Patch 7.2: Blizzard details soloable Challenge Artifact Appearances

Patch 7.2 is coming soon, and with it come solo challenges  to unlock a new hidden Artifact appearance, the Challenge Appearance. These were first teased at BlizzCon as a solo-based appearance unlocked by dedication and mastery to your spec (inspired by the Benediction and green fire quests), but Blizzard has only just given us a preview of what they’ll be like.

So what will you have to do to demonstrate your mastery of your chosen spec? Let’s take a look.

Challenge prerequisites

To access the new quest chain, you must meet two major prerequisites. One that you can work on right now is to open up 35 traits on your Artifact. The second is to complete the quest chain coming in patch 7.2 that will open up the four Paragon Artifact traits.

The quest for the Challenge Appearance will only be available when the new Mage Tower structure has been built. That’s going to take some work: in 7.2, players will gather Legionfall War Supplies as rewards from World Quests on the Broken Shore. With these resources players construct three buildings region-wide, including the Mage Tower. The buildings stand for three days before the Legion comes to knock down your sand castle and the process starts all over again. These three days provide your opportunity to complete the challenge.

Master your spec

The challenges themselves are a further iteration on the design of Proving Grounds from Mists of Pandaria. Each spec gets one of seven different challenges themed to their role. Healers will heal all the things. DPS will “hit it very hard” and put up more DOTs. Tanks will get punched in the face. That’s what we do.

I’m not sure how they are getting from three roles to seven challenges, and Blizzard. Even accounting for a separate challenge for melee and ranged DPS, that would only give four.

Pay the piper

The first attempt at the quest is free, but after that ya gotta pay da man. This will require the new Nethershards currency. You’ll get a stash of them from the patch 7.2 introductory quests and more as you work through the Broken Shore content.

The challenges themselves will be solo Raid bosses. It will take several attempts (and many, many luckydoos, I mean Nethershards). Just like the Proving Grounds, no grouping is allowed, and I expect you’ll need spells from deep in each spec’s kit to suceed. Think back to the original Artifact acquisition questlines, but turned up to 11 on the difficulty.

Johnny, tell them what they’ve won!

Three appearances were part of the preview, including Fencer’s Reach for Outlaw Rogues, Death’s Deliverance for Unholy Death Knights, and Spine of the Condemned for Affliction Warlocks. Some other appearances awarded from the completing the challenge include Serpentbite for Beast Mastery Hunters and the Crest of Holy Fire for Protection Paladins (aka the Flail).

The Challenge Appearances will have three alternate tints. To unlock them all, you’ll have to use the challenge appearance to defeat Heroic Kil’Jaeden, win 10 Rated Battlegrounds, or defeat all Legion Dungeon Bosses.