WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Adjusts Anti-Boosting Rules | This One Design Flaw Still Breaks Leveling

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• WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 PTR Confirms Easier Raids and Extra Drops | You won't believe how fast you can gear up

  Many players are very concerned about the difficulty of Phase 2 in WoW TBC Classic Anniversary, because judging from most players' current gear, a nerf similar to Phase 1 would be a much better approach.

  The developers have just released a blue post for Phase 2, unveiling PTR schedule and giving a substantive response to the community's expectations regarding difficulty adjustments, loot quantity, and more. Let's go through the key points of this announcement.

  

  PTR Schedule

  According to the latest announcement, Phase 2 PTR for WoW TBC Classic Anniversary will open later this week. The update will include all the content and features players are expecting in Phase 2, along with some additional adjustments.

  Raid testing is specifically scheduled from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, focusing on the two core Tier 5 raids, Tempest Keep (The Eye) and Serpent Shrine Cavern. For guilds and players planning to progress in Phase 2, this is an excellent opportunity to familiarize themselves with boss mechanics ahead of time.

  Difficulty Adjustments

  Difficulty is the issue that concerns players the most. The developers stated that over the past few months, they have carefully reviewed data from Phase 1 raids, including player progress and roster information, and concluded that the post-nerf difficulty not only met expectations but even exceeded them in some respects. Therefore, Tempest Keep and Serpent Shrine Cavern, which will be tested on PTR, will use the same post-nerf tuning.

  Based on what happened in Phase 1, enforcing the pre-nerf original difficulty would likely cause a significant player drop-off, since most players today simply do not have the same time and preparation levels as back in the day.

  Ideally, an option allowing players to switch between pre-nerf and post-nerf difficulties - similar to the flexible choice between Normal and Heroic modes in other expansions - would be the best solution, but the developers have always been reserved about that. In any case, with only a single fixed difficulty on WoW TBC Anniversary, opting for the post-nerf version so that more guilds can smoothly experience the content also ensures the game runs as intended.

  Increased Drop Rates

  The most exciting part of this announcement is undoubtedly the increase in the number of drops. Keep in mind that in WoW TBC Classic (2022), the developers only increased drops from 25-player bosses in Phase 3. This time, they are moving that change up directly to Phase 2.

  This is not only a response to player feedback, but also a necessary adjustment because the current phase cadence is so compressed. If raid drops were not increased, even when a new phase unlocks, many players would be stuck at the raid's doorstep due to a lack of gear and WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold.

  Specific changes are as follows:

  Phase 1 Raids

  • High King Maulgar: T4 shoulder tokens increased from 2 to 3.
  • Gruul the Dragonkiller: T4 leg tokens increased from 2 to 3.
  • Magtheridon: T4 chest tokens increased from 2 to 3.

  Phase 2 Raids

  For Tier 5 content, the set token drops from almost all bosses will be increased from 2 to 3:

  • Lady Vashj
  • Leotheras the Blind
  • Fathom-Lord Karathress
  • Kael'thas Sunstrider
  • Void Reaver

  For the other bosses that do not drop set tokens, they will now consistently drop one additional epic item:

  • Hydross the Unstable
  • The Lurker Below
  • Morogrim Tidewalker
  • Astromancer Solarian
  • Al'ar

  This means that across the ten bosses in the two T5 raids alone, each week the raid can receive ten extra pieces of gear, greatly accelerating gearing speed.

  It should be noted that this increase mainly applies to set tokens and regular epic off-pieces. Key non-set best-in-slot items like Dragonspine Trophy and later Spine of the Thousand Cuts have not had their drop rates directly increased.

  These items are in extremely high demand, needed by all physical DPS and even tanks, and the developers need them to maintain player engagement. Overall, however, this adjustment allows 25-player raids to have a more reasonable loot output.

  How to Prepare for PTR?

  With PTR for Tempest Keep and Serpent Shrine Cavern opening this weekend, players aiming to progress in Phase 2 should actively participate. Based on experience, the most challenging bosses will be Kael'thas Sunstrider and Lady Vashj. Morogrim Tidewalker may cause some trouble, but overall is not a major threat; Hydross can be used to test resistance gear and tank durability, but because his damage output is lower, the pressure is relatively limited.

  There is one trick that Paladin players should practice in advance: Divine Shield. Inside Serpent Shrine Cavern, Divine Shield can remove most debuffs and stacks. Quickly activating and canceling the bubble can instantly clear dangerous stacks.

  This mechanic is especially effective when dealing with Hydross the Unstable's unstable mechanics or when handling burst damage after Morogrim Tidewalker shifts into his demon form. To some extent, this phase even allows a Paladin to solo tank the entire encounter. For Druid players, they should also start preparing Feral cat gear to meet the demands of upcoming fights.

  Phase 3 Heroic Dungeons

  At the end of the announcement, the developers left an intriguing note: they plan to make additional Phase 3 drop changes to Heroic dungeon bosses. This could point to several very different directions.

  The most straightforward interpretation is that Heroic dungeon boss drops will also be improved, potentially even dropping raid gear directly as a convenient catch-up path. Alternatively, it could introduce a system similar to Titan Rune Dungeons, adding affixes to increase difficulty and enhance rewards.

  This likely won't be a minor change; otherwise, the developers wouldn't have teased it in advance. In any case, it gives players something to look forward to in the upcoming content.

  Overall, the developers have heard players' calls for post-nerf difficulty and didn't forcefully raise the bar; they also heard the desire for more drops due to the accelerated phase cadence, and delivered concrete numerical increases, giving everyone confidence for the upcoming Phase 2.

• WoW TBC Classic Anniversary ​​All Essential Consumables for DPS Warriors | These buffs that outperform a gear upgrade for zero effort

  Phase 2 of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary places even greater demands on DPS, and whether you play as a Fury Warrior or an Arms Warrior, both specs stand among the top-tier damage dealers.

  That said, beyond relying on support from other classes, learning how to use consumables in combat is essential for every Warrior. Preparing a full array of consumables before joining a group adds a significant buffer against mistakes. So let's take a look at all the consumables available to a DPS Warrior in TBC.

  

  Elixirs and Flasks

  TBC dramatically streamlined the consumable system, particularly for elixirs and flasks.

  Elixirs are now clearly divided into Battle Elixirs and Guardian Elixirs. You can only benefit from one Battle Elixir and one Guardian Elixir at a time. Using another elixir of the same type simply overwrites the previous effect; they never stack.

  In TBC, a single flask simultaneously occupies both your Battle Elixir and Guardian Elixir slots. While this sacrifices the flexibility of mixing elixirs, flasks provide powerful effects, persist through death, and last for 2 hours.

  Battle

  Flask of Relentless Assault

  • Effect: Increases attack power by 120 for 2 hours. Persists through death.

  This is your best all-purpose constant consumable throughout TBC. It delivers the most stable and widely applicable DPS gain. If you prefer not to overthink your consumable setup, or if you're running a long, multi-boss raid night, using this flask means you no longer need to worry about Battle or Guardian Elixirs at all - incredibly hassle-free.

  Elixir of the Mongoose / Elixir of Major Agility

  • Effect: Increases Agility and critical strike rating.

  Elixir of the Mongoose is only marginally, almost imperceptibly better than Elixir of Major Agility; their performance is nearly identical. Simply grab whichever one costs less gold at Auction House.

  Elixir of Demon Slaying

  • Effect: Increases attack power against demons by 265 for 5 min.

  When fighting demons, Elixir of Demon Slaying provides more than double the attack power of Flask of Relentless Assault. In TBC, many later boss encounters demand that you absolutely melt demons in a race against time, making this short-duration elixir almost mandatory for those fights.

  Guardian

  Swiftness of Zanza

  • Effect: Increases movement speed by 20% for 2 hours.

  This is the strongest functional Guardian Elixir for a DPS Warrior. Faster movement speed means reaching targets sooner in combat and speeding up trash clear rates in instances. It is a must-have for speed-running groups and translates indirectly into a DPS increase.

  Spirit Zanza

  • Effect: Increases Stamina by 25 and Spirit by 25.

  Spirit Zanza is better suited for tanks, but a DPS Warrior can also consider it purely for extra survivability.

  Elixir of Fortitude

  • Effect: Increases maximum health by 250 and restores 10 health every 5 seconds.

  For Warriors, and Protection Warriors in particular, 1 Stamina is superior to 10 flat health. Stamina benefits from percentage-based multipliers like Blessing of Kings and talents. As a result, 25 Stamina scaled by such modifiers yields far more than 250 maximum health. For a DPS Warrior, pure survival-focused Guardian Elixirs like this are not a high priority and are usually only considered during extremely high-pressure encounters.

  Food

  Strength-based Food

  • Roasted Clefthoof: Increases Strength by 20 and Spirit by 20. Lasts 30 min.
  • Smoked Desert Dumplings: Increases Strength by 20, but only lasts 15 min.
  • Blessed Sunfruit: Grants only 10 Strength and lasts just 10 minutes, but its effect is immediate.

  Hit-rating Food

  • Spicy Hot Talbuk: Increases hit rating by 20 for 30 min.
  • Fire-Toasted Bun: Available exclusively during Midsummer Fire Festival and expires after the event ends. Increases hit rating by 20 for 1 hour and stacks with other regular food buffs.

  Sharpening Stones and Weightstones

  The core rule for using sharpening stones revolves around Windfury Totem. The temporary weapon enchant from a sharpening stone conflicts with Windfury Totem effect. If your group has a Shaman providing Windfury Totem, never apply a sharpening stone to your main hand weapon - only use one on your off-hand. If there is no Windfury, you can apply them to both main and off-hand.

  • Adamantite Sharpening Stone / Weightstones: The go-to choice in TBC, adds 12 weapon damage and 14 critical strike rating.
  • Elemental Sharpening Stone: Provides 28 critical strike rating, and its advantage is that it works on any weapon type. However, as a rare recipe from the old world, acquiring it may require a considerable amount of gold.

  Potions

  Haste Potion

  • Effect: Increases haste rating by 400 for 15 sec.

  Haste Potion delivers the highest DPS return of any consumable in the entire game. 25% haste provides a massive spike in Warrior rage generation, Heroic Strike uptime, and white-hit damage. In encounters shorter than 20 seconds, a single Haste Potion can potentially double your DPS.

  The downside is that Haste Potions demand a fair bit of gold, and the effect is lost upon death. Still, these are worthwhile investments to raise your damage output.

  Mighty Rage Potion

  • Effect: Instantly grants 45-75 rage and increases Strength by 60 for 20 sec.

  Mighty Rage Potion is completely overshadowed by Haste Potion, but if you want to conserve WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold, you can use it as a substitute.

  Free Action Potion

  • Effect: Makes you immune to stun and movement-impairing effects for 30 sec.

  This potion can be uniquely useful on certain boss fights with specific mechanics. Keep in mind that all potions share a 2-minute cooldown, so don't waste your burst window by using a Healing Potion when a Haste Potion could have been active.

  Scrolls

  You can use multiple scrolls at the same time, and their effects stack both with each other and with all other consumables. Scroll of Agility V and Scroll of Strength V provide 20 Agility and 20 Strength respectively - essentially free stats.

  When browsing your options, keep an eye out for lower-grade versions like Scroll of Strength IV. The cost for these is often significantly lower than that of their rank V counterparts while the stat difference is minimal, making them far more cost-effective.

  The above covers the general consumables for a DPS Warrior in TBC. If you have also trained Engineering, you will have a handful of extra gadgets at your disposal, though those are typically only useful against trash mobs - using them on boss encounters will often just waste your damage-dealing time. Hopefully, these consumables will help you push your DPS even higher in dungeons and raids.

• WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Primal Materials for Phase 2 is a Mistake | Why every gold investor will regret this decision?

  With the announcement of Phase 2 date for WoW TBC Classic Anniversary, many players have already begun farming gear, gold, or leveling alts to prepare for the new phase.

  Some players with deep pockets are already investing in materials or equipment that could become very scarce in Phase 2. However, since the developers' detailed adjustment plans are still unknown, every investment carries some risk. Drawing on past experience, many are considering investing in Primal materials, but this could also be a highly risky move.

  

  What Constitutes A Good Investment?

  Before explaining why Primal materials are not a sound investment, you first need to understand that a good investment either has extremely low current demand and ample supply, or is currently in balance but poised for a massive future surge in demand - like Netherbloom or Haste Potions right now. Primal materials, however, do not meet these criteria.

  The way most players earn WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold is by farming in the open world, and almost every farming guide prioritizes Primal materials as the top choice. This leads to a constant and enormous supply of Primal materials.

  Primal Materials

  Before discussing why players are investing in Primal materials right now, let's look at what they actually do.

  Primal Air

  Mainly used for enchants such as Mongoose and Superior Agility - a steady consumption, but not explosive. It can also craft some mail and leather belts, but these are not game-changing BiS upgrades.

  Primal Mana

  Its primary use is the glove enchant Superior Spellpower for healers and spell DPS. Beyond that, there are hardly any noteworthy consumables.

  Primal Water

  Key for high-quality enchants like Bracers and Soulfrost. The biggest consumption point might be crafting Frost Resistance gear, but that is limited to a small number of players progressing on specific bosses.

  Primal Shadow

  In the short term, it can be used for catch-up physical leather pieces like Ebon Netherscale Bracers. Its real potential value, however, lies in crafting Shadow Resistance gear required for Phase 3 Black Temple, to face Mother Shahraz. At that point, players will socket Shadow Resistance items with Void Spheres to stack all resistances. Therefore, Primal Shadow could be a dark horse that surges in the future, but certainly not during Phase 2.

  Demand for Primal Materials

  The period of strongest demand for Primal materials is always the first three to four weeks after they become available. The reason is simple: during this window, a huge number of players need to enchant and craft their pre-raid BiS items. Whether it's crafting weapons via blacksmithing, applying BiS enchants to multiple gear swaps, or tailoring cooldown production, all of this consumes massive amounts of Primal materials. After that, once most players' gear setups are stable or they get upgrades from raids, demand falls back to a steady level that only supports basic enchanting needs.

  Primal Material Demand in Phase 2

  But you cannot take Phase 1 experience and apply it to Phase 2, because there are actually not that many items requiring Primal materials in this phase. The biggest demand might be tanks crafting resistance gear for specific bosses, but in a 25-player raid, at most two or three tanks need it, so consumption is extremely limited.

  Moreover, many players, having witnessed how high Primal material values soared early in Phase 1 and seeing that they have now fallen, consider this an investment opportunity and decide to stock up. This speculative behavior itself could push values down even further.

  Phase 2 introduces engineering goggles for every class, but they barely need any Primal materials - just one Primal Fire. The items seen as the real consumption drivers are the crafted pieces that come from Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep drops, such as Belt of Blasting. This belt is a massive upgrade for warlocks and other spell DPS and requires 15 Primal Fire.

  However, the true demand bottleneck is that crafting these items requires Nether Vortex, the pattern is Bind on Pickup, and the resulting item can only be crafted for personal use by the player who learned the pattern - it cannot be traded.

  A raid that downs both final bosses and fully clears the instance can obtain roughly 5 to 6 Nether Vortexes per week. While many players participate in raids daily, only a small number farm trash mobs.

  Smart raids will prioritize allocating Nether Vortex to melee weapon crafting. This means the scarcity and priority of Nether Vortex will heavily constrain the rate at which Primal materials are consumed, preventing demand from ever skyrocketing.

  Situation in WoW TBC Classic

  This is not mere speculation. Back in WoW TBC Classic, many players invested heavily in materials before Phase 2, only to end up taking a loss. The reason was that the droprate for tradeable patterns was too low to quickly absorb the massive supply generated by farming.

  When players entered Phase 2, many were short on gold and continued to farm Primal materials in places like Throne of Kil'jaeden to earn gold, further worsening the oversupply. In the end, the value of Primal Fire even fell below pre-Phase 2 levels, because demand at this stage was entirely propped up by speculators rather than real consumers.

  In summary, a large number of players are thinking about investing in Primal materials, but the biggest problem is that demand will never be able to catch up with supply. If the developers announce changes to how Nether Vortex is obtained, or seriously crack down on botting, values could recover. Other than that, it is advisable to steer clear of Primal materials, keeping at most only what you need for personal use.

• WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 Dilemmas you may Encounter | Why your Melee Main might end up riding the bench all Phase?

  The developers recently announced the release date for WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2. It will officially launch on May 14th, and everything - from the raid schedule to raid composition and even loot distribution - will be drastically different from Phase 1.

  Whether you are a hardcore or casual player, it is essential to understand what Phase 2 brings and how the pacing will change.

  

  The Impact of Phase 1 Being Delayed

  The developers had clearly promised that TBC Classic would follow a significantly accelerated timeline, and there were even rumors that the final phase would arrive in winter 2026. This almost frenetic pace means that the time players have to enjoy raids and collect BIS gear will be severely compressed.

  Most players originally expected Phase 2 to start in late April or early May, but the developers pushed it back to May 14th, extending Phase 1's duration to roughly 12 weeks. Although this is still 3 weeks shorter than 2021 Classic TBC era, losing those 3 weeks directly means three fewer chances to obtain highly sought-after items like Bloodmaw Magus Blade and Dragonspine Trophy .

  Moreover, this will inevitably shorten the phases that follow. If we set aside Phase 1, the remaining four phases would each be squeezed into roughly two and a half months. The developers might even take a more drastic approach - for example, heavily compressing the duration of Zul'Aman while allocating more time to Black Temple and Sunwell Plateau. For players, this means less room for error, less time farming gear and earning WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold. Your gear planning needs to start right now.

  Harder Raids

  Phase 2 raids are noticeably more complex and feature many more mechanics to learn. They will pull players back into the kind of lengthy progression rhythm from the original days - you may face four- or five-hour progression nights, constant wipes, complicated trash-clearing routines, and boss encounters with a real sense of pressure.

  This is a stark contrast to the relaxed Phase 1 experience of clearing Karazhan in two hours. It is still unclear whether Phase 2 raids will be nerfed (considering the length of Phase 1 and players' gear situation, it is very likely), but in any case, the demands on raid leaders and team coordination will increase significantly.

  Therefore, for teams that are underprepared, have an imbalanced composition, or suffer from a loot distribution system falling apart, Phase 2 may lead to many players quitting. No one wants to be stuck before the first boss for an entire week.

  DPS Becomes Much More Important

  Phase 1 was a version with virtually no DPS checks. Whether it was Gruul or Magtheridon, you could even take ten DPS and slowly wear the boss down.

  In Phase 2, however, even in a nerfed Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep, bosses like Lady Vashj and Kael'thas Sunstrider have strict DPS requirements. If the raid's overall damage per second doesn't meet the threshold, all that awaits you is a wipe.

  This means you can no longer field compositions like Phase 1, where you could stack eight healers and cram in five warriors and five rogues. Phase 2 will force you to reduce the number of healers and assemble a more optimized, balanced roster.

  Although the developers may release the raids after nerfing them, Phase 1 wasn't very long, which left many players without optimal gear, so Phase 2 raids will still be a challenge for the majority of players.

  Melee DPS Dilemma

  A considerable number of players in WoW TBC Classic Anniversary have rolled Warrior and Rogue, and both classes will face difficulty finding raid spots in Phase 2. In fact, even in Phase 1, rogues already struggled to get into raids.

  Although Phase 2 greatly needs DPS, the situation for melee DPS hasn't improved - in fact, it has become even tougher. Over half of the raid spots are taken by tanks, healers, warlock tanks, and ranged DPS, leaving limited room for melee. Even more critically, melee classes heavily rely on support from utility classes within the raid.

  Take warriors for example: without buffs from a Feral Druid, Enhancement Shaman, or even a Hunter, their damage plummets drastically. It is precisely this dependency on other classes that puts many raid leaders in a dilemma. They must either painfully reduce the number of melee spots, benching teammates who have invested so much effort, or squeeze the caster group - but doing so would make encounters like Lady Vashj, Kael'thas, and Al'ar exceptionally difficult.

  Shortage of Support Classes

  In theory, the best way to solve the melee dilemma is to add more Shadow Priests, Balance Druids, Elemental Shamans, Feral Druids, and Enhancement Shamans to the raid. The reality, however, is that very few players want to play these classes. Warriors are regarded as the class with the best feel and most satisfying gameplay in TBC; many are even considering rerolling a warrior for Phase 2, and rogue numbers remain stubbornly high. In contrast, support classes that provide buffs to the team but offer a mediocre personal gameplay experience have always lacked interest.

  Many guild managements have tried various incentives to persuade members to switch to support roles, but few have responded. If this class preference doesn't change, a large number of melee players in Phase 2 will find themselves in the embarrassing situation of having gear but no raid spot.

  Attunement

  Before entering Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep, you need to clear heroic dungeons like The Arcatraz and Shattered Halls, and also defeat Nightbane and Magtheridon. While this attunement process is not tied to Phase 2 itself, it will seriously affect your Phase 2 experience.

  If you put everything off until the final week before the new phase launches, you'll likely be forced into endless suffering with nightmarish pick-up groups, or worse, because of messed-up quest steps, find yourself locked out on raid opening day, watching your team enter while you can do nothing about it. This could render the character you painstakingly built almost useless.

  Phase 2 timeline is now set, and the information above represents the challenges you may face in this upcoming phase. You can prepare in advance - for instance, by addressing gear and attunement - and beyond that, it all depends on how you and your team handle the test that lies ahead.

• WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 New Factions Ogri'la and Sha'tari Skyguard Reputation Points Farming

  Beyond the fundamental choice between Alliance and Horde, as you adventure through the various zones of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary, you will encounter numerous minor factions. Increasing your reputation with these groups unlocks the ability to trade for new items.

  In addition to existing factions, such as Aldor, Scryers, and others. Besides, Phase 2, launching on May 14th, will introduce Ogri'la and Sha'tari Skyguard as new options!

  To help you begin farming reputation points immediately upon the launch of Phase 2, we are providing detailed information on these two new factions. This guide will help you prepare effectively and stay one step ahead of the competition!

  

  How to unlock Ogri'la?

  This faction consists of Ogres and is stationed in the western part of Blade's Edge Mountains, situated precisely between two Forge Camps. There are two ways to reach this location: by flying there yourself, or by being summoned by another player already present in the area.

  Generally, we recommend flying there, as the ability to fly is a prerequisite for completing the various reputation quests you will undertake later.

  If you wish to begin earning reputation points immediately upon reaching the faction's base, be sure to complete the prerequisite questline in advance.

  To do so, you must first locate V'eru in Shattrath City at coordinates (/way 56.8 48.2). Speak with him to initiate and complete the following specific quests in the exact order listed:

  • Speak with the Ogre
  • Mog'dorg the Wizened
  • Grulloc Has Two Skulls
  • Maggoc's Treasure Chest
  • Even Gronn Have Standards
  • Grim (oire) Business
  • Into the Soulgrinder
  • Speak with Mog'dorg

  How to farm reputation points?

  Initially, your reputation level with Ogri'la will be Unfriendly. Only after completing the aforementioned questline can you begin to raise your standing by unlocking and completing the daily quests offered by Ogri'la faction.

  There are four reputation tiers available to unlock with this faction. From lowest to highest, they are: Neutral, Friendly, Honored, and Exalted.

  This means you will need to progress through four distinct stages of reputation farming to reach the highest rank. You need to locate Mog'dorg the Wizened (/way 55.4 44.8), interact with him, and then complete the following quests to reach Neutral reputation level:

  • Ogre Heaven
  • The Crystals
  • An Apexis Relic
  • The Relic's Emanation
  • Our Boy Wants To Be A Skyguard Ranger
  • A Father's Duty
  • A Fel Whip For Gahk
  • Guardian of the Monument
  • The Skyguard Outpost
  • Bombing Run
  • Bomb Them Again!
  • Assault on Bash'ir Landing!
  • Wrangle Some Aether Rays!
  • Wrangle More Aether Rays!
  • To Rule The Skies

  Some of the quests listed above are repeatable daily quests; continue farming them to gradually progress through Friendly and Honored reputation levels.

  Upon unlocking these two tiers, you will also become eligible to undertake additional quests or events that grant reputation points:

  Friendly:

  • A Special Thank You (Grants an additional Ogri'la Care Package reward)

  Honored:

  • Banish the Demons (Grants an additional Darkrune reward)
  • Banish More Demons (Grants an additional Kronk's Grab Bag reward)
  • Legion Ring Events (Grants an additional consumable item reward)

  It is worth noting that there is a prerequisite for unlocking Legion Ring events. After obtaining a Darkrune, interact with Gahk to accept and complete the quest A Crystalforged Darkrune.

  By combining the new reputation sources unlocked at Honored level with the daily quests, you will eventually be able to reach Exalted reputation level with Ogri'la faction.

  While most of the quests are not particularly difficult, the additional ones unlocked at higher tiers can be more dangerous. If you wish to complete them safely and efficiently, it is advisable to buy WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold at IGGM in advance, allowing you to readily acquire consumables or upgrade your gear whenever necessary.

  What are the reputation rewards?

  As your reputation level increases, Jho'nass - Ogri'la Quartermaster (/way 28.0 58.6), he will make a wider selection of items available for trade. You can exchange Apexis Shards or Apexis Crystals dropped during quests and events to acquire these items.

  Additionally, if you obtain Depleted items while defeating quest-specific enemies, you can consume Apexis Crystals to transform them into the equipable Infused items.

  How to unlock Sha'tari Skyguard?

  This faction's base of operations is located in Terokkar Forest. Accessing it is similar to how you reach Ogri'la; the only difference is that your starting reputation level with Sha'tari Skyguard is Neutral.

  How to farm reputation points?

  Farming reputation points for Sha'tari Skyguard requires no prerequisite quests; you simply need to travel to three designated locations and complete the quests available within those areas.

  Blackwind Landing - NPC Yuula in Shattrath City:

  • Threat from Above
  • To Skettis!
  • Fires Over Skettis
  • Escape from Skettis
  • Hungry Nether Rays
  • World of Shadows
  • More Shadow Dust
  • Secrets of the Talonpriests
  • Ishaal's Almanac
  • An Ally in Lower City
  • Countdown to Doom
  • Hazzik's Bargain
  • A Shabby Disguise
  • Adversarial Blood
  • Terokk's Downfall

  Skyguard Outpost in Blade's Edge Mountains:

  • The Skyguard Outpost
  • Bombing Run
  • Bomb Them Again!
  • Assault on Bash'ir Landing!
  • Wrangle Some Aether Rays!
  • Wrangle More Aether Rays!
  • To Rule The Skies

  Once your Ogri'la reputation level reaches Honored:

  • Guardian of the Monument
  • Banish the Demons

  In addition to quests, killing specific types of mobs within Terokkar Forest also grants Sha'tari Skyguard reputation points. The rarer the creature, the more reputation points it provides:

  • 5 Points: Skettis Kaliri
  • 10 Points: All Arakkoa in Skettis, Monstrous Kaliri
  • 30 Points: Talonsworn Forest-Rager
  • 100 Points: Darkscreecher Akkarai, Gezzarak the Huntress, Vakkiz the Windrager, Karrog
  • 500 Points: Terokk

  What rewards can you obtain?

  Quartermaster for this faction is Grella, located at Blackwind Landing (/way 64.4 66.2). Just like with Ogri'la, Sha'tari Skyguard reputation rewards grant you access to vendor items; however, the currency required for these trades is gold.

  Unlike other factions, Ogri'la and Sha'tari Skyguard do not impose any requirements based on your initial faction affiliation; therefore, it is highly recommended that you join both simultaneously to maximize your rewards.

  We hope this reputation farming guide helps you make faster progress once Phase 2 goes live! Thank you for reading.

• WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 DPS Class Rankings | That popular class is a trap

  WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 is set to arrive in mid-May, which is a bit earlier than most players expected. That said, it still leaves just enough time to level up a new alt.

  Phase 2 will introduce two new raids, and with them, the landscape for DPS classes is bound to shift. If you're hoping to secure a raid spot in Phase 2, let's take a look at which DPS specs are projected to perform best - and worst.

  

  Tier C

  Combat Rogue

  If you frequent the Looking for Group channels, you'll notice two classes everywhere: Warriors and Rogues. A raid needs Rogues about as much as it needs a Balance Druid. Yet the number of Rogue players is roughly ten times that of Balance Druids.

  Given that Phase 2 raids will likely be somewhat easier after possible nerfs, Rogues will still face a situation where supply exceeds demand. If you'd rather not struggle to recruit more Warlocks or Mages, bringing four or five Rogues is a convenient solution - and it also ensures full uptime on Improved Expose Armor.

  Arms Warrior

  Currently, the least popular specialization in TBC Classic is Arms Warrior. If Fury Warrior didn't exist, Arms would be a perfectly solid spec, but most players obviously care more about raw output.

  Affliction Warlock

  Affliction Warlock is widely regarded as one of the strongest classes in Phase 2. During trash clearing, a Warlock's Seed of Corruption combined with a Warrior's Sweeping Strikes can unleash devastating area damage.

  However, the biggest issue for Warlocks isn't damage - it's survival. Since most Protection Paladins lack sufficient spell power to hold threat against large trash packs, Warlocks using Seed of Corruption are extremely prone to over-threat and getting taken down. Unless Protection Paladin in your group is a top-tier player, Warlock will likely spend much of the trash phase on the floor.

  Tier B

  Elemental Shaman

  Not every raid composition includes an Elemental Shaman, but this specialization is absolutely a valuable option. If you're thinking of leveling a new alt right now, Elemental Shaman is an excellent choice. This isn't only because of the massive spell damage boost their totems provide to caster groups, or their burst damage in short fights - the key reason is Phase 2's most difficult encounter: Lady Vashj.

  In this fight, the raid must handle a Strider that needs to be kited. Any player who gets too close to that target suffers a fear effect, which can easily wipe the group. While Mages, Hunters, and even skilled Druids can kite, the simplest and most forgiving option is an Elemental Shaman using Frost Shock. They generate enormous threat, perfectly bypassing this fight's most troublesome mechanic.

  Shadow Priest

  In the post-nerf environment of Phase 2's Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest's Keep, many boss fights will see Arcane Mages at the top of the damage meters. Once Mages obtain their two-piece Tier 5 set, the damage of their core spell, Arcane Blast, increases by 20%, sending their output soaring.

  Yet the double-edged nature of T5 set is that Arcane Blast's mana cost also skyrockets. In longer boss fights, Arcane Mages become heavily dependent on a Shadow Priest's Vampiric Touch to restore mana. Without a Shadow Priest's support, Mage team will quickly run out of mana and be forced to rely on Frostbolt - a significant damage loss.

  Enhancement Shaman

  Enhancement Shaman provides the raid with a huge amount of passive stats through totems and buffs. Because the number of Enhancement players is very low, almost every guild is recruiting one, and they tend to be forgiving when it comes to gear and skill. As a result, an Enhancement Shaman in Phase 2 will rarely have trouble finding a group.

  

  Tier A

  Beast Mastery Hunter

  Beast Mastery Hunters consistently put up top-tier damage on many raid boss encounters. Any raid would gladly take three to five Hunters.

  Yet the number of players willing to main a Hunter seems to be declining. The likely reason is that farming a Hunter's best gear is extremely tedious and time-consuming. Apart from those who chose a Hunter from the very beginning, most players leveling alts tend to avoid this class.

  Retribution Paladin

  Retribution Paladin is definitely a niche spec that can shine in early Phase 2, even though obtaining its core weapon is no small task.

  Retribution Paladin's Lionheart Executioner provides a damage cap far exceeding one-handed weapon upgrades, and its massive burst damage is enough to easily secure a place in early boss fights. However, you'll need to convince the other players in the raid to prioritize Nether Vortex.

  Feral Druid

  Feral Druid is another seriously underrated key role. A single Feral Druid, through its aura, can provide roughly 100 extra damage per second to each Warrior, Rogue, and Enhancement Shaman in the melee group. For a physical-damage-heavy composition, sometimes multiple Feral Druids may be desired.

  Tier S

  Fire Mage

  Fire Mages top the damage charts in boss fights, but they share the same T5 set token with Warlocks and Hunters. Fire Mage's 20% Arcane Blast damage increase, Hunter's 5% Steady Shot critical chance, and Warlock's two-set bonus all guarantee fierce competition for Tier 5 tokens. Sometimes you may find yourself rolling against eight or nine other players for a single piece of gear.

  Balance Druid

  Balance Druid is the second least popular class, mainly because its personal damage isn't particularly high, it struggles with mana consumption during early progression, and it's relatively gear-dependent. In practice, however, it brings a lot to a raid.

  Innervate, Battle Resurrection, and Faerie Fire all prove quite useful in raid encounters. Many groups are happy to bring one Balance Druid - but only one. Given that Balance Druids aren't numerous, you're almost certain to find a raid spot.

  Fury Warrior

  Fury Warrior's damage potential as a pure DPS spec is seriously underestimated in Phase 2. In a well-optimized raid, the top spot on the damage meters often belongs not to a Mage or Hunter, but to a Warrior.

  Because WoW TBC Classic Anniversary may reduce raid boss health and damage, Warriors will be able to cover longer fight phases with Recklessness, Death Wish, Blood Fury, and Bloodlust - generating massive rage and dealing devastating damage. On many boss fights, Warrior may very well be the highest damage dealer.

  Phase 2 tests not only your personal rotation, but also the wisdom of raid composition and gear distribution. If you're willing to choose a class that supports the team, plenty of groups will extend you an invitation.