This week on Level Up I found some pretty incredible video game inspired tattoos.

Everyone has opinions about tattoos. They’re either 1) totally against them, 2) super curious and/or scared, 3) have one and love it, 4) have one and regret it, or 5) have several and plan on more.  Kinda like kids.  If you get one,  it’s yours forever.  So choosing one should be a very personal process, whatever you deem that to be.

This weekend I attended the Darkmoon Faire World of Warcraft Trading Card Game in Los Angeles. Despite what this photo looks like, the event was not held in the women’s bathroom.  It was at the luxurious Crowne Plaza hotel near LAX.

My best friend, Tracy, happened to be flying into LAX on Friday, so I figured I’d surprise her with a taste of a world she has never known… the World of Warcraft.  Introducing anything WoW related to her was a thrill for me.  After explaining the race and class system, she connected strongly with the Goblins because she’s very short and likes “auction housing”… or in real life terms, Ebay:

Upon arriving we were greeted by Mike Sacco of WoW Insider / Cryptozoic Entertainment / Pantene Hair Commercials, and later introduced to Ben Stoll, who is a designer for the WoW TCG.  Their newest expansion, Crown of the Heavens, had it’s first sneak peek at this event and *Ben* was the set Lead Designer!  Congrats Ben!

Ben Stoll, Mike Sacco & Michele Morrow WoW TCG DMF LA

I’ve played a few card games before, but never the WoW TCG.  After getting a starter deck and a couple teachers, we were ready to go.  But, NO HUNTER DECK  so I chose Priest, my other (neglected) 85.

Opening the box was stupidly exciting; like a kid on Christmas morning I tore it open hoping to find dragons and unicorns.  Instead I found a bunch of Alliance scum, but that’s okay, “I’ll be a switch hitter for today,” I told myself.

But lo and behold, my teacher / opponent was a Horde Warrior!  As a fan of Sylvanas Windrunner, wanting to CRUSH a certain Horde Warrior is right up my alley:

My teacher Mike a.k.a. Garrosh Hellscream

After schooling his ass in a long and painstaking battle, he forfeited to my clearly innate talent.  I mean, it could have been because the Crown of the Heavens preview was starting… but whatever, I WON.

The floor was packed with madness – people were stoked to get a sneak preview of the new set.  People were popping up and suddenly cheering because they got rare loot!  The energy was palpable, and I wish we could’ve stayed longer, but since Tracy and I had to leave we took a quick photo opp with the Darkmoon Faire’s very own, Vanessa Vancleef!

I think my friend Tracy is gettin' into it !!!

Little did I know that this badass rogue is actually none other than Christina Sims – winner of the 2010 Blizzcon Costume Contest for her Diablo 3 Monk (not to mention a finalist in other years).  Talk about making me want to try Cosplay sometime… this girl really enjoys playing her characters and she’s a lot of fun to be around.  Go like her on Facebook if you get a chance, she’s one killer chick…. so killer, she garroted me!

I will find my way back from the dead, Vanessa, watch your back!

Thanks again to everyone at The Darkmoon Faire, I had a blast!  I’m planning on building a deck in the near future (after getting a few more starter games going, of course).  Advice from the community is always welcomed!

=mm=

Featured image via: WoW TCG / Cryptozoic Entertainment

Additional images via: MicheleMorrow.com, WoW TCG / Cryptozoic Entertainment, & WoW Wiki

Every last Friday of the month, I will be doing a monthly segment on HelloGiggles about a digital starlette by profiling their importance in video game history.

We’re kicking off the New Year with a familiar face, but possibly more recognized for her “side-profile”.  I am of course talking about the most famous video game heroine of all-time, Ms. Pac-Man.

A World of Warcraft documentary that I’m featured in is being streamed on WoW Insider through February 3rd.  WoW Insider Editor (and my Tiny Dancer), Lisa Poisso, writes:

In a game where tools like the Raid Finder have democratized raiding, how does the mindset of players in top-echelon guilds pushing for world firsts differ from yours and mine? How much time do bleeding-edge guilds really put in? What tricks help them push past wipes and overcome raid challenges? How do they make up time and nudge past other guilds to claim world firsts? And why do other WoW players love to follow the action?

The whole sprawling scene plays out onscreen in the feature-length documentary Race to World First – and you can watch it free right here at WoW Insider now through Feb. 3. (The film is also available at RacetoWorldFirst.com for a small fee.)

The Looking for Group Productions film, begun back in the day when clawing to a top spot on raiding progression charts was perhaps at its cut-throat peak, follows a handful of top-tier WoWguilds in their sprint to the top. Producers John Keating and Zachary Henderson conducted some of the early interviews for Race two years ago at BlizzCon 2010′s WoW Insider reader meetup, including familiar faces like WI Editor Adam Holisky and GM/actress/huntress extraordinaire Michele Morrow.

Get a peek at this film for free while you can right here at WoW Insider. Who knows what in-game challenges you might feel up to tackling after seeing that much fiery motivation in action?

Image via: Race To World First

Past episodes have featured faction leader story interviews with WoW Insider lore aficionados Anne Stickney and Matthew Rossi.

From The Overlores website:

Deathwing has emerged.

The great dragon has sundered the world of Azeroth.

Our land has been shaken, burned, and torn open in ways unthinkable.

Five Worgen have left their home of Gilneas to venture out into the world, to learn, to explore, to gain a kingly knowledge of all that has transpired.

Will you join us?

We five intrepid explorers have taken the task of joining together to level through the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion, following the questlines and lore the game and it’s designers have established, and recording every minute of it to be sent out over the airways to you, the Warcraft community, for your listening pleasure.

More details will be coming shortly.  This is going to be a Twisted Nether production, so our home will be here on TwistedNether.net

The hosts of the show are as follows:
Nibuca from Mystic Chicanery and Twisted Nether Blogcast fame
Tarinae from A Healadin’s Tear
Nevik from Nevik’s Notebook
Psynister from Psynister’s Notebook
Rilandune from Heroically Random

Please stay tuned for more details and information on the upcoming show.

You can follow us on twitter:  twitter.com/theoverlores

The email for the show is:  info@overlore.twistednether.net

Image via: The Overlores

If you missed my interview with The Twisted Nether, you can stream or download it now: Episode 157 “Morrow’s Ribs”.  From their website:

This week we welcome Michele Morrow, Actress/Columnist/Podcaster/Gamer and much, much more! We talk about Lady Sylvanas, Blizzcon, Commodore 64 and even a little bit of WoW.

You can follow hosts Hydra, Fimlys and The Twisted Nether on Twitter.

“GIRL GAMER” – where did the term come from?  In this article, I take a historical look back at where the possible gender shift began.  I know a lot of dudes are on my fan page, and I’d love to hear your viewpoints on this.

Guys: did you play Atari/NES/Sega with girls growing up?

And Girls: were you just as oblivious to the male-advertising as I was?

Some of you may not be old enough to remember 80s gaming (or may not have been alive *gasp*) – either way, let me know what you think.

**Every Friday, my gaming culture column “Level Up” appears on Zooey Deschanel’s lady-friendly website HelloGiggles.com**  So check it out, comment and share!

Images via: Know Your Meme

Join me on Saturday 1/21 8pm PST for the Twisted Nether Blogcast on the Live Chat via UStream!  We’ll talk World of Warcraft and whatever else you guys bring up in the chat room.  From the Twisted Nether website:

“Twisted Nether is a Blog and Podcast dedicated to bringing you the best the WoW Internether has to offer! Our concentration is on WoW blogs, the bloggers who write them and blogging in general. We will also cover general WoW news and views. Many of our topics will be ripped from the Blogs themselves.. We also, usually, have a special guest interview each week. Bloggers, Podcasters, etc.. All Internether Media WoW folks are possible guests!

The crew at Twisted Nether consists of two “seasoned” WoW bloggers.  Fimlys from Asleep at the WoW and Hydra from Almost Evil.”

Follow them on Twitter: @Fimlys and @HydRAWR

The new World of Warcraft Trading Card Game preview of Crown of The Heavens is out and I couldn’t be more in love with this illustration of Lady Sylvanas.

Image Via:  Gameolosophy