WoW Wednesday: Winter (Veil) is Coming! .

It’s almost Christmas time! As the season’s snow and magic elf dust settle around the globe, MMOs of all shapes and sizes come bearing gifts of lovely and outlandish prizes! The World of Warcraft is no different; no stranger to the festivities, and it comes with its usual round of goodies and treats, a healthy helping of its proclivities. This year is more or less the same with grinds complete that may drive you insane.

 

‘Tis the Season To Have Fun!

But before we continue further on, let’s be reminded of what we look forward to all year long. Much like Hallow’s End, as said before, the event has not changed at all since it began, but it certainly isn’t something we abhor. It’s the spirit of the season, the feel of the world, as it feels but lighter and brighter, giving us a glimpse of childhood past or our present times figuratively burled. No matter how much we think so little of the things we waste our time on in this event, it will always be just as fantastic as witnessing Garrosh’s end. There isn’t much to be said any further, but only tales to be told, that with friends enjoying your company and the weather, adventures and memories that have always been bold.

Why is that helper drinking egg nog? Can I please have her job?

Most WoW players love Winter Veil not for the innovation, but the love, cheer, toys, and tradition; far-flung from other MMOs rising ambitions. Revelling in the season like how we do in real life, it is only the atmosphere we crave for and the one we truly enjoy, rather different from expecting something rewarding and pretentious like a generic MMO ploy. You will not find your raid gear with Greatfather Winter because we have all year round to get those from the regular sources. Now, without further ado, let’s go see what all this hubbub will have us do.

 

‘Tis the season of loot receiving!

While WoW has celebrated the arrival of Great Father Winter for many a years, the MMO giant sees faces both old and new everyday and, surely, plentiful are the number of those who know not of this season’s cheers. The Feast of Winter Veil is WoW’s very own rendition of our snowy Christmas holiday joy, replete with quests, events, and, most importantly, toys! In the capitals of Orgrimmar of the Horde and Ironforge of the Alliance, presents are to be opened on the 25th of December, but those in defiance may choose another capital in any stronghold of their choosing, so long as they remember.

You’re a mean one, Mr. Greench.

The Abominable Greench is at it again and it is up to a player, preferrably a party of five, to dispatch this craven monstrosity and retrieve the treats to keep our Winter Veil spirit alive. A powerful foe with hitpoints beyond measure, it will surely be a challenge for any adventurer. In the process, a familiar name will be rescued, sure enough someone you may hate or love, lying somewhere on a meadow fescue. Metzen the reindeer will be thrilled to have been saved from the monster at long last and may reward you with some gifts and goodies, an achievement or two, but most of all, maybe he won’t nerf your class.

But what is any Christmas without mistletoe? Surely you’d want to kiss even your greatest foes! For every hour, a reveler may be kissed, and for every /kiss, you may receive an item that will leave you in bliss. Mistletoe is obtained to bring the holiday spirit to the people around you, Snowflakes in abundance to fill up your inventory and make you wonder what to do, and then there is the highly-sought Fresh Holly that transforms your mount into a festive reindeer, but more likely, RNG will become (or always has been) one of your greatest fears.

A kiss from me to you, little cutie-poo.

Many of the toys and trinkets in Winter Veil aren’t always a hundred percent drop rate, and they may require you to farm the dailies as if hellbent, but just think of that toy box of yours! Isn’t it a little empty and I know for sure you’d want to fill it up, of course! With eleven exclusive toys from Winter Veil presents, you better get crackin’ lest you go without their contents. Pet lovers especially, will find Winter Veil to be a fantastic opportunity. Lumps of Coal have never been met with bigger joy than in WoW, as it provides players with a nifty earth elemental pet, and several others that make for a Winter Veil set.

Cutie! Fruity! Eh, Poopie!

Let’s not forget that it is also the season to have another go at the Merrymaker achievement, requiring you to finish many of the event’s elements. It’s also required for the meta-achievement of What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been, that awards a pretty violet proto-drake that has a lovely sheen. Notable of the achievement is the With a Little Helper From My Friends that has yet to be changed since the past years. To kill 50 merrymakers in the name of being merry, it is but the preamble to Children’s Week that also nears. The Winter Wondervolt machine, required for the achievement, puts on the player the guise of a gnome that breaks when you die or shapeshift, but, in all fairness, it’s a fantastic facelift. It shafts druids and causes much clamor within the masses, though it isn’t too hard to get; get in Isle of Conquest and just whoop a lot of asses. But beyond this, there are many achievements to keep the completionist busy for the longest time, filled with the usual nonsense Blizzard instills in us at the drop of a dime. But some can be extremely fun, like the BB King achievement, yes, that one! With a BB gun acquired from an NPC, players are to pelt opposing faction leaders in the face for all the world to see. It encourages the giddy mischief of the season and makes us do things without reason. Is that not the spirit of gift giving? To revel in our own joy in living?

 

‘Tis the Season for Changes!

This year, the special present through the Winter Veil Gift is mechanical and more likely blue, akin to those often used to chop down trees to build a garrison true, or the one that flies for 30 steel lives and peculiar energy sources not derived from the rear-end of horses. It’s none other than the Crashin’ Thrashin’ Shredder Controller – a fitting addition to this expansion of Warlords of Draenor.

If that isn’t festive, I don’t know what is…

In Stolen Presents, one may a find Miniature Winter Veil Tree, an upgrade from seasons passed, a fine dagger that is surely a treat, but get them quickly for holiday seasons never last. The toys from previous years as well are obtainable here, but with a very low chance, perhaps it’s time to farm faster by shifting gears. Toys can vary from vanilla items to Draenor ones and because of the large loot pool, Winter Veil toys are so rare that it sometimes ceases to be fun.

I can’t believe the things we do for clothing. Foreboding.

Chirstmas hats abound like those of yesteryear, but now also in the new Draenor heroic dungeons, so we hear. Soulbinder Nyami, Ner’zhul, or Oshir – even the bad guys cannot escape the holiday cheer. Can you get a winter hat of green or red, or will you lose a the roll and go to bed instead? With it’s extremely low chance to drop, it might be better to go farm older dungeons alone and a lot.

Gently Shaken Gifts contain more lounges. Lounge cushions come in different flavors, from the fuzzy green to the zhevra cushion, it all makes for fun at your Cozy Fire while resting up your bunions and drinking Winter Veil Egg Nog somewhere in the Arak Spires. Not a great way to end a segment here, but have no fear, there’ll be more bad rhymes in a bit after this line.

 

‘Tis the Season to be Farming!

There is just so much to do in the Feast of Winter Veil that you may need a guide or two to help you on your way. Toys, trinkets, food, and pets, you may be up to your neck with tons of content. From the 15th of December up until the 2nd day of the new year, these two and a half weeks of snowy wonders and deer are filled with the joy and goodness we’ve come to expect our own real life Christmas, and perhaps, even more for certain young boys and fair lass. So come one, come all, Azerothians both far and wide, of both gleeful stature and sober bona fides, because no matter how solemn or grim, the Feast of Winter Veil may be all that you need, just try it out on a whim.