World of Warcraft players will soon have a new set of loot to earn. Blizzard released the first images of the Tier 17 armor for all classes today.
"The armies of Azeroth have pushed back through the Dark Portal and across Draenor, and now the time has come to enter Highmaul. Here's your first look at the epic armor sets you’ll find waiting for you in Tier 17," Blizzard said in their news post today.
Highmaul is the first raid of the latest expansion, Warlords of Draenor. It's a city in Nagrand that once served as capital for the Gorian Empire, an Ogre civilization that spanned the world. There are seven bosses for players to fight, starting with the murderous orc Kargath Bladefist and ending with ogre mage Imperator Mar'gok.
Highmaul's release will be staggered based on difficulty. Here's when you'll be able to access the raid:
- December 2, 2014 - Highmaul opens with Normal and Heroic difficulties accessible.
- December 9, 2014 - Mythic difficulty and the first wing of Raid Finder (Kargath/Butcher/Brackenspore) unlock.
- December 16, 2014 - Raid Finder Wing 2 (Tectus/Twin Ogron/Ko’ragh) unlocks.
- January 6, 2015 - Raid Finder Wing 3 (Imperator Mar’gok) unlocks.
The bosses in High Maul will drop Tier 17 armor and other loot of an equivalent level. Players can get a second chance at loot from a boss by using a Seal of Tempered Fate, a new currency. Seals can be purchased with Apexis Crystals, Garrison Resources, Gold, or Honor through an NPC in Ashran. Alternately, you can get one per week through a Level 3 War Mill in your Garrison.
In keeping with recent tradition, the exact quality of the loot depends on what difficult you're playing: Normal/LFR, Heroic, or Mythic. That almost determines the color of the T17 armor you receive. This tier of armor goes one step further in differentiating these levels. The third set, from Mythic mode, is a slightly different model. For example, the Hunter armor from Mythic mode has a wolf-like helmet. This little variation is a way to make players who complete the highest difficulty to distinguish themselves.
The other Tier 17 raid, Blackrock Foundry, will follow in early 2015. The exact release dates haven't been announced yet but Blizzard says that it should open up around 8 weeks after Highmaul.
