I don't know about you, but it feels a little like we are living in a Bundle Bonanza in the Spiral just now. Two new Bundles and the Atlantean Bundle now available online! You know what that means? I don't have to think about the topic for my next post (although I have quite a few waiting in the wings), I'll just do a quick run through of the Evergreen Bundle and see what is in store for the eager buyer.
Bundles are a little different to other Gift Cards as they are quite expensive (relatively speaking) and so you really do get what you pay for. No lucky dips on this one. This is to be expected as they are the most expensive 'things' you can buy for Wizard101.
So, is the Evergreen Bundle worth it?
For those of you who follow our blog, you'll know I am a keen gardener, so this Bundle is one I was very interested in exploring more. If it is worth it, I'll gladly ask one of my US mates to buy one and send it over here to sunny Australia.
So, let's have a look at the standard items in a Bundle and what the Evergreen ones are like:
The Mount - Celestial Wolf: The mount is always going to be a bit different when it comes to a Bundle. They are typically well themed and the Evergreen ones is definitely different. It is called the "Celestial Wolf Mount" and has a kind of magical look to it. It is a standard 1-person mount, but I don't personally like it. It always has a 'drawn' feel to it, like it is super-imposed onto the game, as opposed to actually being a part of the game. It does look interesting, but not something Morgrim would regularly ride.
The Pet - Spirit of the Forest: This pet looks great. It is a little guy in a robe with a wand, and is a bit like what you would think a forest Druid would look like. In my mind, it is an ideal looking pet for this kind of Bundle.
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Now, this is one helluva pet if you are Balance. From a basic stats perspective, it has all stats over 200 and 2 of them at 240. Very nice.
Then we get to Talents - with double Balance damage, and double Balance accuracy as 1st generation talents, it even has a Piercing talent and mc Balance Spear! Other than these, however, there are the usual pip and health boosts.
...until you come to a spell called "Gardening Pixie". This is a very unique spell, and the first time for it in the Spiral. It is actually a May Cast (mc) Summon Pixie. For lower level Gardeners, or just those without much energy to spare, I can see this being a handy addition, although for me, this would be more fun than practical.
Lastly, this little guy comes up with two interesting cards at Baby - Supernova(!) and Growzone Layer. Now this can be very handy depending on your seed selection, as it prevents the need for Magic for 48 hours! Great card - Moolinda would be proud.
The Weapon - Thornblade: This is a great looking weapon and can be considered as a handy addition to your arsenal if you don't have a good weapon already. I say 'handy' as it has solid stats, but they probably aren't great. Piercing cuts in at level 50 and level 60 sees the Myth blade replaced with Earthquake. Quite a powerful addition to your deck...if you ever cast it.
The basic bonus theme with this weapon is standard pip allocation (1 baby pip for lower levels, and PP for higher levels), followed by some levels of Armour Piercing (up to 6%) and a bit of Critical thrown in. There is then the Myth Blade / Earthquake card and the expected Balance jabs.
Some people will buy this Bundle for the way this weapon looks, as it does look great, but looks are always a personal thing.
The Gear - Evergreen: Continuing their approach to having a visually themed Gear set, KI have done it again with this Gear if you like Gardening or if you are a die-hard Life Wizard.
The gear doesn't really favour any particular school, but, by being general in nature, it really doesn't push the boundaries on Gear stats. The cards are kinda useful (Weakness, Spirit Trap and Elemental Trap) and the stats are kinda useful You can get up to 30% damage (level 100) with this gear, so it is tidy, but not great.
There is a handy +6 Energy on each item, useful for people without Energy gear (and I'll have to update my Gardening book now) but again, the +18 Energy it is less than you can get on one single item in the Wyvern's Hoard pack. The big difference here is that you are certain to get +18 Energy, while with the Wyvern's Hoard pack, like all Hoard packs, that gear is a random drop.
I guess the other thing I should mention at this time is that you can get the "Splendid" gear in the Crowns Shop for 9995 that comes with +45 Energy. It doesn't look nearly as good however, and the Evergreen gear can be coloured.
The House - The Botanical Garden Estate: This is the main thing I look at when I check these new Bundles. I do like houses, I kind of collect them :)
Of course, there is the Extra Housing Elixir so you can use your house after you buy it...and once placed, you'll be able to take advantage of some of the new and amazing artwork that Wizard101 has been focusing on. It is beautiful.
It is also very handy for fellow Gardeners, as Seeds "Like" this house, just like the Red Barn Farm.
There is just one small thing...it is HUGE! If people buying this Bundle think they are getting another House, it is important to understand that this is more of a Greenhouse than a House. In fact, I'll go further, this is a forest with a Greenhouse in it. You can easily max out the total number of items in the (almost) one-room Greenhouse and it will still look empty. For those garden stackers out there, you'll have a lot of empty room.
In keeping with a number of Bundle houses, there is also a daily gift giver, this time in the form of a MASSIVE plant. It looks very cool and reminds me a lot of "Little Shop of Horrors" (as the words "Feed me Seymour" are going through my head!).
Outside, however, is what this Bundle is all about. It is a magical forest, a lake, a PvP arena and lots of secret areas. From the outside the Greenhouse just looks incredible, and again, KI are really showing off the next level of attention to artwork that we have been seeing in the more recent worlds.
I can just imagine what it would be like riding the Vine Mount through the forest :)
Morgrim's Verdict
If you love nature or gardening, this would be worth buying, but mostly for the House. The Mount is something some people will like, and some will not. For me, I don't like the superimposed nature of it. The Gear isn't a real standout, but if you like the look, it is quite unique and, unlike a lot of Crowns items, it can be recoloured. The Pet is very cool, but like I always say, you can hatch your way to any pet you want, so that wouldn't be enough for me to pay $39. Even the weapon - again, it is nice...but.
Remember, you do get either a month's membership or 5,000 Crowns. That is a minimum of $5 value (min) straight up...so the question is, would I be happy with $34 worth of value here.
For me, the answer is probably a "No", maybe, as the house is amazing! Hmm...actually, I might change that. I think for me...the house does make it worthwhile after all. So for me, it is a "Yes".
That said, for one of my good Life Wizard friends, the answer would absolutely be a "Yes" because of her love for the woods and all things "Lifey".
What do you think? Does the house make it worthwhile?
See you 'round the Spiral (but don't be surprised if I have a Spirit of the Forest pet - they do look great!)
Morgrim
Let's say I was after a life fish from this pond in Grizzleheim...
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