Project Lore

[caption id="attachment_9182" align="alignright" width="300" caption="So much fuss over one little sword..."][/caption] A.K.A. "Blizzard Doesn't Know What To Do With The Battered Hilt." Almost all of the changes in this round of fixes revolves around equalizing the availability of everyone's new favorite trash drop. First, players had a high chance of obtaining the Hilt, and when it wasn't being used to actually procure Quel'Delar through the quest chain, it was going for beaucoups bucks on the Auction House. Then Blizzard nerfed the drop rate, but that just caused people to farm the weak skeleton mobs found in the beginning of the Pit of Saron. Now, the drop rate has been bumped up again, but epics can no longer drop from said mobs:

Listed below are recent fixes we have applied to the game. Keep in mind that some of these changes may not be active until after the realm has been restarted. To review previous in-game fixes, please visit: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20677858456&sid=1 12/15/09

• Quel’Delar in now unique equip.
• Naxxramas can now be cleared in any order for the Immortal and Undying achievements.
• The drop rate for the Battered Hilt has been increased.
• The Skeletal Slave in the Pit of Saron has had the ability to drop the Battered Hilt and other random drop epics removed.

So is this the end of the Battered Hilt saga? It's hard to tell, but here's what Zarhym has to say about the tweaks:

Based on feedback we’ve been provided by players, we’d like to make you aware of a couple of changes we are applying to Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls via in-game fixes. Firstly, we are increasing the drop rate of the Battered Hilt in all three wings of this Heroic five-player dungeon. We have seen a great deal of discussion about this item’s chance of dropping since the release of patch 3.3.0 and agree that it is currently too low. As a result, players should find greater accessibility to this item while running these dungeons, or while trading with other players who have it. In light of this change, we are also removing the chance for the Battered Hilt or any other epic item to drop from the Skeletal Slaves in the Pit of Saron. The need to “farm” these creatures for the Battered Hilt should be reduced by our first in-game fix and will no longer result in a chance for epic loot or Battered Hilts. You’re welcome to discuss these changes in this thread and provide us with any additional feedback you may have. Please refrain from creating additional threads about these in-game fixes at this time.

All I know is that I've already gotten a Quel'Delar for my Shaman, Nuggnuts, and I'm pretty happy with it. I have yet to try and farm the Hilt, and even if I did, I see the market for them tanking very quickly (and it already sort of has). Have any of you actually pursued this means of income, and what kind of luck did you have doing so?

With Patch 3.3 out, all most of us can think of going forward is the release of Cataclysm, but according to a new interview with the folks over at WorldofWar.de, Tom Chilton has more or less confirmed that we will see just one more round of additions before the expansion hits:

WorldofWar.de: Will there be another patch before Cataclysm or do you even plan to release a new raid boss? Tom Chilton: We do expect that there will be a new patch before the new expansion, although we don’t expect it to be like a typical numbered patch like 3.4 or 3.5. This could include balance changes, it could potentially include new features, depending on once the BattleNet-Features come online, maybe it could implement some of these. There’s even the possibility for a new raid boss, but it’s too early to say for sure.

So if it's not 3.4, then what will it be? 4.0 is likely to be the patch which introduces the re-made version of Azeroth, as well as many of the other universal changes undoubtedly coming with Cataclysm. Therefore, I think we can expect to see something along the lines of a "Patch 3.3.2," for the reasons cited by Chilton above. Assuming Battle.net 2.0 gets up and running before the expansion, then there will most certainly need to be a patch which adds that functionality to World of Warcraft, and we knew there would have to be a world event connecting Wrath with the events that come after its conclusion, we just didn't realize when. As for the possibility of a new raid boss, I'm going to go ahead and assume that it might be the final addition to Vault of Archavon (which would provide the necessary dungeon symmetry, pleasing obsessive-compulsive types). But if I really wanted to go out on a limb, perhaps another portal opening up under Wyrmrest Temple? Blizzard has stated they have no current plans for the space, but as we've witnessed, what they said publicly months ago doesn't serve as a a good indicator of what they might currently be doing behind the scenes. The rest of the interview is worth reading, though it offers little new information other than the reveal above. I do like that Chilton anticipates the game being around for many years to come ("Personally I would be surprised if World of Warcraft wasn’t still around another five years from now," in his own words). With the influential, but far less popular Everquest releasing its sixteenth expansion today, I don't think I'd be surprised to still be playing WoW well into my thirties, either. I'd like to thank WorldofWar.de, a German site, for providing us with a convenient English version of the interview which you can, once again, read in its entirety here. After looking it over, come back here and tell us what you expect (or rather, want) to see in a final, pre-expansion content patch.

[caption id="attachment_9164" align="alignright" width="216" caption="Greatfather Winter awaits your tankard of bovine extract and sugary baked goods!"][/caption] What do meat-filled tubes, bosses wearing red woolen caps, and crazy, old bearded dudes leaving suspicious packages under the shedding carcass of a dying pine have in common? The Feast of Winter Veil, that's what! And it starts today! Aside from simply admiring the jolly decorations strung up around the world's capitol cities, there's plenty of other things to keep you busy until the Christmas-themed holiday ends on January 2nd. The first thing to do is head to your faction's event nexus, which will either be Orgrimmar or Ironforge. Why not Stormwind? It may have something to do with the Alliance version of Greatfather Winter being a dwarf, but otherwise it's anyone's guess. There you should be able to pick up several short quest lines associated with the event, as well as purchase holiday goods and recipes from the nearby vendors. You'll have to wait until December 25th for the presents under the trees to become active and, therefore, complete some of the achievements associated with Winter Veil. Speaking of achievements, here's a full list of what to look for, in both meta- and non-meta- flavors. Winter Veil Meta-Achievements You must complete the following goals in order to obtain the Merrymaker achievement necessary for What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been:

• On Metzen! -- Save Metzen the Reindeer.
• Scrooge -- Throw a snowball at (Cairne Bloodhoof/King Magni Bronzebeard) during the Feast of Winter Veil.
• 'Tis The Season -- During the Feast of Winter Veil, wear 3 pieces of winter clothing and eat Graccu's Mince Meat Fruitcake.
• Let It Snow -- During the Feat of Winter Veil, use a Handful of Snowflkaes on each of the race/class combinations listed below (Orc Death Knight, Tauren Shaman, Undead Rogue, Gnome Mage, Blood Elf Warlock, Human Warrior, Night Elf Druid, Troll Hunter, Dwarf Paladin, Draenei Priest).
• The Winter Veil Gourmet -- During the Feast of Winter Veil, use your culinary expertise to produce a Gingerbread Cookie, Egg Nog, and Hot Apple Cider.
• A Frosty Shake -- During the Feast of Winter Veil, use your Winter Veil Disguise kit to become a snowmand and then dance with another snowman in Dalaran.
• With A Little Helper From My Friends -- Earn 50 honorable kills as a Little Helper from the Winter Wondervolt machine.
• Fa-la-la-la-Ogri'la -- Complete the Bomb Them Again! quest while mounted on a flying reindeer during the Feast of Winter Veil.
• Simply Abominable -- Complete the quest to retrieve Smokywood Pastures' stolen treats and receive a Smokywood Pastures' Thank You.
• Bros. Before Ho Ho Ho's -- Use Mistletoe on the "Brothers" during the Feast of Winter Veil (Alliance: Brother Nimetz in Stranglethorn Vale, Brother Wilhelm in Goldshire, Brother Kristoff in Stormwind, Brother Karman in Theramore, Brother Joshua in Stormwing, Brother Crowley in Stormwind, Brother Cassius in Stormwind, Brother Benjamin in Stormwind, Brother Anton in Nijel's Point; Horde: Brother Malach in Undercity, Durkot Wolfbrother in Warsong Hold, Brother Keltan in Icecrown).
• He Knows If You've Been Naughty -- Open one of the presents underneath the Winter Veil tree once they are available.

Winter Veil Non-Meta Achievements These achievements can be earned at your leisure and do not count towards the meta. You will only receive achievement points for completing them.

• Crashin' & Thrashin' -- Gain 25 crashes with your Crashin' Thrashin' Racer during the feast of Winter Veil.
• BB King -- Pelt the enemy leaders listed below (Horde: High Tinker Mekkatorque, King Magni Bronzebeard, King Varian Wrynn, Prophet Velen, Tyrande Whisperwind; Alliance: Carine Bloodhoof, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, Lor'themar Theron, Thrall, Vol'Jin).

A few notes on these achievements real quick. Yes, the Horde version of Bros. Before Ho Ho Ho's only has three brothers, but Alliance players should realize that at least half of theirs are in the same general area (Stormwind). You may recall that BB King is the one goal that kept a Taiwanese player from legitimately obtaining all achievement points in the game (sans those introduced with Patch 3.3). Considering its name, BB King may be associated with a new present obtained during the event, likely a toy rifle in the fashion of A Christmas Story's Red Ryder BB Gun. This means that Crashin' & Thrashin' is impossible to complete now unless you got one last year and happen to find other people willing to crash theirs into yours. Considering the limited availability of the items, these are the only two Winter Veil achievements not part of the meta. Enough yapping! I better get cracking on these achievements as Winter Veil is one of the two remaining holidays I haven't completed yet (the other being Love Is In The Air). Stay tuned to Project Lore as I'm sure I (and all the other regular bloggers) will be happy to provide you with strategies and share their holiday stories in due time. Meanwhile, let's hear about yours! Tell us about your experiences with Winter Veils past and what you plan on doing this year!

Another round of small fixes is being delivered this week. Expect to see this sort of thing continue until Blizzard is relatively happy with the way players are responding to the new encounters and content. Even with two months of extensive testing, both on the PTR and internally, nothing quite compares to the experience of 10 million+ subjects!

Listed below are recent fixes we have applied to the game. Keep in mind that some of these changes may not be active until after the realm has been restarted. To review previous in-game fixes, please visit: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20677858456&sid=1 12/14/09

• In Ulduar, the Salvaged Demolisher’s Hurl Boulder ability will now properly ignite tar.
• Vault of Archavon bosses are again able to be hit by area of effect abilities.
• The trinket Ephemeral Snowflake will now be triggered by all healing spells.
• The players’ Gunship will now appropriately dock after achieving victory.
• Lord Marrowgar will now do significantly less melee damage in both the 10 player normal and 10 player heroic difficulty.

Death Knight (Forums / Talent Calculator)

• Chains of Ice is no longer limited to a single target. In addition, when Chains of Ice is used on a snare immune target with Everlasting Winter talented, it will once again apply Frost Fever.

Druid (Forums / Talent Calculator)

• Druids will now be able to shapeshift out of a spell-reflected Entangling Roots spell.

Warlock (Forums / Talent Calculator)

• Everlasting Affliction can now refresh the duration of Corruption on a target when the Warlock casts Shadow Bolt. This talent also refreshes the duration of Corruption with Drain Life and Haunt.

As I understand it, the Death Knight change isn't so much a buff as it is a fix for something that was nerfed pre-3.3. Still, I'm sure players of the class will welcome the change. It's kind of sad to see 10-man Marrowgar getting nerfed so early, though. Is anyone really having that much trouble with the fight? The main complaint I've heard is that it's possible for a tank to get killed very quickly if one of the healers gets spiked at the wrong time, but just as well, plenty of guilds seem to be getting through the fight just fine. Let us know if you've encountered any problems with the fight!

For a brief period today, the World of Warcraft Armory showcased several new features before they were quickly pulled down again. According to MMO-Champion, this update was live for about an hour, meaning that Blizzard was either testing the new additions or someone on their end simply hit the wrong button. A news post accompanying the update was also available, detailing the new features, and indicating that they may appear sometime after the new year (perhaps January 5th, with the next wing of Icecrown Citadel?):

3D Model Viewer: The 3D model viewer displays a character as he or she appears in-game. You can pan and zoom the camera, play animations, and save a default pose (for characters on the logged-in account) that will display for all visitors to the profile. Refer to the Character Sheet FAQ for more details. Character Activity Feeds: Each character's activity feed shows the most recent in-game actions of the character that can be recorded by the Armory. These include achievements, boss kills, item acquisitions, and more. Character feeds can be customized using our customization tool, then exported as RSS feeds to your RSS reader of choice. Refer to the Character Feed FAQ for more details. Player Calendar Feeds: Another new Armory tool allows you to export in-game player calendar data to calendar applications such as Outlook, or to online calendars such as Google Calendar. The tool can aggregate up to five characters on your account in a single feed, and is automatically synched with the characters' in-game player calendars. Refer to the Calendar Feed FAQ for more details. Character Profiles: Character profiles have been redesigned to accomodate these new features and with the goal of improving usability and clarity, such as the Gear List view for a character's items.

These sounds like some fantastic changes, bringing WoW's comprehensive web-based character profiles closer to those of, say, Bungie's HALO community. At this rate, one might wonder how long it is before  Blizzard starts nicking ideas off of third party sites and features things like gearscore evaluators and more detailed progression monitors! But if none of these upcoming tweaks float your boat, there's still a good reason to visit the Armory these days anyway: they now feature loot tables for the entirety of Icecrown Citadel aside from whatever drops off of the Lich King (since his fight has not been externally tested or revealed in any form yet). So, do any of you readers plan on using these upcoming features? I think I might make use of the Character Activity feed if I can do something like, say, link it to my Twitter account, lest I become too annoying to those who follow me!

[caption id="attachment_6419" align="alignright" width="259" caption="Depressed and alone, Onyxia seeks refuge at the top of her Lair and the bottom of a bottle of Jack."][/caption] No matter how many bugs Blizzard attempts to squash during the testing period (and it's a lengthy list, already), some are going to slip through. There's just nothing you can do about it with a game of this size and complexity. As a result, expect to see plenty of small tweaks applied to the game over the next few weeks, perhaps even nerfs to Icecrown Citadel bosses. The first of those updates has already been unleashed on the servers, and typically, they concern a lot of the new content. Things such as reducing the drop rate of Epic items in the 5-man dungeons of the Frozen Halls or fixing the problems with bosses respawning and players disconnecting towards the end of the chase sequence in Halls of Reflection. But if there's one thing that definitely needed the attention, it was Onyxia. And, thankfully, she got it. Perhaps jealous of all the attention being given to the new bosses in the game, Onyxia decided she was going to pitch a hissy fit and defiantly stay in Phase 2, unwilling to come down or be killed. My guild encountered this unfortunate bug and I've heard tales from around the internet of many others encountering the same issue, as well. So good news, everyone, it's been dealt with! Here is the full list of tweaks for 12/9/09, including giving the old dragoness her meds:

• Onyxia has settled down and is once again killable and flying in the proper areas during phase 2.
• Icetouched Earthragers casting Avalanche now deals appropriate damage.
• The quest “Keeping the Enemy at Bay” is now completable.
• Totems are no longer targeted by chain effects as intended.
• The Death Knight chest piece, Scourgelord Chestguard, has been updated to reflect appropriate tanking statistics.
• Emblem of Triumph quartermasters now exchanges one Emblem of Conquest for one Emblem of Triumph.
• The NPC Usuri Brightcoin in Dalaran now exchanges one Emblem of Triumph for one Emblem of Frost.
• Bosses no longer respawn in the new Frozen Halls 5 player dungeon after being defeated.
• Scourgelord Tyrannus now heals to full when the encounter begins.
• The chance for epic items to drop off trash mobs in the Icecrown Citadel raid dungeons has been reduced.
• The chance for epic items to drop off trash mobs in the Frozen Halls 5 player dungeons has been reduced.
• Running up the ramp at the end of the 3rd encounter in Halls of Reflection will no longer disconnect players. http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=21723843673&sid=1
• Trading soulbound items will no longer make them appear as lost. http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=21723842445&sid=1
• Improved Counterspell now triggers Burning Determination as intended.
• The Call to Arms: Warsong Gulch daily quest is now properly offered to players of all levels.
• The quest “No Mercy for the Merciless” can now be completed as intended.

Likewise, there's been an interesting development on the Icecrown Citadel progression front. You may recall that we figured out that the next section of the dungeon, The Plagueworks, would be released in 28 days (now 26, I believe) on January 5th. Blizzard has confirmed this date, though they also verified that the reason for such a long wait was, in fact, the holidays and assured us it wouldn't be that long the next time. It also seems as though the number of attempts allowed on the primary bosses of each wing (not including the Storming the Citadel section we currently have access to) has been bumped up by five.  That's to say that instead of getting 5 for Professor Putricide, 10 for Blood Queen Lana'Thel, and 15 for the Frostwing Halls, we'll now get 10, then 15, then 20. Hopefully it'll reduce the QQing when people start getting rolled on these bosses.

[caption id="attachment_8661" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Abominations await your arrival at the Plagueworks in an oddly patient manner."][/caption] Now that Patch 3.3 and Icecrown Citadel have been released, players might be wondering when the next section of the dungeon is set to unlock. Sure, most of us have still only gotten a taste of the first wing, but there are also those that are already itching for more content. You know, players with top tier groups or guilds who went together as a whole onto the PTR to test the content ahead of time (and, subsequently, already know the fights quite well). Apparently, once you defeat Deathbringer Saurfang, you can talk to your faction's NPC (Elder Saurfang or Muradin Bronzebeard, a.k.a. the one you fought the Gunship Battle with) and they'll tell you how many days are left until they get the door down. As of yesterday (December 8th), it was a full four weeks, putting the release of the Plagueworks just after the new year on January 5th. This isn't such a bad thing when you consider that over the next few weeks, many guilds are going to have trouble progressing because of the holidays, so releasing the next piece of content after all that is over is probably a wise idea. But if it's also four weeks between each subsequent wing comes online, then I can see fans getting very antsy (myself included). At that point, we might not see the Lich King or Heroic modes until April at the earliest. It also kind of begs the question: what the hell is the Lich King doing for all that time? Not that it's much of a surprise, I suppose. Arthas has a serious case of Orcus On His Throne (just look at whose picture is cited as an example!). He's been loafing on his icy duff for the past ten years or so, and even since he decided to start assaulting Azeroth again, he's spent the last several months letting heroes gradually encroach on his domain when he clearly had plenty of times to kill them. Now we're taking a month to bust down his back door and he's just going to sit there on the Frozen Throne, pulling an Al Bundy with his hand halfway down his loincloth! So let's hope that this lengthy wait is just a grace period to let the dust settle and allow people to get used to all the new content and features over the holidays so that they can get serious about raiding once 2010 rolls around.

Have you ever purchased and used one of Blizzard's Account Authenticators? Then you're in for a fun little surprise waiting for you in the mailbox when (or rather, if) you can log into your account today! The company has seen fit to reward those players who have practiced account safety by giving them an exclusive in-game pet called the Core Hound Pup. These little guys look, predictably, like their larger, older brethren what with the two heads and gaping, magma-filled maws. But while they're only an eighth of the size, they're about a hundred times cuter. The Core Hound Pop will periodically roll around on the ground, roll back on their hind legs and beg, and all sorts of other sickeningly sweet activities. It may even be enough to stop you from looting all that Leather in Molten Core! Though there has been no official FAQ released or anything concerning the vanity pet, Nethaera indicates that there is no specific time period for obtaining the pet if you don't have an Authenticator yet:

The Core Hound Pup is a gift for anyone using an authenticator (attached to an account) whether it's the physical authenticator or the mobile authenticator. Anyone who attaches an authenticator will also receive this lovable new pet. Think of it as your own personal guard dog.

Pretty cool, huh? If you're unfamiliar with the device, it can be linked to your Battle.net account and gives you a new code that must be entered every time you log into the account or World of Warcraft. This is supposed to add an extra layer of security so that even if a hacker is able to steal your password, they won't have access to the randomized codes. I'm a bad player and actually haven't bought an Authenticator yet, myself, but I do have an iPod Touch that I might be willing to load the app onto. Is this pet enough for you to finally procure an Authenticator if you don't already have one?

[caption id="attachment_8988" align="alignright" width="245" caption="Can this man help us figure out the mystery of patch day maintenance?"][/caption] Probably the least surprising thing that could've happened today has, in fact, happened: likely due to the release of Patch 3.3, regular server maintenance has been extended for an undetermined amount of time. It was first announced at 11:04 AM PST by Bornakk:

We are performing extended maintenance while we resolve some additional issues. We do not have an estimate on when the realms will be available for play but we will provide another update in approximately 1 hour. Thank you for your patience.

Do note that this means another update will be given an hour from the original message, not that the extended maintenance will only last an extra hour. On patch days like this, it has been known to last most of the day, and even then, loads of problems including lag and the inability to access dungeon/raid portals have occurred once servers are back online. The question, of course, is: how does this keep on happening? You would think by now Blizzard would understand most of the potential problems that could occur and how to deal with them effectively, but like clock work, every time a new patch is set to release, we run into the same issues. It's one I ask out of curiosity, though. I don't mean to get down on the server techs, as though I know I jack about the architecture and maintenance of such, I do understand that they're complex systems. I've had a few friends that work in IT or at server farms and have heard of nothing but headaches. Still, the company controls when patches are released and have as much time as they allow themselves to make sure maintenance goes smoothly beforehand. My guess is that the monkey tasked with pushing the "Start World of Warcraft button" escaped his cage again. Anyway, we'll keep you updated on the situation as it changes and hopefully that means we'll be able to toy around with Patch 3.3 sooner rather than later. In the mean time, anyone want to share some conspiracy theories? Update: Blizzard's site is down and it seems even some of the fansites are having trouble what with everyone wanting to know what's going on. Thankfully, Twitter comes to the rescue. As of around 12:23 PM PST:

We are in the final stages of resolving the issues. We will provide another update in about 1 hour. Thank you for your patience.

After conquering the Pit of Saron, you enter the final wing in the new 5-man dungeons. Halls of Reflection is the mysterious chamber where the wretched blade Frostmourne is held when it is not by the Lich King's side. And why would that be? Some have speculated that the sword is an entity of ancient evil unto itself. Levitating as it does over a pile of skulls while spiritual energy swirls around it, it's distinctively otherworldly. Perhaps even the Lich King wishes to maintain his distance from its influence at times. Regardless of the reason, it is here you must travel to learn some of Arthas' deepest secrets. But said knowledge comes at a price, for the Lich King will not let you get away so easily. Falric and Marwyn -- Heartbourne wrote a nice, lengthy piece on this pair which you I urge you to read if you want to know more about them, but it boils down to this: Falric and Marwyn are the Lich King's right-hand men. They served him when he was still Arthas, mowing down the innocent citizens of Lordaeron, and became his first two Death Knights when he was turned. In some ways, it's a bit of a disservice that they're relegated to stone-walling you in a 5-man dungeon, but they nonetheless serve an important roles as guards of the Scourge's most important artifact. After an in-game cinematic event taking place in Frostmourne's chamber, the Lich King recovers the blade and commands Falric and Marwyn to do away with the intrunders (that's you, naturally). You will have to suffer through five waves of spectral guardians, who seem to mimic the basic Human units found in Warcraft III (both in dress and function), before you can Falric. This, alone, can be tricky if your tank isn't able to wrangle up the caster mobs who often appear across the room. It's easiest to stand in the hallway just outside the chamber and have the tank stand out front since the mobs will aggro to whoever is closest when they activate. Falric is all about making you feel depressed, and without any bottles of Xanax on hand, you're just going to have to fight your way through it. Quivering strike is a melee attack that will reduce the tank's dodge chance by 20%, but the entire party should be on the lookout for the rest of his abilities. Impending Despair will cause an individual player to cower for 6 seconds (unless dispelled), while Defiling Horror will send everyone running for four as 2500-4000 damage ticks every second. Finally, there's Hopelessness, which reduces your party's healing and damage done by 20/40/60% for each quarter of health Falric loses. Once you kill him, you only have a moment's respite before dealing with five more waves of spectral guardians and, finally, Marwyn. Marwyn thinks it's better to corrupt the flesh than the mind and his abilities reflect as much. First, there's Well of Corruption, a void-zone-like effect that increases shadow damage taken by those who stand in it. He will also cast Corrupted Flesh, which can reduce nearby players' maximum health by 25% (50% on Heroic) for approximately 10 seconds. This means that tanks, especially, should be aware of Obliterate which can deal 20-30k damage when used. The other thing your party needs to watch out for is Shared Suffering, which deals a significant amount of damage over time, the remainder of which will be shared amongst party members if you try to remove or dispell it. With Arthas' closest confidants defeated, the doors open and you are free to proceed down the hallway. The Escape -- The Escape is an interesting event which I don't want to spoil very much, but this is the first time in the game you're really able to go blow-to-blow with the Lich King. Of course, even if you can target and attack him, I wouldn't recommend it. He'll one-shot just about anybody who gets within range and with nowhere to go but the precipitous ridge outside, you'll have to hold off waves of attackers as your faction's hero (Jaina or Sylvanas) clears the way forward. Meanwhile, the Lich King lumbers slowly towards you with his sword drawn. If he gets close, you can kiss your party goodbye when he casts Fury of Frostmourne, dealing a whopping 1 million damage to all players. However, if you do manage to escape, be prepared for a really cool cinematic event straight out of the best action movies! And that's it. You're done until you decide to venture into Icecrown Citadel, itself. With the 5-man dungeons of the Frozen Halls now out in the wild you can experience all of these encounters for yourself! Enjoy!