My guild has set Assembly of Iron hardmode as our progression target for this week. We had a night of very solid attempts on Thursday, and as we head into our last raid night for the week we’re all looking forward to a kill.

This weekend during our off time showcased my favorite part of the raid game. Our strat thread and the ideas and strat-crafting and cleanup.

How can we prevent tank instant deaths? What’s the most efficient way to manage the Static debuff. If our raid dps (RDPS) is this, what do we need to kill the boss in two tank death cycles?

Lots of great ideas to tighten up our already good strategy, and tonight we’ll put in action.

But the community that’s built around the strategizing…that’s the fun part.

One of the challenges for raid leadership is ensuring that your team is using all options available to them to maximize the output of their character for the raid team to meet its progression goals.

If you’re lucky, you’ve managed to recruit a group of people that share a similar goal set and playstyle so you don’t have to spend have the raid night reminding everyone to check their buffs, pop a flask, use potions or food.

Farming needs for these items are drastically reduced in the current WotLK raid game when compared to previous raids such as Sunwell Plateau or The Black Temple. A well-used healing, mana, haste, or spellpower potion can mean the difference in a 1% wipe or a kill. Do it for your team!

Happy raiding.

“Bring the player not the class” has been the tagline over on the official forums by Blizzard development staff for PvE/raiding class balance. With most buffs now raidwide versus party wide, and very few “gimmick” encounters needing certain classes, they have done a decent job of reaching this goal.

Where has this left the rogue class? Well, we’re about in the same place as we were in Sunwell raiding. Most guilds will bring 1-2 Rogues to fill their 15-18 DPS slots depending on the encounter. However, PuGs (pick up groups) abound for both the Tier 7 and Tier 8 10 and 25 man raid instances as well as the Vault of Archavon raid instance in the Lake Wintergrasp PvP zone. The new ease of PuG raiding has opened opportunites for many who may have never experienced this aspect of the game.

The following linked post lists some great resources that will help you tweak your Rogue DPS output and gameplay, so you can shine in any run you are invited to:

Newbie Rogue Pointers – WotLK Edition

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=14133213611&sid=1

The original version of this thread was started on the EU Rogue forums and is credited at the end of the repost. Links above lead you to the same guide as reposted on the US Rogue forums. Take care in the official rogue forums though. Wandering around in there is about like wandering down a dark alley in Old Town.

Here we are trooping ever closer to the midpoint of the Wrath expansion. Tier 7 instances have come and been farmed (to death), and Tier 8 is well on it’s way to full completion. Tier 9 promises some interesting fights as we head into the Argent Collieseum.

Thank goodness for Ulduar. I’m not sure what it was about Tier 7 that made it so boring. I was excited to see Naxxramas while levelling to 80 since it’s a zone I had never really experienced. Perhaps it was my own burnout with the PvE game, but although I wasn’t raiding and farming it every week, I saw my thoughts echoed in the words of many raiders across the internets.

Ulduar seems to have the balance we all craved. The easy modes are fairly easy for the harder and hardest core progression guilds to blaze through, but the hard modes give a Sunwell level of work to be completed.

My favorite fights as a melee dps’er would have to be: (You knew a list was coming! It’s been far too long since I made one…)

1. Flame Leviathan

In all of its modes from easy with no Keeper towers up, to the Orbituary +4 tower mode this fight is an exciting, flame filled vehicle encounter. I really enjoy this fight every week. Generally I’ve been paired with a Siege Engine driver and assigned to blast Pyrite out of the sky for our Demolishers and handle the killing of Freya’s adds on hardmode. Also taken a turn at piloting a Siege and a Chopper. Chopper is my favorite. Who doesn’t love being a badass motorcycle driver? Laying down flameable tar, picking up and healing the launched ranged dps, and laying on a heal while delivering them back to their demo driver. The fight is fast paced and full of laughs. Always a great start to the raid week.

2. Hodir and The Rare Cache

Hodir is definitely a favorite. If your raid can defeat this Keeper in three minutes or less, you can discover the wonders of his “Rare Cache.” Luckily, you get to take a few NPC’s along. Mages will throw down “Toasty Fires” to save your toes from the frozen floor’s “Biting Cold” effect. (Please Note: Fight should go down in WoW raiding history as the one where standing in fires is good!) The Druids bring the power of the stars to your raid with their columns of “Starlight” increasing the haste of your attacks. Finally, the Shaman grant a buff called “Storm Power.” This shareable buff increases critical strikes by 135%. If you and your raid team can manage to avoid falling icicles and the occasional flash freeze while “Staying Buffed All Winter,” you could say that this cache is yours!

3. Mimiron

Call me a sadist. Most melee abhorr the Mimiron fight. It’s movement intensive with four phases and numerous ways to blow up or otherwise croak. This mechanized gnome keeper just wants to test out his gadgetry on your raid. No big right? Sure…if you don’t mind proximity mines, shockblasts, laser barrages, and rocket strikes. Whatever you do, don’t touch the red button in the back of the room. This will activate his hard mode and you can add some decidedly unfriendly fires to your attempt. Become a Firefighter, and the road to Algalon is sure to open to you soon!

4. Algalon

I haven’t seen this fight yet, although my guildies that are able to run 10 mans in addition to our main raids are currently working on The Observer. This boss that you unlock by defeating the four Keeper hardmodes in Ulduar is only available to your raid for 1 hour of work per week. Strategizers will shine on this fight!

I could go into the bosses I am beginning to depise, but we’ll leave that for a day when I need to unleash some angst. Until then…
Happy Raiding!

Side note – I should really upgrade the banner for Wrath! But I’m lazyish…

I tend to be firmly on the side of Blizzard in most things. Their game, their intellectual property, etc. I’m not jumping on the fan train for the recently announced pay for Faction changes, however.

I love my little gnome main with her pigtails and her name and her stealthy ways. There’s a reason we can create “alts.” Make your money, Blizzard, but can’t some things be sacred?

There are a lot of arguments that favor faction change availability especially on PvE servers which tend to be unbalanced in the Alliance’s favor, but it makes me sad this change. If you’re going to do it, at least make a “traitor” story line. The two sides are supposed to be at war after all. World of “WAR”craft.

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=18031079410&sid=1

While I’m in complaint mode, the Tier 9 Rogue light bulb shoulders are also kind of annoying. I’m already AoEing like a mage with Fan of Knives, now I have to look like one.

After a relaxing and needed break, I am please to announce the return of my posting to this blog. I levelled quickly, and then took a break from the game in early December. I decided to raid casually in Tier 7 content, but with the opening of Ulduar, I found myself missing it.

I bid farewell to good friends, and was lucky to find myself in a 3 day a week, progression-oriented guild. Nine hours a week. Fast, fun and efficient.

Ulduar and new friends have been fun and exciting. Easy modes are easy. Hard modes are enjoyable to work on and accomplish. We’ve had Yogg on farm since the end of May, and have been working our way through the instances hardmodes. Completed +4 Flame Leviathan, a server second Hodir Hard Mode I Could Say That This Cache Is Rare, XT-002 Hard Heartbreaker, and Freya Knock on Wood  as our to date accomplishments.

Happy Raiding!

Peace, WoW raiding community.

-RR

Viva la Vida by Coldplay

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the doors were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Calvery choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Calvery choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

A Bad Night…

 

So have you ever had an “off night” in raiding? Sure we hardcore would like to claim that we’re always perfect, never bad and never make a misstep. One thing I’ve learned in raiding is that almost everyone can have a bad day now and then.

 

What’s a bad night in raiding you might ask? Well, if it’s a bad night overall for the guild it means maybe you have a non-optimal composition, the guild is floundering on farm content you’ve been clearing for weeks, or just everyone happens to be in PMS mode for no reason. If you, as an individual raider, are having a bad night when the guild is doing well it can make you start scouting out Ebay prices for your toon. Sadly, I know my rogue was worth WAY more around the end of August when T6/Sunwell gear reigned supreme. I jest, I couldn’t sell…and that brings us to …. A LIST! (yeah, I know..surprising right?)

 

I’m Only Bad on Tuesdays Raid Mistakes

 

-Your fps is in the floor, and your router continuously crashes.

Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to hold a steady connection. It can fluster you leading to more problems.

 

-You failed at a boss mechanic that you usually nail when the rest of the guild succeeded.

Heigan Dance Dance Revolution anyone? Heigan is the new Teron/Archimonde/M’uru – you feel absolutely retarded when you fail dancing his fissures. Also while we’re on Naxx – Frogger? I rest my case. Of course, you always have the one lucky guy that never, ever messes these up that everyone secretly hopes fails soon.

 

-You come back after a break and have missed the learning/progression nights.

Most good raiders it takes one time through or less to feel comfortable in an instance. Not being present for the learning attempts can make you feel out of your element.

 

Ah well. Usually as long as you aren’t “That guy/gal/whatever” repeatedly, your raidmates will forgive you. Although prepare for it to be brought up three years from now when loot for the latest legendary is being decided, “Hey guys, remember that night that _____ failed at the Heigan dance, Thaddius jump, and Frogger! Way to fail!”

 

As ever, Happy “bad free” Raiding!

 

Level 80. Hello end game, nice to see you again. Thursday will mark my second week in Northrend. I’ve levelled to 80, and the guild has cleared New Naxx (it’s really old Naxx, but for 25…or whatever).

I’m trying not to go emo disappointed like so many of my fellow raiders over raiding difficulty. We are the people who learned Sunwell when it launched and had an insane amount of difficulty. Truth be told, I’m not sure I want that kind of intensity forever. Sure, I love the end game and I enjoy a challenge but…I can’t keep it up forever the clock it is ticking away…anyway. End game rant some other time. Yeah it’s time for a list.

1. Quest chains.

Nicely paced, and gave a good flow to the levelling process. You couldn’t really skip ahead to other zones, but the levelling pace could be as fast as you were willing to push.

2. Dragonblight

So many things made the zone my favorite. This zone truly brought back the epic, fantasy feel to World of Warcraft. This zone alone restored some of my wonder with the game. (the baby bear pet on their birthday didn’t hurt either).

3. Wrathgate, The Battle for Undercity, and EPIC QUESTS

All of these things take place through the Dragonblight zone. I don’t want to spoil this for those that may not have seen it. It is totally amazing. This was some of the most fun I have ever had playing any game.

4. I’m annoyed I dropped skinning for herbalism in TBC.

Guess what the currency is for some LW patterns? Yep, skins. /facepalm

5. Icecrown zone

Only second to Dragonblight in epic feel and questing fun. As a lore lover, I adore this story immersion it’s truly fun and a joy.

Like most members of raiding guilds, all my free time is being spent in a push to 80. No vacation time left for me this late in the year, so I’m running about middle of the pack as far as levelling goes.

When I do ding 80, in the next 2-3 days, I can’t wait to share my Northrend experience (yep, lists incoming!)

I will confess that raiding isn’t my only reason for getting my main up to speed quickly…..like a lot of people, I’m dying to work on my Death Knight.

Stay Warm! Happy Levelling!