Black Raven Dragoons

[Killemal]

After the unsuccessful 25 man ICC attempt last night I just wanted to thank everyone that came and point out a few things that I thought some could benefit from. I'm not calling out anyone in particular, and I think all the Goons did an absolutely awesome job, but there were a few issues that I thought could use a little attention. Keep in mind that these are only my opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Goons, SGA, or anyone else. Even though the SGA (for the most part) is made up of casual raiders, just like us, I think there are certain things that anyone wanting to raid should be mindful of, whether they raid once a week or every night, and regardles of whether the raid is Goon, SGA, or Pugged.

#1 Know your Class - This is probably the easiest task to do, and has the most bearing on your contribution to the raid. As a hunter, nothing makes me /facepalm more than when someone brings a cunning pet to a raid. I wasn't the least bit suprised when that raider ended up at the very bottom of the damage meters, even below the tanks. It was pretty obvious that they didn't know or understand their class when it comes to raiding. Take a little bit of time and learn what your classes strengths are and how you can best use your abilities in a raid. A good leveling spec isn't necessarily the best raiding spec, so if you want to maximize your raiding potential, make sure your talent points have been spent wisely.

#2 Know the Fights - We are all new to content at some point. I haven't seen past Dreamwalker but that doesn't mean I haven't read the strategies through Lich King and watched a video or twelve. Having a basic understanding of how a fight is going to work and what the possible phases are can REALLY speed up a raid. Having to re-explain the same fight over and over after a wipe is asinine. That being said, there is no substitute for actual experience, but do a little bit of reading before the raid and your raid leader will appreciate it!

#3 Come Prepared - In the Goons, we do have our resident pharmacist/drug dealer in Seak, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have your flasks ready when you come to raid. Honestly, nothing says 'I don't really care about this raid' more than bumming a flask on the first boss. The same thing goes for buff foods. I always bring fish feasts to share with any raid I'm in, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have your own supply of highest level buff food for your class. And don't get me started on candles/shards/reagents/ammo.

#4 Get Thee BOTH VoIP Clients - Goons use Teamspeak 3. Many SGA guilds use Ventrillo. There really isn't any excuse to not have both. You never need a mic (unless you're leading) but you can at least listen and adapt. Trying to lead a raid where half of the group is in voice chat and the other half isn't is like herding cats blindfolded in a snowstom.

#5 Gearscore is Just a Number - It doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that your gear is appropriate for your class and role. Correct gems, enchants, and augments can make or break your overall contribution. Stacking stamina gems on a fury warrior or Mp5 on a destrolock is just stupid. Don't be that guy. This kinda falls in with #1, but with so many people QQing about gearscore, I thought I'd chime in with the rest of the non-tards and reiterate what's been said about a billion times.

#6 Sit Down, Shut Up, Have Fun - Thalaria said it best last night with that normally unposted loot rule. If you aren't raid leader, then you don't need to be leading. Being a raid leader brings with it a lot of responsibility and stress. You don't need to add to it by chiming in with alternate strategies when the raid leader already has it covered. The ONLY exception to this rule is if the raid leader obviously has no clue about the encounter, in which case I would say use your best judgement on staying in the raid or dropping out to find a more experienced one.


Feel free to pick apart or add to my list. I just hope nobody is insulted.

[Grimblast]

Well said! This is going to a sticky.

[Zancarius]

Excellent decision to make this post a sticky. This should be "Killem's Six Commandments," sung from high atop the mount and brought down to us from the heavens on tablets of stone.

Great job, Killem! Thanks for hashing this out.

[Highgrade]

Thank you for the post.