Gift Card - Bundle Analysis - The Evergreen Bundle

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.

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

The Dino Bundle - Last Minute - Yes or No!?!

With the imminent demise of the Dino Bundle, I thought it might be worth checking it out in detail.  I tend to delay purchases like this sometimes, but I hate to think I will miss out on something really special, so when these Bundles reach "End of Life", I will go through everything included to determine what I should do.

So, is the Dino Bundle something I shouldn't let go?  Is there a little gem that is worth the USD$39?

OK, let's start with the House.  Like Tabitha, I like my houses.  I collect only those that I consider to be the best.  What is the Pyramid of the Lost Horizon really like?

First, it is big.  Really big.  I like that - a lot :)  It does mean that to create something special here you do need to think carefully.  If you don't, it can look messy quickly, or you will churn through your 250 item limit without even trying.

It has two, no three(!) secret areas...another really good bonus.  I like the hidden surprises.

In fact, this house is amazing.  All different kinds of scenery, size that you can get lost in and hidden features all over the place.  I'm kinda excited already!

The mount.  If you have been playing Wizard for more than a few days, you will have seen this guy thundering around.  The massive two person T-Rex is a beast (I have always loved the T-Rex) .  He is currently the tallest walking mount around and can carry two wizards on his back.  Hmm...that is another big tick from me.

The wand - a Hunter's Bow, or more correctly "Deathspitters Bow".  I have to admit, before they became popular, I loved my bow.  Now that they are more popular, there is less of an appeal, but I do still like them. Given the stats and the cards that come with this wand, I think the benefits of this one end there.

Next - the warrior outfit.  With names like "Aztecosaur War-Helm", Aztecosaur War-Shell" and Aztecosaur War-Boots", they sound very cool :)

In the world of Critical, which we seem to have entered, it is important to note that there is zero critical on offer here.  Universal Defense and Attack are both good but not great, and the piercing is pretty handy.  If you are a Life Wizard, the cards are for you, with everything from Lifeblade to Mass Triage.

The gear looks quite good, but not quite great.  This is a solid inclusion depending how you play the game.

Finally, the pet.  This guy is solid with two 250s and one 240 stat in the native pet.  He is a Stegosaurus and looks great, also dealing some nice cards as he matures.  His natural abilities are good with a mix of selfish and unselfish talents.  In fact, he has a couple of the less common talents such as Stun Recalcitrant. He is a real keeper.

My only thing here is that you can get pets by cross-breeding, so there is no loss if you don't get it from a pack.

So - what are the real specials that I would miss owning when this pack leaves?

I'd say, definitely that house and the mount.

OK then, what to do?

I think that I need to justify about $30 of value out of this one.  Given past history, I might be tempted to take a chance and see if I can get that mount as a part of a special giveaway, so it comes down to the house.

And it is a helluva house.

Now that I have completed by review, I am confident in my decision.  I won't tell you what I have decided, as I want you to make up your own mind, but if you see me around the Spiral, why not ask?  And if you feel so inclined, let me know...do you think it is good value?

See you 'round the Spiral.

Morgrim

'Understood by Few' - Arcane Builders Bundle

Hey Everyone,

You all know that I love creating my houses, and throwing crafting into the mix... well I am never happier. But what's this I see appearing everywhere? I can BUILD a castle. From the ground up? 

What a totally awesome concept - I love it, especially if it could make it's way to Australia so I can buy it!!! Hint Hint!!

So it's the Arcane Builder's Bundle.. 

This is a bundle process like no other too. 

You buy them in stages and get different Estates for each purchase if you use them for one Wizard:

1st Bundle = Midday Estate

2nd Bundle = Meadows at Dusk

3rd Bundle = The Night Garden

So it looks like each is slightly different (not just the time of day!), and you get to re-arrange them as well. Swordroll has some great video on his blog (links are at bottom of post). 

The bundles come with the plots, about 250 blocks for the Midday Estate, and each step up comes with more blocks. The house comes built, but you can take it down and rebuild it! It doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks to Paige, I am also including the helpful hints and tips for building :

Automatically Select Next Block – After you place a castle block, if you have more of that same kind of block, you immediately start placing another one.

Snap Blocks – Only allow placement of castle blocks in a grid formed by the nearest castle block of the kind you’re placing.

Hide Higher Items – Hides all items above you and makes the ceiling of the level you’re on transparent.

Lock Blocks – Prevents picking up or moving of any castle block in any house.

Thank you to Paige Moonshade (Paige's Post), Stars of the Spiral (Starsofthespiral's Post) and Swordroll (Swordroll's Post) for their awesome pages - please make sure you check them out!

Until Next Time,

Tabitha

Huh?!? - Arcane Builder's Bundle?

Oooh...now, you could say this is a bit of 'clone post', because I'm just going to talk about what I have noticed on Duelist101.

http://www.duelist101.com/news/updates/wizard101-arcane-builders-bundle/

They have come across a thing called the Arcane Builder's Bundle that is (apparently) available in the US from Gamespot come June.  There is a lot of speculation around right now on this, but have a look at this:

There are two things here that look pretty interesting.  

First, I love my castles.  I have built them and bought them.  That being said, I have never had a "Build-a-Castle Plot and Pieces" before!! I wonder what that could mean, and how much flexibility KI will give us :)

Then...what are those two little guys on the front of that "Handcar" mount?  Automatons?!?  Wow.

Coming from Australia, this is a challenge.  A bundle this good looks like it will be great to buy - it just looks like I'll have to wait for it to be available online :(

Good luck to my US based friends - I look forward to hearing all about it, and perhaps visiting one of your Castles!!

See you 'round the Spiral!

Morgrim