Funny things with gear. (if you don't want to know what gear comes later. Don't look)

So, as some of the might know, there is a new Legendary weapon comming with 4.2
A staff that will be in a chain sort of like Shadowmourne.
It'll look like:

Spoiler:

Am I alone in thinking that step 3 and 4 just looks retarded and ugly and would keep it at stage 1 or 2 only for the sake of the better looks?

I agree, the jump in style after Stage 1 I don't really like. I understand and like the Base and Stage 1 model (I can take a pretty good guess at some of the quest/info regarding the staff without actually digging, I think, just from looks alone)...

But after that... I dunno. I won't complain at my crack at getting it though. And I will be trying.

1 is a stick.
2 is a useable weapon.
3 is a ceremonial weapon.
4 is banner you plant in the ground outside of your HQ.

My shaman needs the base... the base looks kickass

It's legendary, it's not supposed to look plain.

It sums up their art direction over the last few years nicely.

Spoiler:

Paragus wrote:It's legendary, it's not supposed to look plain.

I'd be tempted to agree. Then I'd also point out Atiesh. Regardless of how rare as rocking horse poo it is, it was hardly a "very fancy" staff. It had a beauty though. And it worked. Also, possibly, it didn't fit in with any of the art in WoW then, or now. It never seemed to be of this game. Which is fitting as it was in the end so very legendary, as in rare.

The staff of Medivh itself wasn't a "cartoon" so to speak. Whereas here, we do have cartoon. A cartoon stick, and a fiery staff - the first/second images. The latter two just look, well yes, I guess like Banners. Or something.

I can see the progression, with regards to the Hyjal/Firelands/Blue Dragons. That's obvious in the style. Still think the latter too look daft.

For me one of the best staff designs ever by Blizz was the Charmed Cierge in Naxx - hardly "Legendary" though. Not that it "fit" Gruff. He'd rather a cleaver. Or a bonesaw.

Paragus wrote:It's legendary, it's not supposed to look plain.

There's a difference in "plain" and "stupid".
The second version hardly look's plain. It's a staff with a rather fancy head, and some magic glow.
The third and fourth just... what? How am I supposed to carry this!
I can hardly lift it because the head is so big! What, on my back? Where am I to have my head? The horns will poke me in the neck!

Atiesh is a great example at a weapon that looks both Legendary aswell as usefull.
Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury is also a quite good example. It is extremely detailed, and has a bit of "What the fuck, crystal?" But side from that looks usable. It's not ginourmous. The details along the non crystal bits adds more to the "legendary feel" of its looks than the crystals. It make's it look like "Damn, someone spent time on all those small things."

They could have managed this without the extravagant butt ugly headpiece by putting imaculate detail into the staff itself, making noticable runes run along it. The second head, with a smooth runecovered shaft would look far from plain. To give it a more "wowepic" look the runes could easily glow "ice" or "fire" for more magic.
Now that with how I picture it would be a Legendary worth showing off. Not just a big, rare piece of gear with fantabulus stats and effects.

Some of the best looking items in the game are intricate, but not cluttered. That base looks fantastic and I'd be tempted to keep it at that stage. Definately no further than stage 1. And the logic that because it's a legendary it has to look completely retarded is ludicrous.

Legendaries in the 'Real world' if you can call them that, I'm talking about the sword of Charlemagne Joan of ARc supposadly had her men dig in an old churchyard for, the sword or Mars Attila the Hun carried, the legendary blades of Viking mythology, Excalibur, these were practical weapons.

I want my character to look like a hero or a soldier when I'm PvPing, not a really bad cosplayer with no sense of proportion.

Stage 2 is my favorite in design.

Stage 3 is my favorite in color.

Would like to have Stage 2 in blue tbh.