Project Lore

This former Tuskarr-inhabited island has been turned into a staging ground by the Vrykul. With so many new details about Patch 3.2 trickling out of Blizzard lately, it surely won't be too long before we see it pop up on the PTR! This time, they're letting us know a little bit more about what to expect from the expanded Argent Tournament. There's plenty to get excited about for those that have worn themselves out on the existing dailies, Paladin players, and even fans of the Black Knight. Two entirely new quest hubs have been added to the event. One lies within a Cult of the Damned camp that's just been set up to spy on the Crusade's activities (does this mean you'll be able to work for the bad guys in some capacity?), and the other takes place on a sizable island just off the coast that Sea Vrykul have claimed as their own. Remember those guys in Borean Tundra who made everything so misty? Well, they're back to pester you again and they're apparently attacking the Sunreavers' ships, which occupy the waters between the coast and the island. More quests will be available for those that have already achieved notoriety in the Tournament, itself. Those who are exalted with the Silver Covenant or Sunreavers will gain access to three new (randomized) dailies through which they will be able to earn more seals. New rewards have, of course, been added for you to spend your hard-earned seals on including tabards and two new mounts (one flying and one ground) representative of either faction, and a vanity pet called the Shimmering Wyrmling which will be available to players of both sides. For the true Argent Tournament Obsessives, the ones who have achieved the Crusader title already, even more quests and rewards will open up. Yet another new line of dailies will appear (at least two will reward seals), but the things you can purchase are even more exciting! There will be new heirloom goodies to send to your alts, an Argent Crusade Banner and Tabard (the latter of which has the ability to transport you directly to the Tournament from anywhere), and an upgraded squire who comes with his own summonable mount. It has a reported eight-hour cooldown, but the upgraded squire can serve as either a bank, vendor, or mailbox! Likewise, Paladins who are tired of their old Charger can trade it in for a fresh, new Argent Crusade-themed one. Blizzard also reports that the terrible Black Knight will make his triumphant return. What, you thought you killed him? Is this the true face of the Black Knight?! Pfft! That was only a flesh wound! For those that have run themselves ragged on the Argent Tournament, it seems like there is a whole lot of new stuff to look forward to. With so many dailies, there's no doubt it'll become the "go-to" place for anyone looking to earn some extra gold to foot the repair bills they get from the included instances! And for those that haven't bothered with it yet, there's no sign of them getting rid of any of the old quests (aside, perhaps, from the coliseum-building ones offered by the goblins out front) any time soon. Full notes can be be perused at your leisure here. Chime in below, readers. What do you think of all the new additions to the Argent Tournament? Does the amount of dailies make your head spin, like it does mine?

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Sit around in General or Trade chat long enough, and you're bound to see someone or other recruiting members for their freshly-formed guild. Part of the pitch almost always incorporates how "freakin' awesome" their guild tabard is. Now, I'm all for guild pride, but it's just so damn hard for me to get excited about tabards. iTZKooPA recently posted an article about fashion sense in WoW, namely how awful it can be at times (though nothing will ever compare to the Subligar class of armor from FFXI -- man-thong anyone?). One of his key complaints was the lack of available customization in the game and, indeed, if you play a certain class, you've got few options moving forward through each tier of equipment. I mean, if you've got an ugly set, you're pretty much stuck with it. So you say, "Hey, Amatera! What about tabards?! They're one of the few pieces of gear that anybody can put on!" And my response to that would be, "Maybe they can be worn by anybody, but I don't know why anybody would want to wear them!" Ugh.... it just ruins the entire outfit! Let's face it, tabards are a fashion faux pas. Even a cool design on the front (as rare as they actually are) doesn't prevent them from covering up that sweet, new breastplate you just picked up. What's the point in throwing a dirty bedsheet on top of your ass-kicking getup? It makes you look like you're getting ready for a sleepover with Ysera! Unfortunately, Blizzard sought to complicate matters with the release of Wrath of the Lich King. Leaving your guild tabard in the closet is one thing, but it's much tougher to stop yourself from wearing something that could greatly increase your ability to earn reputation. Generally, the rewards associated with the four factions that offer such tabards piddle away quickly the farther in content you get, but they still provide an easy avenue for completing rep-related Achievements, as well as add more incentive to go back and complete Heroic dungeon runs. I still hate wearing them, though. All except for the Tabard of the Ebon Blade completely clash with the dark hues of end-game Rogue armor. Just as well, they seem far too easy to come by these days. Used to be that if you were wearing a fancy Tabard of the Argent Dawn, it actually meant something! So, is there anyone else out there that hates tabards as much as I do? Or do you think they're the greatest thing to happen to fashion since Vera Bradley (and, yes, I'm ashamed to actually know what that is)? Granted, I'm pretty much a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy in real life, so if there are any experts out there, feel free to tell me off in the comments section!

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