Top 5 - Best Types of Players in Classic

Hey dudes - Silvite Soltis here, back again with another Top 5 post!

Recently, I shared my thoughts on what the worst types of players in Classic are. As expected, it ruffled some feathers and got some discussions going in my YouTube comments and over on Reddit. Well today, I want to shift back to a more positive mindset with a Top 5 of just the opposite. So, let's dust off those old Good Guy Greg memes, because today we're going to discuss what I feel are the Top 5 Best Types of Players in Classic.

#5 - Tanks who know how to mark AND pull efficiently

Tanks!

Starting off our list here is the only entry that is solely based on player performance. In general, tanks are a godsend to most dungeon groups, but as I'm sure we all know, not every tank is the best at setting up marks or pulling efficiently. Sometimes they dawdle waiting for everyone's mana, or simply don't mark any kill targets for the group to follow. They may pull too many mobs at once and expect the entire group to simply AoE everything without giving any notice to the actual group composition.

So, when your group has a tank that can mark and pull mobs on the fly, you know you're in for a good time! When healers sit to drink immediately after one pack dies, the next group is already marked and ready to be slain. You glide through the dungeon like a hot knife through butter. And for dungeoneering, there's no better feeling than that.

#4 - Players who share mining nodes

Iron Deposit

As you may recall from my most recent Top 5, I included Node Ninjas and Nazis - those players that either snipe a node from directly underneath you, or harass you for getting to it first. Well, here at number 4 we have just the opposite - the players who share the nodes they get to with others.

Now, I know this isn't all that common at endgame - especially with Arcane Crystals being so damn valuable, but when someone else gets to an Iron node first, but still lets you have a tap at it for a skill up (or just to spread the wealth), it feels really damn nice. And by the same token, guys who round robin roll for nodes in dungeons or raids are pretty great as well.

#3 - Guys who park their warlock(s) in various world buff locations before raid.

Summoning Portal

Picture this. It's raid night, but you've been stuck working overtime for the past 3 days. You haven't gotten any world buffs and you feel bad about not being able to get even a single one. You log on 30 minutes before raid to get your invite when suddenly you see this in guild chat:

"Type 1 for a summons to ZG island!"

Yes, at number 3 we have one of the godsends of my guild - the guys who park their warlock in world buff locations before raid. These guys are just awesome! Though I personally don't enjoy the current meta of "get as many world buffs as you can before every raid or else you suck," I definitely appreciate the effort that these guys go through to make sure that the whole raid team can get that extra edge on the big day each week.

(Quick shoutout to my guildies, Sarcophagus, Abalam, and Thaelrax. You guys rock! ^_^)

#2 - DPS who is ready to tank/heal

Sometimes, you gotta drop Shadowform

You're spamming LFG for 20 minutes. The group is getting restless.

"LF1M ZF. Need tank!"

Suddenly, you get a whisper!

"Yo, I'm fury, but I can throw on a shield and tank it if you want."

Your group is saved!

Yes at number 2, we have one of the greatest players you'll ever encounter in WoW Classic - the DPS player who is ready to bite the bullet and tank or heal for a group even though they never intended to in the first place. These guys are awesome and I'm sure we all really appreciate it when they step up.

But it goes even beyond that, because from time to time in our dungeons and raids, we have tanks or healers die. When that happens, players like these again step up to the front lines and try to fill the void left by the rotting corpse of their party member. By offtanking or healing for the group when things start to go awry, they prevent wipes and keep the run on the rails. Truly, they're the heroes we need, but don't deserve.



So, there are four of the most wonderful types of players in Classic. Before we get to my number 1, however, I wanted to just list a few honorable mentions...

Honorable Mentions

HM #1 - Players who pass on upgrades for the good of the team

When you could get an upgrade, but pass it to someone that could use it more so that your team can make better progress, you're a really nice guy. Just don't do it TOO much! ;)

HM #2 - Guild leaders who listen to their members' concerns

Awesome when you have it, terrible when you don't, but really SHOULD be in every guild.

HM #3 - Posture/Hydration Check Guys

I appreciate you! :)

#1 - High level players who help with lowbie quests/dungeons just to be nice

Picture the scenario:

"I have come to help you, noob!"

You're almost done questing in a zone and all that remains are three quest in an elite area. You can't solo the quests, but you can't find anyone else that needs to do them either. The reward for one of them is really great, so you don't want to abandon them either. Desperately, you post once more in LookingForGroup chat to see if anyone that needs it has logged on. Then you get the best response you could ask for - a high level character passing through the area offers to help.

You smash through the quests, destroying all mobs in your path. He checks occasionally to see what you still need to finish and within about ten minutes you've finally completed the zone you've been working on for so long. Grateful, you offer this stranger what little gold you can - as a reward for helping you. He declines, saying that he just likes helping people out and hopes to see you at endgame. Then he mounts up and rides off into the sunset.

Yes finally, at number 1 we have my absolute favorite type of player in all of World of Warcraft: Classic - the high level players who help with lowbie quests and dungeons just to be nice. I'm sure we've all experienced this at one point or another in our leveling journey - whether as the noob or as the veteran. These are the guys who will stop to help you kill mobs as they run around collecting herbs, join your dungeon group because they're bored, or even run all the way to you from halfway across the world to help beat up some tough demon because someone helped them with it back in the day.

Recently in Classic, boosting has really become the meta for leveling. And as you may remember from my last Top 5, I really detest this type of pay-to-win play. That said, when a high level player takes time out of their gold farming or dungeoneering to help out lowbies - especially strangers - in their quests or dungeons just because they want to be nice, that's awesome. And so, while all of the types of players mentioned in this list are golden, I think these helpers are the best type of player in Classic.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it - my personal thoughts on the best types of players in WoW Classic. As I've mentioned before, there's a lot of ways to play the game, and so long as you enjoy your playstyle and don't cause grief to others, there's no "best" way to do it. This list was purely my opinion. But I'd like to know what you think - do you agree with my top 5? Are there other types of players you think I should've included? What do YOU think are the best types of Players in Classic? Let me know by leaving a comment down below!

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this list or found it interesting, then add yourself to my mailing list below so that you get notified when I make new content like this in the future. Follow me over on Twitter for updates as well, and consider checking out my YouTube channel where I upload video versions of all content like this after publishing. Finally, if you'd like to see any particular Classic or TBC content going forward in the future, then post a suggestion in the comments below as well, as I love exploring ideas suggested by readers like you. In any case, thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Worst Types of Players in Classic

Hey dudes - Silvite Soltis here and today, I'm back with another Top 5 post! Man, it's been a while, huh?

Do you know what really grinds my gears? When people play Classic in certain, toxic ways that sour the experience for the rest of us. They're out in the world, they're in your dungeons and raid groups, and they're tainting Classic's glory with their awful actions. So, even though I typically enjoy making positive Top 5 posts and videos (such as my Top 5 Tier Sets video here), I thought that this time, it might be fun to vent a bit with a bit of a Worst 5 instead - to let out some of the frustration that I've been feeling in Classic recently.

I hope you enjoy. If you do, let me know by adding yourself to my mailing list and leaving a comment down below telling me which types of players you think are the worst in Classic. I'd love to hear your opinions too! But without further ado, let's get right into it!


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#5 - Guys Who Don't Group for Kill Quests 

Groups make the game more fun for EVERYONE!

We've all been there. You're doing a quest, but someone else is there killing all the mobs. You try to invite them to a group, but no matter how many times you try they simply refuse to accept your invitation. Yes, here at number 5 we have the guys who don't group up for kill quests...

Look, I get it; grinding mobs grants decent experience. It's a staple of any MMORPG to be honest! But if all of the quest mobs in an area are being fought over by individuals that refuse to group up, it takes everyone more time to finish the quest! Just bite the bullet and group up for the love of God!

Oh, and if you're the kind of person who refuses to group up when killing a named quest mob (such as the Defias Messenger), you're evil. And there's a special place in hell for you...

#4 - DPS Who Only Care About Parses

Sums it up pretty well...

Raid Leader: "So...who pulled aggro on Onyxia right from the start?"

Rogue: ...............


This is a huge peeve of mine - dps players who only care about doing big numbers to look good on Warcraft Logs. You know these guys - they ignore mechanics, pull aggro constantly, and are the first to post in your discord channel about their 95% parse on a fight that you nearly (or repeatedly) wiped on.

To be clear, I'm not knocking players who work their butts off to dps well. Far from it! I'm all for people doing their best to beat the big bad boss at hand. But when parsing well is the only thing that matters to you, it's a problem. And while this type of player has always existed in MMORPGs, it seems more prevalent now more than ever, which is really unfortunate in my opinion.

#3 - Node Ninjas and Nazis

Screw these guys...

Have you ever fought your way to a mining node, only to have someone run up and swipe if from right underneath your feet as you finish off the enemy? Or have you ever picked a Black Lotus, then been harassed by some random guy for a week after the fact about how you "stole" the herb in his farming route?

Well, as you probably guessed, these Node Ninjas and Nazis are next up in my list of crappy WoW Classic players. The Node Ninja, as I call them, sneak up and grab valuable herbs, veins, and treasure chests that are just a bit too close to enemies that need to be defeated first - typically Rich Thorium Veins and Black Lotus. And while these are most definitely terrible people, they pale in comparison to the other guys.

Recently, a guildmate of mine was farming mobs in some cave where Rich Thorium Veins spawn, hoping to get lucky with a few nodes along the way. When he managed to get a single node, another player began harassing him - saying that he was "invading his turf" or something like that. For the next two weeks, this guy whispered a bunch of people in our guild and threatened to get members of our guild banned if we didn't tell him the character's main. Naturally, we all reported him for harassment.

The really sad part about this is, it's not an isolated incident. There are TONS of people out in the open world who seem to genuinely believe that just because they're farming in a certain area that ALL of the nodes that spawn are theirs. And they will happily waste hours of their time shouting at you for being in their "spot" rather than dare to think of the game as a multiplayer experience. So yeah, these Node Nazis are definitely a bunch of lifeless jerks, in my opinion.

#2 - Botters and Hackers

Type "/who Stratholme 60" and you'll see...

BEEP...BOOP.... 

RUNSCRIPT STRAT LIVE ORB RUN...

BEEP. BEEP. . .

ENGAGE TARGET...

CAST BLIZZARD RANK 1...

CAST FROST NOVA...

CAST BLIZZARD RANK 6...

BEEP BOOP....

LOOT ENEMY TARGETS...

You know I had to mention these guys. At number 2, we have the botters and hackers that completely had, until very recently, wreaked utter havoc on the economy of most WoW Classic servers. They're farming mobs in the Hinterlands and Tanaris, they're in Stratholme constantly farming Righteous Orbs, and they are constantly in LFG chat spamming to sell boost runs. Seriously, screw these guys.

Thankfully, Blizzard has recently started taking action against these cheaters, but there's still a lot to be done - especially on servers that aren't locked to new characters yet. So, since I'm sure no one that actually plays the game has anything positive to say about bots, let's keep reporting them as we see them. After all, they're breaching the Terms of Service, and we all want to actually have a stable economy, don't we?

So yeah, bots and hackers are bad. But I'm willing to say that there's one type of player in Classic that's even worse...

Dishonorable Mentions

Before we get to my number 1, however, I'd just like to take a minute to mention a few more players that I just can't stand...

Multi-Boxers

Multiboxing...Ugh...

Though there are some genuine good players who multi-box, they are few and far between. Generally, when I see or group with someone multi-boxing, they are playing their characters less effectively and seem to think that they are entitled to more loot because they're "contributing more".

Ninja Looters

A classic for Classic. Ninja looters are awful, but luckily they seem to be less common these days than they were back when no one knew what they were doing.

Diamond-Flask Warriors (who roll on healer gear)

Just...what the hell are you guys even doing?

#1 - Boosters - Both Buyers and Sellers

Mara 1 Pull - Why not just do the dungeon?

And finally, to wrap up my list, I have just one thing to say:

I. Hate. Boosters.

Whether it's buying or selling, I can't stand seeing LookingForGroup chat filled to the brim with crap like this:

"WTS ZG BOOST. 19 PACKS, 50K EXP PER HOUR. 20G PER RUN."
"WTS MARA 1 PULL. 10G PER SPOT."
"WTB STOCKS BOOST. PAYING 3G PER RUN."


Though boosting is something that has existed since the beginning of World of Warcraft back in 2004, it has become THE way to level nowadays. Gone are the days of leveling an alt through questing, finding dungeon groups for SM, and grinding mobs in the Hinterlands. Now, we all buy boosts and basically play the game half AFK like it's BFA or something...

Look, I get why it's appealing - server economies are in shambles with hyper-inflated items and people have tons more gold than ever before. Not everyone has the time, or desire, to level up the old fashioned way. But because boosting has become so prevalent throughout all of Classic, it's getting harder and harder to find dungeon groups to do content the old fashioned way. What's worse, since many of the players selling boosts are gold farmers or their botting programs, players buying the boosts from them are only contributing to that problem! And, if you're one of the people that right-click report every boosting advertisement you see because you think it's a bot, there's a good chance that some people who actually learned the techniques will get swept up in future banwaves as well. It just sucks...

Unfortunately, though, boosting is 100% legitimate, as there's no rule against that behavior. So, unlike botting and hacking, Blizzard won't do anything about it. It's sad to me to see the massive shift in player mindset and behavior, as I would like nothing more than for everyone to play the game as it was meant to be played - fighting together to defeat baddies and grow stronger as a result. But since the meta has shifted so much, I guess I'll have to wait until TBC Classic to fully enjoy leveling again...

Or I can just go shoot things on my hunter, since leveling solo is smooth and I don't need to worry about finding groups ever. I guess that works too.

Final Thoughts

So yeah, there you have it: my Top 5 Worst Types of Players in Classic. Obviously, there are tons of ways in which the game can be enjoyed, and everyone has their own style. But to me, these are most definitely the wrong way. However, I'd like to know what you think. Did I forget anything? What types of players do you absolutely hate? What actions really grind your gears? Let me know by leaving a comment down below!

Anyway, that's it for me today. If you liked this post or found it interesting, then add yourself to my mailing list below! Follow me over on Twitter for updates as well, and consider checking out my videos over on YouTube for video versions of all of my content as well. Finally, leave a comment down below letting me know what Top 5 you think I should do next, as I'd love to explore your suggestions! In any case, thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Playable Races of TBC

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. And today I'm back with another Top 5 post!

As we all know, The Burning Crusade brought with it some amazing new features - new zones, professions, and even flying mounts. But as you might remember, one of the most anticipated additions to the game back at the time wasn't any of these changes, but rather the addition of two new races - the Blood Elves and the Draenei. The addition of these two races brought the total number of playable races in Azeroth up to 10, and also gave access to Paladins and Shamans to Horde and Alliance, respectively. It was a big change.

So, since we're all getting hyped about the eventual Classic TBC release, and we'll have 10 races to choose from with this shift, I thought it might be fun to explore what playable races I think are the coolest in The Burning Crusade. Before getting started though, make sure you add yourself to my mailing list below and consider following me over on Twitter, so you don't miss out on content like this in the future. Also, I'd just like to say that this list is entirely my opinion, and it's not really based on any race/class combinations, or anything like that, but rather looks, lore, and just the general badassness I feel when I think about these fantastic races.

So yeah, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Playable Races of TBC!

#5 -  Night Elves

Night Elves

Starting off my list here is the race that was my personal favorite back in Vanilla. The OG of WoW elves, the purple-skinned sexy dancing Kaldorei - the night elves.

As an avid fan of high fantasy, the night elves were the first race in WoW that really stuck out to me after I started playing. And though my first character was a human, I always loved the way of life of the night elf people - living out in trees, communing with nature, and of course, dancing on mailboxes.

In the Burning Crusade, the night elves don't do anything too spectacularly different than they did in Vanilla, but they are still the Alliance's only druid race. And considering the major buffs that druids got to their tanking and dpsing in TBC, it's definitely safe to say that you'll see a lot more of them in the expansion's re-release than we do now in Classic.

So yeah. night elves are pretty awesome. And for that reason, I put them up here at number 5.

#4 - Orcs 

Orc

Alright, I have to come clean - I never really liked orcs before Classic. They're big, bulky rage-monsters that I imagine smell like kodo-dung. BUT in the Burning Crusade, we get to travel to their homeworld of Draenor to learn of their origins. And man, that really makes a difference to me. Running across the plains of Nagrand, meeting Garrosh, son of the legendary Grom Hellscream, and uncovering the story of the Mag'har was one of the coolest bits of lore to me personally playing TBC back in the day. And now that I've leveled an orc shaman in Classic, it seems all that much cooler.

For players, orcs still have some of the strongest racials in the game as well - beneficial for tanking and melee dps in particular, but also PVP situations for those who enjoy that content. Furthermore, male orcs get to dance like MC Hammer, which is always entertaining to see. So, though I didn't really like these big green guys a lot when I was younger, I can definitely say that they've grown on me. And so, I've put them up here at number 4.

#3 - Dwarfs

Dwarf

"Interest ya in a pint?" Possibly my all-time favorite fantasy race, the dwarfs take my number 3 spot for the Burning Crusade. Though they don't really have any changes whatsoever in terms of lore and racials compared to Classic, the simple fact of the matter is that I love these little drunkards. They've got kick-ass beards, love beer (like me), and look so damn funny when they run.

It's pretty well-known that I'm planning on making my dwarf prot paladin my main come Classic TBC. And though we don't know exactly how Blizzard will handle the transition, I'm fairly confident that I'll have a good time running around with a 4-foot-tall holy warrior decked out in Justicar Armor come December 2021.

So yeah, dwarfs are my number 3. And I'll drink to that!

#2 - Blood Elves

Blood Elves

Alright, here we go - one of the races that I'm sure EVERYONE expected to see here. The blood elves, also known as Sin'dorei, are the first "pretty" race that the Horde got. And while many Alliance players were upset back in the day at the treachery of the former high elves, I think it's fair to say that they were just jealous...and for good reason!

The introduction of blood elves in The Burning Crusade provides the Horde with their very own Paladins - which have solid dps, great AoE tanking, awesome tank healing, and, most importantly, blessings! No longer do the dps classes of the Horde need to hold back their damage for fear of pulling aggro from the tank! It's really a dream come true.

Moreover, these beautiful elves also provide unparalleled fabulousity to the Horde as well - with their long elegant locks, deep green eyes, and silly jokes about addiction - they really raise the property value of Orgrimmar with their presence within the city limits. Plus, they have, arguably, some of the best racials in the game for TBC - with a racial silence, a mana-tap, and the ability to ride Chocobos! What's not to love?

But that's not all! Lore-wise, the Blood Elves have an epic backstory full of adversity, betrayal, and a search for their place in the world. And though we can play the protagonist faction of blood elves, led by Lor'themar Theron, there's a whole other faction of this race that's loyal to one of the main antagonists of the expansion as well - Kael'Thas's blood elf army. It's actually hard for me to think of another race in this expansion that has such depth of lore. And it's for all these reasons that I think blood elves are the 2nd coolest playable race in TBC. However, there's one more race that I think is just a bit more awesome...

Honorable Mention - Trolls

Before getting to the number 1 spot, I just want to give a quick shoutout to all the trolls. Having mained a troll priest thus far in Classic, I feel obligated to mention how much I love this race. There's basically no change for them in TBC though. And so, though I like them (and would likely have placed them as number 6 if this were a top 10 list), they just barely missed a spot. Sorry Classic Silvite...

#1 - Draenei

Draenei

Two words: Butt. Waggle.

Yes, as you might have guessed, my personal favorite race in The Burning Crusade, and all of Warcraft actually, is the squid-faced blue aliens that hail from the planet Argus. The draenei, formerly known as Eredar, are a race that has faced greater trials and tribulations than probably any other playable race in the Warcraft lore - having been the first to defy the Burning Legion and losing their home not once, but twice. But just like Chumbawamba, no matter how many times the draenei get knocked down, they get back up again. And in TBC, they end up joining the Alliance in their fight against the Burning Legion...and the Horde, of course.

Similar to the blood elves, the draenei bring a new class to the Alliance - shamans. And because of this, the two factions become more balanced than ever. This means that the Alliance gains access to the great totem buffs such as Windfury and Mana Tide - amazing boons to any raid team! And though I would definitely argue that the Horde gaining access to paladins is definitely a greater boost to their raids overall, there's one last thing that the fabulous elves just can't compete with, in my opinion...

The looks.

Throughout Classic, the Horde had access to massive towering behemoths for their characters. What's more, all of the Horde races were unique from each other - green orcs, tall lanky trolls, actual zombies, and the grass-fed tauren. Sure, they were all hunched over, but they were different. The Alliance, on the other hand, had purple elves, and then three slightly different heights of what were essentially humans - visually anyway.

But in TBC, this all changes. Finally, the Alliance gets a massive blue blob - the male draenei. And though it's cool as hell to watch these beasts do their work, it's even better when they dance. The Tunak Tunak Tun dance has got to be my personal favorite in the game.

The female draenei are great too, though. Despite their considerably smaller size, they still manage to look badass when tanking, healing, or dealing damage. Though, I must admit, my favorite part of the female draenei is probably their dance as well. Like I said...dat butt waggle.

So yeah, with an epic backstory, a big tanky type male model, hilarious jokes, awesome dances, and more, I 100% believe that the draenei are the greatest playable race in The Burning Crusade. And I can't wait to roll one come Classic TBC...

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it - my top 5 playable races of The Burning Crusade. Honestly, every race has its perks - whether it's their racials, looks, or race/class combination, but as far as I'm concerned, these are the best ones. However, I'd love to know what you think? Do you just LOVE your undead? Maybe female tauren are your thing? Whatever you like, let me know by leaving a comment down below. If you'd like to see more content like this in the future, add yourself to my mailing list below as well, or follow me over on Twitter, as I post updates on content regularly over there. Also consider checking out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer that content medium, as I turn all of my posts here into videos there shortly after writing them here. In any case, thanks again for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Zul'Gurub Drops

Hey dudes - Silvite Soltis here, back with another Top 5 post for your reading pleasure.

As you're all aware, Phase 4 has officially arrived - giving us all a fantastic "new" catch-up raid. And though I'm sure most of us have already beaten the Blood God Hakkar into a bloody pulp several times by now, I doubt many have collected all of the items they desire from this troll city. (Personally, I've done five runs in the past two weeks.) Given that some of the items in Zul'Gurub are so powerful compared to what's available in the likes of Molten Core and Blackwing Lair, raiders will no doubt continue to raid this place for months to come.

Zul'Gurub

So, in celebration of this (old) new content, I thought it might be fun to discuss what I feel are the best item drops one can obtain in ZG. In order to make this list interesting, however I will only include immediately equippable drops from the bosses, as certain items like the Zandalarian Hero Charm from the Heart of Hakkar quest, and the Primal Hakkari Idols used for the head and leg enchantments are simply too amazing to compare. Also, I will NOT include more than one item from Hakkar, as the final boss of a raid ALWAYS has the best loot and it would be pretty boring to just list off his loot table. Finally, I can't stress enough that this Top 5 list is entirely my opinion, so feel free to share your own Top 5 ZG drops in the comments down below - and add yourself to my mailing list for good measure, if you like this and want to see other content like it. But yeah, with those disclaimers out of the way, let's get right into the list...

#5 - Zulian Tigerhide Cloak (Venoxis)

It's a great cloak!

A drop from the second boss of Zul'Gurub, the Zulian Tigerhide Cloak starts off our list with an absolute bang. This cloak is AWESOME for all physical dps classes - rogues, warriors, hunters, and more. Considering that until this point, good quality melee cloaks were pretty scarce at endgame and only one other cloak had +hit on it (the Puissant Cape from Azuregos to be specific), it's a welcome addition to just about everyone's character screen.

So yeah, even though it isn't much to look at, this cloak is awesome. And with how easily it can be obtained, it definitely deserves a spot on this list.

#4 - Thekal & Arlokk's Grasps (Thekal and Arlokk)

As if we needed another reason to eat Frosted Flakes...

Have you ever hit something so hard that you turned into a freaking tiger? No? Well now you can! The dual-fist Primal Blessing weapon set Thekal's Grasp and Arlokk's Grasp is, without a doubt, one of the coolest pair of items throughout all of Zul'Gurub, and possibly Classic itself.

These items drop from two of the High Priests that must be defeated as you progress through the raid - Thekal and Arlokk. And though their stats aren't really anything to write home about, they provide decent damage and speed for fist weapons and have an ultra-cool proc that turns you into a beefy tiger-man.

What's not to love about these weapons? They're GR-R-REAT!

#3 - Zanzil's Band & Seal (Venoxis and Bloodlord Mandokir)

Dat hit tho!

Taking the number three spot, we have the caster DPS ring set, Zanzil's Concentration. At first glance, these items seem pretty lackluster - just 11 spell damage, some intellect, and a paltry amount of Mp5. However, these rings are all about one thing - that spell hit!

When one equips both the Band and the Seal, you're looking at a whopping 3% spell hit, which puts your caster a good portion of the way toward your hit cap. And if you combine these rings with the newly introduced Bloodvine Garb crafted by tailors, you can pretty much rest assured that your spells won't be resisted, meaning bigger numbers and ever-better parses!

Honestly, all of the ZG Ring sets have their perks - lots of healing and stats on the Primalist rings, great stamina and defensives on the Overlord's Resolution, and decent hit and crit on the Seal and Band of Jin. However, the sheer amount of spell hit - the most valuable stat for caster DPS by far until hit cap - makes this particular pair of rings just that much better, in my opinion.

And that's why it's up here at number 3...

#2 - Zin'rokh, Destroyer of Worlds (Hakkar)

Just....so good!

Alright, I have to say again that ALL of Hakkar's loot is amazing, so this was hard to narrow down. However, I absolutely had to give the number 2 spot on this list to Zin'rokh. This epic 2-hander from the Blood God himself is most definitely the most iconic weapon within this troll raid - even moreso than that snake staff from the panther boss that I personally adore.

Looks-wise, it's no contest - this item is a beast. It's massive, glowy, and has jagged edges, making it all that much more intimidating when you see a warrior charging at you with it. But more than the looks, the stats this weapon boasts are insane! For an item that drops in a 20-man raid that can be pugged easily in under 2 hours, 72 attack power and a solid 3.8 weapon speed is pretty nuts. And really, the only 2-handed sword that compares to this monster is the infamous Ashkandi that drops from Nefarian in BWL. So whether you're playing a hunter or a dps warrior, you can bet you'll be excited to see this weapon drop from Hakkar's beaten-down corpse. But no matter how amazing Zin'rokh might be, it's still only number 2 on my list...

Honorable Mentions

Before we get to the number 1 spot, though, here are just a few honorable mentions:
All the other Hakkar loot (because really, it's all amazing)

Primalist Rings (because I'm a biased healer)

Nat Pagle's Fish Terminator (because seriously, it's just too funny)
Will of Arlokk (because I think it looks awesome)

#1 - Literally Everything off Jin'do

He may be trollin', but his loot isn't!

Oh! Plot twist! In sifting through all of the items in ZG, I came to realize that one boss in particular has the greatest items in the entire instance - so many awesome pieces of loot, in fact, that I couldn't choose any one of his drops for a spot. Jin'do the Hexxer, the optional second-to-last boss of Zul'Gurub, is an immensely fun encounter that provides the biggest challenge in the instance, other than perhaps Hakkar himself. And while most of us currently raiding ZG regularly can probably steamroll him with our BWL gear, he still drops some of the most amazing items in the entire raid:

First off, his epics are, quite literally, epic! Jin'do's Evil Eye and Hexxer are two of the best healer items until AQ - even outranking most BWL items! His Bag of Whammies offhand and Judgement staff offer lots of spell damage and, again, that coveted spell hit stat that all casters love. But his amazing loot table doesn't stop there, as the blues are great too: The Hexxer's Cover, Bloodstained Coif, Bloodtinged Gloves, Bloodsoaked Gauntlets (lots of Blood off this guy...), and more are all excellent items that anyone would be hard-pressed to replace anywhere other than in the highest-end raids. So, no matter what your class is - Jin'do is your man, mon!

Oh yeah, and he also drops the idol for the enchant on top of all that...so...yeah...it's pretty much no contest. Jin'do's entire loot table is definitely my number 1.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it - my Top 5 Zul'Gurub Drops. Honestly, this list was really hard to make, as ZG has so many absolutely amazing drops. And even though I sort of cheesed the number 1 spot, I think that fact only stands as a testament to how excellent this raid's loot is. Blizzard clearly learned from their itemization mistakes by the time Zul'Gurub was conceived originally, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we all appreciate it. No matter what class you play, or what content you enjoy, you can definitely get some great items here - be it gear, sets, enchants, or consumables. It's pretty great...

Anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this post and would like to see more in the future, add yourself to my mailing list below! While you're down there, leave a comment letting me know your top 5 drops in ZG as well, as I'd love to know what you think and why. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates when I release new content as well, and consider checking out my videos over on YouTube, as I eventually turn all of these posts into videos over there. In any case, thanks for reading, enjoy Zul'Gurub, and as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Raid Bosses Currently in WoW Classic

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got another top 5 post for your reading pleasure.

Since BWL has been out for over a month, and many guilds have handily slain Nefarian and his minions, I thought it might be a good time to look back on the foes we've faced thus far in Classic. As always, keep in mind that these are my opinions - based purely off my enjoyment of these encounters. As such, I'd love to know which of the currently available bosses are your favorite and why, so please leave a comment down below sharing yours!

But anyway, with that out of the way, let's get right into my Top 5 Raid Bosses Currently in WoW Classic:

#5 - Baron Geddon

Baron Geddon

Starting off our list is the 5th boss of Molten Core - the fire elemental known as Baron Geddon. Famous for wiping many a raid group back in the day with his ability Living Bomb, Baron Geddon is one of the fights I always look forward to when raiding Molten Core. Compared with the first four bosses in this raid, Baron has quite a few mechanics to be mindful of - Ignite Mana, the pulsing fire AoE, and, of course, Living Bomb to name a few. All of these pose a decent threat to an underprepared raid team, and I'm sure we've all seen that one raid member who starts running the wrong way with a skull over his head...

Sure, he doesn't drop the best loot - other than one of the bindings needed for Thunderfury - but the fight is engaging and entertaining, a reward in and of itself in my opinion. And that's why I put the Baron here at number 5.

#4 - Ragnaros

Ragnaros, the Firelord

Awakened too soon to fight our ready and waiting raid teams, Ragnaros the Firelord is an absolutely fantastic finish to the first raid of Classic. First off, there's a ton of lore surrounding this guy - enslaving dwarves, burning a giant chunk of the Eastern Kingdoms, and nomnoming on Thunderaan being some of my personal favorite tidbits. As a boss fight, however, he still packs quite a punch.

As anyone who has vanquished the Firelord will already know, the initial setup and preparation is what this encounter is all about. And though there are a few other encounters in MC where positioning are important (such as Baron and Garr), the Ragnaros fight takes it to an entirely new level. Spread out, hug a buddy, and be ready to get pingponged around by fire blasts which may or may not kill you, depending on if you used a fire potion. The unprepared will fall, but those who plan well ahead just might be rewarded with their tier 2 pants...

So yeah, he's got a pretty awesome fight...so long as you beat him before the submerge. And that's why I ranked him at number 4.

#3 - Broodlord Lashlayer

Broodlord Lashlayer

Alright, so Raggy is pretty awesome and I'm sure most people expected to see him on this list, but I doubt many expected to see this one. Immediately following the infamous Suppression Room, the third boss of Blackwing Lair stands waiting. Broodlord Lashlayer is an absolute beast of a boss for those who aren't ready - my raid team included. His aggro range is deceptively massive, which means many accidental pulls are made by raiders who have just barely finished the gauntlet.

Yeah, I've got some fun memories of our Suppression Room progression, but my favorite aspect of this fight isn't just the many facepulls, it's the mortal strike ability.

All too often as a priest healer, I simply need to spam Heal and Flash Heal, depending on the urgency. With Broodlord's Mortal Strike and the heavy tank damage, I get to make good use of Power Word: Shield for a change. With the constant tank swapping and lack of reliable timers, I can say I always really enjoy this fight when we get to it.

So yeah, this epic climax to the Suppression Room is my number 3.

#2 - Onyxia

Onyxia, the Broodmother

Whelps! Left side! Even side! Many whelps! Now, handle it! Without a doubt, Onyxia is one of the greatest and most iconic fights in all of WoW Classic. With an absolutely epic backstory (for Alliance anyway), 3 unique phases, and fantastic loot, the broodmother of the black dragonflight is an all-around amazing experience.

As a healing priest, there's not much to do for the first phase, but that swiftly changes once Onyxia takes off. Wanding to help dps, healing fireball damage, and, of course, watching out for deep breaths that kill half the raid are all things that keep me engaged during the fight. Of course, the most intense part of the fight is the transition from air to ground, when she needs to be picked back up and brought back into position. No matter how many times guilds do this, it always seems that a certain rogue or warrior starts opening up a bit too soon, only to get everyone else breathed on.

But once she falls, the feeling is incredible - watching every survivor scramble to the dragon's corpse to see if their tier 2 helm dropped is one of the staples of my raiding experience in Classic thus far. And though the fight is really very easy now with BWL out, I still enjoy doing it every week. For this reason, as well as the amazing Alliance attunement quest chain that leads to this phenomenal fight, I have to rank it as my number 2.

There's one boss that I believe trumps the Ony encounter, though. But before that, here are a few honorable, and dishonorable, mentions.

Honorable Mentions

Firemaw - Though he eats your raid initially, it's fun learning the different ways to position him.
Gehennas - He's a loot pinata, but one with some minor awareness of Rain of Fire that keeps you on your toes.

Chromaggus - A big bad dragon doggo with lots of unique mechanics.

Dishonorable Mentions

Razorgore - This fight is too long and frustrating to be a first boss of a raid. Also, biased because it took us like 14 attempts to down him the first time...
Shazzrah - Just hate this guy with his damn insta-gib arcane explosions right after teleporting. Never seen a 'clean' kill.

#1 - Nefarian

Nefarian, Lord of Blackrock

And at number 1, I've put the Lord of Blackrock himself. The son of Deathwing, brother of Onyxia - Nefarian.

As a character in the lore, this guy is legit - experimenting on dragons, enslaving orcs, and generally just being a badass are all great reasons to love, or hate, him. And as a boss, he's no joke either.

Nefarian is the final boss of Blackwing Lair, currently the most difficult raid available in Classic. With so many tough encounters in BWL, getting to him is hard enough as it is, but his fight is yet another challenge. Initially, you need to kill a bunch of his lackies - simple drakonids that come in a rainbow of colors. When he reveals his dragon form, however, you're in for the fight of your life.

Nefarian has a shadowflame ability, which requires all raiders to have their Onyxia Scale Cloaks equipped to avoid, which is an interesting quirk of this boss - you have to kill his sister in order to be able to take him down yourselves. In addition, he's got class call abilities - a different one for every class in Classic - that he periodically casts throughout the fight. Mages turn into giraffes, priests damage their healing targets, etc. This means that every week, the fight will be slightly different. But my favorite part about this fight isn't the calls' mechanics, but the actual calls themselves...

He taunts you when he uses them:
"Priests! If you're going to keep healing like that, we might as well make it a little more interesting!"
"Hunters and your annoying pea-shooters!"
"Warriors, I know you can hit harder than that! Lets see it!"

But, of course, the best part of any boss fight isn't the fight itself - it's the loot. And Nefarian has got some of the most amazing items in the game - Ashkandi, Neltharion's Tear, and of course, the tier 2 chestpieces. No matter what class you play, you definitely want to beat this bad boy.

As you all probably know, I never actually raided back in Vanilla. And though I did face off Nefarian back in early 2014 on a private server, I've always wanted to officially defeat him. Now that Classic's out, and my raid team is progressing through BWL, I know that I've got my chance again. This time, for sure, I'll defeat this big baddie - and achieve the final of my Classic goals!

(And just in case you're asking: no, I haven't beaten him yet.)

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it - my top 5 raid bosses currently in Classic. While I listed quite a few here, I will say that I think all of the raid bosses in Classic have their own special place in my heart - even those dishonorable mentions I threw in there. That being said, these 5 are definitely my favorites, whether it be for lore reasons, mechanics specifically tailored to me playing a priest, or aesthetics. If you thought I should've included a different boss, or have your own top 5 bosses list, let me know by leaving a comment down below. I'd love to hear your reasons.

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this post or found it interesting, feel free to follow my blog by adding yourself to my email list. Alternatively, you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates when I create additional content here, or over on YouTube. In any case, thanks for reading, have an awesome day, good luck beating those bosses. And as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Worst Classic Quests

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got another top 5 post for you.

In looking over some of my previous top 5s, I realized that I typically focus on the best things, which is pretty much expected for something called a Top 5. So, today, I thought it might be a bit of fun to rant about just the opposite - the Worst 5 of something so to speak. And since I've been enjoying leveling my dwarf paladin and orc shaman when not raiding BWL, I've been rudely reminded of some terribad quests that exist in Classic.

So, that's what we're going to talk about today: My Top 5 Worst Classic Quests.

Let's get started.

#5 - A Solvent Spirit

Screw these lobster dudes...

Starting off my list is this absolute shitshow of a quest that EVERY player that's ever rolled an orc or a troll has experienced at least once. At first glance, A Solvent Spirit seems simple enough - kill some crabs and lobster dudes along the coast of southern Durotar and collect some items from them. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong.

First off, this is one of those underwater quests for the most part, as that's where most of the crabs and all of the lobster guys are, so that's already annoying enough. But it gets worse - the drop rate of the mucus and eyes is HORRENDOUS. Sure, wowhead might say it's around 30% or whatever, but I can personally attest to having had to grind these sons of bitches for over an hour, which just shouldn't happen on a level 8 quest!

Sure it's not the worst quest in the game, but I hate A Solvent Spirit. But hey, at least the Really Sticky Glue was a nice reward, right?

#4 - Deep Ocean, Vast Sea

Looks easy, right?

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I completely forgot that this quest existed - especially since I haven't been to Darkshore in ages, but Deep Ocean, Vast Sea has got to be one of the most horrendously designed quests in the history of not just classic, but all of WoW. Again, it's one of those underwater quests (luckily the last one on this list, in case you're wondering), which already makes it a pain in the ass to do - especially at like level 17 when you'd try to do it. Some quests like this, though, aren't all that bad - like the Gnomish tools quest in Durotar. Swim down, pick up some items, then swim up.

Oh, if only it were so simple...

No, the ships you have to swim down into to collect the lockboxes from are absolutely SWARMING with murlocs. And not just any murlocs either, murlocs that can apparently see through walls and will eat your face faster than your shitty little aquatic form can help flail away through the water.

So...yeah, this quest sucks. And I'm pretty glad that I haven't had a reason to attempt it in Classic yet.

#3 - Mok'thardin's Enchantment

1.9% Drop Rate? Good luck!

Next up in this list of dumpster fire quests is the Horde exclusive quest chain from Grom'gol, Mok'thardin's Enchantment. Now, we all know that Classic is full of quests that force you to grind mobs for 10 years for a drop, but if you've ever tried to do this chain, you know the true definition of a grind.

It starts off simple enough, as all these quests do: kill some panthers and tigers to collect claws and a fang. The claws are pretty easy to collect - dropping from Shadowmaw Panthers that you'd normally kill for Hemit Nesingwary anyway. The Pristine Tigress Fang, however, is another story entirely - dropping only from Stranglethorn Tigresses at a measly 6% drop rate (and even THAT sounds too high to me). Be prepared to kill nothing but cats for the next 3 hours of your life...

But anyway, you get the fang! Woo! The worst is over, right? Nope! Go get some raptor feathers! Well...that wasn't so bad, actually. Maybe I'm done now...

Nope! Kill gorillas for the rest of your time in STV to find an Aged Gorilla Sinew! Less than 2% drop rate! That oughta keep you occupied for the next 3 days!

Seriously, screw this quest chain. I'm ok with some grinding, but sub 10% drop rates on quest items back to back is no bueno...

#2 - The Beacon Quests (All 3 of them)

It's just a simple escort, right?

Ahh, here it is! The three quests that EVERYONE expected to be on this list! Quests so infamous that they've been complained about on forums and YouTube videos for over a decade, the three beacon quests located in the Hinterlands, Tanaris, and Feralas are among the most frustrating quests ever designed.

The quests themselves are pretty straightforward - loot an item, find the robotic chicken, then escort it to a large open space where it can takeoff (because it can fly, obviously). The actual escort, however, is the biggest pain in the ass ever conceived. Though the chickens have a clear and set path, they aggro literally EVERYTHING near that path. And as if the massive aggro range isn't bad enough, each of these three escort events has set points where groups of between 2-4 mobs will spawn and start attacking both the chicken and you. So if you thought you could solo this at the appropriate level, think again!

But, in my opinion, the worst part of these three quests isn't the mobs or the aggro range - it's the freaking blazing saddles speed at which the chickens run ahead. Seriously, why can't we take a mana break for like 10 seconds after pulling everything in a 30 yard radius AND having 4 mobs spawn and attack us?!!!?!?!??!?!

Needless to say, I hate all three of these damn chicken escorts...but not as much as I hate the number 1 quest on this list! But first, some dishonorable mentions, just for good measure...

Dishonorable Mentions

Bloody Bone Necklaces - So many gd trolls die for this quest that it isn't even funny.

Verog the Dervish - Just how many fucking centaur do I have to kill before he spawns?

The Messenger Quests in Lakeshire - Because I'm not a goddamn mailman!

#1 - The Horde Onyxia Attunement

Ok so...this might be super unexpected, especially after I praised the hell out of the Alliance's Ony attunement chain, but GOD DAMN the Horde's questline is awful. First off, you can't even start this chain until around level 58, as the very first quest involves running Lower Blackrock Spire. Then, after finishing that admittedly straightforward quest, you're tasked with going back to Upper Blackrock Spire to kill Rend - meaning after running all the way back to Orgrimmar you have to get back to UBRS - hopefully with someone who has actually assembled the damn Seal of Ascension.

Ok, to be fair, this isn't all that bad for Classic. But hold on, it gets a LOT worse...

After finishing the first portion and turning in Rend's head, which triggers a much sought-after world buff that only Horde gets, you get the super-fun task of tracking down Rexxar somewhere in Desolace.

God...dammit.

He could be ANYWHERE along that path...and more...

If you play Horde, you've probably noticed that there is literally someone asking where Rexxar is at least 3 times every hour in LFG chat. This is because his patrol around Desolace and Feralas is absolutely massive and he could be anywhere at any point. Luckily, you'll have a mount by the time you do this quest, so it's not as bad as leveling in Desolace, but still...screw finding this guy, alright?

Anyway after talking with him, you end up having to go all the way across the map to the Western Plaguelands, then back into UBRS to collect dragon eyes. If there's ANYONE else on the quest in your group, good luck getting enough eyes in one run! They drop 2 at a time and only one person can loot them from any given mob, so you might have to run it more than once to get all 20 needed.

But you know, that's still not too bad if I'm being honest. The worst part is yet to come.

Here's Emberstrife...

After collecting a bunch of eyes and finding Rexxar again, you need to find and talk to some dragon in Dustwallow Marsh, who tasks you with finding and killing 3 unique drakes in different corners of the world. Because that's how everyone wants to spend their evening - putting together a raid group to run around the entire world map to kill 3 mobs. Then, to make matters worse, you have to go BACK to Dustwallow Marsh, back to that dragon in the cave to turn in those 3 quests before you can pick up ANOTHER quest to go and kill a dragon in the fucking Wetlands!

So, you get over to Hammerfall, run down into the marshes to the south, get to Grim Batol and pray to god that Axtroz isn't bugged. Oh yeah as if running all over the place and killing random named dragons everywhere isn't bad enough, the quest itself is bugged to hell - with the skull very often not showing up on the corpse for one or more people on the quest! This literally happened to me FOUR TIMES.

A drake without a skull...apparently...

Now I know what you're thinking - "Maybe you didn't have the right Test of Skulls quest." But no, I had done the 3 drakes, gone back to the Marsh, and had picked up Test of Skulls - Axtroz. It was all for naught and I had to abandon the quest after joining two different raid groups and pulling several of my guildies in to help me finish it. Luckily, someone re-shared the quest after I dropped it and I was able to loot the skull after disabling ALL my addons and picking up the quest, but it literally made no sense.

Anyway, yeah, I've got a bit of a personal vendetta against this quest chain, but hell, it's my list and I'm sticking to it. Fuck the Horde Ony attunement quest. I much prefer Jailbreak!

Oh, and after you finally finish all the drake quests, you have to go find Rexxar again, do UBRS a 3rd time, and get the Drakefire Amulet by finding Rexxar a fucking fourth time for good measure. GG Blizz. GG...

Final Thoughts

So, yeah, there you have it - just a few of the worst quests Classic has to offer. Interestingly, I actually had quite a challenge thinking of quests to fill this list with, as the game has so many really interesting ones that are much more memorable. But, as you can tell, there's still some crap mixed in among all the gems... Obviously, it goes without saying that these are all my opinion, and I'm sure that there are many other terrible quests in the game. So, if you think I missed any terrible quests, or if you have your own Worst 5, let me know by leaving a comment down below.

Anyway though, that's it for today. If you liked this post and would like to see more, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list below, so you don't miss out on any other posts in the future. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on new content, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer to watch this type of content instead. Have an awesome day, good luck with your questing adventures, and as always...

Take it easy!