Zerohour's Last Minute 10-Day Timer to Expac

I figured I'd help my fellow man this holiday season, since we're officially in it now, with a Countdown to Expansion post for the helpless and needy.  I know everyone's up in arms that there's flat out nothing to do until release, so like always, let's see if you have everything really in place before you say that.  So while you read and I write this with Christmas music going in the background, let's get started.

A few groundrules:
* I assume you are actually interested in doing something interesting
* I assume you aren't too busy
* I assume you have several alts

Before the race to 100 happens, and I like others have to raise my 25x90s on Illidan (and the other 90s I have spread all over hell's half acre), I'm busying myself.  I have 5 primary characters I enjoy playing, specifically my Paladin (main), Warrior, Rogue, Monk and Warlock.  I tend to enjoy playing them all so I grind stuff out with them.  I also don't mess with frog farming unless it's for a friend.

1) Before Darkmoon leaves town for the last time before release, go get the WINGS

It's a toy.  You want it.  They're cool.  They're sharp looking and somewhat prove you aren't a keyboard turner.  Just head to the isle and fly through 50 rings of fire.  You start by getting bumped in the air with a 10 second buff that gets reset to 10 everytime you fly through a ring.  If it hits zero, you float to the ground and have to start over.  Just like the Alysrazor fight.  All you have to do is figure out the route that works best for you.

It took me about 4 tries to realize where the rings were spawning, and then create some sort of half-assed route to fly around.  Once you get the wings, you can be the cool kid in LFD who will be whispered every run by the nubs who didn't do it and resubbed 2 hours before, "Where u get those wings?!!1!1"  Totally worth it and you only need to do it one time.

2) Go do Throne of Four Winds across all your 90s

There's a mount in there, and this place takes about 5 minutes per character (including travel time) to do it with an appropriately geared character.  Go counter clockwise for the first bosses, and take out Al'Akir.  About 100g for your trouble in gold and drops if you don't get a mount.

3) Malygos in 25 man is Stupid Easy

He also drops a mount.  Try the Azerothian slot machine by killing him with all your characters.  You can't take him below 1 hitpoint in phase 1, but you certainly can keep yourself healed while DPSing on the old vehicle.  Cool mechanics destroyed by casual players.  Go prove you're one of the best at vehicles and get the mount.  It's not easy to get out there, but still worth it for a few minutes of fun.

4) Get the BOAs from Garrosh Before They Go Away

These are gone forever come release.  For my money, and even though my main and alts are all rolling weapons that won't be replaced until about 95, these are worth it.  Get into a PUG kill, pay a guild to bring you along, go get on Openraid and get into a group before it goes away.  I pity the fool who doesn't have RealID friends who can help!

5) If you don't know what profession to level on that boosted character...

Level skinning.  In fact, level skinning on everyone who has a non-armor profession.  It will be THE most overlooked gathering profession by the masses.  This is easily done on the Timeless Isle since 1) You can skin anything from level 1 proficiency and 2) if your server is populated there will be dead beasts everywhere.  You also get bonus coins for #6 below.  I recommend hanging around the tigers most.

6) Speaking of Timeless Isle, Go Get Rid of ALL Those Extra Timeless Coins

Unless you need the 100,000 coins for the Heavenly Golden mount (more on this later), go gamble the rest of the coins away and get a good version of Bonkers, preferably Destruction or Ninja.  Get a pet addon to see the breeds.  Don't learn him unless he's one of these or he's your first one, he's worth 25g to the vendor unlearned.

If you have the enchanters lined up to DE the gear from the isle, gamble for the different epics.  DE those pieces and sell off Jade or Dancing Steel enchants.  They should be really hot on your server with the amount of people getting Garrosh BOAs.  Either way, don't get stuck holding onto coins which are useless to you in less than 10 days.  And this isn't a bad quick gold score.

7) Do the Lame Opening Event Across All 90s

I did it.  It sucked.  But I also have Iron Starlettes out the ying-yang.  These are no longer retained after November 13th, and there will be a market for them.  Remember the Haunted Memento?  I collected a bunch of those in Wrath, they dropped all the time, everyone had one.  They were so common back then we were actually throwing them into people's bags to annoy them (they had the mechanic like the leather balls at one time if you recall).  I remember using Track Undead when Wrath launched and all of Dalaran lit up because everyone had one in their bags.  Today I see them being sold for thousands and thousands of gold because so many people have left from back then.  Additionally, people are waiting to come back on release day, and many aren't bothering but will want one later.  Tuck a few in some bank for later, people will be looking for them.

8) Make Sure Your Characters Are All Gemmed, Enchanted, etc For Release

Sure you may be in 520 gear today, and quest greens may replace them, but I always like being prepared.  There's nothing wrong with having a bit of power going into a new questing zone, the mobs aren't MoP quality 90s, they're going to probably be a little stronger and you'll thank me later.  Enchanting and gemming older gear makes the gear last a little longer, and often times is better quality than what you pick up in the first few zones.  LFR Dragon Soul gear when enhanced was perfectly viable until you got to Kun Lai Summit, when you actually found gear that was more exceptional.  Same school of thought applies here.

9) Make Some Flasks for Your Characters, and Maybe Some Potions

Leveling is serious business, but doing it with consumables is even more serious business.  I like having a stack of buff food, a stack of flasks, and a stack of burst pots on me.  It also would pay to have some health potions, too.  Invisibility potions are great in a pinch, too, for running out of caves so you don't have to kill your way out again.  It's little things that make it easier.

10) Farm Emperor Shaohao Rep

This grind will probably be easier at 100, but if you need a time killer go do it now while you can find a group.  Mindless grinding and you get the mount at Exalted.  The toughest NPCs to kill have also been rather nerfed in my opinion, although Kilnmasters still one-shot with kilns up.  I finished this thing pre-patch, and I felt it was a bit easier today.  But this thing will keep you busy for a week if you haven't started.

11) Do Those Annoying Minor Achievements or FINISH the Metas

You know the ones I'm talking about...  the ones that you always look at and say "Oh, easy, I can get that in 10 minutes" and then you sit on it for 10 months.  Yeah, those.  Go do it now.  No time like down time.

12) Start a Legendary Item Line

You have choices here.  The content is soloable.  ICC, Ulduar, Firelands, Dragon Soul; all offer a nice weapon that you can start on and maybe finish at 100.  Something for everyone here, except hunters, because screw hunters they have Sunwell.

Never before has it been so easy to kill old content, and you should take advantage of it since you won't have time for about 2 months.  Maybe a lot longer.


So there you go, 12 things to do for the next NINE days.  That's a helluva lot of interesting stuff other than killing frogs, right?  Have a nice release and see you in Molten Core LFR at 100, where I'll be the one raging in the corner ... and at Christmas time.

Thanks for stopping in!

Zerohour is a top-shelf gold maker who only drinks the finest of aged tears.  He's currently looking forward to the expansion when every noob resubscribes and starts tagging his quest mobs without his express written permission, or at least rejects a party invite.