Preorder Items

Due to the excessive amounts of threads devoted to questions about preorder weapons and items cluttering the board, please confine all future questions about the preorder weapons here.

This is the Official Page on the preorder items.

Please note that nothing more is known about these items than their names, images, and the descriptions given. Anything else is pure speculation, as of the time of this writing.

Updates:
-Current information states that your preorder item is tied to your account, not your individual character. That means every character on your account will start with the preorder item.

-You may also have multiple preorder items tied to one account. Thank BGnome for the link.

Forgive me if this has been answered before, but I could not find a related thread on these boards.

Of the five pre-order special weapons (not counting Europe since I won't be going to Europe to pick up a pre-order there), two are designed for Warriors, one for Rangers, one for Monks, and one for Necormancers. Where's the love for Elementalists and Mesmers?

I'm planning to play an Elementalist/Mesmer. Am I just SOL?

Maybe for the first few levels, but I'm not expecting the items to last past lvl 10 (if even that far).

Aren't the prorder weapons "Divine Auras"?

Divine Auras are only for Collector's Edition buyers. Anyone who preorders GW (Standard) will get a special item depending where you buy it from.

I'm guessing they won't last past Pre-searing levels (5ish?). And Divine Aura is a different item than the Pre-Orders.

well getting items from purchase isn't so skillful I rather get a weapon of a enemy or quest

Am I mistaken? I thought Divine Aura was part of the Collectors Ed. So is it just that or do you get the other pre-order weapon/item along with Divine Aura in the CE? Just curious...

The Pre-Order pack is not the same as the Collector's Edition. CE will give you the Divine Aura. Pre-Order customers will receive a bonus in-game weapon. I have not yet found any detailed information about the weapons, except for this page: http://www.guildwars.com/products/preorder-items.html

Am I the only one who thinks the European pre-order is the best by far? I mean, its a focus, so any caster can use it, and it says on the main site "Enhances First Profession Primary Attribute" and it just looks darned cool.

I mean, as it is I'm screwed on items because I play a healing/protection monk, so what the heck good is a Censor's Icon gonna do me anyway? I just ordered from EBGames because their close to where I am and I've never had problems with them before... Do I need or want the bow? Nope, couldn't care less about it, but what am I supposed to do? Order from Europe and have it shipped to the US? Thats ridiculous. I think the biggest thing is that it sounds like literally the best and most long-lived item of the preorders, I mean, it works across the board with any caster class, and boosts their primary attribute. Thats a free extra + to any build... makes getting level... say, 17 divine favor possible... thats 54 health/cast, never mind the linked skills that would be boosted.

It just seems really odd that their limiting items by demographic like this, I mean, what about Europeans who are playing warriors? What the heck are they supposed to do with a Focus that gives + strength ? I'd much rather have a shield personally, never mind if your going hammer warrior. Rangers have the same problems, as hey, bows are two-handed :P Seriously limits its use to non-classical builds.

I guess I just would prefer everyone to have a chance to have a useful preorder item without shelling out a bunch of cash for over-seas shipping... And without having to wait for their package to arrive to start playing again after the 28th.

Well the reasonable way to deal with something like this is to allow people to trade their pre-order item for something they can actually use.

Which, of course, is the exact opposite of the route taken.

Ah, well. Just remember that it's extremely unlikely that these items will be any good - perhaps the smiting focus since it's the only one in the game, or the european preorder item, depending on how it works, will have a minimal amount of utility in the long run.

Peace,
-CxE

I'm like you, Ensign; I doubt that the special items will be ALL that special, and may only be of any utility early in the game to lower level characters, to eventually be superceded by items found later in drops, in trades, or at vendors. But, I could be wrong......

Are you INSANE? I fully expect my preorder item to give me unlimited god-like power to crush my enemies , both in the virtual world AND the "real" world...I'm getting a bow, which is why I play Ranger characters...EB was the closest to my house, so I HAVE to play the Ranger...I will be an UBER-ranger able to shoot laser arrows at unlimited distance. Not only that, but it will make me attractive to women and give me influence over statesmen and prevent tooth decay! When I feel blue, it will be my friend, and I will talk to it and tell it my troubles when no one else seems to care...I will name it "Betty" and it will be my truest love and I will call it "precious" when I think no one is listening...*rips off shirt...knocks over coffe cup*...I will be INVINCIBLE, just like Charlie Sheen, and you will all worship ME!!!! Bwahahahaha...

Seriously, I got the bow because I plan on primary Ranger characters to start. I don't care how cool it is. I got the preorder so I could play in the BWEs...THAT'S what makes preordering cool...The item...bah...but then, maybe it's got unlimited upgradability...If it did, I could become god-like and maybe transend level 20 and be the first level 21 character...I WILL RULE THE UNIVERSE...*ahem*...but I digress...

I think the European item won't give any significant advantage. +1 to a skill, but it might be a rune-style thing, but free. It's hard to say. I only found information on the bow, which benefits from the Marksmanship skill (duh), and the War Pick which is apparently a hammer.

Personally I think the pre-order bonus items suck.

It is also sad that there is no pre-order for Mesmers and Elementalists. I plan on being a mesmer and I was pretty disappointed. I'm getting mine from Fry's and I don't even know what my item is.

Everytime I think of the Divine Aura, I think of the little pet (Panda, Diablo, or Zergling) when they bought World of Warcraft CE. I may be wrong, but it seems more like a "cool accessory" rather than something that will give anyone any real benefits. It's not fair to just toss around benefits, even if CE owners are paying a bit extra.

I think of the bonus items as something to help you get started. A ranger with the Ithas Bow may have a small advantage for the first levels in the game. I may be wrong, but typically when I see "exclusive in-game item" I don't like to assume I wont be able to use it until level 20. With that said we all know they wont be the best items in the game, but just neat little things to help you if you choose a class that can make proper use of it.

Maybe it just wasn't a big deal for the mesmer/elementalist. It isn't to me, even though I'm likely to play an elementalist at launch.

And mbecker, you should get the Censor's Icon.

It may also make those who have & use it, standout like a sore thumb and make them an easy-to-see target. We'll "see"...

Why would I want the Censor's Icon? It gives +1 Smiting Prayers, that's useless. Explain! <--- first smiley

EDIT: I bought the WoW CE and regret every moment of it. Whenever I started a new character I would throw my pet present thing in the trash.

I believe he ment that because you ordered from Fry's you will get the censor's item, not that that you'd want it, as it say's under the Censor's Icon heading "Available from: All other retailers"

I think the weapons and shield should be easy to balance, but from what I have seen there are not any focus-items that give a bonus to skills... I recall that there is a guide showing all the possible modifiers on items, but darn it if I can't remember what site was hosting it.

So.. the fact that with the Icon and the Prism we're talking about +skill point bonuses, its hard to see how a completely unique item bonus can be properly balanced (this is a view from a beta standpoint, but it is all I've got to work with)

That's the saddest thing I have heard all night.

More importantly though, I think that there will be easy to aquire items that replace the pre order items at end game. Secondly I hear somewhere that these items might scale to your level? It's beyond me where I heard that, maybe I need to get some sleep.

I heard that the preorder items will probably scale with your level too, but even then, I doubt they'll be much good. It would be too unfair to give us preorders something uber just because we put down $5 early.
I don't even know what item I'm getting, but it's probably the Censor's Icon. I preordered to play the BWE and to get early access.