Scenes from Azeroth

Well, having ironed out my personal life issues, I started playing again on September 7th, 2009. All my characters had gone on permanent vacations or joined monastic orders or other such disappearing acts, so I started over...with another Undead Warrior named Tsurii (musta' been a relative or some such). On December 27th, 2009, I dinged 80. More about how I did that at a later date. For now, it's picture time!

Standing outside the dark portal...again...

I think I'm wearing her down...But why is her horse so much bigger than mine?

My first Epic Flyer; dropped for me in heroic Culling of Strat (in case you didn't know). His name is Mr. Blonde.

And here's Tsurii now, in all his facerolling Arms-specced glory. Yes, that is, in fact, the Tyrannical Beheader, probably the 3rd best 2h axe in the game. Ratters is probably jealous.

OK, enough for now. I'll figure out what exploits to put in here tomorrow. For now, hit hard and loot phat, peoples.

Remembrancer

Remembrancer is coming

Watch this space...

Kusamoto's Last Stand

So I jump on to BRK today, and I see his post from Saturday. To say I was shocked was an understatement. BRK? The BRK? Quitting the game? No way! Well, at least my wife and kid are OK with me playing this game.

Aren't they?

So I thought about it. Then I thought about it some more. Then I realized I haven't finished three of the writing projects I have been trying to work on for the better part of a year, my kid is always angry these days for some reason, I don't sleep very well, I'm irritable all the time...

And all because of this fucking game. Well, maybe not all. But a big part.

So I got home this evening, canceled my account, deleted all my characteres, and feel I am a better person because of it.

So I leave you now. This blog shall remain open for a time, but I will be officially disbanding the army and heading back to my old battlefield full-time. Those of you who have my email, email me. Those of you I see on thelionclan.com, you'll absolutely still see me there. Those of you I have enjoyed reading, and I hope you have likewise enjoyed reading here, I wish you luck, happiness, and most of all, victory. And as a parting gift, I give you the words of one of America's most distinguished leaders...

"The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished - tone and tints. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen then, but with thirsty ear, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll.

Today marks my final roll call with you. But I want you to know that when I cross the river, my last conscious thoughts will be of the Corps, and the Corps, and the Corps.

I bid you farewell." -Gen. Douglas MacArthur

It's the song of the day + My very first tag!

So I was filling out my NCAA bracket and this song came to me. I blame Megs. Enjoy!

The Great Lament of the Newbie Raider (as sung to the music from "One Shining Moment"):

*Intro music sung by the Thunder Bluff Phlegmatical Chorus...cleanup crew courtesy of Undercity Waste Management*

The purples drop
There you go
You’re “need”ing for your life
But DKP blows
Another raid
Has come and passed
Still in quest blues
Murlocs can kick your ass
(but with) One shining epic
The things we could do
One shining epic
To prove we’re not n00bs

But the raid is long
The loot so-so
Stupid Grobb
Tore you a new hole
No party wipes
Just your toon in shreds
Your “friends” all laugh
And jump on your head
(just) One shining epic
I’d sell my first born
One shining epic
No seriously…I’m really not torn

Feel the blaze of the screen
Feel the wind from heat sinks
“Ugh, Malygos again?”
Stomped fast as you can blink…

*Hammer dulcimer, banjo, and bagpipe solo*

And while you’re pwned
Your head you’ll bash
When you hear, “[Red Sword of Courage]??!
Man, shard that tank trash!”
(aarrgghhh!!!!) One shining epic
Not 4, 9, or 3
One shining epic, you QQ…
(please) One shining epic
Guess we’ll go PvP (zing!)
One shining epiiiiiiiiic…

Tagging time...
Ratters, Darraxus, Jed (yes, you, Nakama), Dechion, and, of course, Megs from /oom. Take your favorite uplifting sports-type tune, do terrible WoW-related things to it, and post it for the world to experience...ciao for now.

If it Looks Like a Tank, Walks Like a Tank, Holds Aggro Like a Tank...

So in celebration of dinging 72, here's a quick photo op in UC with my new gear.

In addition to the Tundra Pauldrons, Boots of the Unbowed Protector, and Disturbing Giant Gauntlets, I picked up a Cobalt Helm for cheap tanking fun, tossed a bunch of Borean Armor Kits over everything that a guildie was nice enough to ship me, and finally got my Fiery on for the Iron Grip Shortsword of the Champion. My DEF is sitting at 429 (ok, not great...but better), STA is over 1k, armor at 14.3k, and health at 15.2k. All in all, we're coming along.

Although Tsuri hasn't been too thrilled with the quest choices lately...

Weekend Update

Raids/Dungeons

Ran both Drak'Thalon and Utgarde Keep this weekend, which was a good time. I did quite a bit of boss tanking in UK and off-tanked the rest of the time. I think I'm getting better at it; we didn't wipe in either instance and manhandled UK. Got some kickin' quest rewards from UK, in particular, as well as some shoulders and gloves for my budding DPS set.

Leveling

I'm less than a bar from 72 after running almost all the Borean Tundra quest chains and starting on Howling Fjord. The Wyrmrest Accord catch-a-drake daily and the Walrusman "we need food" dailies pile on the XP and are a guaranteed 40k every day.

Professions

Just hit 400 mining last night, blacksmithing is still lagging at 310. However, I'm now a GrandMaster EMT with 405 in First Aid.

Random

Vengeance is mine!

Nexus Run

Quick update (and since it's from work, no pics...sorry)...

Finally got to run my first Northrend instance last night, regular Nexus. I think this was one of the more fun instances I've run so far, even if it started out with bad vibrations. Lemme' splain...

So the more experienced guildie who had offered to run me through shoots me an IM asking if I'm good to go. I say sure, ready to tank whenever she's ready. After a few questions (such as "what's your def at?" which, at the time was 378...so not good), she says that someone else should tank instead; at which point I'm thinking, "fantastic...what precisely am I going to do other than get in the way?" I mean I leveled Tsuri as protection all the way from level 12 on. DPS? What's that? And is it my fault that everything I picked up in Outlands and the greens from BT were all pally plate? It's what the game gave me, man.

Well, I stomp on my pride, stick on the helm of nose-smushyness, and accept the summons, pretty much accepting that we're going to wipe a lot because we'll be effectively a man down for the instance, since everyone else is 73 or higher and I have no clue how to do anything other than draw aggro.

In retrospect, I needn't have worried. The DK tank was very good, the healing was awesome, and I discovered that I can actually do quite a bit of damage when pressed into a DPS role (I hit a couple of crits for over 2k on Revenge and HS). The fact that I was tossing 5 sunders on the minibosses I'm sure helped, but the rest of the guildies having a cohesive plan of attack and experience with the dungeon was the difference. Our only wipe was on Keristraza just as we killed her, and it wasn't even a full party wipe. I probably wouldn't have wiped, either, if I had realized the whole "you have to keep moving" bit meant jumping in place right next to the MT. I was even able to draw Keri's aggro on to me to fuel the Revenge+Devastate+Shield Bash+HS idocy.

So what started out as dissappointment quickly turned really fun. I'm certain I made a ton of noobish mistakes, but it made me feel better that the MT made a few, as well (she typically plays DPS or healer alts, and very well, but has only tanked a little, apparently...still really good, though). I was even able to pick up some DPS shoulders in addition to the absolutely badass tank gear quest rewards. The Tundra Pauldrons, in particular, are amazing good.

It was actually kind of refreshing to not have to stress about watching out for everyone else, checking mana pools, seeing who I needed to Intercept to keep alive...and I'm glad experienced people were running the show. I would have been sooooo lost in there.

Things to remember for next time:

• Vigilance on the healer for boss fights.
• Abuse defensive Charge to keep the hate flowing through me.
• Commanding Shout to buff the party before the last battle.
• TRINKETS DUMMY! You picked up all those +HP trinkets for a reason!

Pics of the new hotness later this evening...