Re-Gearing Up at 70

Well not sure how to explain been at the level cap quite frankly. Been on a younger server, doing Group Quests are looking hard to do in Outland at 70. No one is around and if they are you can’t get anyone to help you do 3 & 5 people group quest. No one from my guild at 70 is really ever on only a few at 70 so no help there either if that was possible. Looking for group request for quest go unanswered for quite a long time its frustrating. So I’m not even close to being able to daily quests earn that daily gold. Hell I can’t even seem to get a group to start the Ogril’la quest chain in Blades Edge Mountain that require groups to do. Seem like I can get a nice shield from that quest chain also but for now its going nowhere. On the bright side have 2 good pieces of Pre-Kara Tanking gear. For the most part I just do some quests I need to do to clear my log and earn gold that way.

Took me days to get this done or let alone find a Blacksmith on server that can make Felsteel gear on my server. Personally I don’t know if and when I will ever get to Kara and its not on top priority on my list either, but I’m using Kaziel’s Pre-Kara Tanking Gear list as a very good reference as its a really good list of gear to aim for. Plus he spent all that time making the list so why not use it as reference anyway. A few other gear list I’m using as gear reference choice to get up till then some being quest or faction reward items to get. However eventually found on AH the Felsteel Helm for 40g. This morning after asking in trade forever found a Blacksmith (BS) that can make me the Felsteel Gloves so I now have 2 pieces of gear from the list and my 1 Epic Trinket in the Darkmoon Card Vengeance. So 3 items so far gearing up wise. Added that BS as a friend for when I need to get other stuff made (Shield Spikes), hell hard enough to find one. Last time took a week to find one that made Thorium Shield Spikes.

Gearing up Cost
The other day I had a level 70 asking me for gold in Org? Wonder why when you can obtain it more easily in Outland. However its not the first time its happened. Gearing Up does seem to have a astronomical cost! And at 70 I’m finding out if you want it you sometime have to pay and pay heavily or do faction reps or instances to get it or even to just get a little bit better stats. Slowly I’m replacing my gear though.

This morning finding the high level Blacksmith was a relief and allowed me to get the Felsteel Gloves. The guy would make me the gloves for free if I had mats, cool. I was right there in AH, was already studying over the price of Felsteel (coughs) and 6 Felsteel bar cost me 110g. That bit my ass to spend gold like that. Alchemy is not this great a money maker I can tell you these days. I needed the glove so I paid up on AH! Paid the Blacksmith 5g for his skill to make them even though he said would do it for free. Personally even if someone of high skill decides to do something for free I always pay them a fee for service rendered. You win friends that way for future reference.

Well having 2 good piece of gear the Felsteel Gloves and the Felsteel Helm for upping my Defense Rating and will need to gem socket these baby for more stamina. So back to AH to find some Solid Star of Elune and Glowing Nightseye. Nope, can’t find. Did a Wowhead search and found can get a Jewelcrafter (JC) to from the raw gem. So saw some Star of Elune up 32-36g. Gee I’m about to go BROKE! I’m never going to get that damn epic mount at this rate. So bought all 5 gems at a cost of 168g. Next saw 2 Nightseye gem on AH only ones listed average price by auctioneer running at 40g average. Bought both at 72g. All this gold spending is quickly getting hard to swallow and I’m going broke quick I can tell just to gear up as a Tankadin and improve my armor. Back to trade to find a JC. Found one and go all 7 gems cut into Solid Star of Elune and Glowing Nightseye to socket both Felsteel armor piece. Paid the JC 10g for his time and service. I believe in paying people well for their hard to find service.

All in all spend about 410g on 2 Felsteel Armor pieces & all the Jem socketing piece for upping my stamina and defense to work way up to uncrushable at 490 Defense. A trade off there as a Paladin, had to give up loads of Intelligence and Spell Damage to get more Defense in stats (From 393 to 418 Defense), but need the defense though. Seems JC rake in some money but I’m not quiting alchemy to find green pastures in another profession. I fought hard to up Alchemy and get all the rare recipe and Flasks I have. But I’m quickly realize Gearing Up is a new game and in this game its not taking me long to realize that its EXPENSIVE and you will often be BROKE! I’m now back down to 200g flat!

If I’m going to be this broke just to gear up and get to Kara, then the next expansion be here before I get Epic Flying Mount, both of them. That I can see ahead. Now I realize why people have to go grinding to grind the dirt out in Outland for gold. Plus being a Tanking class is already Mucho Expensive to just being on that wears plate and taking loads of hits let alone instance wiping wearing plate and having high repair cost. Looking ahead I see broke days ahead on this path Gearing Up. Hell I haven’t started to get mats to enchant my gear yet and you know how expensive enchanting mats are. Also seem I’m going to have to get good with the Keepers of Time for the defense enchants I need also for my gear. Tough Choices.

Playing WoW Blogs

As a WoW player and a person that blogs on life as a Paladin I play much of WoW not even logged in. What I mean is that the amount of time I spend reading other good WoW blogs surpass the amount of time spent actually playing WoW logged in. Imagine that. Its often class research, perspective or keeping up on what’s going on withing the classes or in game. I think if you blog enough you really need to spend time reading other WoW blogs. You can’t know everything all the time. And maybe that’s just me that reads that much, but be nice to know how that is with all the other WoW bloggers out there?

Lately there are WoW blogs everywhere, like lots of them. I have many other blog links other than the one I read on my Blog listed in my Safari and Firefox browser that I read occasionally when I ran out of stuff to read (Or at work) or when some good blogs started go dead for whatever reason. Always unfortunate to see that when it happens but I guess such is the nature of things. Most the blogs I tend to read are Paladin & Warrior blogs or those that tank so often read those for different angles of perspective when I can. Overtime seem most good WoW blogs have “Six Degree of Separation“. We’re all separated by knowing one other blog in common, at least for the ones that reads blogs other than their own.

Added these new blogs to Blog List. Being reading these a while both Holy Paladin Blog:

Blood Paladin

Bubble Hearth

Just Not Enough Time

Haven’t done a post in a few days so I’m going to blame it on having all last week off to level to 70 and then having to go back to work working everyday up to today. Its been a drag the last several days at work to say the least. Think I do more blog reading at work than actual work most days. So compare to your normal week, today for me is Friday. The job is a grind (Sounds familiar), I do the same things over and over everyday with repetition except in those time when some systems there throw you for a curve and in those days I wish I was anywhere but work. But I really do enjoy my Job.

For the most part, if we all only had more Time. If you had more time you maybe get to 70, level that alt up, have more time to raid, have more time to grind those primals or faction reps. If had more time I could play more WoW and maybe not have a life. If we only had more time.

If I had more time, I would get off my tired ass and go cut my overgrown grass in my back yard I been meaning to cut it for a while. If only we all didn’t have a real life maybe we could all just live in WoW and all raids will be always full.

Thanks for Stopping By & Reading Here

Thanks to you all you commenter’s that stop here to read for enjoyment, fun, research or bored at work because you enjoy Ardent Defender (AD). You’ve made getting to 70 easier and Fun.

Blogging is not easy. Its neither easy to do daily, nor is it easy to do often. It takes up allot of WoW time among other things. At most it is a bit consuming to do. Often you have to remember lots of things that happen hours ago. However no one really knows it all in WoW, some people may I’m sure. But you readers that stop here adds to that and enhance it or adds your bit of knowledge to events that happen or things one ask questions about. Those things make me better at WoW and somehow also better at blogging here. Often I learn much from all of you that comment here. For some of you I back track and find your blog and I too become a secret reader and comment when I can. I read every single blog thats listed on my site because they are good or interesting. I learn stuff there too.

Just want to say Thanks To All Of You that stop here for whatever reason you do and add your good comments here. I’ve become much better at WoW because of your comments here and other readers that stops here to read learn just as much from your positive comments.

Training & Respec

After getting to 70 and all the playing to get there I was so tired I slept for almost all day thursday; Luckly I’ve been off all week from work on my Shift rotation schedule. So back to work this weekend . Logged in visited the trainer today and while doing that decided to do a respec for now to 0/44/17. Removed Guardian Favor in Protection I never seem to use it much these days. Dropped Seal of Command in Ret as just prefer to use Seal of Crusader with the 2H and better consistent damage to me, plus I’m not stacking crit gear for that anyway.

Did put 1 more point in Vindication to be 3/3 and dropped 1 new point in Eye for an Eye. I hear Vindication don’t work on bosses but thats ok, I’m still working on PVE stuff so it will work there as I do see it up often in melee on mob. Picked up allot of new rank spells and seem to be a big increase in damage in all the final spell ranks I’ve noticed. The respec cost me 15g and with getting the new talents spent 97g at the trainer Ouch!

Turned in my Firewing Signets with Scryer’s up to Honored had just enough and then turn in all my Sunfury Signets for the rest of the reps. Turned in Crystal Fragment for Consortium reps in Nagrand though I have nothing to gain with the consortium ever. However will still do some of the reps and all the quests for Fun. Kinda work out since need to get Motes from the Void Walkers there anyway to make Primal Shadows for alchemy so it works out at same time. A free bag of gem is better than no bag of gems. Plus those gems do come in handy in Alchemy Transmutations.

Faction Reps

Alchemy
While doing the run to 70 in Shadowmoon Valley. I picked up 2 Blue Alchemy drops, first time ever was so lucky to get a alchemy drop and both I didn’t have and can actually use. Killed one the Deathforge Guardian’s just outside Horde camp there in Shadowmoon by the fort for Fel Regeneration Potion. The other was a Fel Mana Potion dropped from one the Eclipsion Broodwarders storming the Evil BloodElf camp. Both were bind on pickup and though when I got the second drop it was the same drop as the first as both being Fel potions. Was a bit surprised. Both adds nicely to my Rare Potions List.