World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

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"Mists of Pandaria" redirects here. For the actual mists that surrounded the continent, see Mists of Pandaria (lore).
MoPlogo.png
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
Developer(s) Blizzard Entertainment
Team 2
Publisher(s) Blizzard Entertainment
Designer(s) Tom Chilton
Cory Stockton
Greg Street
Ion Hazzikostas
Composer(s) Neal Acree
Russell Brower
Jeremy Soule
Platforms Microsoft Windows, OS X
Release
  • NA/EU: September 25, 2012[1]
Latest release 5.4.8
Genre(s) Expansion pack
Mode(s) Multiplayer
Expansion packs chronology

Cataclysm
(2010)
Mists of Pandaria
(2012)
Warlords of Draenor
(2014)

“For my kind, the true question is - what is worth fighting for?”

Chen Stormstout

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (abbreviated as MoP or Mists) is the fourth expansion pack for World of Warcraft. It was officially announced on October 21, 2011 at BlizzCon 2011 and released on 15 September 2012. The pre-expansion patch was released on 28 August 2012.

Following the successful campaigns in Northrend and in the lands opened by the Shattering, and the deaths of the Lich King at Icecrown Citadel and Deathwing the Destroyer at the Maelstrom, the expansion refocuses primarily on the war between the Alliance and Horde, in the wake of the accidental rediscovery of the mythical and long-forgotten lands of Pandaria, a continent far to the south that has until now been shrouded in magical mists and touched by the ancient malevolence known only as the Sha. With both factions landing on Pandaria, adventurers rediscover the ancient pandaren people, whose wisdom will help guide them to new destinies; the Pandaren Empire's ancient enemy, the mantid; and their legendary oppressors, the enigmatic mogu.[2] As conflicts heat up between the Alliance and Horde, the land changes over time, with subsequent patches having escalated the conflict between Alliance leader Varian Wrynn and the increasingly unbalanced Horde warchief Garrosh Hellscream... eventually leading to a schism within the Horde itself. As civil war wracks the Horde, the Alliance joins Horde revolutionaries opposed to Hellscream join forces to take the battle directly to the enemy, leading to direct confrontation with the Warchief and his Sha-touched allies, in the expansion's concluding showdown deep within the bowels of Orgrimmar itself.

Mists of Pandaria was offered in three versions: Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition and Collector's Edition. On 16 October 2014, the expansion was integrated into the basic World of Warcraft package, granting all subscribers automatic access to all of the content and features of the expansion at no additional cost.[3]

Lore

From the official site:

Shrouded in fog since the world was sundered more than ten thousand years ago, the ancient realm of Pandaria has remained unspoiled by war. Its lush forests and cloud-ringed mountains are home to a complex ecosystem of indigenous races and exotic creatures. It is the homeland of the enigmatic Pandaren, a race that celebrates life to the fullest even while under siege by an ancient menace.
The new continent reveals itself to a broken world just as the Alliance and Horde are spiraling ever closer to a war that will consume all of Azeroth. Will the mists of Pandaria part to reveal the world's salvation? Or will the battle to control this rich and breathtaking new land push the two mighty factions over the brink of war and into total annihilation? The answers await within Pandaria's mysterious shores!

The storyline for Mists of Pandaria was split into multiple patches, a storytelling method not used before. The story arc that introduces Pandaria - introducing the continent, tasking the adventurers to solve problems and figure out what happened for the past 10,000 years and why - was included entirely within the initial expansion release. Later chapters in the storyline brought the war between the Horde and the Alliance back into focus, including changing parts of Pandaria (via phasing) to show additional settlements, and eventually return the players back to the rest of the world for a final showdown with Garrosh Hellscream.[4]

Patch 5.0.4, The Mists of Pandaria pre-release patch, released on 28 August 2012, and included the talent system revamp, account-wide mounts and battle pets, and a level 85 version of the Theramore's Fall scenario leading into the Mists storyline.[4]

Features

Mists of Pandaria box packaging.
  • Level cap raised to 90
  • New continent: Pandaria, a land in the far south of Azeroth, with seven playable leveling zones (85-90), six dungeons, three raids, and faction-specific capitol areas
  • New class: Monk, a leather-wearing hybrid class with three specializations: the Brewmaster (a tanking class), the Mistweaver (hybrid healing), and the Windwalker (melee DPS). Monks use Energy as their main resource and Chi as their secondary resource.
  • New race: Pandaren, playable by both Alliance and Horde; players will decide which faction to join when ending the questchain on Wandering Isle, and will then be able to communicate with that faction. Pandaren will be available to all players on September 25 even if they haven't purchased Mists of Pandaria.
  • Talent system revamp: removal of point-based talent trees in favor of player class specialization being separated from talent choices, with a six-tier, three-choice per tier talent system determining play style (introduced in 5.0.4 pre-release patch)
  • Scenarios, a queueable "micro-dungeon" play system for end-game content without needing traditional tank/healer/DPS roles, for three-person groups
  • Dungeon Challenge Modes, specialized versions of dungeons featuring timed content (similar to Baron runs in Stratholme)
  • Pet Battle System, a leveling system for companion pets, described by Blizzard as a new mini-game system
  • Account wide achievements, pets and mounts (introduced in 5.0.4 pre-release patch)
  • Character slots per server increased to 11 (for those who have purchased the expansion,[4] introduced in 5.0.4 pre-release patch)
  • Area of Effect looting, a looting system that allows gathering items from multiple corpses with one click, a feature in several other MMO games.[4] (introduced in 5.0.4 pre-release patch)
  • Player Farms, a phased area in Valley of the Four Winds allowing players to make progress on arable farmland, gaining reputation and material rewards
  • Cross-Realm Zones, enable players to meet up and group with other players in under populated zones flagged for this
  • Black Market, bid on special items that are not normally sold by NPCs

Major patches

New zones

Main article: Pandaria

Pandaria is a single, unified continent south of Zandalar that takes inspiration from Asian landscapes. It has eight zones (along with a small mini-zone), most of which are part of Pandaria itself, save for the starting area for the Pandaren.[2] Flying was unavailable in Pandaria until reaching the level cap (90), due to designers wanting players to be immersed in the world and enjoy the effort put into the continent while leveling, rather than simply flying over it.[citation needed] 

Zone listings include both the level at launch, and the modern level post level squish.

  • Neutral The Wandering Isle (1-10, now 1-20): An "island" separated from Pandaria for millennia, really a living creature which wanders the oceans of Azeroth. Here the Pandaren starting experience takes place.
  • Neutral The Jade Forest (85-86, now 10-35): A lush rainforest filled with tall stone spires, this is the initial landing zone for both factions and the introduction to the new continent. Contains one dungeon, the Temple of the Jade Serpent.
  • Neutral Valley of the Four Winds (86-87, now 15-35): The lush farmland of Pandaria, that is considered the 'breadbasket' of the land. Contains the dungeon Stormstout Brewery. One of two concurrent leveling zones for 86-87 characters. Also contains the first player-specific private phase location: the Player Farm.
  • Neutral Krasarang Wilds (86-87, now 15-35): The coastal rainforest endangered by Mogu, located on the southernmost part of the continent. The second of two concurrent leveling zones for 86-87 characters.
  • Neutral Kun-Lai Summit (87-88, now 20-35): The frozen northern mountainous reaches of Pandaria, under attack from Zandalari trolls and marauders from the west. Contains the dungeon Shado-Pan Monastery and the Mogu'shan Vaults raid.
  • Neutral Townlong Steppes (88-89, now 25-35): The current homeland of the vicious Mantid people, separated from the rest of Pandaria by a "great wall". Location of the dungeon Siege of Niuzao Temple.
  • Neutral Dread Wastes (89-90, now 30-35): The mantid homeland, now overrun by the Sha of Fear, has been corrupted into a horrifying wasteland of swamps and scorched earth. Adventurers must have to fight their way into the lair of the mantid queen herself to root out the source of the corruption. The raid Heart of Fear is located here.
  • Neutral Vale of Eternal Blossoms (90, now 30-35): The central homeland of the Pandaren people, high atop the central mountains of Pandaria. Contains the Horde/Alliance cities of the expansion at its center, with secrets "buried below this mystical font of power". It also contains the Gate of the Setting Sun and Mogu'shan Palace dungeons.
  • Neutral The Veiled Stair (87-90, now 30-35): A small mini-zone situated in the mountains between The Jade Forest, Valley of the Four Winds, and Vale of Eternal Blossoms, with a portal to the Terrace of the Endless Spring raid. It is used by characters for transportation to the Kun-Lai Summit.
  • Neutral Isle of Thunder (90, now 35): Introduced in patch 5.2.0, the island home of the risen Lei-Shen, the Thunder King, former ruler of the mogu empire. It contains the first major raid introduced after the expansion's launch, the Throne of Thunder, along with daily quest chains and open-world rare creatures, including the world boss Nalak.
  • Neutral Isle of Giants (90, now 35): Also debuting with 5.2.0, an island off the northern coast of Pandaria featuring the world boss Oondasta and a trove of dinosaurs (and troll dinomancers) to tame or kill.
  • Neutral Timeless Isle (90, now 30-35): Introduced in patch 5.4.0, a magical island off Pandaria's southeastern coast ruled by the August Celestials and the Yaungol god of fire, Ordos. The isle is almost fully independent of questing, instead incentivizing open-world PvE/PvP, and also providing catch-up epic gear for new or lower-geared level 90 players.

Dungeon, raid, and scenario content

The expansion introduced nine high-level dungeons (six of which were completely new and are found in the continent of Pandaria alone), three raids, and nearly a dozen scenarios, a new expansion feature in Mists. The Challenge Mode option involved completing dungeons as fast as possible to earn medals. World bosses also made their reappearance. All of the Pandaria leveling dungeons were also available in Heroic mode, a difficulty for level 90 players.

New and original dungeons

Classic dungeons

Raid content

  • Mogu'shan Vaults: This initial raid dungeon is found in the Kun-Lai Summit, accessible only by air from the terrace on the northern coast (just west of the troll region). It harbors the hidden secrets of the ancient Mogu empire.
  • Heart of Fear: A Mantid-themed raid where players battle alongside their Klaxxi allies to face the Mantid empress, Shek'zeer. Located within a huge rotting tree in the southwestern part of the Dread Wastes.
  • Terrace of Endless Spring: A Sha-themed raid available after completing Heart of Fear, featuring one of the Sha of Fear and its allies in a garden setting. The entrance is located in The Veiled Stair, a small mini-zone east of the Vale.
  • Throne of Thunder: Released in patch 5.2, a giant island stronghold on the Isle of Thunder where players face the reborn Lei-Shen, the Thunder King, former ruler of the Mogu Empire, and his Zandalari allies.
  • Siege of Orgrimmar: Released in patch 5.4. After the Alliance and Horde declare a makeshift truce negotiated with the Darkspear Troll warlord Vol'jin, both settle with the aftermath of the Sha in Pandaria before journeying to Orgrimmar to unseat its ruler gone mad - the Y'Shaarj-empowered Garrosh Hellscream, and his "True Horde" gone awry. Though the majority of the raid does not take place there, the entrance is in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in the crater below Mogu'shan Palace.

Scenarios

For the first time, Mists of Pandaria features Scenarios, small three-player queueable micro-dungeons, each with content and a final boss, to be completed at level 90. They are designed to progress faster than dungeon content.

  • Greenstone Village, set in the Jade Forest, features an assault on a pandaren village by Sha forces (previously known as Burgled Brew).
  • Unga Ingoo, set in the southern Krasarang Wilds, a beachfront battle between the Alliance and Horde (previously known as Big Beach Brew Bash).
  • Brewmoon Festival, a battle against the yaungol taking place in Kun-Lai Summit's Binan Village.
  • A Brewing Storm, set in the Valley of Four Winds, where the Brewmasters are attempting to create a magical brew that can only be created during a storm.
  • Arena of Annihilation, set in an arena-like setting in the Temple of the White Tiger in Kun-Lai Summit.
  • Crypt of Forgotten Kings, located in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, a battle inside an ancient Mogu crypt.
  • Theramore's Fall, featuring a Horde assault on the Alliance's eastern Kalimdor fortress. This scenario was also included at level 85 in the 5.0.4 patch release for a short time, as a story catalyst for the expansion.
  • Assault on Zan'vess, released with patch 5.1, an aerial attack on Zan'vess Isle in the Dread Wastes.
  • A Little Patience, released with patch 5.1, where Alliance players seek to remove a Horde incursion at the Temple of the Red Crane.
  • Dagger in the Dark, released with patch 5.1, where players assist Vol'jin in battle against an orc warrior gone mad.
  • Lion's Landing and Domination Point, both released with patch 5.1, faction-specific scenarios where players must prevent the opposing faction from gaining foothold in the Krasarang Wilds.
  • Battle on the High Seas, released with patch 5.3, a battle for naval supremacy on the high seas.
  • Blood in the Snow, released with patch 5.3, set in Dun Morogh as Zandalari trolls have gone in search of allies in the Frostmane.
  • Dark Heart of Pandaria, released with patch 5.3, where explorers have accidentally stumbled upon an ancient secret buried beneath the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
  • Secrets of Ragefire, released with patch 5.3, where players infiltrate the Emberdeep Caverns and assist the Gob Squad in investigating a recent disappearance in Durotar.

There were two additional scenarios in the game files but not made available in the expansion: Peak of Serenity, set high atop the mountains of Kun-Lai Summit; and a scenario version of the Temple of Kotmogu battleground. Neither have been released.

Player versus player content

Battlegrounds

Arenas

Factions and organizations

Mists of Pandaria introduced a number of new factions with gear, schematics and vanity rewards. Blizzard's stated intent for these reputations is to be a more rewarding and less grindy process, in which reaching Exalted is something to be proud of.[citation needed] 

  • Neutral The Anglers, a faction of simple fishermen joined by the enigmatic angler Nat Pagle.
  • Neutral The August Celestials, four powerful ancestral spirits that watch over Pandaria. Adventurers are called to action at their ancient temples.
  • Neutral The Golden Lotus, a secret society of guardians selected by the August Celestials to watch over the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, which is under assault from the mogu and mantid. Adventurers initially scout and explore for them, with different threats appearing in the zone each day that need stopping. As the character's reputation increases, they are sent to the front lines of their conflict. Players also gain access to their historical vaults.
  • Neutral The Klaxxi: Keepers of the mantid culture, these stoic mantid lords have determined that their own queen has been corrupted and must be destroyed. Although wary of outsiders, it may be possible to earn the trust of the Klaxxi, gaining access to their unique arms and armor.
  • Neutral Order of the Cloud Serpent: This order of flying warriors was founded long ago, during the Zandalari wars. Gain their favor, and they’ll reveal the secrets of training a cloud serpent to become a loyal mount.
  • Neutral The Lorewalkers, a faction responsible for archiving the lore of Pandaria which is connected to the Golden Lotus. Players can bring them objects and artifacts from all over the world, and they give presentations and information on the history of Pandaria.
  • Neutral Shado-Pan, an elite faction of pandaren in Kun-Lai Summit who are experts on the sha, tasked with protecting the continent from their influence. Players slowly earn their trust, gradually working your way up through the ranks.
  • Neutral The Tillers, a faction which represents the farmers who make the Valley of the Four Winds their home. Different farmers appear in the farmer's market each day to offer a variety of daily quests. Players are also given a plot of land on Farmer Yoon's Sunsong Ranch, where they can plant and harvest cooking ingredients, herbs, gifts for NPCs to help build reputation, and a companion pet which you can grow. You'll also be able to decorate the farm as you progress, adding animals, orchards, etc.
  • Neutral Shado-Pan Assault, introduced with patch 5.2. This faction reputation is associated with the attack on the Throne of Thunder to depose the revived Lei-Shen, the Thunder King.
  • Neutral Emperor Shaohao, introduced with patch 5.4. The recently returned Pandaren Emperor accompanies the traveler to the Timeless Isle and this reputation is gained through combat there.

In addition, there are several racial factions:

  • Alliance The Tushui Pandaren are the faction for Alliance-aligned Pandaren. Characters can raise reputation with them by wearing the  [Tushui Tabard].
  • Horde The Huojin Pandaren are the faction for Horde-aligned Pandaren. Characters can raise reputation with them by wearing the  [Huojin Tabard].
  • Alliance The Pearlfin Jinyu, a race of fish-men who once ruled Pandaria. They have joined the Alliance against their mortal enemies, the Hozen. Players move to Exalted with this faction through questing in the Jade Forest.
  • Horde The Forest Hozen, a violent monkey-like race, have sided with the Horde in exchange for aid in their war with the Pearlfin tribe. The mechanic operates the same way as the Pearlfin Jinyu.
  • Alliance Operation: Shieldwall, introduced with patch 5.1, is the major Alliance force for the Pandaria campaign of the Alliance-Horde war. Reputation is awarded through daily quests with a faction storyline unfolding at various levels of reputation.
  • Horde The Dominance Offensive, introduced with patch 5.1, is the major Horde force for the Pandaria campaign of the Alliance-Horde war. Reputation is awarded through daily quests with a faction storyline unfolding at various levels of reputation.
  • Alliance The Kirin Tor Offensive, introduced with patch 5.2, is an Alliance faction associated with the Isle of Thunder. Reputation is earned with PvE and PvP daily quests.
  • Horde The Sunreaver Onslaught, introduced with patch 5.2, is a Horde faction associated with the Isle of Thunder. Reputation is earned with PvE and PvP daily quests.

Prominent figures

New creatures

Humanoids
Beasts
Dragonkin
Elemental
Mechanical
Undead
  • IconSmall GhostMogu.gif Mogu ghost
Aberration
Announced

System requirements

Main article: System requirements

Tie-in literature

Gallery

Zones

Creatures

Miscellaneous

Videos

Press information

References

External links