alt="MIsts of Pandaria " />

The new year is almost upon us, in real
life and World of Warcraft. As 2013 draws to a close, we realize that
not only is a new year incoming, but also, a new expansion is on the
way. With this in mind, it seems like the perfect time to look back
on the Mists of Pandaria expansion and recall the good and bad we
have seen along the way. Today I would like to focus on the positive,
so below I have gathered together my top five picks for best of Mists
of Pandaria. Read onward and see if my picks match up with yours!

Cross-Realm Merging

Back in 5.0.4 we saw the first inkling
of cross-realm capabilities with cross-realm zones. Before that we
had cross-realm battlegrounds and arenas. Now cross-realm technology
in game has gone even further and almost every low population realm
has found itself totally meshed with at least one other realm. There
is no seams between these realms, they function as one. You can talk
to, raid with, and troll major cities with these realms. While it
seems this meshing of realms has brought about mixed feelings, I am
firmly of the opinion that they are good.

These cross-realm mergers have put new
life into dead servers and given players hope that once again their
servers might be bustling hubs of activity. No longer will be finding
a group be an impossible task, filling your guild feel hopeless, or
will zones feel totally and utterly abandoned. Sure, there might be
some glitches along the way, but overall cross-realm mergers are
really some of the best of Mists of Pandaria.

alt="Cross Realm Merge" />

Flexible Raiding

Flexible Raiding is a huge hit with
almost every World of Warcraft player. Something that should havebeen done
long ago, this style of raiding appeals to almost every
player type. In short, Flex Raids allow groups of friends to(finally) raid
together, which is something raiders have wanted since
day one, while still being able to fill the raid with PUGs if theneed
arises. With dynamic difficulty based on raid size and solid
consequences for bad behavior in raids, Flexible Raids are without adoubt
one of the best things in Mists of Pandaria.

Raids, Raids, and More Raids

While this may be redundant with Flexible
Raiding right above, Mists of Pandaria was an expansion where I felt that
raiding finally was able to get back to it's roots. Top guilds are
pleased with the challenge fights posed and that is an excellent
things. Raiding is supposed to be a challenge and in the last few
expansions it has been anything but. Also on the nice list was the
almost consent flow of raiding content in this expansion. We almost
never had the chance to get bored, which is usually one of the major
complaints from raiders. Sure there have been issues along the way,
but overall raiding in Mists of Pandaria has felt like some of the
best we have seen since Wrath of the Lich King. The best part? Thanks
to an awesome start in Mists, Even better raiding is likely to be
seen in Warlords of Draenor.

alt="Mist of Pandaria Raids" />

Content for All

Pleasing everyone is almost never
possible. Someone, somewhere, is always going to be unhappy with
something in an expansion. The Mists of Pandaria expansion is no
different. With that being said, this expansion made a valiant effort
at it. Pandaria was awash in content that was aimed towards all kinds
of players: casuals, hardcore, and everything in between. The Siege
of Orgrimmar, two new battlegrounds, and the Timeless Isle are just a
few examples of the great content found in this expansion that appeal
to very different crowds. While Blizzard couldn't make every single
player happy, the definitely gave it their best shot and it shows.

Timeless Isle

While still relatively new, the
Timeless Isle is without a doubt one of the best parts of this
expansion. A great (and easy) place to gear up, the Isle combines the
best of WoW into one place. Just the right amount of dailies, great
rewards, achievements, and the thrill of seeking out named mobs and
various rares all add to the appeal of this in-game island. While the
reputation grind is a bit daunting, almost everything else is
perfectly right here. I never feel like I am squandering my time when
I am on the Timeless Isle. I couldn't be more happy to hear that in
Warlords of Draenor we will be seeing more of this type of play
throughout the game.

alt="Timeless Isle" />

That covers my picks for the best of
Mists of Pandaria. Check back tomorrow for the worst of this
expansion. In the meantime, what are some of your personal picks for
best of this expansion? Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the
comment section below!


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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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