This thread is designed to become a treasure chest of useful hints and tips (not a guide on how to play) that will make the transition from 5-man runs to 10, 15, 20 and even 40-man raids as easy as possible.
A Warrior's Tale
First time I did a raid, it was pickup group, 15-man run in UBRS. It was fair, I guess, to say I did my best (even got some loot) but I freely admit to spending most of my time thinking something along the lines of 'wtf'. In short, I hated it.
Not knowing what to expect didn't help me: the experience was feeling of not knowing what to do (it was a strange place) mixed with confusion as to what was going on.
In a 5-man party, you can keep an eye on everything. In a raid this is not so easy.
So I started to focus on what I was doing, rather than trying to keep an eye on everything. I kept an eye on my party healer and mage, and anytime something started to hit them, I figured out what it was and got it to stop.
Saving my healer from an angry Orc and holding on to it until it died, left me feeling a huge sense of achievement. I began to realise that this was the key to getting used to raids without either getting fed up or going insane.
Armed with this information, I started to look for more.
Lesson One: Trust your allies
I'm a warrior. I don't heal, buff, shoot (much) or do a lot of damage. I need to stop healers getting hit. So, in the simplest of terms, this is what I did. I didn't even try to do lots of damage. I didn't go and help out when a paladin was getting pasted. I just defended the cloth guys, and trusted the rest of the raid to handle and dps or healing problems that came up.
In short, I just did my job and let everyone else do theirs. Obviously, for other classes, this will be different.
So, some suggested first-raid hints and tips for each class:
Warrior: Defend The Soft Guys - Don't try to be main tank. Get used to defending healers and getting aggro off them in any way you can.
Rogue: Deal damage, not Take Damage - Help kill things. Do as much damage as possible, but without getting aggro off of the tank classes. If something's almost dead, go kill it. A good rogue in an instance should need very little healing, compared to the main classes. And before you think it, yes, you can vanish, but this will reset the aggro meter of anything that is hitting you, and it will attack whatever it hates next most. This is a 50/50 between a healer and a tank. Don't take that chance. Finally, don't go stealthing off into the distance. Only use your sapping skills when asked to (offer your services to the leader in /w if need be). Oh, and remember that casters need to see you to buff you.
Paladin: Ensure Success - Communicate with other paladin(s) and figure out who's doing what buff. Make sure you keep that buff up
. Heal wisely - make the main healer's job easier by helping out healing anyone in your party that gets low. If your healer gets aggro, dump a big heal on them - in the time it takes you to cast it, they'll need it! Help out with general-purpose melee: You can just be hitting a mob that is being tanked while keeping an eye on your party. Finally, if someone's calling out for healing, drop a heal on them. The main healer can't always handle everything.Mage/Warlock/Hunter: - Death from afar Your job is similar to a rogues, but from further away. Warlocks and Hunters, keep your pet under control. Again, don't draw aggro off the tanks. Give them time to get some aggro together before letting loose with the massive explosions.
Priest: - Pretty obvious this. To begin with, just heal. That's what you've been hired for. Until you're properly used to raids, don't try to do damage until you are sure that you can cope with healing. Remember your priorities: The tanks and other healers. Don't try to be clever by saving a mage that's gotten himself aggroed, only to lose your warrior, or yourself!
Druid: See either Warrior/Paladin/Mage or Priest above
Shaman: Run forwards. Aggro as many mobs as you can. Then run back to the main party... If they somehow survive, do it again. Repeat as needed.
In Summary
- Chances are on your first raid you'll be a little overwhelmed by what's going on. This is normal, so don't worry about it. Gather your courage and prepare for the ride of your WoW life so far!
- Don't pull anything unless asked to.
- Concentrate on what you are doing. Do what your class does in the simplest of terms. Remember you need to learn to walk before you can run!
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. Even in pickup groups, most players will recognise the difference between a good player who is willing to learn, from someone who is a danger to the group. Also note that in pickup groups it helps to be polite
This is more important on guild runs. If you don't ask questions, nobody will know that you don't know something... and may then assume that you do. While not always a problem, it can be unfortunate on occasion.- Finally, remember that you're there to have fun, and get to roll on items you can't get on your own. It's a game: some days you win, some you lose. If you lose, learn from your mistakes. When you win, learn from, and take pride in, your success.
Broadly, there are two kinds of raids you may end up in: fast and cautious.
In a cautious raid, often the puller, or the main tank, will check if everyone's ready before each fight. These raids tend to take longer, but have less deaths. They're also prone to having to fight respawns!
In a fast raid, you're almost constantly on the move. You'll probably be in an experienced group. These are where it is essential to shift some focus to yourself and your needs. Drink mana when you can. Bandage yourself if need be. And call for a break if you need one - these raids can be fast and furious (which may not suit some players' styles initially) but they sure are fun
