Tanking and the pains over joys

I would say joys over pains but if you have ever pugged you will know this is likely not an option.

Tanks don't like to pug if they are genuinely the nice guys, the ones that are determined to

succeed and the type that love to have a community of players. This is just a shortened set of the

most popular comments I hear directed at tanks.

"OMG aggro!!!"

"U r hard to heal"

"Gogogogogo"

"tank r u even a real tank"

"I could tank better on my mage" (usually the person that has ran off and died as said mage

several times as they are too stupid to wait a few seconds)

Considerations that people just don't bother to take in:

Rage/Runes etc all rely on being hit, on cool-downs and tank management, not DPS pulling and

letting them pick them up with nothing to actually do that

You're NOT the tank, you took the easy option of huntard or arcane mage, your choice but you

know what? There's thousands of clones of the DPS alts and less of tanks

Healers - don't blame the healers for your lack of aggro management. The tank can't do

everything; you get these abilities for a reason

Tanks take the most abuse for the smallest reward. DPS can be seen by numbers, the only

measure of a tank is who is alive. You can't let them manage it you are not letting them play their

part

DPS can be selfish, they want high numbers, and they cost people trying to get them. We've all

done it, we should all learn to stop and think of the tank

Tanking has to be learnt, how do you learn if you don't have the patience to let someone? No one

came out the womb yelling I AM MAXIMUS THE TANKADIN... now give me my armour.

Things that tanks can help with -

Check the healer is ready (or dps even)

Mark your order, it really can help

Please learn a little CC love, CC is fun for dps to do and it makes mobs easier

If the DPS is too low instead of being an asshat with FFS and OMG type comments, point out that

the numbers are not adding up, give it a go and if not then decide it's time to go... or for dps to go.

If you are farming and only after one piece warn the dungeon. They will then expect you to leave,

not just be left hanging around angry at you

Here of course is the best way - DO NOT PUG

The Dungeon finder tool winds me up, the people that use it are either completely incapable or in

many instances totally elitist and rude. The number of bad runs vs good runs I have had now only

succeeded in putting me off trying.

Gearing up when you are not getting drops is a massive ball ache, the guild runs and friend

runs means you can at least get something out of them without some nobhead ninja going “os”

at everything. It’s probably only worth 5gold but it could be worth a lot in gear to other people.

Selfish idiots ruin games, so the best way to avoid getting angry is to avoid them where you can.

If you do pug, think of other people.

Raiding and role players

It has been a while but here we go, I don't think there really is such a thing as casual raiding if you are looking at end game content. Our guild has ventured into the Firelands of late and it has required a lot of effort learning about gear, stat weightings and role contributions.

The really impressive part is that it is a guild thing, we have borrowed other friends and made some new ones button the whole a committed team have been involved. Our guild is now in progression, we took down Shannox this week and it was a amazing feeling to thinks bunch of rag tag role players could pull this off.

How does this fit into role play? Well for my main (hunter) this is a continuation on her long journey to break I to forbidden old god knowlodge. Putting aside her time team-esque digging she has returned to the fight.

Sulfuron Keep is the stronghold of Ragnaros, 300 years ago he was summoned to take part in the dwarves civil war, the war of the three hammers. Blackrock Mountaints were formed and at the bottom was Ragnaros, who a bunch of adventurers fought back. They thought they had killed him, my hunter thought that was great, she'd beaten a force to be reckoned with. Over time this has been shown to be untrue, all they had done was freed him.

With rumours that the old Gods are again at the back of the machinations unfolding my hunter has a new incentive to go out. Of course despite liking her own company, and that of her pets, it's time she faced the fact that just like the missions to Icecrown, you can't do everything on your own (well until another expansion and more levels allowing you to outgear it).

So the Embers were called together, each one of them having a personal reason to go, be it glory, fame or other interests. Jenesis (my hunter) and her trusted pets Cthulhu and Miskatonic are both part of the excursion into the Firelands, first mission to take out the warring princes and then find Ragnaros.

It's a race though, coupled with this she is hearing yet more strange voices, a puzzle box buried under the Nerubian holds seems to be within grasp, a blessing from the old god has sent her a little unhinged and Naxrammas too has left it's imprint... instead of moving into Azjol-Nerub itself or laying down her arms and being committed, it's the answers that will keep her going.

Until the next time...

Archie