Friday, December 13, 2019

My Journey to 60: A WoW Classic Story

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. It's been a while, huh?

Well, I've finally done it. I capped my troll priest over on Mankrik US a few weeks back, dabbled in dungeons, and finally gotten to enjoy some Molten Core and Onyxia as relevant content. But unfortunately, that's meant that I haven't really been making content like I should have. Sorry for that.

But, now that things have settled a bit, I thought it might be a good idea to get back into the swing of things. And what better way to resume my content creation than by making a quick snapshot of my Classic journey thus far?

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy as I recount my adventures in Azeroth over the past 4 months...


The Early Days

The Beginning

End of Day 1.
The first day of Classic was amazing. I had only recently started a new job over here in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and since it was 6AM when the game launched, I ended up not being able to play until I got home in the evening. But oh man! Once I got home, I logged 3 and a half hours straight. Not much if you compare to others, but it's what I could manage. I got to around level 10 in that first session and I enjoyed every minute of it. Best of all, I had little to no competition for mobs because of the early morning hours on Mankrik. It was pretty much the best launch I could imagine.

Over the next week or so, I leveled slowly - finishing off Durotar on the 2nd day of play and moving into the Barrens. Somewhere in the third day or so, I knocked out Ragefire Chasm as well, much to the dismay of my wife. See, I had forgotten just how long Classic dungeons took and estimated I'd be in there for between 30-45 minutes. After all, it wasn't particularly long or difficult, so I assumed it would be quick. An hour and a half later, however, I realized just how different the game was from my memory...

Anyway, I progressed pretty slowly, as you all know. Silvite the troll priest hit level 18 or so somewhere in the 2nd week after the game's launch and I managed to knock out Wailing Caverns shortly after that. The next few weeks, however, proved to be quite challenging...


Levels 20-35: The Grind (Weeks 2-6)

Leveling through a mix of The Barrens, Ashenvale, Thousand Needles, and even a bit of Hillsbrad, I came to realize just how annoying this level bracket could be. Quests were sparse and many of them took me all over the map. Combine this with the fact that I was trying to juggle my new job, my content creation, AND my family and you can imagine just how frustrating this portion of the leveling process was.

To be honest, this portion of the leveling is already quite blurry to me, as I basically ran all over the world frantically trying to find Silk Cloth for my tailoring while also completing whatever quests I could find in the ~40 minutes I could play each night after my kids slept. One thing that I do clearly remember, however, was my first SM Library run - completed in the early hours of a Sunday morning before my family woke up. I didn't have any idea of how long this dungeon would take - only that I really wanted to do it. So, with my priest at level 34, I found a group, made my way over to the dungeon, and got ready to clear it...

That dungeon wasn't particularly challenging - as any of you out there who have run it at this point probably know. But it was epic. And from the final boss, Arcanist Doan, I received two items: the Robes of Doan and, just like my first priest, the Hypnotic Blade. This was definitely one of the finer highlights of my leveling journey...


Levels 36-40: The Longest Mile (October 2019)

Enjoying SM
Somewhere in the early 30s, I dabbled a bit in Stranglethorn Vale, everyone's favorite questing zone. Being on a PVE server, I can truly say that I enjoyed every minute of my time there. However, around the middle of the 30s bracket, my quests there were drying up and I needed to find a new area to quest in. And so, I headed to another level 30 zone - Desolace.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Back before Classic was out, I dedicated one of my Memories of Vanilla stories to this barren wasteland of a zone, saying how enjoyable I found it back in the day. But my god, this place SUCKS so bad for Horde. The flight path is all the way in the south, the quests are spread out all over the place, and you don't even have a mount to make this even the slightest bit better. I tried really hard to enjoy my time here, but it...just sucked.

But wait, there's more!

Because I was starting to feel more pressure to game less while at home, I played less for about 2 full weeks in this range. It wasn't until my school went on fall break in mid-October that I was finally able to speed up a bit. At that point, I was around level 37 or so and I wanted more than anything to hit level 40 and get my shiny Emerald Raptor mount.

Razorfen Downs
And so, this last stretch began. The first day of the break, I managed to hit 39 by running some of the various wings of Scarlet Monastery and questing in STV. Pretty good, but not enough. The next day, I knocked out Razorfen Downs, hung around killing pirates outside of Booty Bay, and finally dinged that magical number - 40! This meant that I could finally run down to Sen'jin Village and...



...not get my mount because I was 20 gold short. GG...


The Mount

I was a bit bummed out that I couldn't get my mount as soon as I hit level 40, but since there wasn't much else I could do about it, I just continued questing and selling literally everything I acquired - other than cloth, that is. It was a long and arduous level, but shortly after reaching level 41, I knew I'd have enough. I traveled to Orgrimmar, put some greens and a blue item that I'd looted off some random mob in STV into the auction house, and logged out for the day.

Got My Mount!
The next morning, I was surprised to see that ALL of my auctions had sold overnight, and so I made the final journey on foot that any Classic character has to make - the run to the riding trainer. As you can see on my YouTube channel, I recorded the occasion as I bought the skill, then my Emerald Raptor mount. I was PUMPED! And even now, this is still one of the best feelings I've experienced in Classic.

...But that's old news now, isn't it?


Fabulous Feralas - The 40s

The rest of my fall break was devoted to getting as far into the 40s as I could. I set an ambitious goal of reaching level 45 by Friday, but by Wednesday I'd only hit 41. Needless to say, I didn't achieve this goal with my pace of play. I did, however, get to fully enjoy what is now one of my favorite zones in Classic: Feralas. As a Horde player this time around, I got to experience just how awesome this zone is for leveling. Loads of the quests are near Camp Mojache, there are tons of ogres with cloth and beasts to skin, and the entire zone is a vibrant green - my favorite color. Every time I left this zone to quest somewhere else, I found myself longing to come back. I really enjoyed it...

But anyway, other than Feralas, I dabbled a bit in the Hinterlands and Tanaris - a zone I really enjoyed back in the day. The desert scenery was nice and the quests were plenty, but soon enough my week off was finished and I had to say goodbye to my long WoW sessions at a mere level 44 - only slightly over the real 'halfway' point of the leveling process.


The Blurry Levels - 45-50

The Infamous Stairs in Zul'Farrak
I made it to level 45 or so by the middle of October, about a week after Dire Maul's release. I managed to run Zul'Farrak around this time, knocking out all of the quests that I'd been working on in Tanaris, and then made my way over to the Hinterlands for an extended stay. This beautiful forest was serene and great for my level range, but to be honest, I don't really remember much about what I did here. I killed a bunch of trolls and wolves and owlkin, I think, but yeah. It just...sorta happened.

Eventually I hit level 50 and I began planning for the endgame. I wondered just how early I could start running BRD to get gear and quests knocked out; what gear could I afford in the auction house; and where the heck I could quest next. After a while, I decided to go to what is now another of my favorite zones in Classic: Un'Goro Crater.

Un'Goro

Un'Goro: A Great Place to Quest!
I didn't realize this the first time I leveled in vanilla, but this zone is absolutely PACKED with quests. Though there are no humanoids to kill, and thus no cloth for my tailoring, the sheer number of quests I was able to collect and work on simultaneously made this an absolute must stop zone for my leveling adventure.

While in this lush prehistoric jungle, I made friends with a druid who I ran into repeatedly, got killed by a bunch of silithid while rubbing some lotion on a crystal, and tried to solo Blazerunner at level 54 only to get absolutely demolished. All in all, it was good times and I'm actually really looking forward to doing it again with an alt at some point.

So, the lesson of my leveling journey thus far is this: do Feralas and Un'Goro no matter what.

The First BRD Run

Knocking Out Some BRD Arena
When I hit level 53, I knew I would be pretty much good to go for most of, if not all of, Blackrock Depths. And since there's a ton of loot in there for priests, I started searching for groups. The first time I ran this dungeon was in early November. The goal was simple: get the Shadowforge Key for everyone in the group. Our tank, a warrior, was level 60, so things went really well to be honest. We made our way through the arena where the Ban'thok Sash dropped (I passed so the mage could get it because I'm a nice guy), then progressed up towards the statue where one puts the hammer to get the key. Some party members had already gotten the hammer from Fineous Darkvire in a previous run, but since a couple of us hadn't, we continued toward him.


When we got to Lord Incendius, we hopped down, thinking it would somehow be a shortcut, instead of just making our way through the golem room we needed to go through. And so, after he died, we had to pull every single mob of the golem room in order to run back to the statue. Still, it was experience, so I didn't complain.

I didn't get my Senior Designer's Pantaloons that run, but I did get them in the 3rd run I did later that week (I did early BRD like 4 days in a row, mind you). For that first run, I was fully satisfied with just getting my key. I logged off that night with a smile on my face, then had trouble sleeping because I couldn't stop thinking about WoW...


The Final Stretch - 55-60

Ahh, what's often considered to be the longest mile. In mid-November, I only had 5 levels to go to hit that sweet, sweet level 60, and I did everything I could to get ready. As soon as I hit level 55, I picked up my MC attunement quest and got my Princess quest chain started, snatching up some nice shoulders in the process. I bought gear from the auction  house with raw +healing that I ended up not even equipping because I'd eventually get better items before going full holy. And I did quest after quest after quest.

Of course, this was aided by the fact that my wife was abroad for work for about 10 days, so there was little to no pressure NOT to do dungeons during this time. I smashed out dungeon quests, most of the Ony attunement, and the last few levels during this time. But the most badass memory I have was on the Thursday, November 21st.

I had set up a group for BRD to knock out the MC attunement and to NOT kill the Princess at the end. Tanks were scarce, so I ended up just taking 4 other level 60s and healing it myself of course as a level 57 shadow priest. We steamrolled most of the dungeon with ease, but halfway through the Lyceum at the end, the dreaded timer came up: SERVER SHUTDOWN IN 15:00.

All of a sudden, it became a race against the clock. We smashed our way through those dwarf packs, accidentally losing a torch and messing up that whole bit at the end where you have to light those braziers. Somehow, we finished it though, and sped into the last hallway. The big lava giant guy was easy enough, but with only 8 minutes remaining when we entered the final chamber, we didn't know if we could make it.

The "tank" pulled pack after pack - knowing full well that we needed to clear the entire room before engaging the boss. Whenever the dps started killing the final mob, I was already near the next pack and spamming my Morning Glory Dew icon. With 1:15 left on the clock, the final mob fell and I shot my wand at the Emperor of the Dark Iron Dwarves.

Down he went. I somehow reminded everyone not to kill the Princess, hoping that somehow we'd make it. And luckily, we did. Loot popped up - caster robes. I needed them while running frantically over to the princess of Ironforge with less than  30 seconds left before the servers shut off. I clicked through the dialogue, thanking God that there was no 'wait for me to say a million  things before you can accept the next part' shenanigans like some quests have. And then, just as I hopped off the throne and said thanks to my group, I got disconnected.

Yeah...that was probably the most epic moment I've had in Classic so far. Not gonna lie...

Just Made It...

Level 60 - What Now?

Ding!
I reached level 60 on November 23rd, exactly 15 years after the game initially launched. And for good measure, I made sure to cap in EXACTLY the same place with EXACTLY the same type of mob that had given me that final yellow swirly around my character 13 years ago - the caster guys in the Noxious Glade of the EPL. And, of course, I recorded that event and uploaded it to YouTube right away as well.





My First Molten Core Raid. 11/24/2019
Though I was excited to finally reach level cap, I also realized that the game was only just beginning for me here. I'd managed to get attuned to Molten Core and I'd recently swapped guilds to a newly formed guild that had better raid times for my unique geographical and family situation, but I still needed to get gear that wasn't terrible, finish my Onyxia attunement, and actually start raiding.






My First Onyxia Raid, 12/1/2019
Well, luckily I managed to do all of those things within one week of capping. And though I'd like to be able to say I can raid regularly and get geared to the tits, I'm not sure what my future in the game looks like. Still, it was a hell of a journey and I'm hoping to continue raiding MC and Ony for months to come, but stories like that will have to wait for another day...




Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed my long, adventurous tale of my priest's journey to level 60. There are, obviously, many more things that happened along the way, at 60, and things still to come, but I feel that I've included most of the most important and enjoyable memories here. I would like to thank everyone who has been supportive in my journey to 60, including my wife who dealt with all of my gaming, and my YouTube subscribers who have been left without regular content for a few months now while I've been playing a 15 year old video game that we all love. If YOU liked this story, remember to check back later for more stories and content, as there's definitely more coming in the weeks ahead. Also, consider checking out my YouTube channel and follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter.

That's all I've got for today. Thanks again for reading. And as always...

Take it easy!

Silvite Today (12/14/2019)

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Anti-RNG 60 Warrior Tank Gearing Guide

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here, and today I've got a new type of guide for you all to enjoy.

When I first started making guides for WoW Classic, I thought it would be interesting to discuss how to get geared as efficiently as possible. However, as I worked on all of those guides, I found one issue became very clear - it's all very reliant on RNG. Many of the items were drops from dungeon bosses and the like.

Well, after rounding out the most-played roles and classes, I've decided that it's now time to tackle RNGeesus himself with a new style of guide - the Anti-RNG 60 Gearing Guides. Here, I will tell a few items for each slot that can be obtained through quests or professions. Some of these will undoubtedly be quite challenging - involving full runs of dungeons and more. However, since they provide guaranteed loot, it's worth the trouble if you just can't seem to fill that one slot...

So, without further ado, let's get right into it! Today, we're starting with warrior tanks...



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As a tank, there are several options for decent items as you approach max level - including quest rewards, blacksmithing gear, and more. If you're running dungeons and finding yourself lacking, the first stop should undoubtedly be the auction house, as you can often find decent items for cheap, including blues and high-level greens. However, if gold isn't a viable route for you, or if you just can't seem to find one slot that is appropriate, here are some other potential loot venues...

* denotes highly recommended item

Head
*Avenguard Helm from The God Hakkar questchain, starting in Tanaris.
Southsea Head Bucket from Southsea Shakedown in Tanaris (a start).
Imperial Plate Helm from Blacksmithing.

Neck
*Drakefire Amulet from the Onyxia Attunement chain. [A] [H]
*Conqueror's Medallion from Operation: Death to Angerforge quest [H] in BRD.
Heroic Commendation Medal from The Scourge Cauldrons quest chain [A] [H] in WPL.

Shoulders
Bark Iron Pauldrons from The Mystery of Morrowgrain [A] in Feralas.
*Imperial Plate Shoulders from Blacksmithing. (Honestly the better bet.)

Back
Smokey's Drape from When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent in EPL.
Shaleskin Cape from A Taste of Flame in BRD.

Chest
*Ornate Adamantium Breastplate from In Dreams quest chain in WPL and EPL.
Imperial Plate Chest from Blacksmithing.

Wrists
Shining Armplates from Guarding Secrets [H] in Winterspring (kill Owlkin to get the drop).
Runesteel Vambraces from A Prayer to Elune [A] in the Searing Gorge.
*Imperial Plate Bracers from Blacksmithing.

Hands
*Voone's Vice Grips from Warlord's Command [H] / Maxwell's Mission [A] in LBRS. Though mail, these gloves are great for threat generation and are well worth the armor sacrifice! (Also, this quest is part of the Onyxia attunement for Horde)
Gordok's Handguards from Unfinished Gordok Business in DM. This is a bit of a PITA though, apparently.
Emerald Mist Gauntlets from The Crystal of Zin'Malor (starts with The Ruins of Kel'Theril) [A] in Winterspring.
Lavaplate Gauntlets from The Rise of the Machines quest chain [H] in the Burning Steppes and BRD. 

Waist
*Stalwart Clutch from Disharmony of Fire [H] / Incendius! [A] in BRD.
Omokk's Girth Restrainer from Warlord's Command [H] / Maxwell's Mission [A] in LBRS. This is part of the Onyxia attunement for Horde!
Imperial Plate Belt from Blacksmithing.

Legs

*Bejeweled Legguards from A Little Help From My Friends in Un'Goro.
Imperial Plate Leggings from Blacksmithing.

Feet
Eschewal Greaves from Calm Before the Storm [H] [A] (starts with Bungle in the Jungle) in Un'Goro.
*Cragplate Greaves from Beware of Pterrordax in Un'Goro.
Imperial Plate Boots from Blacksmithing.  

Rings
Dalson Family Wedding Ring from Locked Away in WPL. 
Ring of Protection from The Battle of Darrowshire chain (Starts with Little Pamela) in the EPL and WPL. 
Thrall's Resolve from The Princess Saved? [H] in BRD. 
Magni's Will from The Princess's Surprise [A] in BRD.


Trinkets
*Rune of the Guard Captain from Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village [H] in the Hinterlands.
*Mark of Tyranny (for survivability) or Blackhand's Breadth (for threat generation) from For The Horde! [H] / General Drakkisath's Demise [A] in UBRS.
Royal Seal of Eldrethalas from Codex of Defense in DM. 


Weapon
*Mirah's Song from the Kirtonos the Herald quest chain in Scholomance. 
Swiftstrike Cudgel from Lost Thunderbrew Recipe [H] Hurley Blackbreath [A] / in BRD. 
Intrepid Shortsword from The Scourge Cauldrons quest chain [A] [H] in WPL.


Offhand
*Darrowshire Strongguard from The Lich, Ras Frostwhisper quest chain in Scholomance. Continues from Kirtonos the Herald quest chain!
Argent Defender from The Argent Hold (Starts with The Archivist) in Stratholme / EPL. 
Milli's Shield from Shards of the Felvine in DM East.

Ranged
*Gorewood Bow from The Call to Command [H] / The First and the Last [A] quest chains.
Sandstrider's Mark from Wanted - Deathclasp, Terror of the Sands in Silithis. This may not be available yet, though.

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And there you have it! A whole bunch of quest rewards, and a blacksmithing set, that you can work on obtaining should you face great challenges gearing up your tank in dungeons. Obviously, many of these items are less-than-ideal for raiding in endgame (such as the greens from level 40-50 quests). However, if you just can't take it anymore, it's probably worth it to just say screw it and grind out those last few slots by grabbing some items listed here. I'm sure you'll be glad you did...

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below and adding yourself to my mailing list. Also, check out my videos over on YouTube where I eventually turn written content like this into videos for your viewing and/or listening pleasure. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on content and in-game activities, and consider supporting me over on Patreon as well. Thanks for reading this, good luck gearing up, and as always...

Take it easy!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Gear Your DPS Warrior FAST - A simplified gearing guide for raging berserkers in WoW Classic!

Smashy Smashy!
Hey dudes! Silvite Soltis here and today I'm happy to present to you my next WoW Classic "Get Geared Fast" guide! Today, we're going to shine up out battle axes and smash some faces. Right after we eat up from our grind to 60... Yep, it's time to gear up our DPS warriors!

Let's get right into it!


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Step 1 - Run BRD a bunch while leveling, then more at 60.

First off, you're going to want to run Blackrock Depths as early as possible. There are over 30 items that drop here that dps warriors can make use of. Granted, they're not all spectacular, but many of them are pre-raid best in slot, so you really should have this on your list...

You can start doing this dungeon in the early 50s, so make sure to find groups as early as possible. In particular, you'll want to do back-to-back Arena runs as much as possible, as 4 out of the 6 arena bosses drop appropriate gear for dps warriors - including the Savage Gladiator items, Girdle of Beastial Fury, and Grizzle's Skinner. Furthermore, the mobs leading up to the arena will still give exp in your early 50s, so it's definitely a good way to grind out a few levels and gear up along the way.

At 55, start doing full runs for the BRD (and, if Alliance,  Onyxia) attunements. There are some amazing items later on in the dungeon (such as Warstrife Leggings and Hand of Justice), but you likely won't be able to find a group willing to attempt a full clear with you until you're level 55 or higher. Plus, this is when you can start the attunements anyway, so it really just makes sense to do this from here. You can also continue doing Arena farms as needed, but hopefully you'll grab most of the items before this point.

Step 2 - Do These Quests

Hit+AP=Great dps item!
Now that you're quickly approaching level 60, there's a few quests you should make sure you complete. First and foremost, complete the quest Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village if you're playing Horde in order to obtain an amazing DPS trinket, Rune of the Guard Captain. Since trinkets are a bit hard to come by, this will go a long way for your warrior.

Next up, do the chain to get Blackhand's Breadth, which involves running LBRS. This is the Onyxia attunement quest chain for Horde players, but for Alliance you'll get the item to start this chain from the final boss of LBRS, Overlord Wyrmthalak. These quests will take you through LBRS and UBRS, giving you a shot at some decent gear along the way. While you run LBRS, keep an eye out for great items such as Blackcrow from Shadow Hunter Vosh'gajin, as well as any other potentially useful gear. And, or course, the same goes for the UBRS runs. After all, each of these dungeons contains around 20 useful drops for dps warriors, so you're likely to fill some slots along the way...

Finally, head over to the Plaguelands to do the quest chain In Dreams for your pre-raid BiS neck, Mark of Fordring, as well as the quest chain ending in The Scarlet Oracle Demetria [H] or Order Must Be Restored [A] for the decent Gorewood Bow, assuming you didn't get one from Blackrock Spire. Wrap up these quests, then move on to the next step...


Step 3 - Run UBRS

Hit is SOOOOOOO good for warriors...
After you've run BRD into the ground and wrapped up the few lucrative quests for your warrior, it's time to head over to UBRS.  This dungeon is one of the best for warriors in terms of quality items - with around 20 of the BEST dps warrior items - including Truestrike Shoulders, Battleborn Armbraces, and Blademaster Leggings (for those of you NOT getting Devilsaur gear). There's a lot more loot to be had, though, so make friends with a key-holder and head on in!

If you decide to go as a tank just to secure a spot, make sure to be clear that you're going for DPS gear from the outset to avoid accusations of ninjaing, as there's likely to be a lot of competition for loot while you're there. Also, make sure to take a screenshot when you state it, in case your group is full of drama queens.

Good luck in the Spire!

Step 4 - Fill in gaps (with AH gear and other dungeon quests)

Always feel free to use the auction house!!!
When you've run enough dungeons and have only a few empty slots left to round out, head over to the auction house to buy some cheap blues or high AP green items. Alternatively, you could explore different dungeons as well - especially dungeons with quests that award gear like the Kirtonos the Herald questline in Scholomance which awards Mirah's Song, a wonderful sword. But, by this point you should be geared pretty well, so if you just want to smash things in MC and Ony, you should be good to go! Just make sure you wrapped up all of your attunements!


Final Thoughts

Congratulations on getting to level 60 and good luck getting your smashy warrior all geared up! Honestly, the hardest part of gearing your warrior will be getting groups that don't expect you to tank, but if you manage to get a solid group and make sure to announce what you're going for as you run the dungeons, you should be fine. As a final note, you probably noticed that I didn't mention anything about Dire Maul in this guide, despite it being available. The reason for this is that while much of the gear IS very good, there simply isn't enough of it for DPS warriors to make it a viable option for fast gearing. However, if you plan to do tribute runs for the buffs before heading into MC and/or Ony once you are geared, you should keep an eye out for potential upgrades.

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on future content releases, streaming, and more. Also, if you prefer video guides, check out my YouTube channel where I turn all of these guides into videos eventually. Finally, if you'd like to support my endeavors, consider becoming one of my Patrons over on Patreon. I really appreciate your support - whether it's a donation or just from you sharing this post with someone who might find it useful. But yeah, that's all for now. Thanks again for reading. And as always...

Take it easy!


----------------------------------------------------------------

A special thanks to wowhead.com and the Atlasloot addon for making this guide possible, as well as to all of my YouTube subscribers who voted in the poll that inspired me to write this guide in the first place. Thank you all for your support!

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Dungeon Sets 101 - Episode 9: Dreadmist!

Hey dudes! Silvite Soltis here! And today, I'm happy to give you the final installment of Dungeon Sets 101 - my guides for how you can get your class's original dungeon set in World of Warcraft: Classic.

Now that we've covered the other 8 classes, it's time to talk about the set that I personally tried to get for my shadow priest oh so long ago. A set that looks so sinister and shadowy, you'd think the character wearing it had just drained the soul from a poor NPC mob and crushed its essence into a tiny little shard. Yes, today, we're talking about my personal favorite of the dungeon sets - the warlocks' Dreadmist Raiment!

Let's get started!

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The Set

As with all of the dungeon sets, there are 8 pieces to the Dreadmist Raiment - the head, shoulders, chest, wrists, hands, waist, legs, and feet. These items are spread across 3 dungeons - Stratholme Undead, Scholomance, and Upper Blackrock Spire - making it perhaps the easiest of the 9 sets to collect!

Here's a rundown of the items' specific locations:

Head:
The Dreadmist Raiment
Dreadmist Mask - Scholo (Gandling) 

Shoulders:
Dreadmist Mantle - Scholo (Jandice)

Chest:
Dreadmist Robe - UBRS (Drakkisath) 

Wrists:
Dreadmist Bracers - UBRS (Trash) or AH

Hands:
Dreadmist Wraps - Scholo (Lorekeeper/Trash) or AH

Waist:
Dreadmist Belt - Strat (Trash) or AH

Legs:
Dreadmist Leggings - Strat UD (Rivendare) 

Feet:
Dreadmist Sandals - Strat UD (Baroness)


Now that we know where to go and which bosses to focus on, let's get into some more specific detail, shall we?

Scholomance

As a warlock seeking out the Dreadmist Raiment, your first step has absolutely GOT to be Scholomance. With all the necromancy and dark themes here, it's no surprise that 3 of the items can be found here - the MantleWraps, and Mask. One of these pieces will be particularly challenging to obtain - the shoulders - as they drop from an optional boss. The other two, however, are required to reach the end.

Jandice Barov drops the shoulders.
Let's start with the shoulders. This item is a drop from Jandice Barov in the basement of the dungeon. The reason this item is so difficult to obtain, compared to the other items, is the fact that this boss is optional, has pretty 'meh' loot, and is a general pain to get to - lots of trash for little reward. However, she is required for a quest chain, so your best bet is to try and get people in your group completing the Kirtonos questline from Eva Sarkhoff outside the instance. As a warlock, this fight is incredibly simple. She casts a curse, and spawns illusions of herself that are immune to magic damage. Run around and try to help by smacking the illusions as they spawn, but otherwise just dps her as much as you can. If you're lucky, you'll get your shoulders in one of your first runs...






Lorekeeper Polkelt drops the gloves.
Moving on, the gloves are the next item you might encounter. These drop from Lorekeeper Polkelt - one of the bosses in the last six rooms of the dungeon before the Darkmaster Gandling fight. The challenge here isn't the boss himself, but rather clearing to him. As a warlock, you'll need to cast Rain of Fire to AoE the zombies as your tank, hunter, or other kiting class pulls them out of the room. Don't die! But even if you don't get your gloves here, remember you can buy them from the auction house later, so no sweat either way!







Darkmaster Gandling drops the helm.
Finally, the last boss of Scholomance, Darkmaster Gandling, drops the helm you're after. Again, as a warlock there's not much to say about this boss that hasn't already been said - mind the teleport and kill adds in the rooms as fast as possible if you do get ported. Also, remember to cast a Soulstone on one of your party members (preferably the healer) before this fight, as it can be the difference between a messy wipe, a wipe that can be recovered quickly, or a kill. When the Darkmaster falls, pick up that sweet, sweet mask and proudly put it on.

You're looking badass already!

Stratholme

Next up on the chopping block is Stratholme - particularly Strat Undead! Like Scholomance, there are 3 set pieces you can obtain here - the BeltSandals, and Leggings. For this reason, you COULD choose to run this one first, or mix and match your dungeon runs. It's completely up to you.

The Cult of the Damned members drop the belt.
Let's start off with the belt, since that's the first item you're likely to see. If you're lucky, trash mobs throughout this dungeon will drop it, but you're most likely to see it come from the humans spread throughout the city streets. Again, if you never get one to drop, you can always pick it up from the auction house later, so don't worry too much about this one. Clear your way through the dungeon until you get to Baroness Anastari.








Baroness Anastari drops the boots.
The Baroness has one main ability worth noting - her Mind Control. Since she can easily run player characters into packs of enemy mobs, it's important to fully clear out the area around her ziggurat to avoid a wipe. As a warlock, the only other thing to note here is not to kill the mind controlled player - so don't dot them up, no matter how tempting it might be. Kill her, loot your boots, and move on.








Baron Rivendare drops the legs.
The final item to collect here are the leggings from the final boss of the dungeon, Baron Rivendare. Again, there's not much to say for warlocks. Put a soulstone on your healer, stand at max range to dps, and help kill the skeletons whenever they spawn, as they'll eat your healer otherwise. Pull off his pants when you're finished, and rejoice when you put them on yourself!






UBRS

Alright! You're in the final stretch! The last dungeon you need to run to collect the Dreadmist Raiment is, of course, Upper Blackrock Spire. There are two pieces to collect here - the Bracers and the Robe. The former are another trash drop, and since they're BoE, you can always pick them up from the auction house if you don't get them. The latter, however, drop from the final boss - General Drakkisath.

General Drakkisath drops the chest.
Much like other dps classes, you don't have much responsibility for the final boss of this massive dungeon. Make sure you put a soulstone on your healer (or the hunter who's kiting if you really think he'll need it more), then kill the crap out of the two adds and the boss. If you're exceptionally lucky, you'll be able to snag your robe on the first or second run. If not, well...do it all again!






Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading this final chapter of Dungeon Sets 101 and good luck collecting the Dreadmist set! Personally, this is my favorite of the dungeon sets, so it was nice to save it for last since it gave me something to look forward to. Again, you can pick up any BoEs that you miss along the way from the auction house, so don't fret if you somehow never see them drop. If your experience is anything like mine was, the real challenge will be Jandice...

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below. Check out my videos over on YouTube - where I eventually turn all of my written guides into videos for viewing pleasure. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates about streaming, content releases, and more. And consider supporting me over on Patreon as well, if you're into that sort of thing. Thanks again for reading, and as always...

Take it easy!


Dungeon Sets 101 - Episode 8: Elements!

Hey dudes! Silvite Soltis here and I'm back with another lesson of Dungeon Sets 101 - my series that goes over where and how to acquire each class's dungeon set in World of Warcraft: Classic.

With 7 covered thus far, there's only two classes' armor to talk about - shamans and warlocks. So, let's get right into the first of those two, shall we? Today, we're going to explore the shaman's dungeon set. So, channel the power of the elements so we can find...The Elements!

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The Set

Just like all dungeon sets, The Elements contains 8 pieces - the helm, shoulders, chest, bracers, gloves, belt, legs, and boots. Unfortunately, the pieces are all spread throughout 4 max level dungeons - Stratholme, Scholomance, LBRS, and UBRS. But don't worry - you'll probably run these dungeons a lot at endgame anyway. Here's a brief summary of where you can find the elements of...The Elements:

The Elements
Head:
Coif of Elements - Scholo (Gandling)

Shoulders:
Pauldrons of Elements - UBRS (Gyth)

Chest:
Vest of Elements - UBRS (Drakkisath)

Wrists:
Bindings of Elements - Strat (Trash) or AH

Hands:
Gauntlets of Elements - UBRS (Pyroguard) or AH

Waist:
Cord of Elements - LBRS/UBRS (Trash) or AH

Legs:
Kilt of Elements - Strat UD (Rivendare)

Feet:
Boots of Elements - LBRS (Omokk)

Alright, now that we know where they are, let's discuss how to get them.

LBRS

To start, let's take a dive into Blackrock Spire - specifically Lower Blackrock Spire. There are two pieces of the Elements set you could potentially get here - the Cord and the Boots. And since Horde players need to run this dungeon for the Onyxia attunement anyway, it's a great place to start.
Highlord Omokk drops the boots.

To start, the belt drops from trash mobs throughout the dungeon, so keep an eye out for it as you clear the place. The boots, just like all the sets' boots, drop from a boss though - Highlord Omokk. As a shaman, you'll likely be healing this dungeon, so there's really not much to say about this fight other than make sure your tank doesn't die or get punted off a cliff somehow. If you're lucky, you'll snag your belt and boots pretty quickly!

Since Omokk is the only boss in here with a set piece, you could consider finding or setting up groups to specifically farm him - if you don't get lucky during any full clears you do for attunements or other quests, that is. Look for people aiming for the Skyshroud Leggings and/or the ranged weapons from Shadow Hunter Vosh'gajin in order to avoid the hassle of doing a full run.

UBRS

Next up is Upper Blackrock Spire! If you worked hard in LBRS and somehow got yourself a Seal of Ascension, you'll likely have no trouble finding groups for this place. There are 4 set pieces you can obtain here - the CordGauntletsPauldrons, and Vest. Luckily all of these items are from unavoidable bosses, and the belt is a trash drop, so you've got a good shot of getting something every time you run this place!
Pyroguard Emberseer drops the gloves.

So, starting with the gloves, since the belt is a trash drop here too, you'll want to kill Pyroguard Emberseer in the 2nd main room of the dungeon. The challenge from this boss comes from killing all 8 warlocks before the boss is released. Otherwise, it's an easy kill so pray for your gloves.





Gyth drops the shoulders.
Continue through the dungeon until you get to Rend's arena event. Here you can aim for the shoulders from the warchief's dragon mount, Gyth. As a shaman (and as a healer in particular), you'll want to make sure to conserve your mana and be ready to drink as soon as the last mob falls in each wave of the event. For Gyth, make sure you're not standing in front of him, as to avoid the breath ability, and be mindful of his HP so that you can be ready when Rend gets knocked off. Finish off both bosses, loot the dragon, and hopefully you can get those crazy lightning rods for your shoulders.




General Drakkisath drops the chest.

Progress through the latter half of the dungeon until the final boss - General Drakkisath. As I've said many times before, this boss drops all the dungeon set chests - including the Vest of Elements. Furthermore, this boss is pretty straightforward for every class other than hunters, so just keep people alive as you down the two adds, then the boss himself and be mindful of the Conflagration on the tank. Collect your chest (if you're lucky) and continue on your journey!



Stratholme

Baron Rivendare drops the legs.
After clearing out the Spire, head over to Stratholme Undead for a shot at 2 items - the Bindings and the Kilt. As usual, the bracers drop off of trash mobs here, so keep an eye out for them as you clear to the final boss - Baron Rivendare.

Baron Rivendare drops the legs to the set, as usual. As a shaman, you'll basically want to stand as far away as possible (unless you're running Enhancement of course) and keep the tank alive. If your group is melee heavy for some reason, Chain Heal and Healing Stream Totem will be valuable assets in countering the pulsing AoE aura put out by the boss. When skeletons spawn, consider dropping an Earthbind Totem to slow them down as you move away from them. Kill the boss, grab his kilt, and move on to your final destination!

Scholomance

Darkmaster Gandling drops the helm.
Last, but not least, is Scholomance! Only one piece of the Elements set drops in this school of necromancy - the Coif from Darkmaster Gandling at the end. So, clear the dungeon out as needed until you reach him. While you grind this dungeon out, make sure to complete the quests associated with it, since it's unlikely you'll get the helm in the first run.

Anyway, when you reach Darkmaster Gandling there's a few things you need to remember. As a shaman, you can interrupt his Arcane Missiles ability, which will greatly reduce the damage your tank takes. As always, be mindful of the teleport and be ready to use your totems to slow and kill the skeletons if you're the one that gets ported. If possible, keep a shield handy in case you lose your tank and the Darkmaster decides to smack you around a bit instead. This fight is long, but luckily a Shaman has plenty of ways to help bring this evil teacher down. Collect your funny wolf-mask, equip it, and go show off your completed dungeon set in front of the Orgrimmar bank!


Final Thoughts

Thanks for taking the time to read this guide and good luck in your quest to acquire the full Elements set! It's a set that I personally think looks extremely badass - minus the helm - and it's one that I would definitely pursue if I were playing a shaman. As always, remember that if you somehow end up collecting all 5 BoP items without snagging the belt, bracers, or gloves, you can pick them up from the auction house - usually for pretty cheap. So, even though I didn't mention it in the steps, that's always an option...

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below. Check out my videos over on YouTube - where I eventually turn all of my written guides into videos for viewing pleasure. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates about streaming, content releases, and more. And consider supporting me over on Patreon as well, if you're into that sort of thing. Thanks again for reading, and as always...

Take it easy!