Putting Zul'Gurub on the table

[Angoleth Isera'Duna]

!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!

This raid is currently cancelled/shelved until further notice. The Lunari have a raid that some members are already going on. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~

Many of you know that I am a (relatively) experienced raider in Zul'Gurub. I've spoken with some that have expressed interest in going with my current raid (Moonblade/Dominus et Nocte) if possible, or subbing in for me. I also know that some of the "older" defenders are missing the marches that used to happen.

That said - I am willing to begin to put together (and "lead" - with a team of you guys it won't be much more than basic boss instructions!) a Zul'Gurub raid made up primarily of the Defenders. I honestly think that if we can find a time that works, we can get the better part of a raid together, even as many as 15/20 just from our ranks. Finding that time may be difficult, I know, but I'm just throwing the option on the table.

I would be bringing Anna (who is now nearing level 51), and I know two others (not defenders, but my fiance and a good friend) who would be bringing characters. This means we can't start for a little bit, but putting together a raid (and figuring everything out) takes time.

If we put our minds to this, we can do it - so here's your chance to talk it out. I'm ready and willing to "lead", as soon as I've dropped Hakkar with my current raid (so that I know how to do it *grins* - we should drop him this weekend).

So - what do you all think? ((and if you're as optimistic as I am - possibly about doing some of it IC?!))

Edited to add: My ideal group would be 3 warriors (one MT, two OTs), 2 locks, 3 mages, 3 hunters, 2-3 rogues, 2 druids, 2 priests, 2-3 pallies - but there's some good flexibility in there when it comes to exact numbers, and there's nothing like improv!

So far from what I can tell - the people in (parenthesis) are very close friends of mine who have offered to go if there's room, so they're not "official" signups (:

Tanks (3):
Valand
Robb or Windy (Beartanks Good!!)
Kasie (preferred)
Vangelis
Gudran

Hunters(3):
Emi
Finney
Celera (maybe)
Arlon
Heng

Mages (3):

Locks(2):
Thelanya (maybe)

Rogues(2-3):

Priests(2):
Annalira
Daramoon

Pallies(2-3):
Malka
(Dauganimir)

Druids(2) - Resto:
(Athorius)
Kielon (when possible)


When it comes to gear, unless you're a tank, you need decent 55+ instance gear, not necessarily tier 0 or tier .5 - I went into ZG with all greens (some crappy) and did fine.

[Emizael]

I'm ready when you are! What do ya want me to do?!!

[Angoleth Isera'Duna]

Ok - I want you to be a kick-arse hunter ((but you're already that, so I guess I want you to show up and have fun!))

[Emizael]

Boo! I wanted to be the healer!!!

* drops the tonne of Heavy Runecloth bandages, and picks up his bow again, sighing heavily*

[Angoleth Isera'Duna]

*laughs* don't worry - You'll be needing those. Bandaids good!!

In light of the potential guild merger (which I will think about and comment on in its own thread) - I would like this raid to stand. and even though Lunari will give us some "fill ins" should we need it...

I still wanna go with the Defenders into the haven of the Blood God Hakkar!!

[Malka]

I have tons of experience in ZG, on priests, pallies, and druids (all three kinds of druids), and this would be wicked fun. It does mean leveling Malka to 60 and getting her some decent gear, but I can do that -- if I focus on it, she can be 60 in less than two weeks and a week of PUGging will get her good enough gear to start ZG. I am a very good healing/cleansing/BoFreedom/Judging palli in ZG. One of my favorite instances, ever. (Malka will be either a holy/prot/ret party support palli or a holy/prot party support palli -- probably the latter if she's gonna do ZG, so she can have Lasting Judgement and Imp RF.)

If we are going to do this, I would like to suggest also doing enough of AQ20 to kill the first boss. There's a quest that requires a venom sac off Venoxis (easy boss in ZG) and one off Kurinnaxx (first boss in AQ20) that yields very nice blue weapon upgrades. They come early in the ZG/AQ process, and help a lot. (Quest rewards are here.)

Malka is nearing 50 atm, and the palli run from 50 to 60 is faster than any other class I have leveled.

P.S. I have dropped all bosses in ZG except one of the Edge of Madness bosses, and msot of them are on farm in raids that I helped lead. I DO NOT WANT TO LEAD this one, or take over, but I think I can be a good resource for you. And I am willing to lead the healing team -- I know how to tweak various configurations of healing teams to beat all the bosses.

[Angoleth Isera'Duna]

Awesome! We're waiting on others to level up as well (like Anna), so waiting for a few weeks on Malka is no issue at all!

And I'd be GLAD to have you helping - I've killed the main 5, Bloodlord, one EoM boss, and soon Hakkar - never even seen Jin'Do - so your experience would be hugely appreciated. I've also never healed there (: ((though I have pulled it))

An AQ20 run to Kurinnaxx is also a good idea, but we'll need serious tanky-types for him (that's a crazy fun fight!).

[Malka]

That is a crazy fun fight -- if we have three good tanks and good healing, we should take him the second or third time we try.

P.S. A bear tank on Jin'do is HUGE advantage, although it can be done without. (Hint...)

[Val]

Hey, I tank, what a coincidence.

[Celera]

Hmmm, well a dead bear isn't as useful as a live warrior, even if the warrior is Val.



I would love to go to ZG (I am determined to get Celera at least one epic item somewhere). Thel is 55 now, so maybe she will be big enough to go along if you need a lock more than you need another hunter.

[Robbyn Jonathan]

hmm...

thinks: Robb tank...Wind tank...maybe stop writing some...

[Finney]

I will want to go for sure, but I think you probably know that by now, hehe. Despite the fact that I loathe the graphic, I'd kinda dig that angry snakebow.

[Arlon]

You can never have too many hunters! I am in.

[Heng Arikana]

Well Dara and I wouldn't mind going, but I think our gear might be subpar for this. Though I do have some resist gear in the bank sent to me by a forgotten Defender some time ago (I'm sorry ). Is that the kind of gear needed?

It also sounds like you've got way too many hunters as it is...

[Angoleth Isera'Duna]

Let's worry about too-many/not-enough after we get everyone signed up. Trust me Heng - your and Dara's gear is fine. I never once ran Stratholme before I went into ZG, had done BRD once or twice? maybe? and no Scholomance either. I got some really nice pieces in ZG and was able to go straight from crappy greens from the AH to ZG sets and blues (: Also, we're waiting on Anna and Thelanya and Robb and others to get to 60, so we're not going next week *grins*.

((Perhaps Emi could go as Eme, and we'd have a rogue?))

If you have decent gear that you can survive in a 5 man, as a hunter you'll be fine in ZG. It's the tanks that are going to need to be better geared, and possibly the rogues, but as a hunter if you're getting hit by something we have bigger problems

((and they did, by the way, nerf the 'splody bat men - remind me to post that poem sometime. I didn't write it, but it's quite humorous))