Fan sites:

WoW-Serbia.com brings information and previews of the upcoming Tier 9 armor sets, so check it out and be sure to provide them with your thoughts on these sets!

WoWJuju.com brings you a landslide of information and updates they’ve gathered from across the board, including our recently published Warlock Q&A and details on the recently announced Faction Change service and also some tidbits on the upcoming proposed Engineering changes in 3.2.

World of ComicCraft:

What you’re planning will get us all killed!

Who disturbs my Royal powdering session?

Own him! Use the Murder Button!

I’m a warrior dammit!

Other Stuff:

Someone let the Crocolisk loose on the Off-Topic forum (someone really needs to cage that fiend)! Be sure to check out this week’s Friday Thread, for he has promised no Mars related stories are going to be mentioned.

Freshly baked news has come in from Myndflame! For Illegal Danish fans we bring news of a third instalment coming our way. You can read more about Illegal Danish 3: The Ballad of Dirti G, and watch the prelude over at the Myndflame site. Star Craft fans may see the resemblance to a certain trailer, and to compare the two, you can see them side by side here.

TheBurningCrusade.pl have published a short movie about the Midsummer Fire Festival, as well as an article on the subject. You can also take a look at their coverage on the 3.2 PTR patch notes so far, and join in on the analysis here.

We’ve been contacted by everyones favourite Baron this week. No, not Rivendare... Baron Soosdon comes forward with a new offering of machinima goodness. ‘Raid Together, Die Alone 3’ is complete, and features some rather nifty PvE footage from 2005 to present day. A very impressive production and well worth checking out!

Have a magnificent weekend everyone :-)

"You can hide your eyes, you can dim the lights, but they are watching! This is a new time, with a different kind, they are the future.!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Bomba, stout and proud warrior of the Tauren race, found himself curiously eyeing his potential opponents. Who were the strong ones to watch out for? He pondered this to for a while as combatants from all races of the Horde lined up to enter the contest. Daggers, clubs, axes, swords and fists; broadswords and decapitators; Bomba took in the image of the different fighter types in front of him.

To Bomba, it was easy to tell apart the different fighter types by the arsenal of their weaponry. What bothered him somewhat, though, were the magic users. Aside from different coloured garments and some style differences, it was a much harder thing to tell what they were capable of and what to look out for. The Magicians, for example….. were they the fire type, frost type or the arcane type? Bomba shrugged as he let out a loud sigh. Not that it mattered much; he would simply cleave their skulls before they got a chance to do much of anything. At least, that was the plan.

In front of Bomba was his friend, Lyricisia. She was a druid, the feral type. "How ironic!", Bomba muttered calmly to himself… "A catty personality specialising in cat-fighting". He nourished the thought for a few, then decided to ask her: "So then, are you ready to wreak some havoc?"

Poll Of The Week: What is your favorite Horde female dance?

2009 Regional Finals Forum Coverage

• Regional Finals Index Thread
• Regional Finals Coverage - Friday
• Regional Finals Coverage - Saturday
• Regional Finals Coverage - Sunday

This week on the WoW-Europe Forums:
Opinions are plentiful on the forums. What is your favorite in-game settlement?

This week, Xenoronin brings us Pimp my UI episode ninety-five!

In regards to Arthas’ fate, how would you want it to end?

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Do you want to make levelling more fun?

Holy Paladins, gather around for this 3.1 guide to the holy spec!

Wondering how to get started on raids? Look no further!

...or perhaps you’re wondering how to get started with PvP?

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan sites:

WorldofWar.net, always very quick to keep fans informed, have some cool stuff on their site this weeks– just like every week! Check out their new Ravasaur Mount Guide and New Druid Forms video based on the current patch 3.2 PTR content. Definitely worth a look, especially if you’re not yet able to visit the PTR realm yourself! They’re also deep into speculating about Icecrown Citadel – are you as curious as they are?

World of ComicCraft:

Don’t fwoosh me, bro.

Finally, my greatest work! Completed!

Do you know what time it is? Invention time!

Oh, look! It’s captain complain!

Egah! A ghost!

Hey boss, there’s another raid groups incoming...

Other Stuff:

Herculean Productions have informed us that Episode 6 of the Chronicles of Leeroy has been released! This episode is "Stranglegank Vale" – the party ventures into Stranglethorn Vale and meet up with Celeste, a level 1 ALLIANCE Mage! What on Azeroth will happen next? You just have to check it out to see - very heartily recommended.

Come and watch Evilseedid multibox 4 Hunters and a Priest! Can apparently be quite entertaining.

Imagine Stratholme, but with completely different sounds and music! No need, listen and watch it here. Come along and drop your feedback here in the forums.

Havesa magnificent weekend everyone :-)

"Still,the Scythe of Elune was surely granted to her as a boon by our goddess, and it is unsettling to me that it has fallen out of her servants' hands.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

As the 2009 Warcraft Regional Finals approach, we are excited to announce that the tournament will be streamed live* on the official Regional Finals homepage (starting at 14:00 CEST on Friday June 26th through to Sunday June 28th). You’ll be able to follow the thrilling competition by watching the event live and shoutcasted by Rob Simpson from the Blizzard eSports team and three special guests from the ESL: Stuart "TosspoT" Saw and Daniel "LilLD.C" Claesson for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, and James "2GD" Harding for World of Warcraft Arena.

We will also be offering live coverage throughout the event, including news reports, articles and live updates from the Forums. Visit the Regional Finals website for more information!

*In order to view the action, you may need to install the Octoshape Flash plugin. After installing, you may need to restart your browser.

The Apothecaries of the Royal Apothecary Society have been invited to a gathering of various leaders and dignitaries of the Horde, where they have been requested to share their analysis of a new strain of the Scourge Plague.

Master Apothecary Faranell steps forward and everybody in attendance at the gathering immediately quiets down. He slowly turns his head from left to right, staring intensely at everyone, one by one, until all who are present are both tense and showing undivided attention. He then begins to speak in a voice from beyond the grave:

"The frontlines may have been pushed back in our favour, but the Scourge is far from defeated! The scourge is a very powerful and deadly enemy, which feeds and gains in strength from our fallen ones. Its ability to infiltrate even the safest of our settlements to refill their ranks is even more... concerning."

Master Faranell slowly moves to the other end of the chamber where there are several cages containing specimens of more or less living Orcs, one more deteriorated and rotten than the next. He focuses his attention on the specimens and continues to speak:

"This new plague is quite ingeniously fiendish... and quite potent as well. I would recommend that you do not move any closer unless you seek to become one of them!"

He quickly turns around and stares intensely at everybody in the room who was nearing the cages for a better look. Once they have stepped back, master Faranell turns his attention back on the specimens and begins to share his findings:

"This plague has several stages, where the last one is when the victim will be completely beyond saving!

The 1st stage is when the victim becomes infected, often by coming in touch with any bodily fluid from another infected, be it sweat, blood, tears, and so forth. During this stage the plague is quite dormant and hard to detect, since victims are often completely unaware that they are infected. At this point however, victims may feel more tired or weaker than usual.

The 2nd stage is when the outbreak happens and the victim is crippled by fever and fatique. It is usually during stage 2 that the plague is discovered, and then it is often too late to make attempts of quarantine. During stage 2, the victim will lose the body’s fat reserves; the victim will sweat and cough profusely and may also bleed from multiple orifices such as the mouth, nose and ears.

The 3rd stage is when the victim starts to turn. At this point the victim goes insane or feral, and communication will no longer be possible. The victim’s flesh will show signs of decay and rot, muscles and internal organs will have deteriorated and the skin will often be covered in boils. It is in this stage that signs of life will disappear and the body will become cold as a corpse.

The 4th stage is when the victim has turned and has become reanimated into a ghoul, or in more rare cases, a plague spreader.

This plague is different, as conventional means of healing will not cure the victims, but only delay their suffering. A well treated victim will eventually turn, albeit slower than if untreated. Healers that are normally immune to diseases are not immune to this plague, and although we are not sure why, we expect some type of magic to be involved. The only known "cure" we have so far is fire! To burn the victims is the only way to prevent them from turning.

A cure and vaccine must be developed gentlemen, if not then it is only a matter of time before the Scourge has won... questions?"

Next in our series of Regional Finals interviews is our discussion with Kintt of Team Pandemic where we talk about tournament preparation, teams to watch and what makes their 3v3 team unique. Read the full interview!

Official Forum News:

• Have you been looking for PvP experience gain? Look no further! - Come you masters of war
• Been looking for something new in the Battleground lately? Look here: The Future of Battlegrounds – Interview with Cory Stockton
• Are you a Battleground goer? This is the new battleground planned for 3.2.0: The Isle of Conquest Preview
• Class Q&A Series – Overview for all Classes!
• Q&A: Shaman – Read the Shaman answers here!
• Q&A: Mage – Read the Mage answers here!
• Are you a raider? The Upcoming emblem system changes might interest you! Additionally, we have a post about the latest instance: Enter the Crusader’s Coluseum
• For the tradeskillers out there, check out the Upcoming Epic Gems and Profession Changes!
• Are you a Shaman? Take a peek at the upcoming New Shaman Totem Bar!
• Calling Paladins everywhere! Come check out the Upcoming Paladin Changes!
• Druids rejoice! You can now read about all the New Druid forms and colour associations!
• Whether it’s a Horse, a Mechanostrider or a Nether Drake that you prefer to ride, check out the Upcoming Mount Changes!
• Last, but not least, for all of you who prefer staying ahead of the current live build, these are the PTR Patch 3.2.0 Patch notes!

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

This time the poll is simple: How many mysterious eggs have you hatched?

A new week and a new shadow priest video! Be sure to check out Aida’s follow-up video!

Do you like Gnomes?

Have you ever seen a UFO in WoW?

Ever wondered how multiboxers do it? Watch one play here!

Do you know of any Conspiracy Theories?

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Continuing with our Regional Finals interview series, today we talk with Syia who will be competing with his World of Warcraft Arena team. In our talk, Syia analyses the competition, talks about class composition and discusses the challenging match-ups he and his teammates from America will face in Cologne. Check out the full interview!

In our weekly E-Sports update this week we bring you news fresh from the front lines. Whether you are an Ensidia or SK Gaming WoW arena fan, or whether you prefer the clever tactics and micromanagement of Warcraft 3, we have you covered! Results from DreamHack Summer in Sweden, the ESL TV Invitational and NGL ONE's Play Day are just some of the goodies you can find news about below.

WoW: Ensidia wins Dreamhack Arena Tournament

Ensidia wins Dreamhack Arena Tournament beating SK Gaming in a nail biting final.

WoW: SK Gaming EU wins ESL TV Invitational

The ESL TV Invitational reached its' climax this week with the final round of their WoW Arena invitationals. SK Gaming wins the tournament by beating iNNERFiRE in an all out battle to the end!

WarCraft III: NGL ONE Play day

Coming up this weekend is another play day of the NGL ONE league with players like LucifroN from Spain, ReiGn from Korea and TH000 from China.

WarCraft III: LiiLD.C wins Dreamhack Summer

The Swedish Night Elf player Daniel Claesson better known as LiiLD.C Dreamhack Summer by beating the Swedish Human player Thorzain in the Finals.

WarCraft III: 91st edition of ZOTAC Warcraft III Cup

The Korean Night Elf player ReMinD won the 90th edition of the ZOTAC Warcraft III Cup. If you are a competitive player though, don't start slacking just yet as you don’t want miss your chance to sign up for the 91st edition of the ZOTAC Warcraft III Cup.

Fan Sites:

Worldofwar.net has many updates this week. Machinima-maker Legs has posted her latest video, which she has made in collaboration with Cranius. You can also find a close up on the not-so-big changes in patch 3.2. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch the new WoW Mountain Dew TV Ad, and also, don’t forget to take a look at the 23rd WoW Comic. Last but not least, you can find a debate on Race changes in WoW.

WoW i Danmark has posted the latest updates on Project Lore’s Soloing runs.

World of Warcraft Hungary has some updates as well and amongst them you can find this bit on the CastYeller2 addon.

WoW Italia is speculating about the future expansion and also the about the end of the world... of Warcraft.

World of ComicCraft:

Arugal becomes totally impotent without the Scythe of Elune.

Richard!

We all shed a tear for Leeroy!

And dollars at star number!

If you must pick on someone, pick on someone your own size!

The Union of Monkey Comix is a new comic series, and its creator would like to hear your feedback.

Time for the showdown...

Retribution Paladins need no strategies.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall!

Other Stuff:

This week’s Friday Thread has been posted and it is dedicated to all things random... as well as plans for the weekend of course.

Avatarsunited.com have posted the last part of their Lore series on Ner’zhul continuing where Ner’zhul prepares to step through the dark portal. This part also explains how this ties into the story of Arthas and the "Birth of the Lich King"

One of our players is levelling a Rogue to 80 as fast as he can, and he is doing it all live!

Wowmods is a small site, which lists updates from all the major addon hosting communities in one place. The site is well equipped with both a search engine and an RSS feed and now also Twitter updates.

WoW-Start is a new gateway site, which displays information from already existing warcraft websites. Check it out.

And here is something cool for those of you who can understand French: The Mowow blog.

Here is a video of Ulduar from Closure on Stormscale (EU) that is something out of the ordinary.

And last but not least; Belf Pride! The video dedicated to all those lovely belfs out there!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Lady Oleander Percydale, a local minor noble that resides in a small manor in Elwynn Forest, is arranging a Spring Faire for the benefit of the entire Alliance.

This event is known as The Springtide Bazaar, and its purpose is both to express gratitude and make greater ties with the mysterious Kalimdor members of the Alliance, The Kaldorei and Draenei, but also to reward the workers and labourers of Stormwind with a new holiday.

The Springtide Bazaar will offer many amusements and trade goods for all members of the Alliance!

Ambassador Merdrak of the Keldorei will be leading the Kalimdor entourage of ambassadors and visitors, and those who seek to meet these friends from distance may do so. Merchants and vendors will offer their wares for those with coin. Bards will wander the crowds spreading joy to all. Strongmen, Hunters and other masters will display their skills and accept challenges from brave souls. Fortune tellers will show your future and offer advice. A play will be performed for all to see and there will be music and dance at the end of the day.

This is a massive roleplaying event organized by both German and English MVPs and roleplayers, and many players from both English and German realms will partake. This event is designed to encompass all roleplayers from all realms and its primary purpose is to bring the different RP communities together to form a strong fellowship of roleplayers.

If matters little if you are an experienced or novice roleplayer, you can help make this amazing and epic event great!

We are proud to announce the participants for the North American and European 2009 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament Regional Finals which will take place on June 26th to 28th in Cologne, Germany. After several weeks of fierce and exciting arena matches in the online qualifiers, players from both continents have shown themselves worthy of competing in these Regional Finals.

In each of these two competitions held on the same weekend, eight teams of players will fight for the title of Regional Champion. The top two teams from both Europe and North America will have the chance to qualify for the Global Finals to be held at BlizzCon on August 21st and 22nd in Anaheim, California.

List of EU participants:

Seed	Team	Nicks	Classes	Country
1	Woah	Ocelote|Kae|Inflame
2	Ensidia Habaneros	Hydra|Kalimist|Redkoala
3	eDawgs	Raeli|Stgeorge|Saori
4	aAa RAT	Khuna|Avishan|Thorkin
5	aAa	Anelitz|Pheonix|Hiss
6	SK Gaming EU	Xom|Roez|Another
7	Rest in many pieces	Daisyd.|Phildryzen|Never
8	x6tence	FalcoN|Siler|Souler

List of North American participants:

Seed	Team	Nicks	Classes	Country
1	TSG (well then)	Veex|Valrath|Zilea
2	a wild rogmonkey appears	Velmael.|Roguemo.|Syia
3	Team Pandemic	BEY|propjoe|Shinaniganz
4	Team eMg	twixztwo|Niero|yapcez
5	EG	zyz|Azael|Kollektiv
6	Holyplay	rgo|Euneek|Tenderloin
7	SK Gaming	Crackf.|Pookz|dispelbot
8	Complexity Gaming	Venruki|Sodah|HappyM.

Make sure to check out our information page for the 2009 Warcraft Regional Finals!

This week on the WoW-Europe Forums:
A new week, a new poll! This time around it’s all about the Dalaran Cooking Awards. The question is: what did you buy with yours?

Perhaps you’re a raider, a seeker of glory, someone craving the challenges that only the Icecrown Citadel can provide. In anticipation of this great instance, come join in on the speculation on just how much health the Lich King will have!

Are you an Achiever? Do you have opinions on the achievement names? Come share your thoughts in this thread!

Mages, come theory craft with the community! This thread details some of the math behind using Haste with Deep Freeze!

We all have seen and probably enjoyed some of the high rated PvP videos featuring well known compositions and players. This video, however, made by Áida of Ravencrest, details some of his experiences playing in a somewhat unusual double Shadow Priest 2v2 team. The footage is both entertaining and fun to watch!

Guides, Guides and Guides!

If you could pick your ‘profession’ and play that role fully, what would it be? If the answer is ‘architect’, then this guide is exactly what you’re looking for!

Perhaps you’re the type that likes leveling alts. There are a lot of things to consider when rerolling a new (and unfamiliar) class. If you are looking to play a Priest, however, worry not because this Priest leveling guide will help get you started!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Do you think that without cooking the game would not be so tasty? Are you one of those who consider cooking a waste of time? Do you feel cooking is synonymous with profit? Whatever the value you place on the Cooking profession, come along to our forums and discuss recipes and appetising meals – but do not forget to vote for our weekly poll!

This week’s eSports news covers both World of Warcraft and WarCraft III. We bring you news on the winner of week four in the ESL TV Invitational, an exclusive interview with SK US’s very own Ryan ‘Realz’ Masterson, the Zotac Cup #90, details about the NGL One: 1v1 Tournament and more information on the Dreamhack Arena Tournament!

WoW: iNNERFiRE wins week 4 of the ESL TV Invitational

iNNERFiRE has fought their way to the ESL TV Invitational grand finals by defeating Whoa in the fourth week. It looked like the WLD team of Whoa were set to take the fourth week for themselves, but the Bulgarian RMP team fought back, and in doing so claimed their ticket to the grand final. You can find out more about this story here.

WarCraft III: Zotac Cup #90 - June 13th

The Zotac Cup #90 is almost upon us. So, why not join the roster and sign up now. Time is of the essence!

WoW: Interview with Realz / SK US

TheDalaranInn.com brings you an exclusive interview with SK-Gaming’s very own Ryan ‘Realz’ Masterson. Find out where he began, what his career highlights have been so far and much, much more.

WarCraft III: NGL One: 1v1 Tournament

The NGL One: 1v1 tournament continues! For a list of upcoming games to be played on June 13th, be sure to check out the NGL One website.

WoW: Dreamhack Arena Tournament Participants

Dreamhack has announced six more teams who shall be participating in their very own Arena Tournament, which is being held on 13-16 june 2009. With 8 announced teams, and limited spaces, this is sure to be a great event. Check out the website for details of the registrants!

Fan sites:

WorldofWar.net brings good news for those who missed out onsgrabbing BlizzCon tickets before they sold out. They’re offering you the chancesto win a chance to attend BlizzCon 2009 in their giveaway! Check here for more details on that! Not only that, but they also offer news onsthe World 1^st crafting of Val’ynar, Hammer of the Ancient Kings.

Wow-serbia.com has details, including thesvideo, of Ensidia’s world first kill of Algalon 25.

Curse.com continues their sweepstakes for your chance to get yourshands on some Loot Cards from the upcoming ‘Blood of the Gladiators’ set!

World of ComicCraft:

So you are the famous Leeroy Jenkins?

A! D! W! And S!

That’s absolutely out of the question!

Ahhhh, Barrens Chat.

Other Stuff:

DreamHack - ‘The World’s Largest LAN-Party’ confirmed this week some of the participants of their recently announced Arena Tournament being held at this summer’s event.sBe sure to check out the details!

A certain Gorloc has been letsloose on the Off-Topic forum this week. With the shackles off, and the shiniesson offer, a Friday Thread has appeared, and it’s a little estranged to say the least. Stop onsby and let him know what you’re up to this weekend!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Llandria sat upon the pier in Auberdine, her legs hanging over the edge swaying in the breeze. She had been helping Cerellean Whiteclaw with quite a delicate task, and was glad to have a moments respite in order to take in some of the fresh, crisp sea air. It helped clear her mind of the emotions she felt after reuniting Cerellean with the now freed spirit of his love one, Anaya.

She desperately needed some distraction, something to take her mind off things. Llandria was a strong minded elf, proud, and good at keeping a cool head in the midst of trauma and tribulations. It was unlike her to feel so attached and torn by someone else's misfortunes and emotions. As she sat and pondered, she caught eye of the boat heading towards southernmost anchorage, its sails furled, and the crew at the starboard side ready to toss ropes down to the pier. Llandria stood up, and began to make her way to the southern pier to see if she could offer any assistance; "A welcome distraction," she thought.

As she stood aboard the large vessel, tying the best cleat knot she could muster up from her memories as a young elf in Ru'theran Village, she overheard a conversation being had by two folks stood meters away from her on deck.

"This Market is going to be the best Stormwind has ever seen!" said one of the passengers.

"Yeah! I've heard that they"ve really pushed the boat out this time!" the other chuckled, clearly pleased at their pun.

Llandria secured the rope and took a seat upon a crate, one of many crates that were scattered upon the deck of the boat, and continued to listen in to the conversation between the two strangers. "What was this market they spoke of?" She thought to herself. Was this the distraction she sought? There was only one way to find out! The boat would leave again soon and head to Stormwind, only then would she find out more about the Stormwind Harbour Market.

Week 4 of the ESL TV Invitational Arena Tournament is kicking off tonight at 10pm CEST. The teams from iNNERFiRe (Bulgaria), Woah (Europe), Low Dmg (Europe), and last but not least the Finnish team Raging Gradon will be fighting for the last qualification spots for the Final. Don't miss watching some intense Arena action live at ESL TV.

Note: Official chosen team names may differ from those listed in the Armory.

This week on the WoW-Europe Forums:
This week we have another poll. The topic this time has brought tears to the eyes of many over time, sometimes of elation and other times of anguish. We ask you how long did it take you to fish up Mr. Pinchy? Share with us your tales and experiences with this snappy little "ninja of the seas".

Badhb of Ravenholdt asks us the question "if you were in Arthas" shoes back in Stratholme, what would you do?". As well as helping Badbh with his question, you may also like to read what the answers are needed for by taking a look at the first chapter of the series he is writing. You can read it here.

Every adventurer throughout Azeroth has undergone some pretty engaging quests at some point. Krodarksabre asks us which quest lines we love, and why.

When you first joined us in the World of Warcraft, one of your initial choices was selecting a realm to play on. You were greeted with a list of names. Some obscure, some quaint, some evil sounding. Do you know the meaning behind your Realm name, or want to know a little more? Patrons of the forums are sharing with the masses the reasons and rhymes behind realm names here.

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Bears rejoice, for Legende has written a great guide about Bear Tanking, and it now boasts extra large pages for the clumsiest of claws.

Levelling a priest has been made easy, thanks to Shandal from the Twisting Nether. So say your prayers and say farewell to your shadow words, because it's all about being Holy.

Rikkitazi of Earthen Ring brings us another take on Role Playing with this great guide. She covers everything there is to cover on the subject, and a must read for the Role Players amongst us, both veteran and new!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Happily snapping his claws in the dreams of fishing fans everywhere, trying to catch him can also end up being quite a nautical nightmare! But who is he? Mr. Pinchy is a magical crawdad that can grant you three wishes. Were you lucky enough to find yourself the proud owner of a Magical Crawdad pet, or are you still struggling to this day to bring in this rare catch? Please let us know of your efforts in finding Mr. Pinchy in our weekly forum poll.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net has a few articles up for our reading pleasure. One about a Christie Golden book signing, one saying goodbye to keyboards and mice, and their E3 podcast!

Curse.com brings us an article about World first 25man Algalon kill and also a news about an article analysing WoW.

Wow-serbia.com brings us a article updating us with some of the most recent comics!

World of ComicCraft:

Hello my love!

All this journey... for nothing?

Within 5 minutes he posted a mocking rebuttal!

What is that bunny?

Big mistake buddy!

Other Stuff:

DreamHack - "The World's Largest LAN-Party" is proud to announce that during this summer's festival they have the privilege to host their very own World of Warcraft realm. This will allow them to bring you live excitement of the PvE and PvP content that World of Warcraft has to offer.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

"Awwwww yeaaahhh...", Noka Sodaip blurted out. In front of him was a party of splendour unrivalled by anything he had previously experienced. Banners were spread out everywhere, flyers had been passed around, and even on the bulletin boards in Strangethorn Vale could one see notices about tentative festivities. "Foxy Days indeed", he thought to himself as he wandered into the crowd. Around him were people of all the Horde's races; drinking, eating, discussing and debating. Everyone who had any sort of name were gathered here, and everyone who was not here wanted to be. It was one of those days, he thought to himself, that would go down in memory as excessively grandeur.

Then he heard the calls to arms. Amidst the horde who had gathered this day, were organisers of an assault on Jaina Proudmoore and her minions. Noka frowned, then thought to himself: "Nah, not today!". Today was his turn to relax, sit back and kick it. Perhaps challenge himself with a quiz. Strenuous activities, he continued stating to himself, could be saved for another day. Or so he thought...

This week on the WoW-Europe Forums:
We are continuing with our Class Q&A Series. This time around we have added feedback threads for Warriors, Paladins, Hunters and Druids.

Well, we all have our favourites. The question now is, who are you always happy to see in your raid?

Share your views and thoughts on the upcoming battleground, Isle of Conquest!

What would you wish for if you had one wish?

Guides, Guides and Guides!
Nesherke/Sharlila brings us this wonderful guide to PUG leading!

Do you RP a warlock? Are you perhaps considering it?

Are you an arms warrior? If you're looking into how to gear your character prior to Naxx, then this guide might help!

Perhaps you fancy changing up your play style a little? This guide gives a good idea of how to go from using the mouse to click abilities to using key bindings!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net brings us some new machinima and two articles about the achievements for emerald void and volazj's quick demise.

Curse.com are hosting a sweepstakes contest named “Blood of Gladiators” in cooperation with the creators of WoW The Card Game. Also in their network is an article with a video from a 10 man kill of Algalon the Observer.

Wow-serbia.com brings us a article with a video of the 10man Flame Leviathan being defeated with an impressively low count of 2 players total. (Serbian)

WoW-TR have made a ranking list of the most popular classes in May 2009 (Turkish)

World of Warcraft Hungary have posted a small piece on a helpful addon for the WoW merchants (Hungarian)

World of ComicCraft:

Kill the Lich King???

I was told you have something for me!

We shall decend into madness…

I can help turn the tide in our favour…

What is the next Blizcon pet?

Share the cake… or don't!

Children's week is all about setting good examples for the children.

If anything, the “How to beat Rogues” guide can best be considered a work in progress

Best thing to do is to go for the face...

Beware of the random whispers!

WoW terminology… You mother knows it too!

Other Stuff:

DreamHack - "The World's Largest LAN-Party" is proud to announce that during this summer's festival they have the privilege to host their very own World of Warcraft realm. This will allow them to bring you live excitement of the PvE and PvP content that World of Warcraft has to offer.

Episode 6 and 7 of The Chronicles of Leeroy has been filmed and is in post production, but while we wait you can still enjoy the older episodes

Have a fantastic weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

We're glad to announce the winners of the Korean regional final of the 2009 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament. Teams "Shipit" and "Button Bashers" have successfully fought their way up the ranks through formidable adversaries en route to winning $15,000 and $6,000 respectively.

Each team will be invited to participate in the global final at BlizzCon for a chance to further showcase their skills, win cash prizes, and compete against the other top regional teams. For video coverage of the event please visit our hosting site. Congratulations to all the winners!

Rank	Team Name	Classes
1	Shipit
2	Button Bashers
3	SK-Korea
4	Without Dimension
5	Azshara
6	M Y T H
7	S Line
8	Tenacity

We're glad to announce the winners of the Taiwan regional final of the 2009 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament. Below you"ll find the final rankings from the participating teams at this year's event. Teams “D K P” and “all pass” proved their worth this weekend, rising above an elite field of competitors to claim the top spots in the tournament, winning $15,000 and $6,000 respectively. Their greatest challenge, however, still awaits at this year's BlizzCon.

Each team will also be invited to participate in the global final at BlizzCon for a chance to further showcase their skills, win cash prizes, and compete against the other top regional teams. For video coverage of the event please visit our hosting site.

Rank	Team Name	Classes
1	D K P
2	all pass
3	Nearer My God To Thee
4	ROC
5	實力證明一切
6	Peace of Formosa PDH
7	KTM
8	我聞到雨的味道

It was a dark and cold night in the frozen wastes of Northrend. Samilak found himself pondering if he had taken on more than he could bite with his most recent set of missions. Somewhere in the far distance he could hear the screams of dragons fighting something. In the other direction he knew was the notorious Lake Wintergrasp where fighters of all races were battling it out for control of the region. Samilak was alone this day; his friends on a mission inside one of the ancient underground areas somewhere in the north.

The gusting winds surrounded Samilak as he could be seen charging off into battle with creatures found only on this continent. Like a whirlwind he fought, taking breathers between battle to nurture his wounds. An experienced warrior indeed. Samilak pondered the extent of his abilities and armour for a while, then decided to set off to complete a tough mission he had been charged with earlier in the day.

Towards the ancient city rumoured to contain an old god, namely Yogg-Saron himself.

The creatures in the area were said to be collectors of Saronite; a valuable type of ore used by many crafters. Samilak had plans of retirement, of course, as any experienced veteran would. Today would be the day he bulked up on the valuable metal; both for personal use as well as sales. It was with this thought that Samilak realized that somewhere along the line, he had crossed over from being just a fighter to a business man in addition. He knew to jump on opportunities if they presented themselves… and pondered some more about this old god. Perhaps one day he would get to stand face to face with the ancient evil… perhaps he would be lucky and run into an expedition headed directly to the heart of the old god's prison. He knew then that should he run into someone headed into the depths of Ulduar, that he would offer his services as a veteran of many encounters with evil...

Tune in to the Blizzard eSports Channel tonight to watch the ESL TV Invitational Arena Tournament live! Starting tonight at 10.00pm CEST the second week of the tournament kicks off. The following teams will compete: x6tence from Spain, Rest in many Pieces from Germany, aAa Nawak from France and the team Sickology. Don't miss the action.

Active World of Warcraft subscribers can find the Blizzard eSports Channel within Account Management.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

We have begun a Class Q&A Series. To begin with these discussions revolve around the Shaman, Mage, Warlock and Death Knight classes, with more to come at a future date. So head on by and join in the talks.

We know what you're going to say. Two weeks and two Polls? It cannot be true! Well, it is, and this week we ask you "What is your favourite Alliance male dance?".

This week Trifect asks which song best captures the essence of "he whom remains unclean": Heigan of Naxxramas. Some good suggestions so far and, well, some shockers too...

Lassai asks us "what would you do with 50,000 gold". Would you buy world peace? Would you buy a gnome? Come and tell us what you would do.

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Sneaky Gnome rogue Assassinette has updated her "Newbie Rogue Pointers" guide for 3.1 – a thoroughly worthwhile and very entertaining read for the Rogue starting out, right up to early level 80 raiding.

Aleithia from Steamwheedle Cartel delivers a fantastic guide on Roleplaying a Night Elf. From Culture to History and Lore, avoiding cliché and so much more, this is definitely a must read for those involved in RP.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net brings you some previews of the loot cards up for grabs with the ninth expansion for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game: Field of Honor. They also have word of another giveaway; this time you have a chance to get your hands on one of the "World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon" or "WarCraft Legends Vol. 4" books.

Curse.com has news of the ESL TV Invitational Cup.

Wow-serbia.com delivers details of the world first Heroic: Ulduar Glory of the Raider achievers, Ensidia. Gratz to them!

World of ComicCraft:

I AM THE JUGGERNAUT!

How about we SHARE the candle?

Besides, they like cats.

I think the choice is obvious.

“How to beat Rogues!”

Why, what do you think it is?

"How do you feel, Uncle?" "Lighter."

Other Stuff:

DreamHack - "The World's Largest LAN-Party" is proud to announce that during this summer's festival they have the privilege to host their very own World of Warcraft realm. This will allow them to bring you live excitement of the PvE and PvP content that World of Warcraft has to offer.

Have a glorious weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

The snow was falling gracefully, much like you"d expect in the cold climate of Dun Morogh. In the distance, the sound of stamping mechano strider feet could be heard pressing through the soft surface of the snow. Headlights could be seen shining through the slightly foggy weather, somewhere in the distance. Roars from tigers and the unmistakable “cloppety-cloppety” sound of horses stomping their way forward just added to the mix, giving obvious hints that something was taking place in the frozen landscape this day.

Just outside of Ironforge, people of all the alliance's races had gathered. Duel challenges were being issued left and right, the city guards were cheerful as always and everyone there was just waiting to hear the results. As it happens, this particular day turned out to be when an all encompassing mount-race was being held. Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves and Draenei alike, all participating in this event to prove that their "ride" was the fastest. The duels outside the city were everywhere; people testing the extent of their abilities and magic; Rogues could be heard sneaking around with no visible sign as to where they were. Oh, what a day for an event.

Just then, one of the race organizers shouted for attention. Someone had won the race...

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

We kick-start this week's Forum Watch with a Poll! We ask you "Which is your favourite Horde male dance?", so stop on by and share with us your preference!

You"ve probably picked your class for a reason. Is it because you enjoy turning Taurens into turtles? Is it because you enjoy shifting from one form to the other? Perhaps you enjoy the comfort of your Pet? Let us know why you love your class in this thread by Nazeran.

MVPs:

MVP Adnaw continues her experiments over on the Argent Dawn realm. This week she unveils the results of another one of her projects: "An Unusual Experiment with PvP Leveling".

Xenoronin has been busy amidst his exam preparation to bring to you "Pimp My UI" episode 94. This week on the table we see a collection of random mods, as well as the regular line up of UI treats.

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Ryleen from Scarshield Legion has gone "Beyond Tusks and Cannibalism: A Guide to Troll RP in the Warcraft Universe." – Such a marvellous read for the role-players and Troll enthusiasts amongst us!

Ulthrar, Priest extraordinaire, had made a guide for Priests on gear and stats over on their respective class forum.

For warriors looking to get into raiding, this guide is a must read in order to help you meet those "soft stat caps".

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WoW Denmark links us to two new WoW videos: Druids Overpowered and Ulduar (I don't wanna PvP). Also they let us know that Project Lore is working on new videos for Naxxramas.

World of ComicCraft:
Any objections, raise your hand!

Careful where you put that finger...

No cake for you!

Not slow, just AFK.

So it looks like... Ground: 1, Donald: 0

And I guess that means... Apple: 1, Gnome: 0

Hmm can you hear something?

Just some random weapon, or...?

What goes up...

Other Stuff:
Looks like The Alliance Herald is back! Though established in 2005, they have recently remade the Herald and have made Issue 1 live for all to see. They're planning to release the Herald much more often, and it is now much easier for you to contribute. Be sure to stop by!

AvatarsUnited is back this week with more new cool stuff! This week they are continuing with Ner"zhul's struggle.

Check out this great WoW themed Chinese video.

Got News?
Remember if you do have news for the Community News section, please be sure to let us know.

Hope you have an exceptional weekend!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Too long have the Alliance been dominant when it comes to the quality ale houses, taverns and drinking halls, but no more!

No longer shall orcs, who work hard underneath the merciless sun of Durotar, gaze in envy towards Alliance lands when thirst is calling.

No longer must the trolls endure long and demanding tribal ceremonies knowing that water and fish is all there is to look forward to as a reward.

No longer must the tauren stride in vain across the plains of Mulgore, looking for proper food and drink.

No longer must the living dead find comfort in rotten ales and moldy bread of the past after a long day of plotting and scheming.

No longer will the blood elves have to endure any fond memories of past alliances, when fine spirits and exotic treats from all lands were plentiful in every tavern.

No longer will the Horde be standing idly by, when everyone else partakes of great feasts with good service to boot!

Soon the Horde will have a true tavern of its own, where the food is abundant, the drink of the finest quality and where every member of the Horde is welcome.

The Darkbriar Lodge will soon open in the Valley of Spirits in Orgrimmar, so come and enjoy the friendly service and the good times.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

So let's start with some poetry, well, limericks to be precise. Stop by here and share with us a limerick about your character!

We all began our Azerothian adventures from level one, this is undoubted. We of course didn't know everything from day one, and probably do not know everything now! So what's the most basic error you"ve made within the World of Warcraft? Did you head to Blackrock Depths after being asked to tank, equipped with [Destiny] and spec"d all over the place? We know someone who did...

Last week saw the second instalment of the Argent Dawn realm event: Faerie Tale. Take a look in this thread for details and information on how to view the event if you missed it!

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Are you new to playing a Paladin with the thirst for retribution? Check out Querade's PvP guide here.

Winterhide from The Sha'tar has been plotting some evil deeds, and prepared this guide for you. Villainy 101 is the one stop shop for all your nefarious notions.

Druids take on many forms throughout their lifetimes. Maruath has given written a guide for the more Balance orientated druids, also known as Chickens of Doom, or more accurately: Moonkins.

Ornakh covers some very interesting points regarding RP, and the creation of plots. This is a very good read for the Role Players amongst us.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net have some awesome and rather exclusive preview scans of Warcraft Legends Volume Four that are simply stunning. They're also continuing to provide updates on WoW Easter Eggs this week. Did you spot Agent Skully or Deathguard Molder on your travels? They also have a handy guide to Children's Week, so be sure to check that out before you have to hand back your orphan.

Lancraft have published a guide on gearing your Death Knight. A worthwhile read if you're unsure of what stats former Servant of Arthas should look for.

WoW Italia have launched a new translation contest – with cool prizes up for grabs what are you waiting for? Go check it out and be in for a chance of winning some awesome loot!

Worldofwar.se has posted a new chronicle, this time covering "Sentimentality", and a must read for all Swedish speakers amongst us!

World of ComicCraft:

Just who or what are we facing?

Ha-ha Noob!!

Uhh... Is this allowed?

I blew up the concession stand... again.

But I don't even like Crabe Cake!

Where are we going?

You are my greatest student.

Other Stuff:

This week, Avatars United delves even deeper into the archives of Warcraft Lore. For all those whom enjoyed AU's articles on Arthas Menethil, be sure to check out this new feature – Lore: Ner"zhul.

Well, there's nothing like a shameless bump, so for those who have yet to see this brilliantly cringe worthy set of fan films, stop by the Herculean Productions website and top up on some Leeroy comedy genius.

Have a glorious weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Feero Ironhand was worried he would never get his delivery of messages and supplies to the Sentinel on time. The walk from Maestra's Post to Auberdine was a perilous one, and could only be achieved with the aid of others. He knew if he did not get on the move soon, Delgren would be less than impressed. He could only hope that someone would be willing to help him complete the task.

He stood up from his chair, and made his way to the window. He peeled back the curtain, filling the room with the amber glow of the sunset that painted the sky above the Ashenvale Forest. As his eyes adjusted he could make out what appeared to be a group of Night Elves sat a short distance from his abode. They were sat around the beginnings of what would become a most splendid bonfire, exchanging words.

He thought perhaps this band of elves would help him with his delivery. Feero made his way outside to see if the kind folks would aid him.

As he approached the group, he could see others heading his way from all directions. Before he could utter a word, one of the elves gestured him to join them.

"Take a seat, friend, and open your ears to some of the tales we have to share."

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

Let's start off with an interesting question: What was the first thing you did when you reached level 80?

An important thing to do for progressing guilds is to make an analysis of every wipe when success is elusive, but how do you best determine why a wipe happened?

Warcraft: The Movie... which actors would you like to see starring in it?

101 reasons to be an Engineer

Guides, Guides and Guides!
Last week we saw some nice threads for “maturity challenged” people on how to be polite and tips on being nice. This week these threads have been followed up by a new guide on How to reach a fruitful discussion, which has been posted by Dargrol of Argent Dawn.

Rikkitazi of Earthen Ring has posted a nice Roleplaying Manual, which is very handy for newcomers in particular.

If aren't yet certain that you are ready to take on Algalon The Observer, then you might want to take a look at this Ready Check posted by Nirza of Al'Akir

And last but not least; The Enhancement Shaman PVE guide posted by Masadist of Skullcrusher

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net have an update on an ingenious product for anybody interested in Tauren costumes. You can also find more updates on WoW Easter Eggs this week, latest ones being about Segacedi, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Alfred Copperworth. Also, do not miss out on the 2009 Noblegarden Season Guide.

Curse is reporting on the Swine Flu… in World of Warcraft. You can also read about the guide updates on Ulduar Hall of Fame and Yogg-Saron.

WoW i Danmark is asking for your help in a survey on how Alliance players and Horde players see each other as people.

World of Warcraft Hungary have posted an update about the most popular talent builds

WoW Italia have posted an Italian translation of the description of when Ulduars gates were first opened by Lead Encounter Designer Daelo. (The original description in English can be found here if you do not read Italian)

World of ComicCraft:

Off to fight the Wolvar!

Should one be nervous if one hears the sound “SCHLOOORP”?

If Thrall says ride, then you ride… having no mount is not an excuse!

How to make your own Dark Legacy Comic

Ahh the sea… so annoyingly vast

The feast in Warsong Gulch goes on…

Would you kiss a tauren if it meant you would get an achievement?

Don't misclick if you seek a friendship with your voidwalker

Maybe they should have just put Dalaran on the ground?!

Anyone can cook… or can they?

Rabbits everywhere and a Watership Down joke… what?

Other Stuff:

This week, Avatars United have posted a review on Baron Soosdons machinima masterpiece called No Point: Stretching Time

WoWWiki is offering you a chance to win one of five copies of the new Arthas novel. It is a screenshot contest and it is very quick and simple to enter.

When nature calls, it is always nice to know where the closest Water Closet is. The guys over at WoW-potato have made a directory of all known Water Closets in Azeroth... You better like nature if you are in a hurry in Kalimdor

Have a Magnificent weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

An interesting aroma floated out from the Valley of Honor as Jinrok made his way through the Drag. The curious guard diverted from his normal patrol path to see if he could discover what exactly was emitting this unusual smell. As he turned the corner to make his way through the corridor leading to the Valley, a rather estranged troll came running his way, his eyes rolling around in his head as he seemed to chant words he could only make out to be "Dat me some strange mojo, mon".

Jinrok approached the lake in the Valley, and could see a crowd of people surrounded by a cloud of purple smoke. He pushed his way through the crowd to get to the center in order to see what the fuss was all about. As he got close, he could see a slightly rotten gentleman (if you can call the living dead such a thing) lying on the floor with a broken beaker in one hand, and a lit torch in the other. The character was certainly breathing but perhaps a little aware of his surroundings.

'So...' said the undead, 'did I win?'.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net have an update on an ingenious product for anybody interested in Tauren costumes. You can also find more updates on WoW Easter Eggs this week, latest ones being about Segacedi, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Alfred Copperworth. Also, do not miss out on the 2009 Noblegarden Season Guide.

Curse is reporting on the Swine Flu… in World of Warcraft. You can also read about the guide updates on Ulduar Hall of Fame and Yogg-Saron.

WoW i Danmark is asking for your help in a survey on how Alliance players and Horde players see each other as people.

World of Warcraft Hungary have posted an update about the most popular talent builds

WoW Italia have posted an Italian translation of the description of when Ulduars gates were first opened by Lead Encounter Designer Daelo. (The original description in English can be found here if you do not read Italian)

World of ComicCraft:

Off to fight the Wolvar!

Should one be nervous if one hears the sound “SCHLOOORP”?

If Thrall says ride, then you ride… having no mount is not an excuse!

How to make your own Dark Legacy Comic

Ahh the sea… so annoyingly vast

The feast in Warsong Gulch goes on…

Would you kiss a tauren if it meant you would get an achievement?

Don’t misclick if you seek a friendship with your voidwalker

Maybe they should have just put Dalaran on the ground?!

Anyone can cook… or can they?

Rabbits everywhere and a Watership Down joke… what?

Other Stuff:

This week, Avatars United have posted a review on Baron Soosdons machinima masterpiece called No Point: Stretching Time

WoWWiki is offering you a chance to win one of five copies of the new Arthas novel. It is a screenshot contest and it is very quick and simple to enter.

When nature calls, it is always nice to know where the closest Water Closet is. The guys over at WoW-potato have made a directory of all known Water Closets in Azeroth... You better like nature if you are in a hurry in Kalimdor

Have a Magnificent weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

An interesting aroma floated out from the Valley of Honor as Jinrok made his way through the Drag. The curious guard diverted from his normal patrol path to see if he could discover what exactly was emitting this unusual smell. As he turned the corner to make his way through the corridor leading to the Valley, a rather estranged troll came running his way, his eyes rolling around in his head as he seemed to chant words he could only make out to be ‘Dat me some strange mojo, mon’.

Jinrok approached the lake in the Valley, and could see a crowd of people surrounded by a cloud of purple smoke. He pushed his way through the crowd to get to the center in order to see what the fuss was all about. As he got close, he could see a slightly rotten gentleman (if you can call the living dead such a thing) lying on the floor with a broken beaker in one hand, and a lit torch in the other. The character was certainly breathing but perhaps a little aware of his surroundings.

'So...' said the undead, 'did I win?'.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

"It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice". Do you have any tips on being nice? Kindness is something the world (both the virtual and real) could always use more of. Stop by and share your tips on how to be one of the good guys!

Whilst on the subject of kindness, politeness is another benefit to becoming a social wonder. Coltboy has come over to the Newcomers forum to share his thoughts on how to be polite, and asks for any advice you have on the matter.

So you’re adventuring throughout Northrend, and on your journeys you’ve no doubt encountered the fearsome entity that is the Lich King. The Lich King (contrary to common belief) starts the day like most of us; with breakfast. Come and tell us what you think the Lich King would have on his toast.

World of Warcraft harbours some interesting and wonderful spells. If you could take one home with you to use within the realm of planet Earth, which would it be?

MVPs:
When MVPs get involved in a project on the forums or in the game, it almost always results in some really helpful or interesting threads:

Adnaw continues her adventures as Georgianna, a Paladin of the light, and a pacifist to the extreme. How far can she go without harming a single being? Find out more at - An Experiment: Levelling and RP.

Xenoronin has published Episode Ninety Three of Pimp My UI. This week features not one but two ‘UI of the Week’ entries, as well as the usual collection of helpful addons, this time focusing on questing and levelling addons.

Guides, Guides and Guides!
With 3.1 and the vast changes to various classes, we’ve seen a slew of new guides come our way and we’re always looking for more! If you fancy your hand at writing up some guides, we welcome you to stop by the class forums and share them with us!

Vaillefendre has created a quick overview of the Death Knight class to answer any questions the budding servants of the Lich King might have.

Amphi has updates his guide to Retribution DPS for patch 3.1. It’s worth checking out, for sure.

Raiding Warlocks need look no further, as Warlocomotif has provided us with this awesome Warlock Raiding Guide!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net has many updates as usual, and amongst them you can find new information on WoW Easter Eggs: The Facts of Life, Mike Rowe and Agnes Moorehead. You can also see the amazing Ogre-Magi front cover from World of Warcraft # 21, and also, do not miss the bit about Myndflame’s new WoW Rap Parody music video: Honor Killz.

WoW Italia has released a new version of their QuestTranslator2 add-on, which now has 6679 quests translated into Italian. Speaking of translations, WoW Italia are running a new translation contest that has cool prizes from Upperdeck.

The Burning Crusade.pl are hosting a Video Library on their site, which contains Videos and Wow Trailers with Polish subtitles.

World of ComicCraft:

Two new WoW comics have emerged; please welcome Baltarouzz comics and Upa the Rogue comics :-)

A party for the Wolvar is forming.

Guide him to the tomb!

He be a sad cow, mon.

Did Trolls ever evolve?

Te’len has her own sort of strength to draw on.

Who brought the good china?

Breaking news report from the Storm Peaks.

What we do for gold

Boars are one of the most famous animals in Azeroth.

Immortality is not always a blessing

Other Stuff:

MMOZine is out with a new issue, which amongst other things has a big section about The Secrets of Ulduar, also known as Patch 3.1. In this issue you can also find an interview with Tom Chilton, Lead Designer of World of Wacraft, about the patch and about the plans for the game in the future.

Over at World of Raids, you can find a really interesting Interview with Ensidia, who share their thoughts on Ulduar’s difficulty.

Avatars United have posted their last Lore piece on the story of Arthas

New Machinimas and videos have also surfaced this week, some of which you can find below:

In For a Penny 2: The Thorne of Rose Street is a very stylish machinima created by Selserene, who is considered one of the most talented female WoW machinimakers.

The Zylophian Scholars have posted a video showing the Bomber Rat Game in play, which is quite amusing if you like “creative” PvP.

Return of the Ashbringer is the latest movie by Pykmi, which briefly touches the lore behind the Ashbringer.

Last but not least; The Friday Thread has been posted on the forums, and this week it is about Mind Reading devices and of course Weekend Plans.

Have a glorious weekend everyone :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

After several weeks of fierce and exciting arena matches the 2009 Arena Tournament online qualifier has come to a close. We have seen a lot of changes to the top 10 during the Online Qualifier phases and would like to thank all players for their participation.

The top 10 teams of the 2009 Arena Tournament’s online qualifier as of April 22, 2009 are listed below:

Rank	Team Name	Classes	Win-Loss	Team Rating
1	seriously ure out		307 - 164	2433
2	cowsgomoo		244 - 88	2407
3	eDawgs		217 - 86	2402
4	àAà RAT		317 - 168	2374
5	àAà		405 - 295	2363
6	gqwgqwgqgqgq		155 - 48	2362
7	tera gaming con		246 - 138	2360
8	rest in pieces		148 - 83	2357
9	wannabemäßig		224 - 104	2354
10	Improved Clickz		291 - 153	2345

You can follow the full ladder rankings of the online qualifier on the World of Warcraft Armory.

After a thorough check of eligibility we will be inviting the top eight qualifying and eligible teams to the Regional Finals. Be sure to check back here to see who’s attending as the event nears.

Horns are sounding in the distance and the ground is rumbling and trembling underneath the thousands of troops marching in unison… The alliance is gathering its forces.

The armies of the alliance are vast and fully equipped, preparing for a merciless battle against the Horde.

The horns are sounding once more, penetrating the air with an unyielding demand for reckoning. The horns are calling for the blood of the Horde, for the Horde must pay for its crimes… The Horde must pay for all the lives lost at the Wrath Gate and the Broken Front.

The Thandol Span tremors as the Alliance armies are crossing in confidence that victory is assured by the blessed holy light. The campaign starts here, in the Arathi Highlands.

With its standards unfurled and weapons prepared, the Alliance awaits the response of the Horde forces, for the Horde must surely respond if its foothold here is not to be lost... The day of reckoning draws near.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

Let’s start of this week’s forum watch with a simple question that many perhaps haven’t taken the time to answer yet: Why do you like your class?

Ulduar has been out for a week now, which for some has resulted in very messy desks. What things have accumulated on your desk over this past week?

Here is a question for the roleplayers amongst us: Which race do you think is the easiest to roleplay as, and why?

A Late Night Raiding Guild Register for Horde players have been created, so check it out if you play at late nights and your heart is beating for the Horde.

MVPs:
When MVPs get involved in a project on the forums or in the game, it almost always results in some really helpful or interesting threads:

Xenoronin has posted Episode Ninety Two of Pimp My UI, and as usual you can learn about add-ons and more, that can help you change your user interface to your liking.

Adnaw has decided to embark on an interesting leveling experiment; how high a level can be attained without ever killing a single mob?

Guides, Guides and Guides!
Quite a few new guides has been created over the last week or so; check out the most recent ones below:

Solitary of Ravenholdt has posted a guide for Priests on the three main sources of non-spirit mana regeneration.

Dvine of Jaedenar has written Quick’n'Dirty 3.1 FAQ on Rogue specs and changes.

Nzall of Kor'gall has made a 3.1 tanking guide for Paladins.

Hottrod of Frostmane has posted a list of pre-raid gear for Enhancement Shamans.

And last but not least, here are some handy 3.1 Macros for Warriors

We hope this week is a grand one for you all!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net has a brief write up of what's on offer at the Argent Tournament, and promises updates as time goes on!

This week on Curse, they have an article on 3.1 post launch including video previews of Ulduar and updates to other aspects of the patch.

Buffspot, one of our Hungarian fan sites drops a mention of an Ulduar Progress Tracker. Keep an eye out for that one!

World of ComicCraft:

This week on ComicCraft, Looking For Group's charity auction has ended! They thank everyone for the support in raising an awesome sum of money for an excellent cause! Now, back to business... "Was that necessary, my lord?"

Who on Azeroth is Nozronn?

Does he ever do anything but eat crab cake?!

Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.

Arthas is my brother as well; we have regular chats up in Icecrown.

Let me guess...

Other Stuff:

This week's Friday Thread is up, so stop by and share your weekend plans with us!

We hope you have enjoyed 3.1 so far as much as we have, and enjoy your weekend!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

As a shifting fog fought its way across the hills of Ashenvale, the sound of a cracking whip could be heard. The harsh tone echoed from tree to tree, startling the wildlife with each thundering blow. Brakangor was on his way to the Warsong Lumbercamp in the east, and was in no particular hurry. It was his first day at the Lumbercamp, and he had heard horror stories about the Overseer who looked over the establishment with an iron fist. He thought it best to dress up for the occasion and wore some of his fines threads.

He considered himself a thick skinned orc. Born and bred in times of war, he felt he could stomach what the camp would throw his way.

Brakangor was getting closer and closer to his destination; the sounds of the whip becoming louder, and more violent with each swing. He could now hear the cries of the unfortunate soul on the receiving end of the Overseer's wrath. Without a flinch, he continued his journey to the camp.

As he approached the boundaries, the fog began to clear and the sounds of hard labour became apparent. He stopped a moment to take in his surroundings, taking deep breaths before embarking on what could be a very tough day at work.

One of the workers, a young troll, caught sight of the tidy looking orc and ran up to him. Exhausted and out of breath, the labourer fell to his knees.

‘Flee, mon! Get away whilst ya still can! Save yaself!' said the labourer. Brakangor knelt down to the troll's level and placed a hand on his shoulder.

‘Friend, I must be here. Can you point me to where I might find the Overseer?' the orc said quietly. The troll raised a pointed finger towards a crowd of workers over on the southern side of the Lumbercamp, and with that gesture he collapsed.

Brakangor rose to his feet. He placed his hand in his trouser pocket, and made his way towards the crowd. As he approached, the workers saw the Orc and moved aside to clear a pathway for this clean looking visitor. At the head of the crowd stood a large, dominant figure, whom had now locked eyes on this unannounced guest. In one arm he held aloft a limp and broken worker. He tossed the beaten body to the ground.

‘I was not expecting fresh meat into my Lumbercamp today, orc...' he said as he walked up to the visitor. Without a word, the Orc withdrew his hand from his pocket, and with it came a metallic object. Engraved upon its surface one could clearly see the Emblem of the Horde. He raised it before the Overseer, and in a gruff voice said.

‘I come before you, Overseer, as a representative of the Warchief. I am here to inspect your facilities.' He looked down at the beaten slave. ‘Where shall we begin?'

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

If you could have anything in the WoW, what would it be?

Ulduar is bearing down upon us like an Old God infested ton of bricks. With it comes an epic trailer. Inhabitants of the forum have been discussing the trailer, join them and tell us what you think!

MVP Xenoronin over in the Interface Customisation forum asks the question: What do you like to see in your UI? Stop on by and maybe you can borrow some ideas, or help improve someone else's interface? :)

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Here's a handy guide written by Daelyn on how to level a shadow priest. From handy lingo, to talents and spell rotations, it's all here!

Night Elves are mysterious beings, with a deep lore and fascinating history. Celegil has written up a great guide on some possible ways you could play the role of your Night Elf!

We hope this week is a grand one for you all!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:

WorldofWar.net brings us the results of the The 2009 MI:6 Awards. Check out which awards we scooped up!

WoW-Serbia.com reports on a super-fast kill of Sartharion – check it out!

World of Warcraft i Danmark has some news of competitions for April. Definitely a must see. :-)

This week on Curse, check out some news on 3.1 and what it brings to your mount collection, as well as information on the Dell/Intel sweepstakes!

Also for those who might have missed it last week, please give a warm welcome to the Finnish fansite; Goblin Explosives who recently joined our fansite program!

World of ComicCraft:

This week on ComicCraft, Looking For Group are running a special charity auction! Support a very worthy cause and get your hands on some awesome and unique artwork!

You owe the Lich King a huge debt for this!

A few more wins, boys, and we're in the top five!

Is there something the matter, young one?

Errrr... Excuse me?

Other Stuff:

This week's Friday Thread is up and running, so why not stop by and share your weekend plans with the folks of the Off-Topic forum! :)

Pykmi has been a busy gnome, and this time he brings us his latest in machinima creations: Return of the Ashbringer.

AvatarsUnited have another follow-up on the long story of the life of Arthas.

May you all have a most awesome weekend! :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Grellin stood at the Dalaran fountain, watching the eager fisherman cast their lines. He was never much of a fisherman. The fear of getting a big catch and being dragged into the water frightened the little gnome greatly as swimming was certainly not his forte. As he watched, he realised that time was passing much slower than usual. Previous weeks had been filled with some amazing events that he had attended. Some were crazy events, like naked gnomish races (now that certainly was his forte) and all other manner of festivals and markets. Grellin wondered if anything was coming up that he would be interested in attending this week!

He began to make his way to the events board. Weaving his way through the hustle and bustle of the Dalaran streets, Grellin he took his diary from a pocket in his robes, and flicked to the calendar. Pencilled in already were a couple of noteworthy events he would certainly be attending, and he looked forward to adding more to his schedule.

The gnome approached the billboard. It looked different to usual... more barren than before. He saw two fliers posted, and then glanced at his diary. In disappointment, he realised he already had them on his ‘to do' list, and whilst the events were greatly anticipated, he couldn't help but think to himself...

‘I wish there were more...'

Phase 3 of the 2009 Arena Tournament has concluded! Contestants can now relax and chill until the Arena Tournament realm opens again on the 15th of April.

We have seen a lot of new teams with new class combinations represented in the top 10, even though the top three spots are playing Mage, Priest and Rogue. For example the team “seriously ure out” has resurrected the combination made famous by Nihilum Plasma in the 2008 Arena Tournament: Druid, Warlock and Warrior. Taking a closer look: Inflame (ex-Nihilum Plasma player) is actually a member of this new team. Also the teams of “Hex and the city” and “WHAT IS UP YO” have done great work at bringing Shamans into the Top 10. The teams now have one week to prepare for Phase 4 which is an invitational ladder and starts April 15th right after the weekly maintenance.

The top 10 teams of the 2009 Arena Tournament's online qualifier as of April 8th 2009 are listed below:

Rank	Team Name	Classes	Win-Loss	Team Rating
1	we r randoms		189 - 65	2401
2	gqwgqwgqgqgq		155 - 48	2362
3	eDawgs		165 - 66	2351
4	BOMBERS		181 - 78	2345
5	Improved Clicks		276 - 158	2340
6	seriously ure out		242 - 142	2335
7	Unstable bomb		160 - 60	2332
8	Hex and the city		128 - 72	2330
9	WHAT IS UP YO		172 - 72	2327
10	àAà RAT		199 - 107	2313

You can follow the full ladder rankings of the online qualifier on the World of Warcraft Armory.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

The Chronicles of Leeroy continue this week, and this time it's ‘For the Horde'! How with the group do against the mighty Druids of the Fang?

Combatants from around Azeroth have come together to discuss which is their favourite Battleground. Pop on by and share your preference!

Resident DJ Totalbiscuit comes forth and tells us ‘How to win Threads and Influence People'.

Fancy the chance for your guild taking down some bosses in record time? Well, you can post your proof here, and see how you do in the Speedrun Thread: the Wrath edition.

Pimp my UI returns for episode 91. Be sure to take a look, and whilst your there check out another thread started by MVP Xenoronin in the Interface Customisation forum. Come and discuss with the crowds, and tell them what you like to see in your UI, and see what others do with their UI. Maybe you can borrow some ideas, or help improve someone else's interface? :)

Guides, Guides and Guides!

Barkbark has written up a Guide for Holy Paladins. This version, we're told, is over 9000...

Role-players rejoice, for Diocletianus has gifted you all with a great Roleplaying Guide.

We hope this week is a grand one for you all!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
First, we'd like to welcome Finnish fansite Goblin Explosives into our fansite program! Please be sure to check them out, most especially if you can actually read Finnish! :-)

WorldofWar.net brings us news of the 2009 MI6 Awards. This year, World of Warcraft has been nominated for a whopping total of 6 different awards!

WoW-Serbia.com reports on a super-fast kill of Sartharion – check it out!

Hungarian fansite BuffSpot has some news about their site's possible future – maybe you can help them out?

World of Warcraft i Danmark has some news of competitions for April. Definitely a must see. :-)

World of ComicCraft:

We have a new WoW Comic this week: The Azeroth Tavern, where service is NOT guaranteed.

It is feared that Loken still listens to the whispers of he who shall not be named.

The unbelievable has happened, Richard is being missed.

No one group with Leeroy Jenkins, he's a Moron!

Test realm is full of crazies.

Come Sail Away.

He is starting the all new Panda attack...

Who's the fwuffy wuffy widdle demon?

That gear is not make-believe!

Kobolds are proud of their candle.

The chopper is worth every copper.

Other Stuff:

This week's Friday Thread has been posted, so come on in and share you plans for the weekend and perhaps also share your April Fools' Day highlights.

BaronSoosdon has been at it again. His latest (and longest!) machinima is called No Point: Stretching Time. He also completed his machinima about the life of a person who dreams about WoW all the day.

Speaking of machinimas, Madcow has released his first (and hopefully not the last)collaboration with Cranius: Ulduar.

AvatarsUnited have a lot of updates this week:

• If you read French, you can find a few newcomer's guides about Warlocks and the Affliction tree. They also have a French guide on add-ons.
• The first Swedish language World of Warcraft podcast with interviews and discussions on WoW.
• A new community effort called "WoW Lend a Hand project" with the purpose of helping people with WoW-related matters.
• A fantastic review of what is probably one of the most groundbreaking WoW machinimas yet: Blind.
• And last but not least, the follow-up on the long story of the life of Arthas.

Have a wonderful weekend everybody:-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Wearing cloth armour is no excuse for being defeated in battle. It is true that you do not have the comforts of thick animal skin or metal to protect you, but that does not mean that you are defenceless... far from it!

Yes, we rely on our magic to survive, which is often all that is needed, but sometimes we must rely on more earthly means of combat, using only our staffs, hammers, spellblades or even our own bodies. One might believe that wearing only thin cloth for protection when magic fails is a severe disadvantage, but it is only a disadvantage if you believe it to be so.

We, the masters of magic and elements, do not use our robes for defence, for we have different ways of overcoming and defeating our foes. With the correct combat techniques, you can prevent ending up like a squished mana strudel after getting ambushed by an assassin or even charged by a battle hardened warrior. With proper discipline, you will know how to defend yourself without the aid of magic and elements.

Masters of magic and elements, here is your chance to master your weaknesses and turn them into strengths! Join the close combat course for spell casters, and become masters of the physical world as well.

One more week has to be played until the top 1000 teams will be decided. Let's take this moment to take a closer look at the current standings.

Quite a lot of changes this week as we see six new teams in the Top 10 compared to last week. It looks like Rogue, Mage, Priest-Teams had a pretty nice week as six out of eleven teams are using this composition. In addition Improved Clicks, which is better known as x6tence, who won the 2008 Arena Tournament European Regional, has fought their way back into the Top 10.

The top 10 teams of the 2009 Arena Tournament's online qualifier as of April 1, 2009 are listed below:

Rank	Team Name	Classes	Win-Loss	Team Rating
1	we r randoms		189 - 65	2401
3	àAà RAT		148 - 78	2379
4	Beat de Haut Bois		108 - 45	2363
5	gqwgqwgqgqgq		100 - 33	2360
6	nightmaree		113 - 38	2323
7	NOP		111 - 47	2320
8	BOMBERS		163 - 73	2309
9	eDawgs		108 - 49	2307
10	Improved Clicks		230 - 139	2305
10	sadpandasrcute		140 - 49	2305

You can follow the full ladder rankings of the online qualifier on the World of Warcraft Armory.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

If you could be any NPC, which would you be, and why?

Are you new on the Holy Paladin scene? Well, Pairadice has written up a guide for all budding Holy Paladins here.

Clickers rejoice! Here's a great guide on how to set up and manage keybindings!

Cinondra has drafted up a delicious guide on PvE Mage talents.

For all you Roleplayers out there, Diocletianus has given some pointers on the Do's and Don'ts of RP.

We hope this week is a grand one for you all!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net has an interesting article up about "The Cruise Director of AZEROTH: Directed Gameplay" from the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, and also an article about 9 WoW quest problems also from the GDC panels!

WoWJuju has a whole slew of information for those of you who might not have been following blue trackers!

World of ComicCraft:

I have no idea who you're talking about, Shaman!

Crossing that red line...

Tag, you're it! Tag, you're it!

My class sucks! Mine too! Yeah but mine does more!

Restraint is something you never learned!

The final straw part 11.

So what about the dead walrus?

Have a glorious weekend, everybody!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

It was getting dark in Theramore Island, and Dyslix Silvergrub stood grooming his Gryphons. This procedure was something he found very relaxing, compared to the monotonous task of taking the exact amounts of coin from the users of his taxi services.

It was early evening, and his companions had carries volumes of traffic throughout the day. More than usual, he thought, for the average Saturday in Theramore. Perhaps today something was going on that he was not aware of...

Moments later, an exhausted gryphon landed beside him and a large figure disembarked from the back of the beast. He looked carefully at the passenger... This passenger was like no other he had seen. He could only imagine from the build of the person that they were of Draenic origin, but this Draenei looked... different... more ichthyoidal than cephalopodan. He scratched his head, and asked the figure what was going on with his attire.

"Today, fine Goblin, I am Mrrgglregl and I am a Murloc. Can you not tell by spines? Granted, my grasp of the Nerglish language has yet to develop, but it can be worked on for next year!"

Dyslix stood bewildered. "What're ya dressed like a Murloc for?"

The 8 foot Murloc-looking Draenei took a folded piece of paper, unravelled it and handed it to the Flight Master. The paper was headed with large text – "Come and join us in Therandia and be who you want to be... be a part of the Faerie Tale!"

The second week of the 2009 Arena Tournament qualifiers just ended, so it is time to have a look at the current standings. It seems that some teams are getting used to flying high, but others have climbed their way up to the top 10 and are willing to challenge the established teams. Please note that things are getting serious, as team composition is now locked for the last two qualifying weeks.

The top 10 teams of the 2009 Arena Tournament's online qualifier as of March 25, 2009 are listed below:

Rank	Team Name	Classes	Win-Loss	Team Rating
1	nightmaree		80 - 17	2404
2	we r randoms		189 - 65	2401
3	àAà RAT		129 - 71	2362
4	PHM		77 - 24	2339
5	NOP		111 - 47	2320
6	BOMBERS		163 - 73	2309
7	Almost Famous		201 - 84	2303
8	BloódxWorstRogueEUU		120 - 44	2301
9	I HAZ A BIG BOW		116 - 51	2294
10	Rest in peaces		133 - 79	2285

You can follow the full ladder rankings of the online qualifier on the World of Warcraft Armory.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums:

Pimp My UI is here again this week, this time in its ninetieth instalment.

Many mums have been busy drawing the Lich King and the gallery has grown quite a bit since this thread started.

So... how did you fail getting the undying / immortal achievement this week?

There are many different themed zones in World of Warcraft, but which one is your favorite, and why?

And here is a thread for the roleplayers among us: Which taboos should a new player try to avoid?

This is the thread for you if you are looking for a RAF partner.

Guides, Guides, Guides:
We have quite a few new player-written guides this week:

• Saphirestar of Aerie Peak has written a guide for new level 80 Hunters, who may be unsure about what to do first after the final “ding”
• Benji of Genjuros has posted a basic guide on the new Arena rating system
• Pridethunder of The Sha'tar is trying to help tanks to find out if they are ready to tank Heroics and Naxxramas
• Procopius of Azjol-Nerub has made a guide on how to properly apply to a guild
• Mindcircus of Khadgar is offering advice on how to PvP as a Shadow Priest

May this week be magnificent and full of dancing Gnomes :-)

Random quote of the week: "Fleeing will do you no good, mortals!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net has an interesting article up about the Warcraft Legends Marathon Finale, and also a story about Myndflame"s Max Payne Noir Undercity!

Curse is reporting that their affiliate site, World of Raids, have an update on the 3.1 PTR testing of Thorim!

World of ComicCraft:

Dive through the window!

The catapult could only fit four of them at a time...

I've seen worg pups trick him into eating his own tra...

The life of an engineer..

The Arch Druid is under attack...

The final straw part 11

Hogger loves napping.

Thrusting Hodir"s Spear? Blowing Hodir's Horn?

Have a glorious weekend everybody:-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

For Tauren, the kodo hunt is a special tradition celebrated by many tribes across Kalimdor. Songs and praises dedicated to the Earthmother are part of the tradition after a hunt, and just about every Tauren will at some point experience this spiritual ritual. Kodos, as with many animals, are rather large and powerful – but lack in vision and audible awareness. This weakness of theirs is something the Tauren capitalizes on, taking the opportunity to sneak up on herds and chase them as a whole into some pre-set trap. As with all hunts of this sort though, they yield a great amount of food for everyone to enjoy. Following Kodo run, a great feast has been called for in which all Tauren may partake in!

Blessed be the Earthmother!

One week of the online qualifier for the 2009 Arena Tournament has passed and we saw some fierce battles. With three more weeks to qualify for the next phase we would like to give you an overview of the current standings.

The top 10 teams of the 2009 Arena Tournament"s online qualifier as of March 18, 2009 are listed below:

Rank	Team Name	Classes	Win-Loss	Team Rating
1.	we r randoms		144 - 53	2332
2.	I HAZ A BIG BOW		94 - 39	2316
3.	BOMBERS		100 - 40	2307
4.	BloódxWorstRogueEUU		120 - 44	2301
5.	Improved Clickz		120 - 61	2316
6.	Almost Famous		141 - 65	2241
7.	àAà		79 - 35	2225
8.	eStars		81 - 44	2213
9.	Squishy squish		54 - 30	2207
10.	Improved clicks		89 - 57	2205

You can follow the full ladder rankings of the online qualifier on the World of Warcraft Armory.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums: What do you think your avatar is doing?

Perhaps you would like to share what is your favourite Metal or Rock song?

If you"re into some lightweight RP, then this thread might be for you!

How would you reconcile the high and night elves?

If you have some experience with guild and raid management, perhaps you"d like to share your views here!

Are you a hoarder or a spender? How much gold do you have now?

With that, this week"s forum watch is over! We hope to see you all back on deck for more links and cool discussions next week; same time, same place!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net have a ton of updates as usual, which is only a good thing. See the latest news from Stormwind Archives that tells us more about Dalaran. Learn about WIM (Wow Instant Messenger) in the WoWUI Mod Pick of the Week. Read the fourth story that has been offered for free at TOKYOPOPs Warcraft Legends manga marathon. And finally, find out who won the World of Warcraft: Arthas, Rise of the Lich King galleys.

Curse have quite a few updates this week, and amongst them you can find one of the greatest tournament videos ever from the ESL tournament. You can also read the news about an Ulduar Boss and Loot Compilation

WoW i Danmark have launched a contest, where graphical artists or talents are to design two banners; one for the site and one for advertisement on other sites.

World of Warcraft Hungary have a new video this week, which is portraying the life of multiboxing

WoW-Serbia have several new videos this week, all of them showing a few Boss Fights from Ulduar.

WorldofWar.se have updated their talent calculator so that it is now up to date and a little more tidy.

Unbroken - the trailer Based upon the original tale written Blizzard story writer Micky Neilson, Firebolt Productions is proud to announce the film adaptation version of UNBROKEN. Set during the time of the great cataclyms that ripped the planet Draenor apart, Unbroken tells the story of a group of Draenei refugees hiding from the barbarous orcish invaders. It is a story of both love and hate, and brutal prejudice which will leave a mark on the onlookers.

World of ComicCraft:

The war amongst dragons is coming

How relaxed can you possibly be if you have a large panther pinning you down

At least he had chicken...

Dual spec is truly a blessing

Is the guild falling apart?

Clash of the Titans

Run in fear people! Kissybear is back!

The final straw...

Dual specs gone wrong

Pffft… as if one needs help to take care of one little kitty.

How the I.W.I.N button came to be

Salted Yeti Cheese

Other Stuff:
This week, the Tree-Badger has released a first attempt on a WoW Machinima, which draws a parallel between what is happening on Earth and how this is visually reflected in Azeroth.

Ogres have raided Orgrimmar! Yes, that really happened! You can see footage from the Ogre-Raid right here.

And last but not least, the official Baloch & Archibolt trailer!

Have a glorious weekend everybody:-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

The citizens of Stormwind are busy preparing for its first Annual Stormwind City Faire, where citizens from both near and far will gather to celebrate the spring and renewal of life. The city is bustling with activity as the streets are being meticulously cleaned and decorated to make Stormwind look grander than ever. The air is thick with anticipation and excitement; both common and noble citizens alike are wondering about all the grand things and spectacular events they are going to see and the many masters of professions are carefully sorting their finest crafts to display or trade.

People of all sorts are coming from lands near and afar, all intending to partake in the faire and to experience all the life that Stormwind has to offer. Amongst the travelers you can find mighty and skillful heroes, wise and learned scholars, colorful traders with exotic goods, hunters and beast handlers with extraordinary animals and creatures, but most are just regular common people with local goods travelling together with families and servants. There are even young innocent children carrying small and clueless fuzzy pets that the children hope will win the pet talent show.

This First Annual Stormwind City Faire will indeed be magnificent!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums: Pimp My UI is back, this time with episode eighty nine! Additionally, this week Xenoronin brings to us the first ever Pimp My UI – UI Competition! Follow the link to read more!

In case you missed this thread a couple of weeks back, here is the Illidan Stormrage papercraft completed thread!

Are you a tongue twister? Do you enjoy playing with words? Let"s see what you all can come up with when anagramming WoW terms!

…. or perhaps you"re new to WoW terminology and would like a little assistance in understanding all the TPs, EPs and DPs of the game!

Death Knights remains a popular class, and this DK Macro guide has become pretty comprehensive since its" first inception!

With that, this week"s forum watch is over! We hope to see you all back for more links and cool discussions next week; same time, same place!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net has a competition running, offering you a chance to win a World of Warcraft: Arthas book, plus lots of interesting articles and topics under discussion.

Curse.com has a preview walk-through of Ulduar up and running for your viewing pleasure, be sure to check it out!

Our Fan Site Program is home to some excellent websites dedicated to providing you all kinds of World of Warcraft related news in different languages.

World of ComicCraft:
I could sense its intelligence even then.

You've got a little something on your robe, there.

One Mysterious Egg, please!

Hey! We need to roll on those shards!

“Are you listening?” - “What?”

Farino! Attack!

Other Stuff:
With another week behind us, be sure stop by the Friday Thread, this week we're talking about Gadgets!

Throughout your time in the world of Azeroth and Outland, you will no doubt have seen and collected some cool looking stuff! Come tell us what your favourite looking pieces of armor or weapons are, and why!

That is it for this week. May your weekend be fruitful! :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Grangor Skytalon sat atop the Hunter Rise and gazed across the southern plains of Mulgore. With his body and mind bruised from battle, his wounds only just showing signs of healing, he breathed a sigh of relief that the battle was now over. Etched on his memory were visions of the carnage that had ensued over the weeks before. He saw many of his tribe slain at the hands of the Alliance, yet he still felt a warm glow through his veins knowing that their lives had been taken for the most honourable of causes. Their sacrifice has bought Grangor and his fellow Horde companions' freedom from the ongoing oppression.

As he stared into the distance, Ker Ragetotem approached the ledge at which Grangor was sat, and joined him in contemplation.

"Grangor, my friend. We have seen many a tragedy unfold since this war dawned but something tells me this war is far from over..." Ker let out a long drawn sigh. "Despite our recent victories, I fear that only further carnage will hit our lands, and the drums of war will beat once more. Be it this decade or many decades into the future, I pray it is not in our lifetime or that of our offspring, for we have seen enough."

Skytalon remained silent for a moment as he took in the veteran warriors words, knowing full well his friend was right.

"Blood Guard Ragetotem, this battle was my last for I cannot do this anymore. I've seen more bloodshed at the hands of the Alliance than I dare to describe. I will be leaving the Bluff and heading to a far off land, untouched plains so I can be at peace" He looked down at his arm where a bloodstained rag was used as a bandage to help protect a large wound. He peeled the rag from his arm, and held it in front of him. He could see the name Bartleby stitched onto a tag which was sewn into what remained of a shirt. The shirt still reeked of alcohol.

"This cloth is a symbol of what this world has become, Ker. Its original form cannot be seen, and all that can be seen is the bloodied and torn mess that remains." Grangor stood up, and tossed the cloth into the breeze that whistled through the bluffs. Like a leaf in the wind it took flight, and sailed off into the distance.

Ker looked up to his Druid friend. "Will you be joining us for the Call of Victory?"

The Druid looked Ker in the eyes, and could see for the first time that this 'celebration' would be the last time he bonded with his companions. He nodded in acknowledgement. Without looking back, Grangor leaped from the rise. Agape with wonder, Ker saw his friend disappear from sight, only moments later to emerge in the sky, wings spread and soaring off into the sunset.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week on the WoW Europe Community forums: Post Your UI continues in version 7. Come hither and show off your interface, or bask in the glory of those already posted.

The war between the Horde and the Alliance is a ongoing battle. Our community is offering their thoughts on who would win should the battle be waged in realistic conditions.

One thing is true of all of us; we started as a level 1 at some point entering this new world for the first time. What are your long lasting first memories when you began your epic adventure throughout Azeroth?

Plaguebane has come to the RP Forums and offered a brief yet very valid guide on how to form an RP Guild, starting this hopeful sequence of guides by taking a look at guild history.

That's your lot for this week! It's been fun, and we look forward to seeing you on the boards. =)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WoWi.dk has implemented an RSS feed for their site!

Worldofwar.net has some PTR 3.1 updates for us all: Equipment Manager Interface, LFG Tool Features, Dual Talent Spec Feature.

Curse.com has posted the latest PTR build update!

Be sure to check out the many other sites in our Fan Site Program as well. Many of those sites cover all kinds of World of Warcraft related news in different languages.

World of ComicCraft:
So, what happens when a touched one goes to Northrend?

A throne of bones… heh… bone throne?

Enter... Leeroy Jenkins!

Sooo... about wintergrasp...

It's the enthusiasm for sure!

The zerg wants you!

Other Stuff:
This week's Friday Thread has been posted, and this week it is about mind reading!

That is it for this week. Have a glorious weekend everybody :-)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

The streets of Stormwind were packed with people from all over the lands; some even as far away as Darnassus. Essalim Logal was one of the travellers from afar; intending to stay only for the duration of the faire and to experience all the life that Stormwind has to offer. Essalim was not a rare sighting at fairs and festivities though, quite the contrary in fact as she had been sighted at events both in the Outlands as well as in the frozen northern wastes of Northrend. Around her, the sounds of people from all walks of life could be heard; dwarves shouting, yelling and drinking; the clanking and tinkering sounds of the Gnomish workshops – yes even the roars from the crowd gathered outside the city watching heroes from all lands and races duke it out for fame and glory were clearly audible amidst the faire.

The faire did not attract only heroes and veterans of the world though; pick pockets, beggars and urchins could be spotted in the crowd. Some practising their shady arts, some too buzzed to care and some just enjoying the event. It was a nice springtime afternoon and the fresh breeze from the sea was sweeping through the streets with impunity. Bringing with it the smells of the city, the breeze filled Stormwind with the delightful scent of fresh pastries, ales and all other sorts of goodies. Beggars could be seen crowding around some of the better smelling food booths in hopes of securing the meal of the day. Essalim, like most people, had developed an innate ability to ignore such elements of annoyance. This was, after all, supposed to be a faire filled with festivities as far as she was concerned.

"YOU!" A high pitched female voice could be heard from about 10-15 feet behind Essalim. It was Niksrit, Essalim's friend. "It's that time again, is it not?" Niksrit was pointing towards one particular booth. Essalim ran over to Niksrit and gave her a hug. "Indeed it is. It has been far too long since last. Where have you been all this time?!" Essalim looked at Niksrit in anticipation...

"Well, you see – there was this guy called Arthass and..." Essalim interrupted Niksrit: "Let me guess... he was a Death Knight right?" Niksrit laughed, then pulled Essalim along as they sat down by the booth. "Well, it's a long story... Why don't we have some food while I tell you about my adventures since the last faire..."

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week on the forums: Pimp my UI is back, and episode Eighty Eight is here to show you more wonderment from the mod world. Amongst a collection of recommended mobs for your interface, you can find this week's featured UI, Macro of the week and other note worthy links that are definitely worth checking out.

Gutrot returns, and almost triumphant to boot! Will he make it to level 80 wearing nothing but jewellery?

Fanthom has been scratching his claws against a scratching pole for some time now and come up with a great guide on how to optimise your kitty DPS!

Syih has crafted a simply amazing model of the greatly feared Illidan Stormrage... out of paper! It's truly amazing and well worth checking out.

You no take candle? Why not drop by the Roleplaying forums and tell everyone what your favourite Warcraft quote is.

That's all from us this week, we hope you continue to have a great one, and see you on the boards!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
Worldofwar.net has posted a great BlizzCon 2008 Retrospective Video following the announcement of BlizzCon 2009. You can also find a review on the BigWigs addon, which is a very nice boss alert mod. Furthermore, you have a chance to get your hands on some cool high-spec gaming headphones.

Be sure to check out the many other sites in our Fan Site Program as well. Many of those sites cover all kinds of World of Warcraft related news in different languages.

World of ComicCraft:
Eulogy for Jaellyn.

Maybe a moment of silence would have been more appropriate...

Is his aim precise enough to shoot the elevator button?

Can a broken heart really be mended?

Hamfist the Ninja Looter.

Is it possible to kill someone with interpretive dancing?

Only in PUGs can one be accused for Ninja Looting Soul Shards...

The final straw!

Achievement Earned: Flirt With Disaster.

How can someone be dumber than a training dummy?

Oh @#!%! Time for plan B.

Achievement Earned: Backflip Into The Void.

Other Stuff:
Avatars United has published the third part in their Lore series on the story of Arthas. They have also published Part 1 of their Arena Tip guide for Holy Paladins in Swedish. Additionally, they are challenging the brave warriors of the Horde to come up with a new battlecry, and the best one will yield a Horde t-shirt as a reward.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has been nominated for the "2008 Game of the Year" in this year's British Academy Video Games Awards (BAFTA).

The participants/groups of the Continental Finals of the Intel Extreme Masters have been announced.

And last but not least, this week's Friday Thread has been posted, and this week it is about thrills.

That is it for this week. Have a glorious weekend, everybody!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This day started as any other day in Orgrimmar, and just like every day, citizens, heroes and warriors alike are bustling about doing their usual daily tasks and duties. But the day is about to change and the daily routines of all inhabitants of the city are about to be interrupted. It all begins with loud rhythmic noises coming from the city gates, and then soon after followed by a foul stench of old fish...

A bunch of half-naked Trolls with crude instruments enters the main artery of the city, all of them dancing and chanting and singing about fish and upcoming festivities soon to take place in the nearby Troll fishing villages of Durotar.

Where ever the Trolls have been in the city, the stench of fish remains and everywhere they have plastered flyers and posters made of crude parchments depicting fish in vibrant colours.

If one looks closer at these crude parchments, one will find that they show more than just colourful fish. They also speak of "Da Feeshmonga's Frenzy!", a big party where everyone is welcome, where there will be markets, contests, music, drinks and food and of course fish… lots and lots of fish.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week, on the forums: If you find yourself bored for a brief minute and are looking for something to do... perhaps you could check out this player-made warcraft movie!

Version 7 is out.... of Post Your UI that is! Share your UI with the world in this thread!

Perhaps you are looking for a PvE DPS guide for your warlock.... Well look no further than this!

If your mom was to draw the Lich King... what would it look like?

Are you lyrically gifted and can come up with a class rhyme?

Perhaps you are one of the adventurous players who uses Linux and are stuck with an issue? Unofficial Tech Support for Linux can be found here!

This boat will be back in one week with more updates for you all - same place, same time. Until then, have a fantastic week everyone!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
Worldofwar.net bring you an exclusive interview with our very own Chris Metzen and Micky Neilson. They also offer you the chance to win a StarCraft comic book signed by Metzen and Nielson and more!

Be sure to check out the honourable mentions for WoWVaults ongoing Comic Contest and be sure to submit your own comic for a chance of winning some awesome loots.

World of ComicCraft:
Burn it to... the ground.

I AM THE LIGHTNING OVERLORD!

A tale of love and scruffy Death Knights.

You.. cannot... win...

Time for Plan B, methinks!

Other Stuff:
Over at AvatarsUnited you're welcomed to take a read of their awesome review of "Tales of the Past III" – a truly epic piece of machinima based in the World of Warcraft universe. See characters from the rich Lore brought to life in ways you never thought possible!

Also at AvatarsUnited they have published the second part in their Swedish language series. This article focuses on addressing the matter of how to manage a guild, or how to find the guild that's right for you.

The Chronicles of Leroy bring you the fourth instalment in their growing collection of live-action movies! Be sure to stop by and check out Leeroy's adventures in the Wailing Caverns (if he and his party ever make it to the instance)! Be sure to give the crew some feedback for their wonderful efforts!

Lastly, do not miss out on this week's Friday Thread, for this week we discuss that sweet, sweet smell in the air. Will there be love in the air you're breathing this weekend?

We hope your week has been as good as ours so far, and may it continue to deliver! =)

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Bartleby stumbled through the narrow alleys of the Trade District in Stormwind. The smell of intoxication was strong in the air that followed in his wake. Though he was not prone to frequent flights of fancy, he couldn't help but wonder why the streets were so quiet. Desolate, in fact. It was as if the population had gone into hiding...

Strewn across the cobbled roads laid a handful of posters. These were not posters he recognised, and, if anyone were to know the regular scenery of Stormwind, it would be Bartleby. He scooped up one of the posters, its corners torn from where it had been displaced from its original lodging. He stood as still as his drunken legs would allow him, and squinted at the poster in an attempt to make out the words. It was at that time, the faint sounds of drums could be heard far off in the distance, slowly growing louder. It certainly was not the beat of drums preferred by the Stormwind Guard.

Moments later, the reality of the situation hit Bartleby like a whole bottle of Cenarion Spirits. The headline of the poster suddenly came into focus, and his first moments of sobriety hit him for the first time in over 4 years...

Warriors of the Horde! The time for victory has come!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week, on the forums: We want to hear more about your WoW browsing habits! Be it conversation or information you seek, we're interested in knowing where it is you find what you're after! So join in on our poll about where on the web does WoW take you!

There is certainly at least one thing that we all have in common, wouldn't you agree? No need to guess what that might be, but what was it that got you playing WoW in the first place? Spill the beans here!

We all have our heroes! Some heroes come and go, some stay forever, be it in our memories or in our lives. Our community has been discussing what they want to see from the next Hero Class!

Mineria has written up a really good guide on how to Raid as a Survival Hunter.

From Warlock to Shaman or Druid to Rogue, songs about classes are all the vogue. Ceasefire considers himself a poet. So do others and they've come to show it.

We hope you have a most excellent week!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
Worldofwar.net has an update about Blizzcast 7, a video about how figure prints are made. Interview with an Illidan model sculptor and finally a blog post about DKP and loot systems coming apart at the seams.

WoW Italia has a contest going around their quest translation project.

WoWJuju has updated their reputation calculator, and have also started a monthly fanart pool!

Curse has a whole slew of new updates which can be found here!

World of ComicCraft:
The healers... key to getting world firsts!

The bloodrage must continue, boy!

Let's dance, ladies!

The lunar festival... oh yeah!

Aww, the cute little sapling.

What's up with the pugs?

Help... the mirror image is scary!

Other Stuff:
Why not swing by this week's Friday Thread before heading off to some much needed R&R this weekend?!

That is all we have for this week. Have a glorious weekend, everybody!

"It be time for me ta turn ya loose on dem trolls!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Glu'jin stood in the cooling Sunday breeze that whipped through the Stonetalon Mountains like a snake through the grass. Whilst admiring the brightly coloured banners that decorated the trees around him, he only had one thought on his mind.

"Who be showin' up to da festival today?"

After the raging successes over the past two years, he hoped that the traditions would continue in the same light. The sound of the crowds roaring above the echoes of the wildlife, the flashes of garish cloth from the costumes of the contest participants, the cheers from the children as the competitors roar through the towns and villages to find what was asked of them. All this wonder, all this excitement could only mean one thing. The Festival of the Beast has arrived, and everyone plans on scooping up the main prize!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Pimp My UI
Episode 86 of PMUI has landed! This installment offers you some insight on the mods available to help you and your raid group down some bosses. From threat gauges to anti-slack measures, looting tools to group management; it's all listed here to help make your night as purple filled as possible. As ever, PMUI brings you other tasty morsels from the UI world including this week's featured UI and more.

This week, on the forums: So you want to roll a Death Knight but you're unsure of which race to be? Well, be sure to stop by and see what Niboo has to say on the matter! This handy guide provides you with some great pointers for the ambivalent amongst us!

Beast Mastery Hunters will find some detailed information on making effective use of their talent tree in PvE situations within this thread, courtesy of Danaos.

Warriors rejoice! A complete manual on hit caps for Warriors has been posted at the hand of Arnir, so don't miss out!

A comprehensive walkthrough on the Holy/Discipline Priest combo can be found here.

Have you ever asked a murloc for the time? This murloc is truly amazing, and it's all thanks to Falcore and his artistic mum!

That's all from us! Have a great week!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

We have a new poll in our forums! This time we're wondering where on the web does WoW take you? We're curious about where you go to find information on WoW, or conversations about WoW. Are you a blue-tracker surfer or a guild forum gossip? A fansite fanatic or a strictly "official or nada" aficionado? Please drop by the forums and let us know!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
Worldofwar.net has many updates this week, some of which are of particular interest. The Lunar Festival info page and Twoflower’s Mage Gear Guide should not be missed, but part one of the Insight to a Death Knight as well as the feature of interracial couples and hybrids in WoW are also very nice to read. It should also be mentioned that the Worldofwar.net crew is looking for new team members.

WoW-Serbia is working on a Serbian Knowlegebase system about WoW, which, amongst many things, includes information about Billing and Account support as well as info about Serbian Internet Service providers. You can also find a guide on how to call Blizzard Billing Support using Skype.

Curse is featuring a Macro Guide, which is aimed at those who just want to know the basics.

Buffspot has an interesting bit about professions, more specifically about reasons behind choosing certain professions.

World of ComicCraft:
Is he angry with himself, or the bunny?

Put down your Nerf Stick!

Gnome skin is silky smooth.

Chidori vs. the Lich King

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

They just have to be nuts!

He is now level 8 and thanks to his father, he is now much wiser and learned.

Fire is still hot, and raiding is still serious business.

Please extinguish 5 fires.

Goldfish are plotting against you!

Other Stuff:
Why not swing by this week’s Friday Thread before heading off to some much needed R&R this weekend?!

We have two nice videos for you this week, which are both rather enjoyable:

• Augure vs Malygos: An aesthetic PvE retrospective of Malygos.
• How to wipe in Naxxramas using beer

That is all we have for this week. Have a glorious weekend, everybody!

"It be time for me ta turn ya loose on dem trolls!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Soon it is time of the little people to demonstrate strength and endurance; soon it is the little people who will impress all of Azeroth with their bravery and speed!

A race of gnomes will soon take place, and it will be of epic proportions: all in the name of science. For science is what makes any one gnome run faster than the rest. All participants will be naked (and probably greased up) in order to reduce wind resistance. Hair and moustaches will be trimmed for speed and tiny legs will move so fast that any image taken of them will show naught but the blurry motion of feet.

But it is gnown (get it?) that many of the other races of Azeroth are not fans of science -- that they find it boring or distrustful. So, in order to spice things up and to have more fun this race will run through very dangerous territories. Death will be a very real factor in this race and only the fastest, the must cunning (and probably most slippery) of gnomes will cross the goal line alive and in one piece.

If you wish to participate in this gnome run of death, be it as a runner or as audience, then have a look here for more information.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Pimp My UI
Episode 85 of PMUI is here, and this week both random mods and new mods are featured. Worth reading for sure as there are mods for monitoring stuff, learning stuff, changing stuff, organizing stuff and playing stuff. You can also read an interview with an AddOn Developer, the author of BuffHUD and BuffSkin is sharing his wisdom and experience. PMUI also offers titbits and handy info on other things like macros, noteworthy threads and sites.

This week, on the forums: We have a poll for you this week, where can vote on which Heroic WotLK dungeon you feel is the most challenging to complete.

An excellent explanation of the Blizzard Authenticator and how it works!

If you are a Discipline priest, then this thread might be just right for you!

Here is a non-twink guide for low level WSG!

This mage soloed Onyxia! Here is how!

Newbie rogue pointers, updated for WotLK!

Have a fantastic week everybody!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
Worldofwar.net has tons of updates as usual -- which of course is a good thing. Amongst their many updates, you can read an interview about the making of the Wrath of the Lich King cinematic trailer, as well as the First Scenario for the WoW: Adventure Game League!

Curse.com also has quite a few updates this week; for an example a guide to the Mountain o' Mounts achievement.

LanCraft has posted an update about official World of Warcraft LAN events.

WoWi.dk is offering you the opportunity to win prizes in their January contest.

WoW Hungary is warning us of a new phishing scam.

World of ComicCraft:
How did it come to this?

How about a nice good old-fashioned deadly game of Ping Pong?

Don’t be judgemental on Gnomish culture!

Athrikus Narassin now serves the Burning Legion. He must be stopped!

StronzaComics latest strip about 3.0.8 meters.

It can be hard to find that one special owl!

It is amazing what you can catch with a positive attitude.

There is a lucrative black market for portals to Dalaran.

Loken has earned the achievement Mr. Zappy Pants.

Other Stuff:
The Friday Thread has been posted, and this week it is about New Year's resolutions.

Avatars United, A growing community site, have started to publish weekly articles on the topics lore and machinima. Read part one and part two of Prince Arthas Menethil’s story.

There are plenty recruitment posts on various forums and guild sites, so it is always nice to see when someone does a little extra to recruit new guild members: Najih Speaks Out (Recruitment Video).

That is all we have for this week. Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!

"PREPARE! for the return of the ancient ones!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

The Scourge casts a long shadow over the world, taking a hold and corrupting wherever possible. The Scourge is a powerful foe of unimaginable power and ingenuity, and no one seems truly capable of an adequate riposte to their advancing forces.

War is strife between factions when the very same factions should stand together and fight, for their leaders and warlords are not realizing that all other matters are petty, when compared to the threat that is the Scourge.

The evil is spreading and there are those, who are corrupted within our own homes, our communities, whose souls have turned dark. There are villains amongst us, beings of evil, who are aiding the Scourge willingly and unscrupulously.

If we are to survive this, we must take initiative ourselves and strike down evil wherever we see it. We have done so before, and we will do so again. We must rise and forge weapons against the shadow, to fight as guards for peace and light. The blood of evil will be spilled, and we shall strike fear into the darkest of reaches.

The Moonguard seeks for all to aid their plight against the evil, which threatens us closest to our own homes.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Pimp My UI
Episode 85 of PMUI is here, and this week both random mods and new mods are featured. Worth reading for sure as there are mods for monitoring stuff, learning stuff, changing stuff, organizing stuff and playing stuff. You can also read an interview with an AddOn Developer, the author of BuffHUD and BuffSkin is sharing his wisdom and experience. PMUI also offers titbits and handy info on other things like macros, noteworthy threads and sites.

This week, on the forums: We have a poll for you this week, where can vote on which Heroic WotLK dungeon you feel is the most challenging to complete.

The Lich King is a popular subject on the forums this week, in fact even non-gamers are getting involved this week:

• The non-gamers are contributing in this brilliant thread: Get your mum to draw the Lich King.
• What things would the Lich King never say?

We have quite a few new guides and resource threads this week:

• Bluetorch of Sporeggar has written an Arena Season 5 Guide for warlocks and shamans.
• Nokodohere of Stormrage has played a holy priest since level 10 and he has put his experiences into this neat Holy Priest Guide.
• Gediablo of Ravencrest has posted a quite informative thread about spell hit for level 80 mages.
• Agash of Khadgar has posted this neat beginners' DPS guide for elemental shamans.
• Smula of Azjol-Nerub has started Tech Support topic for Linux users, so check this out if you have trouble running WoW in Linux.

If you were to design the next Hero Class, what would it be like and what would define the class?

Oh, and Mordell of Shadowsong would like to know which animals are not found in WoW.

"Rise up Sons of the Horde! Blood and glory await us! Lok'tar ogar! For the Horde!"

Have a nice week everyone!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Two months after the launch of the second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, you have had the opportunity to fight alongside Arthas, to show the Vrykuls who the new masters of Northrend are, and even to skin blue dragons. From the Violet Hold to Azjol-Nerub, the storm of adventurers broke the defenses of the enemies of Kalimdor. You have had time to polish your trophies and sit back and relax while thinking about your accomplishments, and now - we would like to hear from you!

Tell us here what heroic instance you find the most challenging. You are, of course, more than welcome to explain why you chose to vote for a particular instance in favour of the other ones.

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net is looking for questions for Chris Metzen for Comic Con, they have a feature on the mod "Stalker," and a guide for tanking talents!

WoW.Stratics has an article about getting rare vanity pets.

WoWi.dk has a contest for winning a Wrath CE, loot cards and other nice items!

World of ComicCraft:
You punched him in the head!

We're no strangers to love... you know the rules and so do I!

The gnomish scarf?

Where's the convenient excuse?

...and then there was the profanity filter!

Fight the crime together with: Milk-man!

What happens when you need RAM to beat the endgame...

That's it for this week. Happy New Year's, everybody!

"It cannot be ... A Forgotten One. Look to your defenses, death knight! Fight as you've never fought before!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fire Balls and Frost Novas! Ukla was frantically casting these spells about him in an attempt to thwart the efforts of the army of cows charging at him from all directions. Linerla and Loopy charged, unleashing some very mortal strikes on Ukla, however it was not enough. The fires rained from above, alternated with rains of hail and ice. Pushing the limits of his mana, Ukla suddenly found a new wave of about 50 cows charging towards him at full speed... what would he do next?

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week, on the forums: The name of the gnome is...

Extreme dueling: oh yeah!

How to spot them loggers of keys.

If you're a paladin looking for pre-Naxxramas gear, then this is your cue!

3.0.3 Onyxia soloed!

IcyFrog – the new comic!

Perhaps you want a WoW Graphic Signature – well, here's a generator for you!

Pimp My UI: Episode 84 is now out!

Have a nice week everyone!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net has some articles up for us: Worst 500 passwords, Arthas Book excerpt, and the mod focus is on LunarSphere!

WoW-NL is continuing their Christmas giveaway.

WoWi.dk is back! They also have some prizes to be won!

Curse.com has released a new Blue tracker on World of Raids!

World of ComicCraft: Watch out for the squadron!

The butcher of Kalu'ak...

What to do on vacation with a pen...

What's up with the wolf man?

Hellooooo Darnassus...

Never trust a night elf...

That's it for this week. Happy new years everybody!

"It cannot be ... A Forgotten One. Look to your defenses, death knight! Fight as you've never fought before!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fire Balls and Frost Novas! Ukla was frantically casting these spells about him in an attempt to thwart the efforts of the army of cows charging at him from all directions. Linerla and Loopy charged, unleashing some very mortal strikes on Ukla, however it was not enough. The fires rained from above, alternated with rains of hail and ice. Pushing the limits of his mana, Ukla suddenly found a new wave of about 50 cows charging towards him at full speed... what would he do next?

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

This week, on the forums:

A new year, a new thread! Post your UI v5.0!

What do you think the hardest 5-man heroic in WotLK is?

What achievements are you most proud of?

Alayne's story continues...

Who would be stronger?

In the interest of fiction and fun, invent an instance!

Pimp My UI: Episode 83 is now out!

Have a nice week everyone!

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

Fan Sites:
WorldofWar.net have plenty of updates as usual, and amongst them you can find part 1 of the Icecrown Daily Quests Guide. If crafting is your thing, then you should not miss out on these bits about Enchanting Recipes and Leatherworking Recipes from Dalaran Vendors. Also, they have a few humourous suggestions for Anti Achievements.

World of Warcraft Hungary have a really neat update this week. A compilation of 2008's fan art submitted by Hungarian players.

The Burning Crusade.pl also have quite a few updates this week, most notably their new and improved forums, but they have also opened a new section dedicated to Videos (accompanied by a youtube channel). Last but not least, they have fully covered the Wrath Gate event for your enjoyment.

WoW Stratics have posted an update aimed at roleplayers searching for roleplaying guild.

WoW-TR have updated their site with a Turkish Subtitled version of the Wrath Gate Video.

World of ComicCraft:

• Cruel Richard has cruel jokes.
• Eternal love between Trevor and Sheila... and a few undead limbs.
• It is true... there is a buff to cure baldness!
• Everything happens for a reason... But now it is time for you to wake up.
• The Flintlocke Holiday Special 2008.
• Epic great-father winter battle... there can be only one!

Other Stuff:
The Craft of War: BLIND is the name of a new fantastic piece of machinima made by Percula, which is a must watch... in fact we will consider it a crime to not watch it ;-)

That's it for this week. Happy new year everybody!

"It cannot be ... A Forgotten One. Look to your defenses, death knight! Fight as you've never fought before!"

* Links on this news post may expire over time and some are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.