The Darkmoon Faire has always been a mysterious organization across the World of Warcraft, from its humble beginnings in Classic to its full blown island enterprise. Reintroduced and revamped in Patch 4.3, Hour of Twilight, the Darkmoon Island is now home to the carnies and renowned performers of the mystical Darkmoon Faire. Run by the entrepeuring Silas Darkmoon, the Faire includes workers from all walks of life and every stretch of ability; from magical fortune tellers to Goblin mecha-masters, and even the most famous rock band in Azeroth. This week we'll be covering some of the need to know information so you can get the most out of your Darkmoon experience!
Emerging on the first Sunday of every month, the Carnies of the Darkmoon Faire will open portals to the camp's island just outside of Thunder Bluff for the Horde and Goldshire for the Alliance. The Faire will be open for one full week, allowing heroes to play games, eat alien food, and explore the vast strangeness of the mystical Darkmoon Island. In participating in the Faire's various activities, you'll also earn reputation with Silas' Darkmoon Faire faction, one of several reputations required for the Feat of Strength Insane in the Membrane. There are also an incredible tide of rewards for players to aspire to, from mounts and pets to transmogs and rare toys.
Tickets, Please!
Before even stepping into the Faire and touching the currency, you'll need a guidebook to help get yourself to the Island in one piece! In every major city Mystic Mages will teleport you to the gateways for a meager thirty silver, and for newcomers to the Faire will also offer the quest The Darkmoon Faire. This will reward a Darkmoon Adventurer's Guide, necessary to reap the maximum rewards from the faire, as well as 5 Darkmoon Prize Tickets. These tickets are the main currency for the Darkmoon Faire reputation, and every major reward costs tickets at the Faire.
Players will predominately collect these tickets by participating in one of the six mini-game daily quests scattered throughout the stalls at the Faire. Players can also participate in two separate races each day for a similar handful of tickets, totaling out at 56 daily quest tickets total. This can be done on every character on your account, allowing you to quickly rack up small loads of tickets for some of the lower-priced rewards.
There are also two separate Daily Pet Battle Quests that are locked to your account, meaning that they can only be completed once a day. Jeremy Feasel and Christoph VonFeasel are the pet champions of the Faire and welcome all challengers into their arena. Defeating these high-flying miscreants will earn 5 Darkmoon Prize Tickets a piece, as well as a chance at several rare pets. Be forewarned; only players with a full team of Level 25 pets should consider stepping up to their challenge.
Across the Faire are several Carnies in need, and players proficient in their professions can extend them a helping hand. For every primary and secondary profession there is an associated Darkmoon Faire Quest that will see you helping the staff keep things up and running on Silas' mystical island. All reward several Darkmoon Tickets, but require at least 75 points in your chosen profession before you can accept the quest.
Kerri Hicks, the strongest woman alive, wants to set you to work proving your power. She'll set you out into the world to land the killing blow on two hundred and fifty enemies, and bring her back several grizzly trophies. These can be made against players or mobs that award player experience throughout the world, making this quest an excellent tie-in to the Darkmoon Despolier quests. These can be gained by looting items off of dungeon bosses, raid bosses and corpses of enemy players in PvP combat.
Collectors and Scribes can collect or create several tiers of Darkmoon Decks to turn into the Faire's chronicler. While this doesn't reward any tickets, those grinding reputation can repeatedly turn in decks for a healthy gain. Turning in max-level decks will also reward incredibly powerful trinkets to players starting off at the level cap.
The Wild Woods
There's more to the Darkmoon Island than just a few games and attractions. Outside of the Faire dark things lurk in the forest, and rewards abound for the wary adventurer.
At the heart of the Faire is the Darkmoon Carousel, a merry-go-round that players can jump on and ride. Riding on the majestic springy-beasts will reward players with an hour-long buff that increases reputation and experience gains by 10 percent! Players looking to quickly level alts or grind reputations will find this a must.
In the forests just behind the carousel lurks a ferocious pack of wolves and their den mother, Moonfang. Killing off her pups and slaying the great beast will net players a handful of toy rewards, as well as a once-per-faire turn-in for several prize tickets!
On the opposite end of the island, a dark cave houses a ferocious and savage animal. Known for mindlessly devouring the entrails of its foes, the deadly Darkmoon Rabbit awaits a raid of challengers to dare enter its cave. Those lucky enough to kill it before incurring its incredibly long respawn timer will be able to collect the incredibly rare Darkmoon Rabbit battle pet!
Along the docks several fishermen are working on fishing up the elusive Darkmoon Daggermaw, a breed of fish that only circulates the island's eddies and ocean. Players can work on heaving up the deep-sea beasties and turning them into several different NPCs. Rewards range from toys to pets, to even the Darkwater Skate mount, and enterprising gold makers can easily turn over a profit by selling them on the Aucton House.
For those looking to break from the neutral-territory of the Faire, players can enter the Darkmoon Deathmatch Drome on the southern end of the island, challenging any and all players once every hour in a similar manner to the Gurubashi Arena in Stranglethorn Vale. The last surviving player has the opportunity to secure a rare trinket, and dedicated winners can scoop up an exclusively powered heirloom.
Every thirty minutes the infamous Elite Tauren Chieftains take the center stage by the Darkmoon Deathmatch Drome, and play one of their more popular songs, "Power of the Horde." Across the island, a darker rock and roll takes form; playing thirty minutes after ETC, the Forsaken Metal band Blight Boar launch into a devastating and destructive concert of doom. Unleashing riffs powerful enough to raise the dead, players will need to protect this death metal band from a Death Knight Fan who wants to get a little TOO close to the band. Players protecting Blight Boar from the onslaught of ghouls and geists will be rewarded with cosmetic apparel, including the chance at a rare transmog head-piece and even the mighty bass-axe of the band.
Give the Little Lady Her Prize!
Prizes in the Darkmoon Faire are incredibly varied, just as your ways of gathering the necessary Prize Tickets are. From the newer rare drops available monthly from the Blight Board concert, to the old rewards introduced during the island's inception there is more than plenty to grind for!
Including those awarded from achievements and drops throughout the island, there are over 18 toys altogether to collect which impart an incredible variety of effects. From transforming into a Fel-infused Blood Elf to spewing fire, there is no shortage of fun to be had.
There are four different mounts available for your perusal throughout the Faire. While the Darkwater Skate is a water-only mount, the other three all work on land, and the Darkmoon Dirigible can even take flight into the skies!
Players can also work at collecting pieces of the now unavailable Dungeon Sets from Classic, removed with the changes to Azeroth in Cataclysm. There are no class restrictions on any set, meaning that a Rogue can pick up the Druid set and add it to your account collection!
Heirlooms and several tiers of upgrades are available for purchase with your hard-earned tickets, and offer an additional method to collect both PvP and PvE heirlooms that may otherwise be too costly for players to pick up during their adventuring throughout Azeroth.
For players with a bit of luck (and a small amount of madness), those who posses the Tabard of the Scarlet Crusade may speak with a Scarlet Quartermaster hiding out near the fair's petting zoo. Only possessors of the tabard can purchase her wears, which include several Scarlet ensembles and a cropped version of the tabard. You must posses the actual item, meaning you'll need it on two characters to unlock all of the transmog options.
Are you enjoying the Darkmoon Faire in World of Warcraft? Let us know what your favorite parts are in the comments below!