Wild Ride On The Hog
iTZKooPA on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 14 Comments Tags: Instances, Mechano-hog, Mekineer's Chopper, dungeons, emblem of heroism, gold, grinding, heroics, loot, reputation, the hog, upgrades 
Way back when I started here at ProjectLore.com I was all giddy over a new engineering pattern that showed up on the Wrath of the Lich King Beta. The Mechano-hog (Horde) or Mekineer's Chopper (Alliance) infatuated me with its ridiculous clunkiness , gnomish features and lifelong dream to be part of a biker gang. We should also factor in the hilarious Predator reference that comes via the accompanying achievement, Get to the Choppa!
I had been waiting to get on this bike since Wrath launched, but its insanely steep price and my incredibly slow grind to level 80 have delayed me severely. I am underselling the price when I say steep though. The bike is on the Auction House for downright ludicrous prices, well over 10,000 gold the last few times I have checked. I am not poor but in this economy I find it difficult to even spend virtual money.
Being an engie, Solidsamm has an alternate route, making it himself. This would require a crapload of money spent to level the profession (see link above), then a boatload of time spent getting the required materials. Lastly, a small purse full of money and time spent rep-grinding to pick up the pattern itself. All of this to ride around in a spiffy hog, that can't fly. At the moment my time is better spent on other things, causing me to go with option three, the passenger's seat. Shotgun!
While participating in yesterday's Heroic Daily, I noticed my tank had pulled out his shiny new Hog, complete with PWN license plate. As I ran up to him to get a free ride click the green arrow, a party member dove in before me. Being the little knee biter that I am, I harassed the paladin until he got out of the sidecar and allowed me to navigate. After all, I did call shotgun.
To my surprise, Blizzard actually intended the person in the sidecar to navigate. Once belted in, I noticed a scroll of parchment placed in front of my character. On it was a map of Kalimdor. The map wouldn't help in Stratholme (Lordaeron is part of the Eastern Kingdoms) but I loved the small detail nonetheless. It is the little things Blizzard adds that make their titles more enjoyable.
Although we didn't succeed in completing the timed event (I blame Arthas and his snail pace), I did score some loot. Sadly, it was two new pairs of gloves, but they may both be used. Until I can get my hit rating up to something respectable, the Handwraps of Preserved History are my new gloves. Bile-Cured Gloves should make an appearance when I begin to approach the the hit cap. This is all assuming both pairs aren't replaced by then.
I would say that Solidsamm had quite a productive weekend. Scored a few pieces of new loot, got more than a dozen Emblems of Heroism, over twenty Stone Keeper's Shards, a good amount of reputation and his first ride in Wrath's version of the ROFLCopter. He also got a sad reminder of his sister's lack of playtime. According to the returned mail he received from Solidsagart, I haven't paid much attention to her in 30 days!
The irony of the whole situation was that as I oogled that glorious chopper, my buddy went on to explain that he wanted my Mechanostrider...Anyone else manage to have a productive weekend in Azeroth?
Reader Comments (14)
FIRST!
Seems like the Chopper is just another way to drain money out of the WoW economy, I doubt I'll ever see myself riding one. :P
Oh and also, for the timed Strat run: when you get to the area that's on fire, simply don't talk to Arthas, go through the area, skip Mal'Ganis and keep going left until you reach the Infinite Corruptor.
Sorry for double post.
yeah, i don't expect to see the hog in my list of mounts anytime soon, but will be content with riding shotgun. That or poking fun at a friend of mine who really is "whipped" in wow by someone when is in the side car riding bitch. Muhahaha!!!
Cudo's to those that aquire it for the achievement.
I'v had my Chopper for a while, I started loot collecting early so that I'd have it ready when I hit 80, and by the time I had hit 80 and grinded the dailies to get the plan I have it all ready.
On friday and Saturday I ran about 8 H instance a day, got the amount of badges to get the Mirror of Truth, won The sphere of the Red Dragon's Blood (but it gliched or something and didn't show in my inv, gm's are looking into it) and the dagger Fleshshapper
All and all not bad
10k gold is cheap. The part for the chopper alone cost 12.5k before the ore and minerals.
72 Titanium Ore (rare drops)
12 Eternal Fire
12 Eternal Earth
12 Eternal Shadow
40 Cobalt Ore (Assuming an average of 2 bolts per Handful of Bolts Crafting)
2 Arctic Fur
Salvaged Iron Golem Parts - 3000 (buy from vendor)
8 Goblin Machined Pistons - 8000 (buy from vendor)
1 Elementium-Plated Exhaust Pipe - 1500 (Limited Supply buy from vendor)
12,500g:
Exalted with the Alliance Expedition
450 Engineering ($$$)
I have also set my goal to get the chopper but I'm only 446 gets pricey to get the last couple of points.
Hang in there.
Stil trying to grind mine out, but 12,500 g is hard to grind even with an epic flyer. The new dailies just dont cut it for gold after a certain point
I have 2 80's each doing around 260g a day in dailies to get enough gold to buy the parts to make mine
Most times when I see someone riding the choppa or the 3 person mammoth mount, I target it and zap it with a Baby Spice. It stops them in their tracks every time. =)
(Yes, I know, how mature of me....)
Just got my chopper last night after FINALLY scraping together enough money for the last 2 pistons (I had been buying the parts as I had the money so as not to be spending the gold on other stuff). I got to the 12.5K through a combination of farming ore for sale on the AH and selling Nesingwary 4000s (which you'll end up with most of the mats for as you farm the ore....worked out OK for me).
I purposely put off visiting the Elders in Kalidor and EK so that I could do it while riding the hog. I am now looking forward to some rather unfocused gametime as all my play time the last month or so has been devoted to grinding rep for the schematic and gold for the parts (I'm lookin at YOU Baron Rivendare =P).
Hit me with all the baby spice you want...this was my goal and I got there. Now I get to have a little more fun with some style!
I am slowly working my way towards the Horde version as I am leveling up. As a casual player it is one of my main goals to accomplish before the next content patch.
Keep up the good work iTZKooPA (and the rest of PL).
As a miner/engineer money is easy to make(gas clouds+veins=teh win) at least imo(400-500g/hour Schollozar ftw)...anyways i have my hog in a time now and all i can say is that it's a must have...the fun you have with it is worth it
Eng...probably the best, funnest and coolest prof ever. The Mechano-hog...yes it's cool. Yes it's pretty friggen exspensive, but I suggest that if you are an eng then make sure before you quit WoW to make this beauty. In my guild (which is...well, cool) there is only 5 of us that have this and let me tell you, nothing beats rolling through Ironforge with four other pals turning heads, angrying guards, and turning on gnom...well ya this, mount is sweet.
This will be my next buy, got the mammoth first for 19,000 gold. Which I been using a lot and enjoying up until now. Oh my bags full? let me hop on my mammoth and clean my bags. Oh need food and water anybody? repairs? It's great!
Now I am collecting for this nice bike, Gold is way too easy to collect these days.
Sure I could buy gear or whatever, but that's even easier to collect with WoTLK. Pugs going to all raids nonstop O_o' Damn I miss 40man BWL etc.
I made my Hunter an Engi for the Roflcopters...then i hard this was coming out and i thought to myself i said "Self wouldn't it be awesome if you could get ALL the top members of the guild a Chopper an we Storm across Azeroth with people in our sidecars?" Excited i began to research what i would need...at first the mats didn't look to bad a little farming hear and there and i would be done...THEN i checked the items you have to BUY from a vendor...i almost unlearned engineering right then and there...ALL THAT MONEY!! It was more than buying 2 pairs of epic flyers (which i still am working on since Dailies from the isle are pretty much useless) I plan on making a chopper but i guess my dream of making one for my guildees is out of the question for now...and them buying it will hurt more than if i paid to make it for them...curse you blizz!