The Queue

Okay, one of the things I really like about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are the weapon drops, which are pretty sweet looking. I’m especially a sucker for the Carolingian Longsword, which is a greatsword in the game, and when fully leveled up is a +VLFBERH+T sword, as you can see from the screenshot accompanying this Queue. The Ulfberht swords (as they’re known today) are found in graves across Europe and date from the 9th and 10th centuries, so right during the period of the game, and tended to be made from large blooms of steel forged in a pattern welded fashion, sometimes with edges of even harder metal forge-welded to the body of the blade. The inscription +VLFBERH+T or +VLFBERHT+ derives from a personal name, possibly the smith who first crafted one somewhere in modern day France.

The Ulfberht was an extremely popular weapon in Norway, where the protagonist of the game is from, with 44 of the known Ulfberht found in Norwegian warrior graves. It’s a nice detail that Eivor can find and use one, and I also like that the sword’s Frankish origins are preserved in its name, as the Carolingian dynasty was the royal house descended from Charlemagne himself. WoW needs weapons like this — the Ulfberht were prized weapons, although they were also crafted with a variety of techniques and materials over the hundreds of years of their prominence. There should be a blacksmith or two in the game that sticks a little flourish like the engraving here onto their work.

Initially I wasn’t going to buy any of the new Soulshapes that cost anima until I’d fully restored my Covenant doodads — the Queen’s Conservatory in particular seems borderline useless without more upgrades. However, when I found out I could be a bear, I bought that one instantly. I get to pal around with my best bud Rutherford as a bear! I’m sure Ursoc won’t mind that this is what I used his precious Anima for.

This is The Queue, where you ask us questions and we pour one out for our bear friends as we answer them.

I made a bunch of cookies this weekend! I’m not a super great baker, but I’m very happy with how these Ginger Molasses cookies turned out! My favorite part of the holidays is less the baking of the cookies and more of the eating of the cookies though. Good thing it’s that time!

While I pig out on another six of these, it’s time for — The Queue.

I already miss this transmog look, but the aesthetic of Shadowlands — and the fact that sunglasses can’t be transmogged — eventually meant I had to let the red and gold go.

For now.

Next anniversary the sunglasses come right back.

But you’re here for questions. Let’s get to it.

I knew I hadn’t done a ton of PVP toward the end of BFA — but I didn’t realize I’d done so few that I’d completely missed the updated Deepwind Gorge map. It looks absolutely gorgeous, but I’m a little torn on it shifting to an Arathi Basin style BG. That’s not to say I loved the old style, though. I just kinda miss having a bit more variety in my BG types. (I also miss Strand of the Ancients, though, and I think that’s not a widely held opinion.)

Anyhow, enough about me not knowing things I should know. Let’s Queue.

In between leveling various characters in Shadowlands, I’m playing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, my second favorite AC game (and a close close second at that) wherein I do things like conquer parts of England and also yell at squirrels. Well, I get into flyting contests with squirrels, which is a kind of Viking argument where we take turns insulting each other in rhyme. This is me as Odin up against Ratatosk the Squirrel god.

Yes, this really happens.

I want more rap battles with squirrels in WoW, I think. Considering that one of my favorite NPC’s this expansion is a squirrel, or at least a ghost that now looks like one, I feel like this should be doable.

Shout out to the people hanging out on their Longbois near the mailbox in Oribos. While Kevin is adorable and Choofa is my new best friend, y’all living the dream of being an actual NPC in the middle of town are really making this expansion worth playing.

This is The Queue, where you ask us questions and we take a short break from the endless cycle of AHing and fishing to answer.

I knew bears liked to climb things, but this is ridiculous! How did he even get up there? How will he get down?! How can this be!

While I figure that out, it’s time for — The Queue.

The Maw is a very dreary place, but I think I’m workin’ it over here.

I’ve said it before — if not here, somewhere — but no game does in-game events like Fortnite does. This week, we got the Devourer of Worlds event, which put players up against Galactus, who could probably fit the entire Battle Royale island in the palm of his hand. It put players in the driver’s seat of the Battle Bus (the thing you drop from at the start of the match) for the first time ever, and it felt like a mix of Star Fox and Star Wars (Fox Wars? Star Star? It’s hard to make this portmanteau work…).

In any case, it was fantastic and the post-event cinematic confirmed that the game is a simulation of some kind, which is always fun. I wish more gaming companies would do events like Fortnite does.

But enough about that. We’re here to Queue.