Icecrown Citadel had once been the final frontier of World of Warcraft raiding, too dangerous for uncoordinated noob guilds to conquer. But last March, Blizzard softened the  challenge of ICC with new faction buffs, which has been scaling upward over the past months.

The Strength of Wrynn and Hellscream’s Warsong buffs which stood at 15% increased total health, healing done and damage dealt has been raised to 20%. The number of attempts allotted for all final ICC wing bosses on Heroic difficulty has also been increased to 50.

This has been the third 5% increase for the ICC buffs since it launched at a small 5%. At the monthly rate the increments have been released, the max 30% buff could go live by end-July.

With such a hefty boost in overall performance for all roles, it’s no surprise the buffs have become a fixture in ICC raiding.Turning them off will only gimp a group relative to their peers since there is no incentive for fighting bosses buff-free–no increased loot, gold or even acknowledgment in-game. But failure will punish them with lost progression ranking and time spent wiping.

While the initial complaint against the ICC buffs has simmered somewhat, hardcore factions still insist the buffs have “dumbed down” the encounters to tank-and-spank levels. Blizzard though seems contented with the increased participation among more casual raiders with the buffs’ help.

A trend seen nowadays is to clear content first with the buffs on, then switch them off to pump up the difficulty next time around. Some even expect the Lich King to be fully PUGgable when the max 30% hits, like it’s a magical pill that can substitute for non-fail coordination. We’ll see–but I doubt it.

Celestial Steeds are on the loose, and our friends at EpicToon.com want you capture one for free by joining their Celestial Steed Contest.

The contest is open to their World of Warcraft customers until the end of the month, with four lucky winners receiving the prize. We’ve also compiled some trivia on the Celestial Steed so you’ll know why this prized horsey is all the rage in Azeroth:

Scaling Mount Speed. The Celestial Steed automatically upgrades its speed as the player advances in Riding skill.

“For example, the Celestial Steed will run at normal ground speed if the character knows Apprentice Riding, and epic ground speed with Journeyman Riding. The mount will be able to fly at normal flight speed with Expert Riding, and at epic flight speed with Artisan Riding. In addition, if the character has a 310%-speed flying mount in his or her collection, the Celestial Steed will also fly at 310% speed,” explained Blizzard.

Account-wide Mount. All present and future characters on your account will be given their own Celestial Steed. So if your account has 20 alts and you plan to create several more Worgen or Goblin toons when Cataclysm hits, all of them will get a copy of the mount.

Cosmic Visuals. The Celestial Steed has the same animations as Hippogryph flying mounts, but looks like the cosmic cousin of Arthas’ mount Invincible with its constellation ligaments. Its body also emits dust sparks that follows behind once you start galloping. While AFKing in Dalaran, you’ll also notice the same sparks appearing beneath its hooves and that only its armor forms a shadow–an ethereal quality from being borne in the Twisting Nether.

Echo Sounds. The Celestial Steed has a special horse neigh and this can be heard when you jump and land. Its wings also produce a flapping echo during flight.

Helps you get another exotic mount. The Celestial Steed counts toward the uber-hard achievement Mountain o’ Mounts, which rewards a player who collects 100 mounts with the equally awesome-looking Blue Dragonhawk Mount.

Charmed enough? Well, join the Celestial Steed contest and go rein in those adorable ponies!

After a small operational hiccup, Blizzard has finally released the X-53 Touring Rocket mount as the new reward for its Recruit-A-Friend program.

This two-seat epic flying mount–the first of its kind in Azeroth–has replaced the pinstriped Zhevra as one’s prize for hooking up a friend in the World of Warcrackaft. Those who’ve taken out this rambunctious rocket for a spin have posted some hilarious antics that can be done using the mount, including passenger murder and airborne ganking.

Syraethia (Undermine US) summed up the possibilities nicely in a Blizzard thread named “X-53 Rocket Questions Answered Here.” Here’s an excerpt:

Q: Can you pick up people in mid air?
A: Yes, if they click well
Q: Can you kick people out in mid air?
A: Yes… *snicker*
Q: When you kick someone out do they get a parachute?
A: No, let the fun begin
Q: Can you hop on one in the air while in combat?
A: Yes, let the air ganking begin.

As the X-53 rocket becomes widespread,  expect a rise in mid-air skirmishes atop the Wintergrasp vendors and blitzkrieg paratrooper drops once Cataclysm allows flight in capital cities. And of course, the endless griefing of innocent hitchers who will be ejected from their seats by their naughty drivers.

Priests and Mages will avoid the costly repair bill since they have slow fall-like spells. Engineers and paladins can also land safely via their cloak parachutes and timely bubbles, respectively. But some classes and professions have less obvious ways of reducing fall damage.

Try googling–I’m sure you’ll run across a quirky forum thread like this one that teaches hunters how to avoid a plunging death. Good luck and enjoy the rocket ride!

Pics credit: warcraftmom.wordpress.com

by J. Zimmerman

Who says World of Warcraft and dating don’t mix? The caricature of a WoW player sitting in front of his computer – with eyebags the size of steamer trunks, acne peppering his face and piles of hot pocket crumbs on his desk and on the floor – is just that: a caricature. Here to further debunk the myth that gamers are lonely, sloppy geeks who don’t have hearts – and lives – outside of WoW is Madison V., the lovely moderator of the dating/social networking site Datecraft.com. She talks about the site that has attracted hundreds of gamers looking for real life friendships, commitment and excitement, plus what she’s looking for in a guy.

J: Hey Madison, how’s it going?
M: Hey, I’m doing good, thank you very much.

J: For the benefit of those who don’t know, tell us what DateCraft is all about.
M: DateCraft is a relatively new site targeting gamers interested in online dating, but it’s not exclusive to Warcraft players as the name might suggest. It’s been active for 3 years now and we’re getting more members as we speak.

J: Any luck with the guys?
M: [laughs] Well, I’ve made friends with a lot of guys but I haven’t really hooked up with anyone yet. There are a few here and there who’s caught my attention.

J: Have you always been a gamer?
M: I guess so. I mean, as a child I remember being attached to my Gameboy. I had quite an addiction then.

J: What’s the biggest misconception about gamers that you’d like to disprove?
M: That our lives revolve around games. This goes hand in hand with being basement dwellers, though it’s more commonly associated with guys than girls. We have a life outside World of Warcraft. We have school, jobs, interests, hobbies, social lives…

J: Okay, just a little survey. If you were to choose: Marvel or DC?
M: I’d have to go with Marvel on this one.

J: Best geeky show on television?
M: Recently, I’ve been kinda obsessed with Chuck. It’s got the perfect mix of funny and smart and I enjoy a lot of the spy action going on.

J: Favorite geeky celebrity crush?
M: Oh I am in love with Matthew Gray Gubler! He’s positively adorable. It’s his quirky charm. Not to mention the hair.  I do have a thing for wavy, sexy hair.

J: Do you date non-gamers? If you haven’t, will you ever?
M: Sure, why not? It’d be silly to write someone off just because he isn’t a gamer.

J: What makes DateCraft a go-to site for those interested in online dating?
M: It’s really great if you’re looking for fellow geeks to socialize with because if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve found yourself a new friend.