Patch 7.3

It's official ..patch 7.3 will be out next week (30th August, to be precise, after maintenance).

This patch will introduce a whole new area, a new dungeon and a new raid, along with accompanying quest lines new reputation factions and new loot.  Some of it will be time-released - it won't all happen at once so we won't be bombarded with content, but will (mostly) be released over the course of around three weeks.

Unlocked on Week 1:

• Zones: Krokunn and Antoran Wastes
• First and second chapters of the Argus Questline
• Antoran Wastes Side Quests
• Krokuun World Quests, Petrified Forest World Quests, Nath'raxas Hold World Quests, and Antoran Wastes World Quests as you quest throughout the zones

  • New Emissaries: Army of the Light and Armies of Legionfall
• Collection of Veiled Argunite
• Passive Artifact Knowledge
• Obtainable Drop Mounts

  •  Vile Fiend from Houndmaster Kerrax
  •  Crimson Slavermaw from Blistermaw
• Obtainable Toys

  •  Spire of Spite from Sister Subversia
  •  Micro-Artillery Controller from Wrath-Lord Yarez

Unlocked on Week 2:

• Zone: Mac'Aree
• Third and Fourth chapters of the Argus Questline
• Mac'Aree World Quests, Western Mac'Aree World Quests, and Kil'jaeden's Terrace World Quests as you quest throughout the zone
• Repeatable Invasion Points and Greater Invasion Points with World Bosses (item level 930 loot)
• Obtainable Drop Mounts

  •  Maddened Chaosrunner from Wrangler Kravos
  •  Acid Belcher from Skreeg the Devourer
  •  Lambent Mana Ray from Venomtail Skyfin
• Obtainable Toys

  •  Baarut the Brisk from Baruut the Bloodthirsty
  •  Blue Conservatory Scroll,  Yellow Conservatory Scroll and  Red Conservatory Scroll from Instructor Tarahna

Unlocked on Week 3:

• Final Chapter of the Argus Questline
• Netherlight Crucible
• New Dungeon: The Seat of the Triumvirate

Content NOT scheduled to be released on 7.3

• New Raid: Antorus, the Burning Throne
• New Legendary Ring:  Insignia of the Grand Army
• Paragon of Argus and the %s, the Lightbringer title
•  Kirin Tor Summoning Crystal from Blood of a Titan

Artifacts

• Everyone starts off at AK 41 when 7.3 hits! No more Work Orders for Knowledge, or quest to reach AK 26. You'll gain one level a week.
• Artifact Knowledge continues up to level 55, with some serious gains.
• All level 110 players have their third relic slot unlocked--no Class Hall campaign needed. Of course, you will still need to complete the campaign if you want cosmetic rewards like your Class Transmog Set or Class Mounts.
• The Broken Shore is not required to empower your artifact. You simply keep putting points into your artifact and more of the traits open up.
• For players under 110,  Cube of Discovery can help you find more Artifact Power.
• When players first unlock the Netherlight Crucible in Patch 7.3, players with all sorts of artifacts can select the first tier of perks to increase the weapon of their item level. Additional perks will open based on the number of points put into Concordance of the Legionfall.
• Unlocking tints related to Hidden or Challenge appearances no longer requires you to equip that *specific* artifact appearance while completing the related content. Simply unlock the base appearance and complete the required criteria in any spec.

Gearing Up

• When 7.3 hits, you'll be able to start farming Veiled Argunite for updated Relinquished gear. This gear starts at ilvl 910 now and Thaumaturge Vashreen has moved to Argus. Each token is 650.
• The 7.3 Relinquished tokens allow you to target specific relic types!
• In addition, various quests and activities rewards Bind-on-Account ilvl 880 Unsullied items, perfect for sending to alts: Fragments of the Abyss, Invasion of Space, Out With The Inquisitors, Targets of Opportunity: Terminus
• The base item level of Dungeon loot has been increased by +20, making them an excellent source for starter gear!
• Mythic Keystone rewards go up to ilvl 915 per dungeon, and ilvl 935 in the weekly chest. This caps at Mythic Keystone 10.
• Existing Profession gear does not have an upgraded ilvl - but if you craft new Argus gear, you can upgrade it to ilvl 935 via  Primal Obliterum.
• Greater Invasions, available week 2, have world bosses that drop powerful loot.
• No new legendaries are coming before Antorus, so you have time to collect your existing set and don't have to worry about new legendaries drastically changing a playstyle.

Reputation

Gaining reputation for Broken Isles Diplomat will be easier in Patch 7.3 with the addition of these items:

•  Nathrezim Tome of Manipulation: Read the pages, learning about subtle ways to influence those around you, increasing reputation gain with the factions of the Broken Isles by 200% for 2 hrs. Cannot be used above level 109.
•  Demon's Soulstone: Crush the stone, killing the demon permanently and increasing reputation with the factions of the Broken Isles and Argus by 1000. Can only be used on Argus.

Wowhead prepared a guide on how to prepare for the patch:

What to do to prepare for 7.3

• Save Comparable ilvl relics for the Netherlight Crucible

  • The Netherlight Crucible is a new feature in patch 7.3 that allows you to further empower your artifact relics. Each relic that you drop has a random tree of traits that you can choose up to 3 from. Saving relics that are naturally average or good for you might turn into an excellent relic with the Crucible.
• Stockpile a bit of Order Resources

  • Patch 7.3 adds a new level cap to followers, adds new legendary equipments, and adds new types of troops. Those new troops will cost 250 the first time you recruit them and 2500 afterwards. They will be vital to counter new enemies and threats from missions.
• Don't buy epic gems

  • There are new gems cuts coming with the patch, that will teach Jewelcrafters new designs like  Quick Lightsphene which, for the majority of the classes, will be better than the current epic cuts.
• Save some  Obliterum

  • Crafting professions are getting a few new recipes for gear, like Lightweave Breeches. Those pieces start at item level 885 and are upgradable up to item level 935 but, instead of using  Obliterum, you will need  Primal Obliterum. In order to get it, you need to trade  Obliterum and  Primal Sargerite on the repeatable quest Primal Obliterum, which is available near the Obliterum Forge in Dalaran.
• Alchemist only Save  Blood of Sargeras to transmute into  Primal Sargerite

  • Alchemists will learn a new transmute with the patch: Transmute: Primal Sargerite, that will convert  Blood of Sargeras x25 into  Primal Sargerite. With the new craftables available in the patch,  Primal Sargerite should be really sought after.
• Hit level 110

  • Content introduced in patch 7.3 is mostly exclusive to level 110 characters. Also unlocked content, like Argus World Quests and the Netherlight Crucible will be account-wide unlocked, meaning you do not need to complete the quests on alts to used them.
• Accumulate Gold for the new Mounts

  • Many new mounts will be added with the patch. Some of them will be linked to reputation with the new factions, Argussian Reach and Army of the Light. The most outstanding faction mount is the  Lightforged Warframe, which will require Exalted standing with Army of the Light and costs 500,000 gold. To help you gather that much gold, make sure to check our new weekly economy series!
• Save  Mark of Honor

  • If you haven't gathered the transmog appearances for Legion Season 3 and Season 4, starting in patch 7.3 their ensembles will be available from vendors costing 12  Mark of Honor.
• Spend all your Legionfall War Supplies

  • As noted on the Patch 7.3 Patch notes, turning in Legionfall War Supplies after the patch won't award  Legionfall Recompenses anymore, which means no more chances at Legendaries or Nethershard. On top of that the amount of Artifact Power will also be reduced.

What isn't going away in 7.3

• Ahead of the Curve: Kil'jaeden/ Cutting Edge: Kil'jaeden

  • The achievements for defeating Kil'jaeden, in Heroic and Mythic difficulty respectively, will still be obtainable come the patch. It will only go away in a future patch, when Antorus, the Burning Throne opens.
• Mage Tower Challenges

  • The challenges from the Mage Tower will stay untouched coe 7.3. If all, they are just getting easier, with the introduction of the Netherlight Crucible and the new craftable pieces, allowing players to get access to more gear and power which can make the challenge easier.
  • It is important to note the the requirements to unlock the different tints of the challenge appearance are changing in 7.3. Starting on the patch, you will only need to complete the requirements after you unlocked the appearance, meaning you can complete the requirements for the additional tints on any specialization, whereas today you must do it with that specific weapon.
• Broken Isles Invasions

  • As talked about earlier this month in a Q&A, invasions on the Broken Isles are staying active as they are right now in 7.3. That's important because they are part of the Legionfall Campaign required to unlock the class-specific mounts.

What is going away in 7.3

• 3rd Relic Unlock Requirement

  • As mentioned in a Q&A, the 3rd relic slot will be automatically unlocked for all characters starting in 7.3, not requiring to progress in the Order Hall Campaign to unlock it. It is important to remember that completing said campaign is still needed in order to get the class-specific mount.
• Empowering your artifact

  • As mentioned in a Q&A, all artifact will be automatically empowered in 7.3, not requiring to reach Artifact Knowledge 26 and to complete the Broken Shore Introduction Quests to empower them anymore.
• Researchable Artifact Knowledge

  • As mentioned in a Q&A, starting in 7.3, Artifact Knowledge will be a global modifier to all level 110 players which means there is no need to research any of the new levels of Artifact Knowledge that will be available with the patch or send catch up items to alts anymore. When 7.3 launches, everyone will be at Artifact Knowledge 41, increasing by 1 with every weekly reset, up to 55.
• Don't save up Nethershards

  • Come patch 7.3, Thaumaturge Vashreen, the vendor that has sold Reliquished items since patch 7.2, will be moving to Argus, to sell new relinquished tokens. Those tokens will cost 600 per piece and have base 910 item level.

Wowhead have also prepared a guide for returning players, including a way to track your progress and get information on how to progress:

http://www.wowhead.com/news=270400/patch-7-3-tips-for-returning-players