Author: Ucigasa

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast topics, Humor, Achievements

I’ve just about had it with all you Achievement whores! Yep, I mean you, that guy who just has to open up his map in places he’s never bothered to go before. And I mean you, too, that dude who keeps on learning pets and mounts just to get that stinky pet and an overgrown pigmentally-challenged lizard. You put too much pressure on me. No, really. My guild has gone on a Dora rampage and guild chat keeps lighting up with silly messages about this guy exploring Azshara or this girl exploring Ghostlands.

I don’t care! I tried not to take Mike’s poll on Achievements because I didn’t want my epeen to shrink any further. I cry uncle on all you explorers and pet collectors and mount enthusiasts. Okay, the truth is, all those Achievements just make me want to stop my Battleground grind — ok, I confess I’m pursuing Achievements myself, but it just isn’t as fast as all that exploration.

My guildies are racking up Achievement points paying visits to VC or Balny and the Baron while I toil away not getting any ‘shwing’ sounds for hours on end. The time I got Wrecking Ball, nobody else was online! Bummer. So hey, what about you? Are you suffering from Achievement insecurity or are you an Achievement whore like everyone else? How’re those points coming along?

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Talents, Buffs, Death Knight, Wrath of the Lich King

While Blood is not quite as as powerful as it once was, it remains, at the least, a solid DPS tree and one quite a few Death Knights will probably choose to level with. The wide array of self healing abilities means that a Blood Death Knight has a very hard time dying, and nothing interrupts a good grinding session quite like a death.

In Skill Mastery today, we’ll look at one of the Blood Death Knight’s signature talent abilities, the 21-point talent Mark of Blood. Mark of Blood is placed on an enemy, and every time that enemy deals damage, their target is healed for 4% of their max health. It costs 1 Blood Rune. It lasts for 30 seconds, and has a cool down of 3 minutes.

It’s a straightforward skill to use. Throw it on your target and keep fighting. Using it effectively, however, may take a little bit of thought. Here’s some tips to figuring out the best way and time to make your mark:

Continue reading Skill Mastery: Mark of Blood

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Saturday and Sunday passed quickly for those who had braved the long queues to become among the first Russian-speaking players to feel the frozen breath of Northrend on their skin. The beta portal to the Lich King’s domain was wide open at Blizzard’s booth at the IgroMir game convention in Moscow from 7 to 9 November. Due to huge popularity the Death Knight leveling contest was held three times on Saturday and the winners were rewarded with various World of Warcraft products, from mouse pads to hardware.

Those that attended were enthusiastic both about the upcoming releases of Starcraft II and Diablo III, and about the imminent release of Wrath of the Lich King. Those experiencing their first hands-on look at this second expansion for World of Warcraft said that they were now even more eager to adventure further in the worlds of Azeroth and Outland.

The Blizzard Jobs booth was also very busy with people bringing their CVs along in order to apply for the many Russian-speaking positions advertised at Blizzard.

Many thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the booth!

If you have finished packing and that you are ready to be part of the official launch of Wrath of the Lich King that will take place in Paris, Rotterdam, Madrid, London, Berlin and Stockholm on the night between November, 12th and 13th, make sure you do not forget to bring your camera! The Baby Murloc Adoption Committee has decided to reward the players who capture the best pictures during this fabulous evening. The winners of this contest will get the opportunity to look after the famous Gurky. Do not miss the chance to make friends with this rare game mascot.

Submit your photographs of the Midnight Opening Events here! You can also read the Terms and Conditions of this contest here.

Are you an avid reader of Titan’s World of Warcraft comic? If so, then here’s a contest for you! Simply select the correct answers to these nine questions and you could get the chance to win a hardcover edition of the World of Warcraft Comic Book signed by Jim Lee! Check out the Terms and Conditions before entering.

Good luck to all our participants!

BlizzCon is officially underway! Gamers from around the world have come to Anaheim to join us for this two-day celebration of Blizzard Entertainment games and the passionate communities of players surrounding them. We’ll be updating BlizzCon.com regularly throughout the show with news and photos from the floor, as well as from the various contests, developer panels, and other events we’ve planned. We’ll also be broadcasting streaming video of the 2008 StarCraft Invitational and other tournaments — so be sure to check back often over the next couple of days.

We’ve added Juna’s latest creation, a steely-eyed gnome warrior to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Take a moment to look into the deep, violet eyes of certain death.

We’re always looking for new fan art and if you’re an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.