Category Archives: Tanking

Operation Mechagon

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I resubbed again. It was inevitable really because I never wanted to unsub this time. I took a couple of months off because I didn’t have the moolah but an unexpected tip from a work client gave me the option.

So two days into patch 8.2 I hit the new zones of Mechagon and Nazjatar. I instantly figured that the latter would be better with flying because the up and down multi-level mess was very annoying but Mechagon, oh Mechagon 🙂 🙂 🙂 I said that night it might be my favourite zone in the entire game and a couple of weeks on I haven’t changed my mind.

It is bright, reasonably open, it has gnomes, the aesthetic with all the cogwheels and machines is awesome. It is a visual treat as well as being enjoyable to play. (I confess I took a break from questing there everyday once I got flying because obtaining that made me feel like I could relax and not feel compelled to do anything in particular, instead just do what I feel but I digress). The opening quest to get there with the vault and everything was super cool too. I want one of those Expedition planes as a mount, that definitely needs to happen, why aren’t they in game already?

But there’s more to Mechagon than a crazy cool aesthetic, fun quests, a zone that I didn’t mind running around in repeatedly etc. – there’s a mythic only dungeon Operation: Mechagon.

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Busy, Busy, Busy

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Since the last post 5.2 has dropped and I’ve been busy with that, I’ve also been busy with a hell of a lot of raiding. I can now add to my T14 retrospective the seven fights that I hadn’t seen back then. We’ve also started on Throne and have got the first two bosses down, making progress on the third and it’s exciting, and really awesome, to be part of a proper progression team. I’ve also got into PvP a bit, my new raid leader likes to PvP and agreed to run some arenas with me for fun. I’ve never really done this before and it’s really nice to see another aspect of the game, it’s hard and we’re losing as much as we’re winning, but it takes practice.

The one downside, in fact the only downside that I can see, in Mists is that it’s such a time sink. I had been gearing my Brewmaster Monk up, and had got 5/6 MSV with it, but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t do all I want on my main and keep alts, or even one alt, well geared. My friends can do it, I know more than one person who has at least 3 alts 485+ ilevel and probably more. However, most of what they do in game is the gear treadmill. I find that quite repetitive and boring. I’ve never liked gear for itself, more for what it allows me to do, therefore the acquisition of it is a necessary evil rather than enjoyable in itself. Hence why I’ve decided to drop my alts. Oh I’ll still level them all to 90, and I’ll still play them (and therefore gear them slightly as a side effect) but I won’t play them to gear, I’ll play them just to have fun.

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The Missing Month

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I didn’t write a post at all in February, oh I attempted too, but I didn’t really have anything to say. Actually that’s not true, I had a lot to say but nothing I wanted to post. The guild I’d started just before Mists launched was in trouble, I desperately wanted to stay playing with my friends, but 5 people didn’t make a raid team, and trying and failing to recruit, and pug, and make progress, was killing me. We were going nowhere fast and I didn’t see a solution. I just wanted to play with my friends and for all of us to be happy, but it was looking like a pipedream. This was what was consuming me, when it came to the game this was all I could think about. I stopped doing pretty much everything else, but trying to raid, and worrying about the roster. My anxieties about it might have made words flow, but they didn’t make readable posts. Thankfully this problem is now in the past.

All five of us have joined another guild, this guild has sort of consumed my guild and another one, so three become one and hopefully that one will be all the stronger for it. I know people from both, have raided with these guys in the past, they are extremely nice and I’m really positive about the potential for the future. We get to stay together and we get to raid, and this is all in time for 5.2.

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Mists Beta: First Steps and Protection Paladin

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This morning I woke up to a beta invitation. I was expecting one eventually being an annual pass holder but I checked my account through yesterday, when I heard that a wave had gone out, and it wasn’t there so I assumed I’d be waiting till next wave or longer. I knew that emails took a while to come through but I didn’t realise that it took a while to show up on the account as well. Anyway, happy days I’m now in the beta.

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Love and Hate: A Tanking Relationship

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I might not have any hard data to hand to back this up but I don’t think it’s wrong to say tanking is the role least people opt for. It’s tough and has good points and bad. I’m undoubtedly going to be in the minority when I say I love tanking 5 mans, (which is predominantly pug groups), and loathe tanking raids. Why? I hear you ask. Well that’s the point of this post.

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