Project Lore

Three hours into the fight...

Since day one, I have been trying in earnest to score myself one of the TCG loot cards.  Any of them.  Every time I hit Target or see a pack of cards laying around a random EBGames I snap it up in hopes of scoring something.  To date, I have been enticed by a few dozen packs of cards, covering all the available expansions.  Yet, I have nothing to show for it.  Not a Turtle Mount, Paper Flying Machine, nor even the swanky Fishing Chair.  I can't really complain though, I simply haven't paid my dues.  Even if I had purchased 50 packs of the Fires of Outland set I would only have over a 25% chance to score that chair.  Not what I would call gambling odds. Starting March 24, I will have a new expansion pack to fail at collecting.  Upper Deck Entertainment's Blood of the Gladiators will offer players - or collectors - a new trio of loot cards.  Unlike previous releases, I can't see any of the following cards going for hundreds on eBay, but there is some fun stuff.

• Sandbox Tiger - Remember those old horsie things that sat on a giant spring in the playground?  They were the things you'd jump on, rear back and forth a few times, get bored and head off to the monkey bars till you fell and went crying to Mom.  Well that is what this is, only instead of a horsie, it is a miniature Spectral Tiger.
• Center of Attention - This baby enables players to fill one more slot with a purpal - the shirt slot.  Center of Attention grants players the in-game Epic Purple Shirt they always wanted.  Finally, my character's lust for violet can be completed!
• Foam Sword Rack - Like the Owned! card before it, this one is a gag item.  Players will be able to toss out the aforementioned rack full of s-words and bonk unsuspecting players with their Nerf quality weapons.

Upper Deck Entertainment's announcement of the loot cards did not include their respective rarities this time.  But I don't think that will matter to me.  Thanks to coincidental timing, the cards are available for beta testing on the PTR right now!  Players who wish to battle it out at 1 DPS, get nostalgic about their favorite rocker or implement the digital "Look At ME" saying, can do so via Landro Longshot and the following codes:

• Sandbox Tiger: 1111
• Epic Purple Shirt: 2222
• Foam Sword Rack: 3333

Being able to play with the loot items before they are launched won't stop me from dropping more money on the booster packs though.  I have lived through another Square Root Day, so I am one step closer to my victory over the mathematical world and its bastard child known as probability.

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No, not the Amani War Bear. That will be going the way of the Dodo once the Echoes of Doom patch hits. For your information, the patch previously known as 3.0.2. is rumored to be going live next Tuesday, October 14. So if you do want the mount, then get to work because it will no longer be obtainable after that.

When Tigole first announced the upcoming removal of the Amani War Bear, players (well, most players) were distraught at losing such an exclusive and prized item. To hold off the storm of anger Tigole promised that Wrath would offer another bear, a Polar Bear. As we know, that bear is going to be given away this weekend as part of the BlizzCon 2008 goodie bag.

Fear not bear-lovers, for you have another chance at scoring a bulky mount that shows off your dedication to World of Warcraft. Upper Deck Entertainment announced the new loot cards for the Drums of War TCG expansion and the Rare card unlocks a pissed off bear mount!

• Slashdance (Super Common) – This card is the new Piccolo of the Flaming Fire, and as such, will get abused to hell and back. Unlike the Piccolo, which forces everyone around you to dance, the Slashdance card will give you a targetable consumable known as the Party G.R.E.N.A.D.E.. When thrown, all those in its radius will break out into the international language of dance.
• Owned! (Uncommon) – Surely this will be bound to keys or added to macros worldwide. What is a teabagging and spitting macro without a little flag taunting in the mix? Owned! will grant the lucky gamer with a flag which can be staked into a fallen opponent. Said flag sports a large thumbs-down icon, allowing all to know who you just ganked.
• The Red Bearon (Rare) – This is the one most of the readers are here for. The Red Bearon will grant players with the newest mount (pictured above) to grace the lands of Azeroth. Being a Rare card the mount should be somewhat exclusive, not to mention incredibly pricey on eBay. The angry beast will come in both a normal and epic variety.

Personally, I do not play the WoW TCG, but I do pick up a few packs here and there when I see them. Mainly I make the purchases because I enjoy the artwork and want to support the team behind the game. The lure of the awesome loot cards certainly helps. Damn cross-branding.

The Drums of War expansion pack will hit retail stores on October 28th.  So when you go to pick up Guitar Hero World Tour, Red Alert 3 and Fallout 3 you might as well grab a few packs.

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