Wintersday 2010
“For centuries, the goddess of life, Dwayna, who welcomes the coming of spring, has struggled with the god of death, Grenth, for control of Wintersday. This year, the god of war, Balthazar, has thrown his support behind Grenth, who vehemently believes that Wintersday should be a somber time of reflection on the inevitability of death. The Priests of Balthazar feel that the merriment of Wintersday is a glaring example of the weakness of humanity, and have vowed to aid Grenth with his seasonal shenanigans. In response, the goddess of nature, Melandru, has come to Dwayna’s assistance for fear of an endless winter destroying the delicate balance of nature!
Join the heated battle for the fate of this chilly holiday with our striking new Melandru and Balthazar costumes and our brand-new Wintersday challenge. 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.
Schedule[edit]
| PST | UTC | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 16th, 2010, noon | Thursday, December 16th, 2010, 20:00 | Start of the event. |
| Saturday, January 1st, 2011, 12:01 am until Sunday, January 2nd, 2011, 12:01 am |
Saturday, January 1st, 2011, 08:01 until Sunday, January 2nd, 2011, 08:01 |
Finales every 3 hours. (See accompanying chart.) |
| Tuesday, January 4th, 2011, noon | Tuesday, January 4th, 2011, 20:00 | End of the event. |
| 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]
- See also: Wintersday/Finale
The Wintersday grand finale runs every 3 hours starting at 12:01 am PST on Saturday, January 1st, 2011, and ending 12:01 am PST on Sunday, January 2nd, 2011, in Lion's Arch. Finales will also be taking place in Kamadan, but will have a 15 minute delay like they did during Wintersday 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.
The Wintersday finale is similar to Nine Rings at the Shing Jea Boardwalk but with Candy Cane Shards instead of Festival Tickets. Playing this game counts towards your Lucky and Unlucky title tracks.
Each game will cost you 1 Candy Cane Shard. If you are standing on a ring adjacent to the winning ring, you will receive 2 Candy Cane Shards and 2 Lucky points. If you were standing on the winning ring, you win a Wintersday Gift. You also receive the same number of Candy Cane Shards and Lucky points, depending on what ring was chosen, which are 3 of each for the middle, 4 of each for the side, and 5 of each for the corner.
At the end of the finale, approximately a dozen Wintersday Gifts will be added to your inventory one at a time, taking roughly 15 minutes; so be sure to stay in the district that you're in for that duration (until the winning deity says farewell and leaves). Note that it is not necessary to remain on any of the rings during the post-game Wintersday Gift giving phase; it is sufficient just to be in the district.
Festival hats[edit]
- 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. Traditionally, Dwayna is supported in even numbered districts and Grenth in odd ones — abiding by this convention helps to guarantee that players can acquire the hat of their choosing.
If you are attempting to get a specific 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.
- Be sure to arrive early enough to choose: players are unlikely to receive any hats if they join districts that are created after the local finale has begun.
- Acquisition via collector
The Wintersday Hat Giver offers each hat for 125 Candy Cane Shards each. He appears after the last finale concludes and remains for 7-10 days after.
| Divine Halo (Dwayna victory) |
Demonic Horns (Grenth victory) |
|---|---|
 |
|
Decorated towns[edit]
New features[edit]
- Brand-new holiday content! Team up with your friends and join the forces of Balthazar or Melandru for a cold war, high in the Shiverpeaks! You’ll have to deactivate the statues of the opposing gods to claim victory in this all-new Wintersday challenge!
Returning features[edit]
- 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. Deliver presents to needy little urchins, defeat the scheming Grentches, spread Wintersday cheer, and more!
- 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 & White Jingle Moa in Gwen's garden.
Quests[edit]
- Lion's Arch and Kamadan, Jewel of Istan
- Priest of Balthazar
- Priestess of Melandru
- Rift Warden
- In Grenth's Defense
- You're a Mean One, Mr. Grenth
- Straight to the Heart (Eye of the North required)
- The Strength of Snow (Eye of the North required)
- In Grenth's Defense
Collectors[edit]
Guild versus Guild[edit]
NPCs in GvG have their models altered as follows:
| NPC | Red Team | Blue Team |
|---|---|---|
| Archer | 
|
|
| Bodyguard | 
|
|
| Footman&Knight | 
|
|
| Guild Lord | 
|
|
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 15 seconds (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: Nobody should be alone on Wintersday! Use this item to summon a Snowman ally! |
 |
Mischievous Summoning Stone: Summon a Grentch ally to help you celebrate Wintersday, Grenth-style. |
 |
Frosty Tonic: Don't just build a snowman—BE a snowman! |
 |
Mischievous Tonic: Get in touch with your inner Grentch by taking on the outer appearance of one! |
 |
Wintersday Gift: What surprise will you find inside? Don't ask us—unwrap it and find out! |
 |
Winter Gift: What surprise will you find inside? Don't ask us—unwrap it and find out! |
 |
Snowman Summoner: Your very own snowman—without all the tedious snowball rolling! |
 |
Eggnog: The official beverage of Wintersday! |
 |
Spiked Eggnog: A more potent nog for the hale and hearty. Fear not; there are no actual spikes in the drink! |
 |
Wintergreen Candy Cane: The candy of choice for adventurers everywhere! |
 |
Rainbow Candy Cane: A fancy, flavorful candy cane that makes long days of questing more enjoyable. |
 |
Peppermint Candy Cane: Another different flavor of candycane, making adventures much more bearable. |
 |
Yuletide Tonic: Drink this tonic and become one of Dwayna's little helpers! |
 |
Globs of Frozen Ectoplasm: Trade these globs for Yuletide Tonic from a holiday vendor! |
 |
Fruitcake: Everyone loves fruitcake...or they should! This holiday staple will put a spring in your step. |
 |
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: Help the Snowmen or Grentches in their two quests and maybe you'll get a little treat at the end! |
Costumes[edit]
“It wouldn’t be Wintersday without festive costumes! Pick up these two all-new costumes—the imposing Agent of Balthazar costume and the verdant Disciple of Melandru costume—at the Guild Wars In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store today!
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:
 Agent of Balthazar |
 Disciple of Melandru |
|---|
Notes[edit]
Anomaly.The official website announced a start time of noon and the login screen announcement stated a start time of 2 PM PST; the actual start time was earlier in the day. Similarly, the end date announcements were inconsistent; the event did not end until January 4, 2010 (Pacific Time).See also[edit]
External links[edit]
| Special events | |
|---|---|
| Canthan New Year | 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| April Fools' Day | 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Anniversary Celebration | 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th-14th • 15th onward |
| Dragon Festival | 2006 • 2007 (Redux) • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Wintersday in July | 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Halloween | 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 (Redux) • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Wintersday | 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 (Redux) • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 onward |
| Other annual events | Breast Cancer Awareness Month • Lucky Treats Week • Pirate Week Special Treats Week • Sweet Treats Week • Wayfarer's Reverie |
| One-time only events | Day of the Tengu • Farewell to Gaile |
