Tinker Cow

Whats the best profession out there? Well, everyone has an opinion of their own. But whats the profession thats most fun! Without a doubt, everyone will agree that its Engineering! [Gnomish Army Knife]!! Think tinker, tinker thinks.

Remember the times when you were wandering in shimmering flats and a Rocket Car just zip past. I was like wow, someday I am going to be an engineer. Apparently I was a blacksmith(thats one of the best profession for a tank),  a sub par blacksmith. I was lazy to farm early level ores and materials to level past 300, and I do not have the gold to buy them from AH either. Rather than leaving it there useless to take up a profession slot, I decided to drop it for engineering as a tinker cow!

I had previous experience as an engineer before during BC and I am prepared for more fun stuff in WotLK. I remember the devilish [Gnomish Death Ray] I always used in BGs when I was at my early levels, the ever so powerful [Gnomish Battle Chicken] and the [Gnomish Shrink Ray] together with [World Enlarger].

This time, however, I chose a different path for a more destructive fun - The goblin specialization. Goblins are known for their explosive nature and gadgets they make are sure to deal awesome damage, either to your enemies or to you.  Farming I did, thorium was a pain to mine and adamantite was a nightmare, though not as dreadful as what blacksmithing requires. Made lots of [Explosive Sheep], [White Smoke Flare] and [Box of Bombs]. Within 1 week, I reached 450, and I just spent about 500g. I know more gold will be spent on making fun epic gadgets at max level, thus I farmed more than I needed.

First thing I will make is of course the copter! [Turbo-Charged Flying Machine] that is, dream flight ride for an engineer. Second on the list, [Wormhole Generator: Northrend], engineer's version of a mage portal, fixed to Northrend but more specified to zones. This is one of the most useful gadgets I had, almost equivalent to another hearthstone. Next will be [Jeeves] the combat butler! Ok I added in the combat myself , because I seriously wanted the butler to be able to fight by my side while he lasted. Nevertheless, hes a cool piece of metal for repairs, reagents and bank for me! Hes especially popular with the guild since we started raiding =)

Of course theres many other fun and useful gadgets, like [MOLL-E] the portable mail-box and the classic [Goblin Rocket Launcher]. But the new arrival for engineering in WotLK is tinker! Enchanting specially for engineers only. Tinker allows us to add enhancements or fun arsenal onto our gears, like changing your cloak to a parachute [Flexweave Underlay] , mounting a pyro rocket on your gloves [Hand-Mounted Pyro Rocket] and adding an unlimited supply of bombs to your belt! [Frag Belt] Now I feel like I am Ironman! If they can just add in a jet pack, engineers can become the superheroes of Azeroth.

Last Haha

Another day in WoW, another dailies trip at Niffelem, I was flying around the giant icicles forming Niffelem just trying to earn some repair fees. Been slacking around all day, doing random dailies and heroics, and trying my luck for raids by setting some LFGs. This time i was in the Hibernal Cave hunting some oil to polish Hodir's helmet (seriously the frost giants need to start moving a lil, these quest items are just few feets away from them, sometimes i wonder if they are really frozen), my messenger lit up with a PM for 25man Naxx. Hey, not like you will get a 25man invite every so often, and I was asked to go as DPS.

Well, I admit I did hesitate for a moment, 25man PUGs dont often end in a good light and they often dig away some gold in your pocket. But since I have got nothing better to do, I might as well join and who knows I might get some good loots. Summon came and I was in the room of the 4 horsemen. Great, I joined at a boss fight where most PUG wipes, didnt expect much, didnt care much, and it started.

First try, a wipe.. not surprising.. Second try, amazingly we got it, with half the raid down of course.

Armageddon didnt drop, there goes my DPS weapon. 1 more quarter to go before reaching Kel Thuzad, and I am definitely not seeing this to get through, considering Thaddius was inbetween. After many random wipes and dramas (Ok, I am going to elaborate on this drama at Thaddius, a pally on the horde's top guild was accusing a warlock of failing at position. Well the quarrel got flared up and eventually the pally was kicked. This drama was probably why I got my Last Laugh), we ended up at Kel Thuzad.



So, apparently I caught some lag spike halfway through the fight and died to shadow fissure. Good thing about 25man is that theres still half the raid when another half died, and most of the time they can make it through, and this time they did. Took a glimpse at the loot, only Last Laugh caught my eye, my heart skipped a beat, I took a step back and waited for the call to roll.

/roll for a 71, held my breath, nobody roll... DK tank rolled 17, pally tank rolled 14 (I think they purposely wanted to win me, they had better weapons?). You recieved loot: [Last Laugh]. Hey, I got the best tanking weapon before 3.1 (Feel sucky after saying that).

Its easier to take screenies out of raid =D

Return of the Bitch

One must say that Onyxia is one lucky bitch since Naxxramas to be upgraded to lvl 80. Shes been kinda lonely since BC came out and must has missed adventurers crying more dots on her. What more can be said about this daughter of Deathwing, who had carved out an epic storyline on her own through her amazing skills of manipulation and disguise. She was once known as Lady Katrana Prestor, the lady npc standing next to our beloved child king in Stormwind. Plotting to manipulate the Alliance through politics by kidnapping the King of Stormwind, she succeeded in gaining power over state affairs until we exposed her evil deeds and banished her from Stormwind.

Ever since then, she had been quiet in her lair until Blizzard decided to bring her back to glory in celebration of the 5 year anniversary. New adventurers are lucky to meet this old broodmother from pre-bc and helped themselves to her epic loots. Im happy I did the chain quests of her story when I was in alliance years ago, I get to know more about her and eventually chased her out of Stormwind (It was a grand event where you need to walk through streets of Stormwind to get to her).

And recently I have joined in the adventure to meet her again, good thing its puggable now, rather than LF39M. The group consists of 3 mages and another ranged which i forgot, so theres plenty of ranged DPS there. Someone then proposed a fast way of doing the fight, considering the DPS was good from the trash mobs. The ranged DPS will be positioned in the center of the room and Bloodlust will be popped upon Onyxia reaching 65% and walking south to take flight. DPS will then pop all their CDs and burn her while shes walking.

Well, at first I wasnt sure of this tactic but it seems workable after looking at the DPS meter, so lets try this out, after all I m a tank and who doesnt want to skip P2 fast. So the fight began and the tactic was carried out, and when Onyxia starts to take flight, she was already passed 50%, which was quite awesome. The ranged continued DPSing her while we 2 tanks picked up the whelps. I think 1 mage or 2 helped to take the whelps down through AOE then went back to DPSing Onyxia. A few secs after the whelps died, Onyxia was already approaching 40% and the first guard spawned. OT picked the guard up and Onyxia was down with me picking her up. The raid then proceeded to kill the guard and some more random whelps and all was well and easy til Onyxia was dead.

I was impressed by the DPS output and theres another achievement in store for us - [She Deep Breaths More], because she didnt get a chance to do that lol. Overall it was a new and fun experience with Onyxia again and I hope Blizzard can bring back more.. I seriously need some screenshots.. Tanks are bad screenshoters damn..

Icicles keep falling on my head, they keep falling

Once upon a time the Titans created Watchers who were entrusted the job of guarding and protecting over the prison of old god, Yogg-Saron. The prison as we know it as Ulduar, has been opened by curious explorers and adventurers so as to provide us with new raid content(they always do so). Hodir apparently once stayed at Temple of Winter in Storm Peaks but has since moved to Veil of Winter in Ulduar probably due to influence from Yogg-Saron, where he had frozen some stupid NPCs who thought that 4man Hodir was a good idea.

So what really is Hodir, is he a Titan or just a Titan construct or a frost giant granted powers by the Titans? Quests and current lores point towards the latter, as with his other companions in Ulduar (Freya, Thorim and Mimiron). The so called keepers of Ulduar were somewhat powerful inhabitants of Storm Peaks long ago.

As usual with most god-like beings in Azeroth, they have a fan base of loyal followers dedicated to serving them and in this case the Sons of Hodir. They are a bunch of frost giants in the south eastern part of Storm Peaks residing in their safe haven called Niffilem, with King Jokkum at the helm because his dad was somehow frozen but still craves for giant worms(we poor soul got to get worms for him)[Feeding Arngrim]. If you have gone through the long chain quests, you would have known that there was a conflict between Loken and Thorim and Hodir, but the plot most probably started with Loken trying to stir things up. You will start with helping Thorim's supporters (Vrykuls) and eventually leads to the Sons of Hodir, and lastly resolved the issue between Thorim and them.

If you think about it, you have helped Thorim to get back his hammer from Sons of Hodir, so as to defeat him in Ulduar and get it xD. Even more bewildering, its a tanking weapon? [Legacy of Thunder]

Now back to Hodir, he wasnt quite around during the conflict and we dont know where he went to, probably hes fighting the 4 NPCs in Ulduar. Meanwhile, we adventurers are forced to please his fans by helping to polish his helmet[Polishing the Helm], and take part in his favourite pastime of killing wild wyrms[Thrusting Hodir's Spear]. After helping to keep his gears in perfect state, we will then face him in Ulduar where we will get our revenge from all the hard work he made us do just to get their famous shoulder inscriptions.

First Post

First post of the day!!! Anyone who wish to be editor of this blog section, pls tell me!!
Hearthstone