Shadowmourne

The legendary weapon was datamined just a few minutes ago, and is up on MMO-Champion!

Take a look and drool.

3 red sockets, a strength socket bonus, 114 crit rating and armor pen...Really, it speaks for itself.

Now excuse me, I need to change my undies.

Shadow's Edge and Shadowmourne

The proc on Shadowmoune is interesting to say the least. As it is, Retribution Paladins will be clamoring for this, seeing as how the proc scales with their damage against the same types of targets.

But, this blog isn't about Ret Pallies.

Let's break down the proc. 1 Soul Fragment grants the wielder 40 strength, which stacks up to 10 times. That's 400 strength, on top of another 1900 - 2100 shadow damage split between all enemies within 8 yards. Don't forget that. If each enemy took this amount of damage, that would be rather ridiculous. The legendary-ness has to stop somewhere.

This is definitely a weapon exclusive to what's going on with Icecrown Citadel, and Arthas, for sure. The shadow damage may not be great against every type of mob, but we aren't dealing with every type of mob, we're dealing with undead.

The 400 strength gain is nothing to shake a stick at. Shadow's Edge already has 185 strength on it, plus two red sockets with a socket bonus of +6 strength. I would imagine Shadowmourne would have even more. That's a lot of strength. Fury Warriors might want to greatly consider trying for this axe for that reason. (It is Unique, however, Shadowmourne and Shadow's Edge may be able to be coupled together.) Remember, rank 5 of Improved Berserker Stance increases strength by 20%. This isn't to say Arms Warriors shouldn't look at this weapon. Both specs would enjoy the upgrade. Poleaxe Spec would come back into play for those who went Sword Spec to try out the Obsidian Edged Blade, and I still consider that the best of the three specializations. Even if you decide that seeking the legendary Frostmourne is too much trouble, Shadow's Edge is still something to think about getting come Patch 3.3.

I can say that I will definitely be trying to obtain this weapon on my Fury Warrior, which will be extremely hard in a guild with other plate DPS who want the same thing. I see no reason as to why multiple people can't have this weapon, but I'm sure many people will disagree with me on this. After all, a legendary is legendary for a reason. however, the fact that you need 25 other people to complete certain parts of the questline to forge the item tells me that since teamwork is involved in making it for any one person, teamwork could also help several people want the axe. I see nothing wrong in boasting that "my guild has gotten Shadowmourne for a few of it's DPS plate raiders". The point of a raiding guild is to gear up it's members to further the progression of the guild anyway. I can't see how only allowing the top plate DPS in the guild to obtain the weapon would help very much. If anything, it only puts the others who may not be doing as great further behind.

Here is a list of the quests required for Shadowmourne and/or Shadow's Edge, quoted from MMO Champion*.

The Sacred and the Corrupt
It is against my judgment that I present you this errand, , as it will likely end in your undoing. Ignore my counsel and embark on the endeavor, and I shall provide you with the knowledge and resources to see it through.

You must return to Frostmourne Cavern and recover Light's Vengeance, Arthas' discarded hammer. Reforged with saronite and etched with the acidic blood of the Lich King's abominations, it will provide the foundation for our work.

Unholy Infusion
Before your weapon can reach its full potential it must be endowed with its signature powers. First among them is unholiness. You must seek out and defeat the one called Professor Putricide, but his death is not your only goal. You must use his resources against him.

Find a way to absorb his mutated slime. Use the foul substance to infuse your weapon with the power of the unholy. Only when this has been done shall I reveal your next task.

Blood Infusion
Your weapon is now prepared to be endowed with the power of blood. You are to face Queen Lana'thel in battle and bathe the axe in her Blood Mirror power. When it has been fully infused, you must slay her unmercifully.

May her screams pierce the ears of the Lich King as he awaits his fate.

Frost Infusion
Shadow's Edge is prepared to receive its final infusion of power. Sindragosa, the enemy's own mount, must fall. But before she is brought down, you must sustain three of her frozen breath attacks without tasting death.

Without his dragon, nothing shall stand between you and the Lich King.

The Splintered Throne
The Lich King's throne once served as his prison. Kil'jaeden himself crafted the vessel of icy crystals from the twisting nether. Its sole purpose was to hold Ner'zhul's vengeful spirit. When Arthas struck the crystal with Frostmourne, he released Ner'zhul's soul, allowing it to merge with with his own. Splinters from that impact are now scattered throughout the citadel.

I shall require those shards, held only by the Lich King's most powerful servants, to seal the power contained in your blade.

A Feast of Souls
Shadow's Edge is among the greatest weapons a could hope to obtain. Is your lust for power sated, ?

I thought not. A final warning then... You now embark on the most treacherous leg of your quest. Bridle your aspirations, for if your aims are impure then your life, your very soul, is forfeit.

The weapon you hold is but an empty husk, a mere shadow of what it may become. Only the devouring of a thousand souls will unlock its true potential.

If you take a look at the links, you'll see just how much is involved in forging Shadowmourne. Killing 1000 mobs in ICC alone is no easy task, and that's only after you've collected many other items that may or may not be guaranteed drops, or large gold sinks.

In any case, this seems to be a good, old-fashioned legendary item and quest. I missed out on Thunderfury and the Hand of Ragnaros, so I've got my mind set on Shadowmourne.

(* From MMO-Champion, here.)

Shadow's Edge and Shadowmourne Preview

The stats for Shadow's Edge have been datamined in the latest PTR build (10853), and are over on MMO Champion if you want to take a look.

Shadow's Edge is the axe you need to upgrade if you're seeking to create the legendary Shadowmourne.

Shadowmourne's stats itself have not yet been identified (so far as I've been able to find anyway), but it's particular equip proc has:

Item - Shadowmourne Legendary
Instant cast

Your weapon swings have a chance to drain a Soul Fragment granting you 40 strength. When you have acquired 10 Soul Fragments you will unleash Chaos Bane, dealing 1900 to 2100 shadow damage split between all enemies within 8 yards.

Before I get to talking about these items, let's take a look at what Blizzard* has revealed about Shadowmourne.

"Before beginning his reign as the Lich King, Prince Arthas Menethil was first a servant, ruled by a sword he believed was the key to saving his people - the runeblade Frostmourne. Finding and claiming the blade among the frozen wastes of Northrend was an odyssey unto itself, and the search cost the prince his mentor, his relationship with his subjects, and his humanity. It cost the living of Azeroth far more.

With a tight grip on the blade that he traded his life for, Arthas ravaged the kingdom of Lordaeron and broke free from the control of the Burning Legion. By the time the former prince ascended as the leader of the Scourge, Frostmourne was already glutted with the souls of the numberless dead who dared to oppose him.

Now, Arthas has become so inseparable from his weapon that the sword's likeness has even found its way into the architecture of his fortress, Icecrown Citadel. Its hilt is never far from his hands; its ghostly whispers constantly ring in his ears. Frostmourne, as much as the Lich King, is the ruler of Northrend.

To challenge that rule, mighty heroes will need to follow more closely in Arthas's path than ever before.

In a relentless quest to arm the forces of the living against the Scourge, Darion Mograine has formed the Ashen Verdict, a union between the most skilled craftsmen of the Argent Crusade and the Ebon Blade. Though the peerless paladins of the Crusade wield the power of the Light, and their leader clutches Ashbringer, a few of Mograine's dark warriors have begun to question their hopes for victory.

These death knights insist that the Ashbringer and the skills of the Argent Crusaders, though potent, aren't enough to best Frostmourne alone. They swear that Darion Mograine has long been quietly aware of another legendary blade - one that could be the key to defeating the Lich King and cleansing Northrend... But it doesn't exist yet.

For the moment, the weapon is a formless idea, with no more killing power than an angry thought. When it is spoken of, it is spoken of quietly, and the Highlord has a habit of silencing those who discuss it in public.

But the hope of an artifact to rival Frostmourne is strong within the minds of the Ebon Blade. Just its name inspires the furnaces to burn late into the night, the bellows to pump air, and the darker half of the Verdict's smiths to swing their hammers until their fingers fail. While other craftsmen crafters lean over whetstones and gather pitted blades by the hundreds, these few dream of a single weapon to end the war for Northrend.

Shadowmourne... A great two-handed axe fit for a giant, born of sacred and corrupt powers, host of a thousand dead souls and able to be wielded only by the most stalwart armsmasters of Azeroth. Its creation seems nearly impossible; and yet, the rumors do not cease.

Some smiths claim that Shadowmourne must be nothing more than an ordinary axe, honed to unparalleled perfection, while others would shape it from a weapon of immense import in the world. Mograine, when he can be convinced to speak of it at all, is said to believe that only the hammer of Arthas himself will provide a worthy model - but such absurd ambition is just the beginning of Shadowmourne's creation.

• To contain the energies that dance across its cold edges, Shadowmourne must be hewn from piles of impure Saronite: the hardened blood of the Old God, Yogg-Saron, treated only by master metal-shapers.
• To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade.
• To help break through the Lich King's armor, Shadowmourne is to be adorned with fragments of the Frozen Throne, originally crafted by Kil'Jaeden out of ice from the Twisting Nether.

Only with these mighty components, it's said, can Shadowmourne be finished. And, yet, even if the axe could be completed, questions and fears remain. Is forging the souls of the deceased into a weapon treated withblood and the essence of the Twisting Nether truly any different from the crafting of the Scourge's runeblades?

Who is to say that the Lich King wouldn't simply annihilate - or control - the maker for their impudence in mimicking his most treasured possession? If Arthas, one of the most dedicated knights of his age, lost his humanity to the whispers of Frostmourne, might Shadowmourne bring the same doom and misery tothe living as its sister blade?

Without knowing the answers to these questions, who would be bold enough to try and wield it?"

Pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

(*Blizzard has this on their official site, here.)