Arena Season 5 Details.

[Holyssa]

By Bornakk:

With Arena Season 5 launching on December 16, we wanted to provide some helpful information. The method in which Arena or Honor items can be purchased will be slightly different then how it was before. For Arena items, there will be 3 tiers of purchasable set items that includes pieces for the Head, Shoulders, Chest, Gloves, and Legs as follows:

Tier 1 - Superior (blue) quality items:

* No rating requirements

* Costs Honor and Arena points

* Equivalent to heroic dungeon items

Tier 2- Epic (purple) quality items:

* Medium rating requirements

* Costs Arena points

* Equivalent to 10-person raid items

Tier 3 - Epic (purple) quality items:

* High rating requirements

* Costs Arena points

* Equivalent to 25-person raid items

* This tier will also contain Arena weapons

In addition, there will be two tiers of Honor items that includes pieces for the neck, ring, boots, belt, bracer, and trinket as follows:

Tier 1 – Epic (purple) quality items:

* Medium rating requirements

* Costs Honor points

* Equivalent to 10-person raid items

Tier 2 – Epic (purple) quality items:

* High rating requirements

* Costs Honor points

* Equivalent to 25-person raid items

So yeah. If you want even the basic set pieces, looks like you'll need to buddy up with some Arena people :\

And while not Arena related, here's a list of new stuff you can buy soon via Wintergrasp Marks of Honor. This isn't live yet, and is subject to change after the PTR goes bye-bye, but I figure it'd give people a reason to run Wintergrasp more and save those marks:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.php?topic=30117.0

TLDR version: New helmets (they have meta sockets) cost 40 Marks, new boots (yellow sockets) cost 15 Marks. Both trinkets cost 25 Marks (although it's odd how the caster version has zero Resilience)

Edited December 16, 2008 by Holyssa

[Scryll]

So yeah. If you want even the basic set pieces, looks like you'll need to buddy up with some Arena people :\

In other words, Blizzard has told everyone who doesn't enjoy deathmatching to go DIAF, at least until/if they change the set-up with a later season. I just don't understand that. If they're going to have a full three tiers of gear the beginning anyway, I see zero reason they can't have one of them be available to people who prefer to do objective-based PvP. I suppose they figure we can just try and get items by killing Archaevon every week.

[Holyssa]

In other words, Blizzard has told everyone who doesn't enjoy deathmatching to go DIAF, at least until/if they change the set-up with a later season. I just don't understand that. If they're going to have a full three tiers of gear the beginning anyway, I see zero reason they can't have one of them be available to people who prefer to do objective-based PvP. I suppose they figure we can just try and get items by killing Archaevon every week.

It appears Bornakk is a damned idiot. Upon doing some research on ArenaJunkies.com, I got good news & bad news:

The good? Items can be bought via just Honor and/or Heroic badges.

The bad? Well, I will let this list I found speak for itself:

SAVAGE GLADIATOR 5PC SET (TIER 1, Rare iLvl 200) Three ways to buy

*Honor points only, No rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Orgrimmar/Stormwind, Blood Guard Zar'shi/Knight Lieutenant Moonstrike]

Savage Gladiator's _ Gloves: 50,000 HP

Savage Gladiator's _ Shoulders: 50,000 HP

Savage Gladiator's _ Legs, Helm, Chest: 60,000 HP

*Honor and Arena points, No rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Dalaran Sewers, Zom Bocom]

Savage Gladiator's _ Gloves: 7,200 HP 200 AP

Savage Gladiator's _ Shoulders: 9,600 HP 275 AP

Savage Gladiator's _ Legs, Helm, Chest: : 12,000 HP 350 AP

*Emblems of Heroism, No rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Dalaran, Magistrix Lambriesse/Arcanist Ivrenne]

Savage Gladiator's _ Gloves: 30 Heroism

Savage Gladiator's _ Shoulders: 30 Heroism

Savage Gladiator's _ Legs, Helm, Chest: 45 Heroism

HATEFUL GLADIATOR 5PC SET (TIER 2, Epic iLvl 200) Two ways to buy

*Honor and Arena Points, Low rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Dalaran Sewers, Xazi Smolderpipe]

Hateful Gladiator's _ Gloves {1615 rating}: 7,200 HP 400 AP

Hateful Gladiator's _ Shoulders {1775 rating}: 9,600 HP 550 AP

Hateful Gladiator's _ Legs {1645 rating}: 12,000 HP 700 AP.

Hateful Gladiator's _ Helm {1735 rating}: 12,000 HP 700 AP.

Hateful Gladiator's _ Chest {1675 rating}: 12,000 HP 700 AP.

*Emblems of Valor, No rating requirements

[Vendor @ Dalaran, Magister Brasael/Arcanist Adurin]

Hateful Gladiator's _ Gloves: 30 Valor

Hateful Gladiator's _ Shoulders: 30 Valor

Hateful Gladiator's _ Legs, Chest, Helm: 45 Valor

DEADLY GLADIATOR 5PC SET (TIER 3, Epic iLvl 213)

*Arena points, High rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Dalaran Sewers, Nargle Lashcord; Netherstorm, Kezzik the Striker; Tanaris, Argex Irongut]

Deadly Gladiator's Shield {2030 rating}: 2,250 AP

Deadly Gladiator's Wand/Thrown {2030 rating}: 1,200 AP

Deadly Gladiator's Staff {2030 rating}: 4,500 AP

Deadly Gladiator's MH Melee/Caster Weapon {2030 rating}: 3,150 AP

Deadly Gladiator's Offhand {2030 rating}: 1,350 AP

Deadly Gladiator's Relic {2030 rating}: 1,200 AP

Deadly Gladiator's 2H Melee Weapon {2030 rating}: 4,500 AP

Deadly Gladiator's Ranged Weapon {2030 rating}: 4,500 AP

Deadly Gladiator's _ Gloves {1850 rating}: 1,350 AP

Deadly Gladiator's _ Shoulders {2150 rating}: 1,800 AP

Deadly Gladiator's _ Legs {1910 rating}: 2,250 AP

Deadly Gladiator's _ Chest {1970 rating}: 2,250 AP

Deadly Gladiator's _ Helm {2090 rating}: 2,250 AP

HATEFUL OFFSET (TIER 1, Epic iLvl 200)

*Honor points, No rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Orgrimmar/Stormwind, Sergeant Thunderhorn/Captain Dirgehammer]

Hateful Gladiator's Band of _: 38,000 HP

Hateful Gladiator's Cloak of _: 38,000 HP

Hateful Gladiator's Pendant of _: 38,000 HP

Hateful Gladiator's Bracers of _: 31,600 HP

Hateful Gladiator's Boots of _: 49,600 HP

Hateful Gladiator's Belt of _: 49,600 HP

Medallion of the Horde: 49,600 HP

DEADLY OFFSET (TIER 2, Epic iLvl 213)

*Honor points, High rating requirements*

[Vendor @ Orgrimmar/Stormwind, Doris Volanthius/Lieutenant Tristia]

Battlemaster's Trinkets {1800 rating}: 62,000 HP

Deadly Gladiator's Cloak of _ {1750 rating}: 47,400 HP

Deadly Gladiator's Band of _ {1690 rating}: 47,400 HP

Deadly Gladiator's Pendant of _ {1600 rating}: 47,400 HP

Deadly Gladiator's Boots of _ {1720 rating}: 62,000 HP

Deadly Gladiator's Bracers of _ {1660 rating}: 62,000 HP

Deadly Gladiator's Belt of _ {1630 rating}: 62,000 HP

Time for fun with math...and I may be a bit off. If so, pardon my brain. I also did not check the above "vendors" yet...might not sell them till 3.0.8 hits. So...

...an entire "blue" 5-piece set is roughly 52,800 honor and 1525 AP total if you play in an active team.

But if you don't have a team and want to farm via Honor only? 280,000 Honor points total. No Marks needed from what I could see.

Like PvE? 195 Emblems of Heroism for the blue set, and 195 Emblems of Valor for the next set up.

This is supposed to be Blizzard's idea of fun?

[Orcala]

Yeah I knew this thread was bunk when I saw people running around with pvp gear sets just as the arena opened.