The Raider's Information Thread (sort-of updated-ish)

Windzarko

Windzarko

Well-Known Member
CONTENTS:

1: Introduction
2: Raiding rules
3: Trial Raider to Raider Promotions
4: Applying to join the guild
5: Theorycrafting material
6: Raiding Mods
7: Consumables



INTRODUCTION

This thread is to act as a major source of information for all people raiding with The Haven; it is to be a source of important information, links to theorycrafting sources/helpful mods/similarly useful stuffs.

This thread is not for discussion or debate, but if you find useful sources of information, guides, mods, or anything else that you genuinely think will be a good addition to this thread, then feel free to post it, and if it's sound, it'll be added to this first post.

Before anything else, rule number one: DO NOT STAND IN THE FIRE!



RAIDING RULES

If you are ranked at Trial Raider or higher with us, then there are more guild rules for you to follow than for a non-Raiding member of the guild. If you're in any doubt about the rules, or are confused by some part of them, feel free to ask an officer for clarification.

  • You have a single raiding main; this is the character you bring to most raids unless we ask otherwise. In some circumstances, people may be allowed to bring alts along, but unless it's a run of something below ToC25 level, don't expect to be able to roll on most loot
  • You raid with us first and foremost, and preferably ONLY with us. Whilst it would be acceptable to raid outside of the guild with an alt character (if this in no way conflicts with our main raiding efforts), your main is to raid with the guild only, unless you get officer permission to do otherwise. Note that anyone who attends PuG raids of instances we consider our Progression ones without permission on their raiding main not only runs the risk of disrupting or outright halting our own raiding efforts (which is selfish and thoughtless to say the least), but also runs the risk of being barred from raiding, being demoted, or thrown out of the guild (depending on their past behaviour and attitude). Vault of Archavon is always considered a non-progression raid despite the gear it drops, so go for it!
  • When you become a raider, you agree to be ready for the raids you attend, so far as is possible. This means ensuring that you turn up to raids repaired, with all the necessary reagents, any personal buff foods, and so on. Fish Feasts will be provided, and you can either bring your own flasks/potions, request them out of the guild bank well in advance, or make a clear request for them in the raid formation time so that a Veteran/Officer can withdraw them and bring them along for you.


TRIAL RAIDER TO RAIDER PROMOTIONS

Long story short, we'll promote you over time when we think you're ready. Don't pester us about it, but if you've been active in raids then we'll have been keeping an eye on you and will promote you in due time. If you've been largely inactive, don't expect anything swiftly, since we need to get a good measure of your capabilities.

The main difference between the two ranks is that we watch Trial Raiders for performance/gearing issues that we can try help with, and it's an evaluation period if you're largely an unknown quantity to us. It doesn't affect your ability to roll on loot in any way, and it usually won't affect whether or not you get a raid spot (I say usually; we sometimes will take a proven Raider over a Trial Raider if we need to make a group work).


APPLYING TO JOIN THE GUILD

There's a few things that people wishing to apply for raiding spots in the guild (be it from within or without) need to have sorted before they put an application up:

  • Activated forum account (make sure you check your email and follow the activation link, or it won't count!)
  • Your main character(s) listed in your forum profile (check the guide HERE to see how to do that). Without this part sorted, you won't be able to use our raid signup system!
  • Teamspeak 3 downloaded, installed, and working; Teamspeak is not optional for our raids, although we don't ask that everyone be able to talk on it; being able to listen in is what counts! If you need any help with getting and using Teamspeak, poke most any member of the guild and they can either help or point you at someone who can; don't worry, it's very easy and user-friendly!
  • Compatibility with the community; if you don't fit in with other people, you're going to have trouble. This is a guild built on a strong foundation of friendship and community, and bringing negative feeling, poor attitude or disruption to the community is very likely to result in you either not getting invited, or getting penalised or even removed if you cause trouble once in the guild.


THEORYCRAFTING MATERIAL

Yes, these are mostly EJ Theorycraft Think Tank links: please, follow them. If you browse the EJ site to your class forums, there's threads there with more stuff in (go check them when new patches come out as well, for updated info!). Most of what is said in any given thread is something that is debated, discussed, tested, and eventually shown to be something to either do or avoid.

So read the threads for your class/spec/roll/whatever, and learn! Seriously, this is important!

NOTE: Some of these links may lead to slightly outdated materials. Use your head and double-check your class forum there, make sure you're looking at the right stuff!

Death Knight

Tanking: http://elitistjerks.com/f72/t44638-sunos_fireside_chat_dk_endgame_tanking_updated/

DPS: http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t36638-death_knight_pve_dps/

Paladin

Prot: http://elitistjerks.com/f76/t37172-protection_paladin_field_manual_wow_3_0_wotlk/

Holy: http://elitistjerks.com/f76/t64649-holy_paladin_thread_patch_3_2_changes/
Holy (more): http://www.wowhead.com/?forums&topic=117253

Ret: http://elitistjerks.com/f76/t68951-retribution_3_2_a/

Warrior

Prot: http://elitistjerks.com/f81/t45411-finalizing_prot_warrior_design/

Arms: http://elitistjerks.com/f81/t37807-depth_arms_dps_discussion/

Fury: http://elitistjerks.com/f81/t37680-depth_fury_dps_discussion/

Shaman

Enhancement: http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t20765-shaman_enhancement/

Elemental: http://elitistjerks.com/f79/t64702-elemental_patch_3_2_a/

Resto:http://elitistjerks.com/f79/t49212-resto_best_practices_pve_healing_discussion/

Hunter

http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t43271-hunter_pve_dps_wotlk_updated_3_2_2_a/

Rogue

http://elitistjerks.com/f78/t54257-...h_here_read_before_posting_updated_8_20_09_a/
http://elitistjerks.com/f78/t37183-pocket_guide_wotlk_updated_3_2_a/

Druid

Balance: http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t66856-moonkin_pve_dps/

Resto: http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t40221-resto_pve_healing_discussion/ (note: this thread is kinda messy and needs more looking through than most)

Feral DPS: http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t63774-cat_dps_guide_dummies/

Feral Tank: http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t56285-feral_tanking_discussion/

Priest

Healing (Disc/Holy): http://elitistjerks.com/f77/t54618-wotlk_healing_compendium_v3_2_same_old_thing/

Shadow: http://elitistjerks.com/f77/t37074-shadowpriest_theory_craft_3_2_2_edition/

Warlock

Demonology: http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t37474-demonology_thread/

Affliction: http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t37900-dots_you_affliction_warlock_thread/

Destruction: http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t38033-mage_equivalent_destruction_warlock/

Mage

http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t40824-mage_pve_dps_wotlk/


RAIDING MODS

Everyone has personal preferences for unitframes and whatnot, and we won't tell people how to set up their UIs, but we DO need people to have certain mods; the following are mandatory and must be used by every raider:

Omen: this is a threat meter. It is mandatory for everyone. Tank, healer, DPS, it doesn't matter; you must have it.

DeadlyBossMods: this mod gives timers, alerts and similar things for boss fights. It is mandatory for everyone. Yes, raid leaders will have it set up to scream out warnings and even sometimes whisper people. But the warning flashes and sounds, and the encounter-specific timer bars make this mod invaluable. Don't be without it!

Decursive: this mod gives an easy interface for using your debuff-removing abilities on the raid. This is mandatory for ANYONE that has the ability to remove any kind of debuff; in short, the only people for whom it is NOT mandatory are Death Knights, Warriors, Rogues, Hunters and Warlocks. You must have this installed if you are any other class, regardless of if you are a tank, healer or DPS. Even a Feral Bear Druid should have this; yes, they will very rarely use their debuff removers, but when they do, they need to be able to use them swiftly and accurately!

PallyPower: This is a mod for assigning Paladin blessings and auras. This mod is mandatory for ALL paladins regardless of spec, and it would be a good idea for any potential raid leaders to have it installed (but not necessarily enabled) for any times they raid-lead. Seriously, EVERY PALADIN EVER EVER EVER SHOULD HAVE THIS MOD, BE IT FOR SOLO, GROUP QUESTS, 5-MANS OR RAIDS. Well, at least until patch 4.0...

Strongly recommended mods

Recount: this mod is a meter mod that gives detailed information on damage and healing done and received. We don't want people asking for links to DPS meters or overhealing meters or anything, so if you want to know your performance, use Recount. It even can give information on things like misses, parries/dodges, overhealing, and can break down what you and others did per-spell/ability. If you have a slightly lower-end machine or suffer any performance dips during raids (especially 25-mans), this mod can be problematic. If you're like me, it's fine for 10-mans and suchlike, but the command "/recount pause" becomes a necessity in some 25-mans to avoid unplayably bad FPS issues.

AtlasLoot: this mod has information and item links to anything that drops from a boss in an instance or raid, anything that can be bought with tokens, anything that comes from rep and crafting, and some other stuff besides. We don't want people asking what drops from bosses, and we shouldn't have to always link the Tier items you get from a given token; get this mod, or look it up on Wowhead. Note that this does NOT need Atlas installed to work.

Updating Mods

It'd be a good idea to keep your mods up to date; there are various updaters out there (it might be worth asking guildies first to make sure it's a safe one to use, especially if you don't have an Authenticator).

WoWMatrix is a known, safe updater, although it doesn't cover every single mod (so take note of what it doesn't update, and go check websites once in a while)

IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, NEVER use google to search for WoWMatrix, enter the website address manually or use the above link. People exploiting Google-searches for WoWMatrix led to the first successfully hacked authenticator-protected accounts. Whilst Googling WoWMatrix isn't the only way for this to happen, it was the first, and could still be a risk.


CONSUMABLES

Windzarko said:
Many of you are fairly familiar with the basic drill for a raid boss; buffs up, flask up, eat the fish feast (demonic or otherwise), and likely have a mana potion or somesuch at the ready. But are you really maxing out your potential?

Granted, flasks are good, mana pots are damned handy, and the fish feast is a great buff, but are all of these the best for your class/spec combo?

I challenge all of our raiders now, most particularly the DPS but also the tanks and the healers, to look at what they most commonly use on the harder bosses we fight. This doesn't matter as much for ones we can practically faceroll, but for later bosses in Ulduar and pretty much all of ToC, that little extra power from each person could make all the difference.

I won't go into full details, but here are a few examples of how you can boost yourself that little bit extra:

Buff Food

Fish Feast : 80 attack power, 46 spell power, 40 stamina
Blackened Dragonfin : 40 agility, 40 stamina
Dragonfin Fillet : 40 strength, 40 stamina
Cuttlesteak : 40 spirit, 40 stamina
Imperial Manta Steak : 40 haste rating, 40 stamina
Mighty Rhino Dogs / Spicy Fried Herring : 20 MP5, 40 stamina
Rhinolicious Wormsteak : 40 expertise rating, 40 stamina
Snapper Extreme : 40 hit rating, 40 stamina
Spiced Worm Burger / Spicy Blue Nettlefish : 40 crit rating, 40 stamina

Spiced Mammoth Treats : increases pet's strength and stamina by 30


For some classes, one of those foods listed above might be better for you than the Fish Feast, whether it be all the time or only situationally; for example, I personally (on Arithidrimme) would use the Strength food most of the time and the Fish Feast for any fights with a -lot- of AoE if the things being AoE'd were being a problem (as it would give more benefit to my consecration). Whilst for some people the Fish Feast is flat-out better, I reckon that a few people would do better using something else. I'd also think it a safe bet that most of our hunters don't use Spiced Mammoth Treats much, if at all (I'd say this applies to Unholy Death Knights as well, but that's hardly a common thing in our raids).


Flasks/Elixirs

I sometimes spot a few people not using flasks in raids; now, for some fights that is absolutely fine; Razorscale and Deconstructor are easy enough for us to get away with it, and it's fine on Ignis if we aren't struggling. Hell, it's a waste to use one for Flame Leviathan. But to be honest, anything past the first four bosses (with perhaps the exception of Kologarn) at least warrants the DPS flasking up.

Before everyone runs about trying to stockpile extra flasks, however, I again challenge people to look at their class/spec combo carefully; is the relevant flask for you actually the best thing to use? Would you benefit more from a specific elixir combination? This was more true in Burning Crusade than now, but the flask might not always be the best to use, and you could be better off with something else.

The list of elixirs is a little too extensive for me to post it all here to have a look, so take a peek at this list instead:

http://www.wowhead.com/?items=0.2&filter=minle=80;cr=131;crs=1;crv=0

Also, alchemists remember your Mixology when working out what's best for you, and don't remember to use your Flask of the North on easier bosses and trash where it'd be a waste to use anything else!


Potions

This one is likely where the most significant potential for improvement lies. I'd guess that the average guildie carries health and/or mana potions to raids with them, be they Runic, Endless, or Injectors. In fights where the heal of the potion could be an encounter-saver or where you're so strapped for mana that the potion is critical, then fair enough. But I know a good number of the DPS don't need the mana potion, and I know that judging the usage of a health potion can be tricky (sod's law tends to kick in, with a healer paying attention to you at the same time as you chug the potion...), so are there better potions for you? Short answer, yes.

Here are a few examples:

Potion of Speed: increases haste rating by 500 for 15 seconds
Potion of Wild Magic: increases critical strike rating and spell power by 200 for 15 seconds
Indestructible Potion: increases armour by 3500 for 2 minutes
Powerful Rejuvenation Potion: restores 2475 to 4125 mana and health
Heroic Potion: increases strength by 70 and health by 700 for 15 seconds
Insane Strength Potion: increases strength by 120 but decreases defense rating by 75 for 15 seconds
Fel Mana Potion: restores 3200 mana over 24 seconds but reduces spellpower by 25 for 15 minutes

Crazy Alchemist's Potion: 3100-3500 health and 4200-4400 mana, sometimes gives a random elixir buff if you don't have one. Alchemists only.


Of those above, the first two in the list are cheap and easy to make loads of, and are extremely beneficial to DPS. The indestructible potion would be great for tanks (and in a pinch, as a DPS boost for classes with talents that give attack power from armour). The Heroic Potion and Insane Strength potions work brilliantly for strength-based DPS (although sadly both are Outland world drop recipes). The Fel Mana potion, despite how it looks, does have one use; in the General Vezax fight, it is the only potion that still restores mana (just like a Dark Rune).

The Crazy Alchemist's potion should obviously be the one that any Alchemist brings to a raid if they ARE using Health/Mana potions.

I reckon everyone could see a noticable increase in their DPS/performance if they used one of those potions on each boss fight; time it with Bloodlust or other cooldowns and watch your numbers soar! This is the kind of thing people need to do for hard modes, for example, and I'd love to see people getting into the habit of using them.
Click to expand...




This is very much a thread in progress, and will be added to over time; check back here for more stuff as it develops.

Edit: Quick partial update by a sleep-deprived and hyperactive me
 
Skcornnelg

Skcornnelg

Member
Re: The Raider's Information Thread

The Holy Paladin link only covers what changed for us in 3.2. It's not very good for someone who is looking to learn or find tips for playing a holydin. I can not seem to find the full Holy Paladin thread on EJ (I know there was one).

Until I, or anyone who can, posts the full Holy Paladin EJ thread, I found the Wowhead Paladin forums to be of benifit.

Feel free to correct me or post a better one.
 
Windzarko

Windzarko

Well-Known Member
Re: The Raider's Information Thread

Rhya said:
teamspeak info?
Click to expand...

It's on the Wiki, I believe; this thread is only a temporary thing which will eventually ascend to the godhood that is Wiki format.

Also, added the links provided by Sass and Glenn
 
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