The World of Warcraft Arthas Skin Got Me to Roll Another Necromancer in Diablo IV

It’s 3pm. I’m having lunch with friends and my phone vibrates in my pocket. Out of habit I pull it out, flipping open the case to check and see if I’ve received an urgent work email. (I do that a lot, because I get a lot of emails. It’s part of the job.) Instead, it’s several Discord notifications. I wonder if something has happened. If maybe a server I’m in has been hacked, or if plans have changed for an upcoming event. Pulling down the menu I just see and @ from another colleague and friend, GC. I groan as I look at the image attached to the message. Another series of World of Warcraft skins have been added to the pool of Diablo IV skins, and this time Arthas has joined the lineup. I already know I’m going to purchase the skin when I get home.

If you hate skins and cosmetics in video games, this article is probably not for you. I’ve more or less come to the bitter realization that I am the problem when it comes to microtransactions in video games. They’re my hobby, and sometimes I just wanna look cute. I own way too many Fortnite skins, even though I don’t play the game as often anymore, and I don’t even want to disclose how many Necromancer skins I own in Diablo IV. For me, it’s all about the appeal of looking nice. Of making a character or a theme around an aesthetic that presents itself through gameplay. Or you slap my favorite World of Warcraft blorbo in the cosmetic shop and you’ll find me sighing, dejected, knowing what kind of man I am.

You see, I had already purchased the Invincible mount in the shop, fully aware that I was probably not going to end up getting Arthas’ undead steed in Icecrown Citadel any time soon. ( ran weeklies for the Dreadwyrm set for my Death Knight because I wanted to create a “canon” outfit for him. I do not have that same fortitude for a mount I wouldn’t use. So I had to get the Arthas skin. I just needed to. (I, in fact, did not need to, this is obviously a gross exaggeration.) Using what little currency I had remaining on my account, I purchased the skin and roll another Necromancer.

Thankfully, I actually really do enjoy playing Necromancer in Diablo IV, the Arthas skin is just a nice touch. I am surprised that Necromancer of all classes would be given an Arthas skin, but who am I to complain. While I did have some fun playing the Spiritborn, the class introduced through Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred, it’s a bit too active for me. The same goes for Rogue, which was my main during the review period of the base game, and Season of the Malignant. Necromancer is a nice little class where I can just build my skeleton army and let them wreak havoc on my foes. Which, I suppose, is true to form for Arthas. He did kill a vast majority if his subjects, only to raise them into undeath and lead them in bloody conquest over most of the Eastern Continent. But that’s neither here nor there.

All I’m saying is I love the skin, I’m happy to have the skin. I just hate how predictable I am. Yes, I look very cool with the Arthas skin and the Invincible mount to match. But I’m such a sucker for this, especially now that I’ve gotten deep into World of Warcraft. Which I love! I’m also not tempted to purchase other World of Warcraft inspired skins in Diablo IV either, as I already own the set for Kael’Thalas and the Illidan skin doesn’t look all that great. The Rogue just doesn’t have the right proportions and the horns attached to a helmet looks really goofy. Maybe I would get the Garrosh skin, but I don’t play Barbarian.

For the time being, I can’t see Blizzard Entertainment managing to get me to purchase another skin in Diablo IV. At least not as quickly. Because I more or less have what I want. So if you see a Necromancer running around dressed as the Lich King himself, Arthas Menethil, with a horde of skeletons in tow. Well, that might just be me.

Diablo IV is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X. World of Warcraft is available on PC.