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Tabard refers to a type of clothing bearing a symbol or design and worn in the tabard equipment slot over a character's chest armor. Originally a purely cosmetic item intended to add individuality to a character's look, similar to a shirt, they now often signal an adventurer is championing a cause and thus offer reputation for wearing one in a dungeon.

Overview

Historically, a tabard serves both as a sleeveless shirt or coat (often over armor), and as a means of displaying heraldry (as livery). For players, it can show membership in a guild or (for roleplay purposes) allegiance to a particular group, boast of deeds performed, or simply be decorative.

The only tabard available to players upon the release of World of Warcraft was the guild tabard. The release of battlegrounds and the honor system saw a variety of new tabards introduced, identifying a player's rank or standing with a particular battleground faction. The Scourge Invasion also added a small number of tabards. In World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, each faction in Outland was given its own tabard, available at exalted status. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King continues this trend, but has lower (or no) reputation requirements and instead utilizes faction tabards in a system known as championing for farming reputation.

Patch 3.0 introduced the achievement system, which includes rewards for tabard collectors. Upon obtaining a tabard, a general achievement called "Represent" is granted; subsequent achievement points are granted at ten and twenty-five tabards, with the latter granting the [Tabard of the Achiever]. There is no current plan to alleviate the amount of bag space taken up by tabards as has been done with mount and non-combat pet collections (which grant similar achievements), but Blizzard has said it is a possibility in the future. However, keeping tabards is not required for the achievement; only equipping them. You can equip and sell or delete each tabard as you get it, and it will still count toward the achievement. Some tabards can be discarded and repurchased or reacquired at a tabard vendor. These generally include rewards from non-repeatable quests and achievements (such as the [Green Trophy Tabard of the Illidari]).

Reputation

During Burning Crusade tabards were ways to exhibit the fact that you had achieved Exalted reputation with the various factions. When Wrath of the Lich King was released tabards changed modes. The Northrend faction tabards were purchasable at Friendly reputation, and enabled players to gain reputation while defeating monsters in high-level dungeons. This was a drastic improvement over the previous Faction token systems used to build faction reputation.

Northrend faction tabards award reputation while defeating monsters in Northrend heroic-mode dungeons and a few normal dungeons that had been tuned for level 80 characters.

Cataclysm took the city tabards that had been introduced with the Argent Tournament and gave them reputation-enhancing abilities as well. (under what specific conditions do city tabards grant reputation?) The various factions introduced with Cataclysm also had tabards which could be used to gain reputation by defeating monsters in high-level Cataclysm dungeons.

Using tabards to gain reputation with factions from earlier expansion packs is an exercise in dedication because gaining access to the dungeons in which they are effective is rather inconvenient. The Dungeon Finder can not be used to queue for them after a certain level, and even if you assemble a team (or are powerful enough to prevail solo) you must travel to the dungeon entrance (which is usually far from your hearth location). On the other hand, this is how every dungeon run worked previous to the introduction of the Dungeon Finder. How spoiled we have become...

Tabard vendors

There are, generally, two types of vendor that tabards can be purchased from.

Tabards associated with a faction are almost always available from the Quartermasters for that faction.

Visitor's Centers in most major cities have tabard vendors who sell Guild tabards. They also sell:

Burning Crusade faction tabards
Honor rank tabards
Battleground tabards

These additional tabards have the same purchase restrictions and costs from the visitor's center vendor as they do from the relevant quartermaster.

Guild tabards

Guild tabards can be purchased for 1 from a guildmaster in the Visitor's Center of any faction capital city. Guild leaders can customize the symbol and color scheme of the guild's tabard for 10.

See below for web-based tabard design tools.

Once your tabard crest has been created, it will take another 10 every time you wish to make a change to it.

Honor rank tabards

Honor rank tabards are an honor reward for PvP fighting under the Honor System (battlegrounds).

Enlisted tabards were available for 1 at rank one [Private] and [Scout]).

[Private's Tabard] is blue with a gold lion design on the front of it, essentially what Stormwind guards wear.
[Scout's Tabard] is red (more accurately a very deep orange) with the Horde's emblem and white trim.

[Private's Tabard] and [Scout's Tabard] are purchasable from all tabard vendors (except Dalaran's) for 50 .

Officers' tabards were available for 4 at rank six Knight (rank) and Stone Guard). Somewhat more glorified, these look similar to the enlisted tabards, but are significantly more detailed.

Similarly, these tabards are now purchasable for 100 .

Battleground tabards

Battleground tabards can be obtained at various reputation with each faction through vendor purchase or quest completion. These tabards have a unique appearance.

Alterac Valley tabards are purchasable from all tabard vendors (except Dalaran's) and the Supply Officers at the entrance to either BG for 2679 .

[Stormpike Battle Tabard] has a red backdrop with golden trim, with the emblem of a spear with a golden bolt at the bottom.
[Frostwolf Battle Tabard] has a blue backdrop with white trim, bearing a wolf's head at the center, with a crude shield covering it, both made out of blue and white, and with ice-colored and shaped symbols signifying the cold of Alterac Valley.

Arathi Basin tabards are available upon attaining exalted reputation with League of Arathor or Defilers and completing Quest:Control Five Bases or Quest:Take Five Bases.

Warsong Gulch tabards are purchasable from all tabard vendors (except Dalaran's) and the Supply Officers at the entrance to either BG for 2059 .

The [Tabard of Conquest] is awarded to players who complete the [Master of Isle of Conquest] achievement.

Arena tabards

Arena tabards can be obtained by earning enough arena points during given arena seasons. These tabards have a unique appearance.

[Relentless Gladiator's Tabard] has a blue backdrop with bronze trim, bearing an ivory sword with a green gem in the center of the hilt.
[Furious Gladiator's Tabard] has a brown backdrop with bronze trim, bearing a copper sword with a red gem in the center of the hilt.

Other tabards

[Tabard of Brilliance], [Tabard of Flame], [Tabard of Frost], [Tabard of Fury], [Tabard of Nature], [Tabard of the Arcane], [Tabard of the Defender], and [Tabard of the Void] are rewards from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.
[Tabard of the Scarlet Crusade] drops from Scarlet Trainees in the Scarlet Monastery Armory after Herod is killed.
[Tabard of Summer Flames] and [Tabard of Summer Skies] are rewards from Quest:Shards of Ahune during the Midsummer Fire Festival.

Past event tabards

These tabards were available for a limited time, and cannot be obtained currently. Some of these tabards may be reacquired from tabard vendors if the player had previously owned them.

[Competitor's Tabard] was a reward from the Spirit of Competition event.
[Contest Winner's Tabard] was a reward from the Test of Honor Contest.
[Tabard of the Argent Dawn] was purchasable for 10 Necrotic Runes from the Argent Outfitter during the Scourge Invasion.
[Tabard of the Protector] was a reward from Quest:Into the Breach (Blasted Lands) during the Before the Storm event. It has the same appearance as the Tabard of the Argent Dawn, above.

Burning Crusade tabards

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

Unless otherwise stated, exalted reputation with the respective faction is needed to purchase their tabard. These faction tabards are purchased from the faction's quartermaster for 1, 90 after discount.

[Blood Knight Tabard] is a reward from the Blood Elf Paladin's epic mount quest chain.
[Tabard of the Hand] is a reward from the Draenei starting zones' quest chain.
[Green Trophy Tabard of the Illidari] and [Purple Trophy Tabard of the Illidari] are rewards for completing the Quest:Battle of the Crimson Watch in Shadowmoon Valley.

Wrath of the Lich King tabards

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

[Loremaster's Colors] is an Achievement reward for the achievement [The Loremaster].
[Tabard of Brute Force] is an Achievement reward for the achievement [Brutally Dedicated].
[Tabard of the Achiever] is an Achievement reward for the achievement [Twenty-Five Tabards].
[Tabard of the Argent Crusade] is purchasable from the Argent Crusade with Friendly reputation.
[Tabard of the Ebon Blade] is purchasable from the Knights of the Ebon Blade with Friendly reputation.
[Tabard of the Explorer] is a Achievement reward for the achievement Explore Northrend.
[Tabard of the Kirin Tor] is purchasable from the Kirin Tor with Friendly reputation.
[Tabard of the Wyrmrest Accord] is purchasable from the Wyrmrest Accord with Friendly reputation.

The Argent Tournament Tabards are available from each faction once you become their Champion. They each cost 50 . With the release of Cataclysm the faction city tabards are also available for purchase from vendors in the capital cities (for 10) and enable reputation gains in dungeons.

[Darnassus Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Darnassus.
[Exodar Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of the Exodar.
[Gnomeregan Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Gnomeregan.
[Ironforge Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Ironforge.
[Stormwind Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Stormwind.
[Orgrimmar Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Orgrimmar.
[Darkspear Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Sen'jin.
[Silvermoon City Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Silvermoon City.
[Thunder Bluff Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Thunder Bluff.
[Undercity Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament for champions of Undercity.
[Argent Crusader's Tabard] will warp you to the Argent Tournament Grounds.
[Silver Covenant Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament when Exalted with the Silver Covenant.
[Sunreaver Tabard] is purchasable at the Argent Tournament when Exalted with the Sunreavers.
[Tabard of the Lightbringer] is a quest reward from Quest:The Lightbringer's Redemption.

Cataclysm tabards

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

[Tabard of the Guardians of Hyjal] is purchasable from Provisioner Whitecloud when friendly with the Guardians of Hyjal.
[Tabard of the Earthen Ring] is purchasable from Provisioner Arok when friendly with the Earthen Ring.
[Tabard of Therazane] is purchasable from D'lom the Collector when friendly with Therazane.
[Tabard of Ramkahen] is purchasable from Blacksmith Abasi when friendly with Ramkahen.
[Tabard of the Wildhammer Clan]/ [Tabard of the Dragonmaw Clan] is purchasable from Craw MacGraw/ Grot Deathblow when friendly with the Wildhammer Clan/Dragonmaw Clan.
[Baradin's Wardens Tabard]/ [Hellscream's Reach Tabard] is purchasable from Quartermaster Brazie/ Pogg when honored with Baradin's Wardens/Hellscream's Reach.
[Gilneas Tabard]/ [Bilgewater Cartel Tabard] are available from their respective quartermasters. Also, all city tabards from Wrath now grant rep and are now available in much the same way.

Unobtainable tabards

These tabards are worn by NPCs but cannot be obtained by players, though some can be approximated with certain guild tabard designs.

Notes

[Primal Hakkari Tabard] is a tabard that cannot be worn. It is used to create the Zandalar Tribe epic chest-piece for paladins, druids, and shamans.

Although shields are often used to display heraldry, they have more than cosmetic purpose in the game. Not all characters can wield a shield, and the attributes of a shield are intrinsically linked to the appearance of that shield. For roleplay purposes, tabards are superior in that all characters can wear one, and they have no effect upon other abilities of that character.

References

^ Although the actual tabard is not obtainable, you can appear to wear one by wearing [Dalaran Wizard's Robe]; a cloth chest armor that drops randomly from Dalaran NPCs in Silverpine Forest. Only Horde can obtain the robe, as these NPCs are Friendly to Alliance. However, they can be sold at neutral Auction Houses. In addition, the [Tabard of the Kirin Tor] is available for sale.
^ ^a ^b This particular Scarlet Crusade tabard is unobtainable. It is worn by many of the higher ranking members of the organization. The [Tabard of the Scarlet Crusade], which is worn by the lowest-ranking members of the Crusade, is obtainable. See the Other Tabards section above.
^ There is a tabard similar to this that can be obtained through the Argent Tournament.

External links

[1] Although the actual tabard is not obtainable, you can appear to wear one by wearing [Dalaran Wizard's Robe]; a cloth chest armor that drops randomly from Dalaran NPCs in Silverpine Forest. Only Horde can obtain the robe, as these NPCs are Friendly to Alliance. However, they can be sold at neutral Auction Houses. In addition, the [Tabard of the Kirin Tor] is available for sale.

[SC-2] This particular Scarlet Crusade tabard is unobtainable. It is worn by many of the higher ranking members of the organization. The [Tabard of the Scarlet Crusade], which is worn by the lowest-ranking members of the Crusade, is obtainable. See the Other Tabards section above.

[3] There is a tabard similar to this that can be obtained through the Argent Tournament.

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