Blizzard has announced that the 5.3 update for World of Warcraft, “Escalation”, is now live. Along with the usual class tweaks (or nerfs, as most WoW players will complain), the update adds four new Scenarios each with a new Heroic mode, and Heroic modes for 2 existing scenarios.
The update will also add the much demanded Loot Specialization, which offers players more control with off-spec loot drops.
The general patch notes include the following additions:
* New Battleground: Deepwind Gorge: In the new Battleground situated in the Valley of the Four Winds, the Alliance and Horde continue their war for Pandaria’s precious resources. While the two factions battle for control over mines, they must also protect their own resources from being stolen and turned against them!
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New Arena: The Tiger’s Peak: Gladiator hopefuls have a new location to test their mettle amidst the Kun-Lai mountain tops, in the training grounds of the powerful Shado-Pan. Players must make use of the looming tiger statues and fenced platforms to gain an advantage that will bring victory and glory!
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New Scenario: Battle on the High Seas: Help your faction fend off enemy forces in the midst of a battle for naval supremacy on the High Seas.
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New Scenario: Blood in the Snow: An agent of Zandalar has infiltrated Dun Morogh and rallied the Frostmane trolls. At Varian’s request, Moira will lead her personal guard against them once the king’s champions have stopped the magical storm protecting Shimmer Ridge.
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New Scenario: Dark Heart of Pandaria: Goblin engineers have been excavating in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms to find a mysterious artifact, but all they’ve found is trouble; you have been personally called upon by the Warchief to aid them in their hour of need.
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New Scenario: The Secrets of Ragefire: Infiltrate the Emberdeep Caverns and assist the Gob Squad in investigating a recent disappearance in Durotar.
Heroic Scenarios
A Heroic difficulty for Scenarios have been added and are designed to provide challenging content for small groups of well-seasoned adventurers. Completing a Heroic Scenario awards Valor points, and a chance to obtain high level Epic quality items. Heroic Scenarios require a pre-made group to join. Heroic Scenarios offer bonus objectives that will reward additional valor if completed. An option to run a random Heroic Scenario has been added as a drop-down in the Scenario tab in Dungeon Finder.
Players can complete a normal or Heroic Scenario for bonus valor each day, but not both. Six Heroic Scenarios will be available in patch 5.3. Four are new and two are upgrades of existing normal Scenarios.
* Battle of the High Seas
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Blood in the Snow
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Dark Heart of Pandaria
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The Secrets of Ragefire
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Crypt of Forgotten Kings
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A Brewing Storm
To read the rest of the updates, click here.
