Top 5 - Playable Races of TBC

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

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

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

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

#5 -  Night Elves

Night Elves

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

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

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

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

#4 - Orcs 

Orc

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

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

#3 - Dwarfs

Dwarf

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

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

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

#2 - Blood Elves

Blood Elves

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mention - Trolls

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

#1 - Draenei

Draenei

Two words: Butt. Waggle.

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

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

The looks.

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

Take it easy!

Top 10 - Classic Staves

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis back with another list for you today!

Everyone knows that WoW Classic is all about the journey - leveling to 60, doing dungeons with your friends, and raiding with your guild for hours at a time. But, of course, that's only part of the picture, isn't it? After all, isn't one of the biggest goals - in any video game - to be the best you can possibly be? Well I believe so, and I'm sure many of you agree with me. As such, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the most iconic loot that Classic has to offer.

Of course, I've already made a Top 5 Tier sets, and covered dungeon sets extensively. So in this post, and a few more in the series I have planned, I decided to go through my favorite weapons in World of Warcraft: Classic. Keep in mind that these are just my opinions, and that these lists are based on my taste in the visuals and the feeling of accomplishment these items award. Eventually, we'll look at the swords, daggers, ranged weapons, and more, but for now, let's get right into it: starting with the staves!

Crescent Staff

#10 - Crescent Staff

Many Horde characters, especially casters, will tell you how iconic this staff is to their early leveling experience. Though simple in design, the Crescent Staff is a reward from the main quest line of the Horde's second dungeon, Wailing Caverns. Of course, the Staff of Orgrimmar comes first in one's leveling journey, but this staff from collecting the gems of the Serpent Lords is considerably more powerful and is likely the first blue new Horde players will equip in their leveling journey. Those triple-sevens are nice, the damage is decent, and it's looks are unparalleled in those early 20s...

Staff of Westfall

#9 - Staff of Westfall

Similar to the Crescent Staff for Horde, the Staff of Westfall is often the first blue item that many Alliance players obtain. It's a reward from the epic Defias Brotherhood quest chain, spanning the zones around Stormwind and concluding in the Deadmines - the first dungeon that most players have traditionally experienced. This staff, though simple in design, feels like a just reward for us adventurers who uncovered the secrets of that rogue organization of former stonemasons, stormed their base, and took out their leader in order to protect our beloved kingdom. And it's for that reason that I've included it here, at number 9...

Staff of Hale Magefire

#8 - Staff of Hale Magefire

There's not much to say about this staff. I just love the design of the staff holding up an encircled magic flame. Actually there are a few staves like this - such as Staff of Metanoia, for example - so really, number 8 could be any of those. It's really just a cool looking staff, in my opinion. And it's one that I hope I get to rock on an alt someday...

Warden Staff (the stats really make it imo)

#7 - Warden Staff

The only non-caster staff on this list, the Warden Staff is a unique and widely sought after staff for any and every feral tank in Classic. Though simple in design, the stats and the simple fact that it can be used all the way from level 43 through Naxxramas by those big, lovable bears is reason enough in my book to give it my personal seal of approval. An interesting staff with great utility for one of my favorite classes.

Staff of Dominance

#6 - Staff of Dominance

This epic staff, crackling with arcane power, is a mage's wet dream. A drop from Golemagg the Loot-Giver in Molten Core, this staff exudes an aura of absolute domination - hence its name. When I first saw someone walking around Ironforge with this staff back in vanilla, I remember thinking how amazing it looked. And now that I'm experiencing MC with my guild over on Mankrik, I can say that this was a much sought-after item...until we got Mageblade drops 4 weeks in a row, that is...

In short, it's a cool looking staff with great stats that MC raiders all love.

#5 - Will of Arlokk

Will of Arlokk

Though not yet available in Classic (releasing with Zul'Gurub later this year), the Will of Arlokk has got, in my opinion, one of the coolest designs of any staff in the game. The head of this staff is a freaking cobra! What more is there to say about it?

The looks aren't the only awesome thing about it though! It's got great stats for healers (especially druids) - with tons of spirit and plus healing for those fights that just drag on. What's more, it can possibly be obtained once every 3 days, since ZG is on a shorter reset timer than other raids in Classic. Oh, and did I mention it's a freaking snake staff! Live out your Jafar fantasies, healers!

Headmaster's Charge

#4 - Headmaster's Charge

Heading into the final stretch of my list here, we have the one epic that I REALLY wanted to get back in the day. As you might know from seeing some of my Top posts, Scholomance is, by far, my favorite dungeon in Classic. And from the final boss, Darkmaster Gandling, this epic staff drops. This weapon is fairly simple in design, especially when compared to the epic-looking staves in the raids later on. But as a dungeon drop, it looks awesome. The horned skull with a spiny backbone just looks so sinister! Plus, it has the unique on-use effect of buffing your party's intellect - a great boons for warlocks and priests when a mage proves oh-so-elusive.

Pretty much, it's just the cool looks and the epic quality of this dungeon drop. Love it.

Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian (Mage)

#3 - Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian

Because it had to be up here, right? The legendary Greatstaff of the Guardian, Atiesh, is possibly the most iconic staff in all Warcraft lore. It's right up there with Gorehowl and Frostmourne in its name recognition and is the best weapon for priests, druids, warlocks, and mages all the way up through Tier 4 content (assuming Classic continues into BC, that is).

Obtaining this birdie-stick is no easy feat, though. To collect it, one must be in a hardcore raiding guild farming AQ40 and Naxxramas to collect the base, head, and splinters needed to reassemble this bad boy. The work is definitely worth it, though, as each class that can potentially wield this powerhouse gets its own variation - complete with different stats, abilities, and, of course, ribbons!

As simple as the design is, Atiesh deserves a spot on any top weapons list simply due to its sheer badassness. And that's why it's here at number 3! But, of course, that leaves 2 more staves to discuss...

Staff of the Shadow Flame

#2 - Staff of the Shadow Flame

This. Staff. Is. Epic!

With one of the most badass models in all of Classic, and absolutely insane stats, it's hard to argue with how amazing the Staff of the Shadow Flame is. First of all, it's got everything your caster could want: intellect, 2% spell crit, and a whopping 84 plus damage and healing. You can expect that every mage, warlock, and more will be banking their DKP for this bad boy.

The stats aren't everything, though! This staff's model is one of the coolest in all of WoW! With the dragon skull atop a spine of sinister spikes, it instills fear into one's foes from a distance. Combine this with some warlock tier 2, and you'll look like one bad mother too!

Sure you could get the Shadow Wing Focus Staff from the 3 drake encounters of BWL, but that ear of corn on a stick just doesn't compare with this masterpiece of raid loot from the Lord of Blackrock himself. It is, most definitely, a fitting piece of loot for the vanquishers of Nefarian!

Benediction

#1 - Benediction / Anathema

Ahh, was there every any doubt? Benediction and Anathema are, without a doubt, my absolute favorite staves in World of Warcraft. The amazing, healing golden color of Benediction is iconic of the healers in any Classic guild, and the sinister shadowy sparkles of Anathema give away a shadow priest from 10 miles away.

Anathema

Technically two staves, this priest pair is the epitome of an epic staff. The item required to unlock the quest chain, the Eye of Divinity, drops from the penultimate boss of the first raid of Classic - Molten Core's Majordomo encounter. After finally getting this item (seeing probably 34 Petrified Leaves in the process), the priest can travel to Eris Havenfire in the Eastern Plaguelands to complete a quest unlike any other in Classic - the Balance of Light and Shadow. Only after saving 50 peasants while not letting even 15 perish can one obtain the Shard of Nordrassil. And when the hopeful priest combines this fragment of the World Tree with both the Eye of Divinity and an Eye of Shadow (a difficult item to obtain in its own right), Benediction, and thus also Anathema, is finally awarded.

Obtaining these powerful staves is a rite of passage for every priest in Classic. The feeling when an Eye finally drops for your guild, the exhilarating rush of adrenaline when healing the peasants during the quest, and the feeling of accomplishment when you finally combine those items and obtain that shiny staff at the end all make for an unforgettable experience. Sure, there's the legendary Atiesh and the fantastic staff from Nefarian which are both amazing weapons, but for me, and many others, Bene-thema reigns supreme. And that's why it's my number 1 pick for Classic Staves of World of Warcraft: Classic!

Conclusions

So, there you have it: my Top 10 Staves of World of Warcraft Classic. Obviously, there are tons more staves, and even more weapons, available in the game, but these are just my personal favorites. Classic is a huge game, after all, and with so many players, we're bound to have different preferences though. As always, I'd love to know which staves you think are the coolest, most interesting, or favorite in a different way, so feel free to leave a comment down below with your own opinion as well.

But, that's it for today. If you enjoyed this post and feel that it inspired you to go out and get a magic stick, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list to get notified about the next post too! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for other updates, and consider checking out my videos over on YouTube as well, if you're into that sort of thing. Thanks a lot for reading. And as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Classic Horde Leveling Zones

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here! And today, I'm pleased to be back with another top 5 list for you!

As we all know, World of Warcraft Classic has a lot to offer for anyone who decides to pick it up and play. But no matter if your goal is raiding, PVP, or just to enjoy some good old fashioned RP, you're going to have to level up a bit. It's basically unavoidable...unless you're doing some level 1 gnome raids on Orgrimmar, that is...

Anyway, since I've already talked about some of the more well-known quests, I thought it might be fun to talk about some of my favorite leveling zones again now that Classic is out. Plus, I've been maining Horde this time around, so I've definitely a different perspective on things than I used to. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy as I tell you my Top 5 Classic Horde Leveling Zones.

#5 - Stranglethorn Vale

Stranglethorn Vale

Stranglethorn Vale is a lush jungle with a rich backstory, great quests, and one of the greatest soundtracks of any zone in Classic. It is also the only zone that is unavoidable while leveling (so long as you're not solely dungeon grinding, that is). No matter whether you're playing Horde or Alliance, you'll find yourself in this jungle eventually...

I love Stranglethorn Vale for a few reasons - the massive number of beasts to kill and skin, the jungle-music that adds to the atmosphere, and the wide level 30-50 range to name a few. But my favorite aspect of STV after playing through this zone as a Horde character this time has got to be the sheer number of quests it provides - especially for my faction. Trolls and Tauren alike can start questing here, as I said, at around level 30 or so, killing tigers and panthers for Hemit Nesingwary Jr. up in the north. You continue killing trolls, raptors, and pirates for quest givers in Grom'gol and Booty Bay for ages - always having something to do - while constantly hearing that relaxing jungle beat in the background. It's really no wonder this was at the top of my list last time I thought about the different zones of Classic.

Grom'Gol

STV has its issues - the gankfest it is on PVP servers, the stretches of few to no quests for some levels, and the massive size of the jungle to name a few. However, it is without a doubt one of the quintessential zones of Classic leveling. And with Grom'Gol having a near perfect position in the middle portion of the zone, it becomes all that much better for the Horde.

#4 - Thousand Needles

Thousand Needles

Thousand Needles is, without a doubt, my most unexpected entry on this list. Nevertheless, it was one of the more memorable and fruitful zones I quested in on my troll's journey to 60. Though somewhat confusing and definitely very large geographically for a pre-40 character, it is chocked full of interesting and useful quests.

Darkcloud Pinnacle

First off, you have the Darkcloud Pinnacle quests, which basically ask you to climb up on top of the massive pillars of the zone and take on the Grimtotem clan head-on. If you weren't careful, you could tumble into the valley below, adding an extra element of danger to these quests - especially when doing the escort.

Secondly, there are tons of centaur here, right around Freewind Post, which are excellent for farming Silk Cloth - an item that my tailoring desperately needed around level 28 or so. These mobs are close together and die fairly quickly, which makes it a nice, relaxing place to farm exp when you don't feel like scouring the world for new quests to do.

Shimmering Flats

Finally, the absolute best part of this zone, from a leveling perspective anyway, has got to be the Shimmering Flats: a large open space with more quests than one can even hope to complete in one sitting. Sure, it's pretty far away from Freewind Post, but it's only a little ways from Gadgetzan to the south, so traveling to and fro isn't too bad. Of all the subzones (zones within zones), this is probably my favorite for this reason - quest central!

#3 - Un'Goro Crater

Un'Goro Crater

Un'Goro Crater is a large circular crater in the southernmost part of Kalimdor. This zone is a prehistoric paradise! Home to tar beasts, devilsaurs, and Nintendo spoofs, it is right up there in my favorite zones of all time! It's the only zone in this list that is purely neutral too, so Alliance players, rejoice! You too can do all of the quests here! At least, I'm pretty sure you can...

When leveling my priest in November 2019, I actually nearly forgot this zone existed - only going sometime after level 50. I arrived at Marshal's Refuge with only a handful of quests in my log: mostly dungeon quests for ST that I'd never complete if I remember correctly. But as soon as I picked up the quests here and opened up my map to see where to start, I was blown away. Questie (yes, I use the addon because I'm casual AF) lit up the entire map with so many icons that I could barely see the actual map underneath. It was pretty ridiculous.

Devilsaurs are Dangerous

Needless to say, I was busy in this zone for a long time. But the number of quests isn't why it's so good for leveling - there are lots of zones filled with quests. It is the complete overlapping of the quest items and objectives that make it so amazing. You can leave Marshal's Refuge, run around for an hour picking up soil, dinosaur bones, and ooze samples constantly and STILL not be done with the quests. There are plenty of quests with specific locations to grind in, that's true, but you can easily progress on 3 or 4 other quests while running there and back. And then running to the next area and back. And again. And again.

Combine this amazing questing experience to the nice green color of the zone, the terror of being trampled by a Devilsaur, and the deep, foreboding soundtrack this zone utilizes to keep you on the edge of your seat, and you've got one hell of a leveling zone!

#2 - Feralas

Feralas

Feralas is, most definitely, one of my favorite zones of all time now. Having played Alliance for so long, I feel that I never really appreciated just how epic it is - probably because I always had to wait for that damn boat to get anywhere! As a troll this time, however, I really got to enjoy this lush rain forest the way it should be experienced.

Like most forests, Feralas is green, so it's already a wonderful zone in my book. The music is pleasant, (a mix of STV and Barrens music if I'm not mistaken), and the entire zone is covered in a dense humid-looking fog. It's far away from Orgrimmar, which makes going to town to learn new skills a bit of a pain, but it's got a town with a mailbox, flight master, and everything else that we sometimes take for granted in World of Warcraft. It's this town, I believe, which makes Feralas such an amazing zone for Horde leveling compared to the Alliance.

A Lush Rain Forest

Camp Mojache is located in the eastern part of the zone, literally on the road. There are MANY great quests offered here, but their location is key - many of the Horde quests for Feralas are right around the Camp. There's the epic gnoll quest (yes, I said it) directly to the south, the ogre quests to the north and south-west, and the Muisek quest chain which has objectives all over the map just to name a few. Best of all, there's no need to take the boat to the islands housing Feathermoon Hold for Horde! It's really just an awesome zone to go relax, kill yetis, fish, or do whatever else you want on your journey to 60!

#1 - The Barrens

The Barrens

Because of course it is! The Barrens is, without question, the most iconic Horde leveling zone in World of Warcraft. Though it's pretty dull and colorless - a drab brownish yellow that blends the grasses and rocks together for the most part - the music, quests, and most importantly players of this zone make it an absolute must for anyone leveling a Horde character in Classic.

Similar to STV, The Barrens spans a wide range of levels. Players come here directly either from Mulgore or Durotar around level 10 and may continue to quest here into the 20s. Upon your first trip to the Crossroads, a site of considerable world PVP back in the day if I remember correctly, you pick up around 10 quests to complete - many of which overlap each other similar to Un'Goro later on. You continue questing until you get to around level 17 or so, when many of the quests you end up getting are no longer for The Barrens, but rather a place called Wailing Caverns - the Horde equivalent to the Deadmines.

Bramblescar

Like I said, there are many reasons to love The Barrens: music, quests, and more. But what really makes The Barrens the best Classic leveling zone for Horde players is the community...

In other words, Barrens Chat:

"Has anyone seen Mankrik's wife?"
"Anal [Thunderfuy, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker"

[Insert random political statement here]

Even months after wrapping up my priests quests here, I still love it every time I fly through this zone and glance at my chat box. It always makes me smile...or cringe, depending on the topic of the hour.

Sure, every zone of Classic has its merits, but as a leveling zone for Horde players on a 15 year old internet game, the Barrens reigns supreme.


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So there you have it - my Top 5 Classic Horde Leveling Zones. Honestly, all 5 of these, and many many more, are great zones to level in as underlings of Thrall or the Banshee Queen, but these ones in particular were the ones I enjoyed the most - especially Feralas and The Barrens. It was especially hard to choose which of those two would be the #1 spot.

You might have noticed that I excluded the starting zones, as well as the "max level" zones. This wasn't entirely intentional, as I simply did not feel that the Horde starter zones held up as well as later leveling zones (especially Mulgore), nor did I think that the endgame zones were as enjoyable for leveling. Still, I would like to say that I do love most of the zones in Classic, and you should too! The game is a masterpiece and the zones each have their own unique aspects to enjoy. That being said, let me know which zones are your favorite for leveling by leaving a comment down below. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this post, why not add yourself to my mailing list? Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for other updates, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you'd like to see more of my content in the future. Thanks a lot for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Memories of Vanilla #30 - You Done Attunement, Right?

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here back with another installment of Memories of Vanilla - my reflective series of my Warcraft adventures back in 2005-2007.

Last time, I told about how I came to the decision to try and acquire a full set of Dreadmist gear, as well as how some of my adventuring went in pursuit of that goal. Needless to say, I was still a huge noob back then - so today I'd like to tell another nooby story that happened around that time.

I hope you enjoy. If you do, remember to leave a comment below telling me if you had a similar experience back in the day. But anyway, let's get right into the story...


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Molten Giants in the Core

Back in early 2006, I remember watching Leika as his mage took on huge giants made of rock and magma. There was something intoxicating about what he was doing - talking with a clamor of voices in Ventrilo, spamming his Frostbolt icon, and running with a massive group of Alliance soldiers through the pits of this fiery cave - I was enthralled.

Well, fast forward to the summer, and I was ready! I was finally going to enter the Molten Core for myself.

One evening, shortly after hitting level 60 and somewhere in the middle of my quest to obtain a full set of Dreadmist gear, Leika called me on the phone and asked if I wanted to go to MC with his guild that night.

Oh boy, did I ever!

Naturally, I agreed and proceeded to stock up on mana potions, the only consumable I really knew about, before logging out to do other things before it started. I don't remember how I spent the time until the raid to be honest - probably played Aoyamamotoko or something - but eventually, it was time...

8:00PM - the summer sun still shone through the basement windows as I logged into Silvite and messaged Leika for an invite. Within seconds, it came - and I found myself in a group with around 30 other people. Other than my random experiences in Alterac Valley, this was the biggest group I'd ever been in. I was pumped up!

Molten Core Entrance

And then it hit me - I had no idea where Molten Core was or how to get there...

Sheepishly, I messaged Leika to ask where I should go. He lol'd (typical) and just told me to wait for a summon. They'd take care of me so long as I followed my healing assignments. This helped me to relax a little, but I was still really anxious to get inside and start fighting those baddies I'd seen before.

How Noobs Get Places...

Eventually, a window popped up: "[Player] wants to summon you." This was it! I clicked 'yes' and was transported to Blackrock Mountain - a place I only recognized from the few UBRS runs I'd done previously. Stoked, I /waved at everyone before watching them gather by some elf in a room. This is where something odd started happening...

One by one, my teammates started disappearing from that small room. I wondered why, but figured it would be best not to say anything for now. Eventually, only a handful of us remained - all in various guilds and looking just as confused. Leika whispered me, asking why I hadn't zoned in...and this is when I noticed where everyone else was - Molten Core.

Confused, I asked him how they'd gotten in - as they'd all simply disappeared from the room. Apparently, all I had to do was talk to the elf guy and he'd teleport me. I sighed, and walked over to the NPC, but all I could do was accept a quest...

"Attunement to the Core"

Attunement to the Core

Leika's response was, as expected, 'ROFL!' In my noobishness, I had never found out that I actually needed to attune for the raid. At this point, the raid leader asked us why we were all still standing outside. Apologizing, I said that I apparently hadn't done the attunement yet, but would get it done as soon as I could, hoping to somehow save my spot.

I, along with the others standing around outside, were told to get attuned first, then kicked from the raid group. So much for my dreams of slaying lava giants...




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I hope you enjoyed the misadventure that was my first attempt at raiding in vanilla. It's one of those experiences that really helped me to grow as a player and one that, while negative at the time, I always look back on fondly now. After being kicked from the group, a few of us unattuned players did make a group and run the attunement quest in BRD, but by the time we actually finished it, the raid was long finished (yeah, we sucked). So I never actually got into MC that night, or ever again, in vanilla.

Luckily, I'll have another chance to do it right from August 27th. And I'm going to cherish every bit of it this time!

Anyway, that's it for today. If you enjoyed this story and would like to see more in the future, follow my blog by adding yourself to my email list below. Also, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel, as I eventually make videos of all of these stories over there as well. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates when new content is released, and consider supporting me on Patreon as well! Every dollar helps a lot in building up my content collection, and I truly appreciate it.

But yeah, that's enough shameless self-promotion for today. Thanks for reading. And as always, take it easy! :)

Memories of Vanilla #29 - 60 Goals

Dreadmist Raiment

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis back today with another Memories of Vanilla post for you!

Last time, I told the story of how I FINALLY hit level 60 in World of Warcraft - grinding zombies and cultists over in the Eastern Plaguelands. And while that was a big milestone for me, it really left me with one burning question:

Now what?

So join me, as I recount the story of how I decided on a goal for my freshly capped shadow priest, as well as some of the adventures that happened as I tried to achieve it! If you like this story, remember to follow my blog for more by adding yourself to my email list below. And, of course, check out my videos over on YouTube, as I put all of this content in a more engaging style over there as well.

But without further ado, let's get right into the story!

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I hit level 60 in the early summer of 2006, basically a full year after I'd started playing the game. However, I quickly noticed that I had no idea what to do. Leika had told me of the dungeons and raids - of Stratholme and Molten Core in particular - so I figured that it would probably be a good idea to run those.

Stratholme

And so, shortly after hitting level 60, I began running the only max-level dungeons I really knew about - Stratholme, Scholomance, and UBRS. Finding groups was pretty easy since everyone always wanted a priest - especially in the dungeons with lots of undead (shackle is OP), but other than "get blues" I didn't really have a goal.

One day, however, this all changed. I don't remember exactly where it was or what I was doing, but I came across a warlock fully decked out in the full tier 0 set - the Dreadmist Raiment. Instantly, I was hooked and convinced myself that I HAD to have it as well. After all, it just looked so...shadow-priesty!

Jandice Barov

So, I chatted with Leika, did some Thottbot searches, and began my long scavenger hunt-like adventure. Along the way, I picked up some great items, like the Starfire Tiara from UBRS and some pieces of the Devout set - you know, the set I SHOULD have been aiming for - but progress was slow.

Eventually, I managed to get a few pieces of the set - gloves, belt, boots, and helm. But I distinctly remember one item constantly eluding me - the shoulders. I must have run Scholomance to farm Jandice Barov at least a dozen times, but each time the shoulders remained out of reach. I was about to give up - after all, the summer was quickly coming to an end and I would be leaving for my year abroad soon, but one day I got a call from Leika saying he was setting up a Scholo group and they needed a healer. I sighed, but agreed to come heal as soon as I got home (I was out at the store with my mom at the time). About 20 minutes later, I was seated at my computer with Silvite in flight up to the Western Plaguelands.

The dungeon was pretty easy to be honest. Since the game had already been out for a while, most of us were pretty well geared (especially Leika), so it didn't take long for us to make it down to Jandice. Our onslaught began, and quickly she fell to our combined might. And there, sparkling on her corpse, I found them - the Dreadmist Mantle.

Needless to say, I got my shoulders...

Dreadmist Mantle

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I hope you enjoyed this short story of my initial goals as a level 60 shadow priest back in the day. Really, I think it's because I had no idea what I was doing that I ended up trying for a completely random set, but it gave my experience that much more meaning. Sure, I wouldn't be able to upgrade them, but to me, it was all about looking badass. And though I never completed the set back in the day (missed out on the robes), it was still a great adventure trying to.

Anyway, that's it for today. If you enjoyed this story and would like to see more in the future, remember to follow my blog by adding yourself to my mailing list below. Also, consider checking out my video content over on YouTube. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates when more content is released, and consider supporting me on Patreon if you'd like some additional perks! There's still quite a bit coming, but until next time...

Take it easy!

A Simplified Healing Priest Gearing Guide - Get Raid-Ready in Phase 1-2 of WoW Classic!

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got a bit of a fun guide for anyone playing, and capping, a priest in WoW Classic.

Looking around the internet and the hundreds of resources out there, I've found tons of "Pre-raid Best In Slot" Lists, which are great resources for those people who want to really push their characters to the max before stepping into Molten Core and Onyxia's Lair in classic. However, I've also noticed two major problems with these lists...

1 - They are almost all exclusively based on patch 1.12 gear, and thus include gear that will not be available at launch. I'm looking at you, Dire Maul loot...

2 - They don't take into account how easy or difficult the items are to obtain and ESPECIALLY in reference to each other. Some of the items are rare world drops (Cassandra's Grace, for example) and thus may not be viable options to pursue. Others drop in entirely different dungeons and thus don't allow for multiple chances to get drops within a single run.

So, in preparation for WoW Classic and my eventual capping of my own priest (hopefully still in Phase 1 of the content release), I thought it would be a good idea to sift through all of the data out there, comparing different items and how easy or difficult they are to obtain, and compile a "Good Enough" guide for all of my fellow priests who want to raid, but may not have enough time or desire to constantly farm dungeons over and over in preparation for it.

Without further ado, here we go.

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Step 0 - What You Can Do Before 60...

While leveling, try to snag bits of the Runecloth set, as they have decent intellect and spirit and will help significantly in the dungeons when you get to them. The items can start being collected as early as level 46, so it's definitely a worthwhile investment. 

If you're a tailor, this should be fairly easy assuming you actually worked on tailoring. You should also begin crafting Mooncloth (which has a four day cooldown) as soon as possible on the side to eventually craft Mooncloth gear upgrades for any missing slots once you reach step 5, or Truefaith Vestments if you really want the pre-raid BiS chest.

Step 1 - Do These Quests (before 60, if possible)

Make sure to complete the quests "In Dreams" in the Eastern Plaguelands and "It's Dangerous to Go Alone" in Un'Goro Crater. Both quests give powerful items (Fordring's Seal and Spirit of Aquementus, respectively) that will make the rest of the items that much easier to obtain.

"The Battle of Darrowshire" also offers a good neck for starting dungeons, but may be too difficult to complete (requiring a raid, if I'm not mistaken). Plus, its reward will hopefully be replaced by a much better neck soon after capping, but if you happen to get it while leveling, you'll be better prepared at 60.

Also, you should consider doing the Blasted Lands quest chain ending in "Heroes of Old" to get a decent green MP5 trinket, Shard of Afrasa. Ideally, it will be replaced soon enough, but it's good to have in case you have bad luck with drops.

Finally, you should consider completing the quest chains ending in "Order Must Be Restored" (Alliance) or "The Scarlet Oracle, Demetria" (Horde) as well, in order to obtain the powerful wand, Stormrager. While getting this ranged weapon might be particularly difficult around the beginning of WoW Classic, it's probably worth it considering the general lack of good wands pre-raid. All in all, it's a worthy goal to pursue in my opinion.

Step 2 - Blackrock Depths (As Soon As You Can)

Run BRD as soon as groups will take you. You should be pretty much fine to full clear it by level 55 - especially if you have another group member that can off-heal or if you run dungeons with an organized group. There are several AMAZING items in BRD that you'll need to obtain if you want to pull your weight in raids, but many of them come from bosses later in the dungeon. In particular, Hands of the Exalted Herald (dropped by Princess Moira Bronzebeard) and The Hammer of Grace (in the chest after the Trial of Seven event) are must-haves for any priest (and most healers, to be honest). The earlier you can grab these items, the better off you'll be.

If you are Horde, remember to grab the quest "The Rise of the Machines" from the Badlands before running it too, as you'll be able to get an awesome cloak, the Raincaster Drape, which won't be replaced for a long time. Alliance priests (or those wanting Fire Resist) can potentially pick up the Cape of the Fire Salamander from Ambassador Flamelash, which isn't perfect, but it's something along the way. Both Alliance and Horde priests can also grab Burst of Knowledge (Ambassador Flamelash) and Second Wind (Golem Lord Arglemach) in BRD as well, so really it's just a lot you can get while still leveling up.

To sum it up and keep it all in one place, here's a quick list of the items you should be aiming for in BRD:

Shoulders:
Kentic Amice from High Interrogator Gerstahn (increase damage AND healing, so expect competition).

Back: 
Raincaster Drape (Horde Only) from completing the quest "Rise of the Machines" which involves killing Golem Lord Arglemach.
Cape of the Fire Salamander (Alliance or Horde) from Ambassador Flamelash.
Spritecaster Cape from Houndmaster Grebmar

Hands:
Hands of the Exalted Herald from Princess Moira Bronzebeard. THIS IS A MUST-HAVE!!!

Legs:
Haunting Specter Leggings from the Trial of Seven (7 Dwarves Event).
Senior Designer's Pantaloons from Fineous Darkvire.

Feet:
Omnicast Boots from Golem Lord Arglemach.

Trinkets:
Burst of Knowledge from Ambassador Flamelash.
Second Wind from Golem Lord Arglemach. THIS IS A MUST-HAVE!!!

Weapon and Offhand:
The Hammer of Grace from the Trial of Seven (7 Dwarves Event). THIS IS A MUST-HAVE!!!
Thaurissan's Royal Scepter from Emperor Thaurissan.
OR
Guiding Stave of Wisdom from Emperor Thaurissan.


Ok, by now you SHOULD be at level 60. If you haven't done so already, consider doing the steps above. But in addition to those two things, you now have more work to do...

Step 3 - Stratholme

Run Undead Stratholme...a lot. In order to make this list as efficient as possible, I looked through all of the different loot in dungeons, but after doing so, I've found that there is an absolute crap-ton of suitable gear for holy priests in this dungeon. Before heading over there, make sure to pick up the quest "Houses of the Holy" from Light's Hope Chapel in order to get the Crown of the Penitent - a decent green helm with MP5.

Including the decent green helm, there are more than 10 great items you can potentially get here, making it by far the most lucrative dungeon you can run as a priest:

Head:
Crown of the Penitent from the quest mentioned above - "Houses of the Holy."
Crimson Felt Hat from Magistrate Barthilas (Absolutely wonderful helm for casters as well, so expect competition. However, this item will not be released until phase 2!).

Neck:
Animated Chain Necklace from Ramstein the Gorger. This item will not be released until phase 2!

Shoulders:
Soulstealer Mantle from Ramstein the Gorger.

Back:
Royal Tribunal Cloak from Magistrate Barthilas (if you somehow don't have better at this point).

Chest:
Robes of the Exalted from Baron Rivendare. THIS IS A MUST-HAVE!!!

Wrists:
Devout Bracers which are an BOE blue that may drop from the humanoid mobs in the dungeon, but can also be bought from the AH if desired.

Waist:
Thuzadin Sash from Nerub'enkan (You'll have to compete with caster DPS for this too! However, this item will not be released until phase 2!)

Legs:
Devout Skirt from Baron Rivendare (Magister's and Dreadmist legs drop as well).

Feet:
Devout Sandals from Maleki the Pallid.

Finger:
Seal of Rivendare from Baron Rivendare.

As you can see, there's a ton of loot to be had in Strat UD, so it's a REALLY good idea to get in as soon as possible. I should also mention that there are also several good items in Live Strat, though doing a full run of both sections will be VERY time-consuming. If you have the time and desire though, you could consider doing that as well.

Step 4 - Repeat Steps 2 and 3

Do BRD and Strat UD as much as possible until you've gotten Hands of the Exalted Herald, The Hammer of Grace, Robes of the Exalted, and Animated Chain Necklace. Really, these items are the ones with the most raw +healing and will thus be the greatest assets as a level 60 priest. Combined with Fordring's Seal from the quest "In Dreams," these items will give you a good amount of +healing.

Once you've gotten those items (and any other lucky drops along the way), you can start filling gaps... I highly advise holding off on filling gaps before getting those items, however, as there are so many good items you could obtain in those two dungeons alone!

Step 5 - Fill in the Blanks: Auction House, Scholomance, and Mooncloth

Fill in the blanks. If you've gotten the best items, you have two other fairly easy options for loot :

• Visit the AH for greens and/or Cassandra's Grace (Pre-raid BiS helm, but likely SUPER expensive). Some of the best items for priests are green quality +healing items, including Dragon Finger of Healing (Pre-raid BiS Wand) or Glowstar Rod of Healing (a close 2nd), +healing belts, or +healing offhands. Don't break the bank, though!

• If you're feeling cheap or there are no decent items in the Auction House, run Scholomance. There's a decent amount of good items you can get from running Scholo, including:
• Devout Crown (Head) from Darkmaster Gandling, which you might as well try for if you're running it anyway for set completion. Magister's and Dreadmist headpieces drop as well.
• Burial Shawl (Shoulder) from the various mini-bosses throughout Scholomance (you've got 6 chances for it to drop per run and it's got +20 spell damage and healing, but you have to compete with caster dps for it. This item will not be released until phase 2!)
• Penelope's Rose (Offhand) from the quest to kill Kirtonos the Herald. Pick up the quest from the ghosts outside to get this offhand with decent stats (though no +healing).
• Bonecreeper Stylus (Wand) from Darkmaster Gandling. A good wand, but again has +11 spell damage and healing, so you'll be competing with mages and warlocks.
• If you're a tailor, you can start crafting some Mooncloth pieces for any missing item slots. It'll probably have taken you a while to get through the other steps, so you should have enough saved up for at least a couple of pieces (unless you got super-lucky with drops in Strat and BRD). They've only got core stats, but hopefully you'll have enough +healing from other items to compensate. However, this will set you back if you are considering crafting the Truefaith Vestments, so keep that in mind...

What NOT to do to gear up...

Don't spam UBRS or LBRS for gear. There are a few really good items in there, but considering how few they are compared to other dungeons, it probably isn't worth the grind. That being said, if you happen to run these dungeons for other reasons (fun, quests, attunements, etc.), keep an eye out for the Dragonrider Boots (Feet) from Rend Blackhand, and Briarwood Reed (Trinket) from the rare spawn Jed Runewatcher in UBRS, and Skyshroud Leggings (Legs) from Highlord Omokk in LBRS. These are some of the best items at 60, but they're about the only ones of value in the dungeon. You can also possibly pick up a Devout Belt (Waist) in LBRS from trash, but you might be able to buy it cheap on the AH depending on the seller and save yourself a trip to the spire.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations on getting your priest to 60 and good luck with the gearing process. Obviously, there are tons of other items you could get - and even more once Dire Maul is released. But for any of you out there that wish to get the most bank for your buck in dungeon spamming early on in classic, this list should fit the bill just fine. Keep calm and run more Strat and BRD!

If I missed anything or if you thought this guide was useful, let me know by leaving a comment! I'd love to know if there's anything more I can add here, so make sure to tell me if there are better guides available for priest gearing at Classic launch. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter and check out my videos over on YouTube too!

But that's it for now. Good luck, again! And as always, take it easy!



A big thanks to Tigs's Vanilla Heal Priest BiS List and to vanillawowdb.com, without which this list wouldn't exist!

My Top 5 Classes in Classic World of Warcraft

What's up, dudes! Silvite Soltis back again for another Classic Top-5 List.

Today, I wanted to focus a bit less on the world of WoW Classic, with its zones, music, and dungeons, and take a closer look at something that I believe we all have an even more personal connection with - the classes of the game.

The Classes of Classic

Back in the day, all of us got held up on this question - what should we play? And while the classes, and we ourselves, have changed significantly over the years, I'm sure that some classes still stand out in our minds from back in the day. That being said, this list is purely my opinion, so don't take it personally if you share a different opinion. Instead, leave a comment telling your favorite classes from Classic and why you love them. I look forward to hearing your opinion!

But anyway, let's get right into it. Here are my Top 5 Classes in Classic World of Warcraft...

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#5 - Shaman

Tauren Shaman

Now, you might be wondering why, as someone who played exclusively Alliance back in the day, I have shaman ranked in my top 5. The answer is simple:

Frost Shock and Totems.

I'll be the first to admit, I never played a shaman back in the day, but I was always able to appreciate the crazy amount of utility they brought to groups, as well as their ability to always kill me no matter what. In a later installment of Memories of Vanilla, I'm planning to tell the story of how I tried to gank a shaman flagged for PVP in Felwood (with under half health, by the way), only to have him turn around and mop the floor with me before t-bagging my corpse. It was stupid just how much he could do and it gave me a great respect for the vanilla shaman ever since.

Sure, they might not be the strongest healers or DPS in the game and shaman tanking is kind of a meme at this point, but honestly, shamans are a great class in classic WoW.

#4 - Warrior

Tauren Warrior

Ahh, the class that I hear so much about nowadays from everyone that plays or has knowledge of private servers. The "master-class" as Tips puts it. In a way, he's not wrong - the warrior is an awesome class to play in vanilla. It was my first alt. And though I only got to around level 40 or so before TBC launched, I thoroughly enjoyed every slow, painstakingly earned level.

If you're seriously planning to tank, roll one of these bad boys and get ready for the long grind to 60. But also prepare to have some of the greatest experiences in class quests and weapon upgrades of any class in the game - because you'll definitely feel the improvement as you go.

Also, Mortal Strike is OP. Just saying...

#3 - Mage

Gnome Mage

If you ever played back in the day, you'll know that mages were THE staple DPS class in the game from 2004-2006. I actually don't remember ever running a dungeon without one! Their damage is great, their CC is amazing (Polymorph for the win), and, most importantly, they bring water for your healer! There's literally nothing not to love about the mage!

That being said, mages are definitely glass cannons, so if you plan on playing one, make sure you don't let things hit you too much. But with all the slows and snares they have available, that shouldn't happen too much anyway.

My first real mage was a Draenei that I leveled in 2007, so I missed out on playing a classic mage back in the day, but thanks to all the information I got from Leika about his mage, I knew a lot about them before ever actually playing one. And I really hope to at least casually level one come Classic.

#2 - Warlock

Orc Warlock

My initial first pick for a class back in 2005, the warlock is an amazingly useful class on all fronts. You've got crowd control in the form of Seduce, Banish, and Fear, all of which are great tools for any dungeon group. Though arguably less effective than a mage's polymorph, they are still effective when used carefully and correctly.

Furthermore, warlocks provide excellent buffs and debuffs to dungeons and raids, through their curses, demons, and the like. Curse of Shadows, Curse of Weakness, Blood Pact, Health Stones, and Soulstones all had their places in groups back in the day. Plus, have you ever see a tank go down in a dungeon only to have a warlock's voidwalker appear to taunt the mobs? I did - more times than I can remember, to be honest. It was definitely a different time back in the day.

Add into the mix how great this class was in PVP, the immense lore behind it, and the fact that you can play it as a gnome, and you've got a solid class for Classic WoW.

Honorable Mentions

Human Rogue

Rogue

If you like ninjas and sneaking around, rogue is definitely a fun class. I played around with rogues for a while back in the day, but the highest I ever got one was level 15 or so. Still, it's a solid DPS with a lot of utility (sap, interrupts, and the like). Not really my cup of tea, to be honest, but it's definitely a fun class for a lot of people. Plus, they're the best at ganking people, so......

Paladin

Human Paladin

The buffadin! My brother's favorite class and the one with not one, but two memespecs!

All jokes aside, paladins are crazy cool from a lore perspective and I'm really hyped to play one with my brothers on the weekends when classic comes out. But I know that I'll definitely be healing in the same dress as my priest if I ever get it to 60. Still, there's no better support class in my opinion - those buffs are too good to pass up.

Plus, you know...Judgement set...

Hunter

Dwarf Hunter

The one guy in every classic group that you could count on to forget to dismiss a pet and thus accidentally pull half the instance and wipe your run, the hunter is one of those classes that I don't have much love for, personally. That being said, they do have some of the most unique abilities and game-play elements, such as the ability to tame (and keep happiness up on) different pets throughout the world, feign death, and the all-too-important Tranquilizing Shot for raid bosses in end-game, so if played properly, they could be great. If you want to play a hunter, good luck and have fun. And, don't forget, everything is hunter loot.

Druid

Tauren Druid

The stereotypical "jack of all trades, master of none" class, the druid has historically been known as the least played classic WoW class, which is unfortunate given its unique elements. It's not without reason, however. While the druid has some great utility as a healer, it lacks a proper resurrection spell - having only a battle rez. In raids, this may be fine since you'd have others that can rez as well, but for dungeons or group quests out in the world, this may be an issue if you're lacking anyone else with the ability to rez.

Add in the fact that druid tanks are typically less viable than warriors and that kitty and boomkin DPS is laughable unless you're ultra-hardcore with consumables, and you've just really got a class that doesn't do much.

However, it's not all bad. Personally, I love the lore and the diversity that druids bring to the table. They were one of my favorite classes to run dungeons or PVP with, so they're still really fun as a class in my opinion. That being said, I definitely don't plan to play one in WoW Classic.

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Alright, with all of those out of the way, let's move on to #1. If you've been following me for a while, you can probably guess what it I'm about to say...

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#1 - Priest

Troll Priest

I'm sure I'll get some crap for loving this class, but honestly there's no question in my mind. The priest is my absolute, all-time favorite class in World of Warcraft - and even more so in Classic WoW.

First and foremost, the races you can pick are all unique and engaging - 3 choices on the Alliance side and 2 for the Horde - and each of these races gets unique racial spells: 

Dwarves get Fear Ward and Desperate Prayer. 

Humans get Desperate Prayer and Feedback. 

Night Elves get Starshards and Elune's Grace. 

Undead get Devouring Plague and Touch of Weakness. 

And finally Trolls get Hex of Weakness and Shadowguard.

At this point, everyone knows that Dwarven racials are the strongest and that most Horde priests go Undead for their strength in both PVP and PVE, but it's just so cool that there's such diversity even among the one class.

Anyway, priests have a ton of other interesting and useful spells beyond their racial abilities too: Mana Burn, Mind Control, Mind Soothe, Inner Fire, and Power Word: Shield to name a few. Each of these spells, while niche, have their own utility and can be useful, or just for fun in the game.

Finally, it is common knowledge that the priest is the absolute best overall healer for the majority of Classic WoW content, losing out only in terms of healing output to paladins only at the late endgame. Sure, priests need to know how to downrank their spells, a skill that I never learned back in the day, but that only adds another element of immersion to the class and really lets one explore the class fully. Plus, everyone really has to downrank for one reason or another (mana, threat, etc.), so it's hardly a priest-exclusive issue.

All in all, for these reasons, as well as my own personal bias towards the class, I feel confident in putting priest as my number 1 class in Classic World of Warcraft.

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I hope you enjoyed reading my top-5 list, but I'd like to know what you all think too! What's your favorite class from Classic World of Warcraft? It was a lot of fun for me to think about the different classes and what I enjoyed, and didn't enjoy, about each one, so I'm looking forward to hearing your comments as well!

If you liked this post, remember to follow my blog by adding yourself to the email list so you don't miss any updates later on! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for other updates, and check out my YouTube channel for video content. But for now...

Take it easy!