Too Many Annas

Using Tabards in RP Outfits

8 Written by Anna on June 16, 2010 – 8:39 am

Finding RP outfits can be as simple as stopping by the auction house and picking up a low level robe, or perhaps a pair of pants and a shirt. Many lower level items (or even saved quest items) are relatively fashionable, and you can make a lot of different outfits that will look believable and character appropriate. A particularly fashion forward mage might wear the latest in robe styles and bright colors, while a simpler adventurer type might feel more comfortable in leather boots and an workman’s shirt.

One item that often gets overlooked, in terms of RP outfits, is a tabard. Obviously these are easier to acquire at higher levels, but most people can either purchase (or find someone to help them purchase) a guild tabard, and it’s not too difficult from there to find an outfit that looks good.

Most tabards, unless they’re /very/ unusually colored, will look good with a white or black swashbuckler shirt, a stylish black shirt or a formal white shirt, some tuxedo pants, and whatever boots you have hanging around in either a dark or complimenting color. If you can’t find anything else, or don’t like the look of boots, a pair of Frayed Shoes will look really good, and you can find those in any low level zone.

Of course, you’re welcome to get more creative and colorful, but I keep that basic outfit on almost all my characters in case I need a quick RP look in a pinch. This is a good sort of basic investment if you’re just getting started, since a guild tabard is relatively “RP Neutral”, but – especially if you’re RPing mostly within your guild – will fit in easily. It’s also inexpensive to acquire, since shirts and tuxedo pants are crafted.

Because the Wildfire Riders tabard is Black and Red, Aely’s RP boots are a pair of Vileprey Boots that are black, red, and white. (This combo also looks quite good with the Shattered Sun, Argent Dawn, Argent Crusade, and many other Reputation tabards.)

Some tabards, however, are more difficult.

I present The Tabard of the Explorer. For those unfamiliar, it’s a tabard in various shades of brown with a big map of Azeroth plastered across the front of it.

Accessorizing this tabard took some doing, but it’s unusual looking and the colors aren’t too bad, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

The general reaction has been overwhelmingly positive:

To recreate this outfit, you need:

1. An Explorer’s Tabard, from getting the Explore Northrend achievement
2. A Gossamer Tunic (of the something) and some Gossamer Boots (of the something)
3. A pair of Expedition Pants (of the something)
4. A Belt. This belt is a Windchaser Cinch (my go-to RP belt), but you could wear any belt that looked alright with the colors of the outfit.

That’s it!

Obviously there are variations you could use. If you really like the “tucked in” tabard look, in which case you might look at a Durable Robe (of the something) or possibly one of the robes with the Gaea’s Raiment skin (there are several). You never know what poking around in the Auction House (or in WoWHead) might turn up!

And no, I have no idea what to do with the Loremaster’s Colors. Sorry, you guys are on your own for that one…

Needs More?

6 Written by Anna on June 15, 2010 – 3:18 pm

In the following conversation, I should note that Berylla is me (My oldest alt and banker, from before the days of Many Annas) and Sharidan is the alt of one Ulthanon Kaidos, (click for portrait) who, alongside Beltar Forgebreaker, makes up the bullet-firing core of the Wildfire Riders.

So it is to them that I turn most often for huntering advice (Well, them and the rest of the awesome hunters that hang around, but I digress).

Today’s question is a very serious and weighty one.

I can now go back to leveling Angoleth in peace.

PS: Yes, this is a Warhammer joke. I realize that this is WoW and not Warhammer. It’s also a longstanding WFR joke (particularly with Ulthanon), and one that makes me giggle.

Just Another Monday

2 Written by Anna on June 14, 2010 – 11:18 am

What’s new around here?

• Angoleth is level 75, quickly approaching 76.

I’ve done Northrend enough times now to have a “rhythm” to leveling, which helps a lot (as do heirloom shoulders and such). Turns out there are a number of folks around the same level in TRI and the WFR, so we’ve been running some random dungeons. I’ve still not finished Azjol’Nerub though, as Hadronox keeps bugging on me (happened twice now. grr). Because of the dungeon XP though, I’ve managed to skip Grizzly Hills entirely – for now. We’ll see how I do in Zul’Drak. I really like Grizzly Hills, but I’ve come to be fond of the Argent/Troll areas of Zul’Drak as well, even if I still hate the Drakuru stuff.

• Annylais is tagging along on AQ20 runs and working on her Guardian of Cenarius title.

She’s about halfway through revered with the Cenarion Expedition and just hit revered with the Cenarion Circle.

• Raiding has me pretty burned out lately, simply for repetitiveness of content.

I’ve been in ICC three days a week since December – and that just gets /old/, especially on the heels of ToC (an instance I still can’t even stomach the thought of doing. ToC was nearly bad enough to force me out of the game entirely.) On the other hand, I’m going to miss my 10 man group, which decided that we were generally too burned out and tired of ICC to put in any real bid for more than a handful of heroics. I’m glad I raid with most of them in TRI25, ’cause they’re awesome people.

• Aely is up in Northrend full time right now, anticipating the death of the Lich King and the final battles.

RP has been hard for me lately. I’m not sure if it’s real life stuff, Arrens and my constantly missing each other or being online at alternate times, or just the general lull that happens in between major story lines. I’ve been “working on” a story for Aely for months and haven’t made any real progress. It’s a little frustrating, and I’m not sure how to find her voice again. She’s not usually a quiet character! I’ve heard a number of people saying similar things – we just finished a storyline and it’s the “end of the expansion” (or the “last 6 months” at least), etc. Still, I do miss the regular RP stuff.

It’s also a little odd to have killed Arthas both in 10 and 25, but not have him be “dead”. While I /ABSOLUTELY/ understand why that’s necessary from a guild story standpoint (and have no issue with it at all), there’s still some level of disconnect from a “hey I just killed that dude and have loot from him” standpoint.

• In a bit of sheer irony and having the awesomest friends, I’ve been very casually poking around in the Cataclysm Alpha.

And that’s all I’m sayin’ ’bout that.

What’s new in your World of Warcraft?

We can be Heroes

6 Written by Anna on June 11, 2010 – 9:15 am

Every expansion has its Big Bads. Some are, of course, Bigger and Badder than others, and some raids run out of time, energy, and (occasionally) people to fill raid spots before they can be defeated for good.

Onyxia. Ragnaros. Nefarian. C’thun. Kel’thuzad.

Gruul. Magtheridon. Vashj. Kael’thas. Archimonde. Illidan. Kil’jaeden.

Sartherion. Kel’thuzad. Malygos. Yogg’Saron. Anub’Arak.

Arthas.

(click to embiggen)

I think it goes without saying how proud I am. I didn’t raid with TRI in Classic WoW, but I’m told they never killed Nefarian. I was there for the wipes on Archimonde and the progress through Black Temple and Kael’thas’ death – but we ran out of time and energy before all the class changes happened.

But last night, we did that which TRI has never done before.

We killed the end boss of the expansion.

Did we use the 20% buff? Sure. But for the last weeks, we’ve been raiding one night a week; at our strongest we only raid 7 hours over two nights. We’re a raid entirely made up of “casuals” – a really good example of why “casual” doesn’t mean “bad”. This week was our first “raid lockout extension” too.

25 people sucked it up and kept the morale high through 4 hours of wiping last Friday, and then 3 hours of wiping last night. But somewhere around 2 and a half hours in… it just clicked. Everything fell into place, and after only two attempts that got to the Vile Spirits phase, we took him down.

The excitement was palpable through the silence (I mentioned we’re an RP raid; we waited to celebrate vocally until everyone had seen both the Death Scene and the following Cutscene Video), and the loot was distributed with the grace and camaraderie that I’ve come to expect and love about TRI.

So congratulations guys.

I’m proud to be a part of the team that puts TRI together every week, but even more proud to count myself a Kingslayer among your number.

::waves the victory flag::

Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one day