WoW-head Threads: Sterkvark the Pirate Shares the Booty

Belay thar, shipmate! Ye've missed stays, d'ya see, if ye've never gone buccaneering in Booty Bay, nor crossed yer cutlass with Southsea Freebooters in search of Cuergo's Gold!

How's that? Ye don't have a first mate hat? By thunder, yer a freshwater swab, to be sure, to set yer course by a 10,000 to 1 drop, and you may lay to that! Do ye think that Sterkvark the Pirate, the most dastardly cutthroat that ever bloodied his dirk on a Bloodsail Raider, let a little thing like a pirate hat keep him from sea roving? All ye need is an eyepatch, a parrot and a taste for adventure, and the rest of yer pirate duds are just a clove hitch away!

Actually, despire what our swashbuckling dwarf may tell you, the challenge to getting your pirate look down is not quite as straightforward as this. The problem is not a lack of options, but too many of them. Even

if you forgo the Bloodsail quests, along with the matter of eyepatches you have the challenge of getting your shirt, sash and pantaloons to match instead of clash. For me this means not one but four sea dog looks, along with a number of weaponry options and the right parrot. Who knew that being a bucanneer took such fashion sense?

You might think that the Swashbuckler's line of mid 40-low 50 gear would be full of items suitable for pirates, but with the notable exception of the outstanding red swashbuckler's eyepatch that Sterkvark was elated to scoop up for 12g at the AH, and possibly the boots, there is little else here that works. You will have more luck with the Buccaneer gear that drops in Deadmines, especially the boots and some of the boss loot.

There are three basic colors in the pirate palette: Red, White and Black. Swashbuckler's Shirts come in each of these hues, while buccaneer pants are blood red. So is Captain Sanders' Sash, a

wonderful quest reward from a lowbie quest chain in Westfall that also awards Captain Sanders' Shirt: a dirty white affair with very short sleeves. Buccaneer's Boots are black with a White trimmed cuffs, and with so many people farming the Deadmines you can find these on the AH for chump change or run it yourself.

The Corsair's Overshirt that drops from Van Cleef in Deadmines looks just like the red swashbuckler's shirt but is actually a chest slot item that can be worn with Captain Sanders Shirt instead of bare underneath if that suits your style. The Crimson Silk Vest is a sleeveless version of the Red Swashbuckler's Shirt and also a chest slot item and there are others in the game as well that look just like the

shirts. If you are a female, the swashbuckler shirts and related chests make you look decidedly wenchy.

The biggest challenge is figuring out what else to wear besides the sash if you are wearing another red item of apparel. Any broad cloth belt with a big iron or silver buckle works well and I like the black fireheart girdle with its subtle red highlights. I like to use Aurora Pants which drop best in the Scarlet Monestary. They are a pearly white with a gold striped, bellbottom flair that works nicely barefoot or stuffed in boots. I also have a pair of dark black Sorcerer Pants which no wardrope should be without. By mixing and matching these three pants with the two belts and the various shirt and chest options, you will be able to swashbuckle in style!

The fourth option is to unbuckle your swash and blend in with the crew. Sterkvark models one of these looks, at left, with Captain Sander's Shirt and Sash paired with Seafarer's Pantaloons. Why these trousers are specific to Seafarers is not clear, but they are a utilitarian choice for the downdressing cutthroat. What really makes this outfit is the Buckler of the Seas, a shield shaped like a ship's wheel that is a reward from The Coastal Menace quest you pick up at the Westfall Lighthouse. This is the same model as two other quest rewards from Desolace and Bloodmyst Isle, so you have other options if you already did this one.

Pirate weapons may include swords such as scimitars, cutlasses and rapiers, daggers such as simple dirks, fish knives or a kris with a wavy blade. Sterkvark favors Curvewood Dagger , which looks like a kris and is a quest reward from Darkshore. He made a dazzling mithril rapier that also goes with his haliscan clothes, and picked up Buzz Saw in the Deadmines and a scimitar from the weaponcrafters across from the Stormwind AH. A Driftwood Club is another possibility, though I have yet to find one that looks like a belaying pin.

There are four parrots in the game beside the Bloodsail Admiral one, though your chances of getting the hyacinth macaw for your pirate outfit are as remote as the first mate hat. The Senegal and Cockatiel are sold in Booty Bay and the third is the misnamed Greenwing Macaw that drops in Deadmines. The Senegal is green and this one is red and blue. The White Tickbird Hatchling could pass of an albatross for your ancient mariner, and castaways might also consider the Strand Crawler from the Dal fishing dailies as a suitable pet.

Here's another great guide to pirate gear possibilities.

So now you have your gear and you are ready to rove. Where are the best locations for a well dressed pirate to ply his trade? The Deadmines and the Coast of Westfall offer possibilites, as

do the Bloodsail camps by Booty Bay and Stranglethorn. The Southsea Freebooters of Tanaris have the best beaches and the finest desert isle, but the Northrend Pirates seem to have the most fun.