We are fast approaching going back to regular raiding in early February. The plan is to run 1 10 man during the week and possibly 1 10 man over the weekend to accommodate schedules and possible fluctuation with connectivity and work/RL commitments and raid makeup. This is open to discussion and will be based on who can make it when.
Argaloth is a gear check as the mechanics of this fight are fairly simple.
In addition, we are doing the Pit Lord Argaloth on Tuesdays in Tol Barad every week. This is a great place to check your DPS, Heals, Tanking performance. Please read this blue post about hard heroics which has invaluable information about readiness for play.
Gear Score Matters
If you look at wow-heroes under your character, you can see what raid instances you qualify for based on gear. From what I can see, a WoW-Heroes score of 3900 or more is acceptable. From looking at the armory, that translates into an equipped avg item level of 342 or more.
Treatment of Gear Matters
Are you gemmed? Enchanted? Those are all needed stats, even if they are not high level
enchants. Yes, then can be expensive, but every additional bit of intellect, strength, agility, hit, etc. is needed for challenging content. Check on the professions tab for enchanters who can help you make this happen. Farm for mats in regulars and heroics. Have them disenchant BoEs.
Food and Flasks
Currently we are not providing cataclysm flasks for any raiding. This is due to their 300g price on the AH and the exorbitant amount of herbs needed for one flask. This will be better in the next patch, but for now, opt to make your own, collect herbs and have a flask
Until we unlock some fish feasts, we will be helping out engineers make goblin BBQ for raids in the future.master make them, or use northrend flasks to boost your stats. This is also true for food. There are many cooks maxed who can cook you a few stacks of your favorite goodie, just farm them up and we'll light the fires for you. Another option is to use the northrend foods. There are plenty available in the guild bank.
Times are a Changing
There have been many class changes in how we play in this expansion for tanks, dps and heals. Find one or two go-to places to read about what recommendations for enchants, gems, talents and rotations are recommended. I suggest starting with Elitist Jerks and then finding a good player blog source. For me, I watch Disciplinary Action as well as Elitist Jerks. I’ve collected a few links on my blog which may be helpful for you as well. If you are DPS, check it on the dummies. You should be at 8k or higher in dungeons. Heals should be learning to manage mana and using all tools in their kit. Tanks should work on threat, marking pulls, etc.
Practice (With guildies if at all possible since you will be raiding with them)
Whether DPS, Heals or Tank, practicing in regular or heroics accomplishes these things.
1. Learning new content helps us be better at new raiding content. Here is a link to the cliff notes for heroic differences and strategies. It’s not the only source, but a decent one.
2. Helps you and your fellow guildies gear through points and drops
3. Helps you learn to communicate with other guildies about strategies. This is essential when we are problem solving our 10 man through a raid.
Therazane has a lower and upper level should enchant. Hyjal/Ramkahen for Head enchants based on class.
Think about doing a gear plan for next steps
Gear can be obtained not only through drops, but reputation/factions and crafted items. Reputation for all factions yield some great blue and epic pieces for cheap. You can quest up pretty far in each, often also do dailies, then wear tabards to finish off reputation.
Factions also give you your new head and shoulder enchants
I do a simple gear plan in Excel or Word to see where both main and off-spec gear for factions can be obtained. I then add in what can be crafted by guildies with mats to help (for instance I have the epic cloth pants on Ttrinity. This means I could craft them in about a week with enough volatiles and embersilk) We have leatherworkers and blacksmiths that can also help you as well as Inscriptionists for off-hands and relics.
Learn the Fights
Tuck will be posting some good sites soon for reading / watching raid fights and which raid we will go for first. Please do a bit of homework so we don’t spend valuable time explaining the fight. Make a few notes on special aspects of the boss that you need to pay attention to (interrupts, cc’s of adds, mas AOE damage, goo/fire, phases, etc.)
Here are some articles I found that have been very valuable as I get read to raid again.
I am excited about our upcoming raiding. It has been a long time and I know how much we all like to kill bosses and take their loots.
See you on WoW,
Ttrinity