World of Warcraft: Legion

World of Warcraft: Legion

"Legion" is the name of the next expansion of World of Warcraft. When it will actually be released is open to conjecture, but there has already been a press release stating that the beta will begin "later this year."

After numerous expansions there are many elements that are very predictable. Of course there is a new continent to explore - The Broken Isles. Of course character levels will go up, from 100 to 110. New dungeons and raids were announced declaring that players will want to revisit them again and again. Well, at least until all the dungeon goodies have been sacked and raiders get sick of the LFR (Looking For Raid).

And of course there will be a pre-expansion patch to make time altering Draenor go away so we can all go back to Azeroth and the present.

Where this expansion exceeds expectations, though, is that there are some truly interesting changes. Those who love the lore of Warcraft should be all over this one, as Blizz paints a wide swath across the world, bringing back heroes and villians not heard from in ages. I recommend watching the whole hour plus just to hear the experts talk shop about the world they created and maintain.

The New Things I Like

We have a new class: Demon Hunter. The demon hunter class is similar to the death knight starting experience and begin at a high level (something in the 90s I assume so they can quickly get into Legion content). They have Havoc (DPS) and Vengeance (tank) specs. There is no third spec. Demon Hunters are for elves only, Night Elf for Alliance and Blood Elf for Horde. They use leather armor, which will anger rogues, monks and druids who already have to fight each other over gear. In an interesting twist, demon hunters have their own specific weapon type, glaives, and will duel wield them exclusively.

Artifact weapons are another interesting idea. Now everyone will be able to own and use a legendary weapon such as Ashbringer. These weapons can be customized and improved on both for combat and for looks, promising that every blade can be unique. There is a specific weapon type (or template) for each of the 36 specs. I'm curious, though, about what happens to all those other weapons out there? Do they become obsolete once everyone has their own legendary? My guess is that the effort to get that legendary will take a very long time to accomplish.

Then there is PvP. Its not news that pvp has again been tinkered with. This time, though, Blizzard promises that version 3 is the be all final after a complete overhaul. Does anyone believe that? There is a new ranking from 1-50. Raising rank gets access to percs, talents, and special pvp abilities. I believe they are trying - again - to make it so that gear doesn't trump talent in pvp contests. For those who just want to look good, there are Prestige collections that pvpers can strive for.

The web is crawling with information about Legion. For more, just dive in!