The patch is finally here. All those evil grinds from many moons ago are now...not-so-evil. Time to get the ball rolling once more! The old topic got kinda messy, so here's a new one with some ground rules laid out.
Q: When will these runs take place?
A: The proposed (read: NOT set in stone!) time is Friday @ 8:00PM, ending at 10:30PM server time. If that doesn't work out due to peoples' availability, I can always push to Saturdays, but that day has been questionable because people miss a bunch of stuff due to weekend work, etc. The first Classic Crap run will be next Friday, January 30th, and will resume each weekend until people get tired of running the stuff, beginning with Molten Core.
Q: So uh...where we going?
A: I'm going to basically tackle places in order or progression and see how it all works. The current plan is...
Week 1: MC/BWL (since it's right upstairs).
Week 2: AQ40, possibly another run if time/manpower allow it. Hard to say how long AQ40 will take with a moderate amount of L80s due to the nature of the fights.
Week 3: Hyjal+BT/Sunwell. See my AQ40 comment. Will definitely seek 20-25 folks for this stuff due to the difficulty curb. If I can't get 25, we'll do a 40-man again for rep.
Week 4:MC/BWL again, etc...
Q: Why isn't Gruul/Mag/Ony on the agenda?
A: Ony can be two to five manned by rabid monkeys these days. It's that easy, and it's better money with fewer people. Gruul and Mag were completed by a vast majority of folks pre-WotLK save for Death Knights and a few recent re-rollers, but with proper group makeup they can also be tackled by a very small team of powerful people. It all depends on what the group wants to do, and how badly our new glowy-eyed allies need the Achievement gaps.
Q: How many people will come to each run?
A: MC, BWL, and AQ40 are full-sized 40-man raids. For AQ20 and Zul'Gurub, the cap is 20 people. However, to save time and summoning-madness (and stay consistent with the current raid sizes), I am going to limit the raid team size to a minimum of 25 people for the 40-man stuff. If more than 25 people want to run, I will let them in, providing they show up on-time, and do not sit on their bums expecting a free ride to the portal. Last time got a little hairy, and we still brought in folks well past an hour or so of pull time, making the other raiders both sleepy and agitated.
Priority will be given to our own guildies and raiding buddies from Ani, The Gentlemen, etc. So if you want to bring along your best friend's 3rd cousin from the van down by the river, do NOT ask me to let them in an hour after pulls begin. Raid invite cut-offs are a half-hour after pulls, unless we begin to suck and need some help on specific encounters. But that shouldn't happen. /flex
Q: Why not use the guild-calendar, nubwaffle?
A: Because not everyone will always be available to run this stuff each Friday, and folks may also have WotLK content to run that night. This IS a just-for-fun thing after all, so I won't drag folks by the ears to fill in Achievement gaps.
Q: Why you put da old content on da skin?!
A: Tons of Achievements that are otherwise out of reach to the average Gamon. To name a few...
- Exalted with 40 factions earns you a title. Many of these old dungeons have a faction tied into them, and the latest patch makes it far more bearable - the faction no longer diminishes with level!
- Unleash your inner packrat. Want to collect your old Tier 1, 2, or 2.5 set and stand out at your next gathering? Or how about that cool looking weapon which existed during the days when Blizzard's art department actually gave a crap?
- You know all those AQ40 bug mounts? They count towards your 50 or 100 mount total.
- Fun! Nostalgia! Laser beams! Giant bugs! Holy crap! And a chance to kill bosses you missed out on many moons ago.
Q: Can I bring my Death Knight? Pretty pleeeease?
A: Sure! In fact, it's encouraged. But please get it to L70 or better with a decent selection of quest blues for survival's sakes. Stuff like AoE can easily spell doom to an unwary DK, even with all their tricks.
Q: So uh...how easily can a L80 plow through this stuff?
A: Very. Most warriors, bears, DKs, and tankadins can solo any trash mob (and a few bosses!) from these dungeons. To a L80 in basic Heroic items, these mobs are about as squishy as something from normal Utgarde Keep, but with a BIT more HP. However, some battles still require players to use their heads, like the Twin Emperors, C'thun, and Vaelestrasz the Corrupt. Depending on how quickly the team beats the baddies, I'll try to squeeze in multiple dungeons each night until folks get tired. Some of these can be done as quickly as 45 minutes or less.
Q: Hmm. That's a lot of friggin' Core Hounds in there.
A: Guess what? It all gives rep. So it's all going to die a ridiculous death to our grown up L70-80 allies. There was no motivation in killing this stuff pre 3.0.8 due to the rep deterioration, but with that obstacle out of the way, hunting season has begun! *blows on a kazoo*
Q: I still need stuff from BC, like Vashj, Kil'jaedan, Illidan, etc.
A: These dungeons WILL be part of the Classic Crap tour. However, I strongly suggest you refresh your memory and study the encounters for efficiency's sakes. I will NOT be doing skippable TK/SSC bosses like Tidewalker, Void Reaver, etc. The raid will head directly to the final boss of each respective dungeon, since they hold all the good stuff people want. The only exceptions are BT, Hyjal, and Sunwell, since you gotta clear pretty much every boss to progress.
Q: How will loot be handled?
A: Greed the Tier items/epics that drop as we go. Do NOT spam me with tells about that crazy guy that stole "your" Core Hound Tooth or something! Most of this stuff is good money from vendoring, or just for fashion's sakes. Also, use your head before rolling on class-specific items. You may be a blood elf pally, but holding something that clearly says "Classes: Warrior" isn't going to make you look very bright, unless you're desperate for gold. Some of our DK pals may look at these items as potential upgrades, namely Sunwell content and a few trinkets. Please keep them in mind before you hastily roll on stuff.
MC/BWL: Thunderfury and Sulfuras items will be handled via master looter (me). Elementium Ore and Cores will be stockpiled by Holyssa, so please pass if you spot it. Only one player so far has approached me saying they claim a binding. If anyone else has one hiding in their banks and you are serious about building this weapon, please speak up so I can distribute the ore properly! This is valuable stuff!
AQ40: Need all bug mounts unless you have 'em already. Check the item tooltip carefully before you ninja something by mistake. If a Red Qiraji mount drops, roll Need on it even if you already got a Blue/Green/Yellow bug that night. Why? Because it's Red!
BT/Hyjal/SSC/TK: Loot will be Greeded like other stuff since it's fairly out of date/vendor trash. Warglaives/the phoenix mount will be handled via Master Looter.
Sunwell: Loot will be handled via ML. Some of this stuff is pretty decent in the right hands even at L80, like Mu'ru trinkets.
Q: Do I need to be attuned to anything?
A: MC and BWL still require attunements so you can utilize their shortcuts. I'd suggest completing them so you don't make our endangered wildli--err, warlocks unhappy:
-For MC, the quest is "Attunement to the Core". If you have Direbrew's Remote from Brewfest, this will take you all of 10 minutes (and a minor lava bath).
-For BWL, you must loot a letter from a Scarshield Quartermaster. He's east of the UBRS portal. Bring a friend, because Drakkisath is a pain even at L80 due to Conflag stun-locking you.
Q: Any bosses from the REALLY old content still going to give me problems?
A: Yup. I will explain boss fights briefly, but these guys still pose some problems for the unwary. Namely...
BWL:
Razorgore the Untamed - Two tanks are needed. One to control the orb, another to offtank the goons attacking the Orb controller. Don't accidentally kill Razorgore in P1 via AoE!
Vael - Two tanks may still be needed due to the nature of Burning Adrenaline. He should die VERY fast if no one pulls aggro and turns him to the side.
The Drake Triplets - An Onyxia Scale cloak is still needed by at least 1 L80 tank. Multiple tanks should not be needed due to their poor HP levels.
Nefarian - See the drakes. To hide from the Flames when he lands, all raiders must hide behind the throne he initially starts in. It blocks line of sight. If you're brave, you can heal through it, but the final tick is still a good 16k+ shadow damage. Oh, Death Knights DO have a class call. See
, 3 minutes in. AQ40:
Skeram - an offtank must remain on the other two platforms. Otherwise, he earth-shocks the raid. No more than 3 melee per platform, or he spams Arcane Explosion.
Princess Huhuran - Nature Damage. LOTS of Nature Damage. A DK may want to save AMB for the 30% Berserk/vomitfest.
Twin Emperors - We did this last time via two paladin tanks grabbing them as they teleported, but any tank with decent understanding of ranged attacks can do this, including a DK. Keep them as far apart as possible, and don't AoE the bugs.
Viscidus - Probably do-able if people remembered their Frost Wands from long ago. DKs will most likely trivialize this.
C'thun - The eye beam will still wreck you at L80 if you don't spread out, or you enter the room too soon.
.Q: How about BC content? Any nuisances?
A: Well, duh. Don't let previous BC experiences discourage you though. These guys have about as much HP as a modern-day Naxx-10 mob, and should drop like a ton of bricks to a decently geared and educated team. Waste 'em!
Vashj:
-Read up on Phase 2 & 3 (the Bat Poop Race). Kiting Striders and Core control is still a massive priority so this fight can be done quickly.
-Use this Tainted Core Macro, which was still working as of patch 3.0.2:
Kael:
-P1 is a joke, but make sure they die in their same spots. A warlock should not need a lot of FR to survive Capernian, and merely keeping the Fel Puppy out will do fine.
-P2: AoE the weapons as before.
-P3: Do the fight just like at L70: don't get stubborn, assign folks to specific Advisors, and pick up the weapons! You may have super epics, but the usage effects on the old stuff is still mandatory. A modern-day Naxx-10 tank can usually eat both Pyroblasts with the Bulwark proc and PW:S up.
-P4: If you get this far, you pretty much win. Don't neglect the phoenix adds.
-Depending on how quickly and clean this fight is, I may propose occasional Phoenix mount-farming runs if people feel motivated.
Archimonde:
-BRING YOUR PVP TRINKET! If you still don't have one, take part in Wintergrasp a few times for some quick Honor.
-Test your Tears via the cliff next to Tyrande. If you're afraid of dying during practice - swallow your pride, get naked, and start cliff-diving.
-Don't be an idiot and stand in the fire. Don't get too close to your tank when Air Burst is off cooldown.
-Tremor Totems. Love them.
-Don't Decurse in travel form.
Mother Shahraz:
-Three tanks will still be needed to soak Saber Lash.
-Spread out during Fatal Attraction. It can easily turn a clothie into a Roman Candle.
Illidari Council:
-Still a royal pain in the @$$, even at L80. It's basically Maulgar on crack: you screw up the pull, it's an early wipe.
~Zerevor (mage): Assign a mage to spellsteal his Dampen Magic & spam their strongest spells. Don't let hunters dispel the Dampen!
~Gathios (pally): Kite him by the curtain at the entrance back & forth. All DPS is to focus on him primarily, as all 4 Council members share 1 BIG lifebar.
~Lady Malande (priest): Assign a rogue or two to interrupt her spells, and keep Curse of Tongues up. Counterspell her when Blessing of Protection is active (from Gathios), and kick her during other casts.
~Veras (rogue): He CAN be stunned, but will stay Vanished for well over 30 seconds, and get the jump on a random raid member. Like KT's Ice Tomb, be ready to pour on lots of heals when he reappears.
Illidan:
-Two FR tanks will be needed to handle the Flames of Azzinoth.
-A warlock tank with a felpuppy will be needed for Demon Form still. If DPS is good, you may or may not even see this part.
-After his monologue in P5, you still need to kite him onto Tyrande's traps.
Sunwell: I'll explain as we go. A LOT of folks never saw this place, and while the bosses die silly-quick, coordination is your best friend.
Q: How do I get one of those Aqual Quintessa-whatchamacallits?
A: Complete the quests Duke Hydraxis has in store for the Molten Core. Getting to him is quite a long swim, and requires a LOT of backtracking between MC and his conveniently located island. The chains go as follows:
~Complete Poisoned Water and Stormers & Rumblers. Travel time aside, these should pose zero problems. Then the following open up:
~Eye of the Emberseer: Go to UBRS, kill Pyroguard Emberseer. He's a roflfest at L80, but bring a friend or two to deal with all those annoying orcs.
~The Molten Core: Kill 1 of each listed MC trash mob. The difficulty of the trash varies depending on how strong your buddies are, so watch out for the spawn-happy Firelords & Core Hound pats!
~Agent of Hydraxis: This can be approached two ways- grind MC trash at 20 rep per kill, or Silithus Elementals at 5 rep per kill (@ L80).
~Hands of the Enemy: Slay Lucifron, Gehennas, Shazzrah, and the Sulfuron Harbinger, then loot their paws. Everyone in the raid can get the hands...25 to 40 people x 4 fire generals makes for a lot of slashed wrists, huh?
Upon finishing the hands quest, go back to Hydraxis for your Feat of Strength, the Quintessence (which is kinda useless now), and a cheap ring.
Q: I need Brood of Nozdormu rep, but turning in Silithid bug parts sucks @$$. Is there a better way?
A: Yup.
-Grab a tank, healbot, and one or two DPSers. Any decently geared L70 or L80 tank who knows their AoE will do. Being above the crit cap helps deal with the mess of AoE and Enrages, but isn't necessary.
-Zone into AQ40, the long stairway on your right as you enter the Scarab Wall.
-Kill the Obsidian Eradicator for an easy 100 rep. Watch out for his mana drain!
-See those 4 tall Anubisath Sentinels? You're going to kill three of them, leave one alive. This should give you 300 Brood Rep.
-Run for dear life out of the instance. Make sure your tank is the last one out, or the Anubisaths will easily trainwreck even a Naxx-geared clothie. If you're a tank, backpedal towards the portal to avoid excessive damage.
-Zone back in after about 10 seconds. As if it were some form of crack-induced magic, the 3 Anubisaths you just obliterated magically reappear. The Eradicator is on a lengthy respawn timer, so don't worry about him.
-Rinse and repeat for an easy 300-400 rep every 3 to 8 minutes, depending on group makeup & size. Loot the dead Anubisaths, and pray for bug mounts. A miner can munch up the Obsidian Chunks for alt/twink gear or vendor cash.
-READ THIS PAGE: http://www.wowwiki.com/Anubisath_Sentinel. The Anubisaths have some clever tricks up their sleeves like spell-reflects and heals, so share this page with friends if you plan to get a jump start on this grind. Casters can easily spell-reflect themselves to death if they rush in.
Q: Uh oh. I stopped getting Brood Rep at Neutral. It caps at 2999/3000! Now what do I do?
A: Aside from killing AQ20/40 bosses, it's now time to embark on one of the game's coolest lore-crammed adventures: the Scepter of the Shifting Sands!
Once you hit Neutral, go to Baristolth of the Shifting Sands. He's a Night Elf dressed in Giantstalker gear in Cenarion Hold (Silithus). Follow his instructions.
Upon speaking with Anachronos and completing his tasks, it's time to hunt for the Scepter pieces. For a complete walkthrough, go here: http://www.wowwiki.com/The_Scepter_of_the_Shifting_Sands_quest_chain
Some tips:
-For the quest to obtain Narain's book from the island dirt pile, make sure your hearthstone is up (mages/shamans can ignore this). Seriously. You'll find out why when you get there. Or bring an Elixir of Water Walking, mount up, and ride like your loins are set ablaze before the sea consumes you.
-Much of the chain's bosses can be 5-manned by a group in Northrend blues, save for stuff like the BWL and Draconic pages.
-Getting the Draconic pages can be tough for the casual explorer. For stuff like the page hidden in Stormwind, try to ride into town when the Alliance kids have gone to sleep. Other pages like the one from Ragnaros & Ony will require the aid of 10 or more.
-For the green shard, go speak to Malfurion's ghost in Sunken Temple first. You do not need to kill Jamal or the troll mini-bosses to reach him. If you storm into Teldrassil to chat with the wisp first, you'll have some very angry Kaldorei chasing you Benny Hill-style for no reason, as the wisp will simply ignore you.
-Space out the kills for the Chimera meat as much as possible. Not only does the drop rate suck, but repops are about 10 minutes per beast. Bring a book.
-Dr. Weavil still requires a fairly strong team of 6+ people with some CC to handle his Mind Control spam. Do NOT solo!
-Stock up on Arcanite Bars, Azerothian Diamonds, and Blue Sapphires.
-Many of the NPCs needed to finish these chains are goblins, such as Dirge in Tanaris. Bloodsail Pirates, you have been warned!
Q: So uh...I know we can't get the title anymore and the black bug mount. Why am I doing all this crap again?
A: Several reasons:
~ The cooking recipe "Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops". Even if you have your Chef title, this book is bound to sell for a metric farkton of gold for the die-hard recipe collector.
~ A Band of Icy Depths. Can't use the Gnomeregan staff, diving helmet, or win the STV tournament? This often forgotten prize will let you explore the sea with style, and is great for those who want to battle underwater without a big stat loss through helmets or trinkets. It also vendors for 82g...tempting, isn't it?
~ Lore! While you don't HAVE to do the whole chain to hit Exalted, it helps. Plus the storyline behind this mess is worth the trouble.
