Officers' Quarters: Creating a raid team in a PvP guild

Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook.

The last two weeks we've talking about second raid teams and what to do when that second team blows up. This week, it's time to get back to basics. One officer wants to know how to create a brand new raid team in a PvP guild.

Hi, NRR. First of all I salute you for trying to expand your guild into new territory. This is not an easy task that you've set for yourself, especially toward the end of an expansion.

Remember, however, that you're not in this alone. You have seven players on your side at this point. Ask them for help finding the last few members of your team. You all have a stake in this venture.

Don't recruit the best

No one would deny you'd have an easier time finding players if you were 13/13 in Heroic Throne of Thunder. However, you can't look at your situation that way. The fact that you're all new to raiding and creating a brand new team gives you a way to set yourselves apart from other guilds.

Sure, the best players typically want to join the most progressed raids. You're probably not going to recruit the best players. But you shouldn't, even if you could. Why? You guys are not going to set the world on fire here. It's going to take you time to learn how to raid well and as a team. There will be growing pains. A player who has mastered raiding is not likely to have the patience to endure weeks or months of struggle.

I know it's tempting to bring in a "ringer" -- a guy who is sick of the "pressure" of a hardcore guild and just wants to raid in a "relaxing" atmosphere. These players usually can't break their old habits and quickly find themselves frustrated and angry with others who are "holding back the team." It's drama you don't need.

Recruiting for a new raid team

The players you should be targeting are those who are similar to your own players: new to raiding but open to learning, willing to be patient, and not afraid to work hard to succeed at it. It may seem hopeless, but not everyone wants to jump straight to the toughest boss fights out there.

So where can you find these people? The usual advertisements in forums and chat channels can get you started, but you have to be honest about what you're attempting and who you're looking for.

Beyond that, don't be afraid to PUG to fill in those last few slots. It's a phenomena that has fallen out of fashion lately. But when the servers are combined into "virtual realms" next patch, you'll have a much larger potential audience when you ask in chat for PUGs to fill up a raid.

If you need to extend your reach beyond your realm or even your virtual realm, you have many options now for cross-realm raiding.

Don't forget to leverage your guild's PvP activities, either. Some players enjoy both aspects of the game, and the fact that your guild does so much PvP might sway raiders to join you.

Path of progression

I recommend that you start with Tier 14. Build your team's confidence there. Lure in some of your PvP'ers who are on the fence about raiding and let them experience what a well-earned boss kill feels like. After a few nights, you'll be able to report decent progression in your ads, which will help recruits to see that your guild is capable of raiding.

Meanwhile, figure out who is suited for their role or who might be better off in a different one. See who is struggling with performance and might need some help or advice.

Make sure everyone is on the legendary cloak questline. Beyond progression itself, getting your raiders through these quests is something that will help all of you tremendously, given the potent rewards. And it can help you to figure out when to move on to the next tier, when most have what they need. (Anyone who's far behind can always catch up in LFR.)

After a week or two, even if you haven't cleared all of Tier 14, you should try Jin'rohk. He's a fairly straightforward boss and you can probably down him without too much trouble. Your guild will look better to recruits once you can say you're progressing in ToT. Remember that a lot of guilds are still stuck on Horridon or Council of Elders, so being 1/12 in ToT is not a mark of shame.

When the Siege of Orgrimmar is released, it might be worthwhile to try out the flexible raiding difficulty for a night or two. If you get some bosses down, the drops are likely to be big upgrades. Plus, it will give your guild a taste of what you're all working so hard to build up to.

No matter how far you progress in this expansion, you should still tell recruits that your guild is new to raiding. It will help to keep their expectations realistic and help you to recruit players that are at a similar level to your own.

Good luck!

/salute

Officers' Quarters keeps your guild leadership on track to cope with sticky situations such as members turned poachers or the return of an ex-guild leader and looking forward to what guilds need in Mists of Pandaria. Send your own guild-related questions and suggestions to scott@wowinsider.com.