Wintersday 2011

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Presents.png

It's time for Wintersday, that joyous time of year when towns glimmer with festive decor, vendors offer seasonal treats, and the hearts of Tyrians everywhere are filled with goodwill.

This year we're offering two brand new Wintersday costumes that represent the Tyrian gods Lyssa and Kormir. As always, the towns of Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Ascalon City, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North will be decked out in Wintersday decorations. Visitors to Lion's Arch, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North will be invited to participate in holiday quests, missions, and games, all with their own rewards.

Official website

Schedule[edit]

PST UTC Description
Thursday, December 15th, 2011, noon Thursday, December 15th, 2011, 20:00 Start of the event.
Sunday, January 1st, 2012, 12:01 am until
Monday, January 2nd, 2012, 12:01 am
Sunday, January 1st, 2012, 08:01 until
Monday, January 2nd, 2012, 08:01
Finales every 3 hours.
(See accompanying chart.)
Monday, January 2nd, 2012, noon Monday, January 2nd, 2012, 20:00 End of the event.
Last update
Tuesday, 04:40 UTC
PST
(UTC-8)
UTC / GMT
(24 hr format)
12:01 am 08:01
3:01 am 11:01
6:01 am 14:01
9:01 am 17:01
12:01 pm 20:01
3:01 pm 23:01
6:01 pm 02:01
January 2
9:01 pm 05:01
January 2
12:01 am
January 2
08:01
January 2

Finale[edit]

Main article: Wintersday/Finale

The Wintersday grand finale runs every 3 hours starting at 12:01 am PST on Sunday, January 1st, 2012, and ending 12:01 am PST on Monday, January 2nd, 2012, in Lion's Arch. Finales also take place in Kamadan, starting 15 minutes later.

The finale involves a mini-game similar to Nine Rings at the Shing Jea Boardwalk, but the price is Candy Cane Shards instead of Festival Tickets. Playing this game counts towards your Lucky and Unlucky title tracks.

Each round costs 1 Candy Cane Shard. Players standing in the winning ring receive a Wintersday Gift and three, four, or five shards (depending on whether one stands on the center, edge, or corner rings respectively) plus an equal number of Lucky points. Those standing on an adjacent ring receive two shards and two Lucky points; everyone else receives 1 Unlucky point.

At the end of the finale, approximately a dozen Wintersday Gifts will be added to everyone's inventory, regardless of whether they played the mini-game or not. The gifts appear about once a minute for 15 minutes, so remain in the district until the winning deity says farewell and leaves.

Festival hats[edit]

Ascalon City
Preview of a 2011 Wintersday hat
Acquisition during finale

During each finale, the rival gods Grenth and Dwayna will call upon the people of the town for their support. The God with the most followers will reward the people of the town with a festival hat. Followers of Grenth stand upon the red rings, and the followers of Dwayna upon the green or blue rings.

To ensure that you get a particular hat, make sure the district you're in is likely to support the relevant god:

  • Change districts until you find one that has obviously more supporters on the appropriate sets of rings.
  • Arrive early: players are unlikely to receive any hats if they join districts that are created after the local finale has begun.
  • You do not need to play the mini-game to win; everyone in the district (at the appropriate moment) will receive a hat, including those who supported the opposing god.
Acquisition via collector

The Wintersday Hat Giver offers both hats for 125 Candy Cane Shards each. He appears after the last finale concludes and remains for 7-10 days after.

Festive Winter Hood 1
(Dwayna victory)
Stylish Scarves2
(Grenth victory)
Festive Winter Hood.png Stylish Black Scarf.png Stylish Red Striped Scarf.png Stylish White Striped Scarf.png
1 The hood is dyeable.
2 The scarves cannot be dyed. However, you receive all three at once.

Decorated outposts[edit]

Droknar's Forge

New PvP mini-game[edit]

There is a new PvP mini-game this year called The Great Snowball Fight of the Gods, accessible by talking to the Priest of Balthazar in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Kamadan or Lion's Arch.

Returning features[edit]

Eye of the North
  • Holiday quests in Lion's Arch, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North! We’re bringing back popular quest chains that capture the spirit of the season.
  • 8v8 ATS-style Snowball Tournaments!
  • Two repeatable quests set in the Secret Lair of the Snowmen. It's your choice: help save the Snowmen and all of Wintersday, or lead a group of Grentches for a final "Bah, humbug!" of the season.
  • Venture into the Underworld for a series of repeatable snowball fights against the forces of Grenth or the followers of Dwayna. Seize control of piles of presents to claim victory for your side in this frosty fray!
  • Holiday headgear! Continuing an annual tradition, you can earn one of two special Wintersday masks for participating in the annual Grenth vs. Dwayna holiday event!
  • PvP snowball fights! Random forces unite within an arena to fight for either Grenth or Dwayna. The first team to gather five presents for its patron deity wins the day. Will Grenth have his way and plunge the world into eternal winter, or will Dwayna be able to melt enough hearts to bring about an early thaw?
  • Complete Snowball Dominance to unlock the Jingle Bear and White Jingle Moa in Gwen's garden.

Quests[edit]

Gingerbread house in Kamadan
Lion's Arch
Kamadan
Lion's Arch and Kamadan, Jewel of Istan
Eye of the North

NPCs[edit]

See also: Wintersday#NPCs

Collectors[edit]

Kamadan

The collectors for Candy Cane Shard and Globs of Frozen Ectoplasm remain for several days after Wintersday is over.

Name Location Collects Campaign
Candysmith Kringle Dwayna Vs Grenth Candy Cane Shard, 099 Candy Cane Shards Core
Candysmith Marley Dwayna Vs Grenth Candy Cane Shard, 1212 Candy Cane Shards Core
3 Wintersday Gift Givers Dwayna Vs Grenth Candy Cane Shard, 055 Candy Cane Shards Core
Wintersday Gift Giver Great Temple of Balthazar Candy Cane Shard, 055 Candy Cane Shards Core
Priest Erwin Ascalon City Ornate Grawl Necklace, 22 Ornate Grawl Necklaces Prophecies
Priestess Clara Ascalon City Charr Carving, 33 Charr Carvings Prophecies
Necromancer Malaise Ascalon City Singed Gargoyle Skull, 22 Singed Gargoyle Skulls Prophecies
Necromancer Ichibaun Ascalon City Stormy Eye, 22 Stormy Eyes Prophecies
Candysmith Noel Ascalon City Candy Cane Shard, 099 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Wintersday Gift Giver Ascalon City Candy Cane Shard, 055 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Priestess Siara Lion's Arch Shadowy Remnants, 11 Shadowy Remnants Prophecies
Necromancer Kalvori Lion's Arch Hardened Hump, 22 Hardened Humps Prophecies
Dark Priest Calmein Lion's Arch Feathered Caromi Scalp, 22 Feathered Caromi Scalps Prophecies
Priest Meran Lion's Arch Decayed Orr Emblems, 33 Decayed Orr Emblems Prophecies
Wintersday Gift Giver Lion's Arch Candy Cane Shard, 055 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Candysmith Kris Lion's Arch Candy Cane Shard, 099 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Terum the Tonic Maker Lion's Arch Glob of Frozen Ectoplasm1 Glob of Frozen Ectoplasm Prophecies
Wintersday Hat Giver Lion's Arch Candy Cane Shard, 125125 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Dark Priest Shadowvein Droknar's Forge Frigid Heart, 22 Frigid Hearts Prophecies
Dark Priestess Velna Droknar's Forge Dredge Manifesto, 11 Dredge Manifesto Prophecies
Abbot Silverbeard Droknar's Forge Stone Summit Badge, 33 Stone Summit Badges Prophecies
Acolyte Rockhammer Droknar's Forge Frozen Remnant, 11 Frozen Remnant Prophecies
Candysmith Sweetshanks Droknar's Forge Candy Cane Shard, 099 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Wintersday Gift Giver Droknar's Forge Candy Cane Shard, 055 Candy Cane Shards Prophecies
Monk Sutoni Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Sentient Root, 33 Sentient Roots Nightfall
Priestess Mahni Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Copper Shilling, 33 Copper Shillings Nightfall
Necromancer Dunbari Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Juvenile Termite Leg, 33 Juvenile Termite Legs Nightfall
Dark Priest Bandeh Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Silver Bullion Coin, 22 Silver Bullion Coins Nightfall
Candysmith Coldstone Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Candy Cane Shard, 099 Candy Cane Shards Nightfall
Wintersday Gift Giver Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Candy Cane Shard, 055 Candy Cane Shards Nightfall
Tina the Tonic Maker Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Glob of Frozen Ectoplasm1 Glob of Frozen Ectoplasm Nightfall
Wintersday Hat Giver Kamadan, Jewel of Istan Candy Cane Shard, 125125 Candy Cane Shards Nightfall
Erich Eye of the North Superb Charr Carving, 22 Superb Charr Carvings Eye of the North
Rodj Eye of the North Destroyer Core, 11 Destroyer Core Eye of the North
Betsa Eye of the North Jotun Pelt, 11 Jotun Pelt Eye of the North

Guild versus Guild[edit]

Lion's Arch

NPCs in GvG have their models altered as follows:

NPC Red Team Blue Team
Archer Elf.jpg Telius.jpg
Bodyguard Priestess of Melandru.jpg Zenjal.jpg
Footman and Knight Freezie.jpg Grentch.jpg
Guild Lord Avatar of Dwayna model.jpg Avatar of Grenth model.jpg

The opposing Guild Lord drops 10 Wintersday Gifts for each player of the winning team when he dies. To prevent exploitation, no rewards are offered if (a) the match ends after 28 minutes without either side killing a Guild Lord or (b) the battle ends in under 5 minutes (e.g. due to one team resigning or zoning).

Items[edit]

In addition to the seasonally appropriate festival hats that you can receive from Grenth or Dwayna at the end of a finale, you can also obtain these Wintersday items:

Pic Item
Frosty Summoning Stone.png Frosty Summoning Stone: Nobody should be alone on Wintersday! Use this item to summon a Snowman ally!
Mischievous Summoning Stone.png Mischievous Summoning Stone: Summon a Grentch ally to help you celebrate Wintersday, Grenth-style.
Frosty Tonic.png Frosty Tonic: Don't just build a snowman—BE a snowman!
Mischievous Tonic.png Mischievous Tonic: Get in touch with your inner Grentch by taking on the outer appearance of one!
Wintersday Gift.png Wintersday Gift: What surprise will you find inside? Don't ask us—unwrap it and find out!
Snowman Summoner.png Snowman Summoner: Your very own snowman—without all the tedious snowball rolling!
Eggnog.png Eggnog: The official beverage of Wintersday!
Spiked Eggnog.png Spiked Eggnog: A more potent nog for the hale and hearty. Fear not; there are no actual spikes in the drink!
Wintergreen Candy Cane.png Wintergreen Candy Cane: The candy of choice for adventurers everywhere!
Rainbow Candy Cane.png Rainbow Candy Cane: A fancy, flavorful candy cane that makes long days of questing more enjoyable.
Peppermint Candy Cane.png Peppermint Candy Cane: Another different flavor of candycane, making adventures much more bearable.
Yuletide Tonic.png Yuletide Tonic: Drink this tonic and become one of Dwayna's little helpers!
Glob of Frozen Ectoplasm.png Globs of Frozen Ectoplasm: Trade these globs for Yuletide Tonic from a holiday vendor!
Fruitcake.png Fruitcake: Everyone loves fruitcake...or they should! This holiday staple will put a spring in your step.
Candy Cane Shard.png Candy Cane Shards: Collect these colorful fragments during quests [sic] and competitions. Hoard them for the grand finale, have a candysmith forge the shards into a weapon, or trade them and see what you can get in exchange!
Miniature Polar Bear.png Miniature Polar Bear: Help the Snowmen or Grentches in their two quests and maybe you'll get a little treat at the end!

Costumes[edit]

Every year we offer festive Wintersday costumes, and 2011 is no different! Pick up these two all-new costumes—the Augur of Kormir costume and the Vision of Lyssa costume—at the Guild Wars In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store today! Get yours now!

Official website

Two new costumes were made available from the Guild Wars In-Game Store during this Wintersday event. They are available for purchase separately or as a limited-time combination pack together:

Augur of Kormir.png
Augur of Kormir
Vision of Lyssa.png
Vision of Lyssa

Trivia[edit]

  • Unlike previous Wintersday events, there was no corresponding Wintersday Art Contest.
  • This was the first Wintersday event to not have the grentch activity in Ascalon City, Droknar's Forge, Lion's Arch, and Kamadan.

External links[edit]


Special events
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April Fools' Day 20072008200920102011201220132014 onward
Anniversary Celebration 2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th-14th15th onward
Dragon Festival 20062007 (Redux) • 2008200920102011201220132014 onward
Wintersday in July 2008200920102011201220132014 onward
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Wintersday 20052006200720082009 (Redux) • 2010201120122013 onward
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