This week we learn about a new Warcraft project, World of Warcraft: Chronicle and take a look at what’s next for the raiding scene with the Blackrock Foundry.
Warcraft Chronicle
Seemingly out of nowhere Dark Horse Comics and Blizzard have announced a new multi-volume Warcraft series called World of Warcraft: Chronicle. This new series will tell the long history of the Warcraft universe from the very beginnings of the cosmos to presumably the events that have transpired in World of Warcraft. According to the press release, which you can read here, volume one in the series will introduce untold stories from the very beginnings.
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World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 is a journey through an age of myth and legend, a time long before the Horde and the Alliance came to be. This definitive tome of Warcraft history reveals untold stories about the birth of the cosmos, the rise of ancient empires, and the forces that shaped the world of Azeroth and its people.
This beautiful hardcover book features over twenty full-page illustrations by World of Warcraft artist Peter Lee and marks the first in a multipart series exploring the Warcraft universe; from the distant past to the modern era.
As a lore junkie and longtime Warcraft player, this new project has me really excited. As some of you may know, the history and lore of the Warcraft universe is massive and often times daunting. Even with all the fan sites and wiki pages it can still be hard to make sense of things and how characters and events are related. It’s my hope that this series will give us an easily digestible yet detailed timeline of events. I am still unsure as to what this book will actually be, a comic, short stories or read more like a history book. Beyond the narrative elements I imagine there will be some awesome new artwork illustrating key moments and characters.
It’s unfortunate that we have to wait so long to get our hands on the first book though as volume one will go on sale in comic shops on November 4, 2015 and in book stores on November 17, 2015. Now would have been a perfect time with the influx of new and returning players with the latest expansion which happens to take us back in time where new lore questions may surface. That being said, it’s entirely possible that these books will set up what’s coming next.
You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.
Blackrock Foundry
With the new Highmaul raid completely unlocked, many players have torn down the bosses in their quest for awesome loot across several of the difficulty levels. Thanks to the new group finder tool, more players are testing their abilities for the first time beyond the Looking For Raid difficulty (the easiest) setting which is extending the value of raid content for some. With the four difficulty settings, LFR, Normal, Heroic and 20-player Mythic, there’s a lot of content here to chew on. That being said, the next raid, Blackrock Foundry, is set to open in just a few weeks on February 3rd (LFR on February 17th). If you’re one of the few who’s done all there is in Highmaul or have just become tired with it, fresh challenges are just around the corner. You’ll need a minimum ilvl of 635 for the Raid Finder difficulty.
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Also becoming available on February 3rd is a new world boss. Rukhmar will be awaiting players in Spires of Arak.
Here is the full schedule for the new raid content:
February 3, 2015:
- Blackrock Foundry opens with Normal and Heroic difficulties available.
- World boss Rukhmar becomes available in Spires of Arak.
February 10, 2015:
- Mythic difficulty becomes available.
February 17, 2015:
- Raid Finder Wing 1: Slagworks (Gruul, Oregorger, and The Blast Furnace) unlocks.
February 24, 2015:
- Raid Finder Wing 2: The Black Forge (Hans’gar and Franzok, Flamebender Ka’graz, and Kromog ) unlocks.
March 10, 2015:
- Raid Finder Wing 3: Iron Assembly (Beastlord Darmac, Operator Thogar, and The Iron Maidens) unlocks.
March 24, 2015:
- Raid Finder Wing 4: Blackhand’s Crucible (Blackhand) unlocks.
Thrall Enters the Nexus
Heros of the Storm just launched its closed beta and with it came a new hero, Thrall. Among many new additions and changes, Thrall enters the fray as a melee assassin class with some very awesome abilities. Check out the trailer Blizzard put together for their latest hero.
For more information on Heroes of the Storm and the closed beta check out the this page from the official site.
What do you think about World of Warcraft: Chronicle? Is it something you’ll be picking up? Let us know in the comments below!
Further reading:
