Friday (12 Aug) - Ups and Downs

Friday (12 Aug) - Ups and Downs

Wild got half of his wish for the Friday night raid.

Only half of our group from Thursday night were able to make it for Friday's raid, so our group was much different. It was still a solid group, although not as experienced in the fights as we would have liked. From Wild's perspective, though, just getting a full raid started within thirty minutes of the start time was a plus. Our raid leader and normally tank switched to his resto druid to heal along with Wild and a shaman healer. Wild likes the competition from Bd's druid. We study each other's healing patterns, compare gear, and do our best to keep up with each other in friendly rivalry.

We had downed Halfus and the Twins on Thursday. On Friday we quickly cleared through the trash to get to the Ascendant Council. We were a bit distracted by some ongoing ribaldry in guild chat. One of our more "forward" women was talking sex trash and "us guys" were having a hard time concentrating on the raid. Her hubby, not in game but listening in at home, finally promised her a private, grand performance - if she'd just shut up and quit embarrassing him! She went offline shortly after that. ;-)

We haven't had many attempts on the Ascendant Council, and never the same group twice. On our first attempt the raid leader didn't even bother explaining the second and third phases in any detail, as he just wanted to get some face time first so the raid could see what the fight looked like. Tanks and healers got their assignments for the two bosses in Phase 1, the DPS were arranged and prepared, and we got started. The first phase went quite well and we shifted into phase 2, got two new bosses to deal with, and went chasing tornadoes and gravity wells to stay alive. Phase 2 can be either or both extremely frustrating (trying to chase down a tornado, for instance, that seems to anticipate your moves to stay away) or exciting (when the constant movement of the raiders seems perfectly choreographed). So it was with Phase 2 tonight; even so, we were amazed and surprised when we moved into Phase 3. In P3 the two P2 bosses merge into one huge Monstrosity. I didn't catch what it's health was, which is a combination of the health of the two bosses that merged. In this phase Wild's biggest challenge was staying in range of the tank while avoiding fire on the floor and, more deadly, the lightning bolts that flash out and race from raider to raider.

We were stunned when the P3 Monstrosity fell. We had taken down the Ascendant Council on our first attempt.

We now had a lot of time on our hands to deal with Cho'gall. We quickly cleared the trash in the room and prepared for battle.

Then the trouble started. Bd, the raid leader, had not returned home from his vacation, yet, and was playing on his laptop where he was still visiting friends (husband/wife friends, both of which play Wow). The wife, Lady Hunter, was in our raid.

We made our first attempt on Cho'gall, feeling him out, and didn't do too badly, even though it was a wipe. Bd had several comments and adjustments to make, which he did, but just before the next attempt, he suddenly hollered in surprise on vent. He had forgotten to plug his laptop in and it was shutting down. Well, one thing led to another and it was almost twenty minutes before we were all back and ready to go again.

We got set up again, only to have Bd say suddenly that he had to go AFK for a minute. That "minute" took 15 more minutes. When he finally came back we could tell he was extremely frustrated. "I won't say anything about my host, so excuse the steam coming out of my ears." He paused, and then told us that we would have to find a replacement for Lady Hunter. Wild knows both Lady Hunter and her husband, and I know both are high energy types with very strong personalities. Obviously, something or someone had come unglued and Bd had gotten caught in the middle of it.

It didn't take long to get a replacement, but before our next attempt Bd twice had to leave the raid for several minutes at a time.

In the end we were able to make only three more attempts in the shortened time, each one an improvement on the previous attempt. On our 4th attempt we battled Cho'gall into the third and final phase, but wiped with the Boss at 21%. We were done.

Bd announced that he would not save the raid for next week, but that he expected us to down Halfus, Twins, and Council on our first night next week and then kill Cho'gall on Friday. I'm certain he wants that first night to get our raid group some more work together, which would certainly help once we get to Cho'gall again.

It was a good night, but if only we'd had that lost time back ... Wild's hope of taking down both Nefarian and Cho'gall this week came up short.

Cho'gall will go down, though, and frankly, once Cho'gall does goes down I'm not sure what Wild will be doing. I certainly want in on a regular Firelands raid. I think we're ready. Pre-Firelands, there are only two things Wild would like to get out of Cata raids (i359 gear):

[Leggings of the Consuming Flames] - BWD Maloriak Drop
[Helm of the Blind Seer] or [Stormrider's Helm - T11] - BWD Atramedes, or Nefarian/Cho'gal/Al'akir final boss drops

However, if we are seriously going to run Firelands, then Wild could focus on all the new goodies that those Bosses offer. Here is Wild's Firelands Wish List (note that most gear is i378, although Ragnaros drops are i384). Wild already has i378 gear at shoulder, cape, wrists, and waist.

List is in order of first boss to final boss
[Eye of Purification] - one-hand axe, random boss drop
[Smoldering censer of Purity] - staff, random boss drop
[Crystal Prison Band] - Shannox
[Incendic Chestguard] - Lord Ryolith
[Heartstone of Rhyolith] - neck, Lord Rhyolith
Nothing from Beth'tilac
[Phoenix-Down Treads] - Alysrazor
[Eye of Blazing Power] - trinket, Alysrazor
[Necromantic Focus] - trinket, Baleroc
[Firecat Leggings] - Staghelm
[Flowform Choker] - neck, Staghelm
[Jaws of Defeat] - trinket, Staghelm

Final Boss - Ragnaros, i384 gear
Tier 12 Helm and Shoulders
[Ko'gun, Hammer of the Firelord] - one-hand mace
[Sho'ravon, Greatstaff of Annihilation] - staff
[Variable Pulse Lightning Capacitor] - trinket