With patch 4.0.3a, a.k.a. “the shattering”, on the PTR, with many speculating we’ll see it on live servers as early as Tuesday, It’s time to start thinking about what you need to do to get ready. And before you say “Blizz would never release a major patch like this before a holiday…” I must remind you that we’d never have thought they’d release a huge patch like 4.0.1 the week of Blizzcon either. And thus I bring you 5 steps for preparing for the patch:
- Pick your new home city, portal there from Dalaran on Monday night, and wait. Why? 4.0.3a removes the Dalaran portals, replacing them with professions trainers. If you get stuck in Dal, it’s the slow boat back to Azeroth for you. And don’t forget to set your hearthstone. This doesn’t apply, however, to your toons in the 71-80 range.
- Get prepared to give your alts stuck in Northrend one last push before the expansion. With the 20% reduction in XP required to get through those levels going live with this patch, you’ll be ready for Cataclysm in no time.
- Park your 80 mage in front of where those portals used to be. For the first week or so you will get tips galore from helping unprepared and navigationally challenged folks get around.
- Design your new gnome priest or undead hunter’s look, and get ready for the reroll or the race change.
- If you play a Druid, paladin, priest, or shaman, look at the new talent calculators now — your talents are going to be reset and you’ll need to redetermine how you wish to allocate your talent points.
BONUS: Get a chopper made now — nothing says post-Apocalypse road trip through Azeroth like a motorcycle.
Oooo. Now I’m considering making another chopper and putting it up for sale. Hmmmm.
Thanks for the tips. I do have a mage who could use some gold!
Also consider loading your quest log up with 25 dailies and complete them on December 6th, but don’t turn them in.
Turn them all in on December 7th for quick XP bump.
“This doesn’t apply, however, to your toons in the 801-80 range.”
Did you mean 70-80?
Thanks for catching the typo Moober. 71-80.
Personally I saved a few on my level 75 for turning in before then (when 3.0.4a, The Shattering, drops) so I can take advantage of the reduced XP needed to get to the next level. Huzzah!
It was a neat surprise on my Alliance server to see so many mages out and about doing the Pilgrim’s Bounty cooking quests who offered folks portals and refused tips in SW during the elemental invasion. I’ve never been on a server with so many unexpectedly nice people!
I can not wait for my post-apocalypse road trip…vroom vroom!
Thanks! I just wanted to make sure. Thanks for the advice!
Np. I always post in the morning so sometimes the brain goes faster than the fingers.
;p
I’ve moved all my Alliance toons out to Stormwind except the 75 lock who is staying in Dal to get her levels. When I get home tonight moving the horde ladies to Org. Looking like the Shattering will be tomorrow, per MMO Champion.
So excited!