Unearthing Artifact Appearances: A Transmog Hunter’s Guide to Shadowlands and Beyond
So, you wander through Shadowlands or step into the War Within. You feel that itch. The transmog itch. You want those glorious Artifact appearances from Legion. No worries, many of us chase pixels for epic looks. The good news? A treasure of weapon skins remains within reach. The bad news? It isn’t always simple.
The Lay of the Land: Availability of Artifact Appearances
First, let’s clarify what’s available. Most Artifact appearances can still be earned. This is a relief for completionists and stylish heroes. Imagine this like a buffet—much is open, but some choices have vanished. Adventurers in past expansions took them. A key exception involves a tower.
Mage Tower Musings: What’s Obtainable and What’s Lost to Time
The Mage Tower serves as a proving ground for solo players. It’s a source of transmog envy. Let’s break down the Mage Tower scenario with precision.
- Original Mage Tower Challenge Skin: Brace yourselves for disappointment: the basic Mage Tower skin from Legion has vanished. It retired with the Battle for Azeroth pre-patch. Consider it a badge of honor for those who conquered it, and a source of regret for procrastinators.
- Recolors: The Silver Lining (If You Qualify): But wait—recolors of the Mage Tower skins are available! Here’s the catch: you must have the original skin to access them. Think of it as needing a VIP access pass for exclusive colors. If you’re in the club, congratulations! If not, other shiny rewards await you.
- Mage Tower: Always Open for Business: Good news! The Mage Tower is not a fleeting event anymore. Forget waiting for Legion Timewalking; this towering structure stands on the Broken Shore, permanently accessible for brave souls willing to test themselves against its challenges.
Legion PvP and Hidden Appearances: A Brief N/A
Wondering about Legion PvP Artifact appearances? These fall into the ‘N/A’ category. This means the current game information lacks specifics about their availability. So let’s focus on what we do know.
Balance of Power: Spreading the Love Account-Wide
The Balance of Power questline offers account-wide rewards. This benefits alt-holics and anyone who values efficiency. Here’s how it works:
- Account-Wide Unlock: Yes, you read that right. Completing this questline on one character unlocks the base tint for everyone on your Battle.net account. Finally, some love for alts!
- One and Done (Mostly): Finish the quest on your main, and instantly, your alts gain access to the base appearance. It’s like a transmog domino effect.
- Color Variant Flexibility: Once you’ve unlocked that base appearance, more variants become available. Want special tints tied to achievements like Glory of the Legion Hero? You can earn achievements on any character. These appearances unlock account-wide, giving freedom in pursuing styles.
Classic Artifact Appearance: A Gentle Introduction
For new Legion adventurers, there’s a “Classic Artifact Appearance” that’s easy to obtain. Just complete the introductory Legion quest chain. It serves as a nice welcome gift into Artifact transmogrification.
Decoding the Acquisition: How to Snag Specific Artifact Appearances
Time for specific strategies to acquire some amazing Artifact appearances. Consider this your treasure map minus cryptic riddles or traps—unless you count raid mechanics as traps.
Dark Runeblade: Embrace the Shadows
Want to wield the Dark Runeblade? This is the Hidden Appearance for Blood Death Knights. Your goal: Runes of the Darkening. Your target: The Soultakers World Boss. This is a drop from a world boss, meaning luck and competition may be required.
Ebonchill (Frost Mage Hidden Appearance): Frostfire Remembrance and a Dash of Teleportation Shenanigans
If you’re a Frost Mage craving Ebonchill’s Hidden Appearance, seek Frostfire Remembrance. This isn’t a simple drop; it requires some Order Hall trait luck. You need the Teleportation Nexus (trait). Every day, there’s a chance for portals to Frostfire Ridge where the Everburning Crystal waits to unlock your appearance.
Flamereaper: Mage Tower’s Fiery Reward (The Recolors, Anyway)
The Mage Tower is linked to Flamereaper. You unlock it through the Mage Tower Artifact Challenge: Closing the Eye. Remember, the basic tint is unobtainable after the Battle for Azeroth pre-patch. You aim for recolors if you already have that original skin unlocked.
Ashbringer: A Green Hue from Class Hall Camaraderie
If you’re a Paladin searching for a green Ashbringer tint, listen closely! The green tint is easy to obtain; complete the initial Paladin Order Hall campaign quests to gain it—a stylish participation trophy!
Bonereaper’s Hook: ICC, Professor Putricide, and a Journal of Questionable Ethics
Death Knights searching for the Bonereaper’s Hook need to head to Icecrown Citadel and find Professor Putricide. Summon an “Army of the Dead” as you engage with him. Hope he drops Professor Putricide’s Lost Journal. Loot it, read it while holding your breath against any lingering fumes, and seek out the Trap Door in ICC. Engage with Stitchwork and claim The Bonereaper’s Hook. It’s a morbid hunt worth the effort!
Warlock Hidden Artifact Appearance: Grimoire Gathering in Azsuna
Warlocks, begin your Hidden Artifact quest in Faronaar, Azsuna. Hunt Eredar Supplicants. They drop the Grimoire of the First Necrolyte. This acquisition starts your quest The Grimoire of the First Necrolyte. Next, collect 13 Skull of the Executed, dropped by Rare Humanoid Elites in the Broken Isles. Time to hunt elites as a daily routine!
Burning Plate of the Worldbreaker: Gold Piles and a Prayer to RNGesus
The Burning Plate of the Worldbreaker requires an imprecise method. It demands gold—lots and lots of gold.
A healthy dose of hope for luck. The advice is to “look at every pile of gold.” Somewhere among the vast piles of gold in the game world, the Burning Plate of the Worldbreaker *might* be found. It’s not just targeted farming; it’s more of a “check every gold pile.” Good luck, may the RNG gods smile upon you.
Mage Tower: A Permanent Fixture of Transmog Challenges
Let’s revisit the Mage Tower. It is a key hub for transmog goals. We’ve touched on availability, but there is more to explore.
Always Available, Always Challenging
The Mage Tower is *not* tied to Legion Timewalking. It is a permanent feature on Broken Shore. You can face its challenges at your leisure. This is good for those who like to tackle difficult content on their own schedule.
Rewards: Beyond Transmog, There’s a Mount!
The Mage Tower is not just about bragging rights now. With Timewalking scaling, it’s back and maybe harder than ever. The rewards expanded! You can earn transmog recolors. But there is also a new mount: the Mage-Bound Spelltome. Completing all seven (yes, *seven*) unique Mage Tower challenges will net you the achievement A Tour of Towers and this cool mount. It’s like saying, “I conquered the Mage Tower, and all I got was this awesome mount… plus several transmog sets.”
Difficulty: Prepare to Sweat (Digitally)
The WoW Mage Tower is meant to be an “ultimate PVE experience for one.” It means incredibly tough challenges. Expect to die. A lot. But that’s the point, right? The difficulty is appealing, giving a sense of accomplishment when you conquer challenges that have humbled you for hours. The rewards are unique and wanted.
Location, Location, Location: Broken Shore Bound
Ready to challenge yourself? Go to the Broken Shore. Specifically, Deliverance Point, the main base of the Armies of Legionfall. The Broken Shore is in the southern region of the Broken Isles. Once you arrive, look for the tower; it’s hard to miss. It’s filled with magical challenges. Hence, the name “Mage Tower.” Clever, right?
Gearing Up: Chromie Time is Your Friend
To gear up for the Mage Tower trials, Chromie Time gear is best. Chromie Time allows you to scale older content to your level, making it an effective way to gear for these Timewalking challenges. Do not underestimate properly scaled gear for these encounters.
Challenge Initiation: Timewalking Event… Wait, Nevermind!
Forget waiting for a Legion Timewalking event to start the Archmage Xylem Mage Tower Challenge. It’s always available. Just head to the tower on the Broken Shore and prepare to be humbled (and ultimately victorious).
Account-Wide Glory and Transmog Freedom
Let’s review some key concepts about account-wide appearances and transmog.
Artifact Appearances: Sharing is Caring (Account-Wide, That Is)
Yes, Artifact appearances from the Mage Tower challenges are account-wide. We’ve stated it before, but it needs emphasis. Unlock an appearance on one character; it’s available for all eligible characters on your account. Cheers for account-wide collections!
Transmog Magic: Artifacts Across Weapon Types
This is where the real fun starts. You can transmogrify a non-artifact weapon with an artifact appearance unlocked by another character. Want to wield the Ashbringer appearance on your two-handed sword, though you unlocked it on your Paladin? Go for it. The transmog system allows you to mix appearances across weapon types (you can’t transmog a staff into a dagger). Experiment, have fun, create your ultimate weapon look.
Changing Appearance: N/A (Because It’s Transmog, It’s Always Changeable)
The “Changing Appearance: N/A” section in the [CONTENT_BRIEF] is redundant. Changing your transmog look is, well, the whole point of transmog. It’s always changeable and customizable at your fingertips (and gold reserves, those transmogrifiers charge!).
War Within Expansion: Mage Tower and PvP Artifacts Evolve
Looking at the War Within expansion, the Artifact appearance saga continues with new and familiar challenges.
Mage Tower: Round Two (or is it Ten?)
Get ready for more Mage Tower action in The War Within. Those “toughest bosses” return, likely with even tougher mechanics and opportunities for more frustration. But hey, rewards are usually worth the pain, right?
Artifact Weapon Appearances in PvP: Honor Level Hustle
For PvP fans, War Within brings new tints for War-Torn Artifact Weapon skins tied to Honor Levels. Here’s the breakdown:
- First Tint: Honor Level 30. A relatively easy starting point.
- Second Tint: Honor Level 50. Increasing the commitment.
- Fourth and Final Tint: Honor Level 80. For dedicated PvP players, it’s the grind for transmog glory.
There you have it. A guide to Artifact appearances in Shadowlands and beyond. Go forth, transmog hunters! Make your weapons shine and impress your raid group. Happy hunting!
