Mintaka hit 80 around 8:00pm server on Monday night. He celebrated by letting off some of the fireworks in the nice package Rhonin sends you, very cool Blizz.

I’ve been finishing up some quests I have still not done as I’m enjoying them. I’ve been leaving Ice Crown for the last, still not gone there. I had intended to last night after leveling my Engineering but about 15mins after logging on I was invited to run Lightning Hall, cool, not done that. Cleared that with only one very strange wipe (3 pets, Mittens, a ghoul and a voidwalker all went after the same mob in an attached room at the same time, very odd bug). Then we decided to try Caverns of Time: Stratholme. The experience was decidedly meh. It was very easy but also cool from a lore perspective. Mind you, helping Arthas on his road to Lcihkinginess was somewhat troubling. Then we decided on The Occulus, part of the Nexus. Very cool instance with some interesting mechanics I’ll not spoil for you. Another clear but we wiped 4 or 5 times on the end boss until eliciting the aid of Wowwiki for some tips.

I had a very good night gear wise, new bracers, shoulders, hands, head and neck. All replacing previous epics. Mintaka now has only 4 epics to his name (back, chest, weapon and trinket). I even replaced my T6 gloves, a sad day but also a very good one.

Being one of few 80’s in my guild now allows me to establish a good roll within the team and also gives me an opportunity to get loot early so my decision to race to 80 seems good right now. I just need to level engineering at some point, lol. I am really looking forward to new heroics and raids though.

I also need to buy a tabard for Knights of the Ebon Blade as I need their rep. for a shoulder enchant. I’d have gotten some in the level 80 dungeons we ran last night had I been wearing it.

The new instances and game mechanics have really freshened up the game for me, I think Blizz has done an amazing job on this expansion, well worth the wait.