by I’m blown away by my new Dractyr Evoker – a big blue boy who has thrown himself into the Horde. But this honeymoon has not been without bumps. Actually, it’s just a bump. The Dracthyr can’t really take advantage of World of Warcraft’s gigantic wardrobe. This has been a huge problem for me, given that dressing up is half the reason I’ve spent so much time in MMOs.
There’s a reason why you get to customize your Evoker’s armor before starting your adventure in Dragonflight (opens in a new tab): you’re not going to get many more opportunities. When you get your hands on a new piece of mail armor, you’ll notice that your appearance hardly changes at all. And all those transmog options you’ve unlocked? No longer available. It’s not a bug, it’s just the price of looking like a draconian shit.
Shoulders and belt buckles are the exception, so it’s not too bad – WoW’s ridiculous shoulder armor is the flashiest part of most sets after all. But that means you’re going to struggle to create a look that’s consistent.
This has caused some consternation among my fellow fashionistas, but there is a solution. Your Visage form is not that limited. Go from dragon to human(ish) and you’ll see all that beautiful armor as it was meant to be seen. But do you really want to keep changing just to see your transmogs? There is a problem. Or at least it would be if it weren’t for the ability of chosen identity.
Chosen Identity changes you to your Dracthyr form only when in combat (you change form the moment you use your first draconic ability) or when you use Soar. The moment the battle ends or you hit the ground, you return to your Visage form.
I love this. When shapeshifting is an optional, manual thing that has no practical benefit, it doesn’t really feel like you’re a shapeshifter at all. But with Chosen Identity you are constantly reminded. It also gives your impressive Dractyr form more power. When you suddenly transform and start spitting flames, it’s so much more of an event. And then when you’re just wandering around, you get all the aesthetic benefits of the vast collection of transmog appearances. The best of both worlds.
Activating the chosen identity is really when the Dractyren clicked for me. I’d already been intrigued by all the news, of course – you can breathe fire while flying across the battlefield, that’s wild – but now I can see myself playing it for a long time. It will be more than news.
It’s also a solution I actually prefer over making all of WoW’s armor work with Dractyr Evoker. They have such a different look that squeezing them into WoW’s huge, over-the-top set would just be difficult. I like that when I’m in my scaly form I’m not wearing the same thing as all these orcs and humans running around. I have an elegant suit of armor designed for a flying creature with long limbs and nasty claws.
Naturally, Worgen players are hoping for the same treatment, and even though it’s been more than 8 years since I last checked in on Worgen Hunter – poor guy has missed out on so many expansions – I’m keeping my fingers crossed for them. For a shape-shifting character, it feels essential – even if it’s purely aesthetic.
