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Friday, 9 November 2007
Eye of the North heroes: Jora
Jora should seem pretty familiar, as it's a picture of her on the front cover of the Eye of the North box. Of course, if you got the box that has a bear on the front - that's still Jora, just a bit less recognisably so. Helping Jora paves the way to getting the Norn onside as allies against the Destroyers, and so she's a pivotal hero whom you will meet early on in Eye of the North.
Eye of the North lore has this to say about Jora:
Jora is a younger Norn, beset by tragedy. Like most of her generation, she has been seeking to establish her name and reputation. Only the hunters of the greatest prey are considered worthy among her people, and as such, she and her brother Svanir trekked through the icy uplands and valleys seeking the most challenging prey.
On one of their hunts, Jora and her brother encountered a great, dark power, and were transformed by it. She lost her Nornish ability to shapeshift into bear form, while her brother suffered a darker fate. Now without a family or homestead, she hunts across the Norn lands of the Far Shiverpeaks seeking redemption of her name and forgiveness by the Bear Spirit. To achieve her goals, she will undergo any ritual, achieve any quest, and seek any treasure needed. She will even accept the help of humans.
Taking the Primary quest Northern Allies introduces you to Jora, who will be waiting at the bottom of the ramp that leads up to the Eye of the North. Completing the Primary quest Curse of the Nornbear will unlock Jora. This quest is part of a larger story arc of three missions:
Not only will completing these quests give you a big jump in your Norn Title Track, but they will also unlock a number of Norn skills, some entertaining Norn side quests, and also re-introduce you to the Charr. This is the first time you will meet them again, and they are a lot tougher than they ever were in Ascalon.
Jora is unable to use the Norn skill to turn into a bear in combat - the reasons why and how to solve this are unveiled in the above quests. Sadly this means her default skillset doesn't include the Norn bear form skill:
Jora is equipped with Norn warrior armour, which has +20 against physical attacks, and an armour rating of 80. As with other Eye of the North heroes, her armour can be upgraded to Brotherhood Armour with Cloth of the Brotherhood, and to Deldrimor Raiment with Deldrimor Armour Remnants.
One of Jora's best quotes is a paraphrasing of Ash in Army of Darkness: "Good. Bad. I'm the girl with the big weapon"
Few can resist the opportunity to have a tall blonde babe with a massive sword tooling around Eye of the North with them. Jora makes an excellent tank and with the amount of customisation available with heroes, she can be a powerful addition to your party.
Eye of the North lore has this to say about Jora:
Jora is a younger Norn, beset by tragedy. Like most of her generation, she has been seeking to establish her name and reputation. Only the hunters of the greatest prey are considered worthy among her people, and as such, she and her brother Svanir trekked through the icy uplands and valleys seeking the most challenging prey.
On one of their hunts, Jora and her brother encountered a great, dark power, and were transformed by it. She lost her Nornish ability to shapeshift into bear form, while her brother suffered a darker fate. Now without a family or homestead, she hunts across the Norn lands of the Far Shiverpeaks seeking redemption of her name and forgiveness by the Bear Spirit. To achieve her goals, she will undergo any ritual, achieve any quest, and seek any treasure needed. She will even accept the help of humans.
Taking the Primary quest Northern Allies introduces you to Jora, who will be waiting at the bottom of the ramp that leads up to the Eye of the North. Completing the Primary quest Curse of the Nornbear will unlock Jora. This quest is part of a larger story arc of three missions:
- Tracking the Nornbear
- Curse of the Nornbear
- Blood Washes Blood
Not only will completing these quests give you a big jump in your Norn Title Track, but they will also unlock a number of Norn skills, some entertaining Norn side quests, and also re-introduce you to the Charr. This is the first time you will meet them again, and they are a lot tougher than they ever were in Ascalon.
Jora is unable to use the Norn skill to turn into a bear in combat - the reasons why and how to solve this are unveiled in the above quests. Sadly this means her default skillset doesn't include the Norn bear form skill:
- Gash
- Healing Signet
- Resurrection Signet
- Savage Slash
- Sever Artery
- Shield Bash
- "Watch Yourself!"
Jora is equipped with Norn warrior armour, which has +20 against physical attacks, and an armour rating of 80. As with other Eye of the North heroes, her armour can be upgraded to Brotherhood Armour with Cloth of the Brotherhood, and to Deldrimor Raiment with Deldrimor Armour Remnants.
One of Jora's best quotes is a paraphrasing of Ash in Army of Darkness: "Good. Bad. I'm the girl with the big weapon"
Few can resist the opportunity to have a tall blonde babe with a massive sword tooling around Eye of the North with them. Jora makes an excellent tank and with the amount of customisation available with heroes, she can be a powerful addition to your party.
Technorati Tags:
jora, curse of the norn bear, norn title track, eye of the north, heroes, guild wars, warrior, army of darkness, ash, charr
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Eye of the North heroes: Kahmu
Kahmu is another hero who has travelled to Eye of the North. An Elonian Dervish, Kahmu is a bit different, as he's not trying to help his homeland, nor is he on a mission - he seeks combat, and the challenges it brings.
As the manual says:
Kahmu is an Elonian Dervish, a native of Vabbi, who seeks wisdom through combat. Over the years, he has drifted farther and farther north, matching his skills against all manner of challenges, considering no fight too small—or too large.
Once Kahmu arrived in Norn territory, he challenged—and bested—some of the Norn's greatest warriors, and his name became legend around the campfires. Some claim he is a spirit, others that he has been blessed by the spirits of his homeland, and still others that he is a Norn born in the wrong body. Kahmu only laughs to hear these whispers. When the hunting here grows stale, he will simply move on.
Like Xandra, Kahmu can be unlocked by taking part in the Norn Fighting Tournament, which is received by talking to Magni the Bison in Gunnar's Hold. Once defeated in the Tournament, Kahmu is unlocked and can be added as a hero to your party.
His default skills are:
Kahmu's armour is labelled "Vabbian Armor". As it's Dervish armour, it provides +25 health and +2 energy regeneration, with an armour rating of 70.
As you travel around Eye of the North, keep an eye out for the idle quotes from your heroes. Kahmu comes out with probably the best one: "Lay off the reaper jokes. I've heard them all."
As the manual says:
Kahmu is an Elonian Dervish, a native of Vabbi, who seeks wisdom through combat. Over the years, he has drifted farther and farther north, matching his skills against all manner of challenges, considering no fight too small—or too large.
Once Kahmu arrived in Norn territory, he challenged—and bested—some of the Norn's greatest warriors, and his name became legend around the campfires. Some claim he is a spirit, others that he has been blessed by the spirits of his homeland, and still others that he is a Norn born in the wrong body. Kahmu only laughs to hear these whispers. When the hunting here grows stale, he will simply move on.
Like Xandra, Kahmu can be unlocked by taking part in the Norn Fighting Tournament, which is received by talking to Magni the Bison in Gunnar's Hold. Once defeated in the Tournament, Kahmu is unlocked and can be added as a hero to your party.
His default skills are:
- Chilling Victory
- Faithful Intervention
- Heart of Fury
- Mystic Vigor
- Resurrection Signet
- Victorious Sweep
Kahmu's armour is labelled "Vabbian Armor". As it's Dervish armour, it provides +25 health and +2 energy regeneration, with an armour rating of 70.
As you travel around Eye of the North, keep an eye out for the idle quotes from your heroes. Kahmu comes out with probably the best one: "Lay off the reaper jokes. I've heard them all."
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, heroes, kahmu, dervish, norn fighting tournament, magni the bison
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Eye of the North trailer
In case you missed it (or just to watch it again, as it's great) here's the Eye of the North trailer:
Thanks to TwrZ for posting this up on YouTube.
Thanks to TwrZ for posting this up on YouTube.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, trailer, youtube, gwen
Guild Wars: Your Favourite Soundtrack Poll Results
Well, the results are in, and thanks to everyone who voted in our Soundtrack Poll. It seems that the Eye of the North soundtrack is by far and away the most popular, with 61% of your votes.
Prophecies was the next most popular soundtrack, capturing 22% of your votes, with the Factions soundtrack trailing with only 16% of the vote. It looks like the Battle Pak One and Nightfall soundtracks are the least popular, with nobody voting for them. Shame, I really like "Festival of Lyss" from the Nightfall soundtrack.
Head on over to Direct Song, where you can purchase the full, high quality soundtracks to all the Guild Wars chapters and expansions.
Keep checking back to our Eye of the North blog, where we'll have another poll up soon. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to vote!
Prophecies was the next most popular soundtrack, capturing 22% of your votes, with the Factions soundtrack trailing with only 16% of the vote. It looks like the Battle Pak One and Nightfall soundtracks are the least popular, with nobody voting for them. Shame, I really like "Festival of Lyss" from the Nightfall soundtrack.
Head on over to Direct Song, where you can purchase the full, high quality soundtracks to all the Guild Wars chapters and expansions.
Keep checking back to our Eye of the North blog, where we'll have another poll up soon. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to vote!
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, prophecies, factions, battle pak one, nightfall, soundtrack
Monday, 5 November 2007
Eye of the North heroes: Xandra
Most of the heroes in Eye of the North are unlocked by completing Primary Quests. There are however a few who only appear in side missions. We'll look at one of these heroes - Xandra, a Luxon Ritualist. If you've played Factions you might remember the Luxon Captain Juno - Xandra is her daughter.
The Eye of the North manual has this to say about Xandra:
Xandra is the daughter of Juno, leader of the Turtle Clan, from the lands of the Luxon people. Trouble in her homeland forced Xandra to leave the area at her mother's behest, traveling to the far lands of Ascalon on what was called an ambassadorial tenure - but which Canthans know to be exile.
Xandra thinks well of her mother despite the unexpected travel, realizing that an intricate web of politics is what keeps her so far from home. Juno, suspected of killing the previous captain of the Turtle Clan, has sent her daughter into exile to keep her safe - or, some say, to prevent a repeat of the same scenario. Either way, Xandra is determined to make the best of the situation, and to honor her clan with brave actions in these strange, wild lands.
Xandra can be recruited and unlocked by defeating her in the Norn Fighting Tournament. Note you don't actually have to complete the tournament - as long as you can win the match with Xandra, she will be unlocked.
Xandra's default skills are:
Xandra's armour is Turtle Clan Raiment, with an armour rating of 40. As with other Eye of the North heroes, her armour can be upgraded to Brotherhood Armour with Cloth of the Brotherhood, and to Deldrimor Raiment with Deldrimor Armour Remnants.
An excellent way to use Xandra in your party as a Ritualist/Necromancer Explosive Creation hybrid build. You can find the full details on the PvX Wiki.
Having unlocked Xandra in Eye of the North, I find her constantly in my party. I can recommend giving Xandra with this build a go.
The Eye of the North manual has this to say about Xandra:
Xandra is the daughter of Juno, leader of the Turtle Clan, from the lands of the Luxon people. Trouble in her homeland forced Xandra to leave the area at her mother's behest, traveling to the far lands of Ascalon on what was called an ambassadorial tenure - but which Canthans know to be exile.
Xandra thinks well of her mother despite the unexpected travel, realizing that an intricate web of politics is what keeps her so far from home. Juno, suspected of killing the previous captain of the Turtle Clan, has sent her daughter into exile to keep her safe - or, some say, to prevent a repeat of the same scenario. Either way, Xandra is determined to make the best of the situation, and to honor her clan with brave actions in these strange, wild lands.
Xandra can be recruited and unlocked by defeating her in the Norn Fighting Tournament. Note you don't actually have to complete the tournament - as long as you can win the match with Xandra, she will be unlocked.
Xandra's default skills are:
- Channeled Strike
- Cruel Was Daoshen
- Resurrection Signet
- Soothing Memories
- Spirit Rift
- Vengeful Weapon
Xandra's armour is Turtle Clan Raiment, with an armour rating of 40. As with other Eye of the North heroes, her armour can be upgraded to Brotherhood Armour with Cloth of the Brotherhood, and to Deldrimor Raiment with Deldrimor Armour Remnants.
An excellent way to use Xandra in your party as a Ritualist/Necromancer Explosive Creation hybrid build. You can find the full details on the PvX Wiki.
Having unlocked Xandra in Eye of the North, I find her constantly in my party. I can recommend giving Xandra with this build a go.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, xandra, heroes, norn fighting tournament, ritualist, luxon, turtle clan
Friday, 2 November 2007
Eye of the North heroes: Livia
Another new hero in Eye of the North is Livia, a Necromancer from the Shining Blade. She has been sent to find a powerful weapon that can help the Shining Blade bring peace to Kryta - at any cost.
As a human Necromancer, Livia's default skills are:
If you're unfamiliar with Necromancer skills, I should point out that 'Strip Enchantment' doesn't do what you're hoping, and is nowhere near as entertaining as you would like it to be. Sorry.
Livia has Shining Blade Necromancer Armour, with an armour rating of 60 - which you may not believe, as she's wearing practically nothing, even by Guild Wars standards. Her bra also appears to be made from shoelaces, which I'm fairly certain would result in a 'wardrobe malfunction' during combat.
Her armour (what little there is of it) can be upgraded to Deldrimor Armour using Deldrimor Armour Remnant, and to Brotherhood Armour using Cloth of the Brotherhood. Once her armour has been upgraded she can be added to your Monument of Fellowship in the Hall of Monuments.
Livia is first introduced when you embark on Primary Missions for the Asura. She joins you on the quest 'Finding the Bloodstone', and is unlocked as a hero once the mission is successfully completed.
With Necromancer's making a great team member - either as interrupters or Minion Masters - I'm sure many people will be finding a place for Livia as they explore Eye of the North. And certainly not because she's not wearing much.
As a human Necromancer, Livia's default skills are:
- Life Syphon
- Strip Enchantment
- Unholy Feast
- Vampiric Gaze
- Well of Blood
- Resurrection Signet
If you're unfamiliar with Necromancer skills, I should point out that 'Strip Enchantment' doesn't do what you're hoping, and is nowhere near as entertaining as you would like it to be. Sorry.
Livia has Shining Blade Necromancer Armour, with an armour rating of 60 - which you may not believe, as she's wearing practically nothing, even by Guild Wars standards. Her bra also appears to be made from shoelaces, which I'm fairly certain would result in a 'wardrobe malfunction' during combat.
Her armour (what little there is of it) can be upgraded to Deldrimor Armour using Deldrimor Armour Remnant, and to Brotherhood Armour using Cloth of the Brotherhood. Once her armour has been upgraded she can be added to your Monument of Fellowship in the Hall of Monuments.
Livia is first introduced when you embark on Primary Missions for the Asura. She joins you on the quest 'Finding the Bloodstone', and is unlocked as a hero once the mission is successfully completed.
With Necromancer's making a great team member - either as interrupters or Minion Masters - I'm sure many people will be finding a place for Livia as they explore Eye of the North. And certainly not because she's not wearing much.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, hero, livia, necromancer, shining blade, asura, kryta
Thursday, 1 November 2007
The Heart of the Shiverpeaks mission in Eye of the North
The last mission in Eye of the North before you take on the Destroyers is "The Heart of the Shiverpeaks". The goal of this mission is to retrieve the Hammer of the Great Dwarf.
You will need a Master Dungeon Guide in your inventory before you can get this mission. King Jalis Ironhammer gives you this mission in the Battledepths, and you must travel further in to the dungeon to find the Hammer and return it to King Jalis. Along the way you'll meet up with Budger Blackpowder, a nutter dwarf who carries around powder kegs. At any time you can talk to Budger to get a keg. Once you place it down, the fuse is lit, and a short time later it will explode, causing massive localised damage.
Aside blowing up walls and closely grouped enemies, the graphics in this particular dungeon are stunning and add immensely to the atmosphere of the mission.
Screenshots from this mission can be found at this Flickr feed
Once you've travelled through the three levels of the dungeon, you come to a fiery cavern, where you can a monument to the Great Dwarf.
However, once you approach it, Cyndr the Mountain Heart, a giant worm, appears. You need to talk to Budger to get a barrel of gunpowder, then detonate it at the base of Cyndr. Do this three times and Cyndr's armour cracks and falls off. He's now vulnerable to damage, and you need to give him a beating. After you've damaged Cyndr a bit, he will burrow into the lava again, re-emerging with a new coat of armour.
Repeat the process 3-4 times and you will eventually kill him. This unlocks the chest and allows you to complete the mission.
When the 'Mission Complete' timer countdown finishes, you are transported to King Jalis, where you hand over the Sceptre.
This is the surprising part - King Jalis uses the Hammer to turn all the Dwarves to stone! Only in this way can the Dwarves be strong enough to defeat the Destroyers - but at the same time the prophecy comes true, as this truly spells the end of the dwarves.
You will immediately be sent on the next mission, which is to retake the Central Transfer Chamber. Be careful! You haven't re-zoned, so any Death Penalty you have will be carried with you into the mission!
It's best to map travel back to the Eye of the North, prepare your team, and then travel back to the Battledepths and King Jalis and take on the Central Transfer Chamber mission.
You will need a Master Dungeon Guide in your inventory before you can get this mission. King Jalis Ironhammer gives you this mission in the Battledepths, and you must travel further in to the dungeon to find the Hammer and return it to King Jalis. Along the way you'll meet up with Budger Blackpowder, a nutter dwarf who carries around powder kegs. At any time you can talk to Budger to get a keg. Once you place it down, the fuse is lit, and a short time later it will explode, causing massive localised damage.
Aside blowing up walls and closely grouped enemies, the graphics in this particular dungeon are stunning and add immensely to the atmosphere of the mission.
Once you've travelled through the three levels of the dungeon, you come to a fiery cavern, where you can a monument to the Great Dwarf.
However, once you approach it, Cyndr the Mountain Heart, a giant worm, appears. You need to talk to Budger to get a barrel of gunpowder, then detonate it at the base of Cyndr. Do this three times and Cyndr's armour cracks and falls off. He's now vulnerable to damage, and you need to give him a beating. After you've damaged Cyndr a bit, he will burrow into the lava again, re-emerging with a new coat of armour.
Repeat the process 3-4 times and you will eventually kill him. This unlocks the chest and allows you to complete the mission.
When the 'Mission Complete' timer countdown finishes, you are transported to King Jalis, where you hand over the Sceptre.
This is the surprising part - King Jalis uses the Hammer to turn all the Dwarves to stone! Only in this way can the Dwarves be strong enough to defeat the Destroyers - but at the same time the prophecy comes true, as this truly spells the end of the dwarves.
You will immediately be sent on the next mission, which is to retake the Central Transfer Chamber. Be careful! You haven't re-zoned, so any Death Penalty you have will be carried with you into the mission!
It's best to map travel back to the Eye of the North, prepare your team, and then travel back to the Battledepths and King Jalis and take on the Central Transfer Chamber mission.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, cyndr the mountain heart, king jalis ironhammer, budger blackpowder, heart of the shiverpeaks
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Eye of the North heroes: Pyre Fierceshot
Eye of the North introduces several new heroes, and one of them in particular is a bit of a surprise. Pyre Fierceshot is a Charr. Didn't think you'd be inviting a Charr to join your party, did you? On top of that, the missions and quests that Pyre opens up require you to not only team up with Charr, but actually help them out.
As his name implies, Pyre Fierceshot is a Ranger. His default skills are:
Dual Shot
Kindle Arrows
Resurrection Signet
Savage Shot
Throw Dirt
Troll Unguent
Pyre has Ranger armour labelled as a Charr set, with an armour rating of 13-70, depending on level. His armour bonuses are:
You first meet Pyre in Grothmar Wargrounds, during the quest "Against the Charr". To recruit Pyre, you have to complete the Primary Ebon Vanguard quest "Warband of Brothers". On completion, Pyre is unlocked as a hero, and can be used in your party.
Pyre is an excellent Hero addition to your party in Eye of the North. Having a Charr is fun anyway, and if you need a Ranger, Pyre tends to obey orders and run off less than Acolyte Jin - which can be a real life saver on some missions.
As his name implies, Pyre Fierceshot is a Ranger. His default skills are:
Pyre has Ranger armour labelled as a Charr set, with an armour rating of 13-70, depending on level. His armour bonuses are:
- +30 to Elemental damage
- +5 to energy on his chest armour
- +1 to energy regeneration on his leg armour
You first meet Pyre in Grothmar Wargrounds, during the quest "Against the Charr". To recruit Pyre, you have to complete the Primary Ebon Vanguard quest "Warband of Brothers". On completion, Pyre is unlocked as a hero, and can be used in your party.
Pyre is an excellent Hero addition to your party in Eye of the North. Having a Charr is fun anyway, and if you need a Ranger, Pyre tends to obey orders and run off less than Acolyte Jin - which can be a real life saver on some missions.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, heroes, pyre fierceshot, charr, ranger, grothmar wargrounds, warband of brothers
Monday, 29 October 2007
Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack Preparations
I've posted before on the Guild Wars blog about ArenaNet's Bonus Mission Pack promotion. The latest game update, streamed to Guild Wars clients on the 26th October, has brought in this welcome addition:
So, if you've bought Eye of the North from the Guild Wars store - or you picked up one of the existing Guild Wars campaigns - you should now be able to get confirmation you've qualified for the Bonus Mission Pack.
Made preparations for the final week of the Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack Promotion. At approximately 07:01 (GMT) on October 27, players will be able to check their Guild Wars account (using the in-game option “Edit Account") to determine whether they have qualified for the Bonus Mission Pack. Eligibility is not updated automatically. Account status will be updated periodically from Monday through Wednesday of next week.
So, if you've bought Eye of the North from the Guild Wars store - or you picked up one of the existing Guild Wars campaigns - you should now be able to get confirmation you've qualified for the Bonus Mission Pack.
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guild wars, eye of the north, arenanet, bonus mission pack, official store
Eye of the North introduces the Asura
The second of the two new races in Eye of the North are the Asura. You first encounter Vekk, an Elementalist Asura who is helping the dwarves, during the first Eye of the North mission, where you travel to Boreal Station.
After you've completed this mission you'll notice purple Asura gates appear, not just on the Eye of the North map of Tyria, but also in Elona and Cantha (if you have the Nightfall and Factions chapters). Clicking on these gates will instantly transport you to Boreal Station, in much the same way as the ships near the major cities in each chapter will take you to the main capital cities on each continent.
The Asura are small, magical humanoids, who for centuries have lived underground. The emergence of the Destroyers, however, has forced them to the surface, where they seek new allies.
As well as introducing a new mini-game - Polymock - and a new Title Track, the Asura are also important for being one of the new playable races in Guild Wars 2.
You can read a bit more about Guild Wars 2 here, and this previous blog post has information about the Asuran Title Track.
Their powerful magic, and ability to create and manage the tough GOLEM machines, makes them formidable allies in Eye of the North. The Asura will certainly be fun and challenging characters to play in Guild Wars 2.
After you've completed this mission you'll notice purple Asura gates appear, not just on the Eye of the North map of Tyria, but also in Elona and Cantha (if you have the Nightfall and Factions chapters). Clicking on these gates will instantly transport you to Boreal Station, in much the same way as the ships near the major cities in each chapter will take you to the main capital cities on each continent.
The Asura are small, magical humanoids, who for centuries have lived underground. The emergence of the Destroyers, however, has forced them to the surface, where they seek new allies.
As well as introducing a new mini-game - Polymock - and a new Title Track, the Asura are also important for being one of the new playable races in Guild Wars 2.
You can read a bit more about Guild Wars 2 here, and this previous blog post has information about the Asuran Title Track.
Their powerful magic, and ability to create and manage the tough GOLEM machines, makes them formidable allies in Eye of the North. The Asura will certainly be fun and challenging characters to play in Guild Wars 2.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, polymock, asura, guild wars 2, asuran gate, elementalist, tyria
Friday, 26 October 2007
Halloween videos from Guild Wars
If you've not got the Guild Wars Prophecies or Nightfall campaigns (or you haven't travelled south to check out Lion's Arch or Kamadan) here's a great video from Jporiey showing the new Halloween decorations.
Nicely done, and gives a good taster of the special Halloween content now starting to appear in Guild Wars.
Nicely done, and gives a good taster of the special Halloween content now starting to appear in Guild Wars.
Technorati Tags:
guild wars, halloween, lions arch, kamadan, prophecies, nightfall
Halloween comes to Eye of the North
You might be wondering what's going on in Eye of the North, and the rest of the Far Shiverpeaks. Eerie monuments have started to appear, and not only have NPCs been transformed, but they items they are now offering are very different.
Guild Wars is gearing up for the return of Mad King Thorn on Halloween, and changes are sweeping the land. Talking to NPCs, you'll find the following special items available:
I can also recommend heading to Lion's Arch or Kamadan, and taking part in the Halloween Costume Brawl. With two new arenas, the Costume Brawl features team based PvP with a twist. You choose to take part as one of the characters from Guild Wars - using their outfit, items, and unique skills.
It focusses the combat on skill, as you have no control over your build, and is incredibly good fun. The winning team picks up some special Halloween rewards as well as Faction points, so it's well worth having a go.
Talk to NPC Bobby [Costume Brawl] in Kamadan or Lion's Arch to take part.
While in the Eye of the North explorable areas, keep an eye out on monster drops as well. You'll find some special Halloween items dropping between now and the 31st October, when Mad King Thorn will return.
Guild Wars is gearing up for the return of Mad King Thorn on Halloween, and changes are sweeping the land. Talking to NPCs, you'll find the following special items available:
 | Witch's Brew: One sip of this potent brew will set your world spinning 'round and 'round. |
 | Absinthe: Drink this beverage to be engulfed in a ghoulish flame. |
 | Ghost-in-the-Box: Feeling brave? Open this mysterious box to receive a spooky surprise. |
 | Squash Serum: Swallowing this potion might give you a big head. A big, orange one, that is… |
 | Transmogrifier Tonic: Transform yourself into the spirit of Halloween itself using this item! |
 | New Mystery Item: Go out into the world and defeat monsters for a chance to obtain a special treat, new this year |
I can also recommend heading to Lion's Arch or Kamadan, and taking part in the Halloween Costume Brawl. With two new arenas, the Costume Brawl features team based PvP with a twist. You choose to take part as one of the characters from Guild Wars - using their outfit, items, and unique skills.
It focusses the combat on skill, as you have no control over your build, and is incredibly good fun. The winning team picks up some special Halloween rewards as well as Faction points, so it's well worth having a go.
Talk to NPC Bobby [Costume Brawl] in Kamadan or Lion's Arch to take part.
While in the Eye of the North explorable areas, keep an eye out on monster drops as well. You'll find some special Halloween items dropping between now and the 31st October, when Mad King Thorn will return.
Technorati Tags:
halloween, eye of the north, mad king thorn, halloween costume brawl, guild wars
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Master of the North updates in Eye of the North
With some recent updates to sterling silver, there has been some more information and clarification of the Master of the North Title Track.
The Eye of the North mastery points needed for each rank of Master of the North are now at:
The amount of points you can gain has also been fleshed out, now that Hard Mode is available in Eye of the North.
For each of the Primary Quests (as defined in the Hero's Handbook) you get 5 Mastery Points, or 10 Mastery Points in Hard Mode.
For each of the Dungeons (as tracked in the Master Dungeon Guide) you get 10 Master Points, or 20 Mastery Points in Hard Mode.
There are 15 discrete Eye of the North map areas, each one giving 15 points when Vanquished (all enemies defeated) in Hard Mode.
Cartography gives you a varying amount of Mastery Points per map region, but the total is 101 Mastery Points.
With Hard Mode now available, and the latest updates to Eye of the North, it's now much easier to plan and track your way to maxing out the Master of the North Title Track.
The Eye of the North mastery points needed for each rank of Master of the North are now at:
| Rank | Title | Eye of the North mastery points: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adventurer of the North | 100 |
| 2 | Pioneer of the North | 200 |
| 3 | Veteran of the North | 350 |
| 4 | Conqueror of the North | 550 |
| 5 | Master of the North | 750 |
| 6 | Legendary Master of the North (Max level) | 1000 |
The amount of points you can gain has also been fleshed out, now that Hard Mode is available in Eye of the North.
For each of the Primary Quests (as defined in the Hero's Handbook) you get 5 Mastery Points, or 10 Mastery Points in Hard Mode.
For each of the Dungeons (as tracked in the Master Dungeon Guide) you get 10 Master Points, or 20 Mastery Points in Hard Mode.
There are 15 discrete Eye of the North map areas, each one giving 15 points when Vanquished (all enemies defeated) in Hard Mode.
Cartography gives you a varying amount of Mastery Points per map region, but the total is 101 Mastery Points.
| Accomplishment | Points per Unit | No. of quests/areas | Sum Points | Total points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Hard | Normal | Hard | |||
| Primary quests | 5 | 10 | 11 | 55 | 110 | 165 |
| Dungeon quests | 10 | 20 | 18 | 180 | 360 | 540 |
| Vanquishing | - | 15 | 15 | - | 225 | 225 |
| Cartography | Varies | 15 | 101 | 101 | ||
| Grand Total | 1031 | |||||
With Hard Mode now available, and the latest updates to Eye of the North, it's now much easier to plan and track your way to maxing out the Master of the North Title Track.
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eye of the north, master of the north, mastery points, hard mode, guild wars
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
The Secret Lair of the Snowmen in Eye of the North
In Eye of the North, the Secret Lair of the Snowmen is one of the best places to gain Dwarven Reputation Points, to gain rank in the Deldrimor Title Track. It can be completed relatively quickly, and can easily be done with just Heroes and Henchmen.
Here's a great video from XianDrinker which shows a (speeded up) run through the Secret Lair of the Snowmen, farming for Reputation Points and using a Minion Master to devastating effect:
Dungeons like Secret Lair of the Snowmen in Eye of the North give an excellent opportunity to perfect not only your character's build but also those of your heroes, and to try out new techniques and tactics with your henchmen.
Here's a great video from XianDrinker which shows a (speeded up) run through the Secret Lair of the Snowmen, farming for Reputation Points and using a Minion Master to devastating effect:
Dungeons like Secret Lair of the Snowmen in Eye of the North give an excellent opportunity to perfect not only your character's build but also those of your heroes, and to try out new techniques and tactics with your henchmen.
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eye of the north, deldrimor title track, reputation points, secret lair of the snowmen, farming
More Guild Wars videos from Nekkara
If you needed any more inspiration to have a go with Eye of the North, here's another great video from Nekkara, showing off her Guild, Clan Jorr.
Very nicely done! Some great locations from Guild Wars: Nightfall. If you haven't yet got Nightfall, I can highly recommend it. It introduced Heroes, and with a wide selection to choose from, it can make completing Eye of the North - and the other chapters - much easier.
Very nicely done! Some great locations from Guild Wars: Nightfall. If you haven't yet got Nightfall, I can highly recommend it. It introduced Heroes, and with a wide selection to choose from, it can make completing Eye of the North - and the other chapters - much easier.
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guild wars, youtube, video, guild, clan, eye of the north
Monday, 22 October 2007
Get your free minipet
If you want to add to your collection of minipets at your Monument of Devotion in the Hall of Monuments in Eye of the North, here's your chance. Gamerzines have launched a new ezine title, MMOZine. It's available as a free download, with movies, games, special prizes, and reviews of all that's happening in the world of MMOs.
In their first issue they have a review of Guild Wars: Eye of the North. To celebrate the launch of Eye of the North, they have the first dinosaur minipet - the Ceratadon - available for free to readers.
To get the Gamerzines Ceratadon minipet, here's what you need to do:
It's very important to note that the Ceratadon minipet can only be acquired once. If you trade it away or delete it, you cannot get another one.
With the recent release of Eye of the North giving players somewhere to show off their achievements, we can expect more special items like the Gamerzines Ceratadon minipet in the build up to Guild Wars 2.
In their first issue they have a review of Guild Wars: Eye of the North. To celebrate the launch of Eye of the North, they have the first dinosaur minipet - the Ceratadon - available for free to readers.
To get the Gamerzines Ceratadon minipet, here's what you need to do:
- Head on over to the download page at http://www.gamerzines.com/mmozine/
- The magazine is in PDF format, and is a 36mb download
- You'll also need to make sure you have Adobe Acrobat 8 installed to view the magazine correctly. You can grab it from the Adobe download page here.
- Once you open the magazine, there's a link on the first page to the minipet offer
- You need to enter your name and email address. Optionally you can subscribe to Gamerzines e-zines, which I can recommend.
- Within 10 minutes you should receive an email confirmation from Gamerzines, with the special access key to unlock your Ceratadon minipet
- Launch Guild Wars, and click on the "Add Access Key". The process is exactly the same as when adding a new Guild Wars chapter to your account, or when you added Eye of the North.
- Once you've added your access key, you can login
- When you've chosen your character, you'll see a message in the chat window advising you that your special Ceratadon minipet has been unlocked
- Type "/special" in a chat window. You'll now see the Ceratadon minipet in your inventory
- You can now take your Ceratadon minipet out for a play, or head on over to your Hall of Monuments in Eye of the North, and add the Ceratadon minipet to your Monument of Devotion
It's very important to note that the Ceratadon minipet can only be acquired once. If you trade it away or delete it, you cannot get another one.
With the recent release of Eye of the North giving players somewhere to show off their achievements, we can expect more special items like the Gamerzines Ceratadon minipet in the build up to Guild Wars 2.
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eye of the north, gamerzines, minipet, ceratadon, access key, guild wars
Saturday, 20 October 2007
The Norn Primary Quests in Eye of the North
Once you have travelled to the Eye of the North in the Far Shiverpeaks, you can gain access to the Hall of Monuments. It is here that you will obtain the three main umbrella quests that lead towards the final showdown with the Great Destroyer.
There is a Primary umbrella quest for each of the main factions (Norn, Asura and Ebon Vanguard) which are each composed of three Primary Quests. Completing all of these will automatically complete the umbrella quest. One of the main rewards for the umbrella quests is a Monumental Tapestry, which is how you can start to populate your Hall of Monuments.
The Norn Primary umbrella quest is called Northern Allies, and is automatically gained after your first look into the Scrying Pool. The main aim of Northern Allies is to follow Ogden Stonehealer's plan to gain the Norn as allies in the fight against the Destroyers.
Ogden tells you: "The Destroyers have ventured dangerously near the surface, and Dwarves are few and far between up here. We must gain allies we can rally into an army. Only then can we repel this threat and keep those blasted Destroyers contained beneath the surface. That Norn who didn't attack us on sight... she might be an excellent starting point for creating the army we need."
The first Primary Quest is Curse of the Nornbear, in which you must assist Jora in tracking down and defeating the Nornbear.
The second Primary Quest is Blood Washes Blood, where you help Jora regain her honour and standing amongst the Norn. Fighting by her side you must help her reclaim her family's estate from the Charr.
The final Primary Quest is A Gate Too Far, where you must travel to Olafstead. There you will meet up with Olaf Olafson, and with his help defeat some Destroyers and reclaim the nearby Asura gate.
Once you have finished these quests, you will travel to the Battledepths, a dungeon to the west of the Eye of the North. Here you will meet up with your old friend Jalis Ironhammer, who will give you your rewards.
Having met King Jalis, some additional dwarf quests are available to you. At this stage you should have at least Rank 3 in the Norn Title Track. You can then move on to the other two Primary umbrella quests, which also farming Norn Reputation Points to boost your Norn Title Track.
These Primary Quests provide several goals in Eye of the North. Obviously they move you further along the storyline, but they also help you populate your Hall of Monuments, and give you a good start on the relevant Title Track.
There is a Primary umbrella quest for each of the main factions (Norn, Asura and Ebon Vanguard) which are each composed of three Primary Quests. Completing all of these will automatically complete the umbrella quest. One of the main rewards for the umbrella quests is a Monumental Tapestry, which is how you can start to populate your Hall of Monuments.
The Norn Primary umbrella quest is called Northern Allies, and is automatically gained after your first look into the Scrying Pool. The main aim of Northern Allies is to follow Ogden Stonehealer's plan to gain the Norn as allies in the fight against the Destroyers.
Ogden tells you: "The Destroyers have ventured dangerously near the surface, and Dwarves are few and far between up here. We must gain allies we can rally into an army. Only then can we repel this threat and keep those blasted Destroyers contained beneath the surface. That Norn who didn't attack us on sight... she might be an excellent starting point for creating the army we need."
The first Primary Quest is Curse of the Nornbear, in which you must assist Jora in tracking down and defeating the Nornbear.
The second Primary Quest is Blood Washes Blood, where you help Jora regain her honour and standing amongst the Norn. Fighting by her side you must help her reclaim her family's estate from the Charr.
The final Primary Quest is A Gate Too Far, where you must travel to Olafstead. There you will meet up with Olaf Olafson, and with his help defeat some Destroyers and reclaim the nearby Asura gate.
Once you have finished these quests, you will travel to the Battledepths, a dungeon to the west of the Eye of the North. Here you will meet up with your old friend Jalis Ironhammer, who will give you your rewards.
Having met King Jalis, some additional dwarf quests are available to you. At this stage you should have at least Rank 3 in the Norn Title Track. You can then move on to the other two Primary umbrella quests, which also farming Norn Reputation Points to boost your Norn Title Track.
These Primary Quests provide several goals in Eye of the North. Obviously they move you further along the storyline, but they also help you populate your Hall of Monuments, and give you a good start on the relevant Title Track.
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eye of the north, norn, primary quests, jora, ogden stonehealer, hall of monuments
Friday, 19 October 2007
Eye of the North Destroyer items
The new menace in Eye of the North, the Destroyers, have been summoned from the fiery depths by the Great Destroyer. Your ultimate quest in Eye of the North is to find the lair of the Great Destroyer, and defeat him.
Destroyer items don't drop, as you'd expect - instead they need to be crafted. As of the current Eye of the North build, Destroyer weapons are the only weapons which can be displayed in the Hall of Monuments.
Destroyer items are crafted by Balthor Coalforge in Slavers' Exile. Slaver's Exile is an Elite Dungeon which can be reached from the Verdant Cascades on the Tarnished Coast. To enter Slaver's Exile at least one member of the party must have completed the Primary Quest "A time for Heroes".
Once you enter Slaver's Exile you can talk to Balthor Coalforge and craft Destroyer items. The following items are available:
Each item requires 10 Diamonds and 10 Onyx Gemstones to craft, as well as 5 platinum (5000 gold) and some common crafting materials.
Talking to Veth the Storyteller will give you the quest The Last Heirophant. Completing this multi-part quest will give you Diamonds and/or Onyx Gemstones, which can the be used to craft Destroyer items. The quest is repeatable, so is probably the best way to stock up on these rare crafting components.
Destroyer items are a great way of showing you have completed the furthest reaches of Eye of the North, and are also currently the only weapons which can be displayed in the Hall of Monuments.
Destroyer items don't drop, as you'd expect - instead they need to be crafted. As of the current Eye of the North build, Destroyer weapons are the only weapons which can be displayed in the Hall of Monuments.
Destroyer items are crafted by Balthor Coalforge in Slavers' Exile. Slaver's Exile is an Elite Dungeon which can be reached from the Verdant Cascades on the Tarnished Coast. To enter Slaver's Exile at least one member of the party must have completed the Primary Quest "A time for Heroes".
Once you enter Slaver's Exile you can talk to Balthor Coalforge and craft Destroyer items. The following items are available:
- Destroyer Axe
- Destroyer Bow
- Destroyer Daggers
- Destroyer Focus
- Destroyer Maul
- Destroyer Scepter
- Destroyer Scythe
- Destroyer Shield
- Destroyer Spear
- Destroyer Staff
- Destroyer Sword
Each item requires 10 Diamonds and 10 Onyx Gemstones to craft, as well as 5 platinum (5000 gold) and some common crafting materials.
Talking to Veth the Storyteller will give you the quest The Last Heirophant. Completing this multi-part quest will give you Diamonds and/or Onyx Gemstones, which can the be used to craft Destroyer items. The quest is repeatable, so is probably the best way to stock up on these rare crafting components.
Destroyer items are a great way of showing you have completed the furthest reaches of Eye of the North, and are also currently the only weapons which can be displayed in the Hall of Monuments.
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eye of the north, destroyer items, slavers exile, Balthor Coalforge, crafting
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Eye of the North and access to the Bonus Mission Pack
If you haven't already got the Eye of the North expansion, here's yet another reason to do so. ArenaNet's Bonus Mission Pack promotion finishes on October 31st. Spend over £17 in the Guild Wars Online Store before then, and you'll get the Bonus Mission Pack when it's released in November - for free.
The Bonus Mission Pack let's you replay four pivotal missions from the history of Guild Wars:
ArenaNet design lead Colin Johanson has an interview here where he gives some more information on the Bonus Mission Pack, including design ideas behind it, and what players can expect from it.
So grab Eye of the North from the online store, within your Guild Wars client, or some of the other options available, and take advantage of the Bonus Mission Pack offer while there's still time.
The Bonus Mission Pack let's you replay four pivotal missions from the history of Guild Wars:
- Play as Saul D'Alessio and help the White Mantle drive the Charr out of Kryta
- As Togo, battle against deceit and betrayal to bring an end to the Tengu Wars
- Take the role of Turai Ossa at the Battle of Jahai and defeat the undead lord Palawa Joko in one-on-one combat
- Play as Gwen and escape from the Charr, discovering what happened to her between her capture and joining the Ebon Vanguard
ArenaNet design lead Colin Johanson has an interview here where he gives some more information on the Bonus Mission Pack, including design ideas behind it, and what players can expect from it.
So grab Eye of the North from the online store, within your Guild Wars client, or some of the other options available, and take advantage of the Bonus Mission Pack offer while there's still time.
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eye of the north, bonus mission pack, saul d'alessio, master togo, turai ossa, gwen
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
The Charr Homelands in Eye of the North
Eye of the North brings back the marauding Charr, who laid waste to Ascalon in Prophecies with the cataclysmic searing. Working with the Ebon Vanguard gives you the chance to take the fight to the Charr Homelands.
The main town in the Charr Homelands is Doomlore Shrine. This can be reached by completing the Primary Quest "Dawn of Rebellion". To complete this quest and gain entrance you must defeat Scorch Maulclaw.
Doomlore Shrine is surrounded by Dalada Uplands, Grothmar Wardowns and Sacnoth Valley. Dalada Uplands and Sacnoth Valley offer excellent farming opportunities, and by making sure you collect the Vanguard Patrol blessing from the Ebon Vanguard scouts.
You can expect to get around 3000 Vanguard reputation points in Dalada Uplands, which will take about an hour to fully clear. Sacnoth Valley will take between an hour and an hour and a half to completely clear, and will net you around 4500 Vanguard reputation points.
As an added bonus you can get a Siege Devourer in both of these areas - their monstrous amounts of hit points and the mad damage they can make farming much quicker and easier.
The Charr Homelands in Eye of the North are excellent fun, especially if your introduction to Guild Wars was the first chapter, Prophecies. The chance to take the fight back to the Charr is not one to be missed.
The main town in the Charr Homelands is Doomlore Shrine. This can be reached by completing the Primary Quest "Dawn of Rebellion". To complete this quest and gain entrance you must defeat Scorch Maulclaw.
Doomlore Shrine is surrounded by Dalada Uplands, Grothmar Wardowns and Sacnoth Valley. Dalada Uplands and Sacnoth Valley offer excellent farming opportunities, and by making sure you collect the Vanguard Patrol blessing from the Ebon Vanguard scouts.
You can expect to get around 3000 Vanguard reputation points in Dalada Uplands, which will take about an hour to fully clear. Sacnoth Valley will take between an hour and an hour and a half to completely clear, and will net you around 4500 Vanguard reputation points.
As an added bonus you can get a Siege Devourer in both of these areas - their monstrous amounts of hit points and the mad damage they can make farming much quicker and easier.
The Charr Homelands in Eye of the North are excellent fun, especially if your introduction to Guild Wars was the first chapter, Prophecies. The chance to take the fight back to the Charr is not one to be missed.
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eye of the north, charr homelands, prophecies, charr, dalada uplands, sacnoth valley
Changes to Eye of the North books
The latest Eye of the North updates have brought some welcome changes to the way books work. Previously completed quests - most notably the Norn Primary Quests from the Sneak Peek weekend - weren't appearing in the Hero's Handbook. Dungeons completed before acquiring the Master Dungeon Guide were also not appearing.
Now however you can pay 100 gold to the following NPCs to get the missing pages added:
These NPCs have also been updated. Instead of just accepting fully completed books, they will now accept partially completed Hero's Handbooks and Master Dungeon Guides. Depending on how complete your book is, they will change the amount of XP, Gold, and Reputation Points they will give you.
The partial Hero's Handbook rewards are:
The partial Master Dungeon Guide rewards are:
If you're looking to boost your Eye of the North Title Tracks, and don't want to/can't complete a book, this is a great idea. As far as I'm aware, as you can gain extra books, there's nothing to stop you completing a book, handing it in, getting the quests again from the Scrying Pool in the Hall of Monuments, and then getting another book and doing it all over.
Now however you can pay 100 gold to the following NPCs to get the missing pages added:
- Gedral of Ascalon [Vanguard Herald] inside the Eye of the North
- Kodan [Dwarven Recruitment Officer] in Gunnar's Hold
- Tyr the Skaald [Norn Storyteller] in Gunnar's Hold
- Lexx [Asuran Talent Scout] in Rata Sum
These NPCs have also been updated. Instead of just accepting fully completed books, they will now accept partially completed Hero's Handbooks and Master Dungeon Guides. Depending on how complete your book is, they will change the amount of XP, Gold, and Reputation Points they will give you.
The partial Hero's Handbook rewards are:
| Pages | Rep (Normal) | Rep (Hard) | XP (Normal) | XP (Hard) | Gold (Normal) | Gold (Hard) |
| 8 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 400 | 600 |
| 9 | 3,000 | 4,500 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 600 | 900 |
| 10 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 800 | 1,200 |
| 11 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 1,200 | 1,800 |
| 12 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 16,000 | 24,000 | 1,600 | 2,400 |
| 13 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 |
| 14 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 36,000 | 2,400 | 3,600 |
| 15 | 15,000 | 22,500 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 3,000 | 4,500 |
| 16 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 |
The partial Master Dungeon Guide rewards are:
| Pages | Rep (Normal) | Rep (Hard) | XP (Normal) | XP (Hard) | Gold (Normal) | Gold (Hard) |
| 9 | 11,000 | 16,500 | 22,000 | 33,000 | 2,200 | 3,300 |
| 10 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 36,000 | 2,400 | 3,600 |
| 11 | 13,000 | 19,500 | 26,000 | 39,000 | 2,600 | 3,900 |
| 12 | 14,000 | 21,000 | 28,000 | 42,000 | 2,800 | 4,200 |
| 13 | 16,000 | 24,000 | 32,000 | 48,000 | 3,200 | 4,800 |
| 14 | 18,000 | 27,000 | 36,000 | 54,000 | 3,600 | 5,400 |
| 15 | 21,000 | 31,500 | 42,000 | 63,000 | 4,200 | 6,300 |
| 16 | 25,000 | 37,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 5,000 | 7,500 |
| 17 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 |
| 18 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 | 120,000 | 8,000 | 12,000 |
If you're looking to boost your Eye of the North Title Tracks, and don't want to/can't complete a book, this is a great idea. As far as I'm aware, as you can gain extra books, there's nothing to stop you completing a book, handing it in, getting the quests again from the Scrying Pool in the Hall of Monuments, and then getting another book and doing it all over.
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eye of the north, hero's handbook, master dungeon guide, title tracks, reputation points
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Eye of the North Hard Mode
The latest update to Eye of the North from ArenaNet has introduced Hard Mode. Hard Mode significantly increases the difficulty - and rewards - of all the missions and quests in Eye of the North, and is only available to Level 20 characters who have completed Eye of the North.
To unlock Hard Mode for all Level 20 characters on your account, complete the final Eye of the North Primary Quest "A Time for Heroes".
In Hard Mode, reputation point bonuses for completing Primary Quests and dungeons are 50% than normal mode. Reputation points received as bounties while under a blessing are also 50% higher than normal, and dungeon loot is doubled.
Hard Mode has been available for a while for the three main Guild Wars chapters (Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall). With the increased difficulty from tougher monsters it represents a real challenge, and is a chance for accomplished players to really prove themselves.
The increased bonuses also mean much more rapid progression on the Eye of the North Title Tracks.
To unlock Hard Mode for all Level 20 characters on your account, complete the final Eye of the North Primary Quest "A Time for Heroes".
In Hard Mode, reputation point bonuses for completing Primary Quests and dungeons are 50% than normal mode. Reputation points received as bounties while under a blessing are also 50% higher than normal, and dungeon loot is doubled.
Hard Mode has been available for a while for the three main Guild Wars chapters (Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall). With the increased difficulty from tougher monsters it represents a real challenge, and is a chance for accomplished players to really prove themselves.
The increased bonuses also mean much more rapid progression on the Eye of the North Title Tracks.
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eye of the north, hard mode, reputation points, dungeons, title tracks
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Full Eye of the North map
This fantastic full XBOX 360 Elite game Console map comes courtesy of Skaare of Aiur of xbox 360.
Major kudos are due to Skaare, who has done a fantastic job, achieving the rank of Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer along the way. This map shows 100% of Tyria, and 99% of Eye of the North. All of the outposts are listed as well as the locations of all of the dungeons.
It's a 6.2mb download, and can be grabbed at Microsoft XBOX 360 Game Console Core Edition System
Skaare's release notes for the map can also be found at New Xbox360 Premium! 1 NEW game and extra control - these contain great tips for finding those last hidden areas on the map.
As you explore the Eye of the North map, can you uncover as much of Tyria as Skaare?
Major kudos are due to Skaare, who has done a fantastic job, achieving the rank of Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer along the way. This map shows 100% of Tyria, and 99% of Eye of the North. All of the outposts are listed as well as the locations of all of the dungeons.
It's a 6.2mb download, and can be grabbed at Microsoft XBOX 360 Game Console Core Edition System
Skaare's release notes for the map can also be found at New Xbox360 Premium! 1 NEW game and extra control - these contain great tips for finding those last hidden areas on the map.
As you explore the Eye of the North map, can you uncover as much of Tyria as Skaare?
Technorati Tags:
guild wars, void alliance, eye of the north map, tyria, outposts
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Eye of the North heroes
Guild Wars: Nightfall introduced the concept of heroes to Guild Wars - customisable NPCs which could be given orders and managed, making them much more flexible and powerful than henchman. XBox Eye of the North has introduced some more heroes, giving you a lot of flexibility when it comes to building your party.
When you gain armour upgrades for your Heroes they can be added to the Monument of Fellowship in the Hall of Monuments, opening up potential bonuses in Guild Wars 2.
You will have gained the three main heroes, one from each Eye of the North faction, when travelling to the Far Shiverpeaks:
When following the Norn quests, you will pick Jora (Norn Warrior) during the main Curse of the Nornbear storyline. You can also pick up Xandra (Luxon Ritualist) and Kahmu (Elonian Dervish) when completing the Norn Fighting Tournament mission.
During the Ebon Vanguard quests, exploring the Charr Homeland, you will gain Pyre Fierceshot (Charr Ranger) as a mandatory hero as part of the Warband of Brothers Primary Quest. You can also collect Anton (Ascalonian Assassin) with The Assassin's Revenge mission.
The final two heroes can be gained when following the Asuran Primary Quests. Livia (Kyrtan Necromancer) is gained when completing the Finding Gadd Primary Quest. You can also collect Hayda (Shining Blade Paragon) when completing the Give Peace a Chance mission.
The ten new heroes in Eye of the North give you a nice spread of skills, abilities, and builds to choose from, spanning most of the factions and races in Guild Wars.
When you gain armour upgrades for your Heroes they can be added to the Monument of Fellowship in the Hall of Monuments, opening up potential bonuses in Guild Wars 2.
You will have gained the three main heroes, one from each Eye of the North faction, when travelling to the Far Shiverpeaks:
- Ogden Stonehealer (Dwarven Monk)
- Vekk (Asuran Elementalist)
- Gwen (Vanguard Mesmer)
When following the Norn quests, you will pick Jora (Norn Warrior) during the main Curse of the Nornbear storyline. You can also pick up Xandra (Luxon Ritualist) and Kahmu (Elonian Dervish) when completing the Norn Fighting Tournament mission.
During the Ebon Vanguard quests, exploring the Charr Homeland, you will gain Pyre Fierceshot (Charr Ranger) as a mandatory hero as part of the Warband of Brothers Primary Quest. You can also collect Anton (Ascalonian Assassin) with The Assassin's Revenge mission.
The final two heroes can be gained when following the Asuran Primary Quests. Livia (Kyrtan Necromancer) is gained when completing the Finding Gadd Primary Quest. You can also collect Hayda (Shining Blade Paragon) when completing the Give Peace a Chance mission.
The ten new heroes in Eye of the North give you a nice spread of skills, abilities, and builds to choose from, spanning most of the factions and races in Guild Wars.
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eye of the north, heroes, hall of monuments, primary quests, guild wars
Monday, 8 October 2007
Eye of the North map pieces
If you played the Sneak Peek weekend, or as you're exploring the new Eye of the North map areas, you'll sometimes find monsters dropping map pieces. Here's the information on what these mysterious map pieces are for.
When you make your way to Umbral Grotto, all will become clear. If you speak to Koris Deeprunner, he will offer you the Deeprunner's Map quest.
Koris explains: "Long ago, a human who came to Droknar's Forge sold me the middle of a piece of what was an ancient map that led me here. After spending countless days researching the ancient Dwarven chronicles, I have come to believe this is a piece of the map to the great King Hundar's ancient lost treasure. If only I can find the other pieces to the map. I might be able to track down the treasure! So far I've found 1 of 5 pieces."
Take the quest, then when you find a treasure map piece, go back to Koris. With the piece in your inventory, talk to Koris - he'll take the piece and update the quest.
The treasure map pieces drop randomly from monsters in explorable areas. They are not reserved for a character in your party (so pick them up quickly!), they are not customised to your character, and they can be traded freely.
That last point is pretty important, because it's quite likely you'll pick up more than one copy of each map piece. You can then trade these for the one's your missing.
Once Koris has all the pieces, he will make the "Lost Treasure of King Hundar" quest available to you. This is a repeatable quest, and can be used to greatly increase your Deldrimor Title Track, as there are large numbers of Dwarven reputation points to be gained during this quest.
With 15,000 XP, 1500 Dwarven reputation points, and the Deldrimor Title Track skill Drunken Master as rewards for completing Deeprunner's Map, it clearly pays to keep your eyes open as you explore the Eye of the North map.
When you make your way to Umbral Grotto, all will become clear. If you speak to Koris Deeprunner, he will offer you the Deeprunner's Map quest.
Koris explains: "Long ago, a human who came to Droknar's Forge sold me the middle of a piece of what was an ancient map that led me here. After spending countless days researching the ancient Dwarven chronicles, I have come to believe this is a piece of the map to the great King Hundar's ancient lost treasure. If only I can find the other pieces to the map. I might be able to track down the treasure! So far I've found 1 of 5 pieces."
Take the quest, then when you find a treasure map piece, go back to Koris. With the piece in your inventory, talk to Koris - he'll take the piece and update the quest.
The treasure map pieces drop randomly from monsters in explorable areas. They are not reserved for a character in your party (so pick them up quickly!), they are not customised to your character, and they can be traded freely.
That last point is pretty important, because it's quite likely you'll pick up more than one copy of each map piece. You can then trade these for the one's your missing.
Once Koris has all the pieces, he will make the "Lost Treasure of King Hundar" quest available to you. This is a repeatable quest, and can be used to greatly increase your Deldrimor Title Track, as there are large numbers of Dwarven reputation points to be gained during this quest.
With 15,000 XP, 1500 Dwarven reputation points, and the Deldrimor Title Track skill Drunken Master as rewards for completing Deeprunner's Map, it clearly pays to keep your eyes open as you explore the Eye of the North map.
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treasure map, deeprunner's map, eye of the north, deldrimor title track
Friday, 5 October 2007
Eye of the North Title Tracks - Ebon Vanguard Title Track
Warriors from Ascalon, the Ebon Vanguard have journeyed to the Far Shiverpeaks to defeat the Charr. As with the other factions that are converging on the Eye of the North, you can do missions for members of the Ebon Vanguard, and earn reputation points for the Ebon Vanguard Title Track.
Talk to an Ebon Vanguard scout in Charr territory to receive the Vanguard Patrol blessing, which grants you reputation points per creature killed in explorable areas. Every 25 reputation points you'll get a random bonus, and talking to a new scout after getting 25 reputation points will also give you a random bonus (usually an increase in the amount of points the Vanguard Patrol blessing grants) as well as some extra reputation points.
The two best areas to farm for reputation points are Dalada Uplands and Sacnoth Valley. As an added bonus you can get a Siege Devourer in both of these areas - their monstrous amounts of hit points and the mad damage they can make farming much quicker and easier.
You can expect to get around 3000 Vanguard reputation points in Dalada Uplands, which will take about an hour to fully clear.
Sacnoth Valley will take between an hour and an hour and a half to completely clear, and will net you around 4500 Vanguard reputation points. Speak to all the scouts to boost your Vanguard Patrol blessing as much as you can, and then clear out the Charr Temple last. With 4 bosses there you should be able to achieve 300 points per boss.
Once you have Rank 1 in the Ebon Vanguard Title Track, talk to Gedrel of Ascalon at the Eye of the North to get the Rebel Yell status effect, which will activate whenever you display the Ebon Vanguard Title Track.
Rebel Yell. Title. You have +5..x armor against damage from Charr. You gain 30..x% more adrenaline when you hit a Charr. You gain 2 energy when you kill a Charr.
Rank, Title, and Ebon Vanguard reputation points needed are listed below:
Rank 1 is required to get Rebel Yell from Gedrel of Ascalon at the Eye of the North. Rank 3 is needed to be able to craft Ebon Vanguard consumables. Rank 4 is needed to be able to craft Charrslayer weapons, and Rank 5 is needed to be able to craft Monument armour.
There are also 12 skills which will be granted when completing quests for Ebon Vanguard NPCs. Their effects obviously increase in line with your Ebon Vanguard Title Track rank.
If you liked Guild Wars: Prophecies, you'll really enjoy doing Ebon Vanguard quests in the Charr Homelands in Eye of the North. It's like old times - wandering the gorgeous countryside, putting the smackdown on Charr - but with enough new features and skills to make it a real challenge.
Talk to an Ebon Vanguard scout in Charr territory to receive the Vanguard Patrol blessing, which grants you reputation points per creature killed in explorable areas. Every 25 reputation points you'll get a random bonus, and talking to a new scout after getting 25 reputation points will also give you a random bonus (usually an increase in the amount of points the Vanguard Patrol blessing grants) as well as some extra reputation points.
The two best areas to farm for reputation points are Dalada Uplands and Sacnoth Valley. As an added bonus you can get a Siege Devourer in both of these areas - their monstrous amounts of hit points and the mad damage they can make farming much quicker and easier.
You can expect to get around 3000 Vanguard reputation points in Dalada Uplands, which will take about an hour to fully clear.
Sacnoth Valley will take between an hour and an hour and a half to completely clear, and will net you around 4500 Vanguard reputation points. Speak to all the scouts to boost your Vanguard Patrol blessing as much as you can, and then clear out the Charr Temple last. With 4 bosses there you should be able to achieve 300 points per boss.
Once you have Rank 1 in the Ebon Vanguard Title Track, talk to Gedrel of Ascalon at the Eye of the North to get the Rebel Yell status effect, which will activate whenever you display the Ebon Vanguard Title Track.
Rebel Yell. Title. You have +5..x armor against damage from Charr. You gain 30..x% more adrenaline when you hit a Charr. You gain 2 energy when you kill a Charr.
Rank, Title, and Ebon Vanguard reputation points needed are listed below:
- 1 - Agent - 1,000
- 2 - Covert Agent - 4,000
- 3 - Stealth Agent - 8,000
- 4 - Mysterious Agent - 16,000
- 5 - Shadow Agent - 26,000
- 6 - Underground Agent - 40,000
- 7 - Special Agent - 56,000
- 8 - Valued Agent - 80,000
- 9 - Superior Agent - 110,000
Rank 1 is required to get Rebel Yell from Gedrel of Ascalon at the Eye of the North. Rank 3 is needed to be able to craft Ebon Vanguard consumables. Rank 4 is needed to be able to craft Charrslayer weapons, and Rank 5 is needed to be able to craft Monument armour.
There are also 12 skills which will be granted when completing quests for Ebon Vanguard NPCs. Their effects obviously increase in line with your Ebon Vanguard Title Track rank.
- Deft Strike Deft Strike
- Ebon Battle Standard of Courage
- Ebon Battle Standard of Honor
- Ebon Battle Standard of Wisdom
- Ebon Escape
- Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support
- Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support
- Signet of Infection
- Sneak Attack
- Tryptophan Signet
- Weakness Trap
- Winds
If you liked Guild Wars: Prophecies, you'll really enjoy doing Ebon Vanguard quests in the Charr Homelands in Eye of the North. It's like old times - wandering the gorgeous countryside, putting the smackdown on Charr - but with enough new features and skills to make it a real challenge.
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ebon vanguard, eye of the north, charr homelands, reputation points, ascalon
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Eye of the North minigames - Polymock
Polymock is a new minigame in Eye of the North. Invented by the Asura, it has a lot of similarities with Pokemon. To play you'll need some Polymock pieces, which you get from quest rewards, inside dungeon chests, or from other players.
To be able to play Polymock, you need at least three Polymock pieces. Make sure they're in your inventory, then head over to Rata Sum and talk to Denn, who will then register your pieces for play. Once the pieces have been registered they're removed from your inventory. Polymock pieces are registered per character and cannot be traded amongst your own characters or with other players.
There are two sets of rules that Polymock matches can be played under:
Commoner rules
Commoner rules apply for duels that occur as part of the Polymock quest chain, starting with the quest Defeat Yulma. These quests are repeatable, and there are no restrictions on the type of pieces you can play. Once you have completed the Polymock quests you can then move on to playing via Tournament Rules.
Tournament rules
Tournament rules apply when dueling a Polymock player outside the Polymock quest chain. You are restricted to choosing one Polymock Piece from each rarity: common, uncommon, and rare. If you do not have at least one registered piece from each rarity, you will not be allowed to play under Tournament Rules. For each Polymock match won under Tournament rules you can gain between 10 and 50 Asura reputation points, depending on the opponent you defeated.
Once the rules have been met, you and your opponent will the transported to a Polymock arena. Arenas have two platforms, close enough together to always remain in aggro range. Once in the arena, talk to Vokk the Polymock Judge, and decide which three of your registered Polymock pieces will play.
Each time you choose a piece, your opponent will too, so you can make your next piece choice based on your opponent's last choice. Once you've chosen your three pieces, and decided which piece you will open with, talk to Vokk again to start the round.
When a match starts, you're faced with a 10 second countdown timer - at zero, the duel begins. Polymock pieces have their own skills and attributes, and attack in the same way as normal Guild Wars characters. The duel is very similar to normal combat, with the exception that effects like Bleeding or Burning cause -10 Health degeneration. You can move your Polymock piece around to try and avoid your opponent's projectile spells.
When a piece's Health reaches zero it's defeated. You must then choose another piece - if all three of your pieces have been defeated, you lose the match.
I'll discuss Polymock tactics in another blog post. Like combat in Eye of the North, Polymock can be quite involved, and strategy and skill will always win out over full frontal attacks.
To be able to play Polymock, you need at least three Polymock pieces. Make sure they're in your inventory, then head over to Rata Sum and talk to Denn, who will then register your pieces for play. Once the pieces have been registered they're removed from your inventory. Polymock pieces are registered per character and cannot be traded amongst your own characters or with other players.
There are two sets of rules that Polymock matches can be played under:
Commoner rules
Commoner rules apply for duels that occur as part of the Polymock quest chain, starting with the quest Defeat Yulma. These quests are repeatable, and there are no restrictions on the type of pieces you can play. Once you have completed the Polymock quests you can then move on to playing via Tournament Rules.
Tournament rules
Tournament rules apply when dueling a Polymock player outside the Polymock quest chain. You are restricted to choosing one Polymock Piece from each rarity: common, uncommon, and rare. If you do not have at least one registered piece from each rarity, you will not be allowed to play under Tournament Rules. For each Polymock match won under Tournament rules you can gain between 10 and 50 Asura reputation points, depending on the opponent you defeated.
Once the rules have been met, you and your opponent will the transported to a Polymock arena. Arenas have two platforms, close enough together to always remain in aggro range. Once in the arena, talk to Vokk the Polymock Judge, and decide which three of your registered Polymock pieces will play.
Each time you choose a piece, your opponent will too, so you can make your next piece choice based on your opponent's last choice. Once you've chosen your three pieces, and decided which piece you will open with, talk to Vokk again to start the round.
When a match starts, you're faced with a 10 second countdown timer - at zero, the duel begins. Polymock pieces have their own skills and attributes, and attack in the same way as normal Guild Wars characters. The duel is very similar to normal combat, with the exception that effects like Bleeding or Burning cause -10 Health degeneration. You can move your Polymock piece around to try and avoid your opponent's projectile spells.
When a piece's Health reaches zero it's defeated. You must then choose another piece - if all three of your pieces have been defeated, you lose the match.
I'll discuss Polymock tactics in another blog post. Like combat in Eye of the North, Polymock can be quite involved, and strategy and skill will always win out over full frontal attacks.
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asura, eye of the north, polymock, polymock rules, how to play polymock
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Eye of the North Title Tracks - the Asura Title Track
Along with the Norn, the Asura are a new race introduced in Eye of the North. About the best way to describe them is that they look a bit like Stitch from "Lilo & Stitch".
The Asura Title Track is a new Title Track to go along with the new race, and represents you standing in the eyes of this very magic-focussed race.
The reputation points you need for each rank are in line with the other new Title Tracks:
As you reach the following ranks extra service will become available to you in Asuran towns and outposts:
The usual methods are available for gaining reputation points. Completing quests and dungeons are the main ones, as well as slaying creatures while under the Asuran Bodyguard blessing, obtained from NPCs near Resurrection Shrines in Asuran explorable areas.
There are two main areas to gain large amounts of reputation points. Magus Stones has a large number of easy to defeat Wind Riders. Clearing out all the enemies in this Eye of the North map area should bring you between 3000 and 4000 reputation points.
The other key area to gain Asuran reputation points is Arbor Bay. There are large numbers of low level creatures here, and I've found that if you zig-zag across the map, they are spaced out evenly enough to maintain any rampage bonuses. On a typical run you should be able to gain between 3000 and 6000 reputation points.
Additionally for each Polymock match you win you can gain between 40 and 90 reputation points, depending on your opponent.
Once you have obtained Rank 1 in the Title Track, and have spoken to Lexx in Rata Sum, you can display the Title to get the Edification status effect:
"Edification. Title. You have +5...15 Energy while in Asura territory."
With the Asura announced as one of the playable races in Guild Wars 2, it makes sense to try and max the Asura Title Track, and add it to your Hall of Monuments, so you can gain any bonuses for your Guild Wars 2 characters.
If you're an Elementalist in Eye of the North, the Asura energy bonus as well as the large number of clumped enemies in explorable areas should provide an easy route to a high rank in the Asura Title Track.
The Asura Title Track is a new Title Track to go along with the new race, and represents you standing in the eyes of this very magic-focussed race.
The reputation points you need for each rank are in line with the other new Title Tracks:
- Rank 1 - 1,000 - Not Too Smelly
- Rank 2 - 4,000 - Not Too Dopey
- Rank 3 - 8,000 - Not Too Clumsy
- Rank 4 - 16,000 - Not Too Boring
- Rank 5 - 26,000 - Not Too Annoying
- Rank 6 - 40,000 - Not Too Grumpy
- Rank 7 - 56,000 - Not Too Silly
- Rank 8 - 80,000 - Not Too Lazy
- Rank 9 - 110,000 - Not Too Foolish
As you reach the following ranks extra service will become available to you in Asuran towns and outposts:
- Not too Clumsy: Consumables
- Not too Boring: Weaponsmith
- Not too Annoying: Armor crafter
The usual methods are available for gaining reputation points. Completing quests and dungeons are the main ones, as well as slaying creatures while under the Asuran Bodyguard blessing, obtained from NPCs near Resurrection Shrines in Asuran explorable areas.
There are two main areas to gain large amounts of reputation points. Magus Stones has a large number of easy to defeat Wind Riders. Clearing out all the enemies in this Eye of the North map area should bring you between 3000 and 4000 reputation points.
The other key area to gain Asuran reputation points is Arbor Bay. There are large numbers of low level creatures here, and I've found that if you zig-zag across the map, they are spaced out evenly enough to maintain any rampage bonuses. On a typical run you should be able to gain between 3000 and 6000 reputation points.
Additionally for each Polymock match you win you can gain between 40 and 90 reputation points, depending on your opponent.
Once you have obtained Rank 1 in the Title Track, and have spoken to Lexx in Rata Sum, you can display the Title to get the Edification status effect:
"Edification. Title. You have +5...15 Energy while in Asura territory."
With the Asura announced as one of the playable races in Guild Wars 2, it makes sense to try and max the Asura Title Track, and add it to your Hall of Monuments, so you can gain any bonuses for your Guild Wars 2 characters.
If you're an Elementalist in Eye of the North, the Asura energy bonus as well as the large number of clumped enemies in explorable areas should provide an easy route to a high rank in the Asura Title Track.
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eye of the north, asura, asura title track, reputation points, edification, asura skills
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
How to use Monumental Tapestries in Eye of the North
Within the Eye of the North citadel is the Hall of Monuments, containing the Scrying Pool, various NPCs you need to talk to for primary quests, and a series of Monuments which celebrate your achievements.
There are four Monuments, and all apart from the Monument of Honour require a Monumental tapestry before they can be used.
Monument of Honor
This displays your Titles and Achievements. When you complete a campaign, Elite Missions, or achieve high rank in Title Tracks, you can choose to display those here.
Monument of Fellowship
This displays your Heroes and Pets. Heroes must have Hero Armour Upgrades to be displayed here. Pets must have been evolved to Level 20. Special pets like The Imperial Phoenix, The Black Widow and the Black Moa Bird will be displayed like Heroes.
Monument of Devotion
This is where you can display your minipets and collectibles. When you choose to display a minipet it becomes permanently customised to your character.
Monument of Valor
This is where you can display your unlocked high end weapons. At the moment only Destroyer Weapons from Eye of the North can be displayed - this will be expanded over time with game updates.
Monument of Resilience
This displays your Ascended and Elite Armour sets. Your armour must be worn at the time you choose to place it on the monument - you will not lose it, and it will retain the colour of the set you are wearing, allowing full customisation. You must have a complete set of armour (excluding headgear) to display it.
Using tapestries in the Hall of Monuments
When you complete a Primary Quest in Eye of the North you will be given a Monumental Tapestry. Keep this in your inventory, and head on over to your Hall of Monuments.
When you look at each Monument, it will note that it looks empty, and would be improved with a tapestry. In the conversation dialogue you can then choose to hang a tapestry at that Monument. Once you have selected to hang a tapestry, it cannot be taken down and moved to another Monument.
You cannot choose to display any items at a Monument until you have hung a tapestry there, with the exception of the Monument of Honor.
The Hall of Monuments in Eye of the North will provide a link to Guild Wars 2, allowing as yet unspecified bonuses and/or items for your new Guild Wars 2 character.
There are four Monuments, and all apart from the Monument of Honour require a Monumental tapestry before they can be used.
Monument of Honor
This displays your Titles and Achievements. When you complete a campaign, Elite Missions, or achieve high rank in Title Tracks, you can choose to display those here.
Monument of Fellowship
This displays your Heroes and Pets. Heroes must have Hero Armour Upgrades to be displayed here. Pets must have been evolved to Level 20. Special pets like The Imperial Phoenix, The Black Widow and the Black Moa Bird will be displayed like Heroes.
Monument of Devotion
This is where you can display your minipets and collectibles. When you choose to display a minipet it becomes permanently customised to your character.
Monument of Valor
This is where you can display your unlocked high end weapons. At the moment only Destroyer Weapons from Eye of the North can be displayed - this will be expanded over time with game updates.
Monument of Resilience
This displays your Ascended and Elite Armour sets. Your armour must be worn at the time you choose to place it on the monument - you will not lose it, and it will retain the colour of the set you are wearing, allowing full customisation. You must have a complete set of armour (excluding headgear) to display it.
Using tapestries in the Hall of Monuments
When you complete a Primary Quest in Eye of the North you will be given a Monumental Tapestry. Keep this in your inventory, and head on over to your Hall of Monuments.
When you look at each Monument, it will note that it looks empty, and would be improved with a tapestry. In the conversation dialogue you can then choose to hang a tapestry at that Monument. Once you have selected to hang a tapestry, it cannot be taken down and moved to another Monument.
You cannot choose to display any items at a Monument until you have hung a tapestry there, with the exception of the Monument of Honor.
The Hall of Monuments in Eye of the North will provide a link to Guild Wars 2, allowing as yet unspecified bonuses and/or items for your new Guild Wars 2 character.
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hall of monuments, tapestry, eye of the north, title tracks
Tracking your progress in Eye of the North with books
A neat new feature in Eye of the North is the concept of tracking your progress in special books. Once completed these books can be handed in to NPCs in exchange for reputation points.
There are three books you can collect and complete:
You can obtain the Hero's Handbook and the Master Dungeon Guide from the following NPCs:
Ask them about "written evidence" and they will give you the books. Once accepted, these two books will be customised to your character. If you place them in storage you can request another book, although at the moment completed quests and dungeons will only be updated in the first book you have.
I suspect at some point you will be able to place the books somewhere in the Hall of Monuments, which would explain why you can have more than one copy.
The Master Dungeon Guide will document your progress in the following dungeons:
Annoyingly, any dungeons that were completed during the Sneak Peek weekend won't appear in the Master Dungeon Guide. Can't say I'm too happy about that, personally.
Any dungeons and quests that you have completed since starting Eye of the North (after the official launch) will automatically show up in the books when you acquire them.
Zho's Journal is a special book that can only be gained once you have defeated Zho in the Norn Fighting Tournament.
Zho's Journal can only be acquired once per character. When you receive any of the books, they are customised to your character.
The Hero's Handbook contains details for each of the Primary Quests you complete. As you finish them, a summary of the quest is entered in the Handbook.
The Master Dungeon Guide is used to keep track of each of the dungeons you complete. Again, as each one is finished, a summary of the dungeon is written into the Guide.
When the Hero's Handbook or the Master Dungeon Guide is completely full, you can hand it in to one of the NPCs to receive 2500 reputation points for that NPC's race. So, if you wanted to boost your Asuran Title Track, you'd hand the completed Hero's Handbook in to Lexx in Rata Sum.
Zho's Journal is a special item, primarily of interest to Rangers or those characters who have Ranger as a secondary profession. The Journal documents Zho's journey in hatching a Black Moa egg and can be used to acquire and hatch your own Black Moa egg.
To complete this you must have all 3 chapters of Guild Wars, as Zho has journeyed to them all to accomplish this task. If you do try and hatch your own Black Moa chick, bear in mind that there are no quests, and NPCs will have no icons above them, showing who to talk to. You will need to read through the Journal and use it to work out where to go and who to talk to.
As an aside, you may notice that The Hero's Handbook and the Master Dungeon Guide are references to the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide from Dungeons & Dragons. Even the colours match up to the current editions.
This is a pretty long blog posting, but the idea of books to track and record progress in Eye of the North is a new one, and questions about the books seem to frequently come up.
There are three books you can collect and complete:
- The Hero's Handbook
- The Master Dungeon Guide
- Zho's Journal
You can obtain the Hero's Handbook and the Master Dungeon Guide from the following NPCs:
- Gedrel of Ascalon, in the Eye of the North
- Kodan, in Gunnar's Hold
- Tyr the Skaald, in Gunnar's Hold
- Lexx, in Rata Sum
Ask them about "written evidence" and they will give you the books. Once accepted, these two books will be customised to your character. If you place them in storage you can request another book, although at the moment completed quests and dungeons will only be updated in the first book you have.
I suspect at some point you will be able to place the books somewhere in the Hall of Monuments, which would explain why you can have more than one copy.
The Master Dungeon Guide will document your progress in the following dungeons:
- Catacombs of Kathandrax - Page 1
- Rragar's Menagerie - Page 2
- Cathedral of Flames - Page 3
- Ooze Pit - Page 4
- Darkrime Delves - Page 5
- Frostmaw's Burrows - Page 6
- Sepulchre of Dragrimmar - Page 7
- Raven's Point - Page 8
- Vloxen Excavations - Page 9
- Bogroot Growths - Page 10
- Bloodstone Caves - Page 11
- Shards of Orr - Page 12
- Oola's Lab - Page 13
- Arachni's Haunt - Page 14
- Slaver's Exile - Page 15
- Fronis Irontoe's Lair - Page 16
- Secret Lair of the Snowmen - Page 17
- Heart of the Shiverpeaks - Page 18
Annoyingly, any dungeons that were completed during the Sneak Peek weekend won't appear in the Master Dungeon Guide. Can't say I'm too happy about that, personally.
Any dungeons and quests that you have completed since starting Eye of the North (after the official launch) will automatically show up in the books when you acquire them.
Zho's Journal is a special book that can only be gained once you have defeated Zho in the Norn Fighting Tournament.
Zho's Journal can only be acquired once per character. When you receive any of the books, they are customised to your character.
The Hero's Handbook contains details for each of the Primary Quests you complete. As you finish them, a summary of the quest is entered in the Handbook.
The Master Dungeon Guide is used to keep track of each of the dungeons you complete. Again, as each one is finished, a summary of the dungeon is written into the Guide.
When the Hero's Handbook or the Master Dungeon Guide is completely full, you can hand it in to one of the NPCs to receive 2500 reputation points for that NPC's race. So, if you wanted to boost your Asuran Title Track, you'd hand the completed Hero's Handbook in to Lexx in Rata Sum.
Zho's Journal is a special item, primarily of interest to Rangers or those characters who have Ranger as a secondary profession. The Journal documents Zho's journey in hatching a Black Moa egg and can be used to acquire and hatch your own Black Moa egg.
To complete this you must have all 3 chapters of Guild Wars, as Zho has journeyed to them all to accomplish this task. If you do try and hatch your own Black Moa chick, bear in mind that there are no quests, and NPCs will have no icons above them, showing who to talk to. You will need to read through the Journal and use it to work out where to go and who to talk to.
As an aside, you may notice that The Hero's Handbook and the Master Dungeon Guide are references to the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide from Dungeons & Dragons. Even the colours match up to the current editions.
This is a pretty long blog posting, but the idea of books to track and record progress in Eye of the North is a new one, and questions about the books seem to frequently come up.
Technorati Tags:
master dungeon guide, zho's journal, hero's handbook, books, eye of the north, reputation points
Monday, 1 October 2007
Is Eye of the North your favourite soundtrack?
Is Eye of the North your favourite soundtrack? Or perhaps Nightfall? Maybe Factions?
Jeremy Soule's music is superb - haunting, catching the feel of the game, and adding atmosphere and depth. You can purchase and download the full high quality soundtracks from Direct Song and then have them played at random within Guild Wars, even if you don't have the relevant client.
Obviously you can also play the soundtracks that came with the full retail copies of each game, and even get some bonus tracks with the Collector's Edition of each chapter.
So, the question is - which is your favourite soundtrack of them all? Which one inspires you to explore the Guild Wars world, which one gets your blood pumping in combat, which soundtrack captures the sense of loss of the conflicts that ravage Tyria, Cantha and Elona?
Place your vote on our exclusive Eye of the North soundtrack poll, on the right hand side of this blog. The poll will be open until 31st October - make your vote count!
Jeremy Soule's music is superb - haunting, catching the feel of the game, and adding atmosphere and depth. You can purchase and download the full high quality soundtracks from Direct Song and then have them played at random within Guild Wars, even if you don't have the relevant client.
Obviously you can also play the soundtracks that came with the full retail copies of each game, and even get some bonus tracks with the Collector's Edition of each chapter.
So, the question is - which is your favourite soundtrack of them all? Which one inspires you to explore the Guild Wars world, which one gets your blood pumping in combat, which soundtrack captures the sense of loss of the conflicts that ravage Tyria, Cantha and Elona?
Place your vote on our exclusive Eye of the North soundtrack poll, on the right hand side of this blog. The poll will be open until 31st October - make your vote count!
Technorati Tags:
soundtracks, jeremy soule, eye of the north, factions, prophecies, nightfall
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Eye of the North Title Tracks - Deldrimor Title Track
Another new Title Track in Eye of the North is the Deldrimor Title Track. Earning Dwarven reputation points increases your progress on the Deldrimor Title Track.
As with the other new Title Tracks, you can gain reputation points by either completing relevant quests, or slaying creatures in explorable areas while under the Dwarven Raider blessing. You can get this by talking to the Deacons of Droknar, who are located next to resurrection shrines in explorable areas.
If you want to quickly boost your progress, repeat the Secret Lair of the Snowmen dungeon. With a proper team setup (I use my main character, two AoE damage Elementalist heroes, a monk healer hero, and the rest are henchies) this dungeon can be completed in around 10-15 minutes, and should yield between 800 and 1500 Dwarven reputation points.
Another good dungeon to try early on to get a quick boost in reputation points is the Sepulchre of Dragrimmar. You should be able to get at least one gold item, well over 1000 gold, and over 2000 Dwarven reputation points.
Once you've gained Rank 1 in the Deldrimor Title Track, you need to talk to Kodan the Dwarven Recruiter, in Gunnar's Hold. Once you've done this and display the Deldrimor Title, you get the benefit of the Stout Hearted status effect:
"Whenever you use a Skill against a Destroyer, it takes 6..15 damage and you gain 6..15 Health."
The Deldrimor Title Track ranks, points needed, and bonuses you get are:
There are at least 14 specific skills linked to the Deldrimor Title Track. As you increase in Rank you can gain these skills by talking to Dwarven NPCs, who will hand them out as rewards for completing specific quests. The quests themselves will also give you more Dwarven reputation points as a reward, and if you talk to the Deacons of Droknar along the way you can net even more points.
The current skill list is:
As more players progress on the new Title Tracks in Eye of the North, we should be able to get more information on the further ranks in the Deldrimor Title Track, along with any new bonuses or skills they will unlock.
As with the other new Title Tracks, you can gain reputation points by either completing relevant quests, or slaying creatures in explorable areas while under the Dwarven Raider blessing. You can get this by talking to the Deacons of Droknar, who are located next to resurrection shrines in explorable areas.
If you want to quickly boost your progress, repeat the Secret Lair of the Snowmen dungeon. With a proper team setup (I use my main character, two AoE damage Elementalist heroes, a monk healer hero, and the rest are henchies) this dungeon can be completed in around 10-15 minutes, and should yield between 800 and 1500 Dwarven reputation points.
Another good dungeon to try early on to get a quick boost in reputation points is the Sepulchre of Dragrimmar. You should be able to get at least one gold item, well over 1000 gold, and over 2000 Dwarven reputation points.
Once you've gained Rank 1 in the Deldrimor Title Track, you need to talk to Kodan the Dwarven Recruiter, in Gunnar's Hold. Once you've done this and display the Deldrimor Title, you get the benefit of the Stout Hearted status effect:
"Whenever you use a Skill against a Destroyer, it takes 6..15 damage and you gain 6..15 Health."
The Deldrimor Title Track ranks, points needed, and bonuses you get are:
| Rank | Title | Dwarven reputation points | Damage / Health gain | Extra bonuses |
| 1 | Delver | 1,000 | 6 | Required for Stout-Hearted. |
| 2 | Stout Delver | 4,000 | 7 | |
| 3 | Gutsy Delver | 8,000 | 8 | Required for crafting Dwarven Consumables. |
| 4 | Risky Delver | 16,000 | 9 | Required for crafting Dwarven Weapons. |
| 5 | Bold Delver | 26,000 | 10 | Required for crafting Dwarven armor. |
| 6 | Daring Delver | 40,000 | 11 | |
| 7 | Adventurous Delver | 56,000 | 12 | |
| 8 | Courageous Delver | 80,000 | 13 | Beacons of Droknar stop giving the Dwarven Raider blessing in Normal mode. |
| 9 | Epic Delver | 110,000 | 14 |
There are at least 14 specific skills linked to the Deldrimor Title Track. As you increase in Rank you can gain these skills by talking to Dwarven NPCs, who will hand them out as rewards for completing specific quests. The quests themselves will also give you more Dwarven reputation points as a reward, and if you talk to the Deacons of Droknar along the way you can net even more points.
The current skill list is:
- "By Ural's Hammer!"
- "Don't Trip!"
- Alkar's Alchemical Acid
- Black Powder Mine
- Brawling Headbutt
- Breath of the Great Dwarf
- Drunken Master
- Dwarven Stability
- Ear Bite
- Great Dwarf Armor
- Great Dwarf Weapon
- Light of Deldrimor
- Low Blow
- Snow Storm
As more players progress on the new Title Tracks in Eye of the North, we should be able to get more information on the further ranks in the Deldrimor Title Track, along with any new bonuses or skills they will unlock.
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, guild wars, deldrimor title track, reputation points, dwarves
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Eye of the North Title Tracks - Master of the North
Another new Eye of the North Title Track is The Master of the North. This tracks your progress through the Eye of the North storyline, increasing as you complete quests, dungeons, and explore the Eye of the North map areas.
You gain 5 Eye of the North mastery points for completing a primary mission, and 10 for completing a dungeon quest for the first time. You also gain additional points as you explore and discover areas in the Eye of the North map.
The points you need for each rank are:
At the moment, it looks like 316 is the maximum number of points you can obtain:
In case you think I've added those up incorrectly ;-) remember that Fronis Irontoe's Lair and Secret Lair of the Snowman don't give points (as they are repeatable dungeon quests).
As ArenaNet tweak Eye of the North and add new side missions we can expect to see more opportunities to progress the Master of the North Title Track.
You gain 5 Eye of the North mastery points for completing a primary mission, and 10 for completing a dungeon quest for the first time. You also gain additional points as you explore and discover areas in the Eye of the North map.
The points you need for each rank are:
- 100 mastery points - Rank 1 - Adventurer of the North
- 200 mastery points - Rank 2 - Pioneer of the North
- 350 mastery points - Rank 3 - Veteran of the North
At the moment, it looks like 316 is the maximum number of points you can obtain:
- 160 points for completing dungeon quests
- 55 points for all the primary missions
- 101 points for map exploration
In case you think I've added those up incorrectly ;-) remember that Fronis Irontoe's Lair and Secret Lair of the Snowman don't give points (as they are repeatable dungeon quests).
As ArenaNet tweak Eye of the North and add new side missions we can expect to see more opportunities to progress the Master of the North Title Track.
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eye of the north, master of the north, title track, mastery points, map, quest, dungeon
Friday, 28 September 2007
Official press release as Eye of the North goes live
(I wanted to repost this Eye of the North Press Release because it contains some good information about the expansion, direct from ArenaNet)
Guild Wars: Eye of the North Goes Live, Expanding Guild Wars World
NCsoft releases the first expansion to award-winning, subscription-free Guild Wars franchise, builds bridge to Guild Wars 2
Brighton, England. August 31st 2007—NCsoft® Europe and ArenaNet® have launched Guild Wars: Eye of the North™, the first expansion to the Guild Wars® franchise of subscription-free, online roleplaying games. Guild Wars players who purchase the expansion can access Eye of the North content through any of the multi-million-selling Guild Wars campaigns–Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, or Guild Wars Nightfall™. The expansion also includes an innovative feature that allows players to take achievements they have earned over the years with them into the forthcoming Guild Wars 2®.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North, continues the subscription-free business model pioneered by ArenaNet. The expansion is now available at the Official Guild Wars In-game Store and at http://eu.plaync.com/eu/, as well as from retailers across Europe and in North America, for an expected suggested retail price of £24.99 / €34.99.
Eye of the North advances the story told in the original Guild Wars campaign, and is set in unexplored areas of the continent of Tyria. One of the highlights of the expansion is the Hall of Monuments, which allows players to preserve armor sets, pets, Heroes, and titles earned while playing Guild Wars, Factions, Nightfall, and Eye of the North, and take those accomplishments with them into Guild Wars 2.
The expansion also contains a host of new features that will appeal directly to veteran Guild Wars players, including 18 multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all 10 Guild Wars professions, 10 new Heroes to aid them in their adventures, 40 new armor sets, and more items, weapons, and titles.
“We think fans will find a lot to love in Guild Wars: Eye of the North,” said Mike O’Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. “Not only do we go back to the original Guild Wars lands and stories to wrap up plots and themes fans have clamored to learn more about, but we’ve also built a bridge to the future through the Hall of Monuments. This will give loyal players a way to preserve what they’ve accomplished in Guild Wars over the past two years, and reclaim the legacy of their favorite characters in Guild Wars 2.”
The Guild Wars franchise recently surpassed four million units sold and is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed online roleplaying game series of all time. Guild Wars 2 is expected to go into public beta in the second half of 2008.
For more information, visit the Guild Wars website at http://www.discoverguildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games, including Guild Wars: Eye of the North, can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl?language=en-gb.
About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet’s titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, and Guild Wars: Eye of the North, are global online roleplaying games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at http://www.arena.net.
About NCsoft Europe
NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched Lineage® II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars on 28th April 2005, City of Villains™ on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions on 28th April 2006, Guild Wars Nightfall on 27th October 2006 and Guild Wars: Eye of the North on 31st August 2007. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.
NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Eye of the North, Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet, Dungeon Runners, and Lineage and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North Goes Live, Expanding Guild Wars World
NCsoft releases the first expansion to award-winning, subscription-free Guild Wars franchise, builds bridge to Guild Wars 2
Brighton, England. August 31st 2007—NCsoft® Europe and ArenaNet® have launched Guild Wars: Eye of the North™, the first expansion to the Guild Wars® franchise of subscription-free, online roleplaying games. Guild Wars players who purchase the expansion can access Eye of the North content through any of the multi-million-selling Guild Wars campaigns–Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, or Guild Wars Nightfall™. The expansion also includes an innovative feature that allows players to take achievements they have earned over the years with them into the forthcoming Guild Wars 2®.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North, continues the subscription-free business model pioneered by ArenaNet. The expansion is now available at the Official Guild Wars In-game Store and at http://eu.plaync.com/eu/, as well as from retailers across Europe and in North America, for an expected suggested retail price of £24.99 / €34.99.
Eye of the North advances the story told in the original Guild Wars campaign, and is set in unexplored areas of the continent of Tyria. One of the highlights of the expansion is the Hall of Monuments, which allows players to preserve armor sets, pets, Heroes, and titles earned while playing Guild Wars, Factions, Nightfall, and Eye of the North, and take those accomplishments with them into Guild Wars 2.
The expansion also contains a host of new features that will appeal directly to veteran Guild Wars players, including 18 multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all 10 Guild Wars professions, 10 new Heroes to aid them in their adventures, 40 new armor sets, and more items, weapons, and titles.
“We think fans will find a lot to love in Guild Wars: Eye of the North,” said Mike O’Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. “Not only do we go back to the original Guild Wars lands and stories to wrap up plots and themes fans have clamored to learn more about, but we’ve also built a bridge to the future through the Hall of Monuments. This will give loyal players a way to preserve what they’ve accomplished in Guild Wars over the past two years, and reclaim the legacy of their favorite characters in Guild Wars 2.”
The Guild Wars franchise recently surpassed four million units sold and is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed online roleplaying game series of all time. Guild Wars 2 is expected to go into public beta in the second half of 2008.
For more information, visit the Guild Wars website at http://www.discoverguildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games, including Guild Wars: Eye of the North, can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl?language=en-gb.
About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet’s titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, and Guild Wars: Eye of the North, are global online roleplaying games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at http://www.arena.net.
About NCsoft Europe
NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched Lineage® II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars on 28th April 2005, City of Villains™ on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions on 28th April 2006, Guild Wars Nightfall on 27th October 2006 and Guild Wars: Eye of the North on 31st August 2007. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.
NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Eye of the North, Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet, Dungeon Runners, and Lineage and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Technorati Tags:
arenanet, eye of the north, guild wars, ncsoft, press release
Eye of the North images for forum avatars
Your favourite Eye of the North characters are now available to download and use as forum avatars!
You can download a zipefile from ftp://ftp.guildwars.com/downloads/fansite-kit/gwen-avatars.zip. Once you uncompress it you'll find a selection of image of your Eye of the North characters, including Gwen, Vekk the Asura, Livia, and Pyre the Charr.
The images can be uploaded straight away to use as your avatar on the forum of your choice.
Which Eye of the North character will you choose?
You can download a zipefile from ftp://ftp.guildwars.com/downloads/fansite-kit/gwen-avatars.zip. Once you uncompress it you'll find a selection of image of your Eye of the North characters, including Gwen, Vekk the Asura, Livia, and Pyre the Charr.
The images can be uploaded straight away to use as your avatar on the forum of your choice.
Which Eye of the North character will you choose?
Technorati Tags:
guild wars, avatars, eye of the north
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Eye of the North minigames - The Norn Fighting Tournament
The next Eye of the North minigame you can discover is the Norn Fighting Tournament.
Head on over to Gunnar's Hold - by the time you've reached here you should have progressed far enough along the Norn Title Track to be able to talk to Magni the Bison. You can find Gunnar's Hold easily from the Eye of the North map I blogged about previously.
Magni will give you the Round One: Fight! quest - then talk to Gellir Frostshield and pay 100 gold to enter the tournament.
During the tournament you will face 5 opponents from around Tyria in a one-on-one battle. The 6th opponent you face is Magni the Bison himself.
Defeating certain opponents will unlock some heroes and items for you:
The Norn Fighting Tournament is a repeatable quest, and can be a great way to boost your Norn Title Track, as you get the follow reputation point rewards each time:
The first time you defeat all six opponents, you receive the following skills and rewards:
Having fought your way through the Tournament once, each subsequent time you've finished the quest and beaten all six opponents, you will receive a Bison Championship Token.
One of the opponents you come up against is Gwen - it's quite satisfying to give her the smackdown after her irritating behaviour in Old Ascalon (and throughout the Eye of the North, actually).
As the Arena is in Norn territory, make sure you have your Norn Title Track selected, so you can take advantage of the health bonus it gives you.
While playing this Eye of the North minigame, see if you can spot the Street Fighter 2 references ArenaNet have littered throughout the tournament. Feel free to add any you find the comments section!
Head on over to Gunnar's Hold - by the time you've reached here you should have progressed far enough along the Norn Title Track to be able to talk to Magni the Bison. You can find Gunnar's Hold easily from the Eye of the North map I blogged about previously.
Magni will give you the Round One: Fight! quest - then talk to Gellir Frostshield and pay 100 gold to enter the tournament.
During the tournament you will face 5 opponents from around Tyria in a one-on-one battle. The 6th opponent you face is Magni the Bison himself.
Defeating certain opponents will unlock some heroes and items for you:
- The heroes Xandra (Ritualist) and Kahmu (Dervish) are unlocked the first time you beat them in the tournament
- If you beat Zho and Onyx you will get Zho's Journal, which contains hints on how to get a Black Moa Chick
- If you bring Zehtuka's Great Horn and beat The Great Zehtuka, he will trade it for a Zehtuka's Horn
The Norn Fighting Tournament is a repeatable quest, and can be a great way to boost your Norn Title Track, as you get the follow reputation point rewards each time:
- 1st opponent defeated: 5 Norn reputation points
- 2nd opponent defeated: 10 Norn reputation points
- 3rd opponent defeated: 15 Norn reputation points
- 4th opponent defeated: 20 Norn reputation points
- 5th opponent defeated: 25 Norn reputation points
- 6th opponent defeated: No reputation awarded for defeating Magni the Bison.
The first time you defeat all six opponents, you receive the following skills and rewards:
- "Finish Him!" "Finish Him!"
- A Touch of Guile A Touch of Guile
- "Dodge This!" "Dodge This!"
- The Bison Cup
Having fought your way through the Tournament once, each subsequent time you've finished the quest and beaten all six opponents, you will receive a Bison Championship Token.
One of the opponents you come up against is Gwen - it's quite satisfying to give her the smackdown after her irritating behaviour in Old Ascalon (and throughout the Eye of the North, actually).
As the Arena is in Norn territory, make sure you have your Norn Title Track selected, so you can take advantage of the health bonus it gives you.
While playing this Eye of the North minigame, see if you can spot the Street Fighter 2 references ArenaNet have littered throughout the tournament. Feel free to add any you find the comments section!
Technorati Tags:
eye of the north, norn, norn title track, norn fighting tournament, guild wars
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