Adventures of the Spiral

Join us for a PvP Stream!

2015-08-27T17:30:00.000-04:00

With the release of ranked PvP on Pirate101, we want to celebrate it's release in style and how better to celebrate it than to PvP? So we're going to go all out and test the new Battle Royale feature and see what happens from there... We're not stopping there however, we're also going to live-stream the event on the new YouTube Gaming Platform.

So, tomorrow (Sunday 30th August 2015) at 5pm Eastern tune into our livestream account ...and watch Kevin and Sheldon try out the new Battle Royale! We'll be battling it out against some other random pirates - or could it be one of you?

If you tune into the livestream and join the chat, you'll also find out how to get your hands on some crown codes!

See you there!

Jingle all the way!

2015-08-24T15:31:00.003-04:00

With enrollment in the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts growing larger and larger each and every day, the professors went to curious measures to attract new students to their particular school of magic. What resulted was 7 new school "jingles"....beware, the professors are known to be a little off key.

Fire

If there's a flame,

In your neighborhood,

Who you gonna call?

The fire wizards!

If there's something burning,

And it don't look good,

Who you gonna call?

The fire wizards!

I ain't afraid of no burns.

Ice

Ice ice baby,

Ice ice baby.

Alright, stop, Freeze, and glisten.

Ice is the brand new addiction.

The magic grabs a hold of me lightly,

Flows like a glacier, only slightly,

Will it ever stop? Um, no.

Put out the fire, and we'll glow!

To the extreme I frost like a master,

Light up a candle, and we'll act even faster.

Ice ice baby.

Life

Sunny day,

Sweepin' the death away,

On my way to where the magic is sweet,

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to the life school, please?

Come our way,

Everything's A-OK,

Friendly wizards there,

that's where we meet,

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to the life school, please?

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to the life school, please?

Death

We're creepy and we're spooky,

Mysterious and goofy,

We're all together groovy,

The death school.

Our school is in Nightside,

It really is a good ride,

We all love to hide,

The death school.

Cool.

School.

Cruel.

So get a black hat on,

A bat that you can ride on,

We're gonna pay a call on,

The death school.

Storm

Stormy storm wizards,

Where are you?

We need some smashing from you now.

Come on storm wizards, I see you,

Pretending you've got a shiver.

You're not foolin' me 'cause I can see,

The way you fight and conquer.

You know we got a boss to smash,

So storm wizards get ready for your bash,

Don't hold back. 'Cause storm wizards

When you come through you're gonna have yourself

A pet snack,

That's a fact.

Stormy storm wizards,

Where are you?

You're ready and you're willin'.

If we can count on you, storm wizards,

I know we'll catch those villains!

Myth

Be our guest,

Put our magic to the test!

Put your wand in your hand, Cherie,

and I'll teach you the rest.

Orthrus,

Minotaur,

And no, there are no curves!

Try the myth stuff,

It's delicious!

Don't believe me? Ask the bloodbats!

They can attack, they can dance,

After all, wizard, this is your chance,

And the spirit here is never second best.

Go on, unfold your spellbook,

Take a glance and then you'll

be our guest,

Yes, our guest!

Please, be our guest!

Balance

Just a small town girl,
Livin' in a dull world,
She took the magic boat,
To the Balance School.
Just a city boy,
Born and raised in Unicorn Way,
He took the magic boat,
To the Balance School.

Wizards waiting,
Up and down the Krokosphinx,
Their shadows searching in the night.
Sandstorms, people,
Living just to find the magic,
Hiding somewhere in the night.

Don't stop balancin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Sandstorms, people.
Don't stop balancin'
Hold on
Sandstorms, people.
Don't stop balancin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Sandstorms, people.

Which school would you enroll in just based on the professor's jingles? Let us know in the comments!

Tunes:
Fire: Ghostbusters-Ray Parker, Jr.
Ice: Ice Ice Baby-Vanilla Ice
Life: Sesame Street Theme Song
Death: The Addams Family Theme Song
Storm: Scooby-Doo Theme Song
Myth: Be Our Guest-Beauty and the Beast
Balance: Don't Stop Believin'-Journey

The Twilight Zone of The Spiral

2015-08-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

You're traveling through another dimension.
A dimension not only of sight and sound but of magic.
A journey into a wondrous realm whose boundaries are that of imagination.
Next stop, The Twilight Zone of The Spiral

*Speaks while holding lips straight* There are those moments in our travels as pirates that things just do not go as planned. I am not talking the results of Ratbeard's Random Number Generators. I am talking when the rules that we are used to just reverse or do something equally as weird. These wonderful 'glitches' are sometimes portals to wonderful scenery, hilarious situations and as always, fabulous screenshot opportunities.

Let's take a journey into The Twilight Zone of The Spiral and see what wonders we can behold.

You just never know when you will find a portal to The Twilight Zone. That unsuspecting door to a shop or even exiting your dorm room can land you beyond the borders of reality and trapped in one gorgeous skyway.

This particular glitch does not always send you to an empty skyway. Sometimes you can wind up here, fighting the urge to start singing "Under the Boardwalk"

It's not always we pirates that are affected by the oddities of The Twilight Zone. Sometimes our companions are pulled into it's nefarious clutches. My poor Chilam Bak is so warped by the rift's clutches that he has wandered off of his anchor and cannot even stand up straight. Poor Samoorai Masamune Goto seem quite confused by his bizarre behaviour.

Mounts are not immune to the clutches of The Twilight Zone either. There are always places that mounts are just not allowed, like indoors or on board ships. Not allowed except for when that magical realm of our imagination decides to mess with things a bit. Here my leopard Dappurr is suddenly allowed access to my ship and in his excitement he tries to do some steering for himself. He learns rather quickly that steering with your teeth is not near as easy as it looks.

Since Dappurr survived his journey to The Twilight Zone with lots of fun memories he was well prepared when it happened to him again and he wound up inside a house. He immediately kicked it into shenanigan mode and made a game out of jumping over furniture. Typical cat.

It's not just pirates, their crew and mounts that have this mysterious access to The Twilight Zone; entire ships have been known to wander off into the alternate dimensions and actually become invisible. Having an invisible ship does not slow Chrissy's crew down one bit. They prove that beyond any doubts they can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

Speaking of floating, even the land itself is not out of the clutches of The Twilight Zone's effects. The Spiral firma succumbed to it's magic and right in the middle of a battle we could see the wonderful world under The Spiral. With this revealing view we also discovered that when a witchdoctor casts the spell Mournsong and that familiar Bone Dragon's head pops up to snap its target, there was much more to this than meets the eye. Lo and behold, there is actually a full sized bone dragon hiding underground the whole time!

Sometimes The Twilight Zone sneaks in and catches you off guard and interrupts the simplest of tasks, like parking your ship.

Occasionally when you go through the doors that lead to the docks, The Twilight Zone takes over and causes you to overshoot the docks completely. I wound up beside my ship although I did realize that this particular glitch would come in handy for saving parking spaces for your fellow pirates.

There are times when the effects of an unexpected dose of The Twilight Zone are not so noticeable yet can be just as startling. The other day my Pegasi noticed that the solidity of his matter had become Zonified and had a blast playing Peek A Boo with unsuspecting passerby.

There is another type of parking issue that can happen when you get Zoned while in the middle of a teleportation to your friend from on board your own ship. There is a tendency to double park the ships with some revealing results. I gotta admit it was kinda unique fighting under a three quarters invisible ship.

Teleportation issues do not just apply to ships. Sometimes when teleporting, you go through a wandering Twilight Zone bubble and things can go VERY wrong.

There is another Twilight Zone ramification that brings to mind a theatrical phrase. In traditional live theater you have three sides to your stage and the audience is on the fourth side. Whenever the actors break character (whether it is in the script or not) and address the audience, it is called "Breaking the fourth wall". Getting Zoned while fighting in close quarters can cause this to happen and you get to see the world around the "Stage" as The Spiral's fourth wall is broken.

Occasionally The Twilight Zone only affects part of whatever you are doing in The Spiral. It can be a bit unnerving to come through a Zone tainted stormgate and realize that you arrived without your ship. It is quite embarrassing to have to explain to your passengers how your ship went AWOL.

The Twilight Zone can even mess with parts of your ship. It the following instance my ship's horn was what got zapped by The Zone and it caused my Mount Vesuvius to be, shall we say, a little tipsey.

Having a lot of encounters of the Twilight Zone sort can sometimes be a bit taxing on your average pirate. Sometimes a Zone rift happens, you get lost in your thoughts and it can make you feel a bit like an airhead.

Many times trips to The Twilight Zone can be very educational and can reveal many mysteries. Going through The Zone on your ship can sometimes land you in unexplored areas and reveal the much talked about lower decks that we normally never have access to.

Having experiences with these glitches are not all weirdness and being stuck in places. It is a wonderful time to explore strange and beautiful areas of the game that are never meant to be seen by your average player. As this post illustrates, it also makes for some really awesome screenshots. The sheer beauty and wonder can give you a warm fuzzy glow that can last for some time, complements of The Twilight Zone of The Spiral

Blessings and giggles on your day

Ranked PvP: Our Thoughts

2015-08-10T21:20:00.000-04:00

The latest update to Pirate101 brings a long awaited addition: ranked PvP! Yes, we know. It’s no Book 15. But overlooking this update can be a big mistake – ranked PvP brings a lot to the game, and if you’re waiting around for new content, a great way to spend the time is to test your skills against other players.

In the first post of this segment, we provided some of our tips, tricks, and general thoughts about what ranked PvP has to offer. Continue reading, and soon you’ll be a master of the Brawlin’ Hall!

Initial Thoughts

PvP isn’t new to Pirate101. Practice matches have been around since December 2012, but the ranking system opens up completely new possibilities – and challenges. Balancing each class, their companions, and gear is no easy task, and for the most part, it was done well. No class truly outshines all of the others (even with seemingly overpowered skills like Black Fog – more on this in our next post), and with the right amount of skill, any pirate can climb the ranks and earn the Champion rank.

However, not everything can be perfectly balanced, and there’s still plenty of room for change in the future. Doubloons are outright banned, but perhaps they can just be weakened instead. Some skills on certain gear pieces – specifically Moo Manchu’s Terra-Cotta outfit – can completely unbalance a match, and even though everyone may have access to it, the time investment required can be far too much for the average player.

In terms of the current system, 1v1 matches and the Battle Royale are a good starting place. There’s no option for team matches yet, but if you want to join up with a friend or two, try entering a Battle Royale. It’s not the most reliable way to have a team match, but the free-for-all aspect can be a lot of fun!

What Companions Should I Pick?

The simple answer? There isn’t one. With the companion revamp that came with the update, the amount of useful companions have skyrocketed. Even the mediocre companions on your crew have received a huge boost (Prince Yulefest, epics-wise, is nearly as powerful as pre-update Bonnie Anne), and the strongest ones have gotten even stronger. For example, being a Musketeer, I prefer to have an entirely ranged-based roster: Bonnie, Chantal, and Nausica are my top 3 picks. Yet I’ve also seen Musketeers with completely different strategies that work just as well: they drop bombs from a distance, then when the enemy approaches, they attack with their melee Swashbucklers and Buccaneers.

All of the Grizzleheim Beast companions are useful, along with most of the starters and some of the Kraken Skulls. Although I may not personally use Old Scratch or Ratbeard, they're certainly not bad choices at all. In the end, you should come up with your own personal strategy based on what your class is capable of, and pick your companions to supplement your pirate. Remember: with all the skills you have trained, your character is going to be your most powerful unit - bringing in Bonnie Anne or another companion with a heal may be a good idea.

Epics, Epics, and More Epics!

Before jumping into the arena, remember to train the right epic abilities and talents in your companions. Over time, the "best" epics have changed – not only should you be focused on dealing the most damage possible, but you wouldn't want a few Quick Draws to trigger a chain of Burst Fires and True Grits from an enemy unit. Try to consider potential builds your opponent could have, and be careful not to let them use your epic abilities to their advantage.

This certainly isn't the easiest concept to fully master, so here's a chart of what we consider viable epic choices for your companions. Keep in mind that this is just a starting place - if you have a certain strategy in mind, train whatever abilities you feel will help you best carry it out.

First, melee:

*Although it may seem like a good option, as it can deal with those pesky hidden powers, First Strike 3 really isn’t a great ability. Unless you’re running an all-melee team, one of your opponent's hidden melee units would simply attack one of your ranged companions and not lose the hide buff from the attack.

**We do not recommend obtaining higher ranks of Hold the Line unless the unit is intended to be a tank - unlike other epics, it doesn't attack the enemy, so it can't set off a chain of attacks.

***Riposte 3 has its uses, as it makes the unit that dodged an attack more likely to dodge more. Most Swashbucklers are already very likely to dodge melee attacks, however, so this epic point could be better put into another ability – if you don’t want to take the chance of a failed dodge, however, don’t be afraid to invest in this epic.

And now for ranged:

*Overwatch 3 is a matter of preference – it severely reduces the accuracy of an incoming unit, but it does require you to invest a few skill points to get it. We recommend it, but if you’re passing up a skill such as Burst Fire for it, you may want to consider getting that instead.

**Ranks 2 and 3 of Quick Draw are NOT recommended. Although companions like Nausica didn’t receive any additional epics from the revamp, they still didn’t get any less powerful – and they can do a ton of damage if given the right tools. Quick Draw 2 would give anti-Musketeers a huge advantage over you, and would ultimately hurt instead of help.

No, we’re not forgetting Witchdoctors. The majority of magical companions' epics are too situational to make them good choices in general matches. The only epics we recommend are Mojo Echo and Greater Mojo Blast - if you have more skill points to use after maxing these, pick epic abilities that will work against units of any type, like Jobu's Ruse or Readied Spell. Overall, however, melee and ranged units triumph over magical ones in the arena.

Final Thoughts

Player-verses-player matches certainly require skill, but you’ll need more than that on your way to glory. If you don’t enter the arena prepared, you risk your opponent getting an edge in the battle – an edge you don’t want to give them! Train your companions and your pirate (yes – these tips apply to what your pirate should train, too!) with a strategy in mind, and you’re already taking a huge step in the right direction.

Of course . . . that’s only the first step. Once you find yourself in the arena, executing your strategy may not be as easy as you had previously thought. In our next post in this segment, we’ll be covering the playstyle of each individual class, and how you can best utilize and counter each of their moves.

The Brawlin’ Hall awaits, pirates!

Diary of a Lost Soul

2015-08-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

Beginnings

Dear Diary,

Today I was informed that I'll be sent to Unicorn Way to help serve Malistaire Drake. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty exciting. I mean, who wouldn't want to work for a guy who tore an entire school away from Ravenwood? That's pretty much what every evil minion's goal in life is, you know? To work for someone just as evil as that. Also, my only other offer was from some zebra-elephant wannabe, and I just couldn't see that working out.

I can't wait to get started and prove my worth to Malistaire.

~Lost Soul

Undead...Forever

Dear Diary,

Things didn't go exactly as I planned. This one wizard confronted me, and well, it didn't end very well for me. I got obliterated....on the first round. I guess that's the cool thing about being undead. No matter how many times I die, I was already dead in the first place, so who cares? Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

~Lost Soul

Testing, Testing... 123

Dear Diary,

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I have yet to win a SINGLE battle! I'm becoming the laughing stock of the Spiral, and it's just humiliating. To make matters worse, wizards now even come to me TEST things. Yea, as soon as they get a new shiny spell, they come to Unicorn Way to see how it works on me. Why? I'm not sure. If a puny Thunder Snake can take me out, then of course your Medusa, Triton, or Ra, can take me out as well. Those spells should go up against someone their own size.

~Lost Soul

Lunch with Khrulhu

Dear Diary,

Oh dear, the wizards have found SHADOW MAGIC. I bet you can guess where they came as soon as they got those new toys. Yep, me. I've gotten used to it by now, I guess. I just wish that the pain and embarrassment would be over quicker. But nooooo, the worst are those death wizards with their Call of Khrulhu. That spell takes forever to finish, leaving me just anticipating the pain soon to come. On the plus side, I chatted with Khrulhu and he's having some emotional trouble himself. We're having lunch tomorrow, and apparently he's baking a cake for the occasion.

~Lost Soul

How enchanting!

Dear Diary,

Khrulhu is a really cool dude, and he can make a MEAN chocolate cake. It was nice talking to someone who understands the hardships that I face. After all, it's not his fault that he's so slow. Anyway, a new problem has risen lately. Remember how I said that I just wished the pain would be over quick? The wizards don't seem to hear my pleas. They do this thing called "enchanting." They confront me in battle, enchant their cards, and then kill me when they're done. That's the ultimate insult in my opinion. I'm such a joke that they can do nothing for however many rounds they want, have me pound at them, and I don't even make a scratch.

Why do I even try anymore? Am I trying?

~Lost Soul

AFK

Dear Diary,

I won my first battle today. Yes, you read that correctly! I know you don't believe me, so go ahead and keep reading that over and over again.

Okay, you got me. There is a catch. The wizard that I managed to defeat was um....um....not casting spells? Completely distracted? What do those wizards call it? AFK maybe? Yea, that sounds right. I'm not even sure what that means, but I'm assuming that it stands for "Away from Khrulhu." Whenever I hear those wizards use it, they are stepping away to get something during the Khrulhu spell. I think it's time for another lunch with my old pal. Poor guy....

~Lost Soul

Found Hope

Dear Diary,

Well, I'm still waiting for my "I Defeated my First Wizard" trophy. Apparently not many get shipped out here, so they're a little confused as to where to deliver it. I'll have to check on that later today.

You know, I'm actually feeling a little more happier lately. Word on the street is that Rattlebones got some epic new powers. Yea, Rattlebones....he went from zero to hero! I dream that could happen to me too one day. I know it's a bit far fetched, but we all have to hold on to a little hope, don't we?

I may be lost for now, but I promise you....I will be patient. I will wait for however long I need to. I WILL be found. One day I will be the most powerful soul the Spiral has ever seen. And when that does happen, every enchanter, every death wizard, and anybody who has ever crossed my path will feel my wrath and fury!

~Lost (but soon found) Soul

Screenshot Shenanigans

2015-08-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

There are times when I just feel like taking a break from questing, farming or helping out other wizards and I start poking around the spiral just to see what shenanigans I can get into. When this mischievous mood takes over, I start messing around in unusual places just to see what silliness I can stir up.

I love taking screenshots and I try to capture things that are unusual so with screen camera in hand, and with a pranksters gleam in my eye, knowing no NPC or critter is safe I managed to preserve some giggle worthy moments to share with you.

Much to my delight, I discovered that Shadowfax, my newest Destrier Mount was as much a prankster as I was and he is featured in several of these moments of hilarity.

Poor Zeke was our first target. We snuck up on him REALLY quietly and Shadowfax gave a loud snort and well....Zeke has still vowed revenge for the startle we gave him.

There are times that having such a willing mount with you even spices up your game time. Shadowfax is so excited about questing that he sometimes tries to join me in the fighting circles, much to the amusement of the mobs.

It's not all pranks in these off questing journeys. Sometimes it's just meeting some new friends and mooching some sugar cubes.

With the Zeke success fresh in mind I put the stalking and pouncing skills to work with my Celestial Wolf Mount and I found out what happens when you sneak up on a fellow wolf and howl at just the right moment.

Poking around just for fun can be very educational too. One day, at dusk, I was exploring Paige Moonshade's Haunted House and while tiptoeing around I discovered how she lights those REALLY tall candelabras.

That day I also discovered that if you tell a Bone Dragon Mount a really funny joke, their laughter makes adorable firey bubbles.

Pets also get massive cases of goofyitis and I discovered that there is a wild and zany side to the stiff and disapproving Toucan't. Mine seems to adore dancing the Funky Chicken.

Sneaking up on bears and blowing raspberries is always fun but I do advise making sure you are on a really fast mount like Grumbles my camel for I have discovered that bears don't have the best sense of humor around hibernation season.

Being a known Spiral prankster, I have learned that what goes around, comes around in the shenanigans department. Many times I have been the target of sneaky NPC's that love to get their giggles in and a sudden clutch by the cold hand of death will scare the willies out of any unsuspecting wizard.

There is also an impish fire spirit in Krokotopia that loves to spring up out of the water, giggling maniacally while you are unsuspectingly focused on your fishing.

One must be careful with practical jokes though. One day Grumbles decided to plant a sloppy, wet kiss on Gloria Krendell's glasses and found out the hard way that she wields her wooden spoon with a stinging expertise.

And speaking of practical joke precautions, please make sure your target has a sense of humor. I am STILL serving weekly detention for that time I cast a lampshade spell on Professor Drake.

I am hoping I gave you some giggles with the shots of my Spiral Shenanigans and with a royal wave I am off to see what other mischief I can get into. Muahahahaha!

If you have some giggle worthy screenshots to share, please email them to us at: admin@adventuresofthespiral.com and we may feature it on a future post. Please be sure to include your wizard's name and the names of any pet or mount prankster partners.

Blessings and giggles on your day

Arrrgust Contest: Design a Creature/Boss Fight [CLOSED]

2015-08-04T15:48:00.000-04:00

Arrrr! It be Arrrgust and we've got some special codes from Pirate101 to giveaway! To celebrate in style, we'd like you to come up with an idea for a creature or a boss fight, you can either:

-Tell us the backstory to the Creature/Boss and why you are fighting him

- Give us battle objectives/cheats etc

Rules

- One entry per person

- You must include you community/pirate name or your entry will not count

- Please use english so we can judge it properly

- For Arrrgust reasons, please create a Pirate101 Creature/Boss Fight

- Email all entries to admin@adventuresofthespiral.com with the subject "Arrrgust Contest"

- As always, our Contest Policy applies
- Contest ends Saturday 8th August @ 1:00am EST

Prizes

First Place and Second (2 Winners - Hand picked by the judges): Solar Sabercat Mount and 10k Crowns

Random Draws (3 Winners): Solar Sabercat Mount and 10k Crowns

What are you waiting for, hop to it Pirates!

Winners

First Place: Lazy Cyrus Neasmith
The Boss I have imagined is... The Khan of the Raiders Tribe. He is a horse barbarian of level 30 that you will be able to find in the Flotsam Skyway, it will be an optional objective that will require you to have Subodai on your team and to be level 32. Quest giver- One Eyed Jack. This will be a Swashbucler only boss fight. The Khan will have a lot of health, decent damage, Vegnance Strike 3 and Repel Boarders 2. He will be followed by other horse barbarians and other Mooshoo creatures.

Story: The Raiders Tribe was a big Horse tribe in Mooshoo, that used to raid some Monk temples. That's why the Samoorai have driven them away to Skull Island. Now, their Khan plans to strike Skull Island and make it a Horse Barbarian Island, from where to strike against Mooshoo. Subodai finds about this (through the quest you will be given) from some others of his kind, and that's when you need to go and fight The Khan.

The Khan himself was born by the smartest Horse Barbarian of the Tribe. Being smart and powerful himself, The Khan has taken the lead of the Tribe when the old one has died in battle. Along with the new Khan, the Tribe became powerful and successful. But when the Samoorai have attacked the Raiders Tribe, most where imprisoned. The Khan and some of his men ran away on a boat and have landed in Skull Island.

The Khan's name is unknown, not even his men know it. But what matters is that he wants to take Skull Island for himself, and the pirates will become homeless if that happens!

Second Place: Tristan

Madame Adria was a student at pigswick academy, she wanted to study more than what her class had to offer, her old friend Madame Vadima suggested she should research into black magic. Madame Adria refused. She went on to find something called "Shadow magic" little did she know it was more than she could handle. The shadow engulfed Madame Adria and she was never seen again in pigswick academy. Madame Vadima now in skull island, was crystal gazing and saw herself in the shadows.. Madame Adria plans on sending skull island and everyone in it into the shadow.

Cheats: Madame Adria charms one of your companions into the shadow every 4 rounds.

They can only be released once she is defeated.

Random Draws: Faithful Flint Orsley, Marissa Yellowfish, Dark Colin Holystone

Tips and Tricks for Celestian Fish

2015-07-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

While fishing comes down to patience, persistence, and energy... It doesn't hurt to know a few tips to make your fishing life easier. As many of you may know, the most recent Wizard101 update involved fishing in Celestia! What that means is there are new fish for only the master fishers to discover (or the beginners, but best of luck if you are one!).

To get started, these are a few higher ranked fishing spells you will need in order to follow these tips:

With these new fish, you need tougher lures in order to catch most of them! Make sure you have all the Rank 3 spells which consists of the Common Frost Lures.

One of the most useful set of spells out there, especially for epic fish, are the winnow utility spells. They are Rank 1 spells that can be bought in the Labyrinth.

One very useful spell is the Banish Sentinels 1 spell that is a reward from a Dragonspyre fishing quest, Catch ‘Em If You Can.

Make sure you have the Reveal Fish Rank 1 spell handy. It will be very useful as doubtful as it might be.

Of course there are all the other utility spells that will be nice to have to make your Celestia fishing expedition a lot quicker. Check out all the other utility spells on our Rank 0 Spells page.

New Challenges

Did you think KingsIsle was going to make fishing any easier? If you did, you thought wrong. If you went through Dragonspyre fishing this might be a little tougher but fret not, you should be quite prepared.

There is only one new fish that is Rank 1 and super easy to catch because it’s a Sentinel. The challenge here will be how to get rid of the new Rank 2 Sentinel lurking around the ponds of Celestia because the Banish Sentinels 1 spell only banish the Rank 1 sentinels. You will have to make sure they are a safe distance away from your lure if there are any Rank 2 sentinels lurking around. Besides that, catching these fish should be a piece of cake.

Catching the New Celestian Fish

Blue Armored Guard

While this is one of the easiest fish to catch, it is a Sentinel and you need to know the trick to catching Sentinels. Make sure you are using a Rank 2 Fire lure and cast it near a fire Sentinel (fish with the spikes). The fish will come to you. Right when you see that you can invoke your lure, go for it! The best thing about this fish is that it’s easily accessible to find in any fishing spot in Celestia! On top of that, every fire Sentinel fish you come across is for sure to be the Blue Armored Guard.

Channel Bass

This fish is found in one place, Survey Camp. Survey Camp is the hardest place to fish from in Celestia. Reason to this is because there is only one pond and it is connected to The Grotto. Be careful where you step and give yourself some distance from the entrance of The Grotto when fishing. Best strategy here would be to Winnow Storm Fish to eliminate any other potential fish that might distract you. After that, you want to use the Reveal Fish Rank 1 because there are plenty of Rank 1 fish that you want to ignore. Seeing the Rank 1 fish gives you the opportunity to scare them away and leave the ones who aren’t Rank 1. That leaves you with five potential fish in your pond. Two of those potential fish are Sentinels so you want to scare those off (only by letting them take your lure) or keep some distance from them. Banish Sentinel 1 will be the best spell to use to keep away the Rank 1 Sentinel if it’s not gone already. If you just step on a Sentinel, it usually spawns back nearby in the pond. Now you’re ready to fish! Catch all the fish in the pond with your Rank 3 Storm lure and hope for the best. The Channel Bass won’t always be in the pond. If you don’t get it, you want to restart the process after letting all the fish respawn over time or using the Summon Fish spell.

False Catshark

Since the explanation on getting rid of Sentinels is explained under Channel Bass, you now know how to get rid of them anywhere so they don’t steal your lure. The False Catshark is a Myth fish along with three other Myth fish in the pond (not including the Rank 1 Sentinel). Best strategy is to use the Reveal Fish Rank 1 spell and scare those away. Instead of using the Winnow spell, you can just reveal school of fish and easily scare away the ones that aren’t Myth. You will either get Myth School of Fish or the False Catshark. Make sure you use a Rank 3 Myth lure! This is an easy one, good luck!

Flying Saucer Fish

While trying to catch the Channel Bass, it’ll be a surprise you don’t catch this one. In any fishing pond, make sure you get rid of Sentinels and Rank 1 fish. Catch the Storm fish with a Rank 3 Storm lure and you should be good to go! This might take a bit since it’s a rare fish but it’s all about luck.

Humunukapua

This fish is super easy to catch in The Floating Land that even the description of the fish says it! I’ve noticed it goes slightly faster than other life fish so keep an eye out for that and take all other advice that has been given for the other fish. Make sure to use Rank 3 Life lure as well.

Jaws

This is one of the hardest, if not the hardest fish to catch. The great thing about it is that it is the only death fish you can find in Stormriven. You will want to stick with the two closest ponds to the entrance in Stormriven and alternate between the two. These are big ponds so you’ll have to look carefully. Cast the Winnow Death Fish spell and that’ll leave you with Sentinel fish as well. Use the Banish Sentinel 1 spell and that’ll eliminate the Rank 1 Sentinels but it won’t eliminate any Blue Armored Guards there might be. With that, you will usually see a Blue Armored Guard in the pond and just ignore him. Look for any other fish or you can also use the Reveal Fish spell to make it obvious to see other fish. Check both pools and look around carefully. There are a few obstacles to get to a few. Make sure to use the Death Rank 3 lure and possibly a luck elixir because you’ll have been through many fish spawns to get this one, most likely. Good luck!

Little Mackerel

This is another hard fish to catch and it might take a while to get it but thankfully the fish are all in one small pond to look over. This is not the only Balance fish in the District of the Stars but it’s the only Balance fish that isn’t Rank 1. If you use Winnow Balance Fish, Reveal Rank 1 Fish and scare away all those fish, you should be good to go. If there is no fish that isn’t Rank 1, wait for the fish to respawn or use your Summon Fish spell. This is just time and energy consuming and involves luck. Make sure to use your Rank 3 Balance lure! Best of luck!

Nibbler

Being the easiest Sentinel fish to catch, this fish can be found in any fishing area in Celestia and is more of an annoyance than being easy to catch. Just find a Myth Sentinel fish and you’ll be good to go! It only requires a Rank 1 Myth lure and knowing how to catch a Sentinel.

Oil Drum

In Stormriven you should be easily be able to catch this fish if you use the same sort of strategy as has been explained with the False Catshark. This is a Fire fish though so make sure to use your Rank 3 Fire lure.

Shiner

In the District of the Stars, this is a simple fish to catch, for the most part. Just make sure to focus on all the ice fish in the pond and get rid of the Rank 1 and the Sentinels. Just like the False Catshark and Oil Drum, you can catch this fish in a jiffy.

I hope this will help you guys catch all those Celestian fish that you need and want. So go out there and fish! If you need any additional advice or have any questions, let us know in the comments or tweet us at @OfficialAoTS. Good luck!

Thank you to Jasmine Starflame and Swordroll for helping us with the pictures on this post.

Busting The Top 10 Myths about Pet Derby

2015-07-22T16:25:00.003-04:00

Being very active in the derby community, I hear a lot of gossip and things about derby that simply either aren't true or are very exaggerated. This post is meant to set the record straight with all things derby!

Myth: Nobody does derby anymore

Fact: Actually, derby has a very steady community. The community size is nothing like PvP, but racers are definitely out there. The cool thing about a small community is that we all know each other, and we're all very close.

Myth: When training a derby pet, the red side doesn't even matter

Fact: The red side is probably the most important part. Sure, hurries and charges make for excellent abilities, but the red side is where your cheer cost will make or break you. On a derby pet, you ideally want the red side to have all "Selfish Talents," which are also known as stat boosts. The higher your pet's stats are, the lower your cheer cost will be.

Myth: I can use mega snacks

Fact: You can use mega snacks, but not for teen or adult racers! All of the mega snacks currently out give power to your pet, you don't want to do that on a low level racer. On a low level racer, you want to max out one stat on a teen (preferably grass), and two stats on an adult (preferably grass and dirt) before you start adding ANYTHING to power. Your cost to cheer is far more important than your power stat!

Myth: I need hurries to win

Fact: Although hurries are helpful, they certainly are not necessary to win races. All that really matters is that you know how to use the abilities you DO have well. If you have a lock ability, lock your opponent into mud. If you have a bomb ability, put it right before a hurdle so your opponents can't get more morale.

Myth: Always spam the up arrow

Fact: You don't necessarily want to ALWAYS spam the up arrow. You need to be aware of what surface you're currently on and what your cost to cheer on that surface is. Try to stick to cheering (spam the up arrow!) on surfaces with cheer cost 4 and below. If you always spammed the up arrow despite having a high cost to cheer,your morale would be empty rather quickly. ;)

Myth: Ah! Why is there even a slow down button?! Nobody uses that!

Fact: Actually, depending on your strategy, slowing down could be a matter of winning or losing. I have used the down arrow on purpose on many occasions. Some abilities only work from behind, so if you want to zap your opponent with a mute or sap, being behind them in the beginning of the race might be beneficial.

Myth: Spiffy Pop is an OP talent

Fact: Spiffy Pop is extremely easy to defend against. If you have a hunch that one of your opponents has Spiffy Pop, save up your morale and any hurries you have for the last stretch of the race. When the Spiffy Pop pet teleports to you, unleash your up arrow spam and hurries...it works (almost) every time.

Myth: The jump pads tell me when to jump, right?

Fact: Yes, they do. However, waiting to be on the jump pad can be very risky. If you miss the pad by just a second, you will hit the hurdle and slow down. Don't listen to the jump pads and just spam the spacebar any time you're near a hurdle.

Myth: The 3rd lap glitch occurs in almost every race

Fact: The 3rd lap glitch, a glitch that forces a racer to do 3 laps vs the normal 2 laps, is very very bad, but it doesn't happen every single race. When this glitch occurs is completely random, but don't let that discourage you from racing!

Myth: You're going pretty fast, you're cheating, right?

Fact: I'm sure there are some racers that use exploits, but as for me and the derby racers I know, no we do not. Practice makes perfect. We know these tracks very well and often are very comfortable with using our abilities. If you put in the effort, you too could be this fast!

The Concept Art of Pirate101

2015-07-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

As I journeyed through Pirate101 Test Realm I decided to check out the Brawling Hall to lend a hand with the PvP testing. While I was in there my curiosity got the best of me and I wandered over to investigate the new vendors that reside therein.

I proceeded to press my nose against the virtual glass of the pet shop and admired the very colorful Apex sharks being hawked by Honest Thomas Perdue.

(A wonderful honor to our beloved first Community Manager, One-Eyed Jack <3)

Next I drooled over the awesome weapons that were offered by Trusty Flint Locke (Well played you punderful writers at KingsIsle :D ).

Then it happened. I found the Scrip housing vendor, Candyce Olsen and clicked on the Bed tab and found a treasure beyond measure. There are 7 housing items, each an album stand that is finely crafted to honor it's world of origin (see below). That is not the best part that truly made my heart sing. The album stands are interactive. When you activate them you are presented with the Holy Grail of eye candy. Each album is packed with concept art that was used to create our wonderful game environment. That's right, the works of art from some of the finest artists in the gaming business. Many of the pieces appear to be previously unreleased. Well at least I had never seen them and I search for concept art from our beloved game quite frequently.

Another cool thing is, there are masterpieces in there from worlds we have yet to see. True peeks into the future of Pirate101.

Candyce offers them for 900 Scrip each but do not be dismayed if you have been burying your scrip to save up for other Black Market treasures. Just visit the Crown Shop and you can purchase each and every one of these precious albums and their thematic stands for a mere 1000 Crowns or, if you need to shake loose some of your excess gold from a fruitful Moo Manchu run, you can procure them for 10,000 gold each. So be it Scrip, Crowns or Gold, whatever is wearing a hole in your treasure chest, these gorgeous creations are yours to be had.

I managed to organize a private viewing of these visual delights just for you, our readers. Come into the Adventures of the Spiral Gallery and feast your eyes on some amazing creations.

Blessings and giggles on your day.

Ultra Update to Wizard101 Goes Live!

2015-07-15T16:56:00.001-04:00

A new update has arrived to Wizard101, and it’s sure to make your wizards ULTRA! Complete with ultra dungeons, ultra pets, ultra seeds (and more!), there’s plenty of new additions to keep you busy in the Spiral this summer.

Here’s a recap of the Wizard101 Summer Update!

One-Shot Rematch Gauntlets

If you think Krokopatra and Meowiarty were easy, think again – these bosses and more are back, and they’re ready for a rematch! This time around, they’ve learned new tricks and aren’t afraid to use them. Wizards up to the challenge will receive great rewards if they succeed, including ultra seeds, exclusive reagents and new mounts. And, if you haven’t gotten around to fighting Malistaire the Undying for your exalted gear, these new dungeons have a chance at dropping gear with stats close to those of Darkmoor gear!

Not sure where to find these new gauntlets? You can buy them in the Crown Shop for a small price, or they can be obtained as drops from various bosses. Rattlebones is a good place to start – battles can last just one turn, and the drop rate is fairly high. The Jade Oni is another popular spot, or you may receive some on your quests through the Spiral…

Remember: these bosses are tough, so be sure to prepare yourself before jumping in. The Mercenaries team have put together some great guides that will help you take down these pesky bosses!

Ultra Pets

First we had epic pets, then mega… and now ultra! Take your favorite pets to the Pet Pavilion to level them up to this new level, and it’ll become even stronger in combat!

A pet that reaches ultra will grant you a Star jewel. This new type of jewel can only be affixed to a pet’s jewel collar (usable once your pet reaches ancient) and can grant bonuses to your pet’s stats, your wizard’s stat’s, or derby talents. You can also obtain Star jewels via combat, crafting, and the Purreau’s Plentiful Pet Provisions hoard pack.

Gardening Improvements

Some great updates have been made to gardening, most notable of which being the new ultra seeds! Obtainable through the new one-shot gauntlets or as rare harvests from existing seeds, these new ultra plants can give great rewards. Their elder harvests have been reported to give new treasure cards, housing items, and rare reagents.

Thanks to Iridian WillowGlen for this picture of her Ultra garden!

That’s not all – new gardening spells are available, including the frequently requested Plant All spell. No longer will you have to go through the time consuming process of planting each seed individually after an elder harvest. Just visit Roger the Shrubber in Avalon to pick up this awesome new spell!

Finally, a new item known as the Seed Vault has been added. Purchasable through the Crown Shop or craftable from Toshio at MooShu, this housing item can store up to 100 seeds without filling up your backpack. You can craft as many as you’d like, but only two Seed Vaults can be placed in each of your houses.

…And Much More!

Houses can now be placed in the shared bank. School-themed mounts can now be crafted. The treasure card limit has been raised from 500 to 999. The critical calculation system has been revamped. PvP has entered into the third age, and a solution has been implemented against “puppet teams.”

Don’t forget about our favorite part: new fish! Ten new fish have been added to Celestia – can you catch them all? Don’t forget to check out our Celestia page on the Fishing Database to help you on your fishing adventures!

What’s your favorite part of the Summer Update to Wizard101? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and enjoy these ultra additions to the game!

New Mount! Solar Sabercat Pounces Into The Spiral

2015-07-15T10:52:00.000-04:00

The new update has hit Wizard101 with many new wonders to explore. We players were caught completely by surprise when KingsIsle delighted us with something new for the whole Spiral. Both Wizard101 and Pirate101 have a brand new mount: The Solar Sabercat

The Solar Sabercat that will delight to any Pirate or Wizard that likes stalking around on a hot mount.

This powerful beauty leaves a fiery trail behind as it bounds you through the Spiral. While you are either checking out all those new fish in Wizard101's Celestia, or prowling in the Dark Jungle of Pirate101 you can leave a blazing impression as you go bounding by in your ferocious Solar Sabercat.

This mount is known to get along well with your other mounts and really loves pets. All your beloved critters will love romping with it too as shown here by my Pirate101 Witchdoctor's Photobombing Not So Great White Shark :D

For a mere 7,500 Crowns you too can have a roaring good time with this brand new mount, The Solar Sabercat.

Check it out in the Crown Shop today and decide which one of your lucky wizards or pirates will get to pounce on this fantastic feline.

Blessings and giggles on your day

Fun In The Sun In The Spiral Screenshot Contest [CLOSED]

2015-06-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

Adventures of the Spiral is having a screenshot contest!

First Prize: 10,000 Crowns and a Floating Mountains Tapestry

Second Prize: 2,500 Crowns and a Floating Mountains Tapestry

Third Prize: 2,500 Crowns

Fourth Prize (Random Draw): 1,000 Crowns

Fifth Prize (Random Draw): Floating Mountains Tapestry

We want to celebrate the fun of summer with your amazing screenshots or your wizard or pirate having some fun in the sun. Just think of your favorite way to have some fun in the sun and have your wizard or pirate illustrate that in as creative way as you can.

Don't forget to hit Ctrl-G to clear your screen of game controls so your shot will look it's best.

Please let us know what your activity is and your wizard's or pirate's name either on your entry or include the information in your email. Below is just an example of how you can accomplish this although please feel free to be as creative as you wish.

You will have until Sunday July 5th at 11:59pm Central Standard Time to get your entries in.
Send your entries to admin@adventuresofthespiral.com and put "Fun in the sun contest" as the topic.
Feel free to send in a shot of one wizard and one pirate each but only one winner per person is allowed.

We will be featuring the winning entries and possible more of our favorites in a slideshow once we announce the winners.

OK Shutterbugs...Time to get snapping. :D

RESULTS

First place: Hunter Frost

"My wizard is tanning......sort of. As a wizard from Polaris I don't get to do a lot of beach activties. I heard there are a lot of fountains and rivers in "Wizard city" and the water is really warm. If I win crowns,I could definitely go see them for myself.Battling penguins and polar bears isn't that fun anymore.But lets look on the bright side "The cold never bothered me anyway" .

Plus I'm sure there is plenty of sunlight somewhere in the picture..."

Second place: Colin Starweaver

"My favorite activity is playing the bass guitar in my band."

Third place: Alura Stardust

Fourth place: Iridian Willowglen

Fifth place: Scarlet Firerider

We got incredible entries and it was very hard to choose who would win. Congratulations to the winners!

It's Time To Show Some Support

2015-06-24T17:20:00.000-04:00

Yes we all know that it's been over 2 years since the last storyline update for our beloved Pirate101 game. Yup, we are aware that they broke Wizard101's record for longest time between story updates.
We are also aware of some of the players really giving the developers a really hard time about it. Every time Pirate101 releases something fun for us like a pet or neat stuff to buy or just plain free stuff to celebrate a special day I see many players responding in a really ungrateful way as they show off their impatience. No matter what nice things they do for us, the common response is "Where is Book 15"? "Yea that's really nice but I would rather have Book 15". "I am not renewing my subscription until you give me Book 15".

There are threads all over Central with doomsayers and negativity dripping off of them as they rant about how poorly they think Pirate101 is handling this and how they think it should be done.

Well I happen to trust the great team that created this wonderful game and I believe them when they say that the new content is in the works. I think it's high time we fans and fan sites not sit back and just shake our heads at all of this haranguing on the developers. I think we need to let them know we stand behind them and we are cheering them on with well deserved pats on the back for their remarkable endurance and for working SO hard for us for SO long. We are in your corner. All of you gifted artists and programers that are busting your tushes through this long haul are our heros. We don't want you to think that we have given up on you. We know you have been working at a feverish pace for such a long time and we don't want you to feel even a little unappreciated as you toil through what must, by now, seem like a thankless task. We are behind you and are willing to do whatever we can to help you get through this.

Yes we would love to hear something encouraging from you. No teasers, vines or having to break the "That would be telling" clause is being hinted at here. Just an encouraging word to let us know that all our patience WILL be rewarded WHEN it is ready would be beyond appreciated but is not the point of this post. We just want to let you know that we support you, we celebrate you and we encourage you in any way we can help cheer you on.

Of course I am aware of the lack of communication as to why it is taking so long and what their hopes are for the new content release but that does not break my faith in the team that did so much to create our beloved game. Blind Mew told us that Marleybone and Aquila were well on their way when the game was launched so the quick addition of the new books was bit deceiving. They didn't pull that off in 6 months, it was almost completed before the game was even released.

The kind of quality and craftsmanship that makes up our spiral does not happen quickly and many are so easily forgetful of all the non story updates and game mechanics revamping that has happened. It is no small thing that was done to make all the changes and improvements the game has had in the last 2 years. It has, by no means, been a drought of new content as the months have passed by. With weapon and skill repairs, total pet revamping and training along with pet sparring, many new quests in the first areas of the storyline, wonderful and challenging dungeons that drop amazing gear or scrip, the output from the developers has been pretty amazing.

Let's check the records in the Monquista Library and look at the time line and you will see just how hard they have all been working.

As you can see the developers at Pirate101 have been far from unproductive and these are only the highlights. You can check the update pages yourself and see just how many myriad of things have been improved and adjusted since Books 13 and 14 were released.

So, on top of all these massive updates that have happened in the last 2 years, the development team has also been hard at work creating brand new content to bring us, finally, further along in Blind Mew's wonderful plot line.

To all your creative magicians on the Pirate101 side of the Spiral, we know you are really working hard to please and delight us and despite what all the very vocal whiners and complainers have been saying, your loyal fans and fansites are in your corner and greatly applaud your efforts in our behalf.

Ok fellow readers and loyal fans of Pirate101, let's give the hard working staff your words of encouragement in the comment section below. I am sure it will really make their day to read how much faith we all have in them.

Blessings and giggles on your day

What to do when you are Max Level!

2015-06-22T16:47:00.000-04:00

Many people are very excited when a new world comes out, they quest through it, finish, give a big "Yayyyyy!" then are unsure what to do. Your adventures in the spiral don't have to end when the storyline does, there are many things to do to keep you occupied until a new update comes!

1. Level up another Wizard

Haven't experienced all of the schools that this game has to offer? Level up a few more! Each school is different and requires a different mentality when questing. Try your hand at them all and see what you like best!

2. Pets Pets Pets!

Pets are hard to perfect, but that's what makes them a great long term project! Working on a few pets can also help you when new content DOES come out. Are you already satisfied with the pets you have? Hatch your pets out to others or create a hatch group.

3. Derby!!!

I fully approve of this option. ;) If you're a little bored with the game, try your hand at making some derby pets and racing them in ranked. Maybe you just want to obtain the Pet Warlord badge, but who knows, it very well could turn into something you really enjoy.

4. PvP

PvP is a completely different beast compared to questing. PvP requires different strategies and different spell use. Mastering it is challenging, but it's a fun hobby to take up and pass the time. PvP is known to have some bad eggs, but try to surround yourself with people who hold the same ideals as you. Form a PvP group that just wants to have fun-win or lose. If ranked isn't your thing, try PvP tournaments.

5. Help Others

Sure, you may be done with the game, but there are plenty of others who have not. Use the Join Up tent or Team-Up! to help other wizards in need. You can also head over to Wizard101 Central and help people by looking in the "In Game Help and Meet Ups" section. If you're inspired enough, create your own helping group.

6. Let's Go Fish

Fishing was a recent addition to the spiral, but it is full of fun puns, cute creatures, and a great way to explore past areas of the spiral. Feeling like a reel challenge? Try to catch a whopper and small fry of each type of fish! Need help wrangling them in? Check out our Fishing Database here.

7. Housing Mania/Parties

Make your castle or dorm a masterpiece with house decorating! If you need some tips, Paige Moonshade, the housing PRO, has some on her website here. If you're looking to make a house that's a bit more interactive, you can also make a maze, start a few housing games, or hold a house party.

8. Gardening

Gardening can reap great potential rewards that help you in other areas of the game. Whether it be mega snacks, TCs, or reagents, gardening can be a big help for almost anybody.

9. Collecting

TCs, pets, badges, tapestries, mounts...you name it! Collecting will keep you busy for months or even years to come!

10. Publications

If you're into putting things together, try your hand at making a Wizard101 themed digital magazine or publication.

11. Live Stream or Make Videos

Whether it be instructional guides, live streaming, or just sharing your farming adventures, making videos is a great hobby to get into that allows you to share your experiences with others.

12. Make/Join a Guild

There may not be official guilds in Wizard101, but there are plenty of groups to look into. Find a group that meets your interests, or make your own and watch it grow.

13. Fan Fiction

Unleash your creative side and write Wizard101 fan fiction. Put your character into unique situations or create and imagine your own far off place.

14. Fan Art

Is drawing your passion? Take the Wizard101 game and bring it to life through drawings, sculpture, or paintings. Do you like to bake? Bake a Wizard101 themed cake! What about graphics? Do you like to manipulate images and use Photoshop or GIMP? Art comes in many forms and your creativity can be expressed in many ways.
This fan art was made by Camille (top) and Frostcaller (bottom)

15. Contribute to the Wiki

You may have finished all your quests, but the wiki is ALWAYS a work in progress. Re-battle some bosses, take a picture of your drops, and see what's missing on the wiki. You can help the community by contributing to the wiki, and the community will thank you for it. ;)
The wiki is located here.

16. Blog!

Have a lot to say or want to share your ideas? Create a free site and blog your heart out. The options are limitless and you can even expand beyond the spiral.

Have any other ideas? Let us know in the comments!

25 Things A Pirate Would Never Say Aloud

2015-06-19T17:32:00.000-04:00

As you sail through the skyways you encounter all kinds of really colorful characters asking for the most unusual favors. Being a pirate, snarkiness is just how we roll, it's part of the Pirate Code after all. Being a smart pirate though we know we cannot just spout off when ever we want to because, to be honest, these guys are a little rough around the edges.

These are the snarky little quips that have gone through every pirate's mind yet discretion kept them from passing through our lips.

1) When confronted by rude players or snarky bosses:

"This is my Uncle Ratty. He looks out for me."

2) While Battling Stormzilla in Mooshu:

"Oh THIS is gonna leave a mark!"

3) When talking with Emperor Tibirdius and he gestures with his sword:

"That's not a knife. THAT'S a knife!"

4) In Aquila Fighting Colossus:

"Oh was THAT your chin? My bad."

5) To Don Rodrigo:

"GASP! YOU'RE El Toro? I had no IDEA!"
*Wipes dripping sarcasm off of screen*

6) To Bonnie Anne and Ratbeard:

"Will you two quit bickering like little children or
I am gonna make you BOTH walk the plank!"

7) To General Tso's Ships:

"Just hand over the rice and I may let you keep a ship or two."
*One week later*
"OK, OK, you have more ships than Mooda.
Please let me have some rice and I will quietly go away."

8) To Inoshishi Bandits:

"OK I am not leaving until you hand over that key!"
Two weeks later......"I didn't mean it!
PLEASE may I just borrow it for a little while?"

9) When giving tax money back to the Yagizawa Villagers:

*Sets Bonnie Anne as First Mate to follow and runs around singing;
"Robin Hood and Little John Running Through the Forest"
and Says "Oo-De-Lally" upon presenting each bag of gold.*

© Walt Disney Studios

10) To Moo Manchu:

"Let me suggest two things to you:
Towering Inferno and BBQ."

11) To Friar Sand:

"Let's just skip all the chit chat. You hand over the goods or
Catbeard will smack you with his fish."
Friar Sand: "Nooooooooooooooooo!"

12) To Red Fox:

"Well SOMEone sure got up on the wrong side
of the foxhole this morning!"

13) To Hawkules:

"YES, I have heard who your daddy is and if you remind me one more time
I am gonna make you bunk with El Toro."

14) To Rooke:

"Hey Rooke, Ya can't touch THIS!"

15) To Wizard Players:

"We Pirates, we take this jeweling thing to a whole new level."

16)

"You have dragons......We have DRAGONS!"

17)

"You wizards use traps, right?

Let us pirates teach you a thing or two about TRAPS!"

18)

"You wizards have a cute little Phoenix there.

Have you seen ours?"

19) To Catbeard:

"Of COURSE I was serious!

You are getting a bath the moment I 'Get You Outta Here'."

20) To the powers that be:

"Now THIS is precisely why any

respectable pirate needs some lockpicking skills."

21) After a Kracken wave damages your ship:

"Hey Storm Lord! A little help here."

22) Whenever you arrive at your house:

*Immediately starts talking in baby talk

to all the pets guarding the place.*

23) While traveling through The Passage:

"Come on crew, It's time to play Whack a Scylla."

24) After finally earning the right to buy your Pegasus, there is a bit of a

steep learning curve with this fight thing:

"Flying lesson number one:

Never try to land with your eyes closed."

25) At the end of every good and noble pirate's day:

"Wrongs righted, wreckage and destruction in my wake,

my work here is done."

I am sure I am not the only pirate with an inclination to be a smart alec. I bet you have lots of hysterical one liners that will crack us all up. Please leave comments with your best, snarkiest comebacks and we will all get our fill of sass filled fun. :D

Blessings and Giggles on ya.

P.S. If you haven't read it yet, please be sure to catch Vanessa Mythdust's "25 Things A Wizard Would Never Say Aloud"

Thanks to Harmony Everheart for arranging a modeling session with Hawkules for me. :D

25 Things a Wizard Would Never Say Aloud

2015-06-15T16:21:00.001-04:00

During our adventures across the Spiral, I'm sure we've all had thoughts that we would rather not say aloud. After all, you don't want to know what would happen if you did! Well, today the secrets come out. Here are 25 things that a wizard thinks, but would never say aloud!

Merle Ambrose

1. "I understand you may not have the best vision, but you really can't tell what gender I am?"

2. "Do you really have 'Big News' for me or are you just lonely?"

3. "I haven't even started class yet, and you want me to duel Malistaire's minions?!"

4. "Aren't YOU supposed to be the super awesome powerful wizard? Why are you putting me in danger to do all of these tasks?

5. "Some help here would be nice....."

Cyrus Drake

6. "Do your own laundry."

7. "No wonder why myth wizards are the rarest in the Spiral...."

8. "Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm a wizard too?"

9. "You scare me."

10. “Do you even hold class? I don’t remember ever attending?”

Creatures

11. "Please hurry up into the battle circle so I can kill you."

12. "You stunning me will not help you any. It only delays your demise...and makes me angry. Don't make me angry."

13. “STOP WITH THE DEBUFFS!”

14. “Can’t you just play by the rules?”

15. Don’t you DARE earthquake!”

NPCs

16. "I sort of need to save the world....can't you take care of party invitations and such by yourself?"

17. “Nooo….no more greyhorn mercenaries. Anything but that!”

18. “I’m a wizard, not your servant.”

19. “Do you ever leave this spot? When do you eat? Or sleep?”

20. “I don’t really care about you, I just want your XP.”

Misc.

21. “How is my backpack able to fit 4 mounts, 50 pets, and about 10 pairs of clothes? And where is it? It's never on my back...."

22. “Down, down, down shouldn't even be a combination!”

23. “Pet, that’s not good enough.”

24. “SHANE.VON.SHANE. STOP IT!”
*Thanks to Prince of Shadows for this pic!*

25. “I wish we could all get along like we did before the death school fell. I wish Khrulhu would bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy…”

Those are my 25 thoughts, do you have your own? Let us know in the comments!

*Stay tuned for the Pirate101 version of this post this Friday!*

Kingsisle releases a new Darkmoor themed Hoard Pack!

2015-06-09T11:47:00.001-04:00

Kingsisle have yet again dropped a new hoard pack on us, this time it ties in with the latest content update to the game, the Darkmoor Dungeon. The new hoard pack comes jam packed with Darkmoor themed items such as Gear Sets, Eye wands, a new Terror Dog Pet (that looks similar to a gargoyle) and much, much more!

The new mount is exclusive to the Wizard101 Crown shop and is priced at the usual 399 crowns for each hoard pack.

The new mount: The Terror Dog!

The new gear certainly got some members of the community talking as the wands has a nice amount of damage, and particularly, each wand comes with a shift spell that deals 1000 astral magic (type depends on the wand, ie. one comes with Star/Moon/Sun damage) and the new Garments come complete with Shadow Pip Chance enhancers!

Examples of the new gear

You can read about the new Hoard Pack here on the official Wizard101 announcement and keep up with all the latest news on gear statistics on the Duelist101 website and the Wizard101 Central wiki!

Becoming a Knight of the Spiral

2015-06-08T16:30:00.000-04:00

With the start of summer and schools letting out, there is a huge influx of younger players enjoying our beloved KingsIsle games. With all these younglings running around the Spiral, needing a safe environment to play, I thought I would encourage us older or more experienced players to remember to watch over them a bit.

We need to think of ourselves as Noble Knights of the Spiral and help keep the gaming experience nicer for everyone, except for the miscreants out there. Those are who we will protect our younger players from.

Some excerpts from The Knight’s Code of Chivalry from The Song Of Roland are:

To protect the weak and defenceless

To live by honor and for glory

To fight for the welfare of all

To obey those placed in authority

To guard the honor of fellow knights

To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit

We can be that knight for our fellow players.

We all see other players misbehaving in the game and I suggest that we not ignore them but to make liberal use of that report button and call attention to their misbehavior and hopefully trigger some consequences from the powers that be.

First we need to know just what IS reportable. Things like:

• Creative swearing or cursing around the filters. If they manage to get the thought across that they are using inappropriate language then report it.

• Anyone asking for someone’s personal information like their password, sign in name, their real name, school, email or phone number (Yes there are creative ways to say numbers even though they aren’t allowed in chat), or specifically asking where someone is from.

• Any threat to their person in real life. (Talking a little reasonable smack in game is fine.)

• Any racist comments.

• Any sexual comments.

• Any claims to cheating. If you hear someone talking about using codes, an exploit or other software or is promoting a crown generator.

• Anyone claiming to be a KingsIsle employee that cannot prove it by displaying the employee's badge that will say “KingsIsle Support”.

Since false reporting is also a no-no let’s remember what is NOT a reportable offence.

• You get reported by someone and you believe it is false. Do not report that, two wrongs will not make a right (although three rights DO make a left :P). The report team will read every chat log associated with every report and they will determine if it is false or not. If it is, the wrongdoing will be credited to the false reporter, not to you.

• Someone keeps jumping into your fights, causing more mobs to join, and then they flee. Granted this is really rude behavior but it is not reportable. Just change realms to get away from them.

• Offering to trade treasure cards for anything and not fulfilling their part of the deal once they have your treasure cards. This is also beyond rude but you agreed to the trade and you have to decide to trust someone or not. The old adage of “Let the buyer beware” is wise words to follow. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is so don’t go there. If you hear anyone trying to talk someone else into this kind of deal, be the Noble Knight and warn the targeted player that it is a scam. Now if you hear someone trying to get their login name or password to give them crowns for their cards...That IS reportable and go for it.

• Someone bugging you or constantly asking for gifts. Another case of rudeness and rude behavior alone is not grounds for reporting. Just tell the harassed player to click on the beggar's name in the chat log and then click “Ignore”. Then they will no longer see anything they have to say. If the person persists in jumping around and getting in their way, show the victim how to change realms to get away.

Even if you can’t report someone for being a pain to another player, you can do your Noble best and give them all the tips you know on how to avoid the offending player. Protecting these kids and newer players is a Knightly duty we should all take on to make our Spiral a much happier place.

In Wizard101 there are Hall Monitors. Whenever you see the results of one doing their job, (It will show up in your chat log when they have warned or muted someone) please encourage that monitor and cheer them on. Because of their secrecy code, they will not be able to respond to you but they will hear your praise and I am sure it will give them a good case of the warm fuzzies. They have a hard and thankless task to do and since they have to work in absolute secrecy no one can know who they are for their much deserved pats on the back. The offending players tend to get pretty caustic while this is going on (until they also get muted) so a show of player agreement with what the hall monitors are doing will show the crowds that players along with the Monitors will not tolerate such behavior. Support any Hall Monitor you happen to catch doing their job and they will really appreciate the kudos.

Just a note about Hall Monitors; if you hear anyone claiming to be one, that is your first clue that they are not. No hall monitor will ever break their code of silence and admit that they are one. If you ever hear someone threaten anyone with their Hall Monitor powers, report them.

Whenever you are traveling along from one place to another, keep an eye out to the mob fights you see going on. If you see someone struggling, by all means offer them some help. Please, always ask first before you join, it is only polite. We all need a helping hand once in a while and new players even more so. They have to learn their skills from someone, so why not a friendly Noble Knight of the Spiral?

In Pirate101, if you see a ship fight going on, just do a quick check of their ship’s health and join right in if you see it get too low or if you see that someone has been ganged up on by enemy ships. You will all share in equal loot and may find some Scrip in the process. Besides it’s always great fun to blow enemy ships out of the skyway. Muahahahah!

When you are running around in the Commons or the hub for any world, as long as you are not in the middle of something, keep an ear (eye) out for calls for help. Many things in our beloved games cannot be easily soloed and some things we deem easy are really tough for a newer player. They will be so grateful for your help. Sure there are some lazy players out there that just want to ride through fights on your armor tails but you will discover who they are rather quickly and just put them on “Ignore” so you don’t even hear their shenanigans. I am not condoning Power Leveling here by any means, I will never do that for a lazy player but I WILL switch to a character that is closest to their level and help out any way that I can. After all, it IS a Knight’s duty.

There are a lot of fansites out there and you would be surprised how many newer or younger players are not even aware of them. Strike up conversations and let them know about our beloved fan sites and tell them where they can be found. Either by name or tell them how to get to the Fan Site page on the official game page for Wizard101 and Pirate101 fantastic fan sites.

Be sure to let players know about the message boards. Explain how they can post by purchasing crowns if they are not a subscriber. I played for several years before I got brave enough to try the message boards and I cannot begin to describe how much I have learned reading and posting there. Now I have a whole new family with my fellow Message Board Marauders on the Pirate side and actually having to think up a moniker for a message board name is how “Chrissy The Blesser” was born. The wealth of information and just plain giggles on the message boards for Wizard101 and Pirate101 cannot be underestimated. They do seem a bit overwhelming at first so please, be the Brave Knight and show them how easy it can be to become a much more informed player.

Let us also not forget to let them know about the official KingsIsle Blog. They post so many wonderful posts about the game and focus on so many wonderful players, we need to spread the word so more can enjoy.

Let’s not forget social media. Let the newer players know about Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google Plus, Pinterest and Tumblr for great info, artwork and really cool prizes from both games. Just make sure you have your parent's permission before going onto or registering with any of the social media sites if you are not an adult yet.

So as they used to say in Hill Street Blues, let's show those younger and less experienced players how to “Let’s be careful out there”. Keeping them safe will keep the Spiral safer and we will all benefit from a more enjoyable gaming experience.

OK Knights of the Spiral……...Time to ride!

Many thanks to: Swordroll, Matthew Dragonblade, Jack Nightingale, Iridian Willowglen, & Calamity Pixieshade for providing pictures of all their Noble Knights of the Spiral. *Chrissy Hugs*

Huge thanks to Chrissy The Blesser for making another post! Special announcement: These posts by Chrissy demonstrated her awesome capabilities at blogging and unparalleled determination. She did a wonderful job, so Chrissy is now part of the AoS team! Make sure to welcome her to our crew in the comments or on Twitter!

Crown Shop Shopping Spree! [CLOSED]

2015-06-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

Summer is almost here... which means that it's contest time! We have plenty of Crown codes for prizes, and what better way is there to give them out then have a shopping spree?

How To Enter

If you were to win Crowns, what item from the Crown Shop would you buy? Here's your chance to not worry about that price tag and pick out your favorite item - if you win, you may just have the Crowns to buy it!

In your entry, include one item from the Crown Shop that really stands out to you, and include a few sentences explaining why you like it. We'll draw the entries at random out of all valid submissions, and the five entries that we like the best will receive some extra Crowns!

Rules

1. Only one entry per person.

2. You must include both an item and a short explanation in your entry. It doesn't have to be long - just a few sentences on why this item catches your eye!

3. Email your entry to admin@adventuresofthespiral.com with the title "Shopping Spree Contest" and include your wizard or community name. No real names!

4. Your entry must be submitted by June 14th.

Prizes

We'll be randomly drawing entries and awarding them with 1,000 Crowns. We'll also pick our favorite five entries, and these winners will take home 10,000 Crowns! And, best of all, you'll be able to have a Crown Shop shopping spree with your prize! If you have any questions, please send them to us via email at admin@adventuersofthespiral.com, or you can tweet to us at @OfficialAotS. Please also feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below.

Good luck!

Winners!

10,000 Crowns (And What They're Buying)

Devin StarFlame - Swiftshadow Wings
Matthew ShadowBlade - Celestian Trident
Mason Rose - Archangel's Attire
Monica Legend - Baddle of the Bands Gauntlet
Luke Spiritfriend - Himoolayan Yak

1,000 crowns

Smart Logan West
Tristan
Erin Rosepetal
Jeremy Skullstaff
Christina Rainbow
Samantha Goldgem
Alex Hawkrider
Blaze Shadowcaster
Alexander Dragonblade
Donna Dragondreamer

Check your emails! Congratulations!

Why Derby Tournaments Need to Happen!

2015-05-25T16:36:00.001-04:00

The free tournament member benefit ended not too long ago, and it was absolutely wonderful. But you know what would make it even better? Derby tournaments! A lot of people were surprised when derby tournaments weren’t added with PvP tournaments, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t appear in the future. Here are just a few reasons why derby tournaments would be excellent, and even work better than PvP tournaments.

1. Diego, who?

Races have a clear winner each and every time (usually). KI would need to figure out something for a possible tie, but that is nothing compared to leaving PvP decisions in Diego’s hands. A solution I could think of right away would be to award any players who tie the same number of points.

2. Races are quick, and so would matches

Races are usually 2-5 minutes long. With the 4 round tournament setup now with PvP tournaments, you could finish an entire tournament in 8-20 minutes. Tournaments would be fast, and people would be able to join more of them in the same amount of time.

3. The possibilities are endless

Basic tournament types could be teen, adult, ancient, epic, and mega, but the possibilities beyond that are close to limitless. Just take a look at some past derby tournaments on Wizard101 Central for a few options. KI could have derby tournaments for specific school pets, certain pedigree ranges, and even pets dropped from certain worlds! Whereas PvP can get a bit repetitive, derby has so many options and ways to change the races to make them interesting and different each and every time.

4. The derby crowd needs a better way to get tickets

A first place in derby awards you a measly 3 tickets. This is assuming that there are 4 people in the race. With 3 people, the winner gets 2 tickets. One PvP tournament can yield around 500 tickets. To get that same amount, a derby racer would need to race 167 times! They would need to race even more if they didn't get first place in every single race. Derby just isn’t an effective way to earn tickets right now. Let’s change that with derby tournaments!

5. It would help bring needed attention to derby

Derby’s following has been decreasing each and every day for multiple reasons. With the addition of derby tournaments, people may become interested in derby again and the community would thrive and be thankful for it! Derby needs your help KI!

There you have it, 5 reasons why derby tournaments should and need to happen! Have any other ideas? Let us know in the comments!

The Greatest Gift - A Guide to Gift Cards

2015-05-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

Kingsisle offers many ways to access the game, and gift cards are one of them! Each gift card comes with a unique free pet. The pet that you receive will change month to month, and will depend on when you redeem the card, not when you purchase the card.

A few things to note about gift cards:
- Gift Cards cannot be used to unlock Open Chat.
- $10 cards can be redeemed for 1 month of membership, or 5,000 crowns.
- $20 cards can be redeemed for 2 months of membership, or 10,000 crowns.