Next week, Lich King hits the shelves and a lot of you have an opportunity that you may not have realized. You can finally fulfill your dream of being a raider in a real raiding guild, not that collections of rejects that you’ve spent the last year running Karazhan with. I know, I know. You’ve been planning to turn your little collection of short bus kids into a real raiding guild once LK drops. You’ve convinced yourself that even though you spun your wheels in the Kindergarten of BC raid instances, you’re going to magically learn how to progress through content in the expansion and you’ll get to run things your way!
Well your way sucks. How do I know? It isn’t my way, so it sucks. (Editor’s Note: The proceeding statement is intended solely to generate angry flamey comments so I get ranked higher on Google.) Give it up, you’re raid buddies are tards. If you want to really raid, this is the best chance you’ll get for the next couple of years. You see, with the exception of the top raiding guilds that have a roster full of psycho ninja raiders, and the ‘family’ guilds that all love each other so much they’d never split up, every other guild is going to recruiting as soon as LK hits if they aren’t already.
As the end of BC approaches, players decide that now is a good time to cut back on their raiding or give it up altogether. Old feuds and long simmering guild drama breaks guilds up because they’ve taken a break from raiding and the incentive of weekly loot has been removed. People split off to form new raid guilds, telling themselves that they can run a guild better than those morons they’ve been raiding with for the last two years. And some people are just poor and can’t afford the expansion. Those people are fun to pick on.
The result of all of these people jumping ship is that you can fill their spot. And with the changes to raid buffs, classes, and specs in LK, you can even raid in your beloved boomkin spec that people used to point at and laugh. Here’s a few simple steps to get you started on your raiding career:
- Do some research. Read up on the raiding guilds on your server. Go to their website, check their raid times, ask around. Find out in advance if they’re led by a soul crushing totalitarian bastard like me!
- Level up and gear up as fast as possible. As soon as those guilds hit 80, their going to be in 10 mans, and they’ll be looking for warm bodies to fill spots.
- Try to pug instances or group for quests with members of the guild you want to join. It’s one of the fastest ways to get recruited if you don’t completely suck.
- Be patient. You’re joining a group of people who have probably been raiding together for a couple years or more. You’re low man on the totem pole, you’re going to have to work your way up.
- Know your shit. Study the boss fights, know how to make the most of your class abilities, and don’t do stupid shit when you get in a raid. For tips, read my old articles. I rock.
Now go out there and raise some raid leader’s blood pressure!
11 responses so far ↓
1 Meugly // Nov 6, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I suspect that most mid level raid guilds, in a few weeks, are going to be hit with a lot of apps. The powers that be then have to sort out the players with potential from the ones that were just spamming trade channel a few weeks ago “LF1M Kara, must have key, then G2G. PST!”
After an expansion has been out a while, its easy to filter some apps just by their gear. Someone with Blues and Greens applying for a BT guild would be a pretty sure sign that the applicant was not quite ready. Rep was good to check too. Someone exalted with factions from PVP, or factions that give “Look at me how cool I am” mounts, but barely above neutral with Scryers/Aldor were definitely not ready either.
Expansion means not long after 80, those folks can fly under the radar easily.
So if I may add to the author’s list a bit, here are some things we look for in an applicant:
Doesn’t stand in fire
Pays attention
Doesn’t stand in fire
Doesn’t miss CC assignments
Doesn’t stand in fire
Looks at the bigger picture, and will drop a heal in a crucial situation even though they are Shadow/Ele/Boomkin/Whatever.
Doesn’t stand in fire
Realizes there is more than loot to WoW
Has solid skills at their class
Doesn’t stand in fire
Has lots of raid experience
Doesn’t stand in fire
Is not immature. That is not the same as being young. We have had teenagers that had their act together better than people in their 40s. Standing on the mailbox in Org, spamming trade channel with stupid stuff, etc, are sure signs that a person is probably not mature enough for us.
Doesn’t stand in fire
Brings 100% to the raid. That means consumables, enchants, etc.
Doesn’t stand in fire
Reads sites AngryRaidLeader.com, WowInsider, Elitist Jerks Theorycraft forum, etc. No, really!
Doesn’t stand in fire
Doesn’t ask the raid leader, right after a full explanation of the boss fight “So what does this guy do lol?
Doesn’t stand in fire
We also look for people that are going to raid every night of our schedule. We raid 5 nights a week. People that can only make 3 nights aren’t going to work for us. Make sure that the guild you are applying to fits your schedule.
2 Ngnsewa // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Well said Mr Angry. I known a few raid leaders that only get 1/2 of the picture. You summed it all up well here.
@Meugly; I have some modifications for that list there
Doesn’t stand in the red fire
Doesn’t stand in the green fire
Doesn’t stand in the blue fire
Doesn’t stand in the explosion
Doesn’t stand in the middle of
the raid when they are the explosion
For Bonus points;
Doesn’t stand next to the guy who is the explosion and is standing in the middle of the raid
3 zix // Nov 7, 2008 at 1:47 am
Nice read, and nice reply meugly
Lets hope there is not much fire in LK or your applicants are going to have a hard time getting in.
4 Sodosma // Nov 7, 2008 at 3:33 am
Holy smokes, raiding 5 days a week would lead me to suicide, fact. I’m unbelievably lucky that i’ve managed to get a great guild that raids only 3 days a week and that managed to be the top guild on our server.
Also, this is a happy post by you mister angry raid leader! Constructive, positive, nice! Time for the coherent players out there to grab their opportunity and make something for themselves.
My personal advice as a player that wtfpwns? Choose a guild with the least raiding days possible, it’s wonderfull for your mental health.
5 Oriniwen // Nov 7, 2008 at 9:19 am
We’re not going to recruit till likely after Christmas. This gives all the serious players to get to 80 and get some heroic gear and get ready to raid again, as well as lets the guild have Christmas off. We’ve tried raiding over the holidays, just plain doesn’t work for us. And I end up passing the drunk-enough-to-still-raid-lead line and head right into the wasteland of drooling-on-my-keyboard.
I’m also hoping since we’re deliberately putting ourselves behind the curve, it will let all the gung-ho zomg let’s raid NAO!!! sort of guilds sop up all the useless raiders, and leave us with a better selection to chose from.
6 kyrilean // Nov 7, 2008 at 1:34 pm
#4 ….
/pause to catch breath
/try to relax
/bust out laughing again
Had a few people cause drama over loot rules only to find that everyone passed on loot on our next raid and they ended up with T5 gear anyway.
Had another mage quit after his second raid where he didn’t get a shot at T5 gear when we downed Leo for a guild first. Proceeded to bash us in Trade Chat and had support until finally someone pointed out it was his second raid and of course we weren’t giving him T5 gear over others. Trade Chat turned on him. They’re so fickle. /grin
These people make me laugh.
7 Dolph Lundgren // Nov 7, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Just wanted to promote my new movie, it’ll be the best movie ever!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1261862/
P.S
I love to Arthas, I think he has really badass biceps!
D.S
8 Meugly // Nov 7, 2008 at 7:33 pm
ROFL!!! That link is actually to a Dolph Lundgren movie too. Whats the deal, is he the next Chuck Norris in WoW or something?
9 Kadrije // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:19 am
Always, always a great pleasure to read your awesome rants and whatnots - keep up the good work! =)
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11 Rob // Jan 12, 2009 at 4:43 pm
The one thing I will add is to consider a mentor or getting advice from the guild, if you are lucky enough to get a shot in. Recently we’ve recruited some really bad people who wouldn’t take advice, and some good people who acknowledged criticisms.
When you are applying to a top guild, you really need to show that you have what it takes. Have everything enchanted/gemed to the max. Have your consumables. Show up early (this is key). Really put it out there, and don’t expect loot first thing.
People always live in the now and figure Naxx will be the top end forever. It won’t. Soon there will be serious content that is actually challenging. Make sure, before that happens, to do Naxx enough so you are fully geared. If you are dps, hope fully you have a guild that is doing naxx clears regularly. if you are a tank or healer, you can PUG it if you are ready for that torture.
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