It's been awhile...WoW update

I haven't posted in a few months, mostly as lots of 'changes' have been occurring in game as well as in real life.

In game, I made the decision to combine my three highest level characters on one server, so moved Sithi, the hunter (now dual specced BM/MM named Sithie) and Greaf, the Death Knight (now Biya, still unholy) to Blackwing Lair to join Sassi (now dual specced shadow with disc/holy) to play with the people I've played with on/off for two years.

Nice being back with friends, BUT they've gone into ten man strict raiding guild format with an abundance of level 80's that have been raiding since vanilla. So raiding, unless I want to PUG or do the weekly random, has been non-existent. Although, I did finally get to do Sartherdon 3 drakes up 25 man which was fun. It's pretty much been randoms, bgs and gearing the girls.

I did manage to get Biya to 80, something I hadn't intended to do, but did! Now trying to gear up three 80's in both PvE and PvP gear is a chore. Add to that I've started healing on Sassi, more gear needs - a healing PvE/PvP set - big ugh!

So since December they've all been together and it's nice, but GAWD!!!! do I miss playing Alliance! I do like the Horde too, and the people I play with, but really miss Alliance. Bleah!

I'm see-sawing again about moving Sithi and/or Biya either back - miss that guild too - but not the low population that Darrowmere server has. The other option a new server. Finding a new server and a new guild is a chore and I haven't actively been doing that. Although I'd kind of like too! I really need a guild that's at my level of play (ToC10, just starting ICC stuff) too. I think there's a mild ADD masking itself as altitis going on here.

Add to that having so much of my Alliance-ness stripped off Sithi has been something I bemoan daily! I was less than 80 quests from completing the Kalimdor Loremaster portion and its GONE! 200 quests from the Seeker title... no hundreds and hundreds away! Argent Crusade titles/work - GONE! Furbolg change stick - GONE! Only getting to visit Darnassus for PvP ... not fun!!!

What do you do then? Roll a new character! A Paladin, Lyril - yes I know another Belf like the Azeroth doesn't have enough of those! She's definitely OP having only died once outside of a battleground in 32 levels! Loving the BoA +xp gear, that added boost helps alot!

So, keeping busy doing that and lots of BGs, the daily random, etc., not necessarily happy but busy.

I've always wanted to explore the whole RP side of WoW, but hesitate on some of the ERP you read/hear about. I've been reading and lurking on some of the RP servers and in their forums, but haven't made the commitment/jump yet.

A quick run down on the three I'm playing most -

Biya, has had two epic mounts drop (CoS & Occulus), but still doesn't have epic flying. She did max level ALL recipes for Inscription even the Full Moon turn into a wolf one. So she's mainly at gear up for whatever stage. Randoms and BG's is where Miss Unholy DK spends her time.

Sithie, I'm half-heartedly trying to regain her Argent Crusade titles, and dread it when I do it. I started the Loremaster, but can't stomach it, and with Cataclysm coming I'd hate to fall short! Or if I move her to Alliance and lose all this work again.... choices choices.

Sassi, I've actually been enjoying the disc/holy spec, but still learning what all the spells do. My GM teases me when I'm healing an instance - hit the candle button or whatever as I still don't have them all down yet. I've liked her in BG's and she's actually more survivable as disc/holy than as shadow. Plus the healing if it's somewhere I've been I don't mind. I don't like to do it in new places, too much of a tourist!!!

Enough WoW updating...

In the real world, a major life change I'm getting a divorce after 15 years of marriage. Good guy, just divergent paths in life right now. My son's back home again, hopefully briefly (ready for him to fly on his own!), and daughter is in high school with another year until she's driving.

So, 2010 should be a roller coaster both in and out of game as I figure out what I want to do.

Updated Header

Came out of a Warsong Gulch that Sithi had been mounted before we entered, to have Ender beside her! w00t! Took a few screenies of them roaming through Ashenvale and decided to update the header with one.

15 Exalted

Sithi did get her 15th exalted reputation last night in a quick Drek Theron heroic. Another achievement so yeah happy for that! But I don't find Wrath reputations as worthy or that they hold as much meaning since wearing a tabard can earn rep. It's just too easy. I was happy to get Hodir done, pre-tabard. Like earning the albino drake before the Argent pet availability - it was work!!!

It's not the horrid grindy stuff of the past!

Since I'm going back and working on the BC reps, I still get the daily grind that makes me scream, but will be so much more satisfying when that Exalted is achieved!!!

Dual playing

Right now I'm dividing my time between my Horde server, Blackwing Lair, and Alliance server, Darrowmere.

I'm not sure I'm happy with this and I'm trying to seek a balance.

My absence while not key to anything has not been popular, especially with my Horde friends. But then again I went AWOL for close to 8 months while I took a walk on the Alliance side!

So, now I'm achievement chasing and gearing for raids on the Alliance main, playing catch up on the Horde main (lvl 80, no epic flying, no money and PvP geared), and thinking which side to level the next one on.

The Alliance guild has been keeping me busier, so chances are more time will be spent there.

It's so hard when both groups are fun to play with and very enjoyable.

A twitter friend, Arrens mentioned guilds=guilt. To true right now, as that's what I feel.....

Day of the Dead

Another achievement chase - Day of the Dead. What can I say I'm a hamster on the WoW achievement wheel.
I do like the costumes we were transformed into (and the 12 hour through death ability!! w00t!!), kind of the Undead meets Latino Day of the Dead. Even our pet for the event with his sombero and maracas!

To get the achievement was quick, go dance with Catrina. To get the pet - Macabre Marionette - buy a recipe make bread, light candle and hold flowers for the dead - in your start city! Not very difficult.

A bit more background would have been nice for this holiday and the pet's so darn cute let it be permanent!!!

A month later . . .

I've been playing WoW more than thinking about writing about it!

So quick update -

Sithi -

Received a wonderful gift from GM - Black Tabby Cat that I've been lusting after but too cheap to buy as it's Horde only. He also happened to locate and help me tame Gondria (now named Ender for Ender's Game).

Passed the 10k pvp kill and have been trying to hit as man WG's as possible and have enough for another PvP piece or two. I did get the Black War Mammoth yesterday (300 stone shards ... gulp!)
Finally did part of 10 man Ulduar - Flame Leviathan and XT-002 Deconstructor (love his exercise regime!!. Seven Ulduar newbies in the group, including yours truly!! We'd been playing most of the day, and did heroics, a 10 man OS, etc., so quit at Auriaya as we were all TIRED! It was fun though.


Lots more achievements down - including Argent Crusader - w00t finally! Now doing the dailies for the pony. I want the squire mobile and running errands!!! Plus the tabard and all the pets and . . . keep the carrots coming Bliz!

Sithi's also working on Loremaster and the fishing/cooking achievements and very very slowly the Netherwing, just shy of Revered right now. I hate going out there, but lust for those mounts! They've been on my list since the first time I saw them. Much nicer than the proto drakes IMHO!


Sassrani - working on her achievements/rep grind. Currently Hodir quest chain and Argent Tournament. She's far behind Sithi, and doesn't have a good revenue stream yet, but working on the girlie!

Greaf's been herbing and glyphing but not much else as of late. The rest have been on a bit of a vacation other than the Hollows End stuff. Achievement chasing takes time!

Taming Ender

Right before I went on vacation, my wonderful GM, tells me in vent that he'd found Gondria

I've been lusting for this pet, in typical hunter fashion for months (especially after taming Skoll) and had almost tamed him a couple of weeks ago. I was interrupted by a viciously cruel horde rogue that popped out and killed me right after I'd changed talents (no mana/no pet). By the time I rezzed and returned - no Gondria. I was so heartbroken, and was swearing loud enough that sailors around the world were appalled and blushing!

Everyone in my guild had to listen to me complain and moan about this, especially when I'd see someone with Gondria in Dalaran.

So when the GM, told me he'd found Gondria and to hurry. I did! Honestly thought he was teasing me, but no! Gondria was there!!

Now flustered, dismissing the crab (I had just caught for bgs) and changing specs - I'm zero mana, but not paying attention so start to tame... then can't! Pop a pot, but that barely helps. No traps, nothing.

My GM pulls aggro off me and is walking around getting beat to death while I'm in full panic. Finally he dies, Gondria turns on me, I concuss hit him in viper (oh duh - I get mana back - definitely a huntard moment!), and tame Gondria. I almost felt bad about my GM dying, except one of his favorite things to do is kill us in interesting way when we least expect it. So Gondria tamed and him dead for a change was a true two-fer!

ENDER and black tabby companion pet

As my GM and I are both fans of Orson Scott Card's book - Ender's Game - Gondria is now Ender. LOVE HIM!!! He's the constant hunting companion except when the wolf comes out for heroics/raiding.

A great GM is worth his weight in gold and this one is one of the best I've had! The funny part a senior officer ask me when I tell him this story . He's a druid, why didn't he innervate you? GM still hasn't answer that!!!! I think my hysteria rubbed off!!!

But Ender is mine, I'm happy.

Three down two to go!

Slowly getting closer to Crusader title. Fighting on the Elekks ... argh! Next up the dwarves, then the gnomes.

Alterac Valley

Alterac Valley battleground (AV BG) is a love or hate bg. Personally I love it and have been in so many with different alts/servers, I lost track a long time ago. Right now its regained popularity as its a great way to grind xp if your sick of kill 10 more whatever quests in Outlands or Northrend.

In fact, Sassi did her last three/four levels to 80 in battlegrounds, mostly AV. (An AV weekend was sweet with the extra honor!) Nice to pick up a few achievements (Loyal Defender - 50 kills in your base) on the way too!

The DK's have been stagnating in the mid 60's (Death Knight), but with the xp in bgs I'm slowly leveling them. Honestly I haven't any interest in most of the Outlands quests so until they're Northrend ready its AV time! Also there are no real plans for either as far as endgame raiding, daily grinding, achievements chasing, etc., goes either. They're both just for fun (horde 63 and alliance 65).

Since AV gives the best xp at this level, that's what they're doing! It doesn't hurt that I enjoy AV, and still queue both the hunter and shadow priest. I mean, where else can 40 people queue up and overcoming all the diverse opinions and personalities, the afkers, the 'all Offense' or 'all Defense' proponents, or the people that just scream in chat that we're all losers even before we leave the cave?

When it comes together its great, when its a fail... its a horrid fail!

This is what I love to see -

This is one of the 'shouldn't have happened BGs. The alliance was ahead by 150+ points but the 'all in for Drek' crowd won the day (who needs defense=/fail). So the contiued run in/out dying/rezzing and the Horde beat us by 5 points!!! The Horde so deserved that win! 5-0 I'd say unbelievable but I've been on the winning side at 4-0 so I know it can happen.

This screenie is from a week ago, when I was on Sassi. Defending the base I was wondering what was firing on me - when I looked up and saw this gryphon! Apparently some industrious alliance in the AV had summoned him - his attacks are pretty hard hitting for the non-bubble wearing crowd. I hadn't seen this before so found it interesting!



Makes me wish for the days of vanilla wow with the epic 3 hour to 3 day battles that actually requirred strategy and teamwork. The zergfest that it is now is what so many of us know and are comfortable with now, unfortunately.

What I've been experiencing alot of lately

My DSL line has apparently become a tasty treat for squirrels, or so I'm told by the AT&T line repairman.

The big BUT, I don't always lose my signal doing other things, so I'm suspecting we need to re-evaluate the Add-ons and see if we maybe have a contributor to the problem there too.

It's very frustrating needless to say!