Hyjal Is Ours
(this post will be updated later with screenshots)
Mount Hyjal is a lovely place full of large pulls, and AoE packs.
I remember the excitement of the my first night in the place. I was fighting alongside Jaina Proudmoore, and the Dwarven Riflemen, Human Footmen, and Elf Priests. Then we moved on and fought with Thrall and the Horde, and finally with Tyrande Whisperwind and the Elves. It was like playing Warcraft 3 only as a Hero unit.
There are milestones and moments that let you know you are really arriving as a Raid.
I don't know how other tanks feel, but when I see my healer DPSing, I take that as a huge complement. He's basically telling me he's not worried I'm going to die in the next few moments or that he's going to need all of his mana to heal me.
It helped tremendously that everyone knew the fights, knew their assignments, and executed. Every boss and trash wave was one shot except Archimonde. There are so many random variables in the Archimonde fight that I don't know if he'll ever be a one shot.
Since I already had my Tier 6 helm, I volunteered to sit out for Achimonde. Our Raid Leader either missed the tell (I can't imagine how many tells she must get in a night), or decided to leave me in.
I was consistently at the bottom the Healing meter. I believe a large part of my problem was I spent most of the fight running from Doomfires and not healing. I was in the group furthest from Archimonde so we get very little warning on Doomfires. Each time I got caught, I had my Divine Shield off cooldown, so I could 'bubble' right out of it.
I did my main job of survival. I never cratered, and never died until it was a wipe. I just wish I could contribute more to healing. Even when I am in range, it seems most of my heals are overheal. With 5 healers on the Maintank, someone would invariably top him off just before mine would land.
On Azgalor, we were trying something new in the Doom Crew. Instead of waiting for the Doomguard to spawn and dragging it back to the NPC Headhunters, we decided the first person to get Doom would head back there and die so we could just drag him and the NPCs back to the melee. Wouldn't you know it, I was first person to get Doom. I started running back. The warlock had not gotten a chance to Soulstone me before I ran out of range (go go Boar's Speed), so I had to be Battle Rezzed instead.
We have gotten so many Priest, Paladin, Warlock gloves that one of our Holy Paladins got them to turn in for the Protection gloves.
I managed to pick up 2 new items for my Holy set. A Glimmering Steel Mantle, and Howling Wind Bracers. Both were going to be disenchanted if I didn't take them. Both of the Holy Paladins in the raid already had them and the one Holy who needed them was on his Shadow Priest. We've had the Bracers drop many times and no one needed them. So yea, more epics for Honorshammer.
But the real treasure of the night came from Kaz'rogal. He dropped another Hardened Heart. Illidari Runeshield still hasn't dropped and this was an upgrade in every way over my wonderful Aldori Legacy Defender, so I asked for it, and got it!
I made a +15 stam gem and slapped it in there.
With Hyjal down in just one night, it leaves the rest of the week open for Black Temple. I know we can knock out the first 3 in Black Temple, easy. Maybe if we are lucky, we'll even nab a 4th.
We are on a roll!
Mount Hyjal is a lovely place full of large pulls, and AoE packs.
I remember the excitement of the my first night in the place. I was fighting alongside Jaina Proudmoore, and the Dwarven Riflemen, Human Footmen, and Elf Priests. Then we moved on and fought with Thrall and the Horde, and finally with Tyrande Whisperwind and the Elves. It was like playing Warcraft 3 only as a Hero unit.
There are milestones and moments that let you know you are really arriving as a Raid.
- Your first time in a new zone
- Shade of Aran
- Clearing Kara in one night
- High King Maulgar
- Magtheridon
- Vashj and Kael
- Clearing SSC in one night
- Archimonde
- Gurtogg Bloodboil
I don't know how other tanks feel, but when I see my healer DPSing, I take that as a huge complement. He's basically telling me he's not worried I'm going to die in the next few moments or that he's going to need all of his mana to heal me.
It helped tremendously that everyone knew the fights, knew their assignments, and executed. Every boss and trash wave was one shot except Archimonde. There are so many random variables in the Archimonde fight that I don't know if he'll ever be a one shot.
Since I already had my Tier 6 helm, I volunteered to sit out for Achimonde. Our Raid Leader either missed the tell (I can't imagine how many tells she must get in a night), or decided to leave me in.
I was consistently at the bottom the Healing meter. I believe a large part of my problem was I spent most of the fight running from Doomfires and not healing. I was in the group furthest from Archimonde so we get very little warning on Doomfires. Each time I got caught, I had my Divine Shield off cooldown, so I could 'bubble' right out of it.
I did my main job of survival. I never cratered, and never died until it was a wipe. I just wish I could contribute more to healing. Even when I am in range, it seems most of my heals are overheal. With 5 healers on the Maintank, someone would invariably top him off just before mine would land.
On Azgalor, we were trying something new in the Doom Crew. Instead of waiting for the Doomguard to spawn and dragging it back to the NPC Headhunters, we decided the first person to get Doom would head back there and die so we could just drag him and the NPCs back to the melee. Wouldn't you know it, I was first person to get Doom. I started running back. The warlock had not gotten a chance to Soulstone me before I ran out of range (go go Boar's Speed), so I had to be Battle Rezzed instead.
We have gotten so many Priest, Paladin, Warlock gloves that one of our Holy Paladins got them to turn in for the Protection gloves.
I managed to pick up 2 new items for my Holy set. A Glimmering Steel Mantle, and Howling Wind Bracers. Both were going to be disenchanted if I didn't take them. Both of the Holy Paladins in the raid already had them and the one Holy who needed them was on his Shadow Priest. We've had the Bracers drop many times and no one needed them. So yea, more epics for Honorshammer.
But the real treasure of the night came from Kaz'rogal. He dropped another Hardened Heart. Illidari Runeshield still hasn't dropped and this was an upgrade in every way over my wonderful Aldori Legacy Defender, so I asked for it, and got it!
I made a +15 stam gem and slapped it in there.
With Hyjal down in just one night, it leaves the rest of the week open for Black Temple. I know we can knock out the first 3 in Black Temple, easy. Maybe if we are lucky, we'll even nab a 4th.
We are on a roll!
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