Account-bound items are just one of the many enhancements/additions that will be included in World of Warcraft’s latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King.
Let’s face it, every addition to the World of Warcraft universe has brought with it the age-old question: “Will there be new items or weapon content to combine?” If you look at it in the cold light of day, you’ll see that there are thousands of different items, weapons, and armor pieces already available. (Of course, rarity has already forced the prices of many of these items through the roof.)
The arrival of Wrath of the Lich King has been no exception to the big question, and the buzz (as with any great game) is, once again, fully operational. However, there seems to be significant substance to the speculation this time around, with the introduction of family heirloom items to the game. This is a significant event as it is the first new item ranking for a considerable time and will undoubtedly change the way many players approach the game.
These family heirloom items are indicated by yellow text and will increase in power as you level up; they can be purchased with your emblems of heroism for heroic instances and 10-man raids.
Interestingly, the new heirloom items aren’t tied to your character, but to your account, which means you can mail them between multiple characters on your own account (but not someone else’s). If nothing else, this will allow for more versatility with how you choose to lay out your equipment.
These family heirloom items will be rewards from faction vendors; however, there have been reports that they have actually appeared on the occasional loot table (although this has yet to be confirmed).
For the most part, these account-bound items aren’t necessarily expected to be as insanely powerful as their highest-tier epic counterparts at level 80, but they’ll prove to be among the best at whatever tier you scale; on par with, or above, almost any twink team from level 10 to 70. If you’re leveling up a new character, having a BtA item on your account to ship it out could be a big help.