Hardcore WoW player hits max level with insane tank-only challenge run
Blizzard EntertainmentThere are few stiffer challenges to the average player than the full deathless leveling run required for Hardcore World of Warcraft. That wasn’t enough for one player, though, as they decided to add further fuel to the proverbial fire.
For those who have yet to brave it, the Classic WoW leveling experience tasks players with reaching the level cap of 60, a lengthy undertaking that takes players anything from a week to a month. When doing so, most usually choose to use a mixture of quests, dungeons and PvP to keep the gameplay feeling fresh.
After private permadeath servers proved popular among the Classic community, Blizzard took a leap of faith and launched their own version, Hardcore Classic. On the servers in question, players are limited to one life and, for anyone who knows how buggy the game can be, this is a terrifying prospect.
Now, one player has not only completed that task, but they did so in a way that makes it more difficult by several orders of magnitude and adds some RNG to the equation.
Skilled WoW player levels by only Tanking dungeons with pickup groups
In a post on Reddit, one user welcomed the Hardcore WoW community to an AMA (Ask Me Anything), after completing levels 19-60 in the game by only Tanking PUGs.
This is a particularly treacherous method because there is no control over who they head into the dungeon with. They could go from a group full of accomplished players to a group of relative newbies. Though they have some control over the pulls as a Tank, one poor Healer or additional mob or two, and the game is up.
Players were understandably profoundly impressed by the achievement, with one (admittedly crass) player saying: “How many times did you need to replace the tire on your wheelbarrow that hauls your massive balls?”
Others shared stories of their attempts at doing the same thing, which didn’t end as happily as this one. One added: “Nice! I got to 57 on my warrior, also only pugged. And went “underleveled” most of the time. WC at 19, RFK at 27 (ding 28 in instance), ZF at 42 etc; unfortunately, BRD took my life at 57. Everyone except me and the priest panicked after a straggler pulled another group.”
Another said: “Damn, I recently died as a Tank in Stockades cause some dumbass Hunter pulled Bazil while we were clearing another room. Me and the Healer die; Hunter of course, survived.”
Stories like these are the reason that Hardcore WoW did so much to boost the popularity of the MMO overall. For everyone who tunes in to watch people die, there are just as many waiting for those fleeting stories of triumph against immense odds.
