Earlier today I was dying to find out information about the new achievements and rewards that were being introduced with Mists of Pandaria. Having found nothing easy to shift through, I decided to collect as much information on this topic as I could in one place, then make it easy to shift through. Here you go!

Reputation

Raiding

Questing

Dungeons

Scenarios

Pets

Mounts

Professions

General

PvP

Exploration

Rewards

Reputation

 60 Exalted Reputations

Attained by: Raise 60 reputations to Exalted
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 70 Exalted Reputations

Attained by: Raise 70 reputations to Exalted
Reward: 10 Achievement points and the title: The Beloved

 Ambassadors

Attained by: Raise 25 reputations to Exalted
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Raiding

 100,000 Valor Points

Attained by: Earn 100,000 Valor Points
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Cleaning Up

Attained by: Defeat the Sha of Doubt in Temple of the Jade Serpent while under the effects of Purified Water
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Cutting Edge: Grand Empress Shek’zeer

Attained by: Defeat Grand empress Shek’zeer in Heart of Fear on Heroic difficulty, with Klaxxi Resonance inactive or disabled
Reward: Feat of Strength

 Cutting Edge: Sha of Fear

Attained by: Defeat the Sha of Fear in Terrace of Endless Spring on Heroic difficulty, with the Ritual of Purification inactive or disabled
Reward: Feat of Strength

 Cutting Edge: Will of the Emperor

Attained by: Defeat the Will of the Emperor in Mogu’shan Vaults of Heroic difficulty, with the Dampening Field inactive or disabled
Reward: Feat of Strength

 Extinction Event

Attained by: Defeat Salyis’s Warband in Valley of the Four Winds
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Face Clutchers

Attained by: Defeat Lei Shi while all members of the raid are afflicted by Parasitic Clutch in Terrace of Endless Spring on Normal or Heroic difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Getting Hot In Here

Attained by: Have the entire raid dance with Subetai the Swift after being hit by Pillage
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Glory of the Pandaria Raider

Attained by: Complete the Pandaria raid achievements listed below
Additional Rewards: 25 Achievement points and the Reins of the Heavenly Crimson Cloud Serpent

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Questing

Questing

Dailies

Questing

 A Taste of History

Attained by: Find a Guo-Lai Vault Key and open an Ancient Guo-Lai Cache
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Ain’t Lost No More

Attained by: Return Old Man Thistle’s lost treasure
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Amber is the color of My Energy

Attained by: Recover the following Klaxxi Paragons
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Champion of Chi-Ji

Attained by: Defeat every challenger at the Cradle of Chi-Ji
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Chapter I: Trial of the Black Prince

Attained by: Prove your worth to Wrathion and aquire a sha-touched gem upgrade
Reward: 25 Achievement points

 Collateral Damage

Attained by: Use a Mogu Satue’s Crushing Slam to kill another opponent
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Defender of Gods

Attained by: Complete the Shado-Pan fanale, “Surprise Attack!”
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Defender of Gods

Attained by: Defeat 10 Shado-Pan Trainees within 10 seconds
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Dread Haste Makes Dread Waste

Attained by: Complete the Dread Wastes storylines listed below
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Eternally in the Vale

Attained by: Complete the follwoing milestones with the Golden Lotus
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Finish Them!

Attained by: Complete the follwoing milestones with the Golden Lotus
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Fire in the Yaung-hole!

Attained by: Kill 15 or more Gai-Cho combatants with a single Highly Explosive Oil Barrel
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Dailies

 A Taste of Things to Come

Attained by: Successfully harvest your first special crop
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 5000 Daily Quests Complete

Attained by: Complete 5000 daily quests
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 10000 Daily Quests Complete

Attained by: Complete 10000 daily quests
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Daily anticipation

Attained by: Complete 150,000 daily quests
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Every Day I’m Pand-a-ren

Attained by: Complete 25 daily quests in Pandaria in a single daily reset period
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Friend on the Farm

Attained by: Become best friends with one of the characters at the Halfhill Market
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Friends on the Farm

Attained by: Become best friends with all of the characters at the Halfhill Market
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Getting Around with the Shado-Pan

Attained by: Complete 15 Shado-Pan daily quests with each of the following Shado-Pan heroes
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Dungeons

 And Stay Dead!

Attained by: Allow High Inquisitor Whitemane to cast Mass Resurrection, defeat all revived Scarlet Judicators, and then defeat Whitemane in Scarlet Monastary on Heroic Difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better…

Attained by: Defeat Feng the Accursed in Normal or Heroic difficulty after mimicking each of the following abilities
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Attention to Detail

Attained by: Defeat Jandice Barov without ever eliminating a false image in Scholomance on Heroic Difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Bomberman

Attained by: Trigger 15 exploasions within 15 seconds during the Sabeteur Kip’tilak encounter in Gate of the Setting Sun on Heroic Difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Burning Man

Attained by: Cause Brother Korloff to light six nearby training dummies on fire, and then defeat him, in Scarlet Monastery on Heroic difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Candle in the Wind

Attained by: Defeat Blade Lord Ta’yak while all four braziers are lit in Heart of Fear on Normal or Heroic difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Challenge Conqueror

Attained by: Complete ever Challenge Mode dungeon
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Challenge Conqueror: Bronze

Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Bronze or better
Reward: 15 Achievement points and the title The Undaunted

 Challenge Conqueror: Silver

Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Silver or better
Reward: 20 Achievement points and the Ancestral Phoenix Mount

 Challenge Conqueror: Gold

Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Gold
Reward: 25 Achievement points and a Full set of class-specific transmogrifiable armor

 Challenge Mode Dungeon Challenges

Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Gold or better while in a guild group
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Conscriptinator

Attained by: Gain three stacks of Resin Residue by defeating Mantid Conscripts in Gate of the Setting Sun on Heroic Difficulty
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Empowered Spiritualist

Attained by: Defeat Thalnos the Soulrender while three Empowered Zombies are alive
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Gate of the Setting Sun Challenger

Attained by: Complete the Gate of the Setting Sun Challenge Mode
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Gate of the Setting Sun: Bronze

Attained by: Complete the Gate of the Setting Sun Challenge Mode with a rating of Bronze or better
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Gate of the Setting Sun: Silver

Attained by: Complete the Gate of the Setting Sun Challenge Mode with a rating of Silver or better
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Gate of the Setting Sun: Gold

Attained by: Complete the Gate of the Setting Sun Challenge Mode with a rating of Gold
Reward: 10 Achievement points and Teleport to the Gate of the Setting Sun

 Glintrok N’ Roll

Attained by: Defeat Gekkan and his Glintrok entourage in Mogu’shan Palace on Heroic difficulty within 5 minutes of being spotted by the Glintrok Scout
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Glory of the Pandaria Hero

Attained by: Complete the Pandaria Heroic dungeon achievements listed below
Reward: 25 Achievement points and the Reins of the Crimson Cloud Serpent

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Scenarios

 A Brewing Storm

Attained by: Defeat Borokhula the Destroyer in A Brewing Storm
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Arena of Annihilation

Attained by: Complete the Arena of Annihilation scenario
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Beat the Heat

Attained by: Defeat Little Liuyang without anyone taking damage from a Flame Wall in the Arena of Annihilation scenario
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Binan Village All-Star

Attained by: Personally use each of the Brewmoon Festival defenses
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Brewmoon Festival

Attained by: Defeat Warbringer Qobi in the Brewmoon Festival scenario
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Crypt of Forgotten Kings

Attained by: Complete the Crypt of Forgotten Kings scenario
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Don’t Shake the Keg

Attained by: Defeat Brokhula the Destroyer in A Brewing Storm without getting hit by his Swamp Smash
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Fancy Footwork

Attained by: Defeat the Abomination of Anger in the Crypt of Forgotten Kings scenario without anyone taking damage from the red clouds
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 For Display Only

Attained by: Defeat General Zhu without using any of the artifact orbs in the Temple of Kotmogu scenario
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Pets

 A Rare Catch

Attained by: Capture a rare quality battle pet
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 All Growns Up!

Attained by: Raise a pet to level 25.
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 All Pets Allowed

Attained by: Raise a pet of every family to level 25
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 An Uncommon Find

Attained by: Capture an uncommon quality battle pet
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Battle Master

Attained by: Earn 200 pet battle achievement points
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Big City Pet Brawler

Attained by: Complete each of the Big City Pet Brawlin’ achievements listed below
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Big City Pet Brawlin’ – Alliance

Attained by: Win a pet battle in each of the Alliance cities listed below
Reward: 5 Achievement points
Restrictions: Alliance only

 Big City Pet Brawlin’ – Horde

Attained by: Win a pet battle in each of the Horde cities listed below
Reward: 5 Achievement points
Restrictions: Horde only

 Building a Team

Attained by: Capture 25 pets in a pet battle
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Cat Fight!

Attained by: Win 10 pet battles
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Collector’s Edition: Baneling

Attained by: Owner of the Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm Collector’s Edition Baneling
Reward: Feat of Strength

 Collector’s Edition: Lucky Quilen Cub

Attained by: Owner of the Mists of Pandaria Collector’s Edition Lucky Quilen Cub pet
Reward: Feat of Strength

 Continental Tamer

Attained by: Complete all of the pet battle mauler achievements listed below
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Eastern Kingdoms Safari

Attained by: Catch every battle pet in Eastern Kingdoms
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Eastern Kingdoms Tamer

Attained by: Capture a battle pet in each of the Eastern Kingdoms zones listed below
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Experienced Pet Battler

Attained by: Win 50 pet battles
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Experienced Pet Brawler

Attained by: Win 50 PvP pet battles
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Family Reunion

Attained by: Capture a battle pet from each family
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Going to Need More Leashes

Attained by: Collect 250 unique pets
Reward: 10 Achievement points and Feral Vermling pet

 Going to Need More Traps

Attained by: Capture 50 pets in a pet battle
Reward: 5 Achievement points and Strong Pet Trap

 Grand Master Pet Battler

Attained by: Win 1000 pet battles
Reward: 5 Achievement points

 Grand Master Pet Brawler

Attained by: Win 1000 PvP pet battles
Reward: 5 Achievement points

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Mounts

 Collector’s Edition: Imperial Quilen

Attained by: Owner of the Mists of Pandaria Collector’s Edition Imperial Quilen mount
Reward: Feat of Strength

 Grand Expedition Yak

Attained by: Obtain a Grand Expedition Yak from Uncle Bigpocket in Kun-Lai Summit
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Professions

Cooking

Archaeology

Cooking

 Get Some Chopsticks

Attained by: Cook 7,500 Mists of Pandaria cooking recipes
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Archaeology

 Ballad of Liu Lang

Attained by: Discover each of the lore objects in Pandaria that tell the tale of Liu Lang
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Between a Saurok and a Hard Place

Attained by: Discover each of the Saurok lore objects in Pandaria
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Apothecary Tins

Attained by: Restore 5 Apothecary Tins
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Apothecary Tins

Attained by: Restore 20 Apothecary Tins
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Carved Bronze Mirrors

Attained by: Restore 20 Carved Bronze Mirrors
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Carved Bronze Mirrors

Attained by: Restore 5 Carved Bronze Mirrors
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Cracked Mogu Runestones

Attained by: Restore 5 Cracked Mogu Runestones
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Cracked Mogu Runestones

Attained by: Restore 20 Cracked Mogu Runestones
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Edicts of the Thunder King

Attained by: Restore 20 Edicts of the Thunder King
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Edicts of the Thunder King

Attained by: Restore 5 Edicts of the Thunder King
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Empty Kegs of Brewfather Xin Wo Yin

Attained by: Restore 5 EmptyKegs of Brewfather Xin Wo Yin
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Empty Kegs of Brewfather Xin Wo Yin

Attained by: Restore 20 EmptyKegs of Brewfather Xin Wo Yin
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Gold-Inlaid Porcelain Funerary Figurines

Attained by: Restore 20 Gold-Inlaid Porcelain Funerary Figurines
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Gold-Inlaid Porcelain Funerary Figurines

Attained by: Restore 5 Gold-Inlaid Porcelain Funerary Figurines
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Iron Amulets

Attained by: Restore 5  Iron Amulets
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Iron Amulets

Attained by: Restore 20 Iron Amulets
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Manacles of Rebellion

Attained by: Restore 20 Manacles of Rebellion
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Manacles of Rebellion

Attained by: Restore 5  Manacles of Rebellion
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Mogu Coins

Attained by: Restore 5  Mogu Coins
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Mogu Coins

Attained by: Restore 20 Mogu Coins
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Pandaren Game Boards

Attained by: Restore 20 Pandaren Game Boards
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Pandaren Game Boards

Attained by: Restore 5 Pandaren Game Boards
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Pandaren Tea Sets

Attained by: Restore 5 Pandaren Tea Sets
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Pandaren Tea Sets

Attained by: Restore 20 Pandaren Tea Sets
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Pearls of Yu’lon

Attained by: Restore 5 Pearls of Yu’lon
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Pearls of Yu’lon

Attained by: Restore 20 Pearls of Yu’lon
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Petrified Bone Whips

Attained by: Restore 5 Petrified Bone Whips
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Petrified Bone Whips

Attained by: Restore 20 Petrified Bone Whips
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Standards of Niuzao

Attained by: Restore 5 Standards of Niuzao
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Standards of Niuzao

Attained by: Restore 20 Standards of Niuzao
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Terracotta Arms

Attained by: Restore 5 Terracotta Arms
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Terracotta Arms

Attained by: Restore 20 Terracotta Arms
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Thunder King Insignias

Attained by: Restore 5 Thunder King Insignias
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Thunder King Insignias

Attained by: Restore 20 Thunder King Insignias
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Twin Stein Sets of Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo

Attained by: Restore 5 Twin Stein Sets of Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Twin Stein Sets of Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo

Attained by: Restore 20 Twin Stein Sets of Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Walking Canes of Brewfather Ren Yun

Attained by: Restore 5 Walking Cates of Brewfather Ren Yun
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Walking Canes of Brewfather Ren Yun

Attained by: Restore 20 Walking Cates of Brewfather Ren Yun
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Warlord’s Branding Irons

Attained by: Restore 5 Branding Irons
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Warlord’s Branding Irons

Attained by: Restore 20 Branding Irons
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Worn Monument Ledgers

Attained by: Restore 5 Worn Monument Ledgers
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Collector: Worn Monument Ledgers

Attained by: Restore 20 Worn Monument Ledgers
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Documents of a Dark History

Attained by: Discover the following artifacts
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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General

 Double Agent

Attained by: Reach maximum level on both an Alliance and a Horde character
Reward: 25 Achievement points

 Dynamic Duo

Attained by: Reach maximum level with two different classes
Reward: 20 Achievement points

 Got My Mind On My Money

Attained by: Loot 200,000 gold
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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PvP

 Blackout

Attained by: Kill 100 enemies that are holding an Orb of Power
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Can’t Stop Won’t Stop

Attained by: Kill 100 enemies that are holding an Orb of Power
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 End of the Line

Attained by: Seize control of a mine cart that is controlled by the opposing team within 20 yards of the depot, and then capture it
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Escort Service

Attained by: Capture 100 mine carts in Silvershard Mines
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Five for Five

Attained by: Capture five mine carts in a single Silvershard Mines battle without dying
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Four Square

Attained by: Hold all four Orbs of Power at least once in a single Temple Kotmogu battle
Reward: 10 Achievement points

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Exploration

 A Worthy Opponent

Attained by: Defeat one of the powerful champions of the Pandarian races that wander the continent
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Could We Find More Like That?

Attained by: Defeat one of each type of Pandarian champion
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Explore Dread Wastes

Attained by: Explore Dread Wastes, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Explore Jade Forest

Attained by: Explore Jade Forest, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Explore Krasarang Wilds

Attained by: Explore Krasarang Wilds, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Explore Kun-Lai Summit

Attained by: Explore Kun-Lai Summit, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 ExplorePandaria

Attained by: Explore the regions of Pandaria
Reward: 25 Achievement points

 Explore Townlong Steppes

Attained by: Explore Townlong Steppes, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Explore Vale of Eternal Blossoms

Attained by: Explore Vale of Eternal Blossoms, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Explore Valley of the Four Winds

Attained by: Explore Valley of the four Winds, revealing the covered areas of the world map
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Finders Keepers

Attained by: Find 6 of the lost treasures hidden throughout Pandaria
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Fish Tales

Attained by: Discover each of the Jinyu lore objects in Pandaria
Reward: 10 Achievement points

 Glorious!

Attained by: Hunt down and defeat each and every one of the Pandarian champions
Reward: 30 Acdhievement points

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Rewards

Titles

Other

Mounts

Pets

Titles

 The Beloved

Achievement name: 70 Exalted Reputations
Attained by: Raise 70 reputations to Exalted
Additional Rewards : 10 Achievement points

 The Undaunted

Achievement name: Challenge Conqueror: Bronze
Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Bronze or better
Additional Rewards : 15 Achievement points

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Other

 Full set of class- specific transmogrifiable armor

Achievement name: Challenge Conqueror: Gold
Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Gold
Additional Rewards : 25 Achievement points

 Teleport to the Gate of the Setting Sun

Achievement name: Gate of the Setting Sun: Gold
Attained by: Complete the Gate of the Setting Sun Challenge Mode with a rating of Gold
Additional Rewards: 10 Achievement points and Teleport to the Gate of the Setting Sun

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Mounts

 Reins of the Crimson Cloud Serpent

Achievement name: Glory of the Pandaria Hero
Attained by: Complete the Pandaria Heroic dungeon achievements listed below
Additional Rewards: 25 Achievement points

 Reins of the Heavenly Crimson Cloud Serpent

Achievement name: Glory of the Pandaria Raider
Attained by: Complete the Pandaria raid achievements listed below
Additional Rewards: 25 Achievement points

 Ancestral Phoenix Mount

Achievement name: Challenge Conqueror: Silver
Attained by: Complete every Challenge Mode dungeon with a rating of Silver
Additional Rewards: 20 Achievement points

 Imperial Quilen mount

Achievement name: Collector’s Edition: Imperial Quilen
Attained by: Owner of the Mists of Pandaria Collector’s Edition Imperial Quilen

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Pets

 Feral Vermling 

Achievement name: Going to Need More Leashes
Attained by: Collect 250 unique pets
Additional Rewards: 10 Achievement points

 Strong Pet Trap

Achievement name: Going to Need More Traps
Attained by: Capture 50 pets in a pet battle
Additional Rewards: 5 Achievement points

 Lucky Quilen Cub pet

Achievement name: Collector’s Edition: Lucky Quilen Cub
Attained by: Owner of the Mists of Pandaria Collector’s Edition Lucky Quilen Cub pet

 Baneling pet

Achievement name: Collector’s Edition: Baneling
Attained by: Owner of the Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm Collector’s Edition Baneling pet

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Ashes of Al’ar mount

Those pissed that they can no longer be special ponies with the addition of account wide mounts and achievements in World of Warcraft have something new to fear – The Black Market Auction House. The new Black Market AH allows players to bid on special items that are not sold by NPCs, like the above Ashes of Al’ar mount. Other items that have been seen are the Reins of the Blazing Drake, Swift White Hawkstrider, and Riding Turtle.

It’s not just mounts that will be sold, though. The picture (below) posted by MMO-champion suggests there will be pets, crafting recipes and the long lost Tier 3 armor sets. If you were looking to transmog your gear into these gorgeous sets, you no longer have to wait for them to be added to the Dark Moon Faire, though hopefully they still will be. There’s also speculation that even more items that are no longer obtainable will be reintroduced into the game this way like the Zul Garub tiger and raptor mounts, the Ulduar black and plagued proto-drakes, or the batling pet from the Wrath release event.

But who’s responsible for this madness? Madam Goya, who makes her home at the Tavern of the Mists in the Veiled Stair, which is north of the Valley of the Four Winds. Wrathion is chilling with her, but I’m not sure if that means anything.

Only time will tell if Blizzard/Activision has made a smart play with this new Auction House, but one thing’s for sure, all of those who farmed up a ton of gold and want something to spend it on will finally have a place to dump their  cash. Maybe inflation will go down on the regular Auction House now?

I will now have Caramelldansen stuck in my head all damn day and that’s a good thing! I love this song, the bits of the Pandaren female dance that copy it crack me up, and I can’t wait to see people mimicking it at the next Blizzcon. One problem: Now this race is even more ditzy and spazzy. Oh well – *bursts into dance*

Here’s the original speedy cakes remix of Caramelldansen (the only good version!) for those of you who missed the meme several years ago:

The Pandaren male dance isn’t as interesting as the female’s, but that’s because I can’t recognize where it’s from. If you do, please toss it in the comments below for me. Also, is it just me, or is he grimacing the whole time? That face is terrible, but I love the freeze.

Update: Thanks to Bryter from the Stopcast podcast commenting below, the Pandaren male dance is from LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem. Handy-dandy embed:

I figure I know a good thing or three about paladins, having spent the last seven years playing one, so I’m taking the time to write down my thoughts on the new talent tree. Exact numbers haven’t been released yet, but the general gist of the abilities has been out for a while now and beta testers have been screwing around with most of the abilities. I’m still not sure how much I like the new system, but if it really does make balancing easier than I’ll be all for it. Anything to make the days of “Fuck class X and their OP shit, I quit” over and done with.

Tier 1

The first tier opens at level 15 and is a choice between three different speed buffs. Speed of Light is the fastest, a 70% increase for eight seconds on a one minute cool down. Long Arm of the Law is next with a 45% increase for 3 seconds upon a successful Judgement strike. The last is Pursuit of Justice and is similar to the current talent in the Retribution tree, giving a solid 10% movement speed buff at all times and an extra 10% per charge of Holy Power.

Speed of Light looks like it will have the most benefit in PvE situations for Retribution and Holy Paladins. This will get them from point A to point B, maximizing their DPS when changing targets or allowing them to get to dying comrades faster. I can see Protection Paladins also finding this talent selection useful for the same reasons, but the flat 10% movement speed buff at all times will always be the best bet for tanks for positioning during boss fights. Long Arm of the Law will be the choice for Ret and Prot in PvE, allowing incremental speed buffs instead of relying on the one minute cool down to catch up to kiting classes. Holy Paladins should take a closer look at this one for PvP or PvE because we will be continuing to rely upon Judgement to regain mana and will be casting it every time it’s up anyways. Though, since Holy Paladins can create up to five charges of Holy Power, Pursuit of Justice might end up being very over powered.

I will be using Long Arm of the Law in my Ret and Holy specs because I like having a short speed boost available whenever I need it.

Tier 2

The second tier opens at level 30 and allows Paladins to choose between a stun, a CC, and a snare. Fist of Justice replaces Hammer of Justice, lowering the cool down on the six second stun by 30 seconds and increasing the range by ten yards. Repentance remains the same, except has a 1.5 second cast time instead of being instant. It is still only usable on Demons, Dragonkin, Giants, Undead and Humanoids, leaving them incapacitated for one minute or until they take damage. The third choice is Burden of Guilt, adding a 50% movement speed debuff to victims of the Paladin’s Judgement for 12 seconds.

In PvE, I don’t see Holy Paladins taking Burden of Guilt and I see most Prot Paladins picking it up. Other than that, there’s no real reason to choose one talent over the other. PvP, on the other hand, will be full of arguments why one is better than the other. I think Holy will stick to Fist of Justice for access to a quick, ranged stun to augment their team, while Prot and Ret will find equal benefits from picking any of the talents in the tier. Again, though, I see Prot having added benefit in picking up Burden of Guilt, especially as the slow will help them flag carry during RBGs while not forcing them to reduce their DPS.

As Ret I will be choosing Burden of Guilt because I don’t like to CC as DPS and as Holy I will take Fist of Justice. The stun is useful on bosses with adds as well as during trash to help reduce damage on tanks, or to keep mobs off of me.

Tier 3

Tier three opens up at level 45 and gives Paladins, regardless of spec, a choice between three different heals. Selfless Healer places a buff on the Paladin (stacking up to two) every time a Judgement hits successfully which reduces the cast time of Flash of Light and it’s effectiveness by 50% per stack. Eternal Flame consumes all available Holy Power to place a HoT on a friendly target that lasts for 30 seconds, the strength of which is determined by how much Holy Power was used. Sacred Shield is the third option, brought back from the end of WotLK, which places a shield on a friend target, absorbing an amount of damage every 6 seconds and increasing the critical strike chance of Word of Glory by 30%.

In PvP, all paladins will be choosing Selfless Healer, though. An instant cast Flash of Light every 16 seconds at 100% effectiveness is just too good to pass up. This tier bothers me for PvE because it doesn’t benefit Ret Paladins in any way. They can pick any one and it just plain doesn’t matter. Prot Paladins will pick Sacred Shield for the absorb and the increased self-heal with Word of Glory. The real benefit of this tier is for Holy Paladins who will have a real reason to change between talents depending on each boss fight, how many other paladins there are in the raid, and what class the tanks are. Unfortunately, this also means Paladin healers will be required to carry stacks of the dust that allows them to change their talents wherever they go.

Tier 4

The fourth tier in the Paladin’s talent tree opens at level 60 and offers the class a choice of three cool downs. Hand of Purity has a one minute cool down, can be placed on a friendly target and reduces the damage of periodic effects by 70% for six seconds on that target. Unbreakable Spirit reduces the cool down of Divine Protection, Divine Shield, and Lay on Hands by 1% per Holy Power spent, up to a 50% reduction. Clemency is an instant cast spell with a five-minute cool down which instantly ends the cool down of Hand of Protection, Hand of Sacrifice, Hand of Salvation, and Hand of Freedom. The cool down on this one seems a little long and I imagine it will be nerfed to one or two minutes as none of these Hands are game breaking and easily removed.

In PvP, there are benefits to all of these talents, but I think Unbreakable Spirit and Hand of Purity will be the top two used by Holy and Prot, while Ret will mostly use Clemency for the extra Hand of Freedom. Paladins interested in PvE will be split between Hand of Purity and Unbreakable Spirit. The raid utility of the later is inarguable, whether you’re DPS, heals or tank spec’d, while the former allows quick access to Paladin “Oh shit” buttons and how we love our “Oh shit” buttons.

I will be using Hand of Purity in my PvE Holy spec, Unbreakable Spirit in my PvP Holy spec, and Hand of Purity in my Ret spec.

Tier 5

Tier five gives Paladins the choice between three enhancements to existing cool downs. Holy Avenger improves Guardian of Ancient Kings so that the Paladin casts the next five abilities that require Holy Power as if three Holy Power were consumed without using any Holy Power. Sanctified Wrath improves Righteous Fury depending on the Paladin’s spec. For the duration of the Righteous Fury buff: Holy Paladins no longer have a cool down on Holy Shock, Prot looses the cool down on Judgement, and Ret doe not have a cool down on Hammer of Wrath. Divine Purpose, if chosen, gives Paladins a 15% chance when casting any Holy spell to have the next ability that would require Holy Power cast without consuming any Holy Power and with a strength of three.

This is another tier where the benefits of each ability could be argued, though I think the weakest ability is Holy Avenger no matter what spec you are using, whether in PvP or PvE. Ret paladins will probably see the most DPS increase from Sanctified Wrath, but Divine Purpose is an ability they use now that allows a huge burst of occasional damage. Holy Paladins could have a very decent cool down to save a tank in Sanctified Wrath, but Divine Purpose could again give that additional burst to healing that makes it essential. Prot Paladins will get the short end of the stick as I protect all will need to take Divine Purpose as it gives them the most bang for their talent slot.

Tier 6

The final tier opens up at level 90 and gives paladins access to three abilities. Holy Prism has a 20 second cool down and sends a beam of light towards a target, turning them into a prism for Holy energy. If the target is an enemy, the spell deals damage to the target and heals the five nearest allies within ten yards. If the target is friendly, the target is healed and then heals the five nearest allies within ten yards. Light’s Hammer has a one minute cool down and hurls a Light-infused hammer to the ground where it blasts a 10-yard radius for 15 seconds, healing allies and damaging enemies standing within it. Execution Sentence has a hammer slowly fall from the sky on to the designated target over ten seconds, causing increased Holy damage on enemy targets and healing on friendly targets with a final burst at the end.

There will be many arguments for while certain spells should be used or shouldn’t used, but these will all be situational. If there is a lot of AoE damage, healers will want to choose between Light’s Hammer and Holy Prism, while if there isn’t they’ll want to use Execution Sentence. In PvP this choice will be based on 2v2, 3v3, 5v5 and what position you will be playing during the RBG. DPS and Prot Paladins will be forced to choose along the same lines, but instead if there’s a lot of adds, they’ll choose between Light’s Hammer and Holy Prism, and if it’s a single target fight they’ll use Execution Sentence. In PvP, the same will apply so you will know a good paladin from a bad one by how often they switch out this talent for another.

All in all, I’m very pleased with the talent tree for Paladins. What I’m not happy about is the lack of Divine Sacrifice! I miss this spell as much for its utility as for all the mishaps it caused when I clicked it on accident and killed myself during a fight. Come on Blizzard, gimme my DI back!

After watching the two videos for the Pandaren introduction (linked at the bottom for easy viewing), I am both impressed, amused and disappointed with Blizzard/Activision’s choices when allowing Pandaren’s to choose their faction. While they have some differences, Garrosh Hellscream and Varien Wrynn say and do nearly the same things when talking to their new recruits. Even though our factions are supposed to be clashing about our differences, our leaders are nearly exactly the same. Maybe that’s why Garrosh is so mad at the Alliance, he’s pissed because Varien is copying him!

So both factions start out at the turtle and are taken to their respective capitals via hot air balloon. They talk to their faction representative, Jii Firepaw or Aysa Cloudsinger, who say nearly the same thing: We’re here, we have to help these guys because of our belief system, we need allies, let’s find out who their leader is. The only part that confused me was Aysa knows an awful lot about the Alliance to not have a clue who the King of Stormwind is.

After you accept this quest, you run through your faction capitol and people say stuff as you pass. The Horde version has you recognized and cheered for saving someone, while the Alliance just has many NPCs go, “Whoa, a Pandaren,” with one notable Worgen rogue seeming to mock you for the choice (or at least I took it that way). I liked that the Alliance had so many new NPCs making their city feel alive, but the way the Horde seem so happy to have you among them was a much more rewarding scene.

Each side ends their journey as they enter the throne room and greet their respective leader. For some reason, both sides seem annoyed by the Pandaren calling them “Emperor” and are given stern corrections (though on the Alliance side it isn’t Varien who corrects Aysa). Both leaders then ask you to walk with them and tell the pandas how their faction works. For the Horde it’s a, “We might be looked down on, but we’re strong,” moment while the Alliance get, “We work with and stand by each other no matter what.” Varien’s speech felt forced, as though the writers are trying to force him to be something he’s not. Garrosh took far more pride in his people than I’ve come to expect, while simultaneously putting down any one who wasn’t an orc.

Once the pandas say they understand what it means to be a part of [insert faction here], more identical dialogue follows. The new allies are informed that some of their friends have chosen to join the enemy faction and they must no longer consider these Pandarens friends or family. Ties and friendships across enemy lines will not be tolerated.

Each faction leader asks their new panda allies, in the nearly the exact same words, to show their their skills at fighting. What proceeds is the only real difference in the two introductions (even if it’s mimicked on the other side pretty closely). Depending on the faction you picked, one of two things happens:

The Alliance get to knock Varien on his ass! If you’re like me, you’ve been dying to give the Stormwind King a good punch for several expansions now and Blizzard gives you this chance. For this, and things alone, I love them.

Horde Pandarens are asked by Garrosh to prove themselves in the arena, pitting them against three beasts from Outlands and Northrend. These level 10 elites dwarf the little Pandas, but Hellscream thinks is a great privilege for his new allies and even refers to it as a gift. What a crazy gift…

In the end, I feel like this whole thing could have been so much more than it was. A chance to really inspire both factions fell through the cracks as the writers half-ass the dialogue and make both Pandaren leaders seem a bit silly and ineffectual. After all, neither Garrosh nor Varien address them directly, instead talking and interacting solely with the player.

Jii Firepaw gets the worst of it. While he has caused the most drama in World of Warcraft this expansion, he seems a pathetic choice to lead the wise and noble Pandarens who have joined the Horde. After finishing the battle against Garrosh’s beasts, he tells the player he never could have finished the battle against the level ten elites without you! Aysa just seems like a dippy little do-gooder who is meant to take the place of the now (probably) emo Jaina Proudmore. Possibly there is a reason for this, like character growth throughout the expansion or something, but with the writer’s track record so far I find it doubtful.

What the hell happened to strong faction leaders?! Maybe I’m off base here, but Blizzard screwed the pooch on this one. I can’t be the only one who thinks the Pandarens are turning into the joke race we were promised they wouldn’t be.

Alliance Pandaren Introduction

Horde Pandaren Introduction

The Townlong Steppes is located in the northwestern part of Pandaria and the zone borders both the Kun-lai Summit and the Valley of the Fourwinds. Once home to the Yaungol, it is the ancestral home of the Mantid, the race that forced the Mogu to build the Pandaren Wall to protect Pandaria. As the Mantid have attacked 100 years too early, the Wall is under attack once more.

The zone contains two dungeons, the Gate of the Setting Sun and the Siege of Niuzao Temple. Blizzard describes it thus (even if they get the name of their zone wrong):

Separated from the rest of Pandaria by the Pandaren Wall, the rampaging mantid people of the Townlong Wastes devour everything in their path in order to build their own crystalline empire of ruthless warriors and scheming feudal lords. The pandaren are left reeling when the mantid’s thousand-year cycle of aggression kicks off a hundred years too early and their greatest warriors burst through the Pandaren Wall.  The beleaguered pandaren must now face the worst swarm in recorded history while trying to isolate the cause of the mantid’s erratic behavior.

Townlong Steppes in game map

Lore

The Mantid are the predominant race in the Townlong Steppes now that the Yaungol have been chased from their homes and into the Kun-lai Summit. Annother intelligent and highly-evolved race of insect-like creatures like the Nerubians, the Mantid have threatened the people of Pandaria since prehistoric times. Their society does have a queen, but they are not a hive mind like the Silithid. Sentient, they are capable of constructing tall buildings and mastering weapons.

Every mantid generation, the young hatch in incredible numbers and then swarm toward the rest of Pandaria. Devouring anything in their path, only the strongest return. That is why the Mogu built the Great Pandaren Wall to protect themselves from the Mantid swarm. The Pandaren realized they too would have a need for the wall and have maintained it since defeating the Mogu. The generational swarm has risen 100 years too soon this time, so the Pandarens are scrambling to defend themselves and the wall from their attacks.

It seems the reason for the early swarm may be that the Mantid queen has been corrupted. This can be assumed because of the new faction, the Klaxxi:

Keepers of the mantid culture, these stoic mantid lords have determined that their own queen has been corrupted and must be destroyed. Although wary of outsiders, it may be possible to earn the trust of the Klaxxi, gaining access to their unique arms and armor.

Dungeon(s)

Siege of Niuzao Temple

Four bosses, but that is all we know about this dungeon so far. Speculation is that it will be another Mantid dungeon because of some of the Achievements that have been discovered.

The Gate of the Setting Sun

The Gate of the Setting Sun dungeon is located within the Pandaren Wall boundary between the Townlong Steppes and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Which zone actually contains this dungeon is unknown, so I am adding it again even though it was in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms wrap up. Since that post, the following bosses have been discovered in the Players Handbook:

Striker Ga’dok

Has a “devour” attack where he charges a player and eats them, inflicting massive damage over time. Other than that, he has lots of bombs and minions making for a fight heavily dependent on players not standing in crap that will kill them. The bombing strafe run at 70% and 30% health will be particularly difficult for some players to survive, I’m sure.

Commander Ri’mok

Simple boss – he deals damage and summons waves of adds, some stronger than others. Players will have to kill the stronger adds (called Saboteurs) while AoEing and dealing enough damage to the boss to kill him. The twist on this fight is the boss will “exude a viscos fluid” which decreases the damage of anyone standing in it – this includes the boss so tanks will be able to position him in this to their benefit.

Saboteur Kip’tilak

This is another boss that will rape players with no awareness of their surroundings. Saboteur Kip’tilak throws a packs of Stable Munitions around the room. These won’t explode unless they are hit by another explosion, which can come from the boss or from players when the boss picks a player at random and attaches four explosives to their back. Then at 60% and 30% health, he will throw more Stable Munitions on the ground and these explode once all are placed. It seems all explosives are directional, exploding in the “cardinal directions” so it should be very easy to avoid damage – if players are paying attention.

Raigonn

This fight looks like a blast. I think the fight will go like this based on the abilities in the Players Handbook at the moment:

The boss shows up and charges the Outter Gate on the Pandaren Wall – players must stop him before he breaches the Inner Gate. Unfortunately, he has a heavy carapace and takes 100% reduced damage until his vulnerability is destroyed. This is near his head and players will be able to ride the boss to attack it. He doesn’t like that, so he will charge the gate and knock all players off, plus deal massive damage to them. Since the mantid are also a part of a swarm, he is summoning his most powerful friends to attack you as well.

So the boss attacks, players jump on him and attack his weakspot. Raigonn charges the wall and knocks them off. Eight Hive Protectorate show up and must be defeated before players can jump on the boss again. I think these will need to be single targeted because they have an ability that, once they get to 50% health, they cast Hive Mind which increases the attack speed of nearby Hive Protectorate by 50%.

Once all eight are dead, players will hop back on the boss until he charges the wall again. Then three Engulfing Mantid join the battle. These three mobs cast tornadoes that the players will have to avoid until they’re dead. Then players rinse and repeat the attack on the boss until the charge when the Swarm Bringer joins the battle and inflicts massive AoE damage on the party until he is destroyed.

Then the carapace is broken by the players and the last part of the fight starts. The boss takes 300% more damage, but doesn’t seem to be tankable. For one, he has a Fixate ability where he chases one player around who is given a 75% speed buff and places a tar on the ground, slowing anyone in it. He also slowly enrages, dealing more and more damage every time he does an AoE stomp so I think he will need to be kited by the Fixated player while the rest of the part tries to kill him with help from Pandaren Bowmen who show up after the carapace is broken.

Quests

Townlong Steppes is a level 89-90 questing zone, where players will be working with the Shado-Pan Clan to determine why the Mantid have attacked early. Whether or not the Klaxxi appear in this zone or the Dread Wastes has yet to be seen.

Wrap Up

I want to see how they’re going to progress the story line, but unfortunately I feel a “Old God done gone and made the Queen insane” line coming up. The Townlong Steppes zone itself looks gorgeous, full of contrasting greens, reds and whites with towering trees and architecture. I’m hoping to see some Mantid villiages, but the fact that the Mantid are going to have a faction to interact with fascinates me by itself.

The dungeons look like they’ll be the best part of the zone, though. I cannot wait to get into the Gate of the Setting Sun and get a crack at the last boss. Ride ‘em cowboy!

The Krasarang Wilds is one of the two new zones added between the Mists press event and Blizzcon 2011. Originally part of the Valley of the Four Winds, it has been vastly expanded so that it is now an entire zone of its own. As can be seen in the video, it is a large jungle, but dark and mysterious as opposed to the bright jungles like Sholazar Basin and Stranglethorn that we’re used to.

A level 86-88 questing zone, the Wilds will also contain one of the new raids (The Terrace of the Endless Spring) and will be the staging ground for future patches. Supposedly over the course of this expansion, the zone will change to reflect the fighting between the Horde and Alliance. At the moment, Blizzard describes it thus:

The Krasarang Wilds along Pandaria’s southern coast conceal many ancient secrets of a lost dynasty that have drawn the attention of prophecy-seekers among the Alliance and Horde. The Wilds are also home to the vicious, domineering Mogu, and a more insidious danger still: the Sha of Despair is believed to have escaped from its bindings in the Temple of the Red Crane, and stifling gloom has begun to blanket the land in its path

Krasarang Wilds in-game map

Lore

Mogu skins

In the Wilds, the Mogu are staging their first attempt at a return to power over all of Pandaria. Since the Wilds are dotted with Mogu ruins, I assume they’re searching for some “long lost” power which will help them re-conquer the continent. 12,000 years ago, they ruled over Pandaria and enslaved the existing races while creating many new ones. Of course, they didn’t call it that, they had a might makes right philosophy and the Mogu just happened to always be the strongest. The Pandarens lead the revolt that removed them from power, so you can imagine they’re high on the Mogu shit list.

In an effort to reclaim the Wilds, the Mogu try to re-employ their creations, the Saurok, to removed the Jinyu, Pandarens, and Horde/Alliance. These lizard-men aren’t having it, though. Designed to be smart enough to use weapons, they are refusing to cooperate and posing a threat to both the Jinyu and the Mogu.

Chi Ji, the Red Crane August Celestial, watches over the zone (as well as the Valley of the Four Winds) and his temple is located here. In times past, the Sha of Despair was imprisoned here, but has escaped. Whether this is due to the Mogu (I doubt it) or the Alliance and Horde meddling has yet to be seen. We’ve had a theme going so far for the rest of the zones, so I’m putting my money on it being the player factions’ fault.

Raid(s)

The Terrace of the Endless Spring

The Terrace of the Endless Spring is a Sha themed instance. So far, people have found four bosses in the players handbook and these fights look like they’re going to be a lot of fun – assuming they’re not super easy. The following is what I gleaned from the spells listed and could change/not reflect the actual fight at all.

Boss 1: Protectors of the Endless

Described in the Players Handbook as a “Fish full of Sha,” it is a council boss fight against three Jinyu Elders. Elder Regail, Elder Kaolan, Elder Asani are probably possessed, but that won’t stop players from kicking their asses. One uses nature spells, one water, while the third uses shadow. At the moment, they summon adds and have a lot of fear spells.

Boss 2: Sha of Fear

Described in the Players Handbook:

• Face your fears in up to 3 epic battles!
• Become the Champion of the Light!
• Waffles not included

I think this fight will be the most fun. A beam of light stands somewhere in the raid and one player standing in it is the “Champion of the Light.” This is the player automatically holds boss aggro, so it is possible to have anyone tank or pick up aggro. When a player is standing in this, a Wall of Light protects the rest of the raid from the bosses attacks. During the encounter, the boss will send adds and use both single target and AoE spells, while also teleporting players to deal with other threats, alla Lich King and Yogg’Saron. I add Yogg’Saron, because what those players are doing helps the rest of the raid by giving them buffs when they leave which prevent the fear abilities of the boss from working.

There’s also some kind of heart, possibly like XT, but attacking one version does damage to the players, while attacking the other does extra damage to the Sha.

Boss 2: Sha of Anger

“He’s really angry” is his description in the Players Hand book. I love his model, though the fight seems like it will be fairly simple. It is a two phase fight with lots of AoE damage and the second phase being a “unleash rage” phase, alla Council of the Fourwinds where players just take an ass load of damage.

The only interesting bit of this fight is the new mindcontrol mechanic. The boss places a debuff on random targets where, after a certain time, they will be mind controlled along with five people around them. As much as “pay the fuck attention” mechanics frustrate me as a raid leader, as a player they have always made fights more fun.

Boss 4: Salyis’ Warband

“What if we just put cannons on everything?” is the tag for her in the Players Handbook, but nothing else is known about this boss. I’m hoping for a great fight like Flame Leviathan in Ulduar, but I imagine this could go south like Occulus.

Quests

So far what we know about this the quests in the Krasarang Wilds is from MMO Champion. It is a level 86-88 questing zone with several daily quests for an as yet unknown faction. Supposedly, the Alliance and Horde venture into this zone seeking something mystical so perhaps it is for them, but the objectives make it sound like what I’d expect from the Shado-Pan reputation dailies they promised us. Perhaps a faction based around the raid? Any faction based in the Wilds has yet to be announced, so only time will tell.

Wrap Up

This raid looks like it’s going to be so much fun! I can’t wait to get in there and down some bosses. As to the zone itself, I love the lay out. From dark jungles with spots of bright color, to gorgeous, sandy islands surrounded by clear blue water, this is going to be my favorite zone just from a visual standpoint.

The zone, questing wise, is up in the air with so much left unknown about it. I think it’s going to be good based on the lore we know so far. After all, this is where we’ll meet the Mogu and the Saurok for the first time and both races appear to have a lot of story based around them. Not to mention, the Jinyu are back and these guys look ready to kick some Saurok ass!

The Kun-Lai Summit is located in northern Pandaria and The White Tiger, Xuen, is the August Celestial that watches over it.  Several species will be here for players to interact with: Pandarens, Zandalari, Yaungol, Hozen, Sha, and Grummles. Mount Never-Rest, the tallest mountain on Azeroth, is here and supposedly dwarfs the Temple of Storms in the Storm Peaks. Blizzard describes it thus:

High atop the frigid northern peaks of the Kun-Lai Summit looms the Temple of the Tiger, an ancient training ground protected by an elite force of martial priests, along with the spirit of the White Tiger itself.  Deeper into the mountains is the hideout of the Shado-pan: a mysterious order charged with protecting Pandaria from the dark things buried beneath its surface. When the isolated people of Kun-Lai are threatened by marauders from the west and a Zandalari troll menace invading its northern shores, they turn to the Alliance and Horde for help.

This zone is not yet open in the beta, but some people have pulled code and created the following fly throughs for us. One is of different parts of the zone and the second is of the Shado-pan Monastery where the new dungeon is also located:

Kun-Lai Summit map

Lore

As stated previously, the White Tiger August Celestial lives in the Kun-Lai Summit, along with several different races. Originally, the Summit was the home of the Pandaren Shado-pan and White Tiger clans as well as the Grummles, but due to the Mantid, the Yaungol were chased out of their native Townlong Steppes. Instead of trying to chase the Mantid out of their homes, they’ve decided war with the Pandarens would be easier and are trying to make the Summit their new home even though it’s inhabited already.

The Yaungol are relatives of the Tauren from before the Sundering (note, not the Shattering) and got trapped on Pandaria when the Sundering occurred. They are literally yak Mongols, just missing their Genghis Khan, and while the models are available, there is speculation that they will be replaced later because they do not look much like yaks:

Yaungol

Another race in the Kun-Lai Summit, and one that is presumably not hostile to players, is the Grummles. These are sherpas that the Mogu created back when those giants still ruled Pandaria. These little guys help everyone navigate the treacherous terrain of the Summit, though how is currently a mystery.

Grummles

In the peaks of Kun-Lai Summit, the Shado-Pan Monastery houses the Shado-Pan Clan while the White Tiger Clan lives and trains at the Temple of the White Tiger. The White Tiger clan is and “elite force of martial priests” dedicated to protecting the Temple and the August Celestial, Xuen. Their fighting prowess doesn’t hold a candle to the Shado-Pan, who are dedicated to protecting Pandaria and locked in a timeless struggle with the Sha. They have trained to keep their emotions in check so they do not feed or create Sha, which are the demonic physical manifestations of negative energy that apparently only exist on Pandaria.

Dungeon(s)

Shado-Pan Monastery

The Shado-Pan Monastery dungeon is within the Shado-Pan Monastery, which is also a questing hub in the Kun-Lai Summit. That isn’t going to be confusing at all. Apparently, the Horde and the Alliance have once again screwed everything up (learning nothing from the Jade Forest, unless this is another repercussion from there) and players have to fix it. Sent into the Monastery by the Shado-pan Clan (even though they’re the best the Pandaren have to offer, they can’t fix it) to defeat the Sha that have taken over the Clan’s base of operations.

While it doesn’t seem to be a very large instance, it is also set out in the “real world” for players to see even before they go inside. We do not have access to the dungeon yet, but assume to see something similar to The Jade Serpent Temple with lots of corrupted/possessed Pandarens and Sha running around (I’m sensing a theme). This is what it looks like from the outside:

Quests

Players visit Kun-Lai Summit because the Pandarens living there are threatened by Yaungol from the west and Zandalari trolls invading from the north. Since they have allied with both the Alliance and Horde, they ask them for help and so, this zone will have several quest hubs. Both the Shado-Pan Monestery and Temple of the White Tiger are quest hubs, but beyond that we don’t know anything.

The Shado-Pan are a reputation faction, though, so players will probably have daily quests with them. Blizzard has said we can “move through their ranks and become an elite Shado-Pan warrior,” but the only rewards we have been promised are armor sets. I’m hoping for some awesome titles (Ninja Janaelle sounds pretty wicked awesome), but time will tell what we really get.

Wrap Up

This zone holds potential to be a complete cock-up and an amazing zone, depending on the amount of phasing and reused themes Blizzard puts into it. I am more than displeased that the Zandalari are involved once more (haven’t we killed them TWICE?), I think the Yaungol would have been better as a new kind of Centaur, but the Grummel and Pandaren Clans seem like they’ve got a lot of lore and interesting quest chains. The Sha, which a very interesting concept, seem to have only one theme – Players did a bad thing, made Sha, now must kill Sha. For an evil demonic presence that has an entire elite force dedicated to destroying it, they’re very predictable and easy to dominate.

The zone itself looks like a mix between the Storm Peaks and the Barrens, which could end up both very bland or insanely awesome. This will depend on how high your settings are turned up and especially what your draw distance is especially since Blizzard spent all that time making the mountains look pretty instead of giving us new character models.

Kun-Lai Summit also seems like it will be a Horde and Alliance quest zone with the Pandaren hubs dedicated to both factions. I, once more, expect a ton of world PvP to crop up in the zone within the first month as players will be killing the same mobs and working on the same quests ala Sholazar Basin and Deepholm. For those of us on PvP and RP-PvP servers, remember to quest in pairs or groups and bring the pain. We’re at war now.

Click to zoom in; it's worth it.

Next up on the Zone Wrap Up is the Jade Forest, picked because it is the only zone on the new continent that has been opened in beta so far. That is also why there are two videos this time. The first is of an Alliance character running from the starting area, all the way to the Horde starting area. It gives a good idea of how huge the zone is, shows how areas transition and change, but it’s rather boring. The second is the Blizzard video from the press release, which is much prettier, engaging, but doesn’t show as much.

The Jade Forest is located on the far eastern edge of the new Pandaren continent and is the starting zone for both Horde and Alliance 85s. The August Celestial Yu’Lon, the Jade Serpent, resides here, along with the Jinyu and the Hozon. The Temple of the Jade Serpent dungeon is here (thanks to the August Celestial), the Order of the Cloud Serpent (those guys who help you raise/train your own personal Cloud Serpent mount). Blizard describes the zone thus:

“After a naval battle between the Horde and the Alliance leaves the survivors stranded on the beaches of Pandaria, rescue parties of those factions’ elite soldiers set out explore the mysterious, fog-shrouded island. You are among them.

As one of the first explorers to set foot on Pandaria, you’ll begin your investigation in the midst of the emerald bamboo and coastal marsh of the Jade Forest, where two of Pandaria’s most prominent races make their homes. The monkey-like Hozen and the Jinyu fish-people thrive near the rivers of the Jade Forest, and your first encounters with them are likely to be hostile. Yet, ultimately, your lack of allies and guidance in this unfamiliar land will make befriending the natives your only option”

The Jade Forest map

Lore

The Jade Forest will be where the Horde and Alliance crash their ships and then proceed to meddle in forces they don’t understand. Eventually, they’ll screw up so bad they’ll release the Sha of Doubt and have to go into the Temple of the Jade Serpent to fix all of their mistakes. That dungeon is only part of it, though, and the repercussions will be felt throughout all of Pandaria. So all the denizens of the continent are clamoring to be our friends of course.

Besides the Pandarens themselves, the enemy races of the Mogu and the Mantid, the Hozen and the Jinyu races live in Pandaria and will become allies of the player factions. Because Blizzard has an idiotic sense of humor this time around, the Jinyu will assist the Alliance and the Hozen will assist the Horde. I’m going to try to spoil as little as possible about the questing in these areas, but consider this your spoiler alert. If that kind of thing gets your knickers in a twist, skip to the Dungeon section.

Jinyu

The Jinyu are an amphibious (not fish) race that live in and around the streams in the Jade Forest. They have altered the forest in which they live with their elemental magic, creating small streams for their own uses. Regularly damming rivers to create their homes and breeding pools, the towns and camps that extend beneath the water are regularly in conflict with other races whose water resources they’ve diverted.

Jinyu Concept Art

Their society is caste-based with individuals chosen for their life-long roles at a young age and final say in all communal decisions is granted to the elder Jinyu in a tribe. These elders can speak and listen to the waters that flow through Pandaria. This makes them “wise and powerful” as Blizzard seems to be pushing a very serious Alliance to the childish, fun Horde.

The Jinyu have been at war with the Hozen for a long time because a thousand years ago, when the Pearlfin Tribe ruled Pandaria the Hozen somehow caused a waning of the Jinyu’s numbers and influence. After this “betrayal,” Pearlfin Village became all that was left of these people and the Jinyu have been at war with the Hozen ever since.

The Jinyu become allies of the Alliance by meeting a “man” named Bold Karasshi and getting him to help free Admiral Taylor from a Hozen prison. The Alliance and Jinyu prisoners that you rescue then hideout in Pearlfin Village. Shortly afterwards, the Alliance discover the Hozen have joined the Horde and attempt to recruit the Pearlfin Tribe. Instead of saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” the spirits have to be consulted and eventually the amphibians agree join the Alliance in exchange for training in military knowledge and armaments.

Hozen

Hozen Village - Camp Nooka Nooka

Unfortunately for the Horde, the Hozen are not as flushed out as the Jinyu. Instead of being plane laziness on the part of Blizzard (the usual cause) they are actually extremely short-lived (the oldest barely reaching twenty years of age). This means their society lacks roots, with little history remembered by each tribe. Since they are tribal, they do all live (and fight) together until their tribes eventually fall apart. Foragers and hunters, they live in the treetops and mountains of Pandaria.

The Hozen hunting grounds should be avoided, as the race is notoriously short tempered and a lack of food commonly pushes entire clans to ravage food sources outside of their territory. This always results in enough food being gathered or enough Hozen dead ensure the rest will survive. Of course, because Blizzard thinks the Horde need more children, this race of 14-year old boys is equipped with grenades and machine guns in an effort to stamp out the Alliance presence in the forest.

Dungeon(s)

Jade Serpent Temple

So I did a huge write up on my opinions with images and screenshots and instructions on how to complete this instance, and then Word Press inexplicably lost it. I am annoyed and really don’t want to spend another hour trying to recreate it so please just go visit WoW Insider as Ann Stickney did a good enough job at saying the same things I was trying to say…except she’s a lot more excited about this extraordinarily easy dungeon than I am.

Quests

For a good run down of the Horde quests in the Jade Forest, check out Cymre’s blog: Bubbles of Mischief. I have not found a good blog detailing any Alliance quests, but I keep hearing that they’re much more engaging and fun than the Horde ones when it comes to story. (If you know of one, please put a link to it in the comments below) This is ruined, of course, when the Alliance discover that Anduin Wrynn has been captured by Garrosh. And it’s captured, people, not kidnapped. This is a war, remember?

The other quest of note is, of course, the questline to get your hands on your very own Cloud Serpent flying mount. Players start by being given an egg that can be hatched in a series of quests followed by dailies. The daily quests allow players to feed and train their newly hatched cloud serpent until the day it can learn to fly. After that, they have to prove themselves on the racetracks and skyways that belong to the Order of the Cloud Serpent. Blizzard says this should take 20 days or so.

Wrap Up

My opinion of the Jade Forest is iffy. I think it was a terrible idea to give only one starting zone for both the Horde and Alliance and will make leveling for the first two months a pain in the ass. While the zone is absolutely gorgeous, it has little color in it to liven up all the green and stone textures. Eventually it turns into a green and beige blur with occasional buildings and watery areas to break it up (the lakes and streams are amazing, though).

The quests are interesting and engaging, similar throughout to Cata questing. The themes, though, feel over done, reminiscent of Sholazar Basin and Twilight Highlands. The dungeon is a blast to play through, but it’s easy, too easy. Only one boss made me work hard and the rest was a breeze the very first time any of us had ever seen the place. All the mechanics are old combinations instead of twists on old moves. It needs a lot of work before the official release comes out for me to be happy with it.

Oh, yeah, I said it – Warlock tanking. I was let into the Mists of Pandaria Beta this last Saturday and picked my warlock as the first class I wanted to explore. Picking the Demonology tree first as I wanted to see the new demons in action, I discovered the tanking glyph. It’s not even a talent that lets you tank, but a glyph.

Alright, I thought, let’s try this out and see how it works. Filling out my talents, gems, enchants and glyphs with everything else that would assist me the best when tanking, I ran around the Jade Forest and killed stuff, hoping I’d run into an elite mob and could test how well I really was doing as a tank. I found shit. Apparently there are few elite mobs in the first part of the starting zone.

Really needing an accurate test, I hopped into an instance and talked the tank and healer into letting me be be the tank. For whatever reason they agreed and we took on Jade Serpent Temple together. Even though I wasn’t entirely sure what the hell I was doing, I was a successful tank. Not the best tank, since I couldn’t get my hands on how best to fill my fury bar and work AoE tanking down until the end, but I did my job and the only people who died stood in shit they shouldn’t have. Fire’s bad, mmkay? (and so is water now)

Coming out of the instance I was psyched! I ran around kicking random mob ass and telling everyone I could how great warlock tanking was. There was only one thing left to do: tell all of you about it too.

So how does Warlock tanking work? Well, once you have your Glyph of Demon Hunting you morph into your new Threatening Presence which looks exactly like Metamorphasis, except it’s blue:

Threatening Presence (now known as Tank Form)

Metamorphosis (now known as DPS form)

Now, besides wishing that the forms looked different, most of your spells and abilities have morphed into new spells that require Demonic Fury instead of mana or generate Demonic Fury when cast on an enemy.  For instance, your curses turn into temporary auras, Soulshatter turns into a taunt, and Fear turns into Sleep which works like Succubus Charm.

Abilities work similar to other tanks with several cool downs (listed on the right) which prevent damage, restore health, and just in general save your ass when it’s getting kicked by a boss or multiple mobs. Only one of these abilities changes when you shift forms (Fury Ward) and the rest are talents that any warlock can pick up if they choose.

This is why I believe warlocks are going to be over powered in PvP. My tank did a descent amount of damage (enough to make any Blood Deathknight proud) and just wouldn’t die. A hunter stumbled upon me taking all the screen shots for this blog and attempted to kill me. As I was busy, he got my health down to 15% before I was able to retaliate. After popping all my cool downs, I took him down from 100% to zero while my own health remained at 10%. Simply put, it’s broken, but for once I have to say there’s not much that can be done about if Blizzard actually wants to make Warlocks viable tanks they won’t be able to fix this without making it so the Glyph of Demon Hunting is disabled in Rated Battle Grounds. In my opinion, balance would be easy to maintain if the abilities/glyphs/talents that were disabled for rated PvP matches was expanded, but that’s a whole other topic for a whole other blog.

Back to explaining how Warlock tanking works. So now that you have all your cooldowns, you need to hold threat. You do this with the Demonic Fury bar which is the same in either the DPS or tanking forms. The difference between the two is how it’s used. In tanking form it’s static like a rage bar, going up as you use certain abilities and going down when you use others. Unlike a Warrior’s fury bar, it doesn’t increase via damage done and it doesn’t decay when not in combat. In DPS form, it decays a static amount every six seconds.

Most abilities require Fury and do not generate it, so Warlocks do have some trouble with initial threat. Fortunately, they do have a taunt button and the DPS cooldown that summons imps to attack your target has the fireballs the imps cast increase you Demonic Fury very quickly. So with an initial ranged pull with Bane of Doom, followed by a taunt, then the imps, any boss will be a synch to keep a hole of, even with those idiotic hunters who like to keep threat abilities on their pets.

AoE tanking is another story, or so I thought until I logged on today to get a better look at all my spells. When talented into Shadowfury, warlock tanks have two abilities that do not cost anything to cast, one that costs a little Fury, and one that costs a lot. Shadowfury and Hand of Gul’dan are free to cast, the restrictions on the spells being a long cooldown on the first and regenerating charges on the second. Both spells are cast on a circular area and give beneficial effects that will make then essential for tanking. Shadowfury is still an AoE stun and Hand of Gul’dan increases Fury when used on mobs that do not have the Hand of Gul’dan debuff.

The other two spells are Shadowflame and Hellfire. Shadowflame is the same, putting on a DOT and costs a little bit of Fury. I put it in my main rotation to help hold threat. Hellfire is very, very expensive but it does a ton of damage to any mobs in an area around you. This is a great spell to pick up quick threat on mobs (unlike with Paladins and Warriors), but it has a down side leaving you with a minimum of only half Fury.

I, for one, am very, very psyched about getting a new use for Warlocks, but I will play my own devil’s advocate and point out three reasons I can’t disagree with for why Warlocks should not be tanks, even though I love this idea. First off, there are already many tanks in the game and this just adds another when raids only need two and, occasionally, three. Secondly, this doesn’t fit the lore. While it does if warlocks were Demon Hunters, they are not Demon Hunters so it doesn’t make any sense. It would if Blizzard released a mini story discussing how the Warlocks have evolved their magic over the years, but the lore so far does not support this or even Metamorphosis at all. The final reason is that frankly this class is over powered as fuck and that’s just self explanitory.

Even still, I simply had fun tanking as a Warlock which is something I never experienced when I was tanking back in 4.1 on my Paladin. Of course, I have heard a lot of people who are very upset about this addition to World of Warcraft. For those who are against Warlock tanking, I ask you to ask yourself these questions:

1) How is this hurting the Warlock class? DPS as a Demonology Warlock is still viable.

2) How is this hurting the tanking classes? The other classes still exist and they are still just as viable.

3) Lastly, what’s wrong with it? I hear a lot of people saying “I don’t like it” without being able to say why. Holding an opinion without a reason makes no sense to me and suggests you need to think a bit deeper.