Transmogrification, it has been said, is the true end-game.
For me, that is certainly true; I structure my gameplay around obtaining Mog looks that are desirable to my aesthetic tastes and that I feel are acquirable with the amount of effort I am willing to put into the game.
For armor, I have gotten comfortable over the past few expansions with focusing primarily on Cloth (Mage), secondarily on Leather (Druid), getting a few things here and there in Mail (Shaman), and mostly ignoring Plate. For weapons, I mostly just collect the styles I like best of the weapon types that my favorite three Classes can use.
Dalaran Defender weapons: Will be rewards from the pre-launch event; the armor that goes with them is the purple/pink recolors of the Seat of the Triumvirate (Argus) dungeon set that Wowhead initially datamined quite some time ago. Since that wasn’t an armor set I loved, I’m not (at the moment) feeling any compulsion to try especially hard to get a full set. Like the armor, most of these weapons are recolors of existing models; since I already have the already available versions — and like those colors better — most of these aren’t particularly exciting to me. The dagger (recolor of Rolfsen’s Ripper) and the staff (recolor of Warpcaster’s Staff) are most interesting to me.
Khaz Algar questing gear: This is the stuff we’ll get as we quest through the new continent and level up. I dig it — pun intended.
For once, I actually like the tunic + pants version of the Cloth set better than the robe version — it looks more practical and functional. Between the hat styling and the scroll and pouch tucked into the belt, it has something of an Official Courier look. I think I might wear it without the shoulders, though.
I like the Leather set a lot. The mining hat is fun, and the quilted leather looks awesome — especially the reinforced knees.
I like the long chain shirt design of the chestpiece + pants of the Mail set, though having the chainmail come out from under the padded leather at the top of the chestpiece seems a bit odd. I wonder if the huge cuffs of the gloves and boots, with the lacings on the inner-facing surfaces, are supposed to suggest that they would be folded back up to provide more arm and leg protection for especially dangerous work?
Out of the weapons, I particularly like the lantern Off-Hand, and the thing I like best about it is the offset angle of the handle — hopefully this lantern won’t have quite as much of the awful clipping into (or entirely through) the leg problem that previous lantern models display. I think the drill-bit Staff is really silly, though, and will prefer to carry the lantern-topped Staff.
Earthen Dungeon drops: Good Dwarven stuff. The purple and red tint shown of the Cloth set reminds me just a teeny bit of the Classic Magister’s set. The Leather set strikes me as more suitable for a Rogue or a Monk, but then, Dwarves don’t have Druids in their societies. If the tint with the dark greenish-gray jacket isn’t too difficult to get, that could work for my Druids. The jeweled Dagger designs are fun. I again approve of the offset angle of the handle for the bucket of gems Off-Hand. I like the second Shield design — the hexagonal one with the eagle head on the boss — better. The Staff design with the long crystal reminds me of one of the Warlords designs (e.g. Skettis Staff), only made Dwarven instead of Orcish.
Cosmetic Civilian Transmog sets: These sets are are a bonanza of great looks for folks who prefer tunics and pants to robes.
The original post cites a Warband meta achievement for Mythic+ dungeons as the source of one tint of the “Peddler’s” style; a Warband meta achievement for professions is the source of one tint of the “Artisan” style; so it seems likely that Warband meta achievements will be sources of at least one tint of the other styles, as well. I’ll hazard a guess that the “Cartographer” style will probably be associated with exploration, and that the “Educator” style will be associated with story/lore completion.
The “Patron’s” style is just the Gilnean Noble’s Suit from the Reclamation of Gilneas storyline, only with gems substituted for all the roses. The Verdant and Vermillion variations are giving off serious Winter Veil and Love is in the Air vibes.
The other styles each have fun hats that differentiate them, while the rest of the items have various stylistic similarities between themselves and with the leveling sets that would readily mix-and-match. Overall, it’s a very nice collection of outfits… yet at the same time, it also feels kinda overwhelming. I like the “Educator”, “Artisan”, and “Cartographer” sets best, so I’ll probably make the some effort to acquire the easiest to get tint(s) of each style and use those and try to not fuss myself about getting the others.
Arathor outdoor world gear: One of the endgame Major Factions. They’re a society that’s all about The Light, so of course the Cloth is the umpteenth variation on Priest-ish and the Plate is the umpteenth variation on Paladin-ish, and the weapons are all Priest-ish and Paladin-ish.
The blue version of the Cloth set looks like it could potentially be Mage-ified by using the Battle Magister’s accessories from the Trading Post instead of the set helm, shoulders, and belt. Ditto for the red version and the Sin’dorei Magister’s accessories coming soon from Pandaria Remix.
If they’re not excessively difficult to obtain, the robes from the yellow (Holy) and purple (Shadow/Void) versions might be just what I need to complete an outfit concept I’ve had for some time in my Transmogrification Ideas Notebook — making a pair of color-swapped outfits using the Soulbreaker’s Court Mantle with the Zealot’s Prayer Staff (yellow) and the Soulbreaker’s Burnished Mantle with the Shattered Voidspire (purple).
Fancy Cosmetic helms, shoulders, and cloaks continue the concept of the dragonflight story completion rewards from Dragonflight, and are probably tied to the major faction Renown tracks. Of these, I find myself liking most the “Honorary Councilmember” set which will go great with the Mog set from buying the middle- or top-tier expansion package. Oh, and the Arathi Renown set looks nice, too, and suggests that the red variation of the Arathor outdoor armor might perhaps be the most readily obtainable?
Then there are a bunch of very silly hats which are apparently from Delves? and the only one of those I am even remotely interested in is the “Bronzebeard Hat” — which is more or less another variation of Reno’s Lucky Hat and the hats from Azerothian Archives.
“Harvester” armor: looks like the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz. Whaddaya wanna bet that the green tint is the Trading Post Traveler’s Log completion reward for September?
I’m still waiting on the previews for the Season 1 Mage and Shaman sets, so Season 1 raid stuff will be in another post.