WoW Monk Tradition

In fact, Monk’s characters have prevailed in World of Warcraft (WoW) lore from the beginning, but they were never the center of attention. Longtime WoW players would have encountered monk characters throughout the years the Warcraft series grew; from Crimson Monks, Argent Monks, those found within the Draenei or the hero Dota Brewmaster.

Since 2010, Blizzard is rumored to be introducing the so-called ‘Panda Monks’. This was confirmed during the beta test of Mists of Pandaria, a WoW expansion that will officially launch on September 25, 2012. The expansion brings with it not only new content such as new zones, raid bosses, dungeons and a new level cap. 90, but also a new playable monk class and a pandaren race (pandas in human form).

The World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria expansion introduces fans to the hidden island of Pandaria, intact and unaffected in any way by the endless war between the Horde and Alliance factions. With the new level 90 cap, players can expect to see many new wilderness areas, themed in line with the Monk class and the Pandaren race. Whether it’s dense green forests, rolling fields of golden crops, or beautiful icy mountain peaks, Blizzard takes players to an entirely new Azeroth, different from the war-torn landscape that is featured in the Warcraft series.

So where exactly do pandas fit into tradition? To make a long story short, the pandaren race was suppressed centuries ago by the mogu, so it was the monks who gave the pandaren hope. While under the control of the mogu, the pandaren monks learned to use chi and the art of unarmed combat to gain their freedom. Monks, as shown in Mists of Pandaria, are a very capable class with three main specializations such as: Tank, Damage Dealer, and Healer.

However, players who choose to play as the Monk class have the option to select other races in addition to the Pandaren race as follows: Draenei, Ironforge Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Troll, Tauren, Gnome, Human, Forsaken, and Blood Elf. Like Druids and Rogues, the Monk class has armor options limited to maximum leather armor and light clothing.

The three World of Warcraft Monk specialization options allow players of different playstyles to enjoy the class and consist of Brewmaster, Windwalker, and Mistweaver; a tank, melee DPS and healer respectively. Players can also more easily customize their Monk characters through select skill options and tweaks here and there.