getting ready for the Patch

As most of you know there is a huge content patch coming soon. I haven't been able to find out exactly when because Blizz isn't saying but most rumors say it will be in the next 2-3 weeks.

With this patch there are some major changes coming to the end game content. I would like to highlight a few items that I think are of interest. These are just the highlights so I would encourage everyone to read the notes themselves. If you have any questions about the notes, post your questions in the forums and we will try to get answer for you asap.

1. Conquest emblems going away. From everything I have been able to dig up it appears that the conquest emblems are going to go the way of the emblems of valor. Emblems of Triumph are going to replace conquest emblems. This means in the normal heroics you will start to get triumph badges which can be turned in for level 245 gear. I believe you will still be able to trade down for conquest emblems if you need to but nothing will drop conquest emblems anymore. Here is a link to a forum that quotes a blizz poster discussing this. http://www.wow.com/2009/10/07/patch-3-3-emblems-of-triumph-to-be-the-new-base-emblems/
Emblems of Frost willl be the new high level emblem. You can get these by doing the daily random heroic daily and from the new weekly raid quest that I will discuss in a bit.

2.Weekly raid quests. This will replace the current daily heroic and daily regular quests. ■
Quote:
Weekly raid quests are now available from Archmage Lan'dalock in Dalaran. Every Tuesday at 3 AM the Council of Six will choose a different strategic target that must die from either: The Obsidian Sanctum, Naxxramas, The Eye of Eternity, Ulduar, Trial of the Crusader, or Icecrown Citadel.

So what this means is, more raids!! If you aren't ready for some of these instances, then you will just have to wait until you are geared better or just hope the next one is something you are able to do. Which is another reason I believe they've made triumph badges so much more accessable.

3. Pick up group There will now be a matchmaking set up that will allow you to join a group within your battlegroup, in another realm. This should work much like a BG where everyone just shows up at a area before you start. There are some extra features with this such as, the raid will have the option to vote out a player in the group if somone isn't preforming well. There will also be an automatic gear check for some of the harder instances.

4. Looking for Raid group This is a new feature that is much like the PUG feature that will allow you to put in the role you want to fill and it will put you in a group if it finds an opening.

5. The new orb. From what I can find Primordial Saronite will be the "new crusader orb" Details on how this is found still haven't been given (at least that I could find), but I would expect it to be rare and probably only found in IC.

6. New Patterns. Here is a link that shows what I am sure are just some of the new patterns that will be available. http://www.wowhead.com/?guide=3.3&ashen-verdict#rewards just scroll to the bottom to see the new items. Also notice that they all take the Primordial Saronite to make, just like the ToC patterns all took Crusader orbs.

Well I think that is enough to fry your brains for now. There really is tons and tons of stuff on the way. I took most of this stuff straight from the patch notes page. Again I encourage all members to read the patch notes.

Thanks
Celare