WoW

[Garic Snow]

70 Shadow Priest on The Venture Co here. Figured i might as well share some stories from this week.

Joined a raiding guild about a month ago. Its been a great time so far, though i would be happier if we started a bit earlier than we do. We downed all of Gruuls Lair in 40minutes on Tuesday, he dropped on growth 9 IIRC. Great run for us. Various stuffs dropped, none of which i got. I'm also consistently in the top 10 DPS even with my mostly craptastic gear. All i can do is get better on that front, so I'm pretty happy with how I'm performing now.

Moved onto Void Reaver for Wed/Thur. Supreme craziness. The trash mobs drop insanely good loot. Seems like we never walk out of there w/o a few epic patterns or items. Only cloth I've seen drop though was a pattern for some healing boots that were BoP. Even if I'm not getting anything, as long as the raid is becoming better its all good in my opinion. The first few times we ran it, obviously, it was hard as hell. Now we have refined our strat and everyone has some time in there and knows what to expect. Got LootReaver to 30 odd percent on Wed with seriously lacking DPS. We knew we couldn't down it but we did the fight a few times to get everyone some experience in dodging the balls etc and came back yesterday to destroy that fool. Breezed through right up to his room, no problems. Then it seemed like people went stupid, wiped on a few easy pulls because the leader was to impatient. Got everything settled down again, finished clearing and set our sights on the big dude. Did a few runs on him and ran out at about 50%, something stupid always seemed to go off to make us reset him. To many people dying early, bad placement, one time the MT dropped within the 1st minute (still no idea how we managed that). I don't know what it is, but some people are just incapable of understanding some fights, how to move etc. After much yelling and positioning we engage again. Everything is smooth. I'm thinking to myself that he is owned, as long as people stay alive, hes over. He's below 50% at 5min and we are doing fine. Of course, somehow we then lose a Lock, then a Hunter and one other DPS class. Keeping on trucking, I'm still pretty sure we are above the curve and can get him before the enrage. No dice though, we wiped at 3%. So infuriating. If those few people who died had been able to stay alive just a bit longer, he would have been downed. On the bright side, there is no way we aren't going to down him next time we head in. Everyone knows whats up and how to react to the fight now.

Mag is next once Void Reaver goes down. We've run him a few times for practice but nothing serious. Running Kara as always too. Hopefully some good stuff will drop for me this time. Every little bit helps.

[Liryn]

Phelan, you forgot to mention innervate and battle rez. Yeah, feral druids ARE overpowered, but I do like having one in my group...

I didn't do much last night, farmed some primal waters with my warlock and did some BGs on my priest. Arakasi was too busy playing a new warlock alt to run my rogue through deadmines for the cruel barb And people came and visited us! Yay people!

[PhelanArcetus]

Hahahaha battle rez. Yeah.

We got Romulo and Julianne. Second time ever (and two Oz ever) I should point out. Our mage was stupid and pulled aggro early on, died. Guy playing the druid (paladin MT on his other server) is all "ugh, now we're going to be really short for dps on Romulo".

"Dude, combat rez him."

"Oh yeah, I'm a druid."

Dur.

He's better about innervates, though.

I'm worried that I won't be able to tank Moroes soon. Frankly, my avoidance seems too high. I've got solid hp, but when I don't take hits, I don't get rage. Actually, it's not a problem, but it seems too easy for the druid to pull ahead of me. If I'm still the target, I can sustain the threat I need, though some people might have to practice behaving a bit. However, I can't hold second place in threat on Moroes; I don't take anywhere near enough damage. On someone like Gruul it seems that I can, probably due to the fact that a single hurtful strike or whatever it's called pretty much fills me up.

As a side note, I have decided to blow Recklessness on Curator every time. There's basically no reason not to; he doesn't attack during the evocate, and I hardly ever use Shield Wall, certainly not on the trash between Curator and Aran.

[Kalbear]

My son is currently leveling up my unused warlock. Totally works for me.

I totally need to get Elyssa to play for me and Carrie when she has days off of school and doesn't want to go play.

[Tobin]

My hunter buddy would let his son play when he had to step away or was done for the night. It worked out well, the son loved to PVP, so he'd do all the Honor work and get the gear for my buddy to enjoy.

We'd see his character log in and ask if it was Jr. or Sr., so we wouldn't continue conversations they would have no knowledge of.

[Liryn]

Arakasi and I want to teach our cat to farm for us!

[Tobin]

Mommy, what does it mean when the guy says "Chuck Norris is going to put his foot in your bunghole" ?

Ahhh, the battlecry of the Barrens, :/

[PhelanArcetus]

Can't be. The grammar is by far too good. Also the spelling.

For that matter, I don't think the average Barrens idiot can string together a sentence that long. I mean, it has 11 words in it. Plus the mention of Chuck Norris without the words "roundhouse kick". No mention of homosexuality...

I think I should train my friend / roommate's cats to farm for me. The younger one clearly likes my computers. And the guild knows him already.

[Arakasi]

I thought it was "Chuck Norris kicked Mankirk's wife so far away that he couldn't find her".

[Minaku]

Actually, from my experiences in the barrens, it's always "who is beter chuck norris or bruce lee?" And the debate rages for hours.

[Lyanna Stark]

Barrens

Barrens can just be so entertaining

I've seen some insane convos in the Barrens, like the guy who kept asking the weirdest questions about everything, and when he got slammed, he was all "omg why are you so rude to me" and explained how people should be nice to him cos his parents were getting divorced. He quit at level 45, having played for like 6 months, and he was a legend when he did.

I really want a high level healer for PvP, but I am undecided whether to go for a priest or a paladin. I just don't know which one would be better, and which one I'd be more comfortable with. I know I love my Disc priest, but I don't know at all what it is like at level 70, or what it is like to have a high level holy pally either.

[Arakasi]

If you're playing pvp and actually want to heal, choose Paladin. Priests don't heal in PVP. They tank since they're almost always one of the first to be focus fired. Which means good luck getting anything off except shields, PoM and dispels. The biggest thing a priest can do in pvp right now is Mass Dispel (haha to ice mages and pallies) and mana burn. You'll probably do more healing as an angel than when alive.

Paladins due to bubble actually get to heal and cleanse. So if you actually really want to heal, go paladin.

[Lyanna Stark]

Yeah that was what I was thinking. Priests don't really have the same healing role as they used to, it seems. Altho after the next priest patch, things might be different? Apparently the Holy tree is getting a revamp (which it direly need).

I have a 26 pally and a 49 priest. Thought I'd take the pally to 49ish as well and see which one I like better. I have a frostmage at level 66 as well, and just got icelance. Jesus H Christ what an owerpowered spell. My mage has pants gear (I never instance with her, only do solo quests) and her icelance crits for 1600 on frozen targets. Insane, totally and utterly insane. She crits harder with icelance than my epiced out hunter does with arcane shot or steady shot. The frostbolts crit for 1.9k - 2k. At level 66. I wonder what she would be like at 70 with some nice gear. A total juggernaut of destruction, is my bet. Mages have certainly got a sweet deal in TBC. I might even take her to 70 and PvP with her instead of with my poor gimped hunter. Althou my dream of a battle healer is still not gone.

Did an MC run today cos someone wanted Anathema for hr shadowpriest (for fashion) and I got to see the entirety of MC for the first time. Never been past Garr before cos my old guild could hardly ever get 40 people online at the same time. It was fun to see Ragnaros for the first time. He looks like Murmur.

My mage got some arcanist gear and looks pretty in old world epix.

[Liryn]

Nonono, Murmur looks like Rag, not the other way around

If you're playing pvp and actually want to heal, choose Paladin. Priests don't heal in PVP. They tank since they're almost always one of the first to be focus fired. Which means good luck getting anything off except shields, PoM and dispels. The biggest thing a priest can do in pvp right now is Mass Dispel (haha to ice mages and pallies) and mana burn. You'll probably do more healing as an angel than when alive.

Paladins due to bubble actually get to heal and cleanse. So if you actually really want to heal, go paladin.

This is so true At least in arenas. I haven't tried 5v5 yet but certainly in 2v2 and 3v3 my job is more to be bait and do some utility moves (fear, dispel, etc) than to heal. It is very hard to get off anything other than instant casts in general though. In BGs it can be different - it just depends on how much stuff is going on. Sometimes there are enough people around that I'm ignored for long enough to throw a bunch of heals at my teammates, but if it's a few vs. a few it comes down to the arena situation again ("hey look it's a priest, let's kill her first!").

/waves to all her new guildies

[Lyanna Stark]

Are you grinding consortium rep Ro? I grinded to revered in netherstorm after crying over the warbeads. There are quests there, some repeatable, which I found less dull than grinding the bloody ogres over and over again.

Also, Heroic Mana tombs (yeah, great innit ) gives you rep still I believe.

KZ was meh, lots of waiting and my precious weekend just zoomed past, lots of it spent waiting for other people being AFK, which annoys me since I know they have more time on their hands than me. I admire GoN for not killing people, I would prolly have showed far less restraint if I had raidlead.

Netherspite was a dick, as always. I normally managed to die from that fight to random damage and just...dunno. I die without even being in a beam. That fight just sucks bollocks. I used a healthstone, bandaged, FDed to drink and eat to heal up, and STILL died when he was on like 30%. Ugh.

Maggie+Hydross tonight if my car doesn't break down on the way home. It had some issues this morning so I am not totally sure I wont end up on the M25 with a smoking engine. Bloody piece of crap, my car is.

Best this weekend was still Race's ninjapull of Ragnaros, and the fact that we nuked him down, unprepared, and with 27 people, before phase 2 I need to go back with my mage tho, have to try and icelance more stuff.

*icelances Ranland*

[RaceBannon42]

Best this weekend was still Race's ninjapull of Ragnaros, and the fact that we nuked him down, unprepared, and with 27 people, before phase 2 I need to go back with my mage tho, have to try and icelance more stuff.

Umm yeah. That was the n00biest thing I've ever done.

So uh you see what happened was... I was all like.. ooo a green guy to talk to. There are 8 people standing around him.

ME: I wonder if he has a quest or something....

*click on the convorsetion bubble*

"Gather round for buffs"

ME : Hmm better click through this convo fast, so I can go get buffed.

VERY WELL BANNONN!!! YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR FACE PONZORRED MY MIGHTY RAGNOROS!!!!

RAID: OMGWTFBBQ!! who started the event!?!?!

ME: oops?

[PhelanArcetus]

Bwahaah, awesome.

Now I want to do Rags again.

In PvE, priests are still godly healers. In PvP, they get targeted too much to be able to throw their heals. PvE holy paladins can do some serious healing too; but priest healing is more complex. Paladins have a grand total of 3 spells to heal with, if you skip Lay on Hands, and you did grab Holy Shock. Basically all you do is target the tank and set up a bobbing bird to tap Flash of Light non-stop. Paladins do have lots of interesting toys along the way, though. Hammer of Justice has a decent range, and some of the seals are good things to judge.

Friday night I was too tired to even eat until 10. I wish I knew why. After that was an abortive run at heroic Black Morass. We got the first boss down, but that was about as far as we got. Ah well, rep, a badge, and practice. My main practice was not pulling aggro as my rogue.

Saturday was wasted on a doctor's appointment (gg 1.5 hours on the train each way, but the other doctors couldn't give me a good appointment time).

Sunday I pretty much devoted to playing my paladin. Got to 47 and did a big chunk of Searing Gorge quests, then had to run Stockades for a while to train up two-handed swords, as I finally replaced Bonebiter with Warmonger. I don't much like it being faster, and I quite dislike the loss of strength and stamina, but the added dps and the 4% hit at my level are well worth it. Really need that promised ZF run to happen so I can clear all those quests out. But it requires two people who work most nights and are dating to both be off work and not together some night.

What's wrong with heroic Mana Tombs? Is it the fact that half of it is stupidly hard with many annoying types of mobs? Or the fact that Shaffar is a big fat cheating whore? Actually, I have little desire to ever go back there again. I got my ring off of Tavarok, and I'm set. I did like going with warbeads because I also got free rep with the Nagrand faction (not that I needed it), but farming the Heap in Netherstorm or working on the Ethereum prison content is probably superior.

Solid Star of Elune recipe is acquired by hitting the auction house and praying. Last one I saw was for around 700. I laughed and didn't even consider it.

As a tank, all I need to know about Netherspite is:

1. When it's my turn, dance in and out of red beam to have aggro, keep Netherspite from getting a big stack, and keep me from running out of health.

2. Before my turn, stay in and hit him.

Actually, I know more, because I want to be able to do an emergency grabbing of the green beam and similar things if necessary. We actually put rogues, cats, and warriors on the green beam since it can't eat their mana up.

[Tobin]

Was hoping to get closer to 20 last night, but made it from 12 to halfway through 17.

Seriously, Lir, Malfurion has some horrific pricing, .

I'm up almost 2g, so I'm feeling pretty skippy (pimping my 8slot bags, haha).

I'll get GWOlf next time I log in, I swear it.

[Arakasi]

You should message us so we can know who you are and ginvite you!

[Tobin]

I annoyed Lir a little last night and she offered - I'm trying to keep the addiction light this time, so I don't know if it would be worth adding me if I'm only going to be playing every few days or so.

Who knows, I might get up to 20 and quit again once I get GWolf, .

I'm taking it a few levels at a time.