Wintersday 2012
“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.
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 13th, 2012, noon | Thursday, December 13th, 2012, 20:00 | Start of the event. |
| Monday, December 17th, 2012, 5:30 pm | Monday, December 17th, 2012, 1:30 | Start of the Dwayna Vs Grenth automated tournaments. |
| Tuesday, January 1st, 2013, 12:01 am until Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013, 12:01 am |
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013, 08:01 until Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013, 08:01 |
Finales every 3 hours. (See accompanying chart.) |
| Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013, noon | Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013, 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]
- "The Finale is your opportunity to vote for this year's winner between Dwayna and Grenth. Since they won't be distributing new hats, you're free to vote with your heart. You will also be able to loot some holiday items and even a special surprise the first time you attend the finale!" — Guild Wars Facebook page
The Wintersday grand finale runs every 3 hours starting at 12:01 am PST on Tuesday, January 1st, 2013, and ending 12:01 am PST on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013, 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. One random Wintergreen weapon (not dependent on the primary nor current secondary profession of your character, nor weapons that are equipped) will also be added to everyone's inventory at the end of the first finale attended by each account.
Differences from 2011[edit]
- Festival hats and new quests
- "There will be no new hats during the Wintersday finale this year. In place of that system, you’ll be able to get hats from Wintersdays past through two new quests offered by NPCs in Lion’s Arch and Kamadan. Look for new grentch and snowman NPCs in both cities with whom to exchange 100 [sic] candy cane shards for a token and then that token for a hat. The hat givers may be a little bit more generous than usual this year! As with previous events, these NPCs will stay for a week after the finale." — Guild Wars Facebook page
The two new quests are A Humbling Gift and The Polar Depressed which can be completed once per account. Two new hat givers are introduced (Brrrtie and Krisp) and Wintersday Hat Giver no longer appears.
- Finale
One random Wintergreen weapon (not dependent on the primary nor current secondary profession of your character, nor weapons that are equipped) will also be added to everyone's inventory at the end of the first finale attended by each account.
- Other
No new costumes will be released this year.
Decorated outposts[edit]
Returning features[edit]
“There's a lot going on during this year's Wintersday festival. Here's what you can expect:
- 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! [sic]
- 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!
- Complete Snowball Dominance to unlock the Jingle Bear and White Jingle Moa in Gwen's garden.
- The PvP mini-game The Great Snowball Fight of the Gods is accessible by talking to the Priest of Balthazar in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Kamadan or Lion's Arch.
Quests[edit]
- Lion's Arch and Kamadan, Jewel of Istan
- Brrrnadette
- Krunch
- 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
NPCs[edit]
- See also: Wintersday#NPCs
Collectors[edit]
The collectors for Candy Cane Shard and Globs of Frozen Ectoplasm remain for several days after Wintersday is over.
Guild versus Guild[edit]
NPCs in GvG have their models altered as follows:
| NPC | Red Team | Blue Team |
|---|---|---|
| Archer | 
|
|
| Bodyguard | 
|
|
| Footman and 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 5 minutes (e.g. due to one team resigning or zoning).
Items[edit]
In addition to the seasonally appropriate festival hats, you can also obtain these Wintersday items:
| Icon | 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! |
 |
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! |
 |
Peppermint Candy Cane: This candy cane is as cool and refreshing as a Shiverpeak breeze. |
 |
Rainbow Candy Cane: A fancy, flavorful candy cane that makes long days of questing more enjoyable. |
 |
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: Rare drop from Wintersday Chest. |
 |
Frozen Accessory Token: Obtained by completing A Humbling Gift or The Polar Depressed. |
 |
Wintersday Grab Bag: Obtained by exchanging a Frozen Accessory Token to Brrrtie or Krisp. |
Trivia[edit]
- Similar to Wintersday 2011, there is no corresponding Wintersday Art Contest.
- Unlike previous Wintersday events, the Dwayna Vs Grenth automated tournaments started later than usual due to a bug (source).
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 |
