The Grueling Grind

The Grueling Grind

I once thought the Saberstalkers would be the toughest rep grind to gain the Draenor Pathfinder achievement, but on Wednesday morning that challenge fell. The Saberstalkers are now Revered. The final accomplishment did not come from the Rumble in the Jungle or a string of elite monkey kills - it came from the daily quest Tooth and Claw, one of the easiest quests to complete. A nice start to Jocy's morning.

The nice start turned very cold soon after. Jocy chased treasures in three different zones, spending an enormous amount of time, collecting all sorts of things, but none of them got her any closer to 100 treasures. After some more running around, this time in Tanaan for Unseen Influence, the three apexis crystals she needs for today's daily still elude her.

Jocy and Tormmok are down to very small numbers, but each win gets ever harder to find. Of the three treasures still needed: A last garrison bag in Bladespire Citadel; an elite kill in Nagrand; and the last - a parrot drops a key which then opens a locked chest. With that, Jocy earned Master Treasure Hunter.

All that is left is the Awakened. Jocy is 7 of 10 for the daily quest today, and finding the remainder will be a real chore. Jocy spent considerable time in the Fangrila swamps tracking the Night Haunter elite. The elite wouldn't come out and play until Jocy collected the souls of the dead scattered in the swamp. Once Jocy had the ten items needed to flush the creature out of the shadows, it attacked immediately, catching Jocy by surprise. A number of dinosaurs decided to join in the battle as well. It was along slog, but the Night Huanter died, and Jocy got one fragmented apexis for all that work.

Still two to go. There is a cave in the swamp. When she was a young level 100 she nearly drowned attempting to get a few of those fragments in that cave. There was one treadure left that Jocy couldn't figure out how to reach. Armed and with Tormmok at her side, Jocy delved into the cave once again. The treasure wasn't deep in the water, it was high of a spire of rock. It was well guarded and the whole area had to be cleared out. Then a way had to be found to get to it. Ultimately, Jocy was able to scrabble up on pointed rock, found a thin rope she had to highwire across, and then she had to jump to another narrow spire where the treasure lay. All that work for one more fragment, now at 9 of 10 required. Somehow she has to find that tenth fragment. And then try to find another ten the next day. . . and the next. Here's the math:

Best Case:
Today - 1500 rep (if Jocy gets that 10th fragment) = 7500 rep
Tomorrow - 10 fragments = 9000 rep
Day 3 = 10,500 rep
Day 4 = Revered and done
Worst Case:
The weekly Rumble in the Jungle gives 5-7 fragments, but if Jocy can only find enough fragments to turn in once a week, it would take four weeks to reach Revered.

But, hey, I'm on page one of "The Martian," a book I want to read, even if at the expense of slowing down my march to the Pathfinder achievement.

Progress Toward Draenor Pathfinder:
Vol'Jin's: Revered (DONE)
Saberstalkers: Revered (DONE)
Master Treasure: -> 86 -> 97 -> 100! (DONE)
Awakened: Honored -> 4500 -> 6000 toward Revered (need 12,000)

Progess on The Martian: 11%