Entries in argent tournament guide (3)

Guide To The Argent Tournament Patch 3.2 Edition

Geez, The Crusade Can Throw Up A Coliseum Like The Amish Throw Up A Barn
We were one of the first to bring our readers an extensive, even exhausting (for me at least), look at everything the Argent Tournament had to offer upon its release.  The solo content of Patch 3.1 brought players a large collection of new quests, an original mode of play (jousting), the opportunity to make obtuse amounts of gold in a short time frame, an easy way to level up the old city factions and the Argent Crusade, mounts, pets and even the ability to gain reputation with the Silver Covenant/Sunreaver faction for the first time.  Save Threat From Above, it was an entirely soloable experience. In sticking with my plan, Solidsamm spent a good amount of time in Icecrown getting a feel for the new quests, flying around the updated tournament grounds, and taking in the sights.  If you've just decided to tackle the Argent Tournament for the first time then be sure to check out the original guide.  The following only pertains to the newest quests additions.  These quests are only accessible if you are Exalted with the associated factions.  You can check your standing with any of the factions by checking your Reputation pane (default 'U') or by viewing your Argent Tournament Achievements (default 'Y' then select World Events and scroll to Argent Tournament).
The New Island That Is A Focus Of Many Dailies
Most of these tasks are located very close to the Argent Tournament.  However, there are a few exceptions were Blizzard saw fit to send us out on our flying mounts, such as Breakfast of Champions' Storm Peaks run.  Assuming you still want to do the four dailies from Patch 3.1 (still offer the most money), you'll now have the opportunity to gain a guaranteed 10 Champion's Seals a day to put towards the new loot.  I'm already working towards my new squire. Overall, it appears that the quests are designed better than before thanks to the everyone being randomly assigned five of the jobs below.  No more Battle Before The Citadel-type lag sessions. <Crusader> Quests: You'll randomly be assigned two of these.  Generally, they send you off to kill a non-elite named target that respawns very quickly.
  • Deathspeaker Kharos - Kharos is camped out with his underlings directly west of the tournament grounds.  You can take him out as you are hunting for Black Cage Keys for You've Really Done It This Time, Kul.
  • Drottinn Hrothgar - Drottinn is the leader of the Kvaldir that exterminated the Tuskarr settlement, which was recently discovered directly north of the grounds.  He's located by the three heads (Tuskarr impressions of Easter Island statues) on the eastern part of the Hrothgar's Landing island.  The heads are viable on the map of the island.
  • Get Kraken! - We're off to support the Sunreaver and Silver Covenant naval forces in this one.  On your way towards Hrothgar's Landing you'll see the boats under assault by Kvaldir raiding parties, and even Kraken that they have found a way to control.  Fear not, you're tasked with raining fire upon the wicked from the seat of an Argent Hippogryph, so the quest is as easy as the rest.  Just don't forget to get on said mount!
  • Mistcaller Yngvar - Found in a cave located on the west side of Hrothgar's Landing.  You must use the provided trinket to reveal him before he can be easily dispatched.
  • Ornolf The Scarred - Ornolf isn't anymore challenging than the rest of the named mobs, but you'll want to clear the boat a bit before you challenge him.  His ship, Bor's Fury, is located in the southeast area of the island you're sure to become so found of.
  • The Fate Of The Fallen - This quest sends you the farthest away from the grounds of any of the <Crusader> unlocks.  It's also the most difficult to figure out exactly where to go, as theIronwall Rampart is not labeled on the interactive map.  Just head directly east of Aldur'thar (it's labeled on your map, and is southeast of The Shadow Vault) and you'll see the needed crystals and mobs on the ground.  There is no need to even fight anything.
<A Silver Confidant>/<The Sunreaver> Quests:  You'll be randomly assigned three of these, bringing your total up to five new dailies a day, nine overall.  Unlike the <Crusader> unlocks, these quests are more involved and tend to send your farther away from the grounds.
  • A Leg Up - Apparently the Kvaldir were hungry, so they stole some of the food en route to the grounds.  Thanks to the chilly weather up in Icecrown the food stays fresh even though its strewn across Hrothgar's Landing.  If floor pie meat isn't to your liking, then you can always thin the Kvaldir ranks for some untainted meat.  Snob.
  • Breakfast Of Champions - Mmm Wheaties.  Wait, the Jormungar eat their own larval young?  What are they sharks?  To keep the Dune-inspired creatures healthy, so we can kill them in the Coliseum, we have to feed them their own species' eggs.  Eggs which are located dead center of Storm Peaks - as in outside of Icecrown.  Enjoy the lengthiest trip the patch has to offer.
  • Gormok Wants His Snobolds - You're off to Storm Peaks once again.  This time you'll be slightly closer to home.  Head over to Garm's Bane, just northeast of K3, and capture some Snobolds to put the blubbering baby to bed.  I guess even giant monsters can have "binkies."
  • Rescue At Sea - You'll come across the besieged The Wavecrest as you head up the east side of the strait to Hrothgar's Run.  Board the ship and drop the seaweed filled creatures.  Beware of the Krakens though.  They have a knockback that can put you in the drink, and thus, in their reach.  Perhaps the riskiest of the quests.
  • Stop The Aggressors - Kill 10 Kvaldir; the new school Training in the Field + two.
  • The Light's Mercy - This follows The Fate Of The Fallen, only now you are praying over the fallen Tuskarr on the island to the north.  Again, no need to even fight.
  • What Do You Feed A Yeti, Anyway? - In celebration of Shark Week Blizzard has us tossing fresh chum, located on the boats, into the North Sea to attract sharks, or even a Kvaldir.  The drop rate on the shark meat (and seemingly all other quest drops) is 100%.
  • You've Really Done It This Time, Kul - Head directly west to Deathspeaker's Watch, run by Deathspeaker Kharos, and kill mobs until you have saved four Aspirants.  You'll need a fifth key to free Kul, whom is located on the right side of a raised platform.  If you spot the body of The Black Knight, then you've found the correct platform.  Like the Isle of Quel'Danas key daily, the keys are not 100% drop rate.
There you have it, a breakdown and easy-to-navigate guide for the Argent Tournament's new daily quests.  I guess all the jousting ideas went into the instances, as none of the dailies have you mount a stead. Once more, if you aren't Exalted with the factions you will not be able to partake in these quests! And yes, The Black Knight has returned, and he's even more powerful than ever.  You can start his new questline by picking up The Black Knight's Curse from the main tent.

Click to read more ...

I Need How Many Champion's Seals?!

Better Get Used To This View... Better Get Used To This View... The Argent Tournament has become a big part of my daily routine.  Thanks to the clusters of quests and little downtime between them, it's a perfect place to begin my day collecting coin.  Then there's the added bonus of the "new hotness" content, helping me finish up my Exodar reputation, new Achievements (yes, I said Achievements), and most important, non-combat pets!  It's these little useless critters that have kept me returning to the Argent Tournament grounds day after day. It didn't hit me until recently that I would be a staple at the tent for the foreseeable future.  Originally, I was striving for the pets and the Argent Hippogryph, but that all changed when I calculated the amount of badges, therefore days, I would need to hand over to the quartermasters.  450 Champion's Seals for everything.  At a maximum of 5 seals per day, Solidsamm would become less of a staple and more of an Argent Tournament member!  We are talking 90 days, three months for all of this stuff.  Deep breath.  At least we receive 50 Seals from Championing all the factions, dropping that number to 400 and only 80 days.  God forbid I wanted to get some of the mounts... The aforementioned benefits help ease the pain, but they will only last for so long.  I've been picking up Champion's Writ instead of the sack of coin to move Exodar's rep along faster.  Around the same time I finish Exodar's rep grind, I will be completing the last Valiant challenge for my final faction (Ironforge).  At that point, I will lose the additional income of 50+ gold a day from those quests.  Sure, I may have 10,000 gold already, but the easy income offsets the monotony.  With the vanity pets soon to become the only driving force for my participation in the tournament, I doubt they'll all be by my side quickly.  Hmm, perhaps I should just sell them to the horde for thousands of gold... I'm lucky enough to have Naxxramas and solid crafted gear, so I did not waste Seals on other things.  How has the Argent Tournament been treating you?  Anyone crazy enough to try to collect all of the mounts?  What's an additional 2700 gold, 225 Seals and another 45 days in the grand scheme of things, right? Oh, and this should be the first Achievement section - outside of Northrend's exploration - that I finish in its entirety.

Click to read more ...

Guide to the Argent Tournament 

Tis Only A Flesh Wound

It has been nearly a week since the Argent Tournament launched alongside patch 3.1 and there remains much confusion about the new addition to solo gameplay.  Solidsamm started the festivities late last week, but Blizzard created the contest in such a way that progression through the various stages moves at a smooth pace.  You never feel that the next step is out of reach, just a few days away.  Damn them knowing how to dangle that carrot so perfectly! You're a bit behind if you haven't started your dailies by now, as the first Champions will be crowned today, but don't let that stop you.  To help you on your journey we have compiled all you need to know about the Argent Tournament's daily quests in a neat little post, rather than spread across the great reaches of WoWHead.  Since many of the new NPCs are still unknown to WoWHead, we will also present you with their locations where needed. Before we dive into the daily quests we need to get you situated and out to the tournament grounds.  The grounds are located in the northeastern part of Icecrown, directly above Sindragosa's Fall.  As you fly into the area you'll be greeted by the first two dailies that are sheerly for monetary gain, A Chip Off the Ulduar Block and Jack Me Some Lumber.  They have nothing to do with the tournament, outside the illusion that you will be helping the crusaders build the actual Coliseum.  At this point you should familiarize yourself with the new camp, as it is quite large.  Fly around and pick up all the quests you see, you should find the following four quests in addition to the previous pair: 1.  The Black Knight of Westfall/Silverpine - This begins the Black Knight quest chain that progresses throughout you tournament ambitions.  Just do the damn quest chain, it's a pop culture reference that shouldn't be missed. 2.  Mastery of Melee/The Charge/The Shield-Breaker - These three quests are designed to teach you the basics of horse combat.  Grab your steed and head to the dummy location noted on the above map.  They are a cakewalk.<br> 3. Up To The Challenge - Now that you've mastered the basic moves of jousting, you can begin your run to Champion.  This quest forces you to collect Aspirant's Seals, which are rewarded from the following quests.  You can complete this in three days time if you do all the dailies offered to you.  *NOTE* One of the last three quests will be assigned, not all of them.
  • Training in the Field - The easiest of the travel-based quests.  Most people just head down to Sindragosa's Fall and kill the Scourge running around there.  For obvious reasons it can become crowded - and a PvP zone - so you may want to venture a little further out.
  • Learning the Reins - You'll essentially be repeating the set of Mastery quests from earlier.  Very easy.
  • A Blade Fit for a Champion - For some odd reason being in the guise of a frog allows the cursed maiden to protect the blade better.  We cannot free her unless we lay a wet,s loppy one upon her pursed lips.  Head over to Ashwood Lake and spam this macro (/use Warts-B-Gone Lip Balm /kiss) on the frogs you come across.  Eventually you will find her and receive the blade.
  • The Edge of Winter - Another quest that is heavy on the travel.  First you have to head to lower Crystalsong Forest and kill Lord Everblaze, he respawns incredibly quickly, thank god.  Snag his Everburning Ember and then head out to the Maiden of Winter's Breath Lake and melt her Ice Block.  Done.
  • A Worthy Weapon - Head down to the Ironwall Dam that separates Icecrown and Crystalsong Forest to collect the Winter Hyacinths growing there.  Upon collecting four weeds, head north of Naxxramas and offer the dandelions to another maiden.
4.  Aspirant's Challenge - When you turn in your 15 Aspirant's Seals for Up To The Challenge you will be given that challenge, defeating your first jouster.  Head over to Squire David by the training dummies to begin you battle.  Your first battle will be an easy one, use Shield-Breaker and then Melee for the easy win. 5.  A Valiant of Capital City - Yay, you won!  Now you can head to the next level of jousting, the Valiant rank.  Fly to your faction's tent, locate your race's tournament rep and begin your ascent as a Valiant.  The rest of your dailies will be given by this representative or the buddies surrounding him/her. 6.  The Valiant's Charge - Time to collect some newfangled Valiant's Seals. At a maximum of 5 seals per day, you'll need a full business week to finish off this rank.  Don't worry, there aren't many new quests to participate in, so it should mostly be on cruise control.  The three random dailies from the Up To The Challenge section return with no changes.  Training in the field is repeated, but bumped up to ten kills instead of just eight.
  • The Grand Melee - I hope your original jousting match was incredibly easy, because if it wasn't than this may be difficult for you.  You're tasked with taking down three Valiants in this feat of strength.  Be aware that you Shield (hotkey 4) can stack up to three times.  Before you go into combat get it stacked and allow the cooldown to pass, then start the battle.  Shield Break your opponent until they come into melee range and then melee.  While in melee keep your shield active, as the attack and buff are on separate CDs.  If you can keep a shield up while you opponent's is down during the melee skirmish, then it'll be an easy victory.
  • At the Enemy's Gates - Here's another easy traveling quest.  Head down to Corp'rethar in southern Icecrown - clearly marked on the map - and smash some Scourge skulls.  The combat is exceptionally easy, just make sure you are attacking the Lieutenants and not the Commanders.  The Commanders are far more difficult and not part of the quest criteria.
7.  The Valiant's Challenge - The same as step four, but a bit more difficult.  Chalk it up as another Grand Melee battle. 8.  A Champion Rises - At this juncture you as essentially done with the quest line.  From here on out it is just about grinding additional reputation, seals and coin to use for those delicious rewards.  Oh, and of course those achievements and titles, how could I forget those.  In association with that, the Valiant's Charge quest will re-open for all of the other races.  If you so chose, you can re-run them for added Achievements. 9.  Eadric the Pure/The Scourgebane - I haven't gotten to this point yet, so I don't know exactly why you do one and not the other of these.  Perhaps it is a simple choice or it has something to do with your reputation for Ebon Hold vs Argent Crusade?  They don't appear to be faction related at all.  Either way, both NPCs are on the tournament grounds themselves.
10.  Let the farming for Champion's Seals begin!  You'll need these to purchase the various Argent Tournament rewards.  Three of the quests are once again updated versions of previous dailies.  Taking Battle to the Enemy has you killing 15 Scourge, Battle Before the Citadel tasks you with actually killing a handful of Commanders at Corp'rethar, as well as other updates, and Among the Champions forces you to joust competitors of your ilk once more.
  • Threat From Above - As the only all-new quests for Champions, Blizzard has designed this one to be a bit more difficult.  According to the quest description itself, you should take along a few buddies to down Chillmaw.
That's it folks.  That is everything in one nice convenient package, complete with NPC locations for the more annoying quests.  It shouldn't take that long to bang out your Champion status, in fact, I will be there in three days if all goes well.  Has anyone already accomplished their Champion status today?  If you did, please let us know how difficult Chillmaw is.  Also, what about the split between the Argent Crusade and Ebon Blade in step nine?  Any insight there? Happy jousting!

Click to read more ...