We Have a Tabard: It's not cheating if...

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As I've mentioned before I'm not totally against PUGging raids. I find its actually an excellent way to get to know people on the server and sometimes a handy recruiting tool. Depending on your guild rules, there are some raids to PUG and some raids to save your lockout for your guild.

I had a guildie today all distraught because he was saved to Naxx 10 helping a guildie out. He apologized profusely when someone was putting together a "Badge Run Blitz" but couldn't heal it. At this point Naxx 10 is like running an extended heroic with more gold and shards. We've progressed beyond it, so lockouts are fair game.

I get a wee bit crabbier when folks get locked out of our current progression. We're actually still working on Ulduar 10, and need to draw upon any available resources to move forward. Guildies can feel free to run Naxx, Vault, and Obsidian Sanctum to their heart's content. Usually when someone asks for my blessing to run with another group, I give it if they have to miss guild times or we're unable to get into the group.

I've been considering Trial of the Crusader. Since it's a relatively short instance - just five bosses, no trash, it's a lot like vault. So is it cheating to run ToC with another guild or a PUG? I'm leaning toward no, but you may think differently.

For my guild it simply makes sense to get as many guildies into ToC 25 PUGS as possible. We simply do not have the manpower/gear to run it on our own. We're pretty well known on the server, so when one of us gets an invite, usually we can bring in a small army of us. It's been great to get some 245 gear, Triumph badges, and experience.

We do, however have what it takes to run 10-mans. I'm still inclined to say "PUG it when you get the chance." This way it doesn't cut into our raid progression time. As an extra added bonus, folks have a chance to go when it's most convenient for them. We've got an over-abundance of DPS compared to our tank and healer ranks and a mess of alts. Encouraging PUGing is one way to get everyone involved. Also more guildies can get into the raid to get their gear, badges, and experience.

The downside of PUGing into ToC is that there's no guarantee that the whole guild is unlocking the heroic mode. This point is moot if they will be PUGing into heroic versions as well.

If you agree with me or have other ideas for Trial of the Crusader, you may want to consider your policy and make sure that it's public.

WoW.com offers a plethora of information on guild leadership and guild membership. Be sure to check out Scott Andrew's Weekly Column Officer's Quarters and keep an eye on the community with Mike Schramm's Guildwatch.