The WoW Ironman Challenge — Warlock Level 72

There’s Ironsally cowering on the Riplash Strand in Borean Tundra. How embarrassing Cat had to see her that way and now thanks to me you’ve all seen her too. Few levels have past since she last checked in but, wow, things in-game have changed and not in a good way. We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto.

Sally’s plan had been to stay in Outland on hitting 70 and trying to get to 71. She still had parts of Blade’s Edge, Netherstorm and all of Shadowmoon Valley ahead of her. It was a good plan in theory but after slogging away at quests and moving at glacial speed she noticed that with rested bonus a kill of a level 72 netted her about 120 xp. What? Then she noticed that quests were giving much less xp too, even though they were still yellow. Well hell, Sally wasn’t sticking around there anymore.

Off she went to Dalaran to get her shiny new Wand of Onyx which would be her last wand upgrade. Sally had been lucky in Silithus and by selling a Disgusting Oozeling  she was able to train Artisan Riding. Excited to be in Northrend she decided to just fly around for a while, discovering a few zones for easy xp. Little did she know what was coming.

When she stopped sightseeing and flew to Borean Tundra to get to work, boy did she get a rude awakening. Maybe everyone else knows this, maybe I knew this and forgot. The level 69 mobs in Outland are nothing like the level 69 mobs in Northrend. Holy Moly, we are getting our butt kicked! Help!

Ironsally decided she needed to up her intimidation factor in Northrend, sorry Cat.

My thoughts on how far Sally’s going? Sally has a synergistic relationship with her minion. The two make a whole and without each other they’re toast. My non-ironman Warlock isn’t quite the same. As a rule she’ll have three or four mobs going at once and sometimes she’s tanking, this is impossible for Sally. That minion is the only thing between her and certain death. If she loses the ability to keep him alive long enough to finish one kill then it will be over.

If Wrath plays out the same way BC did, then she should be able to get to 80. In BC, if she could survive the first zone the rest were doable. Her problem is that she is now having to Health Funnel the Void while killing one regular mob. Since she’s draining her health to do it, she’s in big trouble if an add comes along and finds both Sally and her minion at 50% health. At this point, remembering how hard Cata mobs hit I don’t feel real confidant about making it through to 85 but we’ll worry about hitting 80 right now. I’m going out on a limb and say she can do it, go, go, Ironsally!

The quests in the mine at Farshire resulted in numerous deaths. She’d run in, die. Run in, die. I think she’s now gotten over her fear of dying. I had noticed the mobs hitting like a freight train in Cataclysm but I don’t remember getting to Northrend and noticing anything. I guess that’s the difference in being geared.

There are things to be said for being underpowered though. Sally is the first character who didn’t accidentally and repeatedly kill the Beryl Sorcerer she was trying to capture to torture, so that’s something I guess.

She’s run out of quests with level 68, 69 mobs to kill in Borean Tundra so considering how hard these guys are hitting she going to head to Howling Fjord and do any quests with low levels to kill before returning to Borean Tundra. She’s hoping to complete enough quests to be able to get to 80 before, gulp, Icecrown. She doesn’t think the odds are good for her staying alive long there at all.

We’ll leave her enjoying herself, surfing. Who knows what’s in store for her next, she’d better have fun while she can.

Planning on trying the WoW Ironman Challenge? The Ironman rules are at Psynister’s Notebook.