JB Shakes Things Up

JB Shakes Things Up

Happy was busy processing herbs marked for sale on the Auction House when one of his many spies passed along a tip that Jezzibel (aka "JB") was stirring up trouble in Orgrimmar. Jocy, busy in Draenor, was furious and sent word that she was to desist all activity and return to the Alchemy shack or her own tavern and stay out of the way.

JB is the Wild family Shaman and herbalist/alchemist currently maxed out at level 85. Jocy took over JB's alchemist duty (against JB's wishes) when she went to Draenor, but later tossed the function back to JB when Jocy got too busy. As far as Jocy is concerned, that was the end of the matter.

However, JB now wants more responsibility, and she wants Jocy to consider her ideas. Jocy is quickly learning why Wild passed the baton to her and wanted to reconsider that decision, but Wild was taking a nap and wouldn't be disturbed.

Relenting, and knowing she'd regret it, Jocy reluctantly asked JB what she had in mind.

Well, JB definitely has a few things on her mind. First of all, she wants to see Pandaria. Orgrimmar is far too boring. Noting the trouble she'd already gotten into, she bypassed Jocy and went to Grommash Hold to ask Warchief Vol'jin if she could possibly help out.

"You talked to our Warchief!?" Jocy sputtered.

"Sure," JB replied, "although I don't think he understood that all I wanted was to gather Pandaria herbs for the family, and I need to be level 86 to do that. Warchief Vol'jin gave me a very strange grin when I told him that. General Nazgrim then handed me a scroll titled "The Art of War" and I think, somehow, I might sort of be in the Army now. Or the Navy, I'm not quite sure. What should I do?"
"Whatever you do," Jocy told her through gritted teeth, "don't open that scroll!"

Well, JB didn't think it was up to Jocy. It was very tempting to open that scroll. On the other hand, should she accept that scroll, JB might find herself on a combat troop transport flying into a war with no way to back out.

Jocy pressured JB. "Are you prepared to go into combat?"

Annoyed and defensive, JB slammed her pair of maces together and yelled "Hell, yea!" She then added, "but all I had in mind was to pick a few flowers."

"The gods of WoW protect us," muttered Jocy. JB isn't up to this. "What's the state of her gear?" Jocy asked Tiphaine, who has control over all unused family gear.

"Nothing in storage fits JB," Tiphaine said.

JB reinserted herself into the conversation. "Hey, my gear may be old by your standards, but it's still top-of-the-line for entry into Pandaria." JB had already checked the Auction House, and she was wearing the best you could buy already. Her gear included the three piece Spiritwalker Gear, and her gear level was i422. Most early Pandaren gear is below i400. JB pointed out that she can also take advantage of Meitha guild's leveling percs.

A more complicated process involved getting access to heirloom gear. After considerable research, JB learned that in Patch 6.1 all heirloom gear went into the Collections tab. JB was able to get all six pieces of her heirloom gear, but could only use Level 1 (of 2 levels). JB hasn't been able to figure out how to upgrade to Level 2. For the moment this is what she is stuck with.

JB was less than happy that the heirloom gear reduced her gear level from i422 to i403, but she'll accept that for the 25% increase in leveling speed. Jocy's biggest fear for her sister, however, has nothing to do with gear or level. Jocy is a vetted combat veteran with a practiced skill set. JB is going to be very rusty, and it will take considerabale time, time she might not have, to hone those skills.

Another major hurdle is that many things have changed. JB is TWO expansions behind. When JB last went into combat she could still use windfury on her weapon. That essential buff no longer exists in either Pandaria or Draenor (a huge surprise). JB's combat rotation is complicated, to say the least, with exceptions to every exception to the point JB hardly knows which spell to cast. There is a large learning curve.

Even Fist had to get into the act. No one was selling good combat food for Pandaria level recipes on the AH, but Fist knew how to make them. She dished up a dozen Valley Stir Frys that provides an Agility boost. That emptied Fist's cubbard, though, and Fist told JB she'd have to do her own fishing if she ran out of food.

The more obstacles Jocy put in JB's path, however, the more determined she became to get into the action. Ignoring all Jocy's advice, JB saluted General Nazgrim and joined the war. Will she survive?

Answer: Not only did JB crash the party in Pandaria, she took no prisoners. Her combat rotation is still pretty screwed up, but despite that JB survived and completed all of the initial quests to get herself set up in Honeydew Village in Pandaria. Wary of a problem with portals Wild had on his first trek into Pandaria, JB made sure she completed enough quests to be able to go back and forth.
JB wrapped up her first foray at 46% of the way to level 87 and actually complained that she hasn't yet gotten a gear upgrade. Jocy rolls her eyes and let's JB have her fun. For now.

Update: JB improved to 69% but found herself stranded at Strongarm Airport, which is mostly destroyed. JB was forced to take shelter there since her only other choice was to go all the way back to Honeydew. I forgot how difficult it was to get around in the early phases. In addition my quest tracking isn't working for some reason - finding quest beginnings and - even harder - quest endings is truly frustrating.

JB is stubborn, though. She discovered to her utter amazement that her powerful Stormstrike macro had been misspelled and was shooting blanks all this time. Things got easier once she figured that out. JB took her annoyance out on her targets and reached level 87.

After her latest run, JB arrived at the little town of Grookin Hill where, at last, she connected flight paths that would allow her to go back and forth to Honeydew and Orgrimmar. JB is 67% of the way to level 88, but her initial enthusiasm is waning, and this little foray may be short-lived.
Jocy certainly hopes so.