Journey to Brightfall to help Mirror Drakath, the Champion of Order, before tonight's release! Because THIS week you'll need to help Dage the Good in the Overworld! He needs you to FREE the souls*... and then he'll help you reach the strange, celestial egg that is the key to saving Lore's future and YOUR life!
In the Mirror Realm, King Alteon is your enemy.
And be warned, while THIS is the final release in the Mirror Realm 2-part arc, you aren't done with Xing and Xang's storyline... because THEY aren't done causing Chaos for YOU!
* Dage the Evil, in our realm, would NEVER approve!
Final Update to Quibble Coinbiter's Shop!
Tonight's release is the final update to Quibble Coinbiter's Mirror Realm shop! Don't miss the Doom of Lore, Cleric of Nulgath, and Mirror Caladbolg Blade!
Lore's Doom is upon you (literally)!
NEW to Quibble' shop:
Doom of Lore armor (mirror Savior of Lore)
Doom of Lore helm
Doom of Lore capes (3!)
Doom of Lore blade
Light Witch armor (mirror Witch armor)
Light Witch helms (3!)
Light Witch cape
Light Witch wand
Mirror Caladbolg (mirror of Caladbolg)
Consciousness Blade of Nulgath (mirror of Oblivion Blade of Nulgath)
In the Mirror Realm, Artix is undead!
NEW to the Mirror Realm Merge shop:
Cleric of Nulgath (mirror of Legacy of Nulgath)
Cleric of Nulgath Hood
Intimidating Hood of the ArchAngel
Enticing Hood of the ArchAngel
ArchAngel's Protection Cape
Blade of Ashes (mirror of Phoenix Blade)
Underfriend Blade of Nulgath (mirror of Overfiend Blade of Nulgath)
Mind Expulsion Blade (mirror of SoulEater Advanced)
Destiny Kitten approves of your battle skils.
NEW gear in the Treasure Map!
X marks the spot, TreasureHunters! Grab the Treasure Map from the shop in your game menu (or talk to Valencia or Cleric Joy) for 2,000 ACs, then decipher the clue and hunt through AQWorlds to find the Treasure Map's hidden location. If you have the Treasure Map in your inventory, when you mouse your cursor over the spot where the shop's hidden, you'll be able to open it... and receive ALL the gear we've ever added to the shop!
Find the BrightBlade Warrior with the Treasure Map!
Read the Treasure Map design notes for more details on how this hunt works. Just remember: ALL the gear in the shop is 0 ACs for free storage, and you'll be able to unlock ALL future Treasure Map updates for free... as long as you keep the Treasure Map!
Find the Treasure Shop's hidden location to access:
BrightBlade Warrior
BrightBlade Helm
Bright Blade
Bright Warrior Shoulder Cape
Dragon Priest and Priestess Armors
Dragon Devotee Helms
Dragon's Flame Katana
Dual Dragon's Flame Katanas
Anonymous Drone's gonna knock you out!**
Shadow Commander Armor
Hood of the Fallen
Nameless Warrior
Anonymous Drone Helm
Terror of the Undead Blade
Slasher of the Undead Mace
** His momma said knock you out!
Tuesday: Nulgath Featured Artist Shop arrives!
This Tuesday, May 21st, the Mother's Day, Missing Sock, and Cinco de Mayo 2013 shops and Nulgath's Artist shop arrives! See all the previews and prices for his shop here!
We have had an OVERWHELMING amount of positive feedback from you guys on this Quibble shop... and even more suggestions about what we should put in it this Friday! Read below to see an incomplete list of what's coming.
Nax the (sane) Cryomancer is the Mirror Realm version of Xan the Insane Pyromancer*. In the Mirror Realm, his skull doesn't NEED healing flames because he wasn't injured. So many of you flooded us with requests an icy skull helm, though, that Memet came up with something to cool your rage!**
* DragonFable players know that Xan used to be called Alexander, but for ease of recognition, we're keeping Mirror Xan's name as Nax. * No one was really angry, but the pun worked well!
Why hello my lovely heroes and villains =D Tomorrow is going to be the best day ever. Why? Not only is it Friday (and Fridays are always awesome, duh), but Quibble Coinbiter is also headed to Battleon! Yippee!
Hey there, Heeeeeeero...!
Who is Quibble?
Quibble Coinbiter is everyone’s favorite sales Moglin who travels far and wide, collecting never-before-seen Items to add to your impressive collection. No one knows if—or when—Quibble’s Items will go permanently Rare, so your best bet is to get all the goodies in his shop just in case it’s the latter!
Do you ally with Good or Evil?
That slick Moglin also has the uncanny knack of showing up right before the next Lord of Chaos strikes… and always seems to know an awful lot about the Chaos Lords, too.
Cryomancer Nax will also have an Ice Skull helm!
No one wants the Lord of Chaos to win (well… except for Drakath, who is all bent out of shape because we wouldn’t make him an in-game Mod), so suiting up in Quibble’s sweet swag is one of your best—and most fashionable!—defenses against the Chaos uprising.
T The opposite of Alpha Pirate is... Omega Pirate!
Let’s get real here, folks—Quibble stocks Battleon with epic Armors, Helms, Weapons, and more, but he charges the AQW Team a hefty price. It takes a lot of time, energy, creativity, coffee, and money to craft these amazing items featured in Quibble Coinbiter’s Shop.
Cleric Zorbak just wants to help you heal!
But you can help! Your kind donations in the form of AdventureCoins and Membership purchases go towards helping AQW grow bigger and better every week. We could not have made AQWorlds without your help and support, and any donation made to us is greatly appreciated and continues to make AQW your favorite online MMO!
You guys and girls are awesome, and I look forward to continuing our adventures together! I wouldn’t want anyone else to battle alongside as we defeat the 13 Lord of Chaos! Let’s Battle ON!
Because, while the first one was useful and informative, quite a few of the people we've had test it (none of whom have seen AQW before) thought there was too much to read and it was giving too much information at once. Looking at numbers, it wasn't really helping players get into the action. In the new attempt we decided to keep as simple as we could.
Mr. Clicky Hand helps you! (BTW the sword is found in this new tutorial adventure.)
We wanted to give new players a chance to learn the very basics of AQW. Moving, Fighting, Opening A Shop and Using An Item. We're going to see how this new version treats new players. If it does well then we might tweak it out a little. If it bombs then we try again and keep trying until we get something good. It was pretty weird writing cutscenes with no talking in them at all, but it helps sticking with a simple plot. A tower under attack, a mage in need and a HUGE black dragon to fight.
This is really for new players but you can find some pretty nice new weapons in the new tutorial so feel free to try it out and let us know what you think from a brand new players perspective.
Adventure Time?
One of the BEST things about AQ Classic is the random battle button that automatically takes you right into the action letting you fight stuff that is good for your level.
When I first started playing AQ Classic I spent about 4 hours just clicking that button over and over. It's about time we had something like that for new players. Enter the Random Adventure Button (Beta).
Dumoose spent rather a lot of his week building this smart button. It will (try to) take you to an area in the game that is good for your character, Most of you loyal players who play every release as soon as it comes out on Friday will have done all of this stuff but for people new to the game, or even people who are just trying to level their characters it will be a very fun little tool to play with it. You can try out the button in Battleon and let us know what you think. If you find any bugs remember to report them on our new Bug Tracker.
Beautiful Creatures Rare Shop
We're not sure if this has anything to do with the movie or not. Probably not. Nobody here has even seen a trailer for it but we naturally assumed it has something to do with red pandas.
Anyway, this gear is really great and it will only be in-game for a limited time so fee free to let your wild side out.
Boss Drop Hunt!
To celebrate the release of the Graveclaw cutscenes, we have put the Shattersword Pickaxes on a number of the hardest bosses in game! They will have a VERY low drop rate (less than 1%) and a VERY high sell back, AND they'll stay in-game permanently!
We're interested to see who can solve these clues and be the first to collect all 6! Here are your hints:
Walk the seas of time and sand. Take your enemy's life in hand. Find the battle, hunt the prize. Graveclaw waits, but soon will rise.
It watches from beyond the grave, banished, but now called to save.Now Graveclaw beckons from his cave.
The future calls. The memories bleed. But Graveclaw promises all she'd need.
Music, madness, and memories sing when Graveclaw summons this Beast of a thing.
A question never asked, an answer no one learns. Graveclaw will ally with the one who burns.
Twists and turns to hide the truth. All locked inside a small, skewed cube?
Dage's Epic Birthday Shop!
Dage's birthday (March 2nd) is coming up and as usual he blowing the roof off of it.
Next Friday he will be moving from Shadowfall to the Underworld where he will have better access to the Soul Forge to use the spirits of his loyal followers to craft even more devastating weapons and armor. Last year's Paragon pet will NOT return, but he is crafting a NEW Pet for this year that will give access to some interesting stuff.
Trophy Hunter!
Very recently had release the trophy Hunter special promotional package for certain people, The delivery code worked perfectly (for once) so we are expanding the chance to get the limited time Trophy Hunter set to a larger select group. If you see the Trophy Hunter banner below your game screen...
...click up and upgrade then you will unlock the Trophy Hunter badge in your Book of Lore... but you MUST click the banner below the game screen for your upgrade to unlock Trophy Hunter.
Quibble & Tournament Rares: Last Chance!
Quibble is leaving next Wednesday so this is your last chance to grab items from this visit, including the new Deathblood Set coming to Quibble TONIGHT!
I know that I said last week would be the last buff, but the art team has a bad habit of topping their previous best. Next week The Tournament Rares Shop and Heroes Heart Day seasonal map and items will also be leaving on Wednesday.
If you haven't played the Battle Coliseum yet, don't worry. It's not going anywhere. Only the Tournament Rares shop will be going rare.
No Suggestion Shop Update
We were supposed to have a player Suggestion Shop update today but volunteer developer Vokun was struck down with a mysterious illness (probably the flu) so wasn't able to complete the update this week, but hopefully next week he will be feeling better and be able to return to providing AQW with great art. Get well soon, Vokun!
Princess Brittany, eldest daughter of King Alteon and heir to the throne of Swordhaven is holding a Tournament of Heroes and the winner earn the right to court the lovely young princess.
Who will win the right to Princess Brittany's hand? Will it be the Desert Prince, The Silver Knight, The dashing Lord Brentan, The frigid Johan Wryce, the mysterious hooded Faceless Knight, the viscious Sir Roderick or one of the red-shirt knights who get taken out in the first cutscene?
This special Heroes Heart Day release features the second appearance of the music of Mia J. Park! It also features an amazing number of items in both the Tournament Rare shop and the Tournament Shop!
One Last Quibble Buff
Solrac has provided one last set to round off this run of Quibble. The Split Fang set!
An impressive caster armor provided to a elite group of magi within Xavier's arm of the Golden Onslaught.
The Alpha Omega Class
The EpicDuel imspired Alpha Omega class also drops tonight!
This class is only 1000 ACs (half price!) or Members can earn it through group PvP (some of the set items can be earned through 1v1 PvP too).
You will be able to buy the AC version from Ragnar's Class Shop (Or the Classes button in your Book of Lore) or get the Member earned version from Ragnar's Merge Shop.
This class will NOT be going rare, so you have plenty of time to earn the Member version. If you want to know more about how it works check out my Alpha Omega Skills Breakdown.
Carnaval and Chinese New Year Stick Around
Chinese New Year and Carnaval are still here! Terra da Festa is a permenant addition to the game but the rare shop and Chinese New year will be leaving very soon so don't miss out on the celebration items that you like!
BONUS CONTENT: I probably made some typos in this DNs post. Have fun finding them. OR ELSE!
Imprisoned by the great King Alteon ages ago, Graveclaw the Defiler has regained enough strength to rise again. Summoning his minions deep within Shattersword Cavern, Graveclaw prepares to unleash his army against the world of Lore! Suit-up in Quibble Coinbiter’s Rare items and delve the dark depths of Shattersword Cavern to defeat the most beastly burden known to man! Wield your weapon, conjure your spells, and Battle ON to victory!
ALL players can relive King Alteon's battle against Graveclaw the Defiler by clicking on the golden statue of King Alteon in /battleontown! But you'll need to upgrade to fight your way to the bottom of Shattersword Cavern and defeat Graveclaw once and for all!
#BlameCanada for No Power and Derp Cutscenes!
If you haven't watched tonight's cutscenes... prepare for DERP! Normally, it takes 1 animator 2-3 days to finish the 2-3 cutscenes for each week's release. But yesterday night, we got a call from Ghost, who had been working on the boss monster AND cutscene animations! A severe storm had knocked his power out, so he couldn't finish the cutscenes OR the boss monster (or, y'know, even turn his laptop on to send them to us)!
At Artix Entertainment, we never back down from a challenge, or an opportunity to have fun making games, and this news was an opportunity to do BOTH! So Cysero and Samba put on their +15 Animating gauntlets, I pared down the battle scenes, and we got ready to knock out DERP versions of Ghosts soon-to-be-REALLY-finished epic cutscenes!
24 hours of frenzy led to the entire team - and parts of the rest of the game itself - getting turned upside down and inside out! But we pulled it off before release, because that's just how we roll!*
We will let everyone know as soon as Ghost is finished with THIS week's cutscenes! Until then, we would LOVE to hear your comments on the derp versions! Record your audio commentary as you watch them and send us the links!
* To make matters even MORE absurd, Ghost's power was turned back on 2 hours before the release! Not enough time to finish anything but the boss monster. He's hard at work to get you the epic cinematics you love, but for now... enjoy the DERP!
Quibble Coinbiter's Shop is live!
Everyone’s favorite traveling sales Moglin, Quibble Coinbiter, is making his way back to Battleon! Brand-new never-before-seen armors, helms, weapons, and more await the greatest Rare Item collector. Gear up in Golden Onslaughter and Darkblood rare items and show the world just how awesome you are!
Don't miss your chance to get this gear, because it's never going to return! We're not sure where he got it, and we don't really want to know. We just love /equipping it, and hope you all do, too!
This Sunday: Superbowl Half-Time Shop!
It's the biggest American Football game of the year. The 49rs and the Ravens are facing off and it's time for the halftime show. When you've had your fill of watching Beyonce do her thing on stage... head to Battleon and look for the button labled PUNT!
Come join the PUNT map to celebrate this day and these two super-teams with the Miners and Crows armors and the return of other seasonal favorites like the Spiked Pigskin and the Moglin Ref pet! Don't forget that this is the ONLY time of year that you will be able to get the Moglin Punter Character Page Achievement Badge and all you have to do kis kick Twilly the full 100 yards!
Good luck and no matter who wins we hope you enjoy the Superbowl!
Your favorite traveling sales Moglin, Quibble, is making his way back to Battleon tonight. And he’s got some of the most EPIC items I have ever seen!
Don’t believe me? Pppffft. Here’s the proof:
They aren’t even pink, and yet these armors, helms, and weapons are totally awesome still! Make sure you’ve got enough AdventureCoins to score these awesome armor sets (and bragging rights).
But that’s not all!
Feast your eyes on these armor sets arriving tonight during the Graveclaw storyline.
Graveclaw is one bad beast, but the items you can get make up for his ferocity. The set Caffeinator is wearing on the left even has color custom features!
Stay tuned later today for even more previews of the amazing items in store for you and your heroic buddies!
Defeat Graveclaw the Defiler in Shattersword Cavern!
Prepare for battle, Heroes! Decades ago, a young King Alteon defeated Graveclaw the Defiler, imprisoning him beneath the Forest of Chaos in Shattersword Cavern. To drain off his power, Gravelyn has been sending warriors down to face Graveclaw in battle. But the Cavern’s dark magic combined with Graveclaw’s own power to twist him… and those sent to fight him.
He’s gained enough strength to rise again, and this time he brings an entire army to confront Alteon, Gravelyn, and all those who confined him so many years ago. Head down into Shattersword Cavern and defeat Graveclaw before he can unleash his army against Swordhaven!
ALL players can watch a young King Alteon take on Graveclaw in the Forest of Chaos, but you'll need to upgrade to descend to the depths of Shattersword Cavern and defeat the beast! Find the golden Statue of King Alteon in Battleontown this Friday to begin the adventure!
The Hunt for Graveclaw's Kamas begins TODAY!
It may be that Graveclaw has already had contact with creatures outside his prison! The hunt for the Shattersword Kama is on! Battle creatures throughout Lore using the clue below as a starting point for where to look, then slay anything that might fit the hint!
Decipher the clue, defeat the creature, get the prize!
The location of this weapon - and the clue - will change tomorrow! The item is 0 ACs, so enjoy the free storage after you /party up with your friends and start hunting!
Magic users big and small, Graveclaw will recruit them all. Find the creature, take its prize. Swift comes the Defiler's rise!
Quibble Coinbiter Arrives This Friday!
The traveling sales moglin, Quibble Coinbiter, returns to Battleon THIS FRIDAY with an all-new assortment of rare items (most of which he is willing to part with in exchange for AdventureCoins)!
This shop's theme is Golden Onslaughter/Darkblood, so prepare yourselves for the shiniest and darkest gear yet!
Look for more details on what comes in Quibble's shop later this week!
Leaving later today: Witch Hunter Shop, Boosts!
Both the Witch Hunter shop and the server-wide boosts leave game at midnight tonight! The Season of the Witch Hunter shop will return the next time something wicked this way comes. The server-wide boosts will happen regularly from now on, but we do not have a set schedule. Let us know on the forum, Twitter, and Facebook what special times YOU would like to see them!
Darkblood, Treasure Chests, MOD Birthdays and More!
This Friday the new Chaos Lord Lionfang saga continues in the Darkblood city of Falguard.
Captain Madra and one of her Falguard Dreadwatch Soldiers
This week you will enter the mysterious Darkblood city of FALGUARD, whose doors have remained closed to outsiders for years. The Darkblood Scroll has been translated and a newly empowered CHAOS LORD LIONFANG plans to test out his new powers searching for the Darkblood weapon that may be able to defeat Chaos.
The City will feature the Thunderforge Reputation Shop (on Madra herself), A Weapon Shop, An Armor Shop, a Hair Shop, at least one dark alley, a few quests to grind Thunderguard Reputation (more for Members) and, of course, the storyline quests.
Can you find the secret weapon of the Darkblood before Chaos Lord Lionfang rips Falguard apart?
Other Stuff Happening This Week
We have new treasure chest items coming for all of you who have unlocked been stocking the treasure chests up and Members who have been stockpiling your free Treasure Chest Keys from Twilly
We have TWO Mod birthday shops coming Friday as well. Captain Stratos, Co-head Moderator and Bug Master General and Vokun, one of our newest volunteer assistant developers!
The 1 Year Member Golden Set Member Package is going away, to be replaced by the Jade Samurai 1 Year Member Set which is exactly the same as the other package but with a different set.
Stuff Coming In The Future
We're working on some new Membership perks for you guys, in addition to the one that Alina talked about earlier. We are trying to workout a system where Members would simply get MORE ACs. If you buy the 2000 AC package and you're a Member then you would get more than 2000 ACs.
How many more? Still working on making it happen (It may never happen, but we're trying) so we'll saw for sure at that time.
Next week Quibble will be coming back to Battleon and will be bringing a host of all new, slightly used rares from the future (and past in this case). A few of you were asking if Xavier Lionfang's Silver Lion Armor would be released during the Lionfang Saga... well, it is.
Funny story: ORIGINALLY the Lionfang armor art was silver, but went back for a recolor and came out the gold version that we all know. Makes sense that Xavier would get his big brother's hand-me-downs.
Changes to Battleon will start happening soon. Things will start moving, appearing, vanishing, shifting, sliding and expanding.
The Search For New Mods Continues
Reens and Stratos are still looking for a few good players who help expand the Moderator team of AQW.
If you want to know how to apply, READ THIS CAREFULLY. I've had people e-mailing me and even trying to apply on Twitter which just proves that you either
Didn't bother to read the directions,
Skimmed them but didn't pay attention, or
Can't read English well enough to be a Mod.
No matter which way you go, if you can't even apply correctly then you lacking some very necessary qualifications that we need in our Mods.
People have been asking me who "won the Mod contest?". I can't stress enough that this is not a contest to be won, it's a volunteer job to be applied for. It's a pretty serious and necessary position and we have some fairly high standards for what we expect from our Mods.
It's hours and hours of helping, reading thousands of player reports and trying your best to help other players. It's a thankless job but that's OK because we don't pay you anything. We even put restrictions on the items that Mods get. The only rewards are a gold name, the chance to test the releases before they are finished and the chance to help make AQW a better and safer game for everyone.
The SponZard Button strikes again! In honor of the release of the new Hobbit movie, our sponsors have authorized us to release a new NON-MEMBER PvP Amulet... the Halfling's PvP Medal +900.
As the name implies, this non-member PvP amulet will give anyone who wears it an extra 900 HP inside any PvP game or dueling arena. This is also the first PvP amulet to cost 0 ACs which will allow for free storage.
Here's the catch, it's only available for the next 2 days!
The item is a random reward from the SponZard button which appears from time to time in the LOWER RIGHT corner of Battleon. Just watch an ad and claim your reward and if you're lucky then it will be this rare PvP Amulet!
As we've mentioned, it only appears at random intervals so if it shows up for YOU make sure to click it. Remember that this item will only be available for 2 DAYS so don't miss your chance!
The End Of All Things, Part 1!
In case you haven't been able to log on since last night, be sure to log in and play through the first part of this year's two part Frostval release, The End Of All Things.
It was a late release ast night but as soon as the servers opened our Twitter and the AQW forums exploded with excited messages about how cool this release is. High marks on the story, cutscenes, items, and even the reduced lag... but most of the praise came for the new villian, Kezeroth The World Ender.
If you haven't played through this release yet, log in and see what everyone is talking about!
PERSONAL NOTE: This was an insane release. 2 huge maps, 3 unbelievable cutscenes, a handful of really amazing items, and a couple of new features like mini-cutscenes to give some character to the dungeon crawl all between Monday and Wednesday. That's about ten days worth of production crammed into three and we bled to make it happen by 12-12-12 (Server time).
I don't get to write for AQW much anymore so when I get the chance I really want to give you guys something to remember. It was a real win for me to see pages and pages of people having their minds blown by this release. The outpouring of support from the community was really something to behold and I'm just so glad that it went over so well and that so many of you enjoyed it. Your feedback is always appreciated, but it's great (and exceptionally rare) when it's almost all positive.
You'd think that the team could take the win and maybe a well deserved rest but no. We were back here bright and early working, trying to make sure that Part 2 lives up to Part 1, and getting things ready for tomorrow.
Don't forget to check back tomorrow for a new round of Quibble Frostval Rares (Including our first Frostval BattlePet for Members), Beleen's Insane Pinkomancer Birthday Shop (all items pinked by Beleen), The Big Red Member Gift Bag, Tinsel's Present Quests and special side quests in the 12-12-12 event for Chronomancers, Chronocorruptors, TimeKillers and Members!
Crash into the Chaos Beast battle this Friday! In The Span, Chaos Beast Kathool – a near-immortal creatureimmune to Time – has allied with Drakath and rises to confront you!* Victory against the Chaos Beast unlocksthe battle against Iadoa, the Chronomancer Chaos Lord! Summon your strength, Hero; Lore’s existence depends on your success!
Will you have time to defeat the Chaos Beast AND Chaos Lord?
Did You Say Chaos Beast Kathool?
You read right,apprentice Loremasters! Kathool is the first self-aware Chaos Beast, and there's a good reason it was chosen for that purpose. When a new Chaos Beast is raised - or takes over the position of its own accord, in this case - the Chaos Lord's purpose is fulfilled.* And for a creature as power-hungry and self-assured as Kathool is, the temptation to use Chaos - and the Chaos Lord - for its own ends is too enticing!
Log in this Friday to learn how Kathool chose to become the Chaos Beast, what it plans to do with its new power, and what the Chronomancer Chaos Lord will do to ensure that you fulfill your destiny!**
*Drakath has never required the Death of a Chaos Beast, just the power gained when each rises. ** Choose wisely and you may also learn the truth of your role on Lore! Who ARE you, Hero?
Events and Shops Coming and Going!
Make sure you don't miss the following arrivals and departures of our recent releases and shops:
The Black Friday (seasonal) and Fall Fire (permarare) shops leave tomorrow!
The Span War leaves on Friday!
Quibble Coinbiter returns this Friday! See the next Design Notes for previews of available items!
What's Coming in December!
The holidays are here, and that means even MORE is happening in AQWorlds than usual!
12/7 - The Span finale: battle Kathool and Chaos Lord Iadoa!
12/12 - Not just another day! The time has come for an ancient evil to rise!
12/21 - The 2012 Frostval event continues! As the Heroes of Lore, we will NOT let our world end, no matter WHAT ancient evils (or nebulous prophecies) have planned!
12/28 - New Year's event! 2013 is here!
SPOILERS: Get ready to battle on, because 2013 will be the most Chaotic year yet in AQWorlds! Chaorruption floods Lore as Drakath moves to open the Chaos Gate!
J6, AQW's Lead Artist, has worked on just about every game we have ever made or currently have in production. He's got his own faction of rabid followers, his own t-shirt on HeroMart and has drawn many of the items and almost ALL of the maps that you walk around during every new release. He is an amazingly talented artist and craftsman who has also made real life sculptures of Artix, Galanoth's Dragonslayer Helm and his own J6 Helm.
He is capable, versatile and best of all very, very fast. This dude is a machine who has never failed to meet or best any task that we've thrown at him no matter how busy he is.
J6 lives and works from Canada so we don't get to see him as often as we'd like but when he does visit, Cinazool always comes with him. She is a kind, bubbly, fun, friendly and stunningly beautiful woman and after years of dating, they have finally decided to tie the knot and you're invited!
Artix was actually able to fly up to the great white north to attend the real wedding earlier this month, but for those of us who couldn't make it we have crafted this special in-game event for you. J6 honored me by asking me to write the event and keep all details about it from him. He wanted to be surprised.
I was so stressed about making it funny that I got writers block and went through four complete re-writes. Everyone on the AQW team chipped in on this one and I even managed to trick J6 into doing the art for Captain Stubbing and the Love Goat map.
If you complete the event, you will be awarded the J6 Wedding Badge in your Book of Lore (not a character page badge) and you will also unlock all of the Member, Non-Member and AC items in J6's Wedding Shop. You will also find a lot of new drops on the various goats found in the release and on Filthy McGee.
As usual there are the stock wedding items like the Bounty Hunter's Berry Mug, the Silver Eternal Flame, Cinazool's Wedding Bouquet and some others but we also have some brand new armors, helms, back items, weapons and pets in this special event.
Congrats, J6 and Cinazool. May you have the best of all possible lives together.
Four NEW Rare Houses in J6's House Shop!
Click the "Rare House Shop" button in Battleon to check out J6's four NEW rare houses! These aren't just ANY new houses, either. They have a secret, owner-only entrance, so that no one can enter unless YOU are home! If you want your friends to gain entrance, you'll need to go to your /house and then they will need to /goto YOU!
Guild Renaming is LIVE and FREE this weekend!
Check your Guild menu to see how to re-name it! This weekend only, Guild re-naming is FREE! On Monday it will begin costing AdventureCoins. Be warned, if your client is cached, your name change may not appear immediately.
Vindicator of They Leaves Oct 12th!
It's been almost one year since we did our special They Might Be Giants AQW Birthday event and as we mentioned when we released it... we only have the rights to use this stuff in AQW for a year. Our contract with TMBG expires on October 12th, so on that day the event will be locked forever. No more rep farming quests, no more special songs that they wrote and performed just for AQW and no more Vindicator of They Class.
Time is growing short. If you haven't had the chance to earn the Vindicator class and items, remember that you still have a few weeks to buy it from Itzachi in Battleon.
Return to Chaos this week as Iadoa takes you on a journey across Time itself! If you wondered how AQWorlds was created from 3 divergent timelines, then this is the release for you! But can you trust Iadoa? A Chronomancer who has fallen - even in part - to Chaos? How do you know he is leading you onto your path of destiny?
Time Travel Fairies are dangerous! Don't blink or you'll miss their attack!
Your quest to seek out the Eternal Dragon of Time leads you to the Time Void, but knowledge comes at a cost. Prove yourself to Vaxt Ahas, the Unending, to gain access to the information you seek.
Do not taunt the Eternal Dragon of Time!
And don't miss the new rewards in The Span's rep shop! The Soul Banisher Armor, the Baconing Mace, Glaive of the Orb Staff, Beams of Celeritas Wings... there is new gear for both members and non-members!
And if you take on the Unending Avatar boss and win, there are even MORE rewards to earn!
VIDEO BONUS SPOILER*:Click here to see Samba narrate the final cutscene! Hysterical!
*Do NOT watch under after completing the release!
Quibble Coinbiter Returns to Battleon!
Quibble Coinbiter is BACK with never-before-seen-slightly-used items items** from your past, present, and future!
Loco Costume with the Glaive of the Orb staff (in The Span Rep Shop)
Technomancer Armor
ChickenCow Suit set
Performing Ubear Suit set
Kathool Adept
Loki Mecha
Dravir Armor set
Prismatic Galactimech set
Twig's Fwish Pet
Gween Pet
SpaceCat Pet
Dragonhand Mace
Mega Dragonblade
Dew Dancer Wings
And more!
**Unless you've played AdventureQuest, DragonFable, and Mech
Dark Caster Class is live!
If you're one of the 4,000 people who held onto their Dark Caster armor from Dage's birthday shop a few years ago, then you'll want to /join Shadowfall to begin Dage's Dark Caster Class quest! Brave a terrifying dragon to acquire the priceless artifact Dage MUST have! Bring it to him and the Dark Caster Class will be yours!
You must have the original Dark Caster armor to go on the quest. Dark Caster X armor does not unlock the quest.
Convince Dage to give you a reward!
Dage the Evil has said his Paragon will not be released since his side lost the war. Get the Legion War Meter up to 100% and MAYBE he will change his mind! It couldn't hurt, right?
New Matomy Ad Offer on AExtras!
From August 17th until September 2nd, Matomy is running a special AExtras offer! ONE lucky player who completes an offer will win the grand prize: a combo pack of the black Artix and Sepulchure action figures! You can also win either 3,000 or 4,500 ACs!
Click here to begin participating in AExtras offers! (Make sure you have a separate email just for doing this.)
The war is almost over... the rewards almost here!
In the biggest, EVILLEST war AQWorlds has ever seen... we're about to see a WINNER! Nulgath's Abyssal Army has the war meter at 91% while Dage's Undead Legion has reached 54%. The mercenaries fight for BOTH sides... and can switch at any time. Will the current front-runner remain in first place? YOU decide!
And your rewards will be...
Should he win, Nulgath offers the color-custom Legacy of Nulgath set to all those who have fought for him during this clash of Evil Commanders! To claim the entire set you will need: 50 Diamonds of Nulgath and 50,000 gold! The set is non-member, so all of Nulgath's loyal followers can show their allegiance.
Legacy of Nulgath Set
Should Dage win, he offers the legendary Paragon Set! For many years, his warriors have fought to possess this epic gear. What will become of it if he loses?! If you don't want to find out, then /join evilwardage and BATTLE ON! If he is victorious, the Paragon Set will sell for 1,000 Adventure Coins so that his most loyal followers can show their allegiance.
Dage's Paragon Set!
Dark Caster Class Requirements!
If you are one of the lucky few who held on to your Dark Caster armor, then you've got a fun time coming! To unlock the Class this Friday, you'll need to visit Dage and undertake a perilous quest! ONLY those who possess the original Dark Caster armor will be able to go on this VERY difficult adventure, but the reward will be the epic Dark Caster Class!
Face the Dragon of Time this Friday!
You cannot fight the Dragon of Time because his death allowed you - and your world - to live! But you CAN learn what he sacrificed to allow you to be! This week, gain the trust of Vaxt Ahas, the Unending, the universe-snake which inhabits the Time Void. Prove your worth and show that you have what it takes to walk amongst the Ages.
Eternal Dragon of Time
If you have what it takes, then you will see how Galanoth came to slay the Dragon of Time - what took place before the battle and how its death created the AQWorlds you know today!
Quibble Coinbiter is almost here!
Don't forget to stop by Quibble Coinbiter's shop in Battleon this Friday! His chest is chock-full of gear taken from your past, present, and future... all contained within our current Chaos zone, The Span! You'll be able to purchase these sweet member-only pets and much more!
Twig wif a Fwish and the Gween Pet!
Artix Cards at Target!
Head to your local Target store, because Artix Gamecards are in stock! Redeem your Artix Gamecard before August 31st, 2012, to unlock the Bullseye Spear bonus item AND Artix Points! They can be used to purchase AQWorlds membership or Adventure Coins!*
Ready... aim... SLAY!
If you don't have a Target store nearby, you can ALSO pick up the Bullseye Spear at Valencia's AC shop in /battleontown for 2,000 ACs! Valencia will only keep the Spear in stock while the promotional item is available at Target!
* Follow the steps listed here to unlock your Bullseye Spear. Just look for the Bullseye achievement in your Book of Lore instead of the Flamestop.
Coming Soon in AQWorlds!
Gravelyn takes control! With an entire army of Undead and Evil followers, no self-respecting Empress sits around and just... waits. Next Friday, return to Shadowfall to help Gravelyn use Evil to bring Order out of Chaos!
The Sisterhood of the Dishpan Hands has many secrets! Do YOU know why these helpful clerics are stationed around Lore? What are they waiting... and watching... for? Journey to their Temple to learn more!
J6's in-game wedding event! (Anyone like cake?)
Alina and Rolith's in-game wedding event/AQWorlds 4th birthday! (The power of Love!)
More Chaos! More Chaorruption! More... EVERYTHING!
For those of you who have been following along with the sporadic Xan releases, this will be pretty easy. For the rest of you, you have a long way to go and you will want to catch up.
This release will mark the end of the current Xan storyline. It features three brand new monsters designed by Dage and animated by Hizu and myself, three brand new story cutscenes all animated by Samba and LOTS of epic gear both for Members and Non-Members from Dage, Solrac, Jemini, Veneeria and Aranx.
It has been a lot of fun writing Xan, as insane as he is, and this chapter has was the most fun yet. I hope you enjoy facing Xan as much as I've enjoyed writing him.
ALCHEMY Trade Skill
Tomorrow will also mark the release of the Alchemy trade skill!
This contraption looks pretty complicated but once you get the hang of it you'll be crafting ALL KINDS of new Potions (which have an instant or short lasting effect effect), Tonics (which have a long lasting effect) and Elixirs (which have a long lasting effect AND a secondary effect).
As you successfully create more and more potions, tonics and elixirs, you will gain skill points in alchemy and be able to create more and more powerful potions alchemical products.
Alchemy also creates interesting by-products that you will find as you experiment. Some by-products send you on quests to the various magi around Lore, others help grant you access to special Alchemy rewards items in Merit Shops.
The key to alchemy is PATIENCE. You must be vigilant so that your Alchemy Rune does not over-heat, and you have to keep the mixtures boiling at JUST the right temperature but remember that you only have a limited number of Fire blasts and Ice blasts to use!
One drawback about Alchemy is that you will need some free Inventory Space to gather alchemical reagents and ingredients to make your mixtures. Some of these items have already begun to drop from monsters around Lore which some of you have probably noticed. You will also find others in specialized shops like Faith's Fishing Shop.
The lower level mixtures may seem a little underpowered but the HIGH level mixtures will blow your mind!
Your academic journey begins at the Alchemy Academy built within the walls of Swordhaven.
This is just a quick post telling you some of what's going on right now and some of what to expect.
The Artix and Sepulchure Action Figures are on sale at U.S. Toys R Us locations all over the United States and also on HeroMart.com
People have been mailing us, tweeting us and letting the community know through the AQW forums as soon as they get their own collector's Artix or Sepulchure figures and sometimes they get BOTH! We've even gotten a few YouTube videos of people receiving their boxes from stores or in the mail and letting us watch them open them up!
It's a little early to say but things are looking good for a SECOND SET of collector's figures but that's a LONG way off. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We also have a brand new poster for sale at HeroMart.com which is the Good Heroes of Lore poster, drawn, inked and colored by our own Diozz (who you may remember from his Live Draw event!)
Diozz is pretty excited about his first poster!
There are no pictures of this yet on the site but the poster also comes with the Soul of a Hero armor set, including the Great Spirit of Heroism and Valkyrie of Heroism animated cloaks, also drawn by Diozz!
The team only signed 50 of there and half of those are already gone but there are a few hundred of the unsigned ones if you don't want your pretty poster all cruddded up by a bunch of game developer signatures.
We've also got an Art Contest going on right now!
The Themes Are: 1) Artix vs. Sepulchure 2) Zombies 3) Any Combo of the above options
The Contest Info page can be found here! Please read the rules carefully and PLEASE don't waste our time with stuff you rip off from the internet. You'll get caught and we'll spend a lot of time here at the lab making fun of how stupid you are. Don't be that guy.
STUFF COMING SOON!
Now let's hop into my time traveling phonebooth and dial the number for the near future.
This weekend, AQW Zombies continues as the world of lore falls further and further into the clutches of Sepulchure and more and more of your friends succumb to the zombification effects of the vile green mist.
In this alternate timeline, the traveling sales moglin Quibble Coinbiter is still traveling from town to town selling his never-before-seen, slightly-used rares and items and this Friday he returns to Battleon with a load of Zombie and Zombie Slaying themed AC RARES and ITEMS!
We'll also be trying a couple of new things in Quibble this time...
1) INVESTMENT TRINKETS: This is a new idea that I think most of you will like. Quibble will be selling small AC trinkets for about 1000 ACs each/ What do they do? NOTHING! They just sit in your bag and take up space.
BUT... a few days after Quibble has left Battleon, these investments will appreciate in value! You will be able to sell them back for MORE than you bought them for!
That's right! Buy it for 1000... sell it back for more.
There will be two versions of this trinket. A Member and a Non-Member. They will BOTH appreciate in value after Quibble leaves but the Member one will appreciate for MORE than the non-member trinket AND Members can, of course, buy both.
2) DAGE ARMOR SPECIAL: Most of the items in Quibble's shop will stick to the normal pricing that we've been with for a while but Dage the Evil is working on a special Zombie Killer armor that will be 3000 ACS! We expect the higher price to make this one of the rarest AC armors in the game.
Oh yeah, as a Member Bonus, there will be a Member Only version of the Zombie Killer, exactly like the other one... except it only costs 1 AC.
SOON: Looking For New Mods!
Reens and Stratos will soon be in search of new Mods for AQW!
I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate how much the mods do for the game but there is a lot of game to patrol and most of the mods are volunteer staff so Reens has said that she will be looking for a few extra hands.
AS soon as the search has begun we will post all the information that you need to know to apply. Please do not spam our e-mail and Twitters asking to be made a mod. Being able to read carefully and understand what you're reading is a big part of being a mod so read this part carefully. Begging for us to make you a mod now will revel that you did not read this paragraph. That's a pretty good sign that you aren't mod material.
It won't be this released this week and probably not next week but I'm currently building a Member Only Death Knight Class (It will have different art than the DK Armor that came with the Doom Starter Package). It will take Rank 10 Doomwood Rep BUT there will be an AC Shortcut. Both versions will be Member Only.
Finally, even though it has cost Galanoth dearly, the Proto-Prime Elemental Dragons are growing in power and you are returning balance to the elements. Or so you think...
Desoloth, the Final, finds this amusing.You've even brought a new toy for him to play with... The Proto-Prime of Earth, Arradia!
This week you journey into the twisted Earth Realm where you will learn much more than you bargined for about the power of Elemental Earth Magic as well as the resonating frequencies of some crystals. Have you ever heard crystals sing? (If you've played through Mythsong valley then the answer is YES)
This week you will not just hear them sing, you will need to focus, and burn their song into your mind and replay it! There is also a brand new Etherstorm Earth Rep Shop with new reputation items for you to enjoy!
Etherstorm is drawing to a close, but it might not be the ending you would like.
Quibble Is Back!
This time he's returned with some elemental, natural and markedly UN-natural goodies for you including Solrac's Woodland set...
And the highly anticipated transforming armor from Dage... the Exosuit Binoku which transforms (for you, not those around you) when you click on it. There are SEVERAL parts to the set and each one has more than one transformation depending on where and how many times you click it. Will you be the first to find every transformation?!
This is all the same armor and helm. Seperate weapons.
PUNT RETURNS!
Ready for the SUPERBOWL?! This Sunday is the biggest American Football game of the year... the showdown between the New York Giants and the New England patriots. To celebrate, during the Superbowl's Half-Time Show we will be opening up the PUNT map so you can see how far YOU can kick Twilly. Reach the full 100 Yards and get an ACHIEVEMENT BADGE! We are also opening the Half-Time shop during the Superbowl's Half-Time where you can show support for YOUR favorite team, the Mammoths or the Loyalists!
He has wandered the face of Lore for years and has returned to reclaim his family's ancestral home from roving gargoyles and twisted Chaos magic!
He needs you help to find his family vault hidden in the maze-like ruins of the once great city of Cornelis. Until he has the Cornelis Title which proves he is the last true heir to Cornelis, he can do nothing to restore his home.
That's where you come in!
Defeat the invaing Gargoyles, defend the city, uncover the vault's secret location (with a little help from yours truly) and solve the RuneSweeper puzzle to unlock the treasures of the Cornelis Family Vault!
This Mid-week release also comes with a Member Only Character Page Badge for unlocking the treasure chest within the Cornelis Vault! Thanks to everyone on the forums for your fresh ideas about the Mid-Week Reward Systems!
PS: MEMBERS - your two FREE Treausure Chest keys are available once you do your monthly quest to get them!
Quibble Comes Friday!
We will, we will ROCK YOU with this earth-shakingly awesome armor by Dage! The Exosuit Binsoku will transform at your command; all you need to do is click the part of the armor you wish to change!
Exosuit Binsoku: For hard-headed heroes and hard-hearted villains!
We'll have many more items in Quibble stock, too! Make sure you don't miss Quibble Coinbiter's bevy of elementally excellent items in this Etherstorm edition of his time-traveling shop!
Jagged ice, frostbitten souls, and frozen hearts – everything Dead Morice planned has come to pass! The people of Lore can feel nothing – not love, joy, or Frostval cheer – except the icy venom coursing through their veins! Coldhearted ice sorcerer Dead Morice has turned all of your friends into frost-brained golems, slaves to his bitterly cold heart and motives.
And when he sends them out to capture the moglins of Frostvale – the last pocket of Lore unaffected by his icy touch – you’ll have to save them AND the rest of Lore before Dead Morice’s eternal winter freezes their hearts… FOREVER!
Frostval's Finale will come with some frigidly cool quest rewards and monster drops, too:
Frost and Steel
Ice Storm Blade
Joyful Resolve
Sugary Sword
Aura of the SnowGlobe
Star of the North Pole
Symbiote Growths
Symbiote Infection
Frostval on a Steek
Cold Bones Armor
Snowy Axe
And Members can use the /icecavern map to farm level 40 and 45 monsters for extra-high EXP!
A Happy Holiday Quibble Haul!
Quibble Coinbiter also has a backpack full of festive new Frostval booty, so make sure to stop by BattleOn to buy out his gift-stock, including a Quibble Bank pet!
Quibble Bank
Hyperborean Bite
Iced Foule-Bordeau
Glare of the Permafrost
Spikes of Permafrost
PermFost Legionaire's Visage
Iced Jester
PermaFrost Sapiens
PermaFrost Legionaire
Glacial Wand
Glacial Bow
Silver and Gold
Cookie Contest Winners Announced!
The tastiest contest yet has ended, and the winners of the Holiday Cookie Contest are here! Get your nom on when you feast your eyes on these sweet treats!
Congratulations to everyone who entered and ALL the winners! You guys did a GREAT job!
December Pet 'o the Month - Reinderp!
And don't forget about this amazingly cherry little guy! Reinderp just wants to fill your backpack with holiday happiness! YMembers can find him in Aria's pet shop!
We Wish You a Merry Frostval!
The holidays are a time of giving, sharing, and joy. It's also the season for spending time with family and friends; even though we talk to you guys all year 'round, this is the perfect time of year to say that we look at all of YOU as our friends - just those we haven't met yet!
Enjoy the Frostval finale and all of the epically cool gifts that come with it! Look for the New Year's release to come next week, along with the final Limited Quantity Shop of the year! We're going to go spend time with our family and friends, and hope that you'll do the same!
From all of us on the AQWorlds team and everyone at Artix Entertainment, we wish you the merriest of Frostvals and happiest of holidays!
The Cookie Hork returns to show off delicious cookie contest entries! Congratulations to everyone who participated. You guys are AMAZING! Winners to be announced Friday just before the new release!
Song of the Frozen Heart Finale!
This Friday, you'll see all of your friends entirely consumed by the ice venom coursing through their veins! Dead Morice's plan has come to its chilling conclusion... almost! With all the humans on Lore (except you?!) frozen into cold-hearted ice golems, Dead Morice has turned his attention to the last pocket of resistance to this frosty finish - the moglins of Frostvale!
There's SNOW where to run, little Moglin!
Now the fate of the Frostvale moglins as well as all of your friends rests on your armor-plated shoulders! Head deep into Dead Morice's iced-over volcano fortress and start heating things up! Now that you have the Flame of Frostval (thanks, Gravelyn!), you'll need to rescue your friends (who are visibly trapped inside a really cool-looking ice golem exterior) AND save the moglins... before they get put on ice. Permanently!
What's even worse is that you can still see Frosty the Moglin blinking.
With another cameo appearance by Empress Gravelyn, moglin expressions that will tug at your heartstrings, and a stonecold boss battle, this is one Frostval Finale we just couldn't keep under wraps! (Note: finish wrapping Frostval presents...)
Quibble Coinbiter's Holiday Haul - Part 2!
Check out Cysero's Design Notes from Monday to see previews of what's coming in the Quibble Coinbiter shop update! Look for more armors, more helms, more weapons, and the Frostval Quibble Bank Pet!
Bank to Basics with Moglin Pets
The Zorbak and Twilly Bank Pets will be available in Valencia's AC shop and Aria's pet shop! And speaking of Aria's pet shop...
December Pet 'o the Month - Reinderp!
We are in love with this cheery little guy, and hope you'll find a place in your backpacks and in your hearts for him this Christmas! Meet Reinderp!
Derp, derp, derping all the way!
He is the happiest Reinderp in the herd! (Even if all the other reindeer DO call him names.) This member-only pet will be in Aria's pet shop for the rest of December, and will be sold for 1234 gold! And that means that the Harvest Dragon and Yergen pets are on their way out... so get them while you can!
Frostval Character Page!
Members have been asking for more character page backgrounds, and Frostval is the perfect time to add one! Now you can proudly pose in the middle of Frostvale... all year long!
Stop! New Year's Time!
NEXT Friday we will be releasing our New Year's celebration with an all-new story and truly temporal rares to usher in the Year of Chaos with a heart - and time - stopping BANG! When a Chaorrupted ChronoMancer decides to prevent the arrival of the New Year altogether, you and Lim will have to work together before time runs out!
Frostval Gifts open after next week!
If you haven't looted that conspicuously full bag of gifts in Battleon, then you're missing out on one of the best parts of AQW's Frostval - the PRESENTS! Everyone will be back in the Lab on January 3rd, so the gifts will open sometime that week! And ALSO happening that week...
A VERY special announcement!
Throughout 2011, you guys have been asking us to focus on introducing new forms of gameplay.* In the first few months of 2012, we're going to take steps to do just that! We'll be releasing the first part of an exciting addition to AQW... but we're going to need your help to do it!
Once we release the first part of this, we'll need your feedback to see what direction you'd like us to take it in. This addition is pretty common in other MMOs, but we're going to put an AQW-twist on it! Look for more details after the New Year's!**
* And we're not talking new stories or items, as some of you have worried. ** This new gameplay addition is NOT guilds. We also hope to release THOSE in 2012, too. Cross your fingers!
Etherstorm Wastes is coming in January!
Earth. Fire. Water. Air. You'll need a brave Heart to enter Etherstorm Wastes this January, because the elements have gone INSANE! Fire should burn, Water should flow, Air should move, and the Earth stay steady. But when that balance goes out of whack thanks to Desoloth, lately of the Dragon Plane, the elements you know - and the Great Dragons that control them - may never be the same! (And where there are dragons... there's Galanoth!)
More Mid-week Member-only Updates!
As promised, we'll be continuing to roll out mid-week member-only updates in 2012! These updates are smaller than Friday releases; the team making them is only 2-3 people: Cysero, Yorumi, and sometimes an extra artist. The rest of the time, and the team, is devoted to preparing the Friday releases. But continuing to produce more and better content for our members is high on our priority list, so make sure to let Cysero know what older zones you'd like to see expanded!
And so much more in 2012!
With THREE Friday the 13ths, MORE Chaos and Chaos Lords, a Summer Blockbuster event, the conclusion of the DoomWood storyline, the continuation of the SkyGuard storyline, the member-only SkyGuard class, the Alina/Rolith AQW/DF crossover wedding event, and SO MUCH MORE... we don't even have time to worry about the end of the world coming next December!
It really WILL be the Year of Chaos, and we are all SO excited about what's coming! We hope you all are, too!
Everyone else has left to begin their holiday celebrations, so I'm going to head home and finish wrapping Frostval presents for friends and family. We'll see you all this Friday as we release all that awesome stuff I typed a few paragraphs up!
The second part of this year's epic Frostval storyline, Song of the Frozen Heart, continues on Friday when you find out who is behind the insidious ice infection that has frozen the hearts and veins of many across the snow-covered lands of Lore.
Don't forget that QUIBBLE will also be getting in a new shipment of holiday rares and items that he will be adding to his current stock!
Quibble Gets A Buff!
As we promised, Quibble Coinbiter's shop will be expanded with a second round of Frostval themed items and armors just for you.
We will be adding the rest of Tomix's amazing frost items...
Along with some highly anticipated armors, like Aegis's Frost Jester and Dage's PermaFrost Legionaire and PermaFrost Sapiens sets and lots of other cool items!
If you're worried about missing any of these Quibble items for any of Beleen's Birthday merge items... Relax and enjoy the holidays. You've got plenty of time! Frostval, Quibble and Beleen's Birthday Shop will stay up until the beginning of next year!
Non-Member Bank Pets!
This Friday we will also introduce a new type of pet to the game: Bank Pets!
As the name would suggest, just click on any of these three new pets and it will open your bank from anywhere in the game!
They are NON-Member pets, they will ONLY work for the ower of the pet and they will cost 2000 ACs each. Twilly and Zorbak will be found in Aria's Pet shop and Valencia's AC shop from Friday onward, but the Frostval Quibble Bank Pet is a Guarenteed Rare that will leave the game when Quibble leaves battleon and will never be back again.
This has been an item that we've had in our heads since before AQW went into beta testing, and also a suggestion that we see quite regularly on the forums so we're happy that it's finally arrived.
Some of you will want to know why they pets cost so much. It's gets a little technical but I've already answered that question last week in THIS FORUM THREAD on THIS POST.
On a side note, I really had a lot of fun talking to you guys that day. I would like to thank every one of you who participated that day for being patient with me as I tried to answer your questions. There is SO MUCH that goes on behind the scenes of AQW that nobody really knows about (but many THINK that they do). It's nice to be able to open the door a crack and let you peek in from time to time to see what's REALLY going on. It really made me happy to know that the forums can still be a supportive and interesting place for curious and players with smart questions and comments.
That whole thread is a pretty great example of what the AE Forums should be (and once was) and I hope to see things moving back that direction in the future! I will definitely be back more often as time permits.
Ice venom freezing the blood in your veins, turning your heart bitter and your soul selfish? Shards of ice erupting from your body, turning you into a chilling golem? That does NOT make for a very Merry Frostval! You'll need to find the Flame of Frostval if you're going to serve Dead Morice - an Elemental Ice Mage - the ULTIMATE burn while making sure you're friends aren't cold as corpses... forever!
But where could such a Flame be burning if all of Lore is in the icy grasp of a coldhearted Mage? In the past, of course, as yet unkindled in the heart of a powerful child! Journey with Blizzy into a time when ShadowFall still flew, Sepulchure still plotted, and Gravelyn was the EVILLEST Undead Princess of the ShadowScythe EVER! When SHE discovers what Frostval is, YOU will find the Flame you're looking for!
But growing up Undead (what?!), Gravelyn does not know much about warmth or joy, and she doesn't know ANYTHING about Frostval! What she DOES know is that she wants to help her Daddy, and YOU are going to assist her! Battle through an icy alpine forest aiding this imperiously Evil Princess until the time comes to introduce her to the magic of Frostval!
Quibble Coinbiter - Awesomely Icy Edition!
You'll get shivers down your spine when you see the excellent equips Quibble's stocking this time around! And this is just week one of his visit! Next week, there will be even MORE rockin' Frostval rares!
Holiday Enforcer
Iced Jester
PermaFrost Legionaire and Sapiens
Hyperborean Bite Gun
Frozen Blizzard Blade
And MUCH more! If you don't see what you're looking for THIS week, check Quibble's backpack NEXT Friday!
200 Free ACs on Friday, 20+ more bag spaces to buy!
That's right, EVERY account in AQWorlds just received 200 FREE ACs for their first Frostval gift! They're great to use if you need to buy more inventory space, or just get some sweet new equips. So if you're running out of room for your rares and gear, head on over to Valencia and level up your inventory space!
EPIC Frystland DUEL!
If you're looking for an awesome (and EPIC) duel this Frostval, why not head over to Epic Duel's Frysteland War! They've been slowly introducing players to Delta V’s Frozen Northlands- Frysteland- and its inhabitants, the Krampus. Now, you’ll recall that the Krampus have a long tradition of Beast Riding, making them uniquely able to harness the power of the corrupted Yetis threatening Legion and Exile targets alike. If only you could get them on your side!
I Can Has Mod - Cysero's Turn!
The new I CAN HAS MOD contest is now running and we will be picking a winner first thing next year on January 3rd! If you don't already have it, better go get your Cysero's Golden Cheezburger from Cleric Joy in Battleon! Don't forget that every month left on your Membership and every AEXtra that you complete gives you one more chance in the drawing! Good luck!
Bloodtusk Chaos Battle for Free Players!
Now open to ALL players, watch as Bloodtusk's Chaos Lord faces Drakath head on and tries to take him down! But Chaos IS Chaotic, so things do not go quite as planned. That's where YOU come in... you can't let a rogue Chaos Lord roam free, can you?
Have a great weekend and we hope you enjoy part 1 of this year's Frostval release! We're all going to go home and wrap presents, cook up delicious food for the Lab's Frostval party, and enjoy time with friends and family. See you Monday!
PS: The /samba emote should be visible to ALL players when you use it now. Get your Dance On!
Magic, joy, and music - all are a part of Frostval! But this year, when you join us for the Song of the Frozen Heart, the melody of the SCREAMS will chill you and thrill you as you battle your way through icy foes and bitter snows! Watch as the citizens of Lore succumb to the ice venom running through their veins... until it encases them entirely, freezing their hearts, minds, and souls!
Venom in their veeeeeeins, in their veeeeeeins, Ice Zombies! Zombies!
If you are going to melt their hearts and serve Dead Morice - a cold-hearted Elemental Ice Mage - the ULTIMATE burn, you're going to have to search for the Flame of Frostval - in a MOST unlikely place: the memories of the Evillest Empress Lore has ever seen!
Dead Morice is going to give everyone the cold shoulder... and heart... and blood!
This Frostval, things are going to get heated when you battle through snow-covered alpine forests, help Gravelyn assist her father in causing trouble, and venture deep into a frozen volcano! Restore the spirit of Frostval and melt the ice in your friends hearts or they'll be as cold as corpses... forever!
Friends don't let friends turn into Ice Symbiotes.
Quibble Coinbiter Returns for Frostval!
Who can resist Quibble's epic equips? Not THIS Alchemist! And the AQW artists have been freezing their fingers to the bone to bring you some ice-cold accessories and armor!
Thursday will bring more Quibble previews, but until then, just keep an eye on our Twitter accounts!
Mid-Week Member-Only Release - Live!
Have your adventures been drag-on on? Then you'll want to head to Vasalkar's Lair for an epic member-only expansion to the /Lair map! Meet Duncan the DragonHunter and learn of his dragon-hunting hobby! Your alignment's going to come into play today, so look deep inside yourself and decide - Are you Good? Or ... Evil?
Do NOT taunt the unhappy Dadragon.
Onyx Dragon Armor
Dragon's Envy Armor
Wings of Envy
Draconic Pulse
Dragon's Song of War
And more!
Buy up to 20 More Inventory Spaces!
Talk to Valencia to get MORE inventory space! We'll be adding another 20 slots to the total number you can purchase! We didn't think we could DO this, but that's just how we work here. Artix Entertainment - making the impossible possible.
Beleen's Birthday Bonanza!
Also coming with tonight's release is the Beleen Birthday merge shop! If YOU want to view the world through pink-colored glasses, then get a move on her quests! You'll really be thinking PINK once you fill your backpack with the peppiest color in the crayon box! You'll be able to find her in the Frostvale hub town once the release goes live tonight!
Make sure you're heading to one of Toys R Us' main branches; Toys R Us outlets may not stock them. Having trouble finding one near you? Then check out this helpful Toys R Us branch locator! Make sure you check the aisles where the card games and mod packs are kept; you should find your calendar there!
200 ACs to ALL Players - This Friday!
If you haven't heard the happy holiday news, for our FIRST Frostval gift to you, we're giving ALL account in AQW 200 FREE ACs this Friday! If you've been hungering for one of Quibble's fantastically freezing Frostval rares, then make sure to claim your free ACs! Happy Frostval!
This Friday we will be releasing PART 1 of our new Frostval adventure: Song Of The Frozen Heart, Quibble will be arriving with his first week of Frostval Items and Rares and next week he will be getting a buff, and selling even MORE great Frostval themed items!
Coming on Wednesday: We will be releasing the second mid-week member mini-adventure! This week we will be buffing the LAIR area, adding a new Dragonhunter (A fallen Dragonslayer) NPC as well as a bunch of great member-only Dragon themed items. This will be the last Mid-week release of 2011 but you can expect more in in January of 2012, the Year of Chaos!
We're happy to announce that, as of this Wednesday, you will be able to expand your backpack to a maximum of 120 Inventory Spaces! That's 20 more spaces for all your favorite gear! Artix and Zhoom have been moving things in the game engine around and found a way to make the impossible possible.
As usual, you will be able to purchase these new inventory spaces from Valencia in Battleon or by hitting the Add Spaces button at the bottom of your backpack!
Zhoom says that this is the very limits of how far we can expand the inventory right now due to the limits of technology so this will be IT, but we make a habit of making the impossible possible around here so you never know...
Finally, Wednesday is Beleen's Birthday and she will be returning to Battleon with her OWN sack full of goodies as well as a new scavenger hunt all over Lore for some of Beleen's favorite things!
Even More Holiday Fun!
December is a VERY busy month for AQW. Later this month you can expect Part 2 of our new Frostval Event, Quibble will be getting even more new items, An Expanded New Year's event and on the 30th, back by popular demand, we're planning the last Limited Quantity Shop of 2011!
The new I CAN HAS MOD contest is now running and we will be picking a winner first thing next year on January 3rd! If you don't already have it, better go get your Cysero's Golden Cheezburger from Cleric Joy in Battleon! Don't forget that every month left on your Membership and every AEXtra that you complete gives you one more chance in the drawing! Good luck!
This year's annual AE Creative Cookie Contest is in full swing, so bake yourself a tasty entry, take a sweet pic and drop it HERE!
AQW will hit the ground running, full steam into the Year of Chaos! We've got a LOT of great surprises, stories, toys, rare items, classes, and new gameplay expansions in store but we don't want to ruin the new year's surpises! Let's just say you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Come back to the Design Notes TOMORROW for some pretty big news that we think everyone will be excited about!
As promised, we are giving you TWO classes for the Bloodtusk Ravine area and BOTH of them are coming out tomorrow.
As promised both classes will require a reputation rank of 10 for each of the respective ranks to purchase, but after the recent fashion we will be offering a 2000 AC version of each of the classes for those who feel like they'd rather save the time and effort.
As promised each of the classes have human versions of the art for the class and a Horc or Troll version of the art as armor which is also Rank 10 Rep.
Since we have a lot to go through, let's get down to business. Here are the skill breakdowns for each of these classes.
HORC EVADER SKILL SET
There are two interesting things about this class at first glance. First is that this is our SECOND PET CLASS, meaning that you need a Battle Pet in order to use any of it's skills.
You'll be happy to know that the class comes with a Battle Boar which you can summon using the Whistle Skill as long as you don't have any other pets equipped. Just make sure that pets are visible in your options screen.
The second thing that you might notice is that, even though most people think that the Horcs are all about brute force, this is a class with light armor which focuses heavily on stacking a lot of Dodge. That is because the Evader is a master of a different school of Horc thought which thinks that being able to take a hit is necessary but to develop the skill to easily side-step your opponents clumsy attacks while developing the ability to command a pet to attack them with bestial fury at the same time is a show of ultimate focus and skill.
This class benefits from DEX more than anything else so I suggest Thief Enh for this class.
AUTO ATTACK
2 second cooldown.
A basic attack taught to all adventurers.
WHISTLE
45 mana, 16 second cooldown.
Calls a pet to your side or sends it into a rage causing more damage but making you take more damage too.
If you don't have a Battle Pet equipped, this will summon the Battle Boar to your side and once its there this skill will increase your damage output but will also leave you vulnerable to attacks, making you take more... if they can hit you. Once you have a good Dodge stack you shouldn't be afraid of using this skill but keep an eye on your life bar.
SHADOW STRIKE
10 mana, 3 second cooldown.
Your pet attack your target causing Damage Over Time while also increasing your Dodge for a short time. Effect stacks up to 3 times.
This is your go-to skill. it should be the first thing you do after summoning your pet. Once you have three stacks of Shadow Strike applied, you will have a weak-ish DoT eating away at your foe's life AND you will receive the benefit of having a very hefty Dodge stacked up.
Remember that you need to keep three stacks of this skill up at all time but that DoT won't kill your enemy so you need to balance it with the other damage dealing skills. Since it's built on the Warrior mana-regen model you will be getting mana every time you hit, or get hit but you won't be getting hit a lot so keep an eye on your mana.
SMELL FEAR
15 mana, 5 second cooldown.
Your pet sniffs out your foe's weak spot greatly increasing you Dodge and Crit but slowing your attack speed for a short time.
I'll leave it to you to decide when you use this skill. The Dodge and Crit are VERY nice to have, especially on top of the Dodge buff from Shadow Strike but slowing your attack speed means even LESS mana coming in. It's a question of what you need at the time.
NIGHT HUNTER & SHADOW WISE
Rank 4 Passive
Increase Critical Chance by 10%
Increase Dodge by 10%
Ranking up the class unlocks the ability to get critical hits more often, plus EVEN MORE DODGE... They don't call it the Evader Class for nothing.
HUNTER'S CALL
20 mana, 6 second cooldown.
You decide to put an end to this fight quickly. You call out to your pet increasing you AND your foe's Haste for a short amount of time.
There are various uses for this skill. If you just activate it without using any other skills you should get a lot of mana rather quickly for a short amount of time.
Or you CAN use it counter the slowing effect of smell fear but the price is nearly doubling your foe's attack speed for a while. It app depends on how much Dodge you have stacked up.
SMELL BLOOD
Rank 10 Passive
You sense that your foe is near defeat which causes a burst of incredible speed for a few moments.
From time to time you will see yourself suddenly start attacking at Fast Forward speed, increasing your damage output AND your mana regen for a while.
You will notice that THIS class is the first class in a while that has no healing skill. The idea is to use your skill as a player to keep your Dodge so high that you don't NEED to heal yourself, but you can always use your potion slot for that if you want.
TROLL SPELLSMITH SKILL SET
This is a warrior/caster who is very multi-talented. You have an AOE that can attack many foes at once, a decent amount of single target damage and chance of stun which is great for solo-ing or taking on bosses and a self-heal which is ALSO a HUGE buff to ALL of your skills.
This class is all about representing the Trolls academic interests as well as their mastery of the magical arts. It's an elegant class more like a razor than a broadsword. You need to know which skills to use and when and there is a low of room for creativity with how you use them.
This class benefits from INT more than anything else so I suggest Wizard Enh for this class.
AUTO ATTACK
2 second cooldown.
A basic attack taught to all adventurers.
ENERGY ARC
35 mana, 10 second cooldown.
Calls on the power of electricity to arc from one foe to the next, slowing all of their attack speeds.
This is a really nice first skill for a few reasons. First off, unlike Shaman, this lighting attack doesn't weaken as it arcs from one to the next. Each enemy receives the same damage. Similarly they are all slowed the same amount. Of course, if you're not careful you will have an entire room of monsters on you and then it won't matter HOW slow they attack.
FROSTFLAME
25 mana, 5 second cooldown.
A freezing fire that will cause moderate ice damage and slow your enemies with a chance to stun them.
This is a GREAT skill. The damage is moderate but at a 5 second cooldown you end up causing a LOT of damage. The stun is always a nice treat but the slow stacks with the slow from the first power causing your foes to attack you at a crawl.
FOCUS ENERGY
16 second cooldown.
Convert your own energy into mana but slows your attack and lowers your damage for a while.
Like the Necromancers of DoomWood, trolls have learned to consume their own life-force and convert it into much needed mana, which is dangerous enough, but the speed and damage debuff will make you think twice before using this skill. It can be a life-saver but only if you have the skill to see when its needed.
EMPOWER & SHIFT FATE
Rank 4 Passive
Increase Damage Output by 10%
Increase Critical Chance by 10%
Ranking up the class unlocks the ability to get critical hits more often, while also doing more damage overall. In short, this is a massive buff to the entire class.
WEAKNESS SIGIL
20 mana, 5 second cooldown.
Stacks up to 5 times. Heals you for a little bit, increases the effectiveness of all other skills and increases your chance to crit on your foe with each stack.
This skill is flat out AMAZING. It speaks for itself but in case you missed it... it is a SELF-HEAL with a 5 second cool-down that makes ALL of you other skills stronger with each stack AND raises your chance to crit on a single target. it keeps you alive and seals your foe's fate at the same time. It's the best reason to rank up that I've ever seen.
TROLL CONTROL
Rank 10 Passive
Random chance to double your attack speed for 10 seconds.
Like the Evader, this rank 10 passive will also have you breaking into frenzied spell-casting giving you the chance to burn your fow down before they know what happened and since you can make your own mana, feel free to go nuts!
So there you have it. People have been asking me which is better against the other one in PvP. Dumoose and I spent some serious 1v1 arena time trying to figure out the answer to that question and we STILL DON'T KNOW! It was really about 50/50 with neither being clearly superior to the other one so if you were hoping to run into the arena against the faction you're against and wipe the floor you might want some practice first just to give you that edge.
Each class will be in the Rep Shop for its own faction in Bloodtusk and you will be able to find the AC versions there as well as Itzachi's Class Shop in Battleon. If you're in a hurry to Rank your new class up, don't forget that Itzachi also sells the CLASS POINT BOOST in her shop as well.
REMINDER
The Black Friday Shop and the Harvest event will be closing tomorrow and Quibble will be leaving on next Monday but don't worry, he always returns near Frostval with a bunch of great Frostval Items! if your family is the gist giving kind, you might want to be prepared and ask for an Artix Points card for the holidays.
In the Mirror Realm, King Alteon is your enemy.
Lore's Doom is upon you (literally)!
In the Mirror Realm, Artix is undead!
Destiny Kitten approves of your battle skils.
Find the BrightBlade Warrior with the Treasure Map!
Anonymous Drone's gonna knock you out!
Duality of Nulgath set!
T
support, and any donation made to us is greatly appreciated and continues to make AQW your favorite online MMO!
Good luck and no matter who wins we hope you enjoy the Superbowl!
Will you have time to defeat the Chaos Beast AND Chaos Lord?
Time Travel Fairies are dangerous! Don't blink or you'll miss their attack!
Do not taunt the Eternal Dragon of Time!
Loco Costume with the Glaive of the Orb staff (in The Span Rep Shop)
Eternal Dragon of Time
Ready... aim... SLAY!
Dead Morice is going to give everyone the cold shoulder... and heart... and blood!
Do NOT taunt the unhappy Dadragon.
AUTO ATTACK
WHISTLE
SHADOW STRIKE
SMELL FEAR
NIGHT HUNTER & SHADOW WISE
HUNTER'S CALL
ENERGY ARC
FROSTFLAME
FOCUS ENERGY
WEAKNESS SIGIL
