Phase 5 Is Here!

Hey dudes - Silvite here back again with another post!

As I'm sure you're all well aware of by this point, Phase 5 of Classic has just launched, bringing with it a plethora of new things to do. There are new raids, quest lines, and items galore. So, to celebrate this massive content update, I thought it'd be fun to talk about some of the things I'm most excited for in Phase 5.

Before getting into the post, though, I'd just like to make an important announcement. This will probably be my last post for a long time. When I started making posts and videos for WoW Classic back in 2018, I had lot more free time and excitement. Recently, however, it's becoming harder and harder to find time to write, research, edit, and generally produce content while also being productive as a father, husband, and teacher. The global pandemic and my school's summer vacation did free me up a bit in recent months, but this additional spare time couldn't last forever. Looking toward the future, I'm thinking of learning some new work and life skills to better provide for my family while still enjoying the game that I love in my free time.

So yeah...this will probably be it for a while. But as always, if you enjoy this post and want to be notified when I come back to creating content like this in the future, then add yourself to my mailing list below.

Anyway though, with that announcement out of the way, let's get to the real content. Here are some of the things that I'm most excited for in Phase 5 of Classic!

Relics (Finally!)

Since first making my paladin, I've been eagerly awaiting the day I would finally fill the relic slot. After all, my priest has had that same ranged slot filled since day 1, so it felt a bit off for my paladin and shaman to constantly have an empty space there.

Relics, which were added to the loot tables of existing dungeon bosses and some of the new raid bosses in AQ, alter specific spells and abilities of paladins, druids, and shamans. There are only 5 total for each class and it's pretty easy to hunt down the one you want as far as I can tell, but since my characters are pretty well geared at this point, I'm not SUPER excited to run the old dungeons to pick them up. Still, I do want them something fierce, so I'll bite the bullet there.

Seeing the Ahn'Qiraj Opening Event (not just the war effort)

The biggest event in WoW history - the opening of the gates of Ahn'Qiraj! Though I participated in the war effort a tiny bit way back in 2006, I never did get to see the actual opening of the gates. So, this time, I'm really hoping that I'll be able to witness the massive behemoths storming out of the gates in southern Silithus - at least for a few seconds before getting ported out of the zone.

Honestly, I'm not all that hyped about the war effort or the scepter questline, since both will be completed by players far more hardcore than me. I'm much more pumped for those guys to bang that gong and give us all a grande show.

Raiding AQ40

I'm sure this is the biggy for everyone that's ground Molten Core and Blackwing Lair to dust - the new (old) 40 man raid, The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj! Finally, all that nature resistance gear that I didn't farm will be put to use as we squash some bugs and old god minions!

As you may or may not remember, I played on a private server a few years back. And while I can't really count my raiding experience there as my own, since I was mostly carried through MC and BWL the few times I participated, I quit it before AQ was released. This means that, technically, AQ40 is the first fully new content that I'll experience in Classic. And even though I know it'll be a wipefest, it'll be a blast to figure everything out with my guild and to finally get out of Blackrock Mountain for a change.

Oh, plus we're finally getting that sweet mana oil to raid with, so yeah...that'll be pretty awesome too!

Dungeon Set Upgrade Quest

Finally, the one thing that I'm excited for above ALL others in phase 5 is this - completing the dungeon set upgrade quest on my paladin.

As you're all probably aware, we've been able to collect the dungeon sets since the beginning of Classic. Each class has one: the Vestments of the Devout for priests, Dreadmist Raiment for warlocks, Lightforge Armor for paladins, and so on. Well, back in the day Blizzard realized that not every player was able to raid to collect better gear, so a quest chain was created which allowed players to complete objectives out in the world and in dungeons to upgrade their set pieces - often called the Tier 0.5 sets.

Well, back in the day I worked pretty hard to collect these pieces and complete the chain on my priest, but I was only able to finish it in Wrath of the Lich King. That's why I definitely wanted to do it as current content this time around. With my priest being my main raiding toon, however, I thought that I should strive to achieve this goal on a nonraiding character instead. So, after capping my paladin, I collected the full Lightforge set, picked up as much ZG gear as I could, and prepared myself for this grind.

It's going to be a long and expensive road - especially since I don't really have any gold on my Alliance characters - but I'm excited to have some epic questing to do when I'm not raiding that will actually help to boost my character's strength as a tank. It'll be a fun project for sure, and I can't wait to rock that full set of Soulforge in front of the Ironforge bank!

Final Thoughts

So yeah, Phase 5 is here and that's pretty awesome. From what I understand, this is probably going to be the longest phase in Classic that we've had to date, but we've got quite a lot to do. In general, I'm really excited to get started, but I'd like to know what you think too. Are you excited for the dungeon set upgrade quest chain, or are you more pumped up for the scepter quest? Do you plan on running AQ20 into the ground, or skipping it altogether like me? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.

But anyway, that's it for today.  If you liked this post, add yourself to my mailing list below so that you get notified when I create more content in the future. Though I'm going to step away from regular content creation, I'm sure that I'll pop in from time to time with something, so I definitely don't want you to miss out. Follow me over on Twitter to keep up with what I'm doing in game as well, and check out my videos over on YouTube as well, as there's still a lot of great stuff over there too. In any case, thanks for reading, have an awesome day, enjoy Phase 5, and as always...

Take it easy guys!

Playing on a Distant Server - The Pros and Cons

Hey dudes - Silvite Soltis here, and today I've got a bit of a different post for you.

As you may, or may not, remember, I currently live in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with my family - my lovely wife and two daughters. But as I plan to eventually move back to the United States, I rolled my Classic characters on US servers - Mankrik and Atiesh, specifically. Well, I recently got into a discussion with my guildmates about what it's like to play on a server on the opposite side of the planet, and it got me thinking - what if there are others who are in a similar situation as me? Or maybe there are players out there who want to play with distant friends or family. After all, the world is a big place, and it's getting more and more globalized by the year, so international gaming is just becoming more common.

So, since I've got quite a bit of experience playing from Asia at this point, I thought it might be fun to list out some of the positive and negative aspects to this type of play. Before getting into it though, I'd just like to ask that you add yourself to my mailing list below so you don't miss out on posts like this in the future. Also, consider checking out my YouTube channel if you're into video content, as that's where all my posts end up eventually. In any case, I hope you enjoy!

Distant Servers - The Pros

While you can probably imagine quite a few problems with playing on a server that's far away from you geographically, there are some great benefits that I've found made my experience quite enjoyable. First off is the simple fact that your prime time is likely much different from the server's prime time. And when there are fewer players online, there's a lot less competition for spawns. This means that you can quest, level up, and generally enjoy the solo play of Classic a lot more. When you want to go farm water elementals up in the Eastern Plaguelands, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be some up there - unless that's where the bots are parked that day. And if you want to tame Broken Tooth, you stand a much better chance of being the first hunter there when he pops.

The reduced competition is great for those of us with gathering professions too, as you're much more likely to actually catch a Black Lotus spawn or Thorium vein while passing through a zone during the dead of night. This happened to me when my shaman was running to turn in a BRD quest in the Burning Steppes at around level 57 or so - a random Black Lotus spawned in the middle of one of the burned down dwarven buildings just outside of Flame Crest. Though I had to clear some mobs to get to it (and almost died), I managed to snag it - something that would've never happened during peak hours. Sure, Blizzard recently implemented some changes to these herbs, making them much more common in general, but I'm sure those of us who play in the dead of night server time will be able to scoop up even more as we simply pass through the zones.

Having less competition isn't the only benefit of playing at off times, however. Many people choose to finish their WoW sessions by taking a trip to the auction house to dump all of the items they've picked up over the day. Since the idea behind this is to log into a nice chunk of change in the mailbox for the next play session, these players often post items at lower prices to encourage someone to buy. With less players online, however, the demand just isn't there. So, if you play during these off hours, you can sometimes find some amazing deals. I, for one, picked up a Brain Hacker for my shaman for around 30 gold back when they were typically selling for around 50. It felt pretty good...

So yeah, browsing the auction house in the wee hours of the morning can sometimes be really lucrative. It does really depend on your server size and player base, though. So, just keep in mind that the market is ever-shifting and this might not always be a pro. There is one thing, however, that is ALWAYS a positive...

NO QUEUES!

Without a doubt, playing when everyone else is asleep or heading off to work has the greatest benefit on larger servers, as you never have to deal with queues. Though I play on Mankrik - which has far fewer players than Whitemane, Herod, and Faerlina for sure - I still hear complaints constantly from guildies, friends, and random pugs about how they are, or were "stuck in the queue." However, I seldom have this problem, unless I try logging on first thing in the morning, of course.

Back when Classic launched, the word on the street was that everyone on every server had huge queues to sit through, then crazy competition for mobs once they finally got in on day 1. Luckily for me, I had work that day, so though I wanted to experience the launch, I had to wait until around 5:30PM to finally start questing in the Valley of Trials. But, oh man, it was worth it. I got home, set up my stream, and played for 3 and a half hours straight with no queues, disconnects, or other issues.

It. Was. AWESOME! And I'm happy to say that I still don't have to deal with queues to this day.

The Cons

Alright, so you get to play without queues or other players stealing your nodes - that's great! But what must you give in return?

EVERYTHING!

Well...not really, but still quite a bit. First off, when you play at what is the dead of night, or early morning, for nearly everyone else on your server, you can expect to have issues finding groups for what you want to run. Of course, it's easier if you're playing a tank or healer, but if you're a lone hunter, you're pretty much S.O.L. To make matters worse, out of the limited number of players online at these strange times, only a few are typically functioning properly. I can't count the number of dungeon runs I've done with a terrible player, only to find out that they were simply falling asleep at their keyboard. Hell, I once led a ZG pug at only 11PM server time and it still took 3 hours - people kept coming in and leaving due to "being tired." Pfft. Weaklings...

But that's not the only issue, unfortunately. If you're interested in raiding - or any large-scale group content really - you'll need to find a guild that matches your schedule, or alter your play time to fit into one. Your guild options are really limited if you can't play at the server's prime time (usually around 7-10PM), meaning that you don't really get to shop around for the perfect guild. Instead, you just have to sort of accept a guild that meets at times you can make. So, if there's only one guild that raids at 4:00 in the morning, you know where your new home is, regardless of the actual people in it.

And speaking of guilds, a lot of those that raid nowadays have a big emphasis on getting world buffs before raid night: Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer, the DM Tribute buffs, and Spirit of Zandalar to name a few. These buffs are huge boons to any raid team, but if you play at off hours, you're pretty much out of luck. Guilds on most servers coordinate these buffs to benefit the greatest number of raiders - meaning you'll miss all of them if you're not online at prime time on any given day. Sure, if you park your character in Booty Bay or Orgrimmar and stay logged in there you might get lucky, but generally people don't turn in Onyxia's head at 2:45AM server time. So, yeah...

Finally, there's one last little con to playing on a server from the opposite side of the planet that people usually think of first - the lag. While my friends and family back in the States tell me about their 20-40ms latency, I'm typically sitting at around 300ms. And while this issue is definitely much more manageable now than the 900-2000ms that I used to get back when I played in Japan back in 2007, it does still cause some problems from time to time. Most notably, I get disconnected quite often, or get the strange buggy disconnect, but where the chat still works completely normally. Honestly though, this is the smallest issue that I've faced in my Classic adventures. So, as long as you've got decent internet wherever you are, you can probably deal with this.

Good luck finding groups though...

So, What's the Verdict?

So yeah, there's a few of the good and bad sides to playing on a faraway WoW server. Overall, it's definitely a fun experience, and vastly different from the way in which most people play the game. There are a few other quirks that I think are worth mentioning - such as late night LFG chat and the personalities of the night owls that you'll likely encounter out in Azeroth at 3AM. These guys will definitely keep you entertained...or offended, depending on how thick your skin is. But yeah, I don't think those are necessarily pros or cons - just another fun little difference from peak server hours and the late night/early morning hours that you'd likely be on.

So, in general what do I think? Is it worth it to play on a distant server? My answer is, it depends on how you enjoy the game. If you love solo play, or know of a guild that does exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it, then yes. However, if you really want to have more options for groups, guilds, and participating in the min-maxing culture of world buffs, then definitely no. Overall, I've been thoroughly enjoying my play time on Mankrik and Atiesh, but it's definitely been an uphill battle to make schedules work, and I have struggled to complete my own personal goals in-game. That being said, the lack of queues and competition have really been nice, so I can't complain too much. At least I didn't roll on Faerlina... I can get on, do my thing, and generally have a good time most days.

In conclusion, I'd say it depends on your goals and personal schedule, but it can be worth it. However, I'd also like to know what you think - do you play on a distant server, far from everyone in your guild? How do you make things work? Or do you always stay close to home, to avoid having scheduling conflicts? With an eventual Classic TBC and my family's eventual move back to the US, I'm really considering my options going forward, so any input you all have would be appreciated.

But anyway, yeah, that's it for today. If you liked this post, or found it informative, then follow my blog by adding yourself to my mailing list below, or follow me over on Twitter for updates. Also, check out my YouTube channel where I put all of these posts into video form shortly after publishing them here. 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!

Memories of TBC - Episode 2: Around the Cape!

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. And today I'm back with another installment of Memories of TBC - a reflective series of my adventures in the Burning Crusade back in 2007-2008.

Last time, I talked about how I started the first expansion to World of Warcraft by killing furbolgs in Felwood using BoE greens I bought from the auction house. Since I couldn't get the expansion for quite a while after launch, there wasn't much more for me to do - other than level alts, that is. So today, I've got an alt story for you all. If you like it, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list below this post so that you can get notified when I make more posts like it in the future, and consider spreading the word around as well - I really appreciate it!

But anyway, on with the story...

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It was the early spring of 2007. As it was spring break, I had no classes at my Japanese high school. So even though I went in pretty much every morning anyway for kendo club, I had the afternoons off - which meant lots and lots of WoW. It was around this time that I actually hit exalted with the Timbermaw Hold, if I remember correctly, and I was itching for something else to do in game. So, I started exploring.

One day, while leveling my warrior up in the Hinterlands, I looked at my map and noticed that there was an empty zone up above it - not quite part of the newly-introduced Ghostlands, but also not part of the Hinterlands. So, having nothing better to do, I headed over there.

Now at the time, the computer I was using was a really crappy laptop that could hardly run WoW. The graphics were so bad that huge chunks of the land were jagged sheets of screen tearing. I found the eastern coast of the zone among the laggy blocks of turtles moving around at 8 frames per second and began moving north. I remember feeling surprised at how little of the coast I could actually run on - getting pushed into the water quite a few times and having to swim in the dark waters of...wherever I was at that point.

As I moved, I began to notice something strange; I was clearly moving along the coastline and my minimap displayed this, but as I progressed the world map showed me as moving through the continent! This was soon confirmed when I encountered a small night elf area in a zone called Quel'Thalas!

"Wow," I thought to myself, "I got here without the expansion after all!"

I took some screenshots (that I'm happy to say that I still have to this day), then decided to continue onward along the coast. After all, I was basically in the middle of the continent, and I was curious about what else I might find on this little adventure. I swam and swam next to the shore for what felt like an eternity - through it was probably more like 20 minutes now that I think about it. Unfortunately, the gazebo was pretty much all there was to see. Eventually, my warrior exited Quel'Thalas and The Veiled Sea and entered a zone that everyone knows well - Tirisfal Glades.

"No way." I thought to myself as I looked at the map again. But it was true. I had swam all the way through the continent and ended up on the other side. Laughing to myself, I killed a few undead murlocs along the coast - as if to virtually pinch myself and see if this had all been a dream or something. Alas, it wasn't. The developers had simply not put anything up where the map said land should be - not even mountains to block adventurers like myself. Oops!

So, not wanting to travel all the way back the way I had come, I waved farewell to a random lowbie undead guy, hit my hearthstone, and went back to the leveling grind...

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I hope you enjoyed my brief story of exploration in this big wide World of Warcraft. Even though I didn't actually have TBC yet at this point of the expansion's life, I can still say that this memory is one that I really cherish...for some reason. Even though I'd been playing the game for nearly 2 years at that point, the sense of wonder at the big wide world was still alive, and it's fun to see that this feeling continues even now, 13 years later. In any case, there won't be  many more of these TBC-but-not-actually-TBC-yet memories going forward, as there's really only one other event that sticks out in my mind - and I'm not even sure whether that was before or after I secured the expansion.

But yeah, that's it for today. If you liked this story or found it interesting, let me know by leaving a comment down below - and by adding yourself to my mailing list. Follow me over on Twitter for updates on new content as well, and consider checking out my videos over on YouTube if you like stimulating your eyes and ears simultaneously, as I make all of these posts into videos over there soon after I write them here. Thanks for reading, have an awesome day in Azeroth, and as always...

Take it easy!

Zul'Gurub is Coming! Why Phase 4 Will Be AWESOME!

Here we come, Hakkar!

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here. And today, I'm back with another quick discussion post.

As we all know, Phase 3 has been out for a while and Phase 4 is set to release sometime this month. And while many of us may have only just defeated the Lord of Blackrock in BWL, there's a lot of reason to be excited for this progression into the next chapter of Classic. So, today I thought it might be fun to talk about some of the reasons that I, in particular, am very hyped for the upcoming content addition to WoW Classic.

Let's get right into it!

Reason 1 - Troll Raid!

Alright, so first and foremost, we're getting a new raid in Phase 4, which I'm sure everyone is super-stoked to sink their teeth into. Zul'Gurub, the first of two 20-man raids in Classic, is a troll raid located along the eastern border of Stranglethorn Vale. With 10 unique encounters (one of which has 4 different possible bosses), a plethora of awesome loot, and, most importantly, a super-short 3 day lockout, ZG is an absolute godsend for raiders everywhere who crave something new between the massive 40-man BWL farm and the eventual Temple of Ahn'Qiraj.

Though I'm quite limited in terms of free time to take on this jungle raid, I'm really looking forward to squaring off against the Gurubashi trolls with my own proud Darkspear! Plus, with my guild of well-equipped raiders, it'll be even more fun to steamroll through as fast as possible. I can't wait!

Reason 2 - Awesome Catch-up Loot

Dat set bonus tho...

Just like all raids, one of the most highly anticipated aspects of Zul'Gurub is, of course, the amazing loot. Unlike the hit or miss items in many of the dungeons and throughout Molten Core, the gear in ZG is powerful, and well itemized for the different classes and specs of Classic. Some of the items on offer are just perfect for those slots you're missing - and of course for gearing alts up fast.

Personally, I'm excited for the Primalist ring set - the Band and Seal - for my priest, and the Zulian Stone Axe and various mail int+AP pieces for my enhancement shaman...whenever I can get him capped, that is!

Reason 3 - New Enchants

Possibly the most important things getting introduced along with Zul'Gurub for raiders like me are the various new enchantments for our helms, legs, and shoulders. No longer will we need to farm Dire Maul, Scholomance, and other old dungeons with no upgrades just to get a paltry 8 damage and healing here or 1% dodge chance there. Instead, we can simply collect some dolls in our voodoo adventures, and BAM - Stamina, Hit Chance, and increased spell and attack power for everyone! Granted, competition for the items needed will definitely be fierce, but so long as you run ZG a few times, you're bound to pick them up eventually!

Mmmmmm +Healing!

Moreover, those of us who grind all the way to Exalted reputation with the Zandalari Tribe, will finally be able to get our hands on some amazing shoulder enchantments - 18 spell power, 30 attack power, or 33 healing, to be specific! Sure, exalted won't be easy to attain, but it will give us all a reason to keep doing ZG, even if/when we're all fully geared to the teeth.

Reason 4 - More Raid Crutches!

All the crutches!

But wait! There's more! As if all the new gear and enchants coming with Zul'Gurub weren't enough, we're also getting more consumables and ANOTHER world buff! - the Spirit of Zandalar! Healers will rejoice as we'll finally have the long-awaited Mageblood Potion and Brilliant Mana Oil that will help keep our teams alive for longer, which will no doubt help us in these later tiers of raiding! What's more, casters will all be scrambling to craft the Bloodvine Garb for that much-needed spell hit - a stat that is unfortunately missing on many of the otherwise best raid gear until this point.

These great items, combined with the enchants and other awesome loot provided by ZG and the Zandalar Tribe will make our BWL clears, and subsequent progress into AQ and Naxx, that much faster and easier. And I'm really looking forward to it!

Reason 5 - Gives a Reason to Finish Leveling Alts

Just a bit more...

All of the gear, enchants, and consumables are wonderful boons to my main, but one of the biggest reasons I think that Phase 4 will be amazing is the simple fact that it will provide me (and I'm sure many others) with a reason to finally finish leveling up our alts.

Personally, the prospect of running a bunch of dungeons on my paladin or shaman just to collect enough gear to be able to step into an alt raid, then spending several hours a week clearing that raid just to get 0-2 pieces of loot out of it has always been a big put-off. So really, I only really worked on leveling my alts as a fun side activity, with no goal in mind other than maybe capping someday. With ZG on the horizon, however, these characters have a 1-stop-shop for loot, enchants, and more.

So, while I'm sure most of us will prioritize getting everything we need for our mains out of ZG first, it will eventually be an awesome place for us to take our alts - which again, I'm super stoked about. But, of course, reaching exalted on my priest comes first...

Final Thoughts

I definitely won't be killing this guy...

So, there you have it. 5 reasons why Phase 4 will be awesome. Zul'Gurub is bringing with it some of the greatest items that Classic will have on offer for the majority of the playerbase and it's really about time! From the Zandalarian Hero Charm to the Zin'rokh, Destroyer of Worlds, we're getting a lot in this epic new era of Classic content. It's also worth noting that we'll also be getting the Emerald Dragons in Phase 4, providing the top-end guilds with another layer of competition for their limited spawns, and thus loot. They'll provide great gear for guilds planning to go hardcore into AQ-40, but since I'm guessing most of us won't ever be able to get a kill on them, I think they're nearly as significant as the other upcoming phase 4 content. Of course, I could be wrong, and I wish luck to any guilds that plan to try for the tags on them!

Anyway, that's all I've got for today. For me, phase 4 is definitely going to be an exciting chapter in the life of Classic, but I'd love to know what you all think. Are you excited for ZG and the dragons, or frustrated at the blazing saddles speed at which Blizzard is churning out the Classic content? Let me know by leaving a comment down below! If you enjoyed this post, and would like to see more in the future, add your email to my mailing list while you're down there - or follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates! Finally, consider checking out my YouTube channel, if you prefer watching this type of content instead of reading it. In any case, thanks for reading, enjoy phase 4, and as always...

Take it easy!

Classic TBC? My Thoughts and Plans

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

As I'm sure everyone is aware of at this point, Blizzard recently sent out a survey asking players which method of character progression they'd be most in favor of to transition from Classic to The Burning Crusade if they were to release TBC servers. The four options given were essentially:

1 - Your whole server progresses to TBC, but you can transfer off to stay capped at 60 vanilla.
2 - You start fresh at level 1 on a TBC server.
3 - You start fresh at level 58 on a TBC server.
4 - Your server stays capped at 60, but you can transfer off to progress into TBC content.

Obviously, options #1 and #4 are the most likely scenarios, with #4 being my personal preference, but the most important aspect of this survey isn't really HOW they plan to progress into TBC, but the fact that it's basically confirmed.

So, though we don't have an official announcement of a Burning Crusade rerelease quite yet, I thought it might be fun to just discuss some of my thoughts and plans for when it is eventually released...

What will I do?

Got'em!

So, since we don't know exactly when Classic TBC will come out, it's hard to say for certain what I'll do. Though I would very much like to clear Naxxramas, I can't say that I'm really devoted enough to farm out consumables, past tiers of raiding content, and progress through the raid every week. Blackwing Lair took my guild 7 weeks to clear, due to our condensed 1-night raiding schedule, and the prospect of trying to clear BWL, AQ and Naxx while also taking care of my work and family life does seem too be quite daunting.

7/8 of the only set I care about

So, basically, I think that I'll most likely jump over to Classic TBC immediately when it releases - whenever that is. I've completed two of my biggest Classic goals at this point - slaying Nefarian and obtaining Benediction - and the third and final one is within my reach (currently at 7/8 Prophecy with only the helm left to collect). Sure, it'd be nice to kill Kel'Thuzad and get decked out in full T3, but unless we've got a full year or so of Phase 6, it just isn't a feasible goal for me.

What will I roll?

Hello, New Main!

Throughout Classic thus far, my priest has been absolutely amazing. I can say that I've truly enjoyed everything about leveling as a Horde character, and learning how to properly heal the dungeons and raids of original WoW. That being said, I do feel that I missed out a lot of adventures with my family by not playing Alliance - which both of my brothers and my sister-in-law rolled. Plus, I did level multiple characters - both Alliance and Horde - up to 70 during the Burning Crusade back in the day (Priest, Warrior, Druid, and Mage). So I don't think I'm missing anything in terms of quests and storylines like I did in vanilla.

As such, I've got two options that I'm considering very heavily. If we get to copy/transfer our Classic characters, I'll be maining my dwarf protection paladin, as 1- tanks are always in high demand, 2 - he's already level 47, and 3 - I love playing it, even in Classic! However, if we do end up starting completely fresh, I'll definitely roll a draenei enhancement shaman, as it's another class I've learned to love through leveling one in Classic. I may go resto at level cap, as I do love healing, but since I've never mained a melee dps, I'd probably stick to enhancement if that ends up being the case. Still though, the paladin is my hope.

So...when do I think it will come out?

Though I've been thinking a lot about this since the survey came out a couple of days ago, I honestly don't think that Classic TBC will be out for a while. For starters, we're not even into phase 4 of Classic yet, meaning that we still have at least 7 full months left - assuming phases 4 through 6 last as long as phases 1 through 3 did (and phase 6 will probably be much longer). Moreover, the new expansion to retail - Shadowlands - is still set for a 2020 release as far as I'm aware. So since it wouldn't make much sense to release two big WoW subscription-drivers in the same year, I'm going to guess Classic TBC will release in mid-2021 - most likely in July or so. Though Blizzard seems to really enjoy their August releases in recent years, they have been pumping Classic out a bit faster than originally anticipated to meet the players' demand for more content. As such, I don't think we'll have a full two years of original Classic. But really, that's just speculation and only a select few in Blizzard know for sure.

Final Thoughts

Looking Forward to This Place Again

Obviously, all we have to go on right now is a survey that was only sent to a few people, but for me, that's enough. I'm still enjoying Classic a lot, but I am getting more and more hyped thinking about TBC with every passing hour. As a senior in high school back in the day, I played the hell out of it, but I was about 8 months late to the party - only really starting around August of 2007. So though I did get to raid through tier 4, and later tier 6 content on my shadow priest back when it was relevant, I skipped over tier 5 almost entirely due to the availability of catch-up gear. This time, I'm looking forward to doing everything, but as a different role. And even if my real life responsibilities keep me from doing that, at very least I know that I can do some Karazhan with my family every week. And that'll be a blast...

Anyway, that's it for today. If you enjoyed reading me ramble about my excitement for the most-likely upcoming TBC rerelease for Classic, let me know by leaving a comment down below! And if you'd like to see more content in the future, add yourself to my mailing list, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter while you're at it! Also, consider checking out my videos on YouTube for more Classic, and eventually TBC related content! Thanks a lot for reading, have an awesome day, 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!

My Thoughts Going Into Phase 3

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis back again with another post for your reading pleasure.

Nefarian, Final boss of Blackwing Lair

As you all know, Classic's been out for almost 6 months at this point. And since Phase 3 is imminent (and possibly out by the time I hit publish on this post), I thought it might be fun to just jot down some of my thoughts about the game until now. Especially since I've never really discussed the different phases much previously. So, before we all hop into Blackwing Lair and try to get those ultra-epic lewts, let me just take some time to tell about my thoughts going into Phase 3.




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As many of you know, my initial goals when Classic released was to reach the level cap during phase 1, begin raiding, and collect my full Prophecy set and Benediction. However, due to my limited time for playing the game I'd so long awaited, I wasn't able to meet that first goal. When the early release of Dire Maul was announced, with Phase 2 officially starting not long after, I was really bummed out, but it really pushed me to level as fast as I could, given my circumstances.


Well, luckily I reached level 60 and got into raiding not long after Phase 2 officially launched. And while I was still a bit bummed that I missed the initial Dire Maul rush, it felt great to finally raid Molten Core and Onyxia's Lair as relevant content. Overall, I found a lot of satisfaction with the game after finally capping.

Like...what happened with the phases? (Credit to classicwow.live)

Fast forward a bit to December 2019, and we got the announcement that Phase 3, the one with Blackwing Lair, would be launching in "Early 2020". Initially, I was furious with this news, as I'd only recently hit level 60 and had hardly even touched Molten Core. After comparing the Classic releases of the other content, like DM and battlegrounds, to their original release dates in vanilla, I felt like Blizzard was rushing out the phases and not really letting players experience it in an authentic manner. I was especially worried because, to me, "Early 2020" sounded like a mid-late January release, and with only one viable day for raiding, I thought I might have to make a choice between either finding a new guild that would continue doing MC on that day, or move into BWL without completing my second main goal - Prophecy and Benediction.

The Next Chapter...

Well, here we are with BWL about to launch, and I can say that I was definitely a bit too hasty in my initial reaction to that news. This phase's February release means that it's coming roughly five and half months after Classic's launch, only about two months sooner than Vanilla's Patch 1.6. Sure, it's not 100% true to the initial launch, but considering that most of us didn't have much actual progression in tier 1 content this time around, the timing seems pretty much right.

5/8 Prophecy AND Benediction Obtained!

Basically, what I'm saying is that though I thought Blizzard has been rushing Classic content, the release of Blackwing Lair and the rest of Phase 3 content seems like it's coming at a good time. Personally, I'm super-excited for this new chapter of Classic. Despite not having my full Tier 1 set - 5/8 as of right now - I'm ready for something new. And I'm sure that many of you out there who have been clearing MC in under 2 hours for the past few months are right there with me.


In addition to the new raid, I'm excited about a few other things coming to the game in this phase too! The Sunken Temple class quests, while not really beneficial for  my priest at this point, will give my shammy alt something to work on when I get him up to the early 50s. The Darkmoon Faire, while not necessarily something I was ever really interested in, will be a fun place to go hang out in whenever it comes to Mulgore, if only to listen to the music while chitchatting with my guild.

Most importantly, though, is that we'll start having overpowered BWL-geared raiders running with alts and newbies through Molten Core and Onyxia - boosting those toons' gear faster than ever before. Despite being old content in Classic as soon as BWL and beyond are released, the fact that MC contains so many amazing items (including tier 2 legs, some trinkets, and more) makes it impossible for certain raiders to pass up. Phase 3 is going to be a great time to have a fresh 60 in Classic, that's for sure!

Did somebody say...?

And, of course, we'll all finally get to see people running around Ironforge and Orgrimmar with, you guessed it, Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker! What a time to be enjoying Classic!






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So, there you have it. My thoughts going into this new chapter of Classic's life. Overall, I'm pretty excited, as you can probably tell, but I'd like to know what you think. Are you excited for something new, nervous about the challenges that await in Nefarian's evil lair, or annoyed by the slightly early release of this 15 year old content? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment down below. If you liked this post, add yourself to my mailing list below, or follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates when I post new content. Also, consider checking out my videos over on YouTube, as that's where all of these blog posts end up roughly a week or so after their writing.

Thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!