There are few better examples than World of Warcraft that serve to prove this point. The sheer range of inventory items and customisation makes for an immersive gameplay experience like no other. Perhaps most tantalising and valuable for the average WoW player are the oft-lauded legendary items. In fact, there are probably few things more exciting than stumbling across an item that bears the colour orange – a worthy prize for all the blood, sweat and tears that many of us pour into the game.
The world of Azeroth is actually jam-packed with collectable items that offer a good indication of how skilled a particular player is, or even whether they have participated in a special event of some sort. Here’s a list of the most difficult bits and pieces that may never be able to get your hands on – enjoy!
The Big Love Rocket
Let’s kick things off with a classic item that has become one of the most instantly recognisable in the entire game: the Big Love Rocket.
It’s definitely very hard to come by and players only have the chance to pick one up for themselves once per year, as part of the ‘Love Is In The Air’ event. The drop rate for this item is roughly around 1 in 3000, which makes it nigh on impossible to get one.
The Core Hound (Mount)
Love the thought of riding around on big flaming molten rock creature? The Core Hound Mount is definitely the mount for you.
It only became available for a short time as part of WoW’s 10th anniversary celebrations, where players had to take part in a 40-player raid finder quest and defeat Ragnaros to stand a chance of getting it. If you missed out the first time, it crops up every now and then on black market auctions – just don’t get your hopes up. If you absolutely need to have a Core Hound, you can always play some Hearthstone instead, as it's quite commonly available as a card there.
Black Qiraji (Mount)
Staying with the mounts, here’s another truly legendary selection that is also very hard to obtain these days. The Black Qiraji Battle Tank was available for a limited time only – approximately one to two years – after Blizzard finally gave players the option to open the gate to Ahn’Qiraj.
If the rarity factor wasn’t enough for you, there’s also the fact that it looks remarkably awesome.
Xing-Ho, Breath of Yu’lon
A much sought-after cloak that also holds legendary status among the WoW community, the Xing-Ho was only offered out following a very long quest in the Mists of Pandaria.
It’s also an interesting item because its stats depend and change depending on what class your character is. Those who are lucky enough to own one in their inventory can still enjoy the famous ‘slow fall’ advantage that the cloak bestows upon the wearer.
"world_of_warcraft_wrath_of_the_lich_king" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Cozinhando Fantasias
Struggling To Find a Particular Item?
For those who are desperate to get their hands on extremely rare goodies, it’s worth checking out places like the Black Market Auction House that generates rare items and offers players the chance to bid on them.
In fact, the Internet is full of third-party marketplaces that make it possible to buy items that you never thought you could get your hands on. And it’s not just WoW either; items for popular titles such as Diablo and CounterStrike are available through sites like www.case51.com, which keep a wide range of items stocked and ready to purchase.
Without these sites, it’s extremely unlikely that the average player would ever stumble across an item or two that