a different sort of wings

Of the three Warlock specializations, Affliction has never really appealed to me because it seems the most wholeheartedly, unabashedly evil of the three. For a time, my Warlock was Demonology; I imagined her as a wildlife biologist who was interested in studying the biology of demons and got even more thoroughly swallowed up in her chosen field than most academics do. Then the Metamorphosis mechanic was introduced, and although the Demonology-only wild imp swarm that was introduced at the same time did appeal to me a great deal, my Warlock didn’t want to transform into a demon herself, just study and control them. I changed my Warlock’s spec to Destruction and re-imagined her as a Fire Mage corrupted by her lust for power. Datamining from the Warlords alpha client has revealed a new glyph that changes the Metamorphosis effect to cause the Warlock’s normal form to sprout demon wings instead of undergoing the full transformation — suddenly, Demonology is much more attractive to my Warlock again! She promptly ran out to her trainer to pick up Demonology as her second spec, though she won’t be using it until after Warlords actually launches. As for her backstory — Sin’dorei live long enough that she could have been both a crazy fire mage and a crazy wildlife biologist at different times in her past.

(Another glyph that I am excited about is “Play Dead”, which causes a Hunter’s pet to feign death when the Hunter does — something I’ve wished my Hunter pets could do for a long time!)

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Things My Characters are Wearing with their Shado-Pan Helmets

Shado-Pan Ninja (Monk)



Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Puncture-Binding Spaulder, Pozzik’s Vest, Red Belt of Gentle Persuasion, Nice Shorts, Bard’s gloves & boots, Stylish Black Shirt, Monk’s Staff
This outfit is adapted from Draynee’s Black Ninja Monk kit.

Shado-Pan Spiritwalker (Shaman)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Pauldrons of Wild Magic, Salvager’s Hauberk, Bloodspattered Sash, Heroes’ Earthshatter Kilt (T7-10s), Seer’s Linked Gauntlets, Suen-Wo, Spire of the Falling Sun
Umlaut Paradots‘ mail contribution to These Boots Were Made For Mogging reminded me of the Salvager’s Hauberk. As I thought about what kind of set I might like to make using this chestpiece, it occurred to me that the stripe detail, especially in the back, is somewhat similar to the stripe detail on the Shado-Pan NPC uniforms. Kamalia already had plenty of dark blue in her wardrobe, but she did not have much red in her wardrobe before I created this outfit for her!

Shado-Pan Beastmaster (Hunter)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Ravager’s Mantle, Warmonger’s Chestpiece, Bloodspattered Sash, Bloodmail* Legguards gloves & boots, Cloak of Beasts, Master Builder’s Shirt, Bronze Blaster
This is something of an “if you’ve got it, flaunt it” kit. Although I only really wanted the Bloodmail Legguards, I’d collected all the rest of the set by the time the pants finally dropped. I decided to keep the whole set, “just in case”, and dumped it into Void Storage. Now I’m glad that I did!
I borrowed the combination of the Shado-Pan Helmet with the Warmonger’s chestpiece from WoW Roleplay Gear.

Shado-Pan Runeblade (Death Knight)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Blood-Soaked Saronite Plated Spaulders, Warlord’s/Warmaul chestpiece belt gloves & boots, Legguards of the Shattered Hand, Acherus Knight’s Shroud, Runed Soulblade
I didn’t want to just plop the Shado-Pan Helmet atop one of the black-and-red outfits I’d already made for Kregga — though it would certainly work well with either of them. The red-plum-blue tones of the Warlord’s/Warmaul set evoke the palette of the navy-and-brick-red version of the Shado-Pan NPC uniforms, and I’d been wanting to use those items in a DK set for some time. The DK shoulders added just the right amount of menace to the overall appearance.

Shado-Pan Lightbearer (Paladin)


Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Runic Plate Shoulders, Alabaster Breastplate, Thorium Belt, Greaves of the Martyr, Bloodforged Gauntlets, Lavawalker Greaves, Redpine Cloak, Firestorm Hackblade, Bloodforged Guard, Stylish Black Shirt
This outfit is adapted from a striking black, white, and red ensemble originally designed by Honeypants of Mogoholic.

Shado-Pan Blademaster (Warrior)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Expedition Mantle, The Exarch’s Protector, Darkcrest Belt, Legguards of the Shattered Hand, Inferno Tempered gloves & boots, Gilded Thorium Cloak, Red Martial Shirt, Sturdy Yaungol Spear
Keija tried really hard to talk me into letting her use Hellreaver for her Shado-Pan set, even though I think it’s just about as overused a weapon as Judgement is a gear set (especially since Demonology Warlocks got that glyph that lets their Felguards dual-wield the things). Then, as soon as she’d actually tested how it would look, she capitulated and agreed to use the spear that matches the NPC weapon. I’ll just have to come up with some other set for her to use Hellreaver with.

Shado-Pan Wildshaper (Druid)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Thunderheart Shoulder Pads, Robes of Summer Flame, Vicious Leather Belt, Gilt-Edged Leather Gauntlets, Tian Monastic Staff
I decided pretty much immediately that I wanted to use this robe for my Druid’s Shado-Pan kit. Figuring out all the rest of the pieces, though, took quite a bit of iteration.
I don’t remember if I was offered the +Agi staff as a reward option from that Tian Monastery quest or if I had to switch my loot spec to see it. Whatever happened, I thought that the +Agi staff would have better Transmogrification potential with the rest of my Druid’s wardrobe than any of the +Int options — and I’d surely get a better weapon from some other quest later. So I took it, and now I am quite glad that I did.

Shado-Pan Mystic (Priest)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Consortium Mantle, Amaranthine Robe, Silver-Thread Sash, Black Mageweave Gloves, Arakkoa Divining Rod, Inscribed Fan, Stylish Black Shirt
This outfit is largely inspired by the Shado-Pan Helmet set designed by WoW Roleplay Gear.

Shado-Pan Arcanist (Mage)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Mantle of the Golden Sun, Sparklight Robes, Klaxxi Lash of the Orator, Exiled Dabbler’s Gloves, Netherweave Boots, Matsuba’s Breadmaker
In these sets, I’ve endeavored to use only items that I think I can reasonably expect to obtain solo at level 90. If you do guild-based raiding, however, the normal-mode version of Quet’zal’s Crackling Cord coordinates perfectly with this robe.

Shado-Pan Assassin (Rogue)

Replica Shado-Pan Helment, Shoulderpads of the Silvermoon Retainer, Scouting tunic & gloves, Belt of One-Hundred Deaths, Nightslayer Pants, Defiler’s Lizardhide Boots, Black Swashbuckler’s Shirt, Malchazeen
The shirt is an essential component of this outfit because it fills in a gap between the sleeves and the gloves. I would have preferred to use gloves that cover the whole hand — assassins should not leave fingerprints — but I couldn’t find any that coordinated suitably well with the rest of the set.

Shado-Pan Summoner (Warlock)

Replica Shado-Pan Helmet, Merciless Gladiator’s Felweave Amice, Simple Blouse, Silver-Thread Sash, Coven Britches, Black Mageweave Gloves + Wraps of the San’layn, Oilfoot Slippers, Zhar’doom, Greatstaff of the Devourer
More decadent Warlocks may prefer to use the Cournith Waterstrider’s Silken Finery.

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the wistful warlock

Laeleiweyn of World of Lae has kicked off a series of Alt Appreciation weeks to “celebrate all the classes!”

This week, it’s the Warlocks‘ turn in the spotlight.

Over the nearly two years since the Darkmoon Faire was revamped (my, how time flies!), my Warlock has been creeping through the thirties and forties by doing five Darkmoon Faire profession quests each month. After the Faire this month, she was perched on the cusp of 50. Yesterday, a few Hallow’s End quests were all it took to tip her over, allowing her to do some things she’s been anticipating for a very, very long time: visiting Shadowfang Keep to collect the materials for her scythe (she was already in her late twenties/early thirties when Cataclysm arrived, too high to queue for SFK but too low to solo it) and going to Blackrock Depths to get her horns.

Adjudicator of the Left-Hand Path


Horns of the Left-Hand Path, Geomancer’s Spaulders, High Robe of the Adjudicator*, Apothecary’s Waistband, Heavy Linen Gloves, Walking Boots, Staff of the Left-Hand Path
Besides being the dress of the Stormpike Emissaries and the Bloodmages, this robe is also a classic vanilla Warlock look. At level 30, Warlocks went to Ratchet to learn how to summon their Felpuppies. There, they also met Menara Voidrender, who started them on a Warlock-only quest chain that ultimately awarded the short-sleeved Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe. Across the sea in Silverpine Forest, there was a non-class-specific (Horde) quest chain that awarded a nearly identical robe, the long-sleeved High Robe of the Adjudicator. The Silverpine chain was easily soloable by the mid-twenties, making the High Robe of the Adjudicator available to my wee Warlock earlier and easier than the Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe. So I made sure to get the High Robe of the Adjudicator for her, just in case. And indeed, she never quite got around to starting the class-specific quest chain before Cataclysm came along and wiped away both quest chains. Then I was really glad that I’d done the general one in Silverpine!

Kalaneia’s spec has bounced around from Destruction to Affliction to Demonology and back again. I thought for a while that she might be a Demonologist, a wildlife biologist who became keenly interested in the biology of the wildlife of the Twisting Nether… but then the Metamorphosis mechanic was introduced, and I didn’t really fancy the idea of turning into a demon myself. Thus, she ultimately settled on Destro because that spec has the flavor I’m most comfortable with.

Once upon a time, Kalaneia was a Magister’s apprentice like her cousin, Kaelinda. Whereas Kaelinda and her master spent time studying all three of the major branches of mage-lore, Kalaneia’s master was primarily interested in Fire magic, and together he and his apprentices dug deeper and deeper, seeking greater power from increasingly darker sources. Kalaneia’s eyes had had a greenish hue from her birth, so no-one — including herself — quite realized how far into fel magic she’d gotten until the Sunwell was destroyed and she was barely fazed while the rest of her surviving family were prostrated for weeks. She reveled in her strength compared to her wilting relatives. Though she had not previously studied shadow magic, after the fall of the Sunwell, she gladly embraced the additional power it offered. She has since learned to summon several types of demons, but she generally only bothers with Pagnar the Imp, who gives her the enhanced Fire power she craves.

I have considered buying Kalaneia a Sealed Tome of the Lost Legion as a half-promise that, Real Life permitting, she will reach the level cap someday and be able to pursue green fire!. The price for those things on the AH, however, is almost all the money currently I have on her server, and, realistically speaking, she probably won’t reach level cap until said cap is 95 or 100. At which point, all things considered, it would be easy enough for her to just go to the Isle of Thunder herself and hang out with Cat’s best buddy until he coughs one up.

Though The Devil Wears Transmog rightly comments that the T16 Warlock set in its entirety is horrible, I think that the robe in isolation is rather nice. I like the nifty waterfall effect of the shading on the middle panels. It reminds me of the Farstrider Defender’s and Night’s End cloaks. So I set out to design a Transmogrification kit that would complement the robe and maybe even be a halfway decent Warlock outfit, too. I used the Flex/Normal version of the robe partly because I think it has the nicest color scheme and partly because if Kalaneia ever manages to acquire anything from Siege of Orgrimmar, it will most likely be in the next expansion via a Laid Back Raids/Old Ladies Raiding Guild-type arrangement that would be doing Flex/Normal modes.

A Real Horned Nightmare, Not A Fashion Disaster

Horns of the Betrayer/Horns of the Left-Hand Path/Hood of Disgrace, Illidari Shoulderpads, Robes of the Horned Nightmare (F/N), Sash of Mortal Desire, Helix Breaker Gloves (N), Falling Blossom Sandals

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Things my Warlock and Shadow Priest Wear

A collection of Transmogrification Template Kits actually worn in-game by my Blood Elf Warlock and my Blood Elf Shadow Priest. I will update it whenever I change my in-game TTK. Items that are no longer obtainable are marked with an asterisk (*).

Mistress of Flame and Shadow

Jewel of the Firelord, Silver-Thread shoulders gloves & boots, Chan’s Imperial Robes, Durable Belt, Staff of the Left-Hand Path, Stylish Black Shirt
When I saw this robe on the AH for a real steal of a price, I snapped it up and stashed it away for when my Warlock would be able to wear it.
A Mantle of Closed Doors would be the perfect finishing touch for this outfit at higher levels.

Adjudicator of the Left-Hand Path


Horns of the Left-Hand Path, Geomancer’s Spaulders, High Robe of the Adjudicator*, Apothecary’s Waistband, Heavy Linen Gloves, Walking Boots, Staff of the Left-Hand Path
Besides being the dress of the Stormpike Emissaries and the Bloodmages, this robe is also a classic vanilla Warlock look. At level 30, Warlocks went to Ratchet to learn how to summon their Felpuppies. There, they also met Menara Voidrender, who started them on a Warlock-only quest chain that ultimately awarded the short-sleeved Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe. Across the sea in Silverpine Forest, there was a non-class-specific (Horde) quest chain that awarded a nearly identical robe, the long-sleeved High Robe of the Adjudicator. The Silverpine chain was easily soloable by the mid-twenties, making the High Robe of the Adjudicator available to my wee Warlock earlier and easier than the Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe. So I made sure to get the High Robe of the Adjudicator for her, just in case. And indeed, she never quite got around to starting the class-specific quest chain before Cataclysm came along and wiped away both quest chains. Then I was really glad that I’d done the general one in Silverpine!

Blissful Bride/Silver Angel

Aurora shoulders & robe, Defiler’s Cloth Girdle, Blubber-Stained Grips, Sage’s Boots
I heartily dislike PvP and avoid it as much as possible, but occasionally something tempts me enough to endure it. The Dryad’s Wrist Bindings (55 HP), which I have used in several outfits, and this belt (45 HP) can be obtained by participating in just a few Arathi Basin battles, and they are definitely worth the trouble!

Poor Little ‘Lock

Mantle of the Panther, Thistlefur Robe, Grassland Sash*, Shivery Handwraps*, Walking Boots, Darkwood Staff, Neophyte’s Shirt
Just when Kalaneia was beginning to get excessively bored of being a walking advertisement for the Darkmoon Faire, Batinna’s Dress Up challenge began. Kalaneia’s Thistlefur Robe was a nice fit for the first theme, “poor”. The other items in this outfit were in her inventory already, except for the shirt, which was in my guild bank, and the staff, which required completing two quick and easy quests in Tirisfal Glades. Then Kaelinda had to send her a bit of gold for the Transmogrification and Barbershop fees, as Kalaneia was too poor to afford them by herself.

Darkmoon Faire Mystic Mage

Watcher’s Cap & shoulders, Disciple’s robe, Shimmering Sash, Greenweave Gloves, Hu’rala’s Slippers, Cloak of the Darkmoon Faire, Lavender Mageweave Shirt
I like the green gloves and purple boots, but if you want to look more like the NPC, use brown boots and look for the hands-less Soulcloth or Exiled Dabbler’s gloves. The NPC’s belt is not available to players.
Despite the much-vaunted rivalry between Mages and Warlocks, Kalaneia does not take (much) offense at the “Mage” name of this outfit. She’s confirmedly Destruction and can barely be bothered with demons, except as a gateway to greater fire-slinging power.

Classic Embersilk

Embersilk set with Corpulent Shoulderpads and Dark Silk Shirt
This style of cloth armor comes in several color schemes, and I like them all.
Until the Geomancer’s Spaulders show up on my AH, these shoulders are the best readily available option.

Tol Barad Administrator

Lord Walden’s Top Hat (not Transmogrification-friendly), Mantle of Haunting, Black Velvet Robes, Belt of the Hero, Skitterweb Glovelettes, Watched Watcher’s Slippers, Staff of Earned Tranquility
Given the involvement of Dalaran and its mages with the high-security prison on Tol Barad, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that some of the staff might have been high elves.

Bouganvilla

Talbar Mantle*/Watcher’s Mantle, Embersilk Robe, Ivycloth Sash, Greenweave pants & gloves, Walking Boots, Green Linen Shirt
During October 2012, JD Kenada invited us to join him in observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month by putting together our best pink Transmogrification Template Kits.
I’d like to use the Vengeance Staff with this outfit, but it is very hard to find.
High-level characters can make a more spectacular version of this outfit with the Vestments of the Shifting Sands and Ruthless Gladiator’s Cord.

Paranoia

Katoom’s Mask, Ghostly Mantle*, Necropile Robe*, Clutch of Andros*, Silver-Thread gloves & boots, Staff of Metanoia*, Undercity Doublet
This is a much more Warlocky outfit than the previous one, but it’s not quite perfect. The greenish flame at the top of the staff is deliciously fel, but I was rather dismayed when I looked at the staff up close and saw that it was all Priesty-colored with whites and golds and blues. The Soulkeeper, Staff of Hale Magefire, and Elemental Mage Staff all share the same model but with darker, more sinister colors; I should start watching the AH for one of them to pop up at a price I can afford.
The sleeved version of this robe, the Robes of Arugal, are still available from the level 20 version of Shadowfang Keep. The Shadow Council Mantle matches these robes quite nicely.

Phoenix Rising

Exquisite Sunderseer Mantle, Red Mageweave Vest, Durable Belt, Phoenix Pants, Phoenix Gloves, Junglestrider Sandals, Golden Filigreed Doublet, Staff of the Sun
This outfit was built around the tailored Phoenix Pants and Gloves. The shoulders aren’t ideal, but they were the best that were readily obtainable for her level. The Consortium Mantle and the Mantle of the Elven Kings from Tempest Keep are my prime choices for shoulders to complement the rest of the ensemble.

Dark Lady’s Favor

Shoulderwraps of the Enthralled, Andorhal Tunic, Dithering Belt, Ravensun Britches, Gandling’s Gloves, Hu’rala’s Slippers
This set is primarily obtained from the Andorhal questline. Visually, the belt and gloves actually belong with a different set. At some point, I’d like to revisit this outfit and spruce it up a little with a better belt & gloves and maybe some different pants, too.

Equestrienne

Lord Walden’s Top Hat, Mantle of Haunting, Cat Lover’s Vest, Laborer’s Belt, Rygna-Silk Leggings, Skitterweb Glovelettes, Watched Watcher’s Slippers, Staff of Earned Tranquility
Kandrista began her existence as a Worgen just for this hat and staff. Although the Top Hat is not Transmogrification-friendly, I intend to have her wear it throughout her leveling journey.

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dancing with fire

I think we can all pretty well agree that the Helm of the Fire Festival, however practical it may be, is a fashion disaster.

The best fire-hats currently in the game are cloth and mail; I didn’t find any fire-hats that appealed to me in leather or plate. It’d say that this must be because the classes with Fire-themed damage specs — Fire Mage, Destruction Warlock, and Elemental Shaman — wear cloth and mail… but the first mail fire-hat has stats for a Hunter or Enhancement Shaman.

The cloth fire-hat is the classic Circle of Flame from Ambassador Flamelash in BRD. Many Transmogrification Template Kits have been created using this hat — but here are a few more.

Left: Mantle of Closed Doors (Normal), Corsair’s Overshirt (Normal), Archmage/Elementalist Belt, Spellstrike Pants, Soulcloth Gloves, Ritual Sandals
Right: Geomancer’s Spaulders, Corsair’s Overshirt, Sash of the Burning Heart, Crimson Silk Pantaloons, Ebony Flame Gloves, Embersilk Boots

The Soulcloth Gloves and Ebony Flame Gloves display under the sleeves of the Corsair’s Overshirt in MogIt. The display of these gloves in WMV is bugged rather badly, so the pictures show the Jumanza Grips and Embersilk Mitts — which display over the sleeves in MogIt as well.

Left: Exquisite Sunderseer Mantle, Cindercloth Vest, Grom’tor’s Bloodied Bandage, Crimson Silk Pantaloons, Earthmender’s Bracer of Shattering + Gloves of the High Magus, Infernoweave Boots
Right: Consortium Mantle, Flameheart Vest, Voidweave Cilice, Spellstrike Pants, Red Mageweave Gloves, Ritual Sandals

Arachnidian Spaulders, Corsair’s Overshirt, Wise Man’s Belt, Spellshock/Arachnidian Leggings, Soulcloth Gloves (not shown due to WMV bug), Outlander’s Boots (light brown shoes, invisible on this model)

The first mail fire-hat, the Crown of Destruction, drops from Ragnaros1.0 in Molten Core and is visually almost identical to the cloth Circle of Flame. The second mail fire-hat, the Crown of Flame, drops from Ragnaros2.0 in the Firelands. I prefer the Normal version to the Heroic version, and Kamalia will never, ever get rid of hers.

Left: Crown of Destruction with Bloodlust set
Center: Crown of Flame with Engraved set and Rocket-Chief Pauldrons
Right: Crown of Flame, Bloodforged shoulders, Bloodlust breastplate, Chiselbrand Girdle, Engraved leggings, Molten Fists, Radiant boots

I like the look of the Amber Filigreed Shirt underneath the Engraved Breastplate for the less-slender races.

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the very model of a Warlock dark and terrible

So, Ancient tipped me off to a new Warlock Transmogrification contest, an inverse of Saga’s “Worst Warlock” concept that challenges the contributors to create the Epitome of a Well-Dressed Warlock.

To encourage creativity, Amijade stipulates the following conditions:

*Only one item can be used from [any given] full Tier set
*Only one item can be used from [any given] full PvP set
*One one item can be used from [any given] Tier recolored set
*Only one item can be used from [any given] green item set

The contest requires a level 50+ character, however, and it’s not quite exciting enough for me to bump either of my Warlocks (level 38 Blood Elf and level 24 Gnome) to the head of my current leveling priority queue*, so I can’t actually enter it — but I’m not about to let that stop me from playing with the prompt :D

Amijade further advises the fashionable Warlock that female Blood Elf, Human, and occasionally Troll (probably the ones with the “pretty” face) Warlocks should show as much skin as possible so as to out-compete their Succubi, male Blood Elf Warlocks should go for the 80s Glam Rock look, and all other Warlocks should show as little skin as possible. She also recommends sticking to a color scheme of “black, dark black, light black, dark red or dark purple or dark green”. And you should all go read her “Is it Warlock Gear?” and “Is it Important for a Warlock?” gear-buying/MogIt-scanning checklists (in the post linked above), because they’re simply hilarious.

I immediately thought of using the Purple Trophy Tabard of the Illidari, but when I went back and looked at my cloth designs for Mog Madness Round 4, they were all much, much too Shadow Priest or Darkmoon Faire Mage. So I tried again, using some distinctively Warlock shoulders.

Shadowflame Hood (T11-N) or Felheart Horns (T1), Nemesis Spaulders (T2), Chillwind (A)/Andorhal (H) Tunic, Voodoo-Woven Belt, Darkweave Breeches, Enslaved Doomguard Soulgrips, Boots of the Ursine, Syrannis’ Mystic Sheen, Staff of Beasts or Terokk’s Shadowstaff

Felheart Horns, Hatefury Mantle (T6 recolor), Chillwind/Andorhal Tunic, Voodoo-Woven Belt, Darkweave Breeches, Mystral Handwraps, Boots of Duress, Thalassian Wildercloak, Terokk’s Shadowstaff

The regular Malefic (T6) shoulders coordinate surprisingly well with the Anh’Qiraj Doomcaller’s Robes.

Blood Elf Extras: Horns of the Left Hand Path, Sash of Mortal Desire, Spellfire Gloves, Replica Dreadmist Sandals
Gnome Extras: Horns of Justified Sins or Felcloth Hood, Sash of Mortal Desire, Resplendent Bracelets + Widow’s Clutches, Ruby Slippers

The Malefic shoulders also coordinate quite nicely with Katrana Prestor‘s famous apparel, the Robe of Volatile Power.

All outfits include the Sash of Serpentra, Dreadweave Gloves, Replica Dreadmist Slippers, and Red Workman’s Shirt.
Left: Shadoweave Mask, Rusted Gutgore Ripper, Skull of Burning Shadows (also comes in red and black)
Center: Skywitch Hat, Staff of Sinister Claws (this would be a great Warlock outfit to wear during Hallow’s End)
Right: Hexxer’s Mask, Rusted Gutgore Ripper, Voodoo Shaker (this variation would be particularly appropriate for a Troll Warlock)

Another classic red & purple robe is the Robe of Doan, which is worn by the Warlock trainers in Stormwind.

Corruptor (T5) shoulders, Robe of Doan, High Councillor’s Sash, Mystral Gloves, Conjurer’s Shoes, Dark Shroud of the Scourge, Zhar’doom, Greatstaff of the Devourer

Here are a couple of outfits for Warlocks who can comfortably show a little more skin, using the Corruptor shoulders and Death-Speaker’s Tunic.

Left: Horns of the Left Hand Path, Deathmage Sash, Sanguine pants, Malefic gloves, Saltarello Shoes, Dark Shroud of the Scourge, Damnation
Right: Bloodwoven Mask, Leggings of Ancient Magics, Flarecore Gloves, Infernoweave Boots (oops, didn’t realize that the gloves & boots are actually from the same set), Zhar’doom, Greatstaff of the Devourer

Either the Elder’s Robe or Watcher’s Robe would be suitable for a Troll Affliction or Demonology Warlock. A Destruction Warlock, however, should definitely use the Sanguine Robe.

Left: Horns of the Left Hand Path, Sanctified Dark Coven (T10-H) shoulders, Elder’s Robe (left) or Watcher’s Robe (right), Replica Dreadmist Belt, Stonecloth pants, Gloves of Penitence, Doomcaller’s Footwraps, Thalassian Wildercloak, Venom Web Fang, Book of Binding Will
Right: Circle of Flame, Corruptor or Valorous Plagueheart (T7-25) shoulders, Sanguine Robe, Cord of Reconstruction, Stonecloth pants, Firesoul Wristguards + Mystral Handwraps, Sorcerer Shoes, Blade of Dormant Memories, Ledger of Revolting Rituals (normal)

Although I certainly think that all of the above outfits are great choices for a Warlock, none of them quite seems to be the epitome of a Warlock. They’re all too bright; something darker is required.

Cowl of Malefic Repose (10H), Nemesis Spaulders, Conqueror’s Deathbringer (T8-25) Robe, Clutch of Andros, Gloves of Oblivion, Sorcerer Shoes, Cloak of the Enemy, Staff of Beasts or Staff of the Left Hand Path (H)/Staff of Justified Sins (A)

Heroic Sanctified Dark Coven (T10-25H) hood, Valorous Plagueheart shoulders, Corruptor Robe, Cord of Reconstruction, Mystral Gloves, Sorcerer Shoes, Cloak of the Enemy, Damnation

Yikes! Those are pretty scary! If I were actually able to enter the contest (and had been able to obtain the requisite items), that last outfit is probably the one that I’d submit.

~*~*~

* More precisely, I am reluctant to play with my Warlocks until Mists comes out because Cynwise’s series on “The Decline and Fall of Warlocks in Cataclysm“ demonstrates that Warlocks are rather unwieldy at present, but suggests that they will be much, much more fun in 5.0.

~*~*~

Edit:
And here’s an outfit for all those wannabe-Warlocks out there, using non-class specific recolors of Warlock Tier items.

Sightless Crown of Ulmass or Bad Mojo Mask, Illidari Shoulderpads, Robes of the Umbral Brute, Runed Stygian Belt, Dreamweave Gloves, Boots of the Shifting Nightmare, Mantle of Doubt, Wild Wood Staff or Fleshling Simulation Staff

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warlock fashion disasters

In honor of her second blogiversary, Saga is conducting a search for the Worst Warlock Outfit EVAR:

Warlocks are evil creatures who dabble with the fel magics that most other people stay away from. Obviously this means we have a certain… image to uphold. It’s why our tier sets have huge spikes and skulls, and other awesome looking things. A Warlock should look good.

So let’s turn it around. Let’s find the worst possible Warlock outfit available in the game. Something that would make other Warlocks shun you and not let you near them. Something that would make your demon take one look at you and return back to the Twisting Nether laughing all the way.

Now, I really don’t think there’s anything I could do that could top the Gardening Soccer Mom look that Tome of the Ancient coaxed Ironsally into, or the “Hug a Tree of Life today” wannabe-Druid outfit concocted by Erinys. But I couldn’t resist the challenge of at least trying to come up with something suitable. Or rather, unsuitable.

I took a look in Kalaneia‘s bank to see what sort of horrid combination I could make using the things she’s collected while leveling. It wasn’t too hard to find some colors that clashed in a quite eye-bleeding way. Poor ‘Neia! When I put her in that garb, the trainers in the Sanctum would let her Imp, Pagnar, in, but not her!

Azure Silk Hood, Talbar Mantle (no longer obtainable), Embersilk Robe, Joanna’s Sash, Phoenix Pants, Phoenix Gloves, Walking Boots, Captain’s Cloak, Medicine Staff
The only things I bought new for this outfit were the mud-colored cloak and the staff.

Then I wanted to see what sort of un-Warlock-like Transmogrification Template Kit I could conjure up using MogIt. Taking a similar approach to Navimie, I decided to go for a pseudo-Healy-Priest look. I started with Kamaei’s Cerulean Skirt, a gorgeous recolor of the Devout Priest’s kilt. There is only one similarly recolored piece of the Devout set, the Lightning Infused Mantle, most often seen nowadays as a favorite complement to the Robes of the Exalted and Robes of the Guardian Saint. Unless I’m working with only the limited gear available in a single toon’s inventory, I seem to be incapable of creating a true “clown suit” anymore, and I ended up with an outfit that was well-coordinated, but still much too atrocious to actually wear.

I presented it to a panel of representative Warlocks, and was met with reactions ranging from dumbfounded to weeping to vigorous rejection/denial.

Watcher’s Cowl, Lightning Infused Mantle, Arachnidian Armor, Arachnidian Girdle, Kamaei’s Cerulean Skirt, Arachnidian Gloves (or the orange with aqua trim Serpent Gloves), Extravagant Boots of Malice, Orange Mageweave Shirt, Hibernal Cloak (optional), Plasma Foil, Dreamseeker Dandelion

And as long as I was working with Kamaei’s Cerulean Skirt and the Lightning Infused Mantle anyway, I figured I might as well put together a more, er, respectable Transmogrification Template Kit intended for actual Healy-type Priests.

Cowl of Benevolence, Lightning Infused Mantle, Aurora Armor or Buccaneer’s Vest or Stonecloth Vest, Bridenbrad’s Sash or Sutarn’s Ring or Tentacular Belt, Kamaei’s Cerulean Skirt, Arachnidian Bracers, Replica Virtuous Gloves, Ringo’s Blizzard Boots, Cloak of Whispering Shells, Staff of Divine Infusion or Razorwind Staff or Staff of Athen’a

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A Rainbow of Classy Clothes

In which I have an irresistably silly idea to compile a Transmogrification-friendly outfit for each Class using that Class’s color.

Death Knight Maroon: Tyrant’s Epaulets, Breastplate of the Warbringer, Legguards of the Shattered Hand, Thorium Belt, Bloodforged boots & gloves, Sawbones Shirt

Druid Orange: Warchief Kilt, Scorpashi shoulders, Dokebi tunic belt boots & gloves, Orange Mageweave Shirt

Rogue Yellow: Robust set with Headhunter’s Girdle and Bright Yellow Shirt

Hunter Green: Bog Epaulets, Turtle Scale chest & pants, Der’izu belt boots & gloves, Green Linen Shirt

Mage Cerulean: Lunar Mantle, Robes of the Exalted, Belt of Arcane Storms, Runed Spell-Cuffs, Royal gloves & boots, Cerulean Filigreed Doublet
I tried to stick to items that could be obtained solo, but it was very, very difficult to find a belt that layered well with this robe. The golden Sutarn’s Ring also looks reasonably good.

Shaman Blue: Elements set (soon to be available again as “replica”-quality items from the renovated Darkmoon Faire) with Blue Linen Shirt
Okay, I cheated with this one because Shaman have a wonderful class set that is already in their class color — and, as far as the datamining at WoWhead can tell, the replica items will NOT be class-exclusive!

Warlock Purple: Twilight Cultist Shoulders, Death-Speaker’s Tunic, Darkweave Breeches, High Councillor’s belt, Gloves of the Deadwatcher, Kayser’s Boots of Precision, Rich Purple Silk Shirt

Paladin Pink: Bloodscale set with Commander’s Pauldrons & Pink Mageweave Shirt

Warrior Brown: Brutish set with Rustic Workman’s Shirt

Priest White: Gossamer robe and shoulders, Aurora belt, Sage’s boots, Gandling’s Gloves, Formal White Shirt

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And here they are again, arranged by armor type:

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Tier 13 and Tier retrospectives: Kamalia’s personal favorites

I wanted to see all of the Tier 13 previews before I shared my opinions on it.

The Shaman T13 looks pretty cool, but not so awesome that I can’t wait to begin replacing my T12. I definitely won’t be showing that hat — I’ll probably transmogrify it to something still wolfish, but a little more classy, such as the Headdress of the First Shaman. The wolf-skull shoulders look awesome on the Orc model, but I’m not sure if I’ll like them on Kamalia. I think it might be fun to play a little Transmogrification mix-and-match between the items of T13 and the items of the black Earthfury (T1) recolor from Outland.

Kerisa’s still in T11, and she’d be perfectly happy to skip right over T12 in favor of T13. Again, I’ll be either not showing the hat or transmogrifying it into something more attractive — most likely the Cenarion (T1) antlers because I haven’t got the Malorne (T4) antlers or the Nordrassil (T5) or Nightsong (T8) crowns. The glowing mushrooms on the shoulders are a neat iteration on previous woodsy shoulder designs, and I hope they provide Akabeko’s leatherworkers with a bit of a respite from the trials they’ve had to endure while crafting other recent Druid tier sets.

Of the other T13 sets, the ones that make me wish I had a raiding character of that class are (from least to most desired) the Vestments of Dying Light (Priest), Timelord Regalia (Mage), and Battleplate of Radiant Glory (Paladin). The Vestments of Dying Light are pretty cool in a spooky sort of way. I love the design of the robe, but I think that helm will look bizarre on a long-faced character such as a Tauren or a Worgen. The steampunk stylings of the Timelord Regalia are a refreshing and fun change from the more usual wizardly look of a Mage. I like the quilted detailing on the upper part of the robe and the way the buckled straps at the bottom hint that the kilt could be refashioned into trousers at a moment’s notice for greater mobility. The gold-trimmed silver of the Battleplate of Radiant Glory is the most classically “Paladin”-like look (to my sense of aesthetics) of Cataclysm so far. To me, the feathery details suggest an avenging, defending, mighty seraphim.

For a brief review of my favorite Tier looks for every class, follow the cut:

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Classy Robes

A survey of robes available from class-specific quest chains of the cloth-wearing classes, with comments upon their uniqueness or the lack thereof.

ETA: As of Patch 4.0.1, these quests are all GONE. The Priest quests at level 5 are no longer available. The Mage quest at level 26 is no longer available, so I presume the one at level 16 is gone as well. The level 52 Warlock quest chain went into Sunken Temple on its last step; all those quests have been removed. I haven’t checked the level 31 Warlock quest yet, but I think it’s highly likely that it has been removed, too.
I am leaving this post up as a historical reference document, because while some robes were unique and are now unobtainable, it will still be useful to know what the lookalikes are for the robes that were not unique.

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Priests have one quest chain which awards a robe, which they get very early. At level 5, you recieve a quest from the trainer in your starting area which directs you to the Priest Trainer in the first town-with-an-Inn in your starting zone. This person, in turn, has you go out and use Lesser Heal on a wounded guard, then bless the guard with Fortitude. The guard thanks you for your help, then runs off to attack whatever the local menace is. The Blood Elf and Draenei versions are slightly different, and start directly from the Priest Trainer in the first-town-with-an-Inn. The vanilla WoW quests are race-specific, but the Blood Elf and Draenei versions can be done by members of other races, even those who have already completed the version of the quest only available to their own race.

Friar’s Robes of the Light — identical to White Linen Robe created by Tailoring
Friar’s Robes of the Light — identical to White Linen Robe created by Tailoring
Moon Robes of Elune — identical to Dalaran Nurse’s Gown
Robes of Silvermoon — identical to Dalaran Nurse’s Gown

Azure Watch Robes — identical to Light Magesmith Robe which drops from Frostmane Novices in Dun Morogh
Acolyte’s Sacrificial Robes — unique light blue version of Ritual Shroud
Juju Hex Robes — unique white and purple version of Ancestral Robe

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Mages have two quest chains, one at level 16 and the second at level 26.

The quest chain at level 16 has you investigating a disturbance of arcane wraiths in a shop in either Stormwind or Undercity. This quest seemed much more difficult to me in Undercity than in Stormwind. In Stormwind, only one or two would spawn at a time, but in Undercity I always got at least three or four. By my third Horde mage, I’d decided it would be much better to wait to do this quest until level 20, when I could use a combination of Frost Nova, Blink, and Blizzard to bring down the mobs before they could kill me. After you’ve captured three of the wraiths, you collect linen cloth and mana gems. As Alliance, the mana gems are obtained from the Silver Stream Mine in Loch Modan, and are looted from boxes left behind by the Dwarven miners when the mine was overrun by Kobolds. As Horde, you have to kill Dalaran Apprentices near Ambermill in Silverpine.

Manaweave Robe — unique purple and sky blue version of Chromatic Robe
Lesser Spellfire Robe — identical to Ritual Shroud

The quest chain at level 26 is quite different for Alliance and Horde. Alliance Mages first retrieve Ur’s Book of Shadow Magic from the Tower of Ilgalar in Redridge Mountains, then collect Pristine Spider Silk from Carrion Recluses at the Raven Hill Cemetary in Duskwood. Horde Mages first collect a sample of water from the base of the falls near the satyr stronghold of Xavian in Ashenvale — looking on the map, these falls are coming straight down from Mount Hyjal, so the water surely has the potency described by the Mage who gives the task. Then they gather hair from the Laughing Sister dryads at Raynewood Retreat, also in Ashenvale — a process which, unfortunately, requires killing them. These chains offer a choice between two garments.

Astral Knot Robe — unique white and silver version of Lesser Wizard’s Robe created by Tailoring
Astral Knot Blouse — unique “two piece” chestpiece which looks like the Aurora Armor plus the skirt of the Astral Knot Robe

Nether-Lace Robe — unique red-trimmed version of Twilight Cultist Robe
Nether-Lace Tunic — unique purple version of the style also found in the blue Mystic’s Wraps, green Beaded Wraps, and red Ritual Tunic

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Warlocks have two quest chains which award robes, neither of which is faction or race specific. The first, beginning at level 31, with Menara Voidrender at Ratchet in the Barrens, is quite long and involved and ultimately rewards the Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe. The second, significantly shorter chain, begins at level 52 with Impsy at Shatter Scar Vale in Felwood. At the end, you are offered the choice between a staff, a trinket, and the Robes of Servitude.

Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe — a semi-unique version of the Black Velvet Robes style — the quest chain intitally requires a set of the Robes of Arcana created by Tailoring — the only members of the Alliance who can obtain this robe are Warlocks, however, any member of the Horde can obtain the nearly identical High Robe of the Adjudicator from a quest chain in Silverpine — the Stylish Red Shirt looks like the top of this robe

Robes of Servitude — unique mossy green version of the Greater Adept’s Robe created by Tailoring
the Ivycloth or Shimmering Robe is the closest lookalike to this robe

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