Hello again everyone! As promised I have written up a very basic healing guide for the next three bosses within the second wing of Highmaul. I want to keep these short and sweet. Less dribble and just the facts you need as a Mistweaver. Thank you for the kind words from my last post! Lets get the ball rolling for another super basic guide!
Note: These guides do not teach you how to play your class or tell you exactly what spells to use. Just a few tips here and there for good measure.
Tectus -
If targeted by Crystalline barrage run away from the raid (to the right)
If you have any Earthen Pillars spawning on you, Move. (to the left)
Tanks take heavy consistent damage throughout. Use spells like soothing mixed with surging.
Raid will take large damage on every Tectonic Upheaval. Use a mixture of uplifts and chi brews to help balance it out.
Use revival on second Upheaval so it could be up for the last one.
Spells like chi torpedo coupled with celerity for the extra roll help great for the movement of this fight.
I take chi burst here as I like its raid healing for Upheaval/melee group dealing with red stuff.
Statue on melee.
Twin Ogron -
First off, fire is bad, move from it. Zen med and defuse magic negate its damage.
Avoid Pol's charge, spread on pulverize.
Tank A takes damage from whirlwind, save hamster ball for that. (Life Cocoon)
Watch out for interruption shout. If you have a paladin, get them to use devo aura here. (Mana tea wont be interrupted anyway)
Keep the statue by the ranged. Single target the melee (My raid never had many of them dudes)
Ko'ragh - Super simple guide.
Fire debuff can be dispelled, if you like to cheese, soon as the first raid wide fire debuff is up, use revival. (will be up for last one)
If the boss is charging move away (behind someone else)
help stun adds with leg sweep when needed.
Tanks and the player catching the orbs will take heavy damage, Save cocoon for those three.
Dont stand by or near any of the bad stuff (ice, fire, arcane)
Use surging/soothing on tanks (watch for range) and use uplift as a main chi spender here. Lots of AoE damage from people unable to avoid all the avoidable damage.
There you go folks! Second basic guide complete! I will add some widgets in for the spells for new people looking to know more about the spells, but it's Friday, It's been a busy week and I have a cold now so I want to mong out! Until next time folks! Take care! - Vaylen.
Hello again champions! welcome to the last chapter of my leveling series. Here I will showcase some of the photos I managed to snap up of nagrand during my questing there. I really did enjoy this location. It sort of brought back that nostalgic feel to the old nagrand we all grew to love back on outland and I was hoping blizzard would not stray to far away from the original concept and they sure as hell did not! So sit back, relax and enjoy!
And so we begin our jouncy in the last leveling location in Draenor and what an amazing place it is. Home of the Warsong clan band of orcs and a refuge point for ogres we are thrown in to a world of conflict. Home to the orc's spiritual place the land has been torn in half with the tormented spirits of Oshu'gun and the forever looming problem of ogres pouring from Highmaul to the west. We however start off to the east, establishing a foothold within this zone.
Here we get the chance to meet some of the locations we're some what familiar with. The old nagrand back in our timeline still has some resemblance to the nagrand in this timeline. Confusing I know but we do get to see the more remote locations it has to offer. As the rising commander here, I decided to go with the Talbuk station which was a fantastic choice as it enabled me to get around quicker with not much hassle to explore this beautiful place.
During my time here I did find some of the quests a little to sort of.. "hit and miss" I guess is the better way to put it. Only because I was not totally sure were the stories joined. Some just seemed to be placed there purely because they had nothing else to add, or lack of time? Anyway I did end up battling my way through each chapter and was actually surprised by the final cinematic.
The final and yet very dramatic conclusion to this location and story was the battle we have been waiting for. Between Thrall and Garrosh. This time we did not see any bitch fights like we saw in SoO (LET MEH SLAP YOU WID MA DOOMHAMMER) but what actually looked like an incredible way to end the story here. My only gripe would be that the story from war crimes has nothing to do with Garrosh and his almost certain fate and I wish we got to see inside the mind of Thrall a little more! Nonetheless here is the cinematic.
SPOILERS!
There you have it folks! The final chapter is complete! I did not want to go to much in to detail in these posts so sorry about that! I have just been rather busy with my Army stuff that I simply have not had as much time as I have liked. Anyway that aside! Thanks for reading and I hope some of the screenshots I have created added to your leveling experiances as it did with me! Until next time! Love.
Hello folks! It's that time again for my readers to have a chance to win some cool goodies! I thought I would put something together for the celebration of Warlords Of Draenor and making this my 100th post! We have come along way since my first post on Brewmaster tanking and and what delight its been! I have met some amazing people through this blog and I can't wait to continue the journey. So here is a rather simple competition for a chance to win a prize.
All you have to do is name the location in which this screenshot was taken in the comments below and I will choose a winner in a weeks time at random! Simples.
Rules
- You can only comment once.
- Comments after 27/11/2014 will not be counted.
Prize
The official Warlords Of Draenor E-guide! The guide covers information on all the new zones, races, class guides, Garrisons, professions and more!
The Winner of this give away is Fredric! Great job! Catch me in game: Vaylen#2903 to arrange your prize! - Winner was chosen by Slash roll in game. Nice one!
Adventurers and people in need of some vitamin D! Today we head towards some of the more sunnier locations in Warcraft. Last week we dipped our boots in to some rather cold locations I enjoyed playing through and today we venture to the dry and remote locations that offer plenty of exploring but don't forget your brew! You will need it out here folks. Sit back, relax and enjoy.. Wanderer In The Mist!
The winter is behind us and today we get to explore and show off some of the most beautiful locations in Azeroth. These two spots in particular are my favorites, there are many other spots like these through out the continents such as Blasted lands, Shadowmoon valley and Badlands etc but to me, these two have a special place in my heart. So lets get to it!
Uldum
Our first location out of the two we're visiting is the sunny and remote southern region in Kalimdor. We first ventured here in Cataclysm and even to this date players still enjoy questing through here, myself included because nothing beats questing in great underground tombs and beautiful rolling sand dunes. Much like Uldaman and Ulduar, Uldum is one of three locations to home some of the creations built by the titans which visually makes this one of the most incredible places blizzard have built. I actually remember the PTR footage of this place and I was so excited to explore it myself!
The geography of this location really does reflect on its inhabitants. throughout the desert there is a large river that leads down in to an oasis surrounded by Tol'vir and some nasty snapping crocs. Stay away from the waters edge! Unless you're on of those flower picking lovers! The surrounding areas and main capital is home to the Ramkahen, This serves as their training grounds and trading center. This was one of the greatest spots to see Blizzards new graphic engine working well! It looked so good!
Much of the surrounding locations form the city here are constantly in battle with the strong winds commanded by Al'akir's elemental minions that are recently causing more and more explorers to go missing. The Tol'vir are also here guarding the titan secrets dwelling within the sands, but to be honest these constructions are so large they are really not that hard to miss :P and they don't do a great job in doing so!
Another great feature here is the unique quest lines. They wont ever bore you! From questing with the Ramkahen to one of the more noble and crazy characters Harrison Jones. He will help you discover your more adventurous side by taking you through some crazy locations. Get that screenshot button ready folks! On to our next location!
Tanaris
Our last location in this episode and to most it comes to no surprise that this spot was picked to be mentioned. Tanaris has a huge place in my heart, it was here that my very first world PvP experience really took off. Of course there was those moments in STV but at this level and not so many end game players roaming the sand dunes here you could get some great fights going on! most of trouble brewing was around the main neutral town of Gadgetzan but that never stopped us from going out further into the desert!
Home to a number of races and creatures the more noticeable and well known resident here is the great Nozdormu, the leader of great Bronze dragon flight and the keeper of time. This desert also holds some titan features much like its brother next door, Uldum. Below the sands of this vast desert is were the great dragon flight resides deep within the caverns of time. Here you will go back through the fabrics of time to see some great moments in Azeroth history like Thralls escape of Durnholde and the opening of the dark portal in the Black morass that connects Azeroth too Draenor.
Another bold feature here is the amount of space that is infested with pirates, hooligans and drunks. The pirates of the south sea dwell in the cliffs hiding from the rest of the world. This side of the zone has had a dramatic past due to the weather changes during the cataclysm caused by deathwings return. A colossal tidal wave crashed over the eastern shoreline and has changed it for ever, so you will notice alot more water in land, Thanks Deathwing! I'm not a good swimmer!
During your adventures here you will notice the odd sandstorm roaming over the land. This is one of blizzards well implemented weather effects but its on a rather sporadic time. I wanted to try and get some clean screenshots for you guys but I waited over an hour for it to pass over but it kept going and going so I thought.. Lets go screenshot crazy anyway! So if you do get caught out here during the storm, head for cover or be ready to dig yourself a new home for a few hours!
So that's it for this episode folks! next week we take our maps and tools with us to some of the more haunted locations. We dive deep below the earths surface in to some of the forgotten catacombs home to undying spirits and horrors of the deep. Until then, have a great weekend everyone! - Vaylen.
Tune in tonight(2/22/2014) at 5PM GMT for the special episode of monk meditation podcast! Drop by twitch.tv/wowmonk and chat to us!
Greetings fellow explorers! So far in our adventure we have looked for secret locations within Azeroths darkest and most remote corners. We have found memories and huge amounts of history, rituals forgotten in the past and the rather strange things blizzard has implemented over the years. In this episode we start too look at the vast climate change around the continents of Azeroth, the places that are hidden by weather. From the Icy peaks of Kun lai, to the searing heat of Tanaris, To the humidity within Stranglethorn, we will venture forth and explore these extremely different locations. So grab your finest brew and compass folks!
And so the warm breeze has past, the days grow shorter, the nights fall to freezing temperatures. However during these cold times, it is often the case that some of the most beautiful locations in Azeroth are dwelling in some of the most coldest and unforgiving terrains. We venture too some of the coldest regions and have a look at some of the details hiding there. I love exploring these types of places just to see how blizzard work around different weather systems, But you have to admit, they sure do look amazing!
Summit Of Ironforge
There is very little to this location, usually when you find something like this, it's generally related to something, but with not much information given about this summit, we're still left to speculate what exactly this little Easter egg was intended for. Above the grand halls of this mountain there is home to a little secret. Before flying mounts were finally allowed to be used in Azeroth, the only way you could find this place is by foot, or mount if you could afford one. After spending hours looking for a way up, myself and a group of friends thought it would be interesting to see if there was any way to reach the top of Ironforge, not knowing what to expect!
During our quest, we came across what looked like old watch towers hiding within the mountain, again, not much is known about these buildings, why are they here? why so high up? Maybe a defense system put in place during the way? not much is known about them, but what I do know is that they make awesome screenshots! You can still access this Summit on foot if you wish, but it can take some time looking for the correct path to follow.
I have always had a soft spot for this place, My first real adventure outside of questing, I was astounded by how much detail the game had, this was when I was new and I just want to re create that feeling for new adventurers and Veterans alike! So grab your hiking boots, thermal flask and gloves, as we are about to look for more chilly wonders around Azeroth! Neverest Pinnacle
From the cold breeze off the northern winds sweeping across Eastern kingdoms, to the mighty chill that rests upon one of the tallest mountains in Pandaria. The Neverest Pinnacle rests just north of the Kota Basecamp is one of the most beautiful creations from blizzard. One can't help but think this is their version of Mount Everest... Similar name, huge peak and an incredible thing to see for yourself, this mountain is a Screenshot dream!
The temperature here is one of the coldest regions in Azeroth, explorers must be advised to take caution when climbing the path that leads to its summit, the poor fella here had no chance! However, once you reach the top, You will be greeted by one of three Legends of the Brewfathers, Ren Yun. Once you click on the statue, the passage reads as the following:
Father of the individual sensory beers and the Four Senses Brew. - Ren Yun, his other senses heightened by his blindness, suffered for years with what he considered to be the harsh taste of normal Pandaren brews. After years of wandering and experimentation he developed separate brews that delighted each of his four senses but, though he had perfected these individual beers, the combination of the separate elements into one perfect unifying brew eluded him. For a lifetime more he wandered on until he found at last the secret to bind all of his sensory beers into one master recipe, the Four Senses Brew.
A blind Pandaren, brewing what he brews best, I loved reading this and I really enjoyed looking up some more information on this location, so please feel free to head up to its peak, enjoy its beauty as I did! The Neverest Pinnacle is one of blizzards many captivating locations, I hope WoD brings in many more of these in the some what near future.
Icecrown
This location was one of many I was torn between adding, I was stuck between this one and Storm peaks, but due how much I loved the Rise Of The Lich King book I just had to feature this location. Icecrown, home to the Lich, a land destroyed by the scourge. So much death, so much agony in one location, it still holds some of the most amazing lore I have read to date. I guess not everyone is in the same boat as me, But the story of Arthas and his quest for Frostmourne is just too gripping and so incredible, this location just had to be added! going back to my last Wanderer episode, I mentioned the history and story of Arthas as we discovered history in the making still dwelling in the halls of what is now known as Undercity. It sets a really strong feel for this place... and to me really builds up that corrupted feel to the story.
Home to many other races, Icecrown is a zone of dark history and yet some beauty to go with it, it's like the doubled edged blade, it has its glories side, yet it holds some of the darkest secrets in Warcraft Lore. In this very location Kil'Jaeden cast out Ner'zhul back in to the mortal world, his prison slamming in to the glacier now known as the frozen throne. It's power as it crashed in to Northrend's land shook, the impac t could be heard from Grizzly hills and back!
But as history unfolds, the citadel is now home to a far more corrupt being, Arthas. His uncontrollable feelings towards protecting his people at all costs lead him to this location. Ner'zhul speaking to him, calling for him. He lusted for power. after finding the fabled weapon Frostmourne, he went back to his homeland and killed the entire city including his father. He came back looking for more power until he had control over the scourge. The creatures that dwell in this forsaken place will always need a leader so the scourge don't cause utter chaos, so there must always be.. a Lich King. So are you ready for an adventure? Looking to discover the secrets to this uncontrollable force? Grab your gear folks, you will need it!
Tip: A fellow Blogger, Darklady mentioned about a small island North off the coast, I wont go in to much detail about it, I will leave that surprise for you! Thanks for showing me dark! Winterspring
The beautiful , rolling hills of the Springs, I loved this place the moment I got out of that hell hole that's known as Felwood. The questing here was amazing, and with the long grinds to level back in Vanilla, I used to farm the undead that patrol the Lake Kel 'Theril ruins for Icy weapon enchantments. This place had everything, Yetis, Tigers, Bears and the odd Orc and Troll to hunt down, this place really did feel like an endgame zone... Ahh the good ol' days! Lets move away from some of the less cheerful locations and end this episode with a place we're all aware of and a place that holds a ton of beauty.
There is not many locations/zones in Kalimdor that share the same weather patterns as winterspring and that to me makes it so special and unique. When you look at the geographical structure and the amount of rich lush/barren zones that fill up this continent, a snowy area like this just sticks out like a sore thumb! Its surrounding zones are nothing like it... Strange..
So the only zone in the northern part of Kalimdor to of had seen snow, but legend has it, that during the events of reign of chaos, the valley was in a rare period of springtime, when no snow was covering the ground.. and the animals that we see roaming now had vanished? Could we see anything like this happening again? I hope so! If you have not already, I recommend exploring this location. If you're in to your night elves history/lore there is so much to find here! Grab your compass and best snow shoes when coming out here, and be warned... YETI!
So that's this episode covered folks! in the next episode I will cover some of the more warmer locations in and around Azeroth.. We venture in to the scorching desert sands of Uldum and Tanaris. Know of any other locations? Feel free to leave a comment below or on my twitter: @VaylenEU and I will be sure to check them out! Also, I will be holding a competition once I reach 30k blog views, so stay tuned for that! - Vaylen.
Hello adventurers! Friday is upon us which can only mean one thing. It's time for our second installment of our exploration series! Now, last week we took a look at some of the mysterious locations within Azeroth, getting to understand the reasoning behind them and maybe shed some light on some of their secrets that you may or may not have known already. I mentioned towards the end of the post that I had something a little special to all you Monk lore lovers out there and I was going to include this in the very first Wanderer Of The Mist but It had so much depth to it, I wanted to give it its own post. So sit back, relax and have your brew at the ready, As it's time to delve deeper into the rich and philosophical way of the monk.
Monk Philosophy
So we begin this adventure with a little guide to the monk philosophy. Trying to understand the monks way of life is difficult to understand through out the game, I think on blizzards part they did not give the monk a story to really envelop the player and give that *feel* too the class. Unlike the previous hero class the Death knight, which had a rich, deep and meaningful story to it, monks were sort of left in the dark there. However, with the lack of information and story telling, details can be found in remote parts of the game and in a recent novel, Shadows Of The Horde. The way of the monk is forever told in such a simple and philosophical way, that you cant help but appreciate their way of life. The way of the monk can be complicated, yet beautifully simple at the same time, no matter what their beliefs are, both are required to find balance within the world. So this then leads us to the paths in which the Philosophy takes..
Blade master - by Lee Jae Hwan
Path Of Tushui: "Discipline is not a war that is one. It's a battle, constantly fought." - Master Feng.
The way of Tushui is the way forward to a principled and simple life. Followers of this specific discipline believe there is a moral certainty to the world, One path of right, another path of wrong. These values are regarded as immutable or unchangeable and must be preserved no matter what the cost. Even if it means self sacrifice or painful losses, in the pursuit of a higher ideal life. Tushui is the way of the mind, and self evaluation. Aysa Cloudsinger, a monk of the Alliance whom can be found in stormwind follows this way of Life. She believes that it is important to defend what is right above all else and that success in any endevour never justifies dishonorable deeds.
Path of Huojin: "Always challenge, always question. In the pursuit for greater good, inaction is the only wrong." - Master Zurong
The way of Huojin is firstly, marked by practical and decisive action. Followers of this discipline believe that morals, decisions and ideas are not absolute but change with circumstances. A master of this path, must remain flexible within their own thoughts, always evaluating the greater good. Huojin, is the way of the action. Ji Firepaw, a monk of the Horde can be found in and around orgrimmar. He believes that it is Honorable to defend his what he calls home and his loved ones no matter what the cost. outgoing and not much of a deep thinker, he is always the first one to a fight.
Throughout the Shadows Of The Horde novel, two unlikely and soon to be friends are kept under the watchful eye of Taran Zhu, Master of the shadow pan. Vol'jin leader of the darkspear trolls and Tyrathan Khort, a keen marksman of the alliance. Taran Zhu believes that each one of these noble folk represent each path, Vol'jin represents Tushui and Tyrathan represents Huojin, total opposites to their faction, but despite that, with their way of life, thought on situations, they are both needed to balance each other out to overcome the foreseeing troubles that lay in wait.
So as you can see, even the monk philosophy is entwined within the faction you work with, which to me makes perfect sense to have Vol'jin the new leader of the horde. He must do whats best for the greater good, and not letting dishonorable deeds create havoc, much like Garrosh Hellscream permitted.
Monk mentality
Much like the way of the monk in the real world, their strength comes from their weakness, that's their way of balance. Throughout your time in Pandaria, you will see a ton of shrines, located all around the jade forest and even be apart of a quest-line to practice your strengths and patients. The monks mentality, is to be able to remain focused and vigilant. Be at peace with your inner strength is key, without a doubt in your mind, use that negativity to regain your chi, your Zen, your power. This can be beautifully explained in one of the chapters of the Shadow Of The Horde novel:
Morning, midday and evening all fell into that same pattern: chores, food and exercises. For Vol'jin, the exercises revolved around strength and flexibility, learning about combat and his physical limitations. In the afternoon, he got more individual instructions, again with a rotating band of monks because the majority of them attended classes. They rejoined the physical exercises in the evening, though this consisted mostly of stretching, preparatory to getting a good nights rest. The monks taught him well. He'd watched them shatter up to a dozen boards with a single punch. Vol'jin had looked forward to trying that because he knew he could do it. But when it came time for him to try the exercise, Lord Taran Zhu took over. In place of boards had been arranged an inch think slab of stone. Vol'jin studied the monks face but read no deception. That didn't mean there wasn't any there, but the pandaren's impassive expression could have masked anything. "You be wanting me to break stone. Others break wood." "Others do not believe they can shatter wood, you do." Taran Zhu pointed to a spot a fingers length beyond the stone slab. "place your doubt here, strike through it." Doubt? Vol'jin forced away the thought because it was a distraction. He wanted to ignore it, but instead he did as the monk had instructed. He visualized doubt as a shimmering blue-black ball spitting sparks. He let it float through the stone to hover behind it. Then Vol'jin set himself, drew a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He drove his fist forward, pulverizing the stone. he continued through, smashing the ball of doubt. He had sworn he did not feel the impact until he'd hit the ball. The stone had been as nothing, even though he brushed the dust from his pelt. Taran Zhu bowed to him respectfully. Vol'jin returned the gesture, holding it longer than before. The other monks bowed as their lord withdrew then bowed to Vol'jin.
Image taken from the 5.4 Cinematic
So as you can see, the way of the monk is complex yet simple. The power of ones mind, and decisive thinking will put you on a path that will be connect to the same ending. There is a balance with all beings, all reasoning and actions and no matter what doubt you have in your mind, you can over come it, it doesn't matter if your Tushui or Huojin, Strength can be obtained by even the more simplest of life styles. either way, balance will be preserved. Strength can be found from even the darkest of places, use your doubt, your fear to strike with unimaginable power.
So we can take a little break from the story telling for now! You may be wondering well why is this all covered in the exploration series? Well I was minding my own business with a fellow Blogger, DarkLady Eu and a guild friend of mine, good Ol' Yojimbo. We was looking for some locations to mention in my future exploration posts and Yojimbo mentioned a book that was hidden in a small boat, located on a hill side between Kun lai and Jade forest. Of course I was interested in looking more in to this mystery! So we mounted up and who would of guessed it, the book we found was one of the very few Monk related books... OH MY! My blogging instincts went crazy, I even miss calculated the distance of myself and a cliff and thought it would be smart to roll off it, I blame the excitement! The book we discovered is titled: The Angler and the monks, and has the following short story:
Two
wise monks gathered beneath the Temple of the Jade Serpent to discuss
the nature of truth. Because the seas were glassy and calm, they
decided to hire an Angler to row them out beyond the spires so that
they may admire the view as they talked. "Glassy waters mean
storms ahead," the Angler cautioned, but the wise monks trusted
their eyes and insisted on the voyage. "Truth
is absolute," said the first monk, as the little boat emerged
into open water. "The universe has but one truth, and we must
work tirelessly to reveal it."
"Truth
is relative!" countered the second monk, as clouds gathered
overhead. "The universe has many truths, and only the fool
insists that his truth is true for all."
The
Angler said nothing as the monks debated, until at last one turned to
him and asked for his opinion on the nature of truth. "I never
thought much about it," he admitted. The
two monks shook their heads and clicked their tongues. They were
alarmed to discover that the Angler did not even know how to read or
write. "It would seem to us that you have wasted your life,"
they said to him.
At
that moment, thunder and lightning tore open the sky as if it were a
sheet, and a great rain poured down. The little boat soon became
swamped and flipped over. Casting off his overcoat, the Angler began
swimming for the shore. "Help
us!" the monks called out, as the swells began to crash around
them. "We cannot swim!"The Angler answered: "It would
seem to me that you have wasted your lives!"
As you may notice from the first paragraph, you see the conflict of Tushui and Huojin, each monk has a conflicting idea on the same philosophy, I believe the Angler played the middle man, as a neutral standing. He let them debate further. The story then quickly changes and I think gives a clear message: believing in what you think is correct is okay, just allow yourself to be more open minded. What the monks thought was their making, was soon to become their undoing. I thought this little story was absolutely brilliant, I love the Monk lore and this just really pushed it further for me. My exploration and thirst for more knowledge connects with the Philosophy I had recently read about... talk about perfect timing.. But there's more...
We then venture a little further and come across a small village in the mountains, hidden away from the naked eye, the only way to find it is by flying. Luckily for us we stopped by and found yet another monk relate book... This was great! The second book we discovered was titled: The Tiller and the Monk, and has the following short story:
A
young farmhand was once unfortunate enough to share a room at the inn
with an old monk, who talked incessantly from evening's light to
morning glow about matters of philosophy and science. Bored of the
one-sided conversation, the monk soon proposed a challenge of
wits. The
farmhand was uninterested in testing his wits against the monk, no
matter how much his roommate raised the stakes. Finally the monk
offered the farmhand substantial odds: "I will give you 50 gold
coins for every question of yours I cannot answer, if you will give
me 5 gold coins for every question YOU cannot answer."
At
this, the farmhand agreed.
"Very
well!" exclaimed the monk. He eagerly tried to think of a
question sufficient to challenge the farmhand, but simple enough to
keep the game interesting. "How would one measure the volume of
an irregularly shaped object?" he asked, his eyes
gleaming.
Without
even bothering to think about it, the farmhand handed the monk 5 gold
coins. The
monk was disappointed, but prepared himself for the farmhand's
challenge.
For
his turn, the farmhand pinched his face deep in thought. Finally, he
asked: "What has the heart of a tiger, the wisdom of an eagle,
and the strength of an ox?"
Delighted
by the riddle, the monk leapt to his feet and began pacing around the
room. For six hours he was mercifully silent as he pondered the
farmhand's conundrum. Soon, he grew irritable. Eventually his face
sunk with fury and disdain. "Alas, alas! I give up!" he
cried, waving his arms. Reluctantly he withdrew a sack of coins and
counted out fifty precious gold pieces for the farmhand. The tiller
happily accepted his winnings.
The
monk stared at his roommate. "Well!" he said at last. "What
is the answer to your riddle?" Wordlessly,
the farmhand handed the monk 5 gold coins.
A beautiful little story, as usual the Monk being all philosophical as they are was not as smart as he thought he was, a little trick was played to give the Farmhand a little profit in his pocket! The poor monk walked the hallways for 6 hours, unable to find an answer, A brilliant little story and I really can not wait to find more! I love how much blizzard focus on the smaller things, alot of its over looked, but this is exploration gold for me! So there you have it folks, A little more knowledge about the way of the monk, also including some fantastic Monk related books we had found during our times of exploring. To me, I just wanted to share with you guys what I had found, to share some information I think you may enjoy reading and really infuse my blog even more to the monk culture. Next Friday be sure to expect more great secret and remote locations within Warcraft. Until then folks, stay safe, have fun, and happy exploring!
If you want to know a little more about the Monk class, please feel free to check out my other recent post:
“A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. The consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.” - Swami Sivinada.
So maybe the thought of making a monk has crossed your mind, maybe you have wondered were the monk lore really connects with the current Warcraft lore and rightly so. I have been wanting to create a post dedicated to the monk class for some time now and with the new expansion on the horizon, many people are looking for a fresh start, with new challenges to take on, as well as something refreshing to learn, The monk class is a fantastic option to try out for all those reasons. I have had my fair dabble in each class over the years I have played this game and out of all of those years, the most recent one with the release of Mists Of Pandaria, The monk class has easily been the most enjoyable and fun to learn. I have always been a huge fan of the Monk culture and their lifestyle, so the monk class was something I was really excited to test out. without the monk class being introduced, My little blog would not be were it is today. So grab your finest brew, sit back and relax as we take a little walk through the mysterious ways of the monk. What does monk mean? It is believed that a monk is a person who practices the arts of religious asceticism, Living in solitude for most of their life span. Either it be serving other people and beings by providing enlightenment, or living life within normal society but living their life in prayer and contemplation. The concept of the monk can been seen through a number of religious communities such as: Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Jainism and Methodism. The term "monk" is used to cover the generic stereotype of the person from that culture, Monk can also mean Hermit, Friar or cenobite, but in a modern age we use the generic name, Monk to cover all aspects of the culture.
We think of monks as solemn individuals who train and practice on their arts through training and resourcefulness, passed down through generations and taught for a life time and this would be correct for one of the religions. This is the way of Buddhism. The Buddhist Monks, also known as the "community of excellent ones" live a extremely basic life yet have a very methodical approach to it. In most monk cultures, vows of liberation are taken and stuck too through their life time in order to develop their own personal discipline. They are trained in fighting with a unique style of self defense, teaching their bodies to work in super natural ways. This does take a life time of dedication, Their outlook on life, the ability to balance two opposites in perfect harmony makes them extraordinary people and similarities can be noticeable between these monks, as well as the ones within WoW. Origins Of The Monk "When the pandaren were subjugated by the mogu centuries ago, it was the monks that brought hope to a seemingly dim future. Restricted from using weapons by their slave masters, these pandaren instead focused on harnessing their chi and learning weaponless combat. When the opportunity for revolution struck, they were well-trained to throw off the yoke of oppression." - WoWWiki.
Drawing by Lynxia
Much like the real Buddhism monks, they'are culturally studious and refine their lifestyle within their own company and practices. The Pandaren are the greatest of monks, their teachings and understanding of their culture has been passed through the other races through out Azeroth. Their philosophies have really shaped the world we are drawn in to. Monks though have also been known to be apart of the Scarlet crusade well before the events of Mists for how long for, I'm unsure, but there is also a monk some of you may be aware of and that's Malygos. That's right folks, The former Dragon aspect of the Blue dragon flight, in his human form is in actual fact, a monk. Monks can also be traced back to the Runemasters who are still within the world of warcraft today. They merge brute strength with arcane magics. Covering their bodies with mythic tattoos and often imbuing them with energies to increase the hand to hand combat. While the Rune master are known for not wearing much armor, they do this to prevent hindrances and to inscribe their runes to demonstrate their subtlety and finesse. The Rune master is a free spirit, more at home within the deep vegetation of a forest than a city and can be found around thousand needles and Feralas. They are considered to be close to nature, but not like Druids or Shamans but in their own unique way. These traditions date back to the age of the titans, way before any shamanistic teachings. Dwarves also shared the same heritage but all too soon forgot their teachings and the art was lost. However, with the expedition to Kalimdor with Janie Proudmoore, they encountered tauren who re learnt the art and offered what little they could of the Rune master abilities, even though the dwarves and tauren were never neutral with each other, they always shared an interested in the ways of the runemaster. See if you can match up their similarities between the Runemasters and the Monks!
Way of the monk
So with a rich history and an abundance of lore behind them, you may be asking, Why should I play a monk? What makes them different from any other class, especially leather type classes? These are questions I can not answer for people specifically as much as I try but I will go over and highlight what draws us to the monk, what makes them valuable and what you can expect from them.
Mobility
I don't know if this is just me, but having the freedom to move around as much as possible at an insane speed is something that keeps this class fun. I wanted to mention Mobility first because their use of it is unlike any other class. Of course you have your blinks, shadow steps and heroic leaps, but they don't have flying serpent kicks and rolls now do they! Blizzard did an incredible job with the monks mobility because none of them need a target or a spot to be located before you use the spell, this gives the class a unique fluidity that every other class lacks.
Uniqueness
Monks are naturally compared to rogues and druids, each class uses energy as a resource, but monks have another resource to maintain and that's chi. No matter what spec you're playing in, chi is vital in all of the playstyles. As a Windwalker (dps) it gives you a reason to use energy to gain chi, to then be used on killing blows, it's far from clunky and is one of the most fluid specs I have played. It gives us something else to use and not just tunnel vision the energy bar like other classes, or watch our rage when in tanking form, monks retain their energy and chi even while in Brewmaster (tank) that allows your to use brews and insane absorbs to reduce the amount of punishment your raid takes. Something I think blizzard implemented perfectly, Keeping the class unique and refreshing. Mistweavers (Healer) Also gain the use of Chi, making the balance between mana usage and mana regeneration rather unique and keeping your party/raid in perfect harmony of each other and out of harms way.
Combat style
As a monk, you wont feel the need show off your weapon skills so much, instead your animations focus around your punches and kicks, the spell effects are simply great especially the particle density with our aoe spells. Our abilities are clean, and also fluid enough to make the simplest of fights, more entertaining. There is nothing like doing a ton of back flips in a fight and rolling out of fire! Our stances are awesome too! If your a dps, you will be in the stance of the fierce tiger, Stance of the wise serpent if healing is more your thing and then finally Stance of the sturdy Ox while tanking. A nice change from battle/defensive stance.
Below is a video of the Windwalker monk in action, Myself killing Garrosh normal making great use of our mobility and a good chance to see some of our spells.
So if you have not already guessed, Monks are well suited to all roles in a party, Making us the newest of hybrids and I really do think we are one of the better ones. Each roll will be always worth a raiding spot, Next I will go over the strengths of each spec of the monks. Mistweaver - Their ability to spread out heals is incredible although it can not really be controlled it can be an incredible way to get the whole raid up when needed. Many fights now have predictable damage so using their abilities at specific moments is what makes a good Mistweaver, a better one. Also they have the greatest healing asset, the ability to move while healing. A mixture of hots and direct healing spells work in perfect harmony together making the monks special mobility great for Mistweavers. They also have a unique way to regain mana thanks to Mana tea. I hear crit is the best mana regen stat to go for so make use of it!
Windwalker - The Windwalkers mobility is even better in this spec thanks to flying serpent kick making fights with alot of movement rather easy. We also have some of the better damage mitigation spells the game has to offer, such as defuse magic, zen meditation and touch of karma making us a rather tough leather dps. The monks rotation and use of chi and energy make it so we can focus more on whats going on in the fight and not really to demanding on the tightness of the rotation helping us focus on movement and switching etc. What also makes the Windwalker special is our aoe/cleave damage, some of the best if not the best in game. Depending on talents we can still use our normal rotation while in aoe situations making it super fun, yet super simple. Also make great use of our clone ability, its a huge help for aoe conditions.
Brewmaster - In my opinion, the best tanking class I have ever played. MoP was made around the new tanking system active mitigation, and monks have it in bucket loads! They can shrug of a ton of damage, have great mobility and thanks to Ox statue, able to place absorbs on the whole raid, so beautiful. They also have some of the best damage thanks to keg smash and the ability to aoe while doing their single target rotation much like Windwalkers (with the specific talent) They also have some incredible raid cooldowns at their disposal making them a worthy main/co tank to have in your raid.
This was just a small insight in to the things you can expect from a monk, take your pick, either way you're always a valuable asset and will have a ton of fun during the process!
Solo play
So if raiding is not your type of thing, but soloing old raids and quests are, then the monk is equipped with the perfect tools for the job. I have soloed raids with a number of minutes due to their mobility and pure strength. As a Windwalker or a Brewmaster I think we are one of the best solo/boosting classes. Our self healing is one of our strongest features as well as abilities like touch of karma and healing sphere, we wont take any damage but be able to heal up as much as we wish. We also have a huge amount of stuns making it easy to stop attackers when things get tough. Brewmasters as I said before have crazy dps, plus their able to mitigate so much damage while being the most mobile of the tanks, making boosting a breeze.
How about leveling?
The same thing goes for leveling, our mobility is great for things like quests, we also have the ability to gain a new quest every 10 levels were you will transfer your soul to the peak of serenity to gain a 50% exp gain for an hour making leveling that much easier.
The Monk Community
I tend to mention this a fair bit during my posts and twitter, but I can't express it enough. During my 8 years of playing, I have had my good times and bad times, just like every other player, but this last year has been so unique and refreshing too me, it really has re lit the spark between me and Warcraft. Thanks to a number of people, we have our own Monk podcast, our own website to go to for advice, guides, random chatter, that's free of the things you see on other sites. *shudders at WoW forums* and players who enjoy the game for what it is, enjoy the monk.. not for it being crazy OP or terrible, but for it being fun. If you have ideas, the community will hear you out, embrace your opinions and make you feel welcome. One of the least elitist communities I have known. We also have an active amount of bloggers, so if reading other peoples opinions and random chit chat is your thing, or if you're interested in starting one yourself, what a great place to start.
So there you have it! If you're looking to start a new character for the next expansion and was maybe thinking of a monk, I hope this little post highlighted a few doubts and unanswered questions. Monks are incredibly fun to play and I urge everyone to try one. If you have any other questions, please contact me! Info is in the *Contact* page. - Vaylen.
Greetings my fellow friends, raiders and bloggers alike! Another year is closing the doors behind us and 2014 is now here. 2013 was a real bumpy ride with some ups and downs and I wanted to share my experience with you. My blog has taken some gradual changes overtime, Starting from the Alliance side, now Horde, From Gnome too Troll... talk about a drastic change! A number of guilds I was lucky enough to raid with, blogs and podcast's I have taken part in and visiting Sweden a number of times to meet my guild mates who have become my closest friends. Some of these I wish to share with you guys, so sit back, Grab your finest brew and lets take a little trip down memory lane.
So this was were it all began, a simple gnome, tanking heroic raids with the servers (was) top guild. Was not to sure what to blog about and in some sense, still don't! However with the first stepping stone out the way and actually proceeding with the idea of blogging my adventures, it soon became something much larger. A few more posts were starting to appear around the interwebs such as my nostalgic posts of old dungeons/raids and stories of past adventures when I was a new player, too basic guides on how to tank some of the fights throughout Mists (Normal/heroic). Knowing other people shared the same interests as me and was keen to read more was the real factor for me to continue. I love going back in the history books and writing out such events, World Of Warcraft will always have great memories for every player and I just wanted to share those with you!
As the weeks went by, A monk podcast was born, from a number of great players. This was when my interest in blogging really changed. I was rather knew still to this sort of thing, but I also knew it was something I really wanted to explore and understand..
The show of monks, for monks within the World Of Warcraft. A fantastic show that I still enjoy listening too. The first episode that was released around the same month I created my blog and to me it just felt perfect to really reach out to them, speak to the members and become apart of this community. As all wow players know we share the same bond, we have all had our bad patches within the game were even logging on was effort, but with my blog, and this podcast it really rekindled my love for both writing and Playing WoW. Listening to their discussions on the Monk class, raid encounters and such really gave me the idea to write my own short guides as well as tips and tricks on specific encounters. The members of the Podcast stand out all on their own and I really wanted to speak about each one of them.
Chaithi - Raider leader and lead host of The podcast. A humorous chap and a vast knowledge of the Windwalker Monk in particular. His witty comments, podcast skills are great and I really think this chap will help make the monk community shine.
Sunnier - Heroic raider and co host, A fantastic Brewmaster monk. Her knowledge and Ideas behind the class are brilliant, Her blog is as well known as us British folk's love for tea. The go to spot for Brewmaster guides and related topics (trinket comparisons) as well as mentioned on Icy Veins. Unfortunately Sunnier left the podcasting team but will always be remembered!
Naoyuki - The brother from another mother, the other half the Mistweaver Collab, A really great guy who I have spoke to a number of times. A brilliant Mistweaver with a love for the same music as me! That's always a good start! His understanding of the class, again is incredible. :P I just think he needs to create a Vaylen Monk shirt now!
Daikatsu - The Healing Extraordinaire! and the other half of the healing Collab, The only chap I listen to when I want the answers to Weaving. His knowledge of his spec is like the others, awesome. With a Methodical approach to each idea the devs through at him about Mistweavers he will always seem to give you the right answers. A writer for Blizz master and to me, another important part to help push the monk community out there. /salute.
Ayr - Good ol' Windwalker from Japan! The Kung-foo Master! Ayr's understanding of class mechanics is second to none, I have learnt so much when making the switch from Brewmaster to Windwalker from just listening to his tips and tricks on the podcast, the way he explains things was really what pushed me to try out WW more full time and drop the tanking. Thank you good sir for your rather long winded explanations of things, Wouldn't be the same without you there buddy!
KptnCrunch - The new Brewmaster in town! After Sunniers departure a new Brewmaster was needed to take her place, This chap stood up to the task and is doing an awesome job. A really Great player who's currently progressing on to Garrosh Heroic. Also co writer for Simcraft, with great understanding of his class, Im looking forward to hearing more ideas from him! GG!
So as you can see, a great bunch of people to listen too, their ideas are fantastic and really do make this Podcast shine. For me their Podcast was what really pushed me to continue my work and become apart of the monk community. This then lead on to one of the most memorable moments for me this year. Too be featured on their show! This was when I was raiding a fair bit on my Brewmaster so naturally I wanted to be apart of it. Video below is the full episode of the Brewmaster Roundtable! Despite the nerves and being the only British player there and knowing my accent was standing out like a sore thumb, I pressed on and really enjoyed it!
After this, I was lucky enough to have Sunnier feature on my blog, with a question and answers section on Teir 15, her ideas and thoughts behind the expansion and other mentions such as favorite dungeons, raids and encounters etc. I was so happy that she wanted to take part in it, I was always a huge fan of her blog: Sunniersartofwar.com it was an honor to ask such questions and get great feedback! Thank you Sunnier!
You still here guys? Great! Just a few more points I want to highlight to wrap up this Year, so just in case, grabs some more brew, sit back, relax and enjoy some more stories.
With ideas at this time flying through my brain on what to blog about next, I took the idea of a play through/lets play series I saw online and Started my own level 20 - 90 healing guide as a Shaman. In each post I mentioned the spells I had learnt, dungeons I had ran with a little touch of the lore all the way through the levels. This helped me really reach out to the other communities and had a number of great Shaman healers offer advice and such, and I think this is were my blog really took off. This then lead to my 85-90 leveling guide, one of the more popular posts on my blog.
Being able to share my experiences as a new player to the Restoration Shaman, others could learn from me too. In the space of a month, and by the end of the leveling process my views had grown tenfold, this was a great thing for me because it then enabled me to write some other guides and it become such a joy when people were contacting me in game and such, asking for advice and me even asking others for advice too! A great feeling and one that I will continue to strive for!
Then came the giveaways! Not really expecting anything but nonetheless I tried them out and boy was I shocked by the response. As I have said before, I always have had a passion for two things, Writing and helping others. A way I could reward people in reading my blog was to give away some TCG cards. Fortunately, I'm a huge collector of the Loot cards and books so giving back to the community was a great feeling for me.
So blizzcon 2013 was coming, the tension on the new expansion was brewing.. I was lucky enough to do a commentary of the whole thing with the Monk Mediation folk and it was a great time! Despite my lack of english on the forums and got the Twitch stream temporarily locked down, We were back up and running, and discussing the future of WoW. We had some really great discussions and a little nerd time with Daikatsu about the lore involved and such. Was great fun! Would love to do it again, just be a little bit more careful what I say in the Forums. :P /Naughty British troll.
Because Of WoW..
With such a crazy year, I have just one more thing to mention and share with you guys.. My trips to Sweden to visit some guild mates who have now become life time friends of mine. If You don't wish to see any IRL pictures of backdrops and my ugly face then please scroll down to my little thank you to you guys! :3
As I was saying! This was my first holiday away on my own, as well as my first holiday in 12 years.. Not much of a jet setter am I?! :P anyway, 3 visits later, I have had some great memories of that place and of the people I have met there! My home of homes, the guild of guilds, who unfortunately disbanded.. Forced Intent.. I love these guys and this really was a *Because of WoW* Story. Below are some of the pictures of each visit. A truly beautiful place and incredible people!
The short little British guy making his way out to Sweden was one of the best ideas ever! Plenty of drinking, gaming and partying! The most recent trip I took My girlfriend along to meet them and as predicted, she loved it! We hope to make Sweden our home in the future, so hopefully a lot of great blogging moments to come!
I just want to take the last part of this post to say a quick thank you to everyone who has supported me through out my little journey. I have met some incredible people and with your support, I hope to keep doing this for as long as possible! Writing is my passion, and hopefully in a few years be doing it for my job, but hey enough about me... A quick thank you to those who have helped me so far!
- The guys from Monk meditation for your work on the podcast and great banter on Twitter. /salute.
- My life long friends from Forced Intent over in Sweden, you guys are everything to me! /salute.
- The monk community for all your great feedback, words of wisdom and help. /salute.
- Tauren Think Tank podcast for making every week, more enjoyable. /salute.
- Most incredible Girlfriend and Best friend a brit could ask for. Without her support, I would not be were I am today. /Hug.
- Team EQ, the guild I now call home, your banter is awesome and I love you guys!
- Ragnaros EU, For putting up with me. /cheer.
This year, I have a ton install for you! More guides, WOD server first race to 100, Tactics, Garrison guides, short stories, the balance of gaming and healthy living and more!
Thank you all again, I hope you all have a prosperous 2014 - Vaylen.
