Tumgik
#The Twin Blades of Azzinoth
painting-warhammer · 27 days
Text
Lelith Hesperax in the style of Sylvanas Windrunner (Warcraft)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
To date, my greatest failure painting. Commentary under cut.
The Lessons Learned
#1: Don't Base Your Model Right Away
While the nook where the skeleton lies isn't what people will pay attention to, it still needs to be covered up by paint. The way the model is tilted too made painting her left leg absolute hell, in addition to the glyphs beneath it.
#2: Citadel Paints Are Not The Best
I had twelve-year-old brain and thought gold would be much cooler than her silvery-white accents. And as if that weren't bad enough, I decided to get the Citadel version. Which by all accounts, is the worst one you can get.
Mentally, I was in a position that I wanted everything to be as "official" as possible. To get everything from Citadel meant I had to be doing something right, almost as if I could get "customer support" if my figure looks like shit.
Now that's not to say Citadel doesn't make good paint as a whole. Most of my paints are still from there. But as time went on, I branched out to some Vallejo, Stuart Semple, and Green Stuff World. More than that, there are "formulas" for mixing paints.
I would eventually get a really good gold that I'll post a sample of when I do my main army reveal, but so as not to bogart the secret, I'll drop it here.
youtube
#3: Get Rid Of Sprues, But Learn To Love Battle Damage
I didn't think much of sprues initially. What's the big deal? I was too afraid of accidentally shaving off detail. Moreover, if you look at the Vriska post (specifically the shoes) you'll notice something is missing.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Yep, that little jewel.
I was cutting this outside and really struggling to get that little nub free when my clip blazed through and sent it flying. I had been working outside, and it went right into the tall grass where I suspect it remains to this day.
While I definitely freaked out, my best friend had friends into gunpla and mini painting that told me about "Battle Damage", which is the affectionate way of describing the chips and dents and errors you made painting. It is representative of all the violent campaigns your figure has been in and it makes them more unique. In the end I was okay with it, as honestly it would have made Vriska look dumb if she had some cowboy spur on one foot.
You know what can't be explained by battle damage, though? The giant horn of leftover sprue extending Venom Snake-style out of Sylvesperax's ponytail.
Tumblr media
#4: You're Going To Have To Paint Everything, Especially The Parts You Don't Like
So in my last post, I said that I kinda didn't dig the Harlequins all that much--at least, not enough to commit to them. But I had a good idea for all the parts involved.
To this day, the Drukhari are my favorite faction. I saw them as the fun kind of michievous and devious, although I'm quite aware they are a lot, lot worse than that. Sylvanas Windrunner is also one of my favorite characters, and so I thought I would be okay with painting up a whole army of devious space-pirate Sylvanii.
Here was the reality: The only ladies are the harpies, Lelith Hesperax, the Succubus, and less than half of any given Wyches unit.
On first glance, that's not too bad. But then I realized that they had individual guns I'd have to paint. Spears. Swords. Knives. Utility belts. Some were less important than others, if they were in scabbards. But things like swords held aloft, I couldn't get around.
With Sylvanas, I panicked because while she does have a sword (in some cutscenes) it was just a basic, boring silver thing. I thought I knew better and tried to remake the Twin Blades of Azzinoth from Illidan.
Tumblr media
When they looked as bad as they did, I pretty much called it quits then and there.
The guns would be their own beast; with Vriska Solitaire, I at least could just make the Warhammer of Vrillyhoo to reference, but I didn't know what to do for a sudden army of all this. I was suddenly adrift because I was relying a bit much on source material and beginning to mix the things that shouldn't be. Illidan looks good holding the twinglaives, his color palette reflects that. Sylvanas does not.
It made me realize that this wouldn't be the first or last time I encountered this problem, so I decided to spend more time thinking about who my main faction would be (especially since I did and do still have some Drukhari Boxes of Shame™ in my cupboard already, and I didn't want to go deeper before it was too late.) For the time being, I would just paint what I wanted to paint and when I came up with something that I could commit to (which I would!) then I would commit to that army.
This is to ultimately say that if there is something you consistently dread doing, and it's less of a skill issue and more something like "but I don't even have any idea how to make this interesting," then don't hesitate to shop around until you find something you like.
#5: Understand How To Catch The Eye
The last brief point I'll mention is knowing how color contrast also means you should catch your viewer's eye.
You want it on the figure. The only thing I could day I did right is that Sylvesperax is very dark so you could argue she is stealthy and fast, and nothing but a blurry shadow on the orange Martian surface I placed her on. But that's a complete and total cope, lol. And I fucked up the glyphs again: I wanted a yellow glow to a reddish background, but the flow messed up and it stood out too much.
Going at this a second time, I think what I would do is try to make her brighter, i.e. less shade paint, and the ground duller; an ugly orangeish-brown clay like in Minecraft. Also, smaller detail brushes I would get in the future would be a godsend. In addition to her overly shaded blue form, you might see her eyes seem stylistically darkened when in fact, they were supposed to be red and I could never get the shader out.
So, big bummer with this one, and a step down from the Vriska Solitaire, but definitely a bigger learning experience. And a humbling moment, where I realized just how many mistakes I could make in one sitting. But no worries: the next one would have even more mistakes, and I would be a lot better at coping with them and I'd definitely start to develop more as a painter thanks to it. See you next time on that post!
9 notes · View notes
cuma-lee · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
Warglaives of Azzinoth
A legendary weapon wielded by Illidan Stormrage himself, Warglaive of Azzinoth is the main hand component of the The Twin Blades of Azzinoth set.
0 notes
reilaani · 3 years
Text
Tumblr media
Selfmade Twin Blades of Azzinoth
19 notes · View notes
chirun-i · 5 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Found an old sketch
Me, trying to get The Twin Blades of Azzinoth from greedy daddy Illidan.
55 notes · View notes
alteredphoenix · 5 years
Text
My Reach, Far and Wide (WoW)(WIP)(Role Swap AU; Druid!Illidan, DH!Malfurion, Warden!Tyrande)
A/N: I have been wanting to do fanfics that take place purely during the Classic era (as in, before TBC and WotLK), and though I’m halfway to level 60 on my main it seems to me that, so far, there’s very little that’s drawing my attention and warrants my interest to flesh something out. This might be a bad idea, what with me plodding along at the pace of a snail, so for that endeavor I may have to consult my Chronicles volumes for more info.
In the meantime, I’d been fishing for ideas on want to focus on today, this being my day off. This preview below is half the document that I’ve typed up so far: a fanfic that takes direct inspiration from skins that originate in Heroes of the Storm, featuring Warden!Tyrande, Druid!Illidan, and Malfurion as the Betrayer of Night Elves. Maiev is the High Priestess (although certainly not shipped with Illidan), and Kor’vas (not presented here) is Illidan’s adopted daughter (a foil to Shandris, a Watcher that is a swap of Naisha, whom is of the Sisterhood).
A reminder that, although Illidan’s motives to sabotage the Legion was eventually revealed, Malfurion’s Betrayer was available prior to it. The description dictates that in that universe he went mad from Sargeras’s whispers and thus abandoned Cenarius’s teachings to join the Legion, a move that came as a shock to the night elves. While I can definitely see this version of Malfurion becoming Sargeras’s jailor in the future, his aspirations would be a lot more selfish and much less altruistic - his partnership would serve as a convenience to slake his addiction to magic than out of any ounce of goodness in his heart: an iteration that is closer to Illidan’s pre-Legion personality and goals.
-
One thing they teach you among the Watchers is to never, under any circumstances unless you have someone accompanying you, close your eyes longer than is absolutely necessary. There were going to be times where you would go stretches without rest; you’re either on your feet or, if you’re Tyrande Whisperwind, standing on your feet and not moving the slightest centimeter from your post, to which your feet will scream for mercy as they ache with each heavy, trodden step is weighted on the ground or your legs will turn to jelly and shiver with the chill of needles lancing up and down muscles and ligaments as to become stone pincushions that can give out with little to no warning in its abruptness.
Sleep is human, but sleeping before it is called for denotes weakness. A potential for trouble. Elune have mercy on the souls of those unfortunate enough to close their eyes to the darkness that lurks behind the veil of reality and awaits them all in the inevitable future; for though the Burning Legion has been pushed out of Azeroth, their presence still remains. Life finds a way to survive the sundering of the world, but so too does evil—Sargeras’s vile servants remain, stalking the fractured land that came to be called Kalimdor, searching for ways to break through the night elves’ defenses and feast upon the Well nestled beneath Nordrassil’s eaves, glowing with magic and untold promises of power beyond a person’s wildest fancies. A road that would lead only to temptations, the Wardens would grumble.
Tyrande doesn’t close her eyes all the way. They lower, half-mast, a fraction of a blink. Yet it’s not the footsteps that startle her awake but the shadow stretching along the wall coming closer that does. She rises up, breath hissing out between clenched teeth that she hopes is low enough for the intruder not to hear, and bears the umbral crescent before her so fast the torchlight flashes across its serrated teeth.
“At ease, sister!” Astarii Starseeker cries, and when Tyrande’s eyes finish their blink they take in her fellow Watcher, hands upraised in placation. “It’s only me!”
Slowly, Tyrande relaxes and lowers her weapon. “You should know better than to sneak up on me.”
“My apologies. But the others said you had not come up from your post for your break. I went to go check on you.”
“I wasn’t sleeping.”
Astarii laughs and rubs the back of her neck, sheepish. “Ah. That’s good. That’s, uh, that’s good! I’d hate to have to bring Shan’do Illidan down here and find you dozing away. That,” she shifts from one foot to the other, deciding her words, “I don’t think you’d’ve liked that.”
Tyrande’s ears pin back, more over the thought of being caught unawares than the news that her Watcher brings. “The Shan’do? Again?”
“Yes. Again,” Astarii repeats patiently, and gestures behind her the way she’d come. “He waits at the entrance.”
Tyrande huffs a sigh, reattaches the crescent to its tackles on her belt beneath the long green cape, and turns away. “Send him down,” she calls, and doesn’t bother looking back when Astarii acknowledges her and goes up the tunnel to relay the message.
She senses him well before his shadow dwarfs her and it travels along the walls like a lonesome phantom of the War. Hard to, really; the Archdruid’s influence is vast, incalculable, filled with a life that encompasses every blade of grass, every speck of dust and dirt and speck of grain and sand, every leaf in every tree and every drop of water in every river and nook and stream and pond and lake in Mount Hyjal that when inhaled is fresh and green and free of the corruption that drove Azshara and her Highborne to heights of uncaring, vainglorious madness. When he finally catches up with her and matches her stride for stride, Tyrande is already halfway beneath the den.
Neither say a word, walking past silent Watchers that cease whatever activity they are doing—sharpening their blades, striking the target dummies, checking the wards—and incline their heads to their Warden, or bow low at the waist before they straighten and resume the task they left off. They take a sharp right and cross the wooden bridge that goes over the inlet that burbles beneath them and spills over the edge into a shallow pool below ringed with stalagmites. The torches flicker, through their high cheekbones into brief shadow; Tyrande sniffs, scenting juniper and earthroot, deep and damp as its namesake.
“I don’t know why you keep doing this,” Tyrande says as they round the corner that takes them down, down, into a gloom that not even the flames can wholly fend off. “People like him will never change.”
“He is still my brother,” Illidan says, voice flat.
“Not even family should be granted special treatment. You should have done away with him, for all our sake.”
“And what good would that have done? One traitor’s death will not eliminate the influence the Dark One has left on this world.” His frown is harsh, severe. It makes him look far older than he appears, like an oak tree that has weathered many storms. “There are others now. There will be more then.”
“Not if we have anything to say about it.”
“Do you really want to afford a civil war? Is this what you’re doing while I walk among my brethren in the Dream?”
Tyrande harrumphs, lips tipped up in a cruel, mirthless smile. “For all your talk of unity, Shan’do, you’re still the same, guileless boy with a soft heart that I grew up with in Lor’lathil so long ago. I suppose when I’ll next see you again you’ll expect me to hold hands with Broll Bearmantle.”
“A preferable alternative, next to that blowhard you call a friend.”
“Fandral has the right idea for our people. We need only concern ourselves. No other race in all of Azeroth can compare to the vigil we stand against the Burning Legion and any that may stand beside them. Ours is a strength that comes from within and the bounty nature offers us. To think they are capable otherwise is beyond their ken.”
“Even the Highborne?”
“You know it had to be done. Keeping them here would have given you your civil war, and then where would our people be? Nordrassil is not blessed, and Andrassil is broken. Although exiling them across the seas may prove to be a disaster in the making—did you know Dath’remar has founded a kingdom of his own and created a new Well? They changed, Illidan. They have turned their backs on Elune, preferring the warmth of the sun.”
“I am well aware of their metamorphosis and their monarchy. The Dream does not end in just Kalimdor.”
“I should hope not.”
“You worry too much. So long as they keep their nose clean, they can do whatever they wish to do that they could not in Ashenvale.”
“You hope too much. You really expect them to behave.”
“In the future we have built atop the ruins of our arrogance, hope is one of the few things I treasure above all else. I am grateful you know me so well.”
Tyrande snorts. “You should have killed them,” she snarls. “You should have killed him. Sparing them will bring us nothing but trouble.”
“You and Maiev both. I dread to think you are both twins, or two separate entities of a whole. That’s all she talks about.”
“Well, the Wardens are always accepting new applicants, should she ever change her mind.”
“There’s hardly a difference between you and the Sisterhood of Elune, all things considered.”
“And what about you and the Betrayer?”
A rustle of leaves, a creak of wood as Illidan turns his head. The radiance of golden eyes behind his blindfold--whether to shield everyone of their intensity or from the horrible gash Azzinoth gave him that almost rendered him blind eludes her—brightens the hallway, causing Tyrande to look askance lest she discover firsthand if she truly will lose her sight to it. “What about us?” he asks.
7 notes · View notes
aion-rsa · 3 years
Text
10 World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Moments We Can’t Wait to Relive in Classic
https://ift.tt/2NlytM4
Much like the reveal of Diablo 2 Resurrection, many Blizzard fans were anticipating the eventual release of The Burning Crusade Classic as the follow-up to WoW Classic. It seemed inevitable that Blizzard would revisit the first WoW expansion following “vanilla” WoW‘s recent success.
And yet, there’s something undeniably magical about the confirmation that we’re this much closer to the essential re-release of WoW: The Burning Crusade. Not only was TBC the first of many expansions in WoW history, it is what many consider to be one of the best eras in the history of one of the best video game franchises ever.
So as we prepare to dive back into Burning Crusade, let’s also look back at the Burning Crusade moments that we can’t wait to relive.
1. The Opening of the Dark Portal
The opening of the Dark Portal is undeniably a special moment in the history of Warcraft lore that is partially elevated by the memory of experiencing something truly new in a game that is genuinely beloved.
Yet, there is something genuinely special about this moment that lives on to this day. The feeling of watching hundreds of people wait at the threshold of this monolith that teased players since WoW launched is one of those moments that’s never quite been replicated.
Despite their best efforts, Blizzard has never crafted a transition between expansions quite as brilliant as entering the Dark Portal. It will be a purely magical moment to relive.
2. The Theatrics of the Karazhan Raid
It’s not that Karazhan is the first great raid in WoW history (far from it), but this was the raid that really proved to everyone what the team was capable of when they were at their best.
As what could be described as the party that never ends, Karazhan not only featured one of the most unique thematic concepts of any WoW raid before or since but a thematic quality that could only be described as one of Blizzard’s best environmental storytelling efforts ever.
Karazhan is still rightfully used as the measuring stick for even modern WoW raids. It’s a piece of operatic brilliance that hasn’t aged a day.
3. The Fight Against Kael’thas Sunstrider
Some of the best boss fights in old-school video game history features a multi-phase structure that teased victory just often enough to keep you on the hook. The battle against Kael’thas Sunstrider replicated the best elements of those old-school battles.
This marathon of a raid boss sees you navigate five distinct stages that often force you to deploy unique strategies. From brawls with unique melee weapons to a timed DPS check, the fight against Kael’thas Sunstrider is a truly epic encounter.
It’s not the hardest boss fight in TBC (more on that later), but in its own way, this is the boss fight that set a standard that so many tried (and often failed) to match.
4. Illidan and the Black Temple Raid
Few villains in WoW history were ever as hyped as Illidan Stormrage. He was the clear face of the Burning Crusade expansion and one of the clearest threats that WoW had ever known.
It’s a small miracle, then, that the battle against Illidan didn’t disappoint. While working your way up to Illidan, there’s a real sense that you’re working your way toward this ultimate presence that has been lingering somewhere above you for your entire journey.
Even if Black Temple isn’t the absolute best raid and Illidan isn’t the best raid boss, the combination of those two elements come together to form something that truly feels special in the way that the best raids should.
5. Burning Crusade’s Arena Battles
When WoW Classic‘s PvP scene finally debuted, many players felt like there was a little something missing. It turns out that little something may have been Burning Crusade‘s Arena battles.
TBC‘s introduction of team-based battles forever shaped WoW‘s PvP scene by alerting gamers to the fact that assembling the perfect PvP squad and sending them into battle captured the best elements of PvP conflict and PvE character building.
Was TBC‘s Arena meta perfect? Absolutely not. However, for millions of WoW Classic players who have spent hours building the perfect character, it’s going to be the first real chance to introduce them to the PvP scene.
Read more
Games
World of Warcraft Shadowlands: How Long Does it Take to Reach Level 60?
By Matthew Byrd
Games
Best World of Warcraft Shadowlands Mounts and How to Unlock Them
By Matthew Byrd
6. Making That First Horde Paladin or Alliance Shaman
From a sheer lore perspective, you could certainly still argue for Blizzard’s decision to limit the Paladin class to Alliance players and the Shaman class to Horde fans. It was a fantastic way to add a little extra incentive to the idea of choosing one faction over the other.
Even still, there’s a larger argument to be made for how the decision to let both factions create characters for those iconic classes ultimately helped the balance of the game. That blend of lore and mechanics was never quite as perfect as it was when TBC finally let you create Alliance Shamans and Horde Paladins.
Granted, they weren’t the most “viable” classes at the time, but the novelty of being able to finally bridge the gap is going to inspire a lot of players to make these their first TBC alts.
7. Earning Your First Flying Mount
While playing through WoW Classic, you really started to feel the things that you truly missed. For many, one of those things was the ability to acquire flying mounts.
TBC‘s addition of flying mounts was considered to be one of the expansion’s best ideas at the time of its release, and that sentiment remains strong years later. It turns out that investing a huge amount of gold into the ability to fly around a zone is worth the investment.
Even modern WoW players will be able to appreciate how earning that first flying mount feels in TBC.
8. Finally Beating M’uru
Some of the most beloved WoW boss fights in the game’s history are also the most frustrating. There’s just something about a truly difficult challenge that brings people together like nothing else.
There are few better examples of that concept than M’uru. While not the best example of a WoW fight from a lore or thematic perspective, the sheer mechanical challenge of M’uru haunts players to this day. It’s one of the most intimidating WoW boss fights Blizzard ever crafted.
M’uru is going to challenge WoW players in a way that even the toughest WoW Classic fights never really did. We’ll see if this one ends up being a true guild breaker or a moment of pure triumph.
9. Showing off the Twin Blades of Azzinoth
Look, the fact of the matter is that some of the best gear in WoW history has been reserved for melee classes. There’s just something fundamentally cool about wielding a truly distinct weapon in your hands.
There are few better examples of that concept than the Twin Blades of Azzinoth. Not only are the thematic weapons of Illidan Stormrage one of the greatest WoW flexes ever from a purely visual standpoint, but they were some of the most powerful weapons that WoW players could ever dream of at the time of the TBC‘s release.
It takes a lot of effort and a lot of luck to unlock the Twin Blades. Thankfully, it all proves to be worth it for the simple pleasure of showing off.
cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });
10. Seeing True Class Diversity in Dungeons and Raids
Look, the truth of the matter is that high-end WoW players are always going to find the optimal class compositions for any scenario. That philosophy will almost certainly apply to the re-release of a WoW expansion.
Yet, there’s absolutely something to be said for how TBC made more classes more viable than ever before. While the balance changes that Blizzard made to classes like Druids are the most obvious example of this benefit, the more lasting benefit of this change may be how TBC‘s enhanced difficulty level made it more important than ever to invite the right players rather than the right classes.
High-end guilds will still look for specific compositions, but TBC will help ensure that those who prefer certain builds won’t be limited to the meme tier of raid invites.
The post 10 World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Moments We Can’t Wait to Relive in Classic appeared first on Den of Geek.
from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/37vlz5b
0 notes
birthrightforged · 5 years
Note
Weaponmaster Warglaive of Azzinoth
The Twin Blades of Azzinoth are a pair of fel green warglaives wielded by Illidan Stormrage. Azzinoth was a doom guard commander whom Illidan slew 10,000 years ago. Illidan took Azzinoth's twin warglaives and trained himself to use them. He has become exceedingly efficient with the weapons. When Illidan used the twin warglaives they were usually connected, but could be disconnected to form separate weapons. Once disconnected they could be reconnected to form a single weapon once more.
Tumblr media
“I don’t like the energy given off by these blades...” Corrin was quick to remark, “These seem to be made for only a master of such to wield...”
0 notes
neatbender · 7 years
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Hearthstone Update – July 10
In this Hearthstone Update we’re making a balance change to The Caverns Below and opening pre-purchase for Knights of the Frozen Throne, Hearthstone’s next expansion. We’re also changing the type of some minions, adding more card backs, and fixing several bugs.
Pre-purchase for Knights of the Frozen Throne, Hearthstone’s latest expansion, is now available from both the in-game Shop and online! 
Pre-purchased card packs and the Frostmourne card back will now appear in-game. Knights of the Frozen Throne card packs can be opened when the expansion is released in August.
Balance Update
The Caverns Below now reads: Quest: Play five minions with the same name. Reward: Crystal Core.
The Caverns Below is uniquely powerful versus several slower, control-oriented decks and is played often enough to push those decks out of play. While deck diversity in Ranked Play is good, a change to The Caverns Below was still warranted to help keep that trend going into the future.
The Caverns Below can now be disenchanted for full Arcane Dust value until July 24 PDT.
Arena
Note: Neutral cards form the basis for draft appearance rates.
On average, Arena runs consist of 60% Common, 28% Rare, 10% Epic, and about 2% Legendary cards.
Class minions are +100% more common than neutral cards.
Class Spells and Weapons are +175% more common than neutral cards.
Journey to Un'Goro cards receive an additional +50% increase in their appearance rate.
Flamestrike, Abyssal Enforcer, and Vicious Fledgling will appear in drafts 50% less often.
Popular cards had small drop rate changes to address class balance concerns. (Note - These changes range from 1-5%. They are small enough that they are unlikely to be noticed during an individual draft, but should have enough cumulative impact to help improve class balance.)
The following cards are unavailable in arena: Jungle Giants, The Marsh Queen, Open the Waygate, The Last Kaleidosaur, Awaken the Makers, The Caverns Below, Unite the Murlocs, Lakkari Sacrifice, Fire Plume’s Heart, Klaxxi Amber Weaver, Dark Arakkoa, Cult Sorcerer, Hooded Acolyte, Twilight Darkmender, Blade of C’Thun, Usher of Souls, Ancient Shieldbearer, Twilight Geomancer, Disciple of C’Thun, Twilight Elder, C’Thun’s Chosen, Crazed Worshipper, Skeram Cultist, Twin Emperor Vek’lor, Doomcaller, C’Thun, Dust Devil, Totemic Might, Ancestral Healing, Windspeaker, Sacrificial Pact, Sense Demons, Void Crusher, Succubus, Savagery, Soul of the Forest, Mark of Nature, Warsong Commander, Rampage, Starving Buzzard, Timber Wolf, Snipe, Mind Blast, Lightwell, Purify and Inner Fire.
The following minions are now Elementals: Jade Spirit, Djinni of Zephyrs, Flame of Azzinoth, Mana Geode, and Hallazeal, the Ascended.
Frostmourne – Acquired from the Knights of the Frozen Throne pre-purchase bundle.
HearthS’mores – Acquired from achieving Rank 20 in Ranked Play, July 2017.
Fixed an issue that could cause Hearthstone to freeze when closing.
Fixed some visual issues associated with Deck Importing.
2 notes · View notes
uwrapmymail · 6 years
Link
World of Warcraf Twin Blades of Azzinoth Promo Toy https://youtu.be/wsVK955u4cM
0 notes