Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian — Transmog Set Guide

Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian is a legendary two-handed staff added back in the era of classic World of Warcraft. This is the druid variant of the staff: Atiesh has separate items for different classes, but the appearance and the questline to obtain it are identical for all of them. The recognizable model with its golden head and the glowing spheres floating above it belonged to Medivh, the last Guardian of Tirisfal, and it is considered one of the most prestigious weapon appearances in the entire history of the game.

The staff radiates a soft bluish-white glow, and in a character's hands a swirling aura of particles slowly rotates above the head. In the classic version, an equipped Atiesh granted its owner a spell that opened a portal to Karazhan — Medivh's ancestral tower — which made it not just a trophy but also a convenient means of travel for the raid.

Today the staff is valued purely as a transmog and as a status symbol: it is a legendary item that most players will no longer be able to obtain.

Atiesh was assembled through a long raid questline that started in the 40-player Naxxramas of the classic era. The path looked like this:

• The bosses of Naxxramas had a small chance to drop the item Splinter of Atiesh. You had to accumulate 40 such splinters.
• From 40 splinters a staff blank was assembled, after which Anachronos continued the chain.
• He handed out the quest "Atiesh, the Befouled Greatstaff", which required two parts from the most formidable bosses of that time.
• The base of the staff dropped from C'Thun in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, and the head — from Kel'Thuzad, the final boss of Naxxramas.
• The final stage took place in Stratholme: there the befouled staff was used to summon and kill a demon, after which the weapon was cleansed of Sargeras's corruption.

The key point: the chain cannot be started as of patch 3.0.2. When Wrath of the Lich King launched, the original 40-player Naxxramas was removed from the game and relocated to Northrend as a new raid, and the Splinter of Atiesh vanished from the bosses' loot tables. From that moment on, assembling the staff from scratch on a live server became impossible.

• It suits cloth and leather sets in a light, "magical" palette — the gold and the cold blue light of the head echo white and azure robes.
• It harmonizes with appearances themed around Karazhan and Medivh's legacy, as well as with the dark-purple sets of warlocks and mages.
• It is fitting in "dress" outfits for capitals and roleplay builds, where status and a recognizable weapon silhouette matter.
• It contrasts with the rough beastly armor of a druid — a debatable but striking combination for those who want to emphasize a "scholarly" look.