Island Expedition Transmog:

I wrote a post called Island Expedition Transmog back in 2020, covering the Island Expedition Transmog you could acquire from completing Island Expeditions. Due to the low prices players were posting these items for, there was a market for flipping them for a considerable profit.

Once Shadowlands released in late 2020, and players turned their attention to the new content, the supply quickly fell. With the demand increasing, the value of these items increased significantly. For example, I could purchase the Stinkrot Smasher for 25k midway through 2020; today, it’s worth between 100-200k depending on your realm.

Sadly, players have made a valid point that Island Expeditions are difficult to queue, as you need a group of three players to participate. As a result, Blizzard has decided to introduce a solo queue, meaning it will become easier to participate in Island Expeditions. Unfortunately, this change could have a knock-on effect on the supply and demand of Island Expedition Transmog, thus driving their valuations down. 

No information has been released regarding any possible changes to drop rates etc. Any changes to the drop rates of loot will significantly affect the valuation of Island Expedition Transmog. I’d recommend checking the 9.1 Public Test Realm (PTR) as soon as it’s available and adapt accordingly.

I’ve added links to Wowhead’s Article and the interview between Jeremy Feasel and Vanion below.

Wowhead’s article confirming Solo queues

Jeremy Feasel’s interview with Vanion

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Island Expeditions in Battle for Azeroth:

On the release of Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard introduced new content called Island Expeditions. Island Expeditions gave us four difficulties, Normal, Heroic, Mythic, and PvP. The aim was to pick a map from 3 choices, then your difficulty, and group up with two friends or two other players through a queue system. Once your group formed, it was a race to meet the Azerite goal; if you reached the Azerite goal first, you won, and a sack of loot was waiting for you at the end!

With new patches to Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard introduced more changes to Island Expeditions, none more so than the introduction of objectives. Completing particular objectives would influence your loot at the end of the match. However, players were still disappointed with the varied loot tables and not earning items they wanted. Finally, Blizzard succumbed to the player’s demands and introduced the Seafarer’s Dubloons and 8 Salvage Crates.

Seafarer’s Dubloons was an excellent incentive for players wanting to farm specific items. Earn enough Dubloons, and you were able to purchase one of 8 Salvage Crates. Now the crates weren’t as straightforward as you’d hoped. A weekly map cycle coincided with the type of Salvage Crate that was available from the vendor. If you wanted a specific item from Island Expeditions, you had to wait for the correct map that offered your desired Salvage Crate.

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Island Expeditions in Shadowlands 9.1:

Sadly for gold-makers, the introduction of the solo queue will undoubtedly have a negative effect. As players can easily access Island Expeditions, thus the supply of the transmog will increase. As with supply and demand, the valuations of the transmog will decrease as the supply outnumbers the demand.

The only saving grace for gold-makers is if Blizzard incorporates changes to the loots drop rates and makes it difficult to obtain specific transmog. I don’t believe this will happen, but I urge you to be vigilant and adapt accordingly.

When the 9.1 Public Test Realm (PTR) is released, and you have access, please consider checking it. If there are no changes to drop rates and loot is more accessible, immediately consider changing the valuations of your transmog to get a head start on your competition. When 9.1 comes, and the transmog supply quickly increases, you could be stuck with many items you may struggle to sell.

Adapting quickly and being ahead of your competitors is where you want to be; come the release of 9.1!

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High Tier List:

If you’re unsure of the big-ticket (high tier) items from Island Expeditions, then check out my list below, which I’ve had a lot of success flipping. For detailed information on the value of an item, check out The Undermine Journal; these items are ≥50k gold – EU Median Price.

• Firekin Amice
• Plundered Flamecaster Stave
• Plundered Barb-Edged Dagger
• Rattling Bone Greatbelt
• Plundered Heart Hacker
• Razorfin Helm
• Plundered Shadow-Infused Blade
• Stinkrot Smasher
• Duskhaven Top Hat
• Plundered Beacon-Light Bulwark
• Plundered Tenderizing Crusher
• Wild Marauder Chainmail
• Plundered Petrified Tree

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Conclusion:

Upon the release of Shadowlands, the value of Island Expedition Transmog increased significantly as the demand outweighed the supply. Sadly for gold-makers like myself, this will undoubtedly change when 9.1 is released, and Blizzard introduces the Island Expedition solo queue.

If there are no other changes to the drop rates of loot, I urge you to reconsider the prices you’ve valued your items for and consider offloading items as promptly as possible. Failure to adapt quickly will leave you with a large stock of transmog that you will struggle to offload.

Accessing the 9.1 Public Test Realm (PTR) as soon as it’s available will give you an idea of the changes coming in the new patch. Use this information to your benefit and make the appropriate changes to your valuations. Continuously monitoring the market and adapting to changes is key to keeping you ahead of your competitors.

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Feedback:

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I hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading.