After a wait of two years, the time is almost here! On Tuesday, December 7th, 12:00AM PST, the newest expansion of World of Warcraft will finally be released! CATACLYSM!
Only a few short weeks ago, players experienced the
Shattering: a decimation of Azeroth brought about by Deathwing The Destroyer, leader of the Black Dragonflight. With the release of Cataclysm, players can begin their journey to take down Deathwing and save Azeroth once again.
Cataclysm Final Trailer - The World Reborn
To go along with this expansion, both the Alliance and Horde factions will gain new allies in their fight!
Originally the slaves of jungle trolls on the Isle of Kezan, the goblin race was forced to mine kaja'mite ore out of the volcanic bowels of Mount Kajaro.
The trolls used this potent mineral for their voodoo rituals, but it had an unexpected effect on the slaves who were in constant contact with it: kaja'mite generated a startling new cunning and intelligence in the goblins. Crafting their own powerful artifacts of engineering and alchemy in secret, the goblins soon overthrew their oppressors and claimed Kezan for their homeland. The mines that had been their prison, their slave camp, and the base of their rebellion now became the city of Undermine. Weaving through the heart of the island in a dizzying network of tunnels, vaults, and lava tubes, Undermine epitomizes the goblins' complex, unpredictable mindset.
The goblins' natural greed soon lifted them to prominence as masters of mercantilism. Trade princes arose during the First War as the cleverest goblins learned to take advantage of the strife. Great fortunes were amassed, and the Isle of Kezan became a hub for fleets of goblin trading ships. One of the trade princes agreed to lend his faction's services to the Horde in the Second War. Following the Horde's defeat, the goblins learned from their colleague's failed example, and soon they realized that their profits could double if they weren't stuck in such a restrictive relationship. By the end of the Third War, goblins were providing weaponry, vehicles, and devious services to both the Horde and the Alliance. This wouldn't last forever...
Recently, the goblins of Kezan have found a new enemy in the Alliance unexpected and unprofitable encounters with this faction have driven certain trade princes from their comfortable neutrality. Reforging old pacts with their one-time allies, the goblins have been welcomed into the Horde with open arms
Goblin Intro Video
Available Classes:
Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior
Goblin Racial Spells:
Rocket Jump (2 min cooldown, shared with Rocket Barrage)
Activates your rocket belt to jump forward.
Rocket Barrage (2 min cooldown, shared with Rocket Jump)
Launches your belt rockets at an enemy, dealing X-Y fire damage (24-30 at level 1; 1654-2020 at level 80). This ability is off the global cooldown.
Time is Money (passive)
Cash in on a 1% increase to attack and casting speed.
Best Deals Anywhere (passive)
Always receive the best discount regardless of faction standing.
Pack Hobgoblin (30 min cooldown)
Calls in your friend, Gobber, allowing you bank access for 1 min.
Better Living Through Chemistry (passive)
Alchemy skill increased by 15.
Goblin Male Dance
Goblin Female Dance
The worgen's first verified appearance in the Eastern Kingdoms has been traced back to the Third War, when the archmage Arugal utilized the wolf-beasts as a weapon against the Scourge. Arugal's weapons soon turned against him, however, as the curse of the worgen rapidly spread among the human population, transforming ordinary men and women into ravenous, feral creatures. They sieged the keep of the noble Baron Silverlaine. Situated above the tiny hamlet of Pyrewood, the keep quickly fell into shadow and ruin.
Driven mad with guilt, Arugal adopted many of the worgen as his own and retreated to Silverlaine's former mansion, the estate now known as Shadowfang Keep. The curse, however, was not contained. It persisted in the lands of Silverpine and extended even into the fabled walled nation of Gilneas, where the curse rapidly reached pandemic levels.
The citizens of Gilneas found themselves trapped, with no hope of escape. They retreated deeper within the isolated domain, and there they survived, fearful of the savage presence that lurked just outside the barricades. Tensions among the displaced citizens escalated over time, resulting in a civil war that now threatens to destabilize the embattled nation even more.
Records indicate that the worgen existed for a time in Kalimdor. In fact, more recent evidence suggested that their true origin might have a connection to the night elves and a secretive druidic order from Kalimdor's distant past. This proved to be correct as the curse originated from a druidic sect who followed Goldrinn, known as Druids of the Scythe. They shapeshifted into the feral worgen and eventually lost their minds to its violent nature. The other Druids agreed that they must be locked away, and thus put them into eternal slumber deep beneath a tree... until the day Arugal and Velinde Starsong tampered with the Scythe of Elune. It was the night elves, after all, who created the curse in the first place. Obliged to help their newfound allies, they re-introduce them to the Alliance.
Worgen Intro Video
Available Classes:
Death Knight, Druid, Warrior, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock
Worgen Racial Spells:
Darkflight (3 min cooldown)
Activates your true form, increasing movement speed by 40% for 10 sec.
Viciousness (passive)
Increases critical strike chance by 1%.
Aberration (passive)
Increases your resistance to harmful Nature and Shadow effects by 1.
Flayer (passive)
Skinning skill increased by 15 and allows you to skin 0.5 seconds faster.
Two Forms (1.5 sec cooldown) (
video)
Transforms you between human and worgen forms. You will revert to worgen form in combat.
Running Wild (1.5 sec cooldown)
Drop to all fours to run as fast as a wild animal. (Worgen "Mount")
Worgen Male Dance
Worgen Female Dance
The Shattering of Azeroth has revealed historical remains and artifacts all over Azeroth (as well as Outland and Northrend). These sites can be explored by players through the new secondary professions of Archaeology.
Archaeology is avaiable to study 12 different cultures that have had an impact on the Warcraft universe:
Dwarf (level 1 - Eastern Kingdoms)
Fossil (level 1 - Eastern Kingdoms)
Night Elf (level 1 - Kalimdor)
Troll (level 1 - Eastern Kingdoms)
Draenei (level 300 - Outland)
Orc (level 300 - Outland)
Nerubian (level 375 - Northrend)
Vrykul (level 375 - Northrend)
Tol'vir (level 450 - new Cataclysm zones)
Sites
Once Archaeology is trained, you can see digsites on your map (not mini-map). There are always four dig sites per continent. These will not change until you dig one out.
You only find sites in zones of your level or lower. A level 25 character will have all 4 sites per continent in level 25 zones. This means that no dig sites will appear for that character in Outland or Northrend until he reaches a minimum level for the zones.
For instance, a low level character on Kalimdor might have sites in Ashenvale and Stonetalon, where a level 82 might have ones in Uldum, Ashenvale, Stonetalon, and Silithus.
Sites are race specific. You can usually guess the race by the location. Some race locations are only available on some continents. You need both a minimum character level and a minimum archaeology level to use some sites.
Dig sites are player specific. There is no competition for dig sites.
Fragments
Each digsite can be searched 3 times before it despawns and a new site spawns. To search a digsite, use the [Survey] ability. The Survey tool will spawn and point in the approximate direction of the artifact. Red means you are far away, Yellow means you are close, Green means you may be within 40 yards or so. When you discover your find, you'll get fragments specific to a particular race.
There are two main strategies to surveying. You can attempt to triangulate by moving around the outer edge of a digsite. Other people orienteer, simply heading off in the direction indicated until they strike paydirt.
Artifacts
When you get a new fragment, you'll start a research project. You can only work on one artifact per race at a time. When you have enough fragments, click Solve to complete that artifact. You won't waste excess fragments, they will just start the next project.
Most artifacts are common. These give a bit of lore or flavor text and an item you can sell for a small profit. You can estimate the value of the artifact by the number of fragments required to finish it.
Subsequent instances of a given artifact for a race will not be solvable until all the available artifacts of that race and skill level have been found at least once (with the exception of rare artifacts).
Some artifacts are rare, and make a blue or purple item. Many of these are toys, or for flavor, but some are actual weapons and armor. Weapons and armor are bound to account, but will not scale like heirlooms do. Also, such artifacts can only be solved once per character.
New Zones
What would an new MMO be without new zones to in which to adventure? Well Cataclysm has plenty! (images are clickable)
PvP Zones
Would you rather be fighting other players instead of enemy monsters? There's two new zones for you to do just that in Cataclysm!
PvE 5-Man Dungeons
The perfect way to cut your teeth against the minions of Deathwing!
Also in Cataclysm are Heroic level 85 versions of the Classic dungeons Shadowfang Keep and Deadmines!
10 and 25-man Raid Dungeons
Once you are geared up, it'll be time to take on some bigger bosses and show Deathwing you mean business!
Rated Battlgrounds
Tired of the Arena players being the only ones with PvP Ratings? No longer, battleground lovers! Rated Battlegrounds are here!
Rated Battlegrounds are broken up into 10v10 and 15v15 brackets and those brackets rotate weekly.
10v10
Warsong Gulch
Battle for Gilneas
Twin Peaks
15v15
Arathi Basin
Eye of the Storm
Strand of the Ancients
Rated Battlegrounds can earn you rewards like gear, titles, epic ground mounts, conquest points, and guild achievements and levels.
Guild Advancement
Guild Advancement is a feature announced during BlizzCon 2009 which will allow guilds to level in a way similar to characters. There will be 25 levels for a guild to progress through. Experience towards level progression is gained through guild member participation in raid boss kills, battleground victories, Arena victories, and profession skill-ups. To qualify for guild XP, a raid or PvP group must have been composed of at least 75% guild members. Participating in these will also grant players reputation with the guild, which allows them to buy guild-bound items like heirlooms and raid materials with gold.
http://www.wowpedia.org/Guild_Advancement
Regular Edition (click for Amazon)
Collector's Edition (good luck finding one!)
CATACLYSM EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES DVD:
Over an hour of developer interviews and commentaries, discussing the game's development from early design through finished gameplay.
The Cataclysm intro cinematic and major content patch trailers complete with Director's Commentary.
A special Warcraft retrospective examining the rich gaming history of the Warcraft universe.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION SOUNDTRACK:
Seventeen epic tracks from Cataclysm.
THE ART OF CATACLYSM:
176 pages of art, featuring never-before-seen images from the archives of the Blizzard Film Department and the World of Warcraft development team.
Progressive visuals from every stage of development - from early concepts through to finished, detailed art.
WORLD OF WARCRAFT®: CATACLYSM PC/MAC GAME:
The full World of Warcraft expansion set on DVD-ROM.
WORLD OF WARCRAFT TRADING CARD GAME STARTER PACKS AND EXCLUSIVE CARDS:
One 60-card deck from the new Wrathgate series featuring two extended art cards and visuals from several of fantasy's top creators.
Two exclusive hero cards, marking the first appearance of goblin and worgen heroes in the WOW:TCG.
One full-sized rule book to teach you how to play.
EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME PET:
He may not be a breaker of worlds... at least not yet... but Lil' Deathwing will still aid you in your titanic struggle to save Azeroth from his much, much larger counterpart.
CATACLYSM MOUSEPAD:
A special-edition mouse pad depicting Deathwing menacing the ravaged continents of Azeroth.
Digital Edition (click for preorder page)
What if I want to play with GAF?
There's no "official" GAF server or guild, but we have congregated in a few places:
US Servers: At the moment the unofficial GAF server is Area 52 Hordeside. I'm in a guild there that has quite a few GAF people, so just toss me a PM if you want to play or whisper my characters Aurayouready or Bonnietyler.
If you want to play Alliance on US side, go to Stormscale server. Either PM
The Lamonster or send a whisper to his characters in game: Lamonster or Astelynne.
EU Servers: Aggramar Alliance side is your server. Not sure about a guild or who to PM for info.
There is also a running spreadsheet of GAF WoW players. Please add yourself or check to see if any GAFs play on your server!
Submission Form
Viewable Spreadsheet
Links:
MMO-Champion - for a breakdown of more new stuff and more cool pics
WoWPedia - For more Warcraft lore action
NeoGAF World of Warcraft |OT| - Come chat with the rest of us super nerds
Also...if anyone wants to give the new world a shot and has previously subscribed, hit up one of the people below in a PM with your Battle.net email or Character Name and Server and they will send you a Scroll of Resurrection (10 day trial) as long as you don't have a Wrath of the Lich King account. You must not have played in the last 90 days (trials included) to get a Scroll.
US Scrolls:
Ridli
Sai-kun
mcrae
Artadius
CarbonatedFalcon
Oni Link 666
EU Scrolls:
Grampasso
profit
