wow Patch 8.2: Return of the Bodyguard System

[Stan 5,240]

Rise of Azshara marks the return of Legion's bodyguard system. You will be able to recruit a bodyguard in Nazjatar to aid you in combat.

Bodyguards gain experience and you level them up to unlock new abilities. The first two abilities can be upgraded and only the third one is final. Alliance players will pick an Ankoan, whereas Horde needs to recruit Gilgoblins.

Alliance

Alliance players can recruit an Ankoan to join them on their adventures in Nazjatar. The three Ankoan mobs can be hardly missed, they're standing there with a yellowish outline in Mezzamere.

Bladesman Inowari

Bladesman Inowari is one of the most skilled warriors of the Waveblade.

He is a stalwart defender and does not flinch in battle, even against overwhelming odds. A fierce opponent of the naga, Bladesman Inowari swore a blood-oath to defeat Queen Azshara or die trying.

Abilities

• Double Slice - Slice enemies in front of the caster, dealing Physical damage.
• Battle Call - A strategic call that increases Dodge by 30% and reduces damage taken by 30%.
• Wavedancing - Whenever you attack, your ally will strike the enemy with a powerful blow, disorienting them and dealing Physical damage.

Farseer Ori

Farseer Ori is a powerful shaman who commands the elements.

He is respected by his clan as a spiritual guide and seer. While the rest of the Waveblade clan have come to Nazjatar to fulfill a blood-oath to defeat the naga; Farseer Ori has been called to Nazjatar by Neptulon himself in order to serve the will of the elements.

Abilities

• Water Bolt - Deals Frost damage.
• Water Beam - Deals a continuous steam of moderate Frost damage to an enemy.
• Gral's Blessing - The blessing of Gral increases damage dealt by 50%.

Hunter Akana

Hunter Akana is an experienced hunter with excellent survival skills.

Born into a clan that was destroyed by the naga, he was forced to survive in the deep wilderness alone. Seeking vengeance for the deaths of his kin, he has joined the Wave Blade clan in their quest to defeat Queen Azshara.

Abilities

• Deep Stab - Stabs a target, dealing heavy Physical damage.
• Eel Trap - Inflicts Nature damage to enemies caught in the trap and stuns them.
• Fathomstalker Aura - Reduces the radius at which enemies can detect you and slightly increases your movement speed, and increases the damage you deal with Critical Strikes.

Horde

Horde players will have access to three gilblins.

You must click the giant conch in Newhome in order to recruit them, as there are currently no intro quests that introduce you to the system at this stage of testing. Thanks to Seksi for helping us figure this.

Neri Sharpfin

Neri was the first of the kelfin to escape, she unified the Unshackled and made a home for them.

She swore to keep going until all were free or the naga kill her. Neri has a lot of friends and she is hard to kill.

Abilities

• Deep Fangs - Deals moderate Physical damage to an enemy.
  • Advanced ability Fins of the Deep at Rank 6.
• Undercut - Deals light Physical damage to an enemy and disorients them.
  • Advanced ability Shiv and Shank at Rank 10.
  • Unlocked at Rank 3.
• Strategic Sense - Reduces the radius at which enemies can detect you and slightly increases your movement speed, and increases the damage you deal with Critical Strikes.
  • Unlocked at Rank 15.

Poen Gillbrack

Poen is a caregiver that likes to keep his friends safe and help wherever it is needed.

He hopes to be a hero for the Unshackled someday. If he can just get the hang of it.

Abilities

• Briny Bolt - Deals Frost damage.
  • Advanced ability Big Splash at Rank 6.
• Tidal Rain - Creates a storm that heals allies and deals Frost damage to enemies.
  • Advanced ability Tidal Storm at Rank 10.
• Undertow - A vortex of water roots enemies and deals Frost damage for 20 sec.
  • Unlocked at Rank 15.

Vim Brineheart

Vim is a little cranky and he may not have much to say, but he goes where the battle is thickest.

Vim has a very big best friend.

• Shell Smash - Deals Physical damage and provokes an enemy.
  • Advanced ability Conch Smash at Rank 6.
• Tsunami Slam - Deals moderate Physical damage and stuns enemies near the caster.
  • Advanced ability Maelstrom at Rank 10.
  • Unlocked at Rank 3.
• Call for Help - Calls on a giant ally to aid the caster.
  • Unlocked at Rank 15.

Achievements

• For Tour of the Depths, you must raise a Nazjatar Ally to level 5.
• Reach level 10 with all Nazjatar Allies for Nautical Battlefield Training.

Legion's bodyguard system is returning and this time, you'll recruit the Ankoan and Gilgoblins!

[Borgoff33 101]

too bad they are worthless and a pain to lvl (atleast when i got them may have changed by now)

[Seksi 208]

Worthless??? What, even after I bought full bis 415 gear to test with (making me 420 ilvl average) the bodyguard was still absolutely destroying everything and keeping stuff CC'd for most of the time as well..I used Neri Sharpfin for horde testing and Hunter Akana for alliance testing. If anything I thought they were way more impactful than I expected, very overpowered CC and damage buff to you while serving as an extra body / damage source themselves. For extra fun try using Blood of the Enemy essence as your main essence too, making you do huge crits on demand in Nazjatar for INSANE dps! ? ?

They are a pain to level though, at least early on, because the only quests that rank them up at that point (1/3 of the required for going to rank 2 for each) are the daily bounties from the board, available after you pick a bodyguard.

Also, I expect them to not come with all abilities unlocked from the get go on live, but in their current PTR state you get everything as soon as you pick them up (even horde ones although it says otherwise when you are recruiting) and its insanely good!

[Allseye 96]

I might like it as long they don't get me into combat and don't stuck to combat. 

[multiboxing 71]

cant wait to box with them!  10 hunters, 10 body guards, 20 combat pets, sorry for your lag!  LOLLOLLOLLOL!