Island Expeditions

Solo Queue for Island Expeditions is here!

/ Gra1980 / Leave a comment

Solo Queue Island Expeditions in patch 9.1.5

Patch 9.1.5

The long-awaited patch 9.1.5 is finally live and brings a wealth of improvements to World of Warcraft – Shadowlands. Notable changes; Legion Timewalking, improved scaling for soloing Legion content, quality of life improvements for alts in Shadowlands, and much more.

The full patch 9.1.5 notes are here. 

But, above all, the long-awaited introduction of the solo queue (Private Tour) for Island Expeditions is here!

Island Expeditions:

Since the Battle for Azeroth expansion ended, players have found it challenging to queue for Island Expeditions due to the minimum requirements. You needed three players to play this content, and due to the emergence of Shadowlands, no one was queuing due to the new content available. 

However, developers had promised a solo queue (as early as Shadowlands 9.1) but found issues developing the changes. Thankfully, as of 9.1.5, these changes are in full effect.

Remember, there is a three-map cycle that changes every week. Each map has specific mobs, which in turn drop particular loot.

Why Do Players Want Island Expeditions?

Some players may not have played during Battle for Azeroth, or maybe didn’t have any interest at that time for Island Expeditions, and now they do and have realized how good they are. 

There are a lot of items that players will be interested in – notably, Mounts, Companion Pets, and predominantly Transmog. Sadly, the Transmog available still relies heavily on the cycle of three maps available for that week.

Remember, if you collect Seafarer Dubloons, you can also purchase Salvage Crates; again, these crates will rely heavily on the three maps available for that given week, so spend those dubloons wisely!

Check out Wowhead’s excellent guide here for updates on Island Expedition rewards.

How To Solo Queue For An Expedition?

For Horde players, travel to the city of Dazar’alor within Zuldazar, and speak to Captain Rez’okun at the coordinates [44.95].

Alternatively, if you’re an Alliance player, travel to the city of Boralus within Tiragarde Sound and speak to Flynn Fairwind at the coordinates [66.33].

Select the appropriate Private Tour (solo queue) for your ability.

The Effect on GoldMakers Selling Transmog:

The new addition will undoubtedly harm the Island Expedition Transmog market. Due to the limitations to the queue, the gear was harder to obtain; supply was low, meaning players that stockpiled the Transmog could demand higher valuations for specific items. I outlined this in a previous blog post here.

Transmog will be easier to obtain with players able to solo queue, thus driving down the valuation and increasing the supply. As the quantities increase, as will the valuations continue to decrease.

The power of ‘supply and demand‘ the greater the demand that outweighs the supply, the higher the fee you can demand. When the supply outweighs the demand, the lack of value you’ll get for your piece(s).

Monitoring and Adapting to the Market:

Over the next few weeks, it’s essential to monitor and adapt as the market adjusts to the influx of Transmog. Using The Undermine Journal, we can use the data they offer and get a headstart on our competitors.

Below, I’ve chosen my trusted piece, the Stinkrot Smasher. The item has earned me a lot of gold, and you can see why. There are three pieces on my realm and a total of 122 currently within the E.U region. This piece demands between 100k to 250k each, as shown in previous sales reports.

Stinkrot Smasher

However, these quantities will start increasing, so adjust your prices promptly, to stay ahead. If you don’t adapt quickly, you will be left behind with many items to sell, and it will only worsen – well, until the value has gone and the players farming find alternative markets.

Importantly, keep your eyes peeled on your realm’s pricing/quantity heat maps and the current regional Price graph. These graphs will show immediate changes that will assist you going forward!

Transmog – Items of Interest:

Here’s a reminder of some of the pieces that currently demand a lot of gold on the Auction House. This list will change, as mentioned above!

  • Dragonriders Harness
  • Duskhaven Jacket
  • Duskhaven Top Hat
  • Firekin Amice
  • Firekin Robes
  • Helm of the Tranquil Paths
  • Leggings of the Tranquil Paths
  • Plundered Barbed-Edge Dagger
  • Plundered Biting Shot Longbow
  • Plundered Blade of the Northern Kings
  • Plundered Flamecaster Stave
  • Razorfin Breastplate
  • Razorfin Helm
  • Razorfin Shoulderguards
  • Stinkrot Smasher
  • Vest of the Tranquil Paths
  • Wild Marauder Chainmail
  • Wild Marauder Helm
  • Wild Marauder Pauldrons

Feedback:

Any feedback is greatly received; please use the comment section below. If you need to contact me, use the contact me method. If you found this post helpful and believe it could be of use to someone else, please consider liking and sharing.

Island Expedition Transmog in Shadowlands 9.1

/ Gra1980 / 2 Comments

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

Feedback:

Any feedback is greatly received; please use the comment section below. If you need to contact me, use the contact me method. If you found this post helpful and believe it could be of use to someone else, please consider liking and sharing.

I hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading.