Launches Warhammer Heavy Metal Event

The warhmmer Heavy Metal event began on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 in order to coincide with the release of Game warhammer 1.0.5. Please watch the Herald for more details!

Welcome to the warhammer Heavy Metal Special issue of the Grab Bag, where we’ll concentrate on the Live Event which introduces two new classes to the front lines – the Black Guard on Destruction’s side, and the Knight of the Blazing Sun on Order’s side. This event starts next week, which is just around the corner! Read up and get ready, it’s time for some serious WAAAGH!

Q. What’s the first step to getting started in this live warhammer Heavy Metal? How will I know where the event is taking place in my zone?

A. Just open up your Tome of Knowledge and click on the warhmmer Heavy Metal eventssection. Take a moment to listen, and then check out the daily task that’s set before you. Each day, this page will change in order to tell you what the task is for that day. Make sure you log in every day to see what the next task is. The tasks will change every day around midday Eastern time.

Q. I take it those people who have unlocked the classes will be able to continue playing them once they're released for others? Not just a preview period?

A. Yes, once you unlock the class you’ll be able to play it for as long as you choose. If you don’t do the event, you will still be able to play the classes, just not a week early.

Q. Will the early unlocking of the classes be doable by lesser tiers characters? Or will you have to have a T4 char to unlock them?

A. The goal of the event is that every task is soloable, can be done by any level, and is doable in an hour or less.

Q. When I complete the live event with a character, can I only make a KotBS/Blackgaurd on that specific server or will I be able to make one on a different server. Also if I complete it as a destruction character will I be able to create a KotBS, or if on Order be able to create a Blackguard (on a different server)?

A. Once you complete the warhmmer Heavy Metal event and receive your elite reward, your account is flagged as an account which can access the Black Guard and Knight of the Blazing Sun early. Both careers are unlocked at once and you can create them on any server you choose.

Q. Will you fill out the influence solely by doing the daily quests/tasks, or will extras be required? If it can be done just by completing the tasks, then will there be a lottery amongst the people who reach elite influence, or will you pick out the targets that did the best/ got the highest score etc.?

A. The influence bar will fill just by completing the daily tasks. If you complete every task, you will fill your influence bar to 100% and more. Everyone who gets enough influence for the elite reward will unlock the careers for the extra time, there will be no lottery.

Q. Are the 'live events' for this one going to be pvp only for some parts of it? Or will pve be able to be done to complete it (but at a slower pace)?

A. Each daily task is different. Some are pvp and some are pve, but you’ll have to do a mixture of both. About half of them are based in Reikland Factory, so make sure you queue up on the days that it’s required!

Q. Are the daily tasks for the warhammer Heavy Metal event set the same every day, or do we get something new and fresh each time?

A. There are a couple of repeats, but the vast majority of tasks are unique every day.

Some are broad, such as “complete 5 quests” or “complete any 3 stages of any PQ” and some are very specific like “detonate the steam tank ammo in Reikland Factory scenario,” but there are unique ones on most days.


Q. Will the warhammer Heavy Metal event introduce an open RVR component, like Witching Night did? I'm looking forward to what sounds like a really cool Reikland Factory scenario, but I'm also hoping that there will also be considerable encouragement for open field combat.

A. Each event is different, and there is at least one daily task that encourages open RvR, but the Heavy Metal event focuses mainly on our unique temporary scenario, Reikland Factory.

Q. Are there more rewards to earn during the event than just the chance to play the new classes? I was thinking of special titles, capes or other vanity items?

A. Yes, during this event you can earn Basic, Advanced, and Elite rewards. The Basic reward is a trophy, the Advanced reward is a cloak, and the Elite is the ability to play the two new Careers early!

Q. Where’d the name Heavy Metal come from? Are we going to get 80s hair-band-themed masks or something?

A. The name is tongue-in-cheek mostly. You see, we believe that Warhammer is the heavy metal of MMOs. It was also a nod to Games Workshop’s painting group called ‘Eavy Metal, and of course, since the new classes are tank classes, the name just seemed to be a perfect fit.

event, be obtainable only through these daily tasks or will we need to rely on the very low odds of getting a gold loot bag for example to get that final item?
A. The rewards for this event are obtained 100% through influence from doing daily tasks. Once your influence bar is full, visit your Event Herald in the cities. The final reward is the warhammer heavy metal Chest. Open the chest to unlock the Careers.

Q. When the Event Heralds return for this event, will I be able to turn in influence from the last?

A. The warhammer heavy metal event Heralds are different NPCs each time, and therefore will not offer the rewards for previous events.


Q. With the new Careers, will we also get a new character slot?

A. We don’t have plans to add another character slot for the new classes.

Q. Will I be able to play the new careers immediately after receiving the elite reward?

A. Not immediately after. The new careers will be available one week before everyone else, for those who succeed in unlocking them. Make sure you watch the Herald for the exact date!

Q. If the sole component--or at least key component--of the Live warhammer heavy metal event is going to be the scenario, and anyone from ranks 1-40 can join the scenario, how will the scenario be balanced so that the side with the most 40s practically autowins? Mass Bolster up to 40?

A. Event Scenarios are bracketed differently than regular Scenarios because all players can access it at any level. Players will still be matched up against other players within their relative levels (1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40) and bolstering will still take effect in those brackets accordingly.

Q. Quoted from the KoTBS page: As with all heavily armored fighters the Knight of the Blazing sun is slower at closing the distance with ranged attackers and can be very vulnerable to ranged magic or missile fire. Does this mean that KOTBS is more vulnerable in these areas than other careers are?

A. No, not at all. The Knight is just as capable as any other career of his archetype -

Q. Will the rewards, like the four different masks from the last live

it's that none of the Tank archetype careers are as mobile as the more lightly-armored melee attackers. The best way for enemies to take down the Knights (and all of his other heavily-armored brethren) is from a distance, where their lack of significant long-range attacks puts them at the greatest disadvantage. Naturally, however, Knights are sturdy defenders, and when they weather your assault and close the distance, then the tables will turn!

Q. There will be many people who will be unable to be online every day due to RL circumstances, but will be capable of making up for lost time on other days. Will these people be able to earn enough influence in the event to get the elite reward?

A. The first half of the heavy metal event warhammer will require you to log in every day to complete a daily task. Since the second half of the event will be taking place during the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, we have decided that your Tome will list the remaining tasks available at that time. This means that you could then choose to do several tasks from the second half of the event in one day. Just remember, you must do all of the daily tasks in order to receive the elite reward, and during the first half of the event, these tasks will be switched out once a day around midday EST!

Note: You can set your backpack to sort items according to item type. On the right side of your backpack interface, click the arrow and select the type of items you’d like in that pack. You can click the checkbox next any number of selections to have items sort directly into that bag. Choose between Weapons, Armor, Potions, Crafting (Cultivating, Apothecary, Talisman Making, Salvaging), Misc (Accessory, Dye, Talisman, Trophy), Usability (Currently Usable, Will be Usable, Never usable), and Rarity (Utility, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, Mythic).

We hope that you enjoy the warhammer Heavy Metal event as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you! See you on the battlefield!

Top Warhammer Online High Elves Guide

The Warhammer High Elves Army is one of the armies under the Armies of Order. They call themselves "Asur," and they live in the island of Ulthuan which is said to be similar to that of Atlantis. The High Elves have been characterized to live long lives, almost up to 2,500 years. There are three groups of Elves in Warhammer: the Asur which live in Ulthuan, the Wood Elves from the Loren Forest, and the Dark Elves who live in Naggaroth. The High Elves are usually pitted against their evil counterpart, the Dark Elves. Also having a warhammer high elves characters, strategy, and leveling guide will help your game.

The Warhammer High Elves Army is also known as the Shining Guard and they are commanded by their legendary leader and warrior, Princy Tyrion. Their main duty is to defend their island Ulthuan while the Phoenix King (Finubar the Seafarer is the current Phoenix King) is off fighting alongside the Army of the Empire. So far, there are only three Career Options for the Warhammer High Elves Army: Swordmaster, Archmage, and Shadow Warrior. The Swordmasters, specifically called the "Swordsmasters of Hoeth," live in the White Tower of Hoeth where they are rigorously trained in sword fights. The Swordmaster wears a heavy armor with intricate tools, ornate helms, and they have with them the Great Sword of Hoeth. The second career option for the Warhammer High Elves Army is the Archmage. They are powerful scholars whose lives are devoted to High Magic. Archmages have the power to manipulate the so-called winds of magic. They can cast destructive spells as well. Archmages wear elegant robes with elaborate embroidery, accented with high collars and long, flowing sleeves. They are also adorned with headdresses that have inscribed runes on them. Because they are powerful wizards, they also carry with them wands and staff used in casting spells. The third and so far, final, career option for the Warhammer High Elves Army is the Shadow Warrior who is considered the most brutal in the group of the High Elves. They are masters of guerilla tactics and ambush attacks. They are also known as the Shadow Warriors of Nagarythe and their major skills include scouting, assault, and skirmish. Shadow warriors carry with them longbows and sharp swords. They are adorned with leather, scale-mail armors. They also wear hoods and cloaks.

The High Elves also fight alongside the Army of the Dwarfs, albeit begrudgingly as the races of the elves and the dwarfs are not exactly friendly to each other. However, because they are both part of the Armies of Order, they fight together against the greater evils of the Armies of Destruction. The high elves are not merely known for their skills in combat but also for their talents in fine arts and music. Their war weaponry is also identified as the one of the best, second to the unsurpassable weapons made by the Dwarfs. Having a good warhammer high elves character, strategy, and leveling guide will help us play better.

Warhammer High Elf and Dark Elf Armies

Warhammer has released an overview of the player High Elf and Dark Elf armies.

High Elf Army - The Shining Guard

The Shining Guard is the elite band of warriors charged with the defense of Ulthuan when the Phoenix King takes the armies of the High Elves west to aid the Empire. Led by the renowned warrior Prince Tyrion, the Guard is a small but highly skillful fighting force. Prince Tyrion personally selects the High Elves who are elevated to the ranks of the Shining Guard from among the best and bravest of the citizen militia. These prestigious warriors stand as an example of the highest honor that a Warhammer High Elf in the militia can hope to achieve.

Dark Elf Army - House Uthorin

Of all the noble houses of the Dark Elves, few can boast the power and influence of House Uthorin. As patriarch and ruler of the house, Lord Uthorin is a master of intrigue and politics. Rumor holds that his eye is fixed firmly upon the Witch King’s throne; if that is his ambition, he has wisely kept it hidden, preferring to play the role of loyal advisor.

As Prince Tyrion prepares for the coming assault on Ulthuan by the Dark Elf army, The House of Uthorin may find the most grievious danger it will face isn’t from The Shining Guard but from his own associates.

Apothecary Guide

In order to craft a potion with apothecary, you need a minimum of 3 items: a container, a main ingredient, and a stabilizing ingredient. Basic containers, and level 1 sub-ingredients can be purchased at merchants (not quartermasters) and craft merchants. As you gain levels and move up to different tiers, a more advanced container can be purchased from the merchant.

Here's a breakdown of the process of making potions:

1. Place the container in the container slot
   
2. Pick a main ingredient from your inventory and put it into the main ingredient slot
   
3. Put a stabilizing agent, usually cloudy water to start, in the first slot, and check the bar on the right labeled "Potion Stability" above. If the arrow is at the bottom, crafting the ingredient will cause the vial to shatter and the synth will fail. If it's halfway up then you have a good chance of getting a potion but it will be volatile. Volatile potions have a chance of doing the opposite of what they say they'll do (Example: you lose 25 action points instead of gain them).
   
4. Keep stuffing stabilizing agents in until the potion is either halfway or at the top (I usually go for the top for potions that I want)
   
5. If you have extra spaces, you can put a sub-ingredient in. Sub-ingredients fall into 2 categories: Makes more potions and Increases Potion Potency. Also listed under sub-ingredients are other stabilizers not available from the vendor. These stabilizers are generally more potent and can reduce the number of waters you need so that you can afford to use sub-ingredients in your synth.
   
6. When you've got the mix that you want, hit "Brew", then enjoy the fruits of your labor!

You can read even more about apothecary here.

Warhammer Black Orc Mastery Build

Since this is going to be a hardcore 1H/Shield build, your three top stats will be:

Toughness = reduces incoming DPS(Not a stat, however armor will be what you are looking for on gear)

Wounds = adds to Hit Points

Weapon Skill = Adds to parry% and armor penetration%

The 25 points will be placed as follows: (There will be a few extra points from RvR rewards, however we will not use them here)

15 in "Da Toughest"

Buy the following warhammer skills in the Toughest tree for one point each:

• Less Stabin Me
  
• Ya missed me
  
• Not in da face
  
• Mor' hardcore
  
• Can't hit me
  
• Can't touch this

Skills in the tree you do not buy: "Stop Hittin Da runts".

The last 4 points will be put in "Da Boss". Any additional points should also be placed in "DA Boss", there is no reason to buy the bottom or second to the bottom skill in the tree.


80 RvR points to be placed in:

• Fortitude level 1 = 1 point
  
• Fortitude level 2 = 3 points
  
• Fortitude level 3 = 6 points
  
• Fortitude level 4 = 10 points
  


• Reinforcement level 1 = 5 points
  
• Reinforcement level 2 = 10 points
  
• Reinforcement level 3 = 15 points
  
  


• Focused Power level 1 = 5 points
  
• Focused Power level 2 = 10 points
  
• Focused Power level 3 = 15 points

The purpose of this build is to "be all you can be" in the tanking department. A Marauder can out DPS a Black Orc in the 2H department, and the Black Orc can easily out survive a Marauder in the tanking department, as such we will concentrate on the Black Orc's advantage in this build.


Here are the planned active morale skills:

• Level 1 = Champion's Challenge (both you and target are rooted - no more running away from you)
  
• Level 2 = Raze
  
• Level 3 = Distracting Bellow
  
• Level 4 = Can't Touch This

Slotted Tactics can be changed "on the fly", as long as you are not in combat. Since there are 5 quick slots available, I would set each set to a different use. One for PvP fight, one for PvP heal, one for PvE Group, and one for PvE solo. Here is my set for a "PvP fight":

• Mor' Hardcore
  
• I'm Da Biggest
  
• Unstoppable Juggernaut
  
• Less Stabbin' Me

Build Strength:

HUGE DPS Mitigation

Being the main tank you are going to get whacked on and whacked on hard. With this build you are able to knock back targets a medium distance almost at will. This build also increases your block and parry% past the first action in your combos, as well as reducing the cool down of you Juggernaut ability and increasing your hit points by 1600.

Build Weakness:

A little less DPS

You will not be able to put out as much DPS as some other builds, however you will be able to take a lot more DPS. As with any class, a healer friend will greatly increase this builds usefulness.

What Warhammer patch 1.05 means for you

We just put up notice of the Warhammer Online 1.0.5 patch hitting the live servers, and the advent of official test servers. But what what does the patch 1.05 mean? How is it going to affect your character class? Spinks over at Book of Grudges has done a fantastic job of breaking down the notes and clearing the decks for each archetype. According to the blogger, it sounds as though Healers, Ironbreakers, and classes relying on roots were the big losers. Heal over time spells recieved a big nerf, and the Ironbreaker 'grudge' mechanic has gotten a big slapping down as well.

Meanwhile warhammer pet classes have come out as the big winners, and all users of the damage over time-style spells will see an increase in their damage. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think of the new changes as you begin to see their impact on gameplay!

Love Your Warhammer Hunter Pets

Warhammer Hunters love their animal companions, especially Warhammer Beast Mastery hunters -- many of them view the synergy between beast and master as the biggest reason for choosing this class, and we identify as much with the animal as with the humanoid. Big Red Kitty, arguably the most famous warhammer hunter in the world, is a case in point: so much of who he is would be much less clear if he had chosen the name "Short Red Dwarf." The image of dwarf and cat (Hobbes) together is an essential part of his hunter persona.

So it's no surprise that so many warhammer hunters are willing to go to such great lengths to get the warhammer pet that looks just right. Many hunters are willing to spend hours just waiting and waiting in order to find that one special most beautiful warhammer pet, and why not? After all, the look of our character will change lots of times as we upgrade our gear, but our beautiful pet warhammer will stay more or less the same -- it's worthwhile to put a bit of extra effort into making it look nice.

But which warhammer pets look the best? Below, I present to you the award winners in the category of Most Beautiful Warhammer Pets! Check out the gallery below for a look at each pet warhammer and a short description of where you can find it.

(But what's that you say? You don't care if your war pet is pretty or not? You want something that will scare the pants off your enemy? Stay tuned -- winners in the Most Intimidating WAR Pets category are coming up!)

Warhammer combat and careers patches pushed back

Mythic dev Mark Jacobs writes that the combat and careers patches for Warhammer Online will not be appearing in patch 1.0.5 as previously planned and are instead being rescheduled for patch 1.0.6. "Our plan was that no patch would make it through the [Public Test Servers] until we were sure that it was tested thoroughly and properly." writes Jacobs, "It was evident throughout the testing process that some of the changes needed to be reconsidered and some changed outright."

Warhammer Patch 1.0.5 is going to deploy to live servers tomorrow (Tuesday, 18 November), with fixes/improvements to the Realm War system, and the "Heavy Metal" Live Event that sets the stage for the Knight of the Blazing Sun and Blackguard.

Patch 1.0.6 will subsequently deploy onto the Public Test Servers, with the two new careers and the combat and careers patches.

Warhammer Patch 1.0.6 will include a revised version of the grudge mechanic for IronBreakers, which "will result in IBs having decay beginning at 15 seconds as well a much slower loss of grudge per second than originally planned," though this mechanic is still apparently subject to tuning.

Changes to healers HoTs are being reverted, but "big heals" are retaining a reduction in casting time, subject to further testing, and Sorcerors and Bright Wizards won't get their DoTs buffed until there's more of an impact assessment.

Much of the rest of warhammer 1.0.5 will be going ahead as written.