Hearthsinger Forresten, a Bard, is a mob located in Stratholme, in between Live & Undead sides. He's a wandering minstrel ghost, whom not only drops the Template:Lrare (Thottbot), but also a Template:Lrare trinket (Thottbot) which causes folks to dance when you play it's song. He is infamous for his oddly colored and flamboyent sounding gear, such as the Template:Lrare (Thottbot).
- See also
How to Catch the Bard
So... you're trying to get that spoony bard Hearthsinger Forrester to drop his booties for ya are you mages? Here's some information that may be helpful:
Blacktusk Says:
A few notes on my personal experiences with the Forrester that might help, Zeb.
Firstly, as i understand things, he has 3 possible spawn points. He always spawns, and isn't technically a rare boss. The irritating spot is in the north end of Live Stratholme, in the path that leads around to the square that connects with Dead Stratholme. The other two spots are in that self-same square. So... how to farm him.
Get a group capable of handling the Elite/Non-elite packs at the start of Dead Stratholme. Head in through the side gate, and clear the first two groups. Now instead of taking out the third group and moving post the further gates towards the baron, hang a left and stand at the large, open gates. At this point, a Hunter or Warlock will be very very useful. Send in either an Eye of Kilrogg or a pet with Eyes of the Beast on it and use the command
/tar Hearth
Rogues have a harder time sneaking to find him as the Eye of Naxxramas is *very* good at smelling them.
If he's in one of the two good spawn points, you'll tag him. He'll con Neutral and is very hard to see with the naked eye. He looks very similar to the Spectral Citizens of that area. Assuming you find him, he'll either be to the left and guarded by two ghouls, or to the right under a building's overhang. Clear the groups towards him, keeping an eye out for both the Abomination patrol and the Eye of Naxxramas that live in that area. Get to him, slay him (he's an easy fight), head back outside.
If he wasn't there in the first place, head back outside.
Note: If he's in the left spawn point, look a little further east for a Skeletal Mage between two more groups of undead. This is Skul, he is a rare spawn, and he's worth killing if you're there already.
Only once you're outside, everybody drop group and have somebody who was not the previous leader invite everybody back again. Head back inside. Rinse, repeat, collect your loot.
Selective farming! Woo!
I'd suggest you bribe your allies with promises of scourgestones (Hearth drops a large one, too), the Piccolo, and AD rep for those who can still get it from the non-boss kills.
Myrdoch Says:
Here's the deal...
As Tusk said...can continuing the farming procedure:
That method works great with a Druid. Easily capable of Soloing the Hearthsinger. You go in with said druid, reset until he is in the "correct" closest position. Druid slaughters, you get loots. Good fun.
I've tried a number of times. Took the particular druid that's been helping me 13 or 14 tries to get the spawn right for his Songbird Blouse, a sexy leather chestpiece that gives 13 to all stats. We are still trying the same for the boots.
Alternatively, you can get a group together for a quick picolo farming run. Standard 5 man group. Enter through the Service Gate. AoE/Tank the first pull right there. 2 mages can do this alone. Lil dampen magic and some nice AoE, and the pack is clear. Make the immediate left into the square described above by the Cap'n. Kill the packs of mobs in the loop around the mailboxes. Pretty big loop, several packs of kills. The Hearthsinger can spawn in 3 or 4 of them. When you find his group, ignore it and continue killing all the other groups around the loop, saving his for last. Then you can take out his group. He has a respawn timer of only 15 minutes, but will only respawn if the other spawn points are clear. All of them. That's why you kill the rest of the groups before you take him. Wait 15 minutes, locate him. Kill him. Repeat until everyone who wants them has the Magisters Boots, the Songbird Blouse and the Picolo.
Valkors says:
Well, there you have it folks, a pretty half-decent guide I jacked from a forum thread, I hope this helps out Mazen and a few others who had their eyes set on those boots.
Pulling and Fighting Forresten
It is also of interesting note that you can pull Forresten through undead mobs and not pull them. Because of this handy feature, it is possible in one of his spawn points, to not have to pull any Undead groups past the one at the Service Gate (dead entrance). Note that he has a ranged shooting attack, the best pull is to shoot him, then fall back behind an approprietly large object like a wall and LoS pull him into a better position with fewer dead things around him. He is difficult to solo as a mage, but very easy with even one other person.