sartharion
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Guildwatch: The dreaded 0% wipe
So close, and yet so far. The screenshot you see above? It was a wipe. The whole guild died off on Kel'Thuzad... at 9.5k health, low enough for the mod above to list it at 0%. Yes, Benediction on EU Turalyon experienced the dreaded 0% wipe -- we hope you never have to see it, and we hope, just like them, that victory comes soon after if you do. They downed him on the attempt right after that one.Lots more downed news after the break in this week's Guildwatch. To submit your tips (we do have a backlog currently, so it may take a week or two to get them in), send them off to wowguildwatch@gmail.com. And there are so many ninjas on the realms lately that unless they're exceptional or otherwise guild-related, we probably won't be listing them here. So if some random dude stole a blue out of your 5-man PuG, you'll have to look for vengeance elsewhere (the forums, maybe?). Enjoy the column!
Immortal is the toughest raiding achievement in the game
This is extremely interesting. Guildox is a site that tracks raiding progression solely based on earned raiding achievements -- they check the Armory entry of your guild, and then add them to a list of who's toppled which instances and when. But they recently sent us a note about some overall data, and it's fascinating. Below the pulldown bar of the achievement listings on their site, you'll find an "achievement rate" stat. That is the percentage of guilds who've completed the selected achievement as compared to the number of guilds in their system who've completed any of the 10 or 25-man raiding achievements.In essence, that's the percentage of guilds raiding who've completed that achievement. And the toughest achievement in the game right now is The Immortal, which requires you to get 25 people through Naxx without dying once. Only about 1.5% of guilds raiding have finished that one. After that, it's Heroic: You Don't Have an Eternity (take out Malygos in six minutes), and Heroic: Shocking! (bring down Thaddius without crossing charges). The hardest 10-man achievement is the non-Heroic version of the Malygos timed achievement -- The Undying actually isn't too bad, with almost 20% of guilds having attained it.More after the break, including information on the easiest raiding achievements.
Officers' Quarters: The hard-mode mambo
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership.Arriving with the upcoming 3.1 patch, Ulduar will be ground zero for hard mode raiding -- complex encounters rewarding the best loot in the game, presumably a hardcore raider's dream. There's only one problem: Hard mode is hard. Some people don't like hard. They like easy. Easy bosses, easy loot, and everybody wins, right? But other players enjoy a challenge. This week, one reader wonders how he can get his guild to dance the hard-mode mambo with Ulduar's finest. Hey Scott,With the release of Ulduar on the minds of most players, I thought this might be a timely question that ties in a current issue our guild's been having with what I see becoming a serious problem for us in the new 3.1 instance.The current problem:After clearing all available 25-man content and having it on farm for over a month, a line seems to have been drawn in the proverbial sand. Half of our raiders consider multiple drake Obsidian Sanctum the next step in guild progression. However, the other half seem to be content farming the content that is "easy" for us and are happy not logging on when we schedule attempts.Furthermore, whenever we do get enough people for a "progression" raid, we run into the same problem. After a few attempts (I have seen as few as 2), we inevitably get the one or two raiders planting the seed of doubt."We don't have the DPS for this.""Our healing is weak."
Raid Rx: On the fly healing
Raid Rx has returned from retirement! Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poobah of World of Matticus and a founder of PlusHeal, a new healing community for all restorative classes. This week we're going to cover assignment-less healing: When to get away with it and when you can't! Assignment-less healing. It often has unpredictable results. Sometimes your raid group will be lucky and emerge unscathed. I'm a control freak. I like to have a plan A, a plan B and even a plan for when things go wrong. I've joined my share of pickup groups in the past few months. I usually play on my alt Shaman. I'm more of the Shatner type that hurls bolts of lightning. I've experienced mixed success. On bosses like Archavon, Anub'Rekhan and Sartharion with no drakes active, I notice not a whole lot of organized healing is done. Either that or it was organized behind the scenes via whispers. To be fair, those types encounters can be done with little organization before hand. I know the first time I went into Naxx and Obsidian Sanctum wearing half blues, a smattering of crafted epics and the odd green or two. Having the healing set up in advance helped out a lot and reassured people. Sometimes it helps the raid morale some when they know the confidence emanating from healers who know who they're healing is there.
Guildwatch: "Ok ready for summon"
We have to admit -- that takes chutzpah. Ziro stepped away from a progression raid, got summoned to Molten Core just to ding the achievement, and then asked for a summon back. And got it, even without being /gkicked. First of all, we're surprised he pulled it off -- if something had gone wrong on either side, he'd be out an achievement and a guild. But wow, we're really just amazed at his confidence. All he did was type "Ok ready for summon." And it worked.Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how much you want to be entertained), not all guild runs go so smoothly. After the break, we've got the good, the recruiting, and the ugly. All the guild news fit to print in this week's Guildwatch after the link.
Shifting Perspectives: Tanks, "Wrath," and crushing blows
Every Tuesday, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting Druids and those who group with them. This week, we examine the roots of the uproar over the proposed Heart of the Wild nerf, and also ask ourselves if it wouldn't just be easier to reroll a Death Knight and have done with it."Why would you title the column this way?" you ask, as you reach for your "Please fire _______ from WoW Insider" form letter. "Crushing blows are out of the game, dipwad." Well, yes. The crushing blow is technically out of the game, but another and worse mechanic has taken its place. In this article I'm going to try to explain the source of "shield tank" frustration over health pools -- and why they are correct to see it as a problem -- and the Druid tank's unhappiness over the nerfing of Heart of the Wild -- and why Druids are also correct to see it as a problem.Why the crushing blow was importantOne of the biggest differences between pre-Wrath and Wrath tanking is the absence of the crushing blow. If you're unfamiliar with the term, then as a very simple explanation: any given raid boss had a 15% chance per melee hit to perform a 150% damage attack, which was also known as the crushing blow. It was typically a big damage spike and could lead to a wipe on progression content, with healers struggling to compensate in the small window of time before the boss' next attack landed. Burst damage is very unwelcome as it's often the greatest contributing factor to tank death. This is why reaching crit immunity is still so important to all tanks, and why the ability to avoid or absorb crushing blows was a fundamental part of pre-Wrath tanking mechanics.
Breakfast Topic: Most frustrating moment
The vast majority of the time, WoW is just pure fun to play, and even nights spent wiping on a boss can be an oddly happy experience if you're running with a cool group of people and you feel like you're making progress. But we've all had that moment in a raid or a group where you realize that things have unstoppably taken a turn for the worse, and that there's not much (if anything) you can do about it.I've actually had two of these in recent memory: being within one perfect Kel'Thuzad kill of server-first Immortal and then losing a single player to the second Frost Blast, and then having to call a Sarth 3D kill because people seemed to find an array of new and interesting ways to get themselves killed. The silence in vent on both occasions was pretty awful, and that these two nights occurred back to back probably didn't help anyone's frame of mind. I've had a Hunter buddy previously describe her worst moment as triggering the old Karazhan pet bug -- wherein you could aggro almost everything in the instance due to bizarre pet pathing mechanics -- when she was a trial member with a new guild. A Warlock friend still cringes when he thinks about the night he accidentally looted the Champion gloves off Curator, and then having to keep the group there for two hours while we waited on a ticket (back before any of us knew how loot transfers worked). Sometimes you realize the night's just going to stay bad, and that it's time to get out of Dodge. What was your worst experience in this vein?
Breakfast Topic: Pride in your Achievements
The current Achievement system is extensive, and growing. While many seem to exist just to give you a small pat on the back, others push you into new content, silly stunts, and wacky doings. Which achievement gives you the most pride? There's a lively discussion on the forums about the matter, and we'd like to continue it here. It seems like a simple question, but when I began pondering my answer, I wasn't sure what to choose. I'm proud that I have completed every meta achievement leading up to What a Long Strange Trip it's Been, so far this year. I'm not sure if that should count yet, considering there are still plenty of chances to fumble the whole thing. I believe that I will settle on Twilight Assist. Sarth with a drake or more up is definitely the hardest content currently in the game. Although we haven't managed two or three, I belong to a small, tight-knit raiding guild that started from the ground up. None of our players are recruited from elite guilds, and we don't have 25-man gear. Getting this achievement was an awesome feeling.So I ask again, of which achievement are you most proud, and why is that the case? Was it the most fun or challenging? Was it because of a reward or title?
The best of WoW Insider: February 17-24, 2009
It's a crazy day over on WoW Insider -- the next content patch, 3.1, has hit the Public Test Realm, and there's a dragon-sized amount of information coming out: new raids, new instances, new world events, new mounts, new pets, new armor, new mechanics, and much more. Stay tuned to Joystiq's Azeroth-addicted sister site to hear about what's new in the World of Warcraft. News WoW Insider's guide to patch 3.1This is it -- everything you need to know about the new patch, updated with all of the brand new info from the PTR release. World of Warcraft 3.1 PTR patch notesHot patch notes coming through, directly from the Public Test Realm. Patch 3.1 undocumented changesEverything on the new patch that isn't covered in the official notes. The Argent Tournament in patch 3.1A brand new world event that no one saw coming -- we're going to be fighting in vehicles soon, thanks to patch 3.1. Dual specs currently cost 1000gOh, did you think you were getting a second spec for free? Think again. Features Guildwatch: Leave Tankserious alone!Not everything is about patch 3.1 lately -- sometimes it's just about good old drama. The Queue: I have no regrets. Well, maybe one...Our Q&A column keeps things interesting, even on maintenance day. Ready Check: Sartharion plus three drakesAn in-depth guide from our raiding column on the hardest encounter currently in the game. 15 Minutes of Fame: WoW Botter tells allWe get the inside scoop from a bot user himself. Lichborne: Top Death Knight DPS builds and patch 3.1Our Death Knight columnist lays out a few good talent builds for DKs in the new patch.
Guildwatch: Brother against brother
The worst thing about the screenshot above? "Nùker" is a character that's already been known around the server as a ninja. We swear, people -- we work week after week to bring you all this news of nefarious guild switching and loot stealing, and you're not even paying attention. Given, as ninjas go, taking the mammoth is a pretty lame way to ruin your rep (or at least ruin it even more), but still, we're posting all of this for a reason here, people!Oh, that, and because it's really funny. More drama, downed, and recruiting news after the break in this week's Guildwatch. If you've got guild news of any kind (especially drama -- we're full up on downed news lately, but drama is harder to come by), send it right along to wowguildwatch@gmail.com. And keep an eye out for your server and guild in this week's GW -- you never know when we'll show up on your doorstep.
Ready Check: Sartharion plus 3 Drakes
Ready Check is a weekly column focusing on successful raiding for the serious raider. Hardcore or casual, ZA or Sunwell Plateau, everyone can get in on the action and down some bosses. This week, we take on a dragon and his mates. Yeah.Last week we provided an outline of the Sartharion encounter, promising to deliver more detail this week on how to beat the boss with all three of his drake companions alive at the pull. This is commonly called 'hard mode' and, although it's not for the faint hearted, it's by no means impossible either. However, excellent co-ordination and DPS are required in order to keep the fight under control and things can quickly degenerate into chaos. When to attempt 3 drakesIs your guild or raid group ready to even try 3 drakes? There's no hard-and-fast rule that says 'you need to be this awesome to leave three drakes alive'. If you're thinking about trying it, we'd hope that you've already killed Sartharion, probably with one or two adds already alive. You've cleared Naxx and are decked out in gear, you have a diverse pool of people to draw from, and you can communicate with each other. That's all you need, really, although a couple of things can help, including a well geared tank and complementary DPS.
Hard Mode raiding is here to stay
"Then there's Agalon the Raid Destroyer. He feeds off of your tears." Valnoth's gunning for the title 'cheekiest Blue poster' with this one, but it made me laugh anyway because I know lots of people who would sign up for a raid that had such a boss in it. In a thread started by Lightsnight, who argues that hard modes in a dungeon are 'a stupid gimmick', Valnoth counters with what I think is a measured response (keeping in mind that I'm very sarcastic) - " Hard Modes are intended for people that want additional challenges and rewards. You might view them as a gimmick, but I assure you that hard modes will test the mettle of the most seasoned raiding guilds. The choice is yours, my friend. " This is a relief for me heading into Ulduar.
Shifting Perspectives: The dual-specced Druid
Every Tuesday, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting Druids and those who group with them. This week, in the interests of keeping our writer away from editors of the opposite faction on PvP servers, we examine dual specs. Between lollygagging here at WoW Insider Central and engaging in some extracurricular indolence, I've often wondered where I'd take the column after finishing the bear pre-raid post. I could write something on how to theorycraft the highest-HPM tree, I thought, or get around to testing whether weapon skill has an unintended effect on bear threat. Look at the potential return from Eclipse procs as a function of fight mobility? Argue whether it's worth it to take Feral Aggression in a hybrid feral build? Or compose an entire column as a mockument to T.S. Eliot's most famous poem:Q: Let us go then, you and I --A: No.All good ideas. But then we received the following missive from that enemy of all that is good and right in the publishing world, the editor:MEMO: To all WoW Insider class columnistsFROM: You know who.TEXT: Write something on how your class will deal with the upcoming dual-spec system in patch 3.1, or Dan "One-Eye" O'Halloran will "remember" where he left his whip."Well," I thought. "That sounds like a good idea too."
Voidwalker raid tanking going away
Zach Yonzon reported on the above video a few days ago featuring a Warlock's Voidwalker pet tanking the 10-man version of Sartharion with all three drakes up. Needless to say, it's one of the coolest things that I've seen in the game. In the comments Falcrist lists off a few good reasons how this became possible: Best in slot gear for increasing the Voidwalker's HP and relevant tanking statistics. The Voidwalker got a lot of alone time with Sartharion, probably in the range of 5 or so minutes, during which the Voidwalker is building up massive amounts of threat. Pets have 80% passive AOE resistance, so Sartharion's breath really doesn't hurt them at all (and especially at 90,000 HP). Now all you Warlocks, you didn't think this was going to last, did you? Silly Warlocks...
Ask a Lore Nerd: Like finding a needle in a boneyard
Welcome to Ask a Lore Nerd, where each week blogger and columnist Alex Ziebart answers your questions about the lore and history of the World of Warcraft. Ask your questions in the comments section below, and we'll try to answer it in a future edition.Welcome to another fine Sunday evening! Things are going to be shorter and sweeter than usual this week, as I've only recently gotten the internet back. Moving into a new apartment has its drawbacks, and needing to wait a week for Time Warner to get things installed is one of the worst. It's done now though, so next week will be grand, I just need to get my bearings back.Remember, the entire history of Warcraft is fair game in this column, not just Wrath of the Lich King. If you have a question that's a blast from the past, that's fine! We'll take it. Now, on with the show.Jardal asked...What's going on in the Ebon Hold where the DK trainer is killing a druid to explain how plague strike is the lifebloom eater? Wouldn't the alliance kind of frown on killing their allies or is this kind of a "what they don't know won't hurt them" thing?
Voidwalker tanks Sartharion 10 with three drakes
When I grow up, I want to be like Seche. Or more importantly, I want Grimkrast to grow up like Makgarth. Let me explain. Choren first tipped us off to this a few days back, but because we were in such shock at the whole thing it took me only now to write it up -- the guild Damaged Goods downed 10-man Sartharion with three drakes up with a Voidwalker main tanking Sartharion. They have a video of it but to be honest I couldn't see the Voidwalker doing his job. On the other hand, it turns out Voidwalkers have a knack for tanking dragons with flame breaths that one-shot normal tanks because Township Rebellion's Seche from US Crushridge also did it with his pet Makgarth.Now I've never dreamed of letting Grimkrast tank anything. He holds aggro about as well as a wet noodle. But then again I've never specced for it, so that's probably my fault. After all, Voidwalkers tanked Illidan back in the day, didn't they? So while The Twilight Zone is arguably the toughest raid Achievement in the game (I personally think it's the Heroic version that's tougher because you need 25 people to not die to void zones instead of 10), it's apparently doable with a Voidwalker. Michael Sacco reported getting Twilight Zone using this method, too. Watch the fun video and follow the link for screenshots of the event. I think it's time to send Grimkrast to the gym.
Ready Check: Sartharion
Ready Check is a weekly column focusing on successful raiding for the serious raider. Hardcore or casual, ZA or Sunwell Plateau, everyone can get in on the action and down some bosses. This week, we try to avoid dying in a fire. Again.In keeping with this weekend's theme, we all know there's nothing that shows your love for another pixellated avatar as sincerely as slaying a dragon for them. Throughout history, knights in shining armour have triumphed victorious in the face of fire-breathing monsters, and this week's Ready Check is no exception. (We'll deal with Sartharion's frost-breathing compatriot in an upcoming week, don't fret!)Sartharion the Onyx Guardian is a 'standalone' boss located in the Obsidian Sanctum below Wyrmrest Temple. Accompanied by a trio of lesser drakes, this encounter can be approached a number of ways, making it challenging to a wide audience. Although clearing the trash is necessary, killing the drakes before engaging Sartharion is optional; any drakes left alive before beginning the fight will join in during the encounter, adding extra challenge (and loot) to those who desire it.
Sartharion sings the blues
Once you start throwing multiple drakes into the mix, I love the Sartharion encounter. It's very frantic, and takes everyone performing. What I don't love is how hard it is to see the shadow fissures that spawn in the encounter when there's a lot going on. Red on red is awful, and then when you throw a Death Knight's Death and Decay into the mix if you're using one? It's pretty much an orgy of red, and you can't really tell which red is from what source.I quite literally leapt for joy when Daelo, lead encounter designer, mentioned that they'll be turning blue in a future patch. It's a minor tweak to the encounter, but it will seriously help those moments when you have a void zone beneath a Death and Decay and you have a tank who is tanking loads of whelps and elementals which are already obscuring their vision. The hardest part of the fight isn't the movements, the hardest part is being able to see.This does make me wonder what they'll do with future, similar things. The terrain alone makes the void zones hard to see during Sartharion, but the largest issue (I think) is Death and Decay. It's big, fluffy, and extremely red. Will they simply not be able to use red ground effects anymore? My raid doesn't do it, but there are raids out there that forbid Death Knights from using Death and Decay for the specific reason that it hides AOEs beneath it, so I have to wonder if there's a better solution to the problem than changing colors without removing the 'cool factor' of the DnD particle effect.
The Queue: Shoo fly, don't bother me
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.To kick things off today, I actually wanted to add something to one of Adam's responses yesterday. Spiraea was looking for a title that would fit their Priest. Adam suggested The Immortal, but me? I'm all about the Hallowed. You can't get it until October, which makes getting your hands on it tough... but it'll be worth the wait! It's my favorite title on my Priest. When I get a new raid title I switch to that for awhile, but always go back to Hallowed.realt asked... I have a question regarding in-game voice chat (or Ventrilo). Our guild has never used voice-chat when raiding. So far we have done pretty well with clearing all 10man content, including Sartharion+1D, without it. Now we are progressing into 25man. At which point do we really need starting using voice chat you think or isn't required at all? I haven't been in many other raiding guilds besides this one so I am curious how others are handling their communication.
Guildwatch: "A premier raiding guild"
Edhristwo just got /gkicked in the shot above -- he and a friend got caught playing around in the Arena on a raiding night, and the guild's GM didn't take kindly to it. Which is fine -- if you join a guild, they can ask you to be around for raids, and /gkick you when you do something else. But the "premier raiding guild" is the funny part -- they're up to one drake Sartharion, and they've appeared in our drama section before. Hey, if Ed wants to do Arena, we'd say take the Tier 7 and run.That drama and more (including downed and recruiting notices from around the realms) in this week's GW, which starts right after the break.
