Design Notes
February 19, 2024
Unveiling the Winners: Draw Your Weapon Contest
Over 250 contestants submitted 500 entries, making this one of our most amazing contests ever!
Hey there, heroes! The moment we have all been eagerly awaiting is finally here! We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Dage vs Nulgath Draw Your Weapon Contest 🏆💀😈
With over 250 talented participants submitting a whopping 500 entries, our judges faced an overwhelming challenge unlike any I have ever experienced. Every entry displayed a unique blend of passion, creativity, and artistic brilliance, so narrowing down the winners was no easy feat – even with the help of 15 judges!
Now that 7500 votes have been cast and tallied… it’s time to reveal our wonderful winners!
Feast your eyes on our winners at Artix.com
Battle on!
Beleen, our amazing panel of judges who are most certainly tuckered out, and the AQW team
February 02, 2024
Dage vs Nulgath Art Extravaganza… and Exposé
Over 250 players entered the Draw Your Weapon Contest, which means we’ve got 500 entries to judge! That's amazing!! However, something sinister emerged that was darker than the deepest depths of the underworld…
Hey there aspiring artists and doodle-doers! We've just wrapped up the Draw Your Weapon Contest, and let me tell you: it was absolutely overwhelming in the best way possible!🎨✨We are thrilled to announce that 250+ players entered the contest, showcasing their artistic abilities and allegiance to Dark Lord Dage and/or the ArchFiend Nulgath. What's even more mind-blowing is that most contestants submitted not one but TWO weapon entries each! That means our judging panel has the mega monumental task of evaluating 500 artistic endeavors!😱🥵🤩
The A(rtist)-Team
To tackle this colossal task, To tackle this colossal task, we've assembled a dream team of 15 judges, including 10 of our game artists plus moderators and testers. These dedicated and highly skilled beings are armed with keen artistic eyes and are actively delving the depths of our community’s creativity. We HAD to employ this many judges because the contest turnout is legit blowing our minds, and having 15 members is a good strategy JIC of accidental brain-explody. Safety first, right? 😜
Needless to say, our judges are buzzing with excitement as they witness how incredibly talented our gaming community truly is!
The Dark Side of… the dark side
However *deep sigh* here comes the truly not-so-exciting part. In the midst of this creative jubilee, our judges are encountering a handful of players who decided to let the dark side win – aka dishonesty and flat-out cheating 😢 There's nothing sadder than seeing art theft, AI-generated art, or even commissioned art pieces in a contest explicitly meant to celebrate individual artistic expression and genuine passion for their craft. It's disheartening to witness the betrayal of these core values that make the Artix community a vibrant – and authentic – space for imagination, inspiration, and mutual respect, because, well, you know what they say:
Cheaters NEVER win
This is an important life lesson for everyone: cheaters might *think* they’ve outsmarted the competition, but in the end, cheaters NEVER win. The contest rules (and common courtesy) state that "Your art MUST be made by you (so no copying / stealing / using someone else’s work)" and "Using someone else’s work or using AI art will lead to automatic disqualification."
Our vigilant judges, equipped with superhuman artistic-detection skills, are scrutinizing every entry to ensure fairness and integrity throughout the contest. They're spotting “little details” in some players’ submissions that the untrained eye – or a sneaky contest cheater – would otherwise miss. Kudos to our fantastic judging team for their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to upholding the spirit of fair play in our community 👏👏👏
Happy times ahead!
On a much brighter note, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the honest, dedicated, and talented artists who poured their hearts into their genuine creations! Your passion for art – and devotion to the ArchFiend Nulgath and Dark Lord Dage – shows so amazingly well! The sheer variety of styles and weapon concepts left the entire Artix team in awe, and we can't wait to unveil the winners in order to showcase the exceptional talent within our community.
To all our participants (who played fairly, of course), thank YOU for making the Draw Your Weapon Contest an unforgettable experience! We are so amazed over how talented you all are, and we are honored to have heroes like you by our side. Stay tuned my friends, for sometime later this month we’ll announce the contest winners and celebrate the incredible world of Dage vs Nulgath weapon art! 🏆💀😈
Battle on!
Beleen, our amazing judges, and the AQW team
January 12, 2024
Draw Your Weapon Contest: Dage vs Nulgath
Draw your sword… literally! Full contest details below.
Welcome to the ultimate clash of clans! To celebrate the upcoming birthdays of our beloved overlords, we are hosting an exciting contest for Nulgath and Dage devotees:
Draw Your Weapon Contest!
Prove your allegiance to Dage’s Undead Legion… or pledge your loyalty to Nulgath’s Nation… through the power of artistic endeavors! This contest allows you to draw any weapon you see fit to be forged for the Nation or the Legion. Winners will have their weapons made by the Artix devs and transformed into game items for everyone in the AQWorld to enjoy!
TL;DR
- 2 weapon designs per player
- Sketch AND finished art required
- Your art MUST be created by you
- 2 categories: Dage or Nulgath
- 3 winners in each category
- Winners chosen & announced in February
- Winning weapons released in March as 0 AC rewards
Full Contest Guidelines
Eligibility & Rules:
- All players and all artists welcome, no matter your skill level or faction affiliation
- Open to Humans only – meaning no AI art allowed
- Your art MUST be made by you (so no copying / stealing / using someone else’s work)
- Sketch, line art, or concept art also required with your entry to prove you’re awesome
- Your AQW account must be in good standing in order to place
- Up to 2 weapon entries allowed per player
- While you CAN submit older weapons you designed in the past, you MUST have a sketch proving that you indeed designed that weapon
- Using someone else’s work or using AI art will lead to an automatic disqualification
Theme:
Craft, draw, or doodle diabolical weapons that highlight the essence of
💀 Dark Lord Dage and the Undead Legion
~ or ~
😈 ArchFiend Nulgath and his Nation
Art Medium:
- Submissions can be in any visual art, including digital illustration, traditional drawing, or hecc, even sculptures! Be as creative as you want!
- No AI art allowed whatsoever. You don’t wanna make Dage AND Nulgath angry. Yiiikes 👀
Submission Period:
- Begins January 12, 2024
- Ends Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 11:59pm EST
- Winners will be announced in February, and all items will be released in March for everyone to farm because March is the MONTH OF EVIL! MWAHAHA! Although, what is not evil is the fact that these weapons will be marked as 0 AC rewards so every AQW player can enjoy!
How to Enter:
- Dream your weapon design; draw, illustrate, sculpt, or creatively create your weapon(s)
- Take a picture of your sketch, work-in-progress, or concept art
- Take a pic of your finished weapon design
- Up to 2 weapon entries allowed per player
- Sign your AQW Character Name on your art
- Submit entries in the comments section of this Artix.com post, and/or on socials:
- And don’t forget to type your AQW Character Name in your comment / tweet, too!
Judging Criteria:
🤩 Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and adherence to the theme.
💪 Artistic skill doesn’t guarantee a win; we are also looking for weapon designs that have a great concept or potential.
Prizes & Winnings:
- The judges will select 3 winning weapons for Nulgath and 3 winning weapons for Dage.
- Each winner will get their weapon created in AQW, the Birthday Collection Chest belonging to the overlord they salute, 2000 AdventureCoins, and the Contest Winner Character Page Badge!
- The winning weapons will be made into AQW items for everyone to wield, and the artist will be credited in the weapon description – and ofc on the DNs when we announce the winners :) Winners will obviously get their curated weapon sent straight to their inventory once it’s forged in AQW!
- Honorable Mentions will also be selected since our community is just too darn talented; these runner ups will receive 1,000 ACs and a Character Page Badge.
Important Note:
This contest is like our ‘player-inspired items’ we did back in the early days of the game. A fan favorite for sure, and personally some of my fondest memories! And I know this contest will create amazing memories as well 🤩 So once the judges have chosen the winners, the AQW team will get to work creating the winning weapons. Our artists will try their best to keep true to the artist’s design, but some details might have to get omitted or altered a bit to work within the game. Just throwing that out there as a disclaimer and a heads-up!
Now… let the faction feud begin
The time has come, heroes and villains and overlord minions: choose your side, pick your artistic arsenal, and let the colors collide! They say the Wacom Pen is mightier than the sword… and now’s your chance to prove it.
Doodle on!
Beleen, the judges, and the birthday bois Nulgath & Dage
June 21, 2015
Featured Artist Limited Quantity Packages
Rare Collectors, You Won't Want to Miss This Gear!
Starting tonight, June 19th, at 11:00 PM server time, head to our Limited Quantity Set page to grab one of our newest Limited Quantity Package sets! Each item has been crafted by one of AQWorlds' most talented artists, and with the "Return of the Living Devs" summer event, this is the perfect time to release them!
Each package ties in with one of the first three event releases - Artix's Ebil Dreadspace zone (coming this Friday!), Cysero's Deadmoor Spirit story, and Beleen's Chaos Queen insanity. If you like collecting souvenirs from your favorite AQW events, then you will NOT want to miss your chance to get your gauntlets on this gear!
Dage’s DreadSpace Set
Includes an armor, helms, and weapons. Items give additional XP and Class Points when equipped.
Price: 2000 ACs
Quantity: 5000 sets
Initial stock: 3000 sets
Restock amount: 400 sets per restock
Nulgath’s Void Rider Armor
Includes motorcycle mount armor. gives 15% more Class Points when equipped.
Price: 1000 ACs
Quantity: 5000 sets
Initial stock: 3000 sets
Restock amount: 400 sets per restock
Nulgath’s Void Rider Armor and Pets
Includes motorcycle mount armor, Legend-only Battle Pet and regular pet. Armor 15% more Class Points when equipped.
Price: 150,000 gold
Quantity: 3000 sets
Initial stock: 2000 sets
Restock amount: 200 sets per restock
This package is available to anyone with an active or expired account membership.
Memet's Pet and Weapon Combo
Includes pet and two weapons. Items give bonus to Rep and Gold when equipped.
Price: 100,000 gold (available for all players)
Quantity: 20000 sets
Initial stock: 10000 sets
Restock amount: 2000 sets per restock
This package is available for all players.
Limited Quantity Package Restock Schedule
The Featured Artist Limited Quantity Packages become available at 11:00 PM (that's midnight) this Friday, June 19th! Not sure when that is in your part of the world? Here's a timezone converter to make setting your alarm easier!
- 11:00 PM Friday, 6/19 (initial stock)
- 9:00 AM Saturday, 6/20
- 7:00 PM Saturday, 6/20
- 5:00 AM Sunday, 6/21
- 3:00 PM Sunday, 6/21
- 1:00 AM Monday, 6/22 (final restock)
How Do Limited Quantity Sets Work?
- Log into a special LQS webpage on AQ.com
- Purchase the set using either ACs or gold (if you have EVER upgraded your account, you can purchase the Legend sets for gold!)
- Log into AQW and find your set badge in the Book of Lore (no character page badge attached.)
Note: Item quantities will restock throughout the weekend so that everyone gets a fair chance at the gear.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will there be enough items for everyone? No, but with multiple restocks your chances of getting an item are pretty good... as long as you keep an eye on your clock and don't miss the restock!
- Will item quantities update automatically? No, but once you purchase an item from the shop or revisit the page, you'll see an updated amount.
- If a set doesn't sell out right away, will the restock amount roll over? Yes. The next restock amount will always be added to the previous amount of gear. Gear not sold before a restock will remain in the shop.
- Will the items be 0 ACs? All items in the Limited Quantity Packages will be 0 ACs, so you can keep them in your bank for free, forever!
- Do I have to have an active Membership to buy the Member-only sets? You do not need to have an active upgrade to purchase the Legend sets, as long as you have purchased a membership for your account at any time in the past!
- Can I return the package if I don't like it? The items from the Limited Quantity Packages are non-refundable, like our other item packages.
Find examples of the web page's layout on our Limited Quantity Set FAQ page.
June 03, 2015
AQWeekly Newsletter: Releasing June 5
Have fun battling on all weekend long! Super big thanks for playing AdventureQuest Worlds with us, and thanks for supporting the game! *high-five Legends and AdventureCoin buyers*
Battle on!
Beleen, Alina, Artix, and the AQW Team
April 20, 2015
Friday: Dage's Obsidia Necromancer
Unlock the Obsidia Necromancer Set with a 12k AC Package
Starting this Friday, April 24th, at 6PM, become a bone-ified ruler of the underworld!* Unlock the entire Obsidia Necromancer set plus a color-customizable version of the armor and helm with a 12000 AdventureCoin package.
And for a limited time, the Obsidia Necromancer set will also be available for individual purchase from your game menu. Find more details about this Friday's package, limited time rares shop, and a full item breakdown in this week's Design Notes!
* Credit for this day's punniest necro joke goes to King Brentan, one of our long-time heroes and Twitter folloers!
April 21, 2015
This Friday: Undead Legion Treason
Battle to Save the Seraphic Paladins from the Undead Legion!
The Saga of Dage's Betrayl continues this Friday with the "Laken's Rise: Undead Legion Infiltration" story release! Battle to save the Seraphic Paladins from the treason, betrayal, and murder lurking in the shadows of their Fortress! Aid Darkon, commander of the Order, as you seek out spies sent by the Undead Legion, then help purge the Order of Dage’s dark influence.
The Order of Seraphic Paladins are charged with keeping Lore safe from Evil... specifically the kind Dage and Nulgath spread thoughout our world! But something is amiss...
Betrayal.
Treason.
Murder.
Talk to Darkon when you /join Seraph this weekend and answer the call of the Seraphic Paladins as they seek out the spies sent by the Undead Legion! Then use your personal victory tracker to make sure you've purged every member of the Legion... or Dage's dark influence will continue to grow!
Make sure you're up to date!
Battle through Nulgath’s Shifting Planes cavern as Dage the Evil in the final tests to earn his Mark of Mastery and became one of Lore’s most feared Necromancers./Join darkfortress to take down Nulgath’s most loyal minions to prove that you are worthy of leading the Undead Legion… but be wary, because Nulgath the ArchFiend is deadly, and he will exploit any angle in order to stop his apprentice from ascending!
Play AS Dage the Evil and begin the quest for your Mark of Mastery. Once you have that, your time as Nulgath's apprentice will be over! But beware: the Shifting Planes caverns are NOT for the unwary. You never know from one step to another where you'll end up. Oh.
There are only two rules in the Caverns:
- DON'T touch the skull with red glowing eyes.
- Sometimes, to survive, you have to break the rules.
March 10, 2015
Happy Birthday, Laken!
Laken Levels Up in Real Life
March is a month of birthdays for members of the Artix Entertainment team, and that makes it time to celebrate! Laken, an AQWorlds artist, created some excellent new gear for you to help celebrate with him. You can find all of his rare items in the /darkbirthday map now!
In Laken's shop you'll find:
- Laken the Evil armor
- Laken the Good helm
- Evil Lance of Prevarication
- The Faken armor
There is also a version of the Evil Lance of Prevarication in the Undead Legion Merge shop! All his birthday rares leave on March 27th, along with the Dage birthday rares.
Kiyone, Sephira, and More Leveling up!
I wasn't kidding when I said March was PACKED with AE team member birthdays! From Dage and Laken and Galanoth to AQW moderators Kiyone and Sephira, all the way to MQ and ED coders Vivi and Rabblefroth, plus forum mods San Robin and Msyu! Happy birthday to them, and to all of you with March birthdays!
March 04, 2015
AQWeekly Newsletter: March 6
Dage's New Class, Items, and New Storyline Release!
After crushing the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse, complete the Champion's Gauntlet Daily Quests, score hot new loot by Dage & Laken, and then embark on Dage’s new storyline release!
February 28, 2014
Hardcore Paragon Explained
Let's Be As Clear As Possible
First, some changes have been made to the Hardcore Paragon Pet being released later today.
After announcing the extreme challenge quest and rewards in YESTERDAY's DESIGN NOTES, we sat down and did a little math. As of yesterday the quest was to collect 13 drops at 2% drop rate, which would give you 66 legion tokens OR a 1% chance to get the Dual BladeMaster Katanas or the Living BladeMaster armor.
Let's Look At The Numbers
Most of the time, winning battles against binky take an hour on average.
2% means an average of 50 wins to get a drop. You needed 13 drops.
13 X 50 = 650 runs, or 650 hours on average.
The item drops are 1%, meaning it would take, on average, 99 quest completes to get one of them.
650 X 99 = 64,350 hours, on average, to get one of the item drops.
That is 7.3 years of straight playing without eating, sleeping, pooping or doing anything else.
There is no accounting for luck, (and I just KNOW that some lucky turkey is going to get one of the drops on their first turn in) but still it seemed a LITTLE unreasonable to play a game longer than it's been alive to get a single quest drop. Granted, when you got it you would feel like a GOD but even Dage isn't that evil.
Let's Fix The Numbers
Dage has requested that the drops be lowered to 1 rib, rather than 13. It's STILL a VERY HARDCORE quest requiring an average of 206 hours of gameplay, but a lot more possible to actually complete. The Legion Token reward has also been raised from 66 to 250 per turn in.
A lot of people also pointed out last night (thank you) that while an optional hardcore quest seems like fun, the POINT of a Paragon Pet is to be able to farm Legion Tokens faster or at least easier then you could without the pet. It was a very good point.
I've added a second quest (this one is a daily) that will require 20 drops (25% drop rate) off of the Ultra Chaos Warrior, but the reward is 100 Legion Tokens. Not the fastest way to earn Legion Tokens but faster by far than not having the a Paragon Pet. The quest and monster also both drop rather a lot of XP and gold so it's a good place to farm to approach max level.
If you have 0 Tokens now, get the Hardcore Paragon Pet, complete his quest once a day for the next 20 days, you will have enough to get the Legion Token version of the new BladeMaster Class and still have time to spare before it goes rare.
Dage has also created the LESSER CALADBOLG (which is just as powerful as the original but harder to get and with no glows or animations to cause lag) which has been added as another 1% drop to the Binky quest.
Summary!
The Hardcore Paragon Pet is going into Dage's Birthday Shop later today.
It has 2 quests:
- FIRST QUEST: Collect 1 Rib from Binky (2% drop rate). Rewards: 250 Legion Tokens, or a 1% chance to get the Dual Blademaster Katanas, Living BladeMaster armor or the Lesser Caladbolg weapon. This quest is NOT a Daily.
- SECOND QUEST (DAILY): Collect 20 Chaorrupted Dark Fire samples from the Ultra Chaos Warrior (25% drop rate). Rewards: 100 Legion Tokens.
The Hardcore Paragon Pet is showing up in Dage's Birthday Shop later today and will cost 2000 ACs like all of its brothers before it.
ONCE AGAIN: This pet was made with HARDCORE players in mind. The first quest isn't unfair to anyone because it's not required and completely optional. This is a CHALLENGING quest for people who were asking for a CHALLENGE.
February 27, 2014
Hardcore Paragon Pet
How Hardcore Are You?
As many of you know, Dage The Evil's birthday is Sunday and we kicked off his birthday with a bang on Wednesday by releasing the new (eventually Rare) BladeMaster Class!
You can see my Class Breakdown HERE. Maybe you got it for ACs. Maybe you're an Undead Legion follower and you grabbed it for Legion Tokens. Maybe you're still farming Legion Tokens so you can get it before it goes rare in about a month. All good options.
IF you're a loyal Undead Legionnaire then it's fair to assume that you're a pretty Hardcore Player, but exactly how Hardcore Are you?
The Hardcore Paragon Pet Club (No Whiners Allowed)!
Tomorrow, we will be adding a bunch of new stuff to Dage's Birthday Shop but my favorite is the Hardcore Paragon Pet!
There would be a
picture of it here but
Dage hasn't finished
the art for it yet.
Like most Paragon Pets, this one comes with a quest. Since I've been covering for Alina during her well-earned holiday, I've seen a LOT of you saying that Legion Tokens were too easy to farm and you wanted a REAL challenge. So I made one for you.
WARNING: If the impossible scares you, just crawl back into your casual-gamer hole right now.
The Hardcore Paragon Pet comes with 3 possible rewards.
- 66 Legion Tokens (we might raise that, considering...)
- The BladeMaster Dual Katanas
- or The Living BladeMaster armor.
You asked for a challenge so here it is: You will get 66 Legion Tokens each time you finish the quest unless you get one of the items. Each of the items is a 1% drop (0 AC for storage, naturally) from the quest. In order to complete the quest, you will need to collect 13 Ribs from Binky the ungodly-powerful, nasty-as-frak unicorn monster and each rib only has a 2% Drop rate.
You read that right. 2% chance to get a rib, IF you manage to kill the unkillable Binky. Collect 13 ribs to complete the quest. 1% chance that you'll get one of these items, making them two of the rarest items EVER in AQW.
Sound impossible? Some say it is. Some say it's not worth buying the pet. That's fine. It isn't for them...
It's for YOU. I made this quest as hard as I could think without making it literally impossible for those few of you who say that the game has become too simple... who say that even Drakath is too easy and you need a REAL challenge.
Remember: This quest is NOT REQUIRED AT ALL. Complaining about it is like complaining about a test you don't have to take. Accepting this challenge will require you to spend 2000AC on the pet but if you're really a HARDCORE player, then this is just exactly what you've been asking for.
Good luck and godspeed, adventurer.
Sounds Dumb, What Else Ya Got?
Fair enough. Also coming in the shop will be the Legion DreadRider armor (800 ACs) and helm (90 ACs)...
... The DreadMarch Armor (500 ACs or 500 Legion tokens), helm (90 ACs or 90 Legion Tokens and cape (250 ACs or 250 Legion Tokens)...
... And finally some items that we missed in the initial BladeMaster release: BladeMaster Hood (90 ACs), BladeMaster Wraps (9000 Gold for everyone), BladeMaster Horns (90 ACs), the BladeMaster Mask (Legend only, 9000 gold) and the BladeMaster Cape (animated, 250 ACs).
Something About A Free, Signed Poster?
Thanks for reminding me. Once the BladeMaster Class goes rare (again, in a month or so) we will be looking through everyone who has it (AC or Legion TOken version, both work) and drawing a name at random. That lucky Legionnaire will recieve a free Undead Legion Poster signed by Dage The Evil. We'll even pay the shipping.
What Else Is Happening Tomorrow?
That's not enough?
No, That's Basicaly Just A Shop.
OK, true. We also have our Mardi Gras/Carnival Big Bad Voodoo Event! There will be beads and dark magic and some colorully attired undead. It's not something that you want to miss beacuse of all those things I just mentioned. Especially the last one.
See ya tomorrow!
February 25, 2014
BladeMaster Class
Dage's Early Birthday Present!
Everybody (except a pirate) loves a Ninja. Every team has a master of stealth. G.I. Joe has Snake Eyes. Cobra has Storm Shadow. The Autobots (G1) have Mirage. The Thundercats have Tigra. AE has Thyton and the Undead Legion has the BladeMaster.
This is the NEW CLASS coming TOMORROW in the first wave of Dage's Birthday Shop.
Dage's actual birthday isn't until Sunday but Dage wanted to release this early so you would have time to rank it up before the day arrives. But what is a BladeMaster without his or her blades?
Pictured above, from left to right, you can see:
- The BladeMaster Fauchard (sword, 50,000 gold, Legend Only)
- The BladeMaster Katana (sword, 250 AC)
- The BladeMaster Sword (sword, 50,000 gold for everyone)
- The BladeMaster Dual Weapons (Dagger, one in each hand, 300 AC)
There are 2 ways to get the class:
- BladeMaster Class (2000 ACs)
- BladeMaster Class (2000 Legion Tokens)
Dage wanted a way for his dedicated followers to get the class through blood, sweat and tears. Both versions of the class and the weapons are all going RARE, but that won't be for at least a month so you have time to get those Legion Tokens.
But let's stop kidding ourselves. We're all here to see what the class has to offer other than a pretty face. Balancing testing classes and writing class breakdowns were always some of my favorite parts of the job while I was working on AQW, so I'm very happy to be able to do it again in my week filling in for the vacationing Alina. Without further ado, I present the...
BLADEMASTER CLASS SKILLS BREAKDOWN
Dage had a lot to say about the development of this class. He wanted it to be stealthy and roguelike but unquestionably strong considering its rare nature. It is definitely a powerhouse and if you use it right, you're pretty close to unstoppable.
Normally I suggest a build and encourage you to play around and find a build that works for you but, this time, If you're not using Thief Enhancements then you are wasting your own time. The class THRIVES on Dodge so all you want is Dexterity.
Some of the skills are fast and others are slow but what you want to balance here it your MANA usage to really master this class. You'll see what I'm talking about .
NUKITSUKE
1.75 second cooldown
A blade strike from the hilt, fast enough to hit before your opponent gets a chance to act..
Did you catch that? This is your autoattack but it goes off every 1.75 secs, not the standard 2 secs. Being built on the rogue MANA regen model, you get MANA back with every auto attack, so this keeps the MANA flowing in at a faster rate than any other class that does this.
BLADEFURY
15 MANA, 9 second cooldown
Unleash a fury of steel striking at up to 4 targets.
This is your only AoE (area of effect) attack. You have to have them grouped pretty tightly but this can pull 4 enemies onto you at once. Sounds like a bad idea? WRONG.
Again, this model of class generates MANA from every auto attack, but also from every Dodge that you manage to pull off. You also get Health back every time you dodge. If your build is sufficiently Dex heavy, then you will be dodging at least 4 enemies at a time with this skill, giving you life and the juice you need to keep stabbing monster face from every direction.
This is not the strongest attack but can help whittle down the group at a friendly pace. Don't want to kill them too fast or you lose your MANA/HP generators.
UKE NEGASHI
20 MANA, 25 second cooldown
A technique used to deflect incoming attacks and strike back at your target. Grants Evasion increasing dodge by 20% and critical strike chance by 10%.
Another slow cooldown but this power will become your bread and butter. 20% Dodge, on top of what you're already generating means more survivability, more MANA and more HP for you. 10% bonus crit means more damage AND more MANA since Crits generate additional MANA.
IT'S MANAFEST 2014 UP IN HERE!
SEVER
25 MANA, 9 second cooldown
Deals moderate damage and disables your opponents ability to fight back significantly reducing all damage they deal for the next 5 seconds.
Decent damage here. This will probably end up being your main damage skill due to the cooldown, which means it will probably be where most of your MANA goes, so watch it. In addition to doing decent damage, it also nerfs your enemy's damage for 5 seconds adding even more to your survivability.
KEEN REFLEXES & TECHNIQUE
Rank 4 passives
Increases critical strike damage 20% and dodge chance by 15%
Increases dexterity by 10%
20% more Crit Damage which just goes straight into butt-kicking and 15% more Dodge which means more survivability, more MANA and more HP for you. 10% more Dex means the same.
NUKIUCHI
35 MANA, 10 second cooldown
Attempt to split your target in two with a powerful strike. Has a chance to stun your target for 2 seconds.
Here's your Nuke. This is a HEAVY damage attack. It eats a lot of MANA and has a pretty short cooldown for such a powerful attack so you'll be tempted to spam it, but you'll run out of juice very quickly doing that. Use it wisely, wait until the moment is right to strike. It also has a 50% chance to stun your target for 2 seconds which is just icing as far as I'm concerned.
TANDEN
Rank 10 passive
Increases dexterity and damage done by 10%
Does exactly what it says. More Dex and all the goodness that it brings with it and even more damage.
Seems like this class would be a monster is PvP but I didn't get a chance to try it there personally so I'll be interested to hear your feedback. Between the dodge, the enemy damage debuff and a 50% stun chance there is NO reason that any BladeMaster should EVER die unless they want to go AFK to make a sandwich mid-fight. Even then, I'd say this beast has a pretty good chance of staying alive on autopilot until you come back, sandwich in hand.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the Essence of the Undead Legend will also be in the shop, as usual at the normal 2 MILLION gold pricetag.
Enjoy and Happy Birthday Dage The Evil!
MORE BIRTHDAY MADNESS FRIDAY
Friday Dage's Birthday Shop will be getting even more items!
- NEW Legion Pet with Legion Token Quests (Quests for owner only, 2000 AC)
- Legion Dragonrider Armor (800 ACs)
Dage mentioned that he might (or might not) add some items next week too, depending on his time.
This Friday we also have our brand new Mardi Gras/Carnival event coming. Time to see if you've got the voodoo in you.
December 27, 2013
The Devastation of Frostfang
Did you think you were done?
The war is over, and the allies of Frostvale have beaten back Dage's army of icy monsters. But has good really prevailed? Even as the good heroes of Lore fought to save Frostval, they were really helping Dage realize his ultimate goal, and unleash...
That's one big dragon.
Unfortunatly, Frostfang is pretty much slaughtering everyone indiscriminately, so regardless of which side you fought on during last week's war, you'll need to take this big guy out. /join darkwinter and talk to Yorumi or Issik to get started!
And reach level 60 while you do it!
Yep, it's that time again! We've raised the level cap to 60, allowing you to be even stronger and battle even deadlier monsters! If you need help leveling up, visit Yulgar's Daily Quest Board. New level 55+ enhancements will also be coming later tonight.
Quibble, War Shop, & Countdown to the New Year!
As promised, since the war has ended, some of the items that did not make it into the merge shop will be purchaseable for ACs from the new Darkwinter War Shop. So if you didn't get that awesome sword you wanted so bad... now's your chance!
Complete your set!
Quibble Coinbiter also has some new items to offer, including:
- Bleakwind Rogue armor
- Bleakwind Hood
- Bleakwind Locks
- Interfector Blade
- Black Mage Hat
And we'll be starting up the New Year Evolution Shop! One new item will be released each day until January 1, 2014, at which point you'll have a chance to get...
Evolved Dark Fiend!
Other goodies include:
- Evolved Barbaric Blade
- Evolved Legendary Magma Sword
- Evolved Phoenix Blade
- Frost Kingslayer sword
- Frigid Staff Of The North
- North Star mace
- Grievous Affliction sword
- Cataclysmic Staff
- Staff of Tribulation
December 20, 2013
The War for Frostval
Fight to Save Frostval - or Destroy It!
Tonight, a darkness descends over the land and threatens to destroy Frostval - a darkness named Dage! As a Hero of Lore, it's up to you to fight the forces of evil and save the holiday season! Or, if you're loyal to Dage, you can help him turn winter into the season of bleakness and despair that it was always meant to be.
Dage just has a different way of celebrating!
Sounds great! Where do I sign up?
There are two ways players can fight in this war. When you /join darkwinter, you'll be able to join a special PVP map, where you can battle other players to save (or destroy) the holiday season! Or, if PVP isn't your thing, completing quests for either Yorumi or Issik the Vile will also help fill the war meter.
Step it up, Evil! Good's kicking your butts!
However you choose to fight, you'll be collecting the souls of the good (if you're evil) or evil souls (if you're good) that can be used to buy items in the Darkwinter Good and Evil Merge shops. But there's a catch! We'll be adding new items to both shops each day, but only the winning side will be able to unlock access to their shop's items!
Here's how it works.
But don't panic. The meter will only be tracking daily progress, so it will reset every day to give both factions a fighting chance at the loot. So if you lost yesterday, you can still win today! And even if your side loses, don't despair! You'll still be able to buy one of your daily items for ACs at the end of the event. (On days that have more than one item, that means the second item will be gone forever!)
Some of the merge gear you'll fight to unlock!
Check out Dage's Darkwinter Rare Merge Shop too!
Members of Dage's Legion will be able to purchase this awesome holiday-themed Dage gear for a limited time!
Ho, ho, ho.
- Holiday Paragon Plate armor
- Holiday Paragon Helm
- Legion Doombringer sword
- Legion Neko Waif-er helm
- Legion Neko Waif-ette helm
Releases still to come!
There is SO MUCH happening that we couldn't release it all at once! Here's what comes out later tonight:
- Holiday Paragon armor and helm drop from the Wheel AND are in the merge shop NOW!
- Holiday Paragon Pet in the Dage War Rares shop releases
- Lovecaster Class (if you have the Lovecaster armor from Beleen)
- Lothalis' Birthday shop in the game menu
July 22, 2013
The Final Judgment!
Travel to the Plane of Judgment this Friday
You have fearlessly fought across the Isle of Fotia. Then you dove deep into the dark depths of the Underworld and confronted the 9 Guilty Joys. You traversed the River Acheron with Charon the Ferryman, defeated the Styx Hydra, and slayed Dage’s 3-headed hound Cerberus.
The gates leading into Dage’s kingdom will finally open Friday evening! Stroll through the surreal Field of Asphodels, survive the Vale of Mourning, and meet the 3 Judges of the Underworld: Rhadamanthys, Minos, and Aeacus!
The brave heroes who meet Dage’s Judges will be fairly trialed… in accordance to Dage’s understanding of “fair.” You will be judged on:
- your overall performance as a hero or villain
- Dage’s standards as a Dark Lord
- and on your relationship to Dage!
The 3 Judges guard the entrance to Dage’s Palace. Only if you prove your worth to them will you possibly gain admittance to the Dark Lord’s throne!
Oh and OF COURSE there’s going to be epic item rewards for the victorious.
Speaking of Victory…
We’ve got a bunch of sweet loot headed your way!
- Tuesday’s Featured Artist Shop: Solrac!
- Rare Dage items arriving Friday
- Combat Dage’s Rares with Nulgath’s Rares on Friday
- New quests for new gear in Tercessuinotlim
- MechQuest Finale Shop & quests
Evil vs Evil!
Find the Archfiend Armor (NOT the Class), Blade, and more in Nulgath's Rares shop this Friday! The Legend-onlyFiendish Blade BattlePet and other gear for ALL players will be added to quests in the /Tercessuinotlim map Friday, too!
Talk to Dage in Battleon or in the Soulforge for the Undead Legion Rares shop! Members of the Undead Legion will be able to quest for Legion-exclusive gear (got your Legion Tokens ready?)!
Looks like you’ve got A LOT to do before release Friday night! If you haven’t already, catch up on Dage’s Underworld adventures by /join fotia, travel to /join tercessuinotlim to embark on Nulgath’s insane zone, and head to MechQuest.com and play through the beginning of the finale!
Next Week: Quibble Arrives
Everyone’s favorite traveling sales Moglin has just booked his ticket back to Battleon! Next week, Quibble will bring a bunch of never-before-seen items that will rock the entire (AQ)world.
Keep an eye on the Design Notes later this week for spoiler previews!
Until then… Battle on!
xoxo Beleen
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