8 Crazy Things in Wizard101

Wizard101 is the reason for this blog. It is unbelievable the amount of advances it has made in the past 8 years, let alone the 3 years that I have been playing. Wizard101 has brought us so much more than a game, it's an immersive experience with a well thought out story. I am so glad I can be apart of this celebration! In honor of Wizard101's 8th Birthday, I decided to think of 8 crazy things in the game. They are not in any particular order.

8. Malistaire Drake
This dude is crazy. Like seriously... he'd destroy a whole world to bring back his dead wife, who's begging him to let go? The guy doesn't even know when to quit! Don't even mention "Malistaire the Undying" to anyone that's ever finished Azteca.

How can we forget the time he attacked an unarmed wizard? Ah, I remember it like it was just yesterday. I'm still traumatized and will not answer to "puny little wizard." You've got to be pretty insane to duel with an unarmed wizard and proceed to call them "puny." Also, it felt very nice when this "puny little wizard" went all samoorai on Malistaire.

7. The Tutorial
Headmaster Ambrose just up and throws you into a duel like it's no big deal. I don't know about you, but it was nerve racking in that battle. Who throws an inexperienced wizard into a high-stakes duel? Ambrose does, that's who.

6. Family Matters
Despite Malistaire being the epitome of evil crazy dudes in Wizard101, his family's brokenness surpasses all others. I mean, Cyrus has got one attitude. Like... do you really want some student doing your laundry? Plus, how do you deal with a criminal brother? I don't know man, it's just weird.

5. Xibalba
You know what's crazy? A comet suspended in the same place in the sky for years. Even crazier? It all falls down when you show up. The entire plot twist of Azteca completely takes us by surprise. I guess KI needed to damper our 8-0 winning streak. To much privileged wizards, I suppose.


4. Old Cob
The dude just turned on us. So, as Wizard101 starts to break away from its typical Arrive-Discover-Fight-Defeat-Win quest pattern, they shake it up with the last person you think would turn on you. Old Cob, that shady dude you thought was on your side the whole time, just up and betrays you! Maybe there isn't a lot going on for a spider?

3. Talking Animals
When you first begin, the only talking animal is Gamma. You probably thought to yourself... "This isn't that weird. It's just an owl." But next thing you know you're talking to dogs, manders, and kroks? At this point it probably doesn't bother you, but did you ever think that literally KI chose to use animals? Think about it... they literally said "Yes, I want talking dinosaurs in the game, it will be a hit!" (Disclaimer: I'm not knocking on this element of the game, rather pointing it out. It's an awesome element by the way)

2. Backpacks
The concept of our wizard's backpack is literally sorcery on its own. The average wizard can fit 80 items in a backpack, including but not limited to: houses, pets, giant mounts, plants, and gear. How do you even fit a HOUSE in a backpack? Only Ambrose knows.

1. Student Wizard goes 2-0
How does a student wizard, not a veteran wizard, go 2-0 in defeating the "most talented" (and I say that with sarcasm) villains in the Spiral? Beats me. Tons of accomplished wizards try their best at stopping them, but in the end it was the student who had the final spell. Also, not to mention Student Wizard goes 6-0 in the Immortal Games and their side bosses. Yep, perfectly normal.

Thanks for reading this short article! What's the craziest thing in Wizard101?

A Brief Observation of In-Game Behavior of Wizard101 Players

I've sat around quietly in Wizard City, seeing how players behaved. It's interesting to see what unfolds when you fade into the background. So what happens over a brief period of time in Wizard City?

I started in the Commons, in the most crowded realm I could get into, which was Bernie. At first it was just busy, and no one was talking. Finally, someone chatted, and actually addressed the lack of people talking. Conversation soon bloomed, and it was literally about no one talking.

A small group gathered in front of Castle Tours. They were all wearing stitched gear, the typical attire of the experienced gamer. They didn't randomly talk to others, but rather to their friend group. It's possible that this group knows each other outside of the game OR are in contact outside the game, because they were talking as if they were in a group chat. They talked about playing housing games, PvP, and port parties.

The small group of experienced players

Stereotypically, a group like this may harass AFK or Low-Level characters, but this group didn't. They simply met up and talked for a bit, then went their separate ways. Speaking from experience, it's really not fun when high level players are mean, so this group is exemplary for high level players. If you are of a high level, being a friendly and helpful wizard goes a long way!

I also found that many lower level wizards tend to ask for gifts. I'm sure most of you are aware of this. This typical behavior, along with the "Help needed." "Can we hatch?" and "Can you take me here?" messages were frequently popping up. It's unfortunate that some low levels ruin the reputation of low levels as a whole.

Next, I went to Unicorn Way to see what was happening. I was on realm Balestrom, and it was silent. There was barely any wizards fighting, so I went to the Bazaar, which is a pretty busy place. Strangely, it was also silent. At one point 2 wizards discussed school specific pets, but that was mainly it. In the past, I have found that it's common to use the Bazaar to look for hatches and Treasure Card trades.

I then went back to the Commons, this time on realm Wu. Yes, the infamous realm Wu. Known for drama, role playing, and the frequent "I need a girl" messages. As much as I want to say it isn't true, it is. Realm Wu is like the bad side of town. Everyone harasses each other. It's just really not a great place to leave your wizard AFK. I would advise you to not go to realm Wu if you know what's good for you.

In general, I've found that most stereotypes are true when it comes to Wizard101. That being said, do not automatically assume the worst when someone friends you at random. Lots of wizards have good intentions. Ultimately, be careful with who you friend, quest, and chat with.

**I would like to re-dive into this topic on a later date, and go more in depth with it.

What type of behaviors have you observed in Wizard City?

House-A-Palooza 2016

This summer's House-A-Palooza is here with some cool new items! Not only are new items being added, but some old ones are making a comeback to the crown shop! **This post includes pack items!

House-A-Palooza Specials

• Now through August 21st, 2016, save up to 50% off Houses and Housing Items in the Crown Shop
• NEW Schooled Themed Furniture Sets: Fire, Ice, Storm, Balance, Life, Death, Myth
• Winterbane Hall and Midnight Sun Pagoda are back for limited time at 25% Off
• Sales on: 
• Emperor's Attic Pack and Housing Elixirs
• Baddle of the Bands, Tanglewood Terror, and One-Shot Dungeons
• Select Games and Fishing Multi-tanks
• Build-A-Castle Medieval Set

GET A FREE ITEM!

Use the code "housingpack" or click here to redeem a free Emperor's Attic Pack

**From NOW until August 15th, 2016 at 11:59 pm US Central Time, get up to 50% more  bonus crowns with your purchase of crowns! click here to see the sale! Take advantage of this sale to buy new housing items at discounted prices!

Newest Items

All the newest School Themed Furniture Packs are 4500 crowns or 22500 gold. They are cirrently on sale for 3395 crowns. There are 3 sets per school. Here is what you can expect from each pack: 

Fire Furniture Sets

  

Ice Furniture Sets

Storm Furniture Sets

Balance Furniture Sets

Life Furniture Sets

Death Furniture Sets

  

Myth Furniture Sets

Do you like the new school packs? What's your favorite item? Let me know in the comments!

New Immortal's Lore Pack

It's about time that Aquila got back into the spotlight. The new Aquilan-themed Immortal's Lore Pack just hit the Crown Shop for 399 crowns! This illustrious pack is sure to please even the Immortals' most stubborn challenger!

What's Included:

• Furniture: Rugs, Columns, Wallpaper, Small Decorations, and all the hidden furniture in Aquila
• Aquilan House Guests
• New Pet: Mechanical Owl
• New Treasure Cards
• New Learnable Spells: Hephaestus (Fire,) Athena Battlesight (Myth,) and Queen Calypso (Storm)
• New Gear: Aquilan Velite Set, Aquilan Charioteer Set, and Aquilan Secutor Set
• Pet Snacks
• Existing Pets
• Seeds
• Reagents

About the Spells

Each spell follows the same rule as all other spells: you can blade, enchant, hex, etc. If you learn one of the spells that belong to your school, the power pip rule applies the same way as for any other spell from your school. If it's not your school's spell, you'll need the corresponding mastery amulet to use power pips on it. You will not be docked training points for learning the spell.

Athena Battle Sight

Myth's newest spell, Athena Battle Sight, deals 520 Myth damage to one target and leaves a -35% shield to the caster. This spell can be obtained 3 different ways: Its dropped by the Loremaster, Immortal's Lore Pack, or crafted with the recipe from Grady in Dun Scaith, Avalon.

Hephaestus 

Fire's newest spell, Hephaestus, deals 425-475 Fire damage to one target and leaves a +25% fire bubble. This spell can be obtained 3 different ways: Its dropped by the Loremaster, Immortal's Lore Pack, or crafted with the recipe from Grady in Dun Scaith, Avalon.







Queen Calypso

Storm's newest spell, Queen Calypso, deals 445-505 Storm damage to one target and adds +20% traps to all enemy team members before the damage is dealt. This increases the damage to 534-606 Storm damage. This spell can be obtained 3 different ways: Its dropped by the Loremaster, Immortal's Lore Pack, or crafted with the recipe from Grady in Dun Scaith, Avalon.








The entire pack seems pretty cool. It's nice to have more Aquila themed items than just the Olympian Bundle and the hidden items in Aquila. The gear, cosmetically, is super cool looking, but I am unsure in how good the gear is stat-wise. Please check out Duelist101 for gear information and Stars of the Spiral for an in depth look at the pack.

I am personally excited to see more Aquila in the game, and I think this pack is pretty cool. What do you think? Are you using some of the things dropped?

Is Double Rewards for Daily Assignments Worth It?

Daily Assignments was one of the newest features to the game. It gave us small rewards for playing each day, and usually didn't require to much effort to complete. Recently, KingsIsle introduced the newest member benefit: Double Rewards for Daily Assignments! Sounds pretty nice, right? But is it worth it?

Daily Assignments rewards very small prizes. However, doubled prizes adds up fairly quickly. Depending on how long the benefit lasts and where you are currently at, you can easily pick up some extra currency. The total double rewards for the entire 15 days of assignments is as follows:

• 12,600 Gold
• 60 Arena Tickets 
• 100 Crowns 

The Arena Ticket total alone is pretty nice. The Gold total isn't super great, put who doesn't want free gold? 100 Crowns is a lot for something that isn't normally free. Though these totals are small, multiple wizards completing the assignment adds up quickly. You could end up with 600 Crowns for your account!

...And it gets better! On Chest days, you get access to a whole different loot role than normally given! This means better drops and happy wizards.

Member Rewards Bonus - Picture Credits to Stars of the Spiral

So, is it worth it to partake in Double Rewards? In my opinion, it certainly is. Doubled Crowns is an offer I wouldn't pass up. Plus, if you're a maxed wizard. what else could you possibly be doing? 

What's your opinion? Let me know in the comments!

What's New in Wizard101

Many new things have been released to Wizard101 for the summer! These items are super cool and will make your summertime fabulous. Check out what's been buzzing in the Spiral!

The Witch Hunter's Bundle

The Witch Hunter's Bundle was officially released in Wizard101 at the end of May. The bundle is very creepy and perfect for vampires and Darkmoor fans alike!

New Pets

Plenty of new pets arrived to the Spiral's Crown Shop. They include the Cheesiwitz Family (Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister,) the Armordillo, and the Panther! The Panther, when hatched with the Leopard, gives the chance at 3 new hybrids: the Lion, the Tiger, or the White Tiger.

Astral Unicorn Mount

Wish upon the stars whilst on your very own galaxy steed! This dazzling mount is in the Crown Shop for 7,500 crowns. Check it out!

Cuckoo Clock Gauntlet

The newest bundle is Valencian themed! Try your hand at this tough gauntlet, it;s sure to be a time killer. Though wizards can't visit Valencia, get a taste of it in this cool bundle!

Fish-a-Palooza

Fish-a-Palooza brought back all the seasonal fish into the waters of the Spiral. It also caught us some nice deals and some old items. Don't miss this exciting event next year!

The Hall of the Ice Forge

Picture credits to Wizard's Keep

Story by Ymir
Retold by Cheyenne Caster

The Hall of the Ice Forge, perhaps one of Grizzleheim's best kept secrets. The greatest craters of the land come here. Those who come possess great honor, but it takes a humble heart to wield the hammer of the Ice Forge. Yes, the wizards use their magic to lift the hammer, but it is truly caused by their selfless acts for the cause of the Spiral.

There was once a great crafter who was true to his trade. Many of the inhabitants of Grizzleheim knew him. He would forge great weapons for the warriors of the North, but he himself could not wield the weapons. For it is of Grizzleheim tradition that the warriors be the only to wield the weapons. So the great crafter never wielded a single sword of which he made.

Each and every weapon he made was created with great passion. Each magic enhancing jewel combination was hand made and unique. Each sword was built for the warrior it was bestowed to, and could never function under a different warrior. This is what made the sword so unique and valuable, and what catapulted the crafter into fame.

If the owner died valorously in battle, the sword was returned to the great crafter, who would melt the sword. A sword with such great magic coursing within could not be easily reused. Because of this the great crafter created a forge near the center of Grizzleheim. He erected a statue to me, so that he could draw on my strength to create the best swords.

The cooling nature of the forge caused excellent results. The icy blades helped the Bears fend off the barbarian tribes. The blades created at the forge were the most beautiful in the land. Not a single crafter in all of Grizzleheim could even come close to recreating the sheer power and beauty of the swords created by the great crafter.

As time went on, and the great crafter grew older, a mighty hammer was made to help the crafter. For now, in his old-weakened state, it was getting increasingly harder to make the swords. The hammer his touch the best, and could only be wielded by him.

Finally, in one of the darkest days in Grizzleheim history, the great crafter died. In his last moments, he noted to those standing near, "The hammer at my forge cannot be wielded by all, but by those with the humblest of hearts and the purest of intents." Many great warriors came to wield the hammer, but only the  selfless in battle were successful. Even the lowliest of Bears could wield the hammer if their intents were pure.

To this day, only the purest of wizards and crafters can use the forge. The great crafter's magic still courses through the hammer as the orange radiant light. So be humble, dear wizard. Bask in the light of your life. Be the guide that shines for others. Wield the hammer at the Hall of the Ice Forge.