Runescape February Update: New Jad, Fight Kiln Minigame, New TzHaar Quest

Preview of the new TzTok-Jad

I haven't been doing anything amazing for a while.  Ever since getting the Skoll boots, I've been on an agility spree.  There's only so many ways I can talk about running round in big circles, even if it is pretty neat. 
Just to give it one final hash, Monique and I both got Skoll boots (and Hati Gloves, but the gloves don't help me.)  So both of us have been training agility while we can.  At this point, my Skoll boots are burnt out.  Nothing left.  Monique's boots still have about 40% to go.  She started at Ape Atoll, and has now moved up to the Advanced Gnome Agility Course.  I started at the Advanced Gnome course, and moved up to the Advanced Barbarian Agility Course.  Currently, I'm about 2/3rds of the way to level 91.  Nice thing about 90 Agility, I can finally use Kuradel's best shortcut without a Summer Pie.  I haven't been to Kuradel since getting Baby Jad, but I do want to go back to her at some point.

One thing I really liked about the Advanced Gnome course was the papaya tree I had planted nearby.  Travel to and from the GE with the Spirit Tree, pick my papayas now and then, and run laps.  It wasn't a lot of money, but with the Papayas you could make a little side money while training agility.  The Barbarian course has nothing extra to recommend it.  No fruit tree to pick.  Not even a convenient route to and from the GE.  I get there by games necklace, and get back by teletab.  Since I still fail at the Barbarian Advanced course, I bring Summer Pies, and take a bit if my character fails the balance beam.

But that's just day to day junk.  The cool news right now is the Tzaar update.  Have you read the February Behind the Scenes? 

Jagex is going to do a graphical rework of the TzHaar, the city, environment, equipment, characters, monsters, and apparently Jad, plus a whole new, tougher minigame.

If you've read any of my other blogs, you've probably noticed I have a love-hate relationship with Jad.  I'm terrible at complex combat, and never thought I'd do jad.  Then I decided I wanted the Taskmaster emote.  Part of getting the emote involved having to defeat Jad.  Spent months learning how, trying all kinds of crazy methods.  Finally wound up winning.  Then wound up kind of liking Jad.  So I've gone back a few times voluntarily, just for fun.  Even managed to get 2 baby Jads, one in my house, one to follow around.

Of course, every time I think I've gotten the hand of Jad, they change him again.  My first win was with the Ancient Curses.  Then they nerfed that technique.  Then I beat him while wearing a knockout aura, which was a really cool final blow.  Now they've changed the sounds I learned to react to.  And before I could go back and re-learn Jad again, Runescape announced it's ALL going to be different this month!!

First there's a new master-level quest called "The Elder Kiln Quest".  Involving, of course, the TzHaar.  It's kind of like a big 'coming out' party for all the new graphics under the volcano.  I very much like that we're going to learn a lot more about the TzHaar race and history.  They're pretty interesting, and I expect them to be far more interesting after the quest.  The rewards sound nice too.  A ring to improve combat damage while fighting TzHaar... Wonder if that will count in the Fight Cave and with Jad?  And how much extra damage you can do?  New title...  might be interesting.  Can't really say one way or the other until we know more.  New mini-game...  Uh-oh.

Yes, a new mini-game with the TzHaar, those wonderful creatures who brought us JAD!  The Fight Kiln Minigame is billed as Runescape's most challenging minigame yet, a sequel to the Fight Caves. 

In the Fight Kiln, you have to sacrifice a fire cape, just to get in the door the first time!!!  Guess it could be worse- giving up a Fire Cape once is far better than having to pay a Fire Cape every visit!  Since I've already traded in 2 Fire Capes for Baby Jad, losing one more won't kill me.

But playing the Fire KIln will definitely kill me.  I can only just barely handle Jad.  The Fight Kiln promises to be so much tougher, that you'll have to face 2 Jads... at once... to get to the REAL boss monster at the end.  Ouch.  I can tell, I'm gonna die... a lot.

What's the new Boss going to be?

So what's the reward?  If you get all the way through the kiln... face down wave after wave of the toughest monsters ever assembled in Runescape... defeat 2 Jads simultaneously... and defeat what may be Runescape's ultimate boss monster (and certainly Runescape's ultimate minigame)... you get a new cape.  It has +8 Strength, compared to the Fire Cape's +4 Strength.  I'm guessing this will be an upgraded version of the Fire Cape.  Hope the graphics are also upgraded.  For that much effort, it should look spectacular. 

One more thing to note- if you finish the quest within two weeks of release, you'll get double XP for the quest reward.  And if you reach wave 30 of the Fight Kiln within the same two-week time limit, you get an extra 70,000 XP.  Jagex is calling it the Early Bird Bonus. 

I'm not even mentioning the other planned updates for February.  But there's a bunch.

One last thing- Jad will be visually updated to look very sleek, dangerous, and... dangerous.  The picture up top is his new look.  And the video right here is the preview of the new TzHaar graphics, and Fight Kiln, plus Jad in action.

Am I going to like the new minigame?  Probably not.  But am I going to try my best to beat it?  Darned right I am!!