaged in combat with enemy players.
    • Subterfuge causes Garrote to deal an additional 50% damage when cast from stealth in PvP situations (was 100%).
  • Outlaw
    • Plunder Armor (PvP Talent) reduces the target's max health by 10% (was 15%).
    • Plunder Armor (PvP Talent) increases the Rogue's max health by 10% (was 15%).
    • Thick as Thieves (PvP Talent) increases the damage you and your Tricks target deal by 10% (was 15%).
    • Brigand's Blitz (Azerite Trait) is no longer gained from Control is King's Adrenaline Rush.
  • Subtlety
    • Shuriken Combo increases Eviscerate damage by 3% per stack when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 5%).
    • Night's Vengeance (Azerite Trait) effectiveness reduced by 66% in PvP situations.

Shaman (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  • Restoration
    • Spirit Link (PvP Talent) now redirects 35% damage to the team (was 50%).
    • Spirit Link's (PvP Talent) mana cost has been increased by 12.5%.
    • Spirit Link (PvP Talent) reduces the heal generated by Spouting Spirits (Azerite Trait) by 80%.

We expect to apply all of the adjustments above to the live game as soon as possible. We will note them along with other hotfixes in the next hotfixes update added to our hotfixes blog post.
by Published on 2018-08-09 05:22 PM

The Most Popular, Successful, and Worst Cards of The Boomsday Project

Ranked Play & Matchmaking AMA with Heroes Developers – August 9, 2018

Battle for Azeroth Preview - Stormsong Valley Visitor’s Guide
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Located in the northernmost region of Kul Tiras, Stormsong Valley is home to House Stormsong and the mystical tidesages. Wielding great power over the seas, the tidesages impart their blessings upon the mighty Kul Tiran fleet. Join us as we take you on a brief tour of Stormsong Valley.

The lands of Stormsong Valley are lush with green grasses and rock-strewn rolling hills. Wildlife and plant growth thrive here, fed by the inland streams and the invigorating sea air. It is a region made rich by the harmony between both land and sea.


Welcome to Stormsong Valley.


As with any great mystery, you’ll need to find and follow the clues before you. Begin by taking a ferry to the Stormsong Monastery located in Boralus. Perhaps the sisters and brothers there will have more insight on the missing fleet. Thankfully, you won’t be alone for your journey. A ward of Harbormaster Cyrus Crestfall, your guide Taelia is a knowledgeable companion eager to help you get to the bottom of things in Stormsong Valley.

The signs of the sea are everywhere in the monastery, but an itch between your shoulder blades feeds the impression that you’re unwelcome. Answers aren’t easy to come by and danger is lurking nearer than you think.

Word from someone within the resistance is that the fleet is not truly lost but trapped by dark forces. It will be up to you to find allies within Stormsong Valley to help you root out the heart of this conspiracy and bring the fleet home. Brother Pike from the town of Brennadam in the north is one such ally. You’ll need to meet with him to find out what more he knows of the challenges you’ll face.

The Highland Pass is the only land route into Stormsong Valley, but a blockade halts passage between Brennadam and the rest of Kul Tiras. Once you find a way through, you’ll crest the pass to take in the breathtaking sight of the land stretched out before you.

Meet the Neighbors
The reception you’ll receive in Brennadam isn’t a warm one despite the beauty of the surrounding town. The citizens are angry at the soldiers for seizing their harvests and failing to protect the people they are meant to serve. Brother Pike will help find the answers you seek, but each discovery is another knot in a skein that wends through this troubled land. There is more beneath the surface to be discovered, and you sense darkness waiting just out of sight.


The further inland you go, the more apparent it becomes that the void’s corruption has burrowed deeply into the land, the wildlife, and its people. Those of able body (if not able mind) are either conscripted or manipulated into serving the tidesages and the malevolent will that commands them.

Things to Try: A sip of Seaglide Elixir can be a great refreshment when battling void-corrupted creatures of the sea. It also gives you the ability to walk on water—for a little while. “It is said that tidesage magic allows Kul Tiran ships to glide effortlessly through the sea.” Try not to touch too many unfamiliar things unless you know what you’re getting into—though of course, the voices will insist there's nothing to fear. The Whispering Wavestaff giveth and taketh. But then again, what’s a little cost in health compared to laying out a little extra carnage?

Under the Siege
On the western coast, Fort Daelin is under siege by the naga. Brutes pummel the stone walls even as harpoons drive further into the walls above them. Without aid, the levee holding back the sea will plunge the fertile valley into the naga-infested depths.

A Prickly Situation
Emboldened by the soldiers neglecting their duties, vicious creatures have encroached on the noble people of Stormsong. Whether it’s ettin in Millstone Hamlet or the territorial quilboar, these threats will only grow more aggressive without someone to push them back.

Monsters of the Sea
On an island to the northeast resides the seat of power for both House Stormsong and the tidesages: the Shrine of the Storm. Its very foundations are carved into the rocky outcroppings, and the sign of the kraken adorns its ancient structures.

Shrine of the Storm Dungeon--Spoilers Inside!
The Shrine of the Storm is a seat of power for both House Stormsong and the tidesages. Here, blessings upon the fleet are performed to ensure that the Kul Tiran fleet knows no equals in combat. Yet, a dark force has corrupted these sacred grounds and threatens to steal control of the Kul Tiran Fleet forever.

Difficulties: Normal, Heroic, Mythic
Level: Alliance* 110+ (One of four level-up dungeons)

*Available at level 120 for Alliance and Horde

Aqu’sirr – The deeps hide many powerful secrets lost to time. A master of these waters, Lord Stormsong calls upon one of these creatures of myth to defend the sacred shrine.

Tidesage Council – Brother Ironhull and Galecaller Faye use their power to bless the Kul Tiran ships and ensure their fleet remains unmatched on the seas.

Lord Stormsong – Master of House Stormsong, Lord Stormsong leads the tidesages in tehri oceanic blessigns and ways. However, not all is as it seems. . . .

Vol’zith the Whisperer – Sent by Queen Azshara to subvert the tidesages, Vol’zith whispers promises of power to those willing to listen.

There’s a long road to take through this beautiful but treacherous land. Bringing House Stormsong back into the fold and freeing the Kul Tiran fleet are paramount to defending the kingdom against the Horde's incursion. Those brave enough to explore Stormsong Valley's vast coastlines will meet a brave, noble people who embrace the land they live in and the bountiful sea they so love.

When you’re ready to go beyond the lands of Stormsong Valley, the stygian hills of Drustvar await to the southwest, and to the southeast lies the capital of Kul Tiras, Tiragarde Sound.

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