Bigger Is Better

My first time through the process of establishing my garrison I was quite unhappy with how long it took me. It seemed like I was doing something wrong. I really wasn't, but I could have done it faster if I had been less distracted. I've enjoyed wandering around and doing quests in a less than optimal fashion the first time though, but if I'm going to build more than one garrison, I cannot do the same on multiple characters.

Taking notes as I went along I have determined the bare minimum of quests that you need to do in order to unlock your level 2 garrison.

**Note, I have only done the horde quest lines. I have not leveled any alliance characters yet.**

The first step is of course to go through the Dark Portal and complete the Tanaan storyline. Make your way to Frostfire Ridge and establish your garrison. Do the quests presented in your garrison until you have rescued Olin. After assigning Olin his first mission you should get the quest to rally the Frostwolves in Wor'gol. From this point the following quests need to be completed.

Rally the Frostwolves (follow this chain through Moving In)
Gormaul Tower
These Colors Don't Run
Deeds Left Undone
(Honor Has Its Rewards can be skipped)
Great Balls of Fire
The Butcher of Bladespire (this kill rewarded me with quests for my primary professions)
To The Slaughter
Armed and Dangerous
Last Steps
Moving In
Save Wolf Home (continue this chain through Back to Bladespire Citadel)
Free our Brothers and Sisters
The Farseer
Pool of Visions
Back to Bladespire Citadel
(Ga'nars Vengence can be skipped)
Securing the South (continue chain through Strength of Our Bonds)
(We Be Needin Supplies and Ashran Appearance can be skipped)
They Who Held Fast
Of Fire and Thunder (might be optional)
Into the Boneslag
Moving Target
The Strength of Our Bonds
Where's My Wolf (and followup Enfilade)
Enfilade
The Master Siegesmith
Return to the Pack

After you go to your garrison and turn in Return to the Pack you should have the quest Bigger is Better from Gazlowe. BAM level 2 garrison and plans for all your level 1 profession buildings.

I've read that reaching level 93 will also trigger the ability to get the level 2 garrison. I completed all of these quests and was barely into level 91. These quests didn't take very long and I ended up building my garrison so quickly that I don't have the resources I need to build structures. Oops.

Doing the quests for your professions will open up that blueprint ahead of getting to the level 2 garrison, but I believe they only drop for production professions that you have (requiring a minimum of level 1 skill). So if you are a double gatherer, your choices are to level to 93 or do this quest chain.

A Bad Bad Thing

I've started gearing up my paladin that was boosted to 90. I actually really like tanking on her, because I love throwing my shield around. It's just fun. Throw shields and drop hammers. I love it. I am however not experienced in tanking at the level cap. Usually I just queue as DPS and go along for the ride, but last night I really wanted to finish a step in the legendary quest line, and I could not get a group. I hit that tank button and zoned in almost* completely unprepared to tank those bosses. When the raid was finished I had to tell someone about it, and Rades was there.

I thought my co-tank meant it was their first time tanking in Terrace of the Endless Spring, but in fact they had never before set foot in that raid on any character. Excitement!

I did know a little, so I was able to guide us through killing the trash before the first boss fight. Call them back to fight Tsulong when they were headed up the stairs. We both died to Lei Shi's enrage when she one shot us, but she was still defeated in one attempt. We didn't have a raid wipe until Sha of Fear and that was because I hadn't adequately expressed the importance of standing in the gold circle in front of Sha, which is the one tanking thing I knew going into the zone.

Shout out to Ogmur of Lightbringer for being a good tank with a great attitude, and the rest of our raid for not calling us out on being total nubcakes. I'm sure at least a few of them had to have noticed our lack of skill/knowledge, but no one said anything. We just did our thing and had a good time.

Wrathion thinks I'm hot stuff now, and I'm not about to tell him otherwise. After all, I need my cloak to save me if Corv isn't there.

I feel less hesitant to tank again next time. This was a great experience and a boost for my self confidence. So often LFRs can be brutal and cruel, you hear horror stories of people never wanting to tank one again. It's not all doom and gloom though, sometimes you just get to have some fun.

*DBM is largely to credit for anything I did right as a tank in there.

Alphabets

We all knew that World of Warcraft was going to do SOMETHING to counter the launch of WildStar. When they started setting folks up with access to the alpha client yesterday it was hardly a surprise. Anyone who was honestly shocked hasn't been paying attention. It sounds like things are still quite rough, and it seems a bit late in development to only have one zone open, if that's true. To be honest though there were a lot of issues with the beta of WildStar only a couple months before launch, so I don't worry that WoD is going to be a mess at launch. It will be fine*.

I do not have access to the alpha, so I won't be talking about it here. If I got access tomorrow I still wouldn't be logging in though. There was a time when I would have hopped in to check out garrisons, but now I just don't have the time. Between playing WildStar and continuing to play Mists my gaming time is pretty much spoken for. If you are in the alpha playing around I hope that you have a great time, and that you help get all those bugs fixed so I can jump in and have a great experience this fall when it goes live. If you aren't in the alpha and want to be, then I'll cross my fingers for you.

Good luck, have fun, and all that jazz.

Just Outlands don't get all excited

*Fine as a relative term, it won't be perfect, because it never is. It will be fine though.

Garrisons!

Oh gosh, I am just so excited. I cannot wait to play around with garrisons. Yes that's a plural because if it's at all possible I will have garrisons going on every character I can. I imagine it will be much like my multiple farms where they don't all get upkept every day, but none will be completely abandoned. I do have to say I wish we had seen more of the horde artwork, but the alliance stuff is really looking nice. I enjoy this picture because even though it isn't the fanciest building you can see how the garrison feels like a place, there are other structures around it.

 Oh, that picture and many more can be found at the latest Artcraft blog here. A common question is where will you place your garrison, and I just don't know. I'll probably put it some place convenient to other places. I won't really know until we get out into Draenor though.

I was really excited when pet battles and the Tillers farm were announced and I was not disappointed. I hope my guts are right about garrisons too. I think it's going to be really cool!

A Look Back - How I Became a Fajita

So I guess this post has been a long time in coming. It's one that I've thought about several times, and one that I started a few times. I had been planning on writing it, but kids were interrupting me and then Stop wrote this and I don't know, it felt like it would be redundant.

I guess it's been several months now, so I can try again to write my own accounting of TTGF, the Fajitas* and how I found my in-game home.