Warhammer Online News

The first Warhammer Online live expansion, Call to Arms got announced today, with a whole lotta new content and of course two new careers, the Dwarf Slayer and the Orc Choppa.

Keep reading for more info about the upcoming live events and new careers!

• Call to Arms live expansion schedule
• Live event: Night of Murder
  • Rewards
• Live event: Bitter Rivals
  • Two new careers
  • Headstart on the new careers
  • New scenario: The Twisting Towers
  • Rewards
• Career info: Choppa
  • Choppa specialty
  • Playing as a Choppa
  • Fighting against a Choppa
• Career info: Slayer
  • Slayer specialty
  • Playing as a Slayer
  • Fighting against a Slayer

Call to Arms live expansion schedule

• Call to Arms: Bitter Rivals Live Event (March): Successful completion of the live event allows head start access to the new Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer careers. The event will also introduces a new Chaos-themed RvR Scenario, Twisting Tower.
• The Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer answer the Call to Arms and join WAR! (March)
• Call to Arms: Beyond the Sands Live Event (April): The promise of great riches and powerful weapons comes from the south.
• Call to Arms: Rise of the Tomb Kings Live Event (May): The race between Order and Destruction begins to unlock the Land of the Dead for their Realm.
• Land of the Dead Opens (June): The deserts of Nehekhara open to players with the addition of a new RvR-gated dungeon zone. To gain access to the Land of the Dead, opposing Realms must battle for control of the zone to access dozens of new Public Quests, instanced lairs, and a massive new Tomb Kings dungeon to plunder in search of the Casket of Souls.

WAR Live Event: Night of Murder

As darkness falls on the Night of Murder, the worshippers of death bathe the land in blood, each intent on proving his or her devotion to the Elf god Kaela Mensha Khaine. It is a time that the forces of Destruction are all too willing to exploit. Assassins infiltrate the cities, while on the battlefield the differences between Good and Evil fade beneath the crimson haze of bloodlust. None are immune to the will of Khaine during this dark holiday.

During the Night of Murder, players will receive event influence by completing daily tome tasks and participating in the “Marked for Death” quest given out by Witch Elves and Witch Hunters located in every warcamp, scenario, and capital city. Keep an eye out for members of the enemy realm who have been “marked for death” and kill these players and NPC’s to reap the rewards of the Night of Murder! But beware… unbeknownst to you and your realm mates, you too may be chosen as sacrifice.

Rewards

Receive event influence by completing daily tome tasks as well as the “Marked for Death” quest given out by Witch Elves and Witch Hunters located in every warcamp, scenario, and capital city:

• Basic - Shadowbane Potion that grants the title “The Murderous”
• Advanced - Screaming Skull for Destruction and Murder Fang for Order
• Elite - Talisman of Fell Whispers
• World Drop - Khaine’s Regard (ring) and Burning Blood Potion

WAR Live Event: Bitter Rivals

Ancient enmities collide in the Age of Reckoning!

Grudges that have lasted thousands of years boil over as Dwarfs and greenskins clash in epic battles. Warriors on the sides of both Order and Destruction stir to the pounding of battle drums … or get ground under in the march to war. With both factions gnashing at each other’s throats, new champions arise: the frothing-mad Slayers of the Dwarfs, and the battle-crazed Choppas of the greenskins. Armed with sheer fury and a berserker will, these warriors charge to the fore, carrying the fight to the enemy, eager to bash in a few enemy skulls … or die a glorious death trying.

The pounding of the drums signals the advance, and a new offensive begins in the all-out warfare that is the Age of Reckoning.

Two new careers: Choppa and Slayer

The war is underway, and you have pledged yourself to the cause of Order, or of Destruction, to take up arms and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your realm-mates on the field of battle. You have banded together and faced mighty opponents, crushed enemy keeps, and raised your banner over battlefields littered with the dead.

Now, this February, we present you a new challenge in the form of WAR’s upcoming live event: Bitter Rivals!

The Age of Reckoning is about to get a lot more savage as the frenzied Slayers and the brutal Choppas enter the fray, to vie for domination of the Warhammer world.

Headstart on the Choppa & Slayer careers

Once the Bitter Rivals live event begins on February 24th, players who log into WAR will see a new tab in the Tome of Knowledge. Clicking on this tab will open the Live Events page, where each day we’ll place a special new daily task. Completing these daily tasks earns influence, just like you’d earn in a public quest. There are rewards for Basic, Advanced and Elite influence, culminating in the ultimate prize: the chance to play WAR’s new classes a full week before they’re released to the public! This last reward won’t be easy to earn, and players who want to get to the Elite level will need to log in each day and complete on the daily event.

New scenario: The Twisting Towers

Bitter Rivals players can also participate in a new RvR scenario–the Twisting Tower–which will only be available to players for the duration of this live event. This scenario takes players to a ruined Chaos temple hovering above a mighty vortex in the Tier 4 zone: The Chaos Wastes, where they battle for control of different levels of the temple-with a very special surprise to those players who succeed in capturing all three. This new scenario will be available for players of all levels, on all tiers, but will not contribute to the campaign. Participation in this scenario will give players an extra 10% bonus to their Renown point gain.

Rewards

Among the many spoils earned during this event are a special potion and a unique siege weapon for each realm, as well as premiere early access to the exciting new Slayer and Choppa careers.

Strap on your armor and take up your arms–and offer a heartfelt prayer to the gods. Bitter Rivals is almost upon you, and you do not want to be taken by surprise!

Rewards:

• Basic - Bitter Brew: Unlocks exclusive event titles
• Advanced - Exclusive Bitter Rivals siege weapons: Giants and Flame Cannons
• Elite -Unlock the Slayer and the Choppa for Head Start Play!!!
• World Drop - Broken Axe/Notched Choppa (grants event exclusive titles) and Grimnir’s Mercy/Redfang Grog (grants an attack speed buff!)

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More info about the new careers…

Choppa

Orcs are always itching for a fight, and at the best of times their insatiable bloodlust is barely restrained long enough to form some sort of rudimentary plan of attack. Choppas don’t even have that minimal self-restraint. Ornery and savage, their one-track mind is dead seat on getting stuck in and bashin’ heads! Chopping is what they live for, chopping is what they are best at, and this one-track focus makes them ferocious fighters. As such, a Choppa who lives long enough quickly turns out to be the most elite fighter of the Greenskin horde, wreaking havoc throughout enemy lines purely for the sake of satisfying their own self-indulgent bloodlust.
specialty

Choppa specialty

Choppas are driven purely by their unending and inexplicable thirst for battle, which compels them to throw themselves headlong into battle against any challenges who stand before them… or against anyone vaguely nearby… or against anyone trying to running away…or occasionally against rocks and trees if no one is nearby. Their endless love of battle drives Choppas into a nearly euphoric state, especially when they come across an enemy who presents a real challenge and their battle rage becomes stronger and stronger with each vicious strike. Most Choppas will even heedlessly push themselves off-balance, not caring about how vulnerable they become as long as they get a “Gud fight” out of it.
playing

Playing as a Choppa

The Choppa is an offensive juggernaut that rains increasingly punishing blows down upon their enemies as their battle frenzy consumes them more and more. However, while the Choppa is single-minded, they’re also clever in their brutality, and they have found that they can channel their battle rage into massive, exhausting attacks, briefly sacrificing their enraged power in an attempt to fell the enemy with a single powerful blow. For those who choose the life of a Choppa, the limited control of when to embrace their battle frenzy and when to exhaust it will be a constant back-and-forth as their battles rage on.
fighting

Fighting against a Choppa

While Choppas may appear to be completely vulnerable at first glance, do not be fooled, for they’re under the protection of Gork (or maybe Mork), and as such can be very resistant to damage. The surest way to fight against a Choppa is to simply hit them hard and fast, and preferably while they’re engaging a different enemy. Always remember that the Choppa’s battle frenzy, while granting incredible might to the Orcs, also makes them increasingly more vulnerable as well, so striking at a Choppa who’s already in the heat of battle allows you to take advantage of their weakness while still keeping your own safety. Of course, that’s cold comfort to the poor fool who’s being chopped to bloody bits…

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Slayer

While many of the other races view promises and commitments with a pragmatic eye, Dwarfs hold their honor in the highest regard, and uphold their oaths in a way that can only be described as nigh-obsessive. If something somehow prevents a Dwarf from fulfilling his oath, then he becomes shamed more deeply than any other race could even conceive of. Any Dwarf dishonored so thoroughly has only one choice: to stand before Grungi and take the Slayer’s oath, swearing to atone for his sin through an honorable death in combat. He forsakes his traditional armor, shaves his beard, ritually tattoos himself, and then sets off to rid himself of the shame and regret that haunt him. Slayers are just as stubborn as any other Dwarf, and dying quietly is simply not in their nature. The Slayers therefore become ruthless and terrifying fighters, throwing themselves into battle with no regard for their own well-being as they desperately search for a foe that is strong enough to end their painful quest.

Slayer specialty

Every moment of a Slayer’s life is filled with the rage of their dishonor and loss. As they battle an enemy, they become more enraged with every passing moment, furious and saddened that this foe is not strong enough to bring them death’s atonement. This rage fills them with deadly fury, making them more and more dangerous as it builds up. Eventually, their rage will begin to push their body past its limits, putting their own health and safely into dire straits.
playing

Playing as a Slayer

A Slayer focuses on brutal offensive attacks. As their rage builds up, they become more and more powerful, but they will eventually start to become more vulnerable as well, as fatigue takes its toll. While Slayers are able to briefly dampen their rage by using powerful and exhausting attacks, they can never be truly calmed, and their rage will quickly begin to build once again. Playing as a Slayer will ultimately come down to your choices between allowing your rage to consume you entirely and keeping you in a massive frenzy, or constantly exhausting your rage while also forgoing the furious might that it would otherwise give you, or striking a careful balance between the two. No matter the style, all Slayers are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Fighting against a Slayer

Even though Slayers wear almost no armor, Dwarf fortitude and the Slayer’s utterly-focused nature significantly make up for it. The best tactic for defeating a Slayer is to do so quickly, and far out of the reach of their weapons. Always remember that a prolonged engagement against a Slayer is a dire gamble for you, for if you manage to survive their initial assault, the Slayer will only grow stronger as their rage builds up – but the weakness that the rage eventually inflicts may possibly work in your favor…if you can survive that long.

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More details on these and other new features soon to invade the Age of Reckoning will be revealed as the launch of Call to Arms grows near.