Our guild is preparing to step into our first organized Guild Raid tonight and truthfully, I’m a little nervous about my gear. I have what I would consider the bare minimum level of gear for raiding and while it’s all enchanted and gemmed, it’s still just the minimum. I would really like to avoid a situation where I feel like I’m being carried by my guild or the one raider who is holding back the group due to gear. I don't want to be that guy.
Thosif is completely equipped in Blues of level 333 or higher, an average iLvl of 341 and I think that I have a very good feel on how to use the toolbox that Holy Paladins are given. As well, at least in Heroics, mana regeneration is not a large problem any longer. This was always my benchmark for stepping into a raid, but now that it's imminent, I'm wondering if it's enough.
On the other hand, according to this survey from WOW Insider, this level of gear in raids in not unusual, so hopefully this is just a little bit of stage-fright or performance anxiety.
I’m looking forward to seeing the new raids. I’ve been watching some videos on Magmaw and Halfus Wrymbreaker and they look really quite interesting. I love the ‘chaining’ mechanic on Magmaw, which looks like a fun fight.
Our guild (which is a very tight-knit group, most of whom have been together since vanilla) has been becoming antsy about get raiding started, and some have been quite vocal about it. It’s caused a minor amount of drama, but hopefully once we start getting Boss attempts under our belt things will start getting back into a rhythm. As I’m sure is the case with a lot of Casual Raiding Guilds, the raiding break for the expansion has wreaked havoc with our raiding schedule, and it will be good to get back at it.
STILL LEFT TO DO:
There is still so much left to do before I am truly happy with where Thosif is, gear-wise. The holidays are finally over, so I’m hoping that I can get most of this done in short order over the next week.
- Get Exalted with Therazane. I have the lesser of the Shoulder Enchants that you get at Honored, but I still have a ways to go before I can get the main one.
- Replace PVP items with PVE items. I have 3 PVP items equipped: Bracers, Gloves and Relic. The Relic and the Bracers are actually really quite good considering the other available options, but the Ornate Pyrium Gauntlets have got to go.
- Suck it up and buy the damned Elementium Stormshield already. It’s best in slot and I have the money, so why not? There is plenty of gold to be had by questing, the Auction House, doing dailies and going to…
- Tol Barad. I need to do the Tol Barad dailies with more consistency. The Mandala of Stirring Pattens is going to be just too good and too readily available to pass up. I find it a little difficult to get motivated for questing, however, because I just really hate playing my Retribution off-spec. I am considering changing my questing spec to Protection – not for tanking, but just for a more engaging play style. There is something “right” about bashing a mob in the face with your shield.
- Heroics. Find a way to add 3 or 4 more hours to the day so I can run more heroics. This could be a tough one, as the laws of physics will probably prevent it.
- Reputation. I am very close to Exalted with the Earthen Ring, which gives me a nice new set of gloves, but the reputation grind is moving along very slowly. Time constraints allowing only one heroic a night (successful or not) has seriously limited the reputation gains from Tabards. It seems like this faction is taking forever. And then there is Ramkahen yet to do for the Sun King’s Girdle.
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