A Primer to Cataclysm Heroics
Ahhh, the dreaded heroic. This frightening term has been scaring the timid wow player since first mentioned back when cata was in beta. Yes, they are hard. Yes, they take coordination. No, they aren't utterly impossible!
I have written a quick primer for those who are shying away from the big bad heroic to better help them face their fears and hopefully have an enjoyable and successful time.
Preparation- Gear
Believe it or not, obtaining heroic ready gear is much easier than one might imagine. You may technically queue for a heroic by ilevel 329 but I wouldn't recommend doing so until ilevel 333. To hurry your hiney into heroics asap, there are a few sources of gear that will help you along the way.
Not all heroics are created equal. Some will have you thumping your face on the keyboard in utter frustration (Hell, my warrior's first heroic was grim batol...a dungeon that lasted me over 4 hours before we finally finished it) and some will be such a breeze you won't be able to wait to queue up and do another.
The Vortex Pinnacle, Shadowfang Keep, and Blackrock Caverns are the most mild of the batch. Their success hinges more on figuring out the boss 'tricks' and less on actual gear. Deadmines (though stupid easy at first but gets quite horrendous for the last 3 bosses), Lost City of Tol'Vir and Throne of Tides are more intermediate, requiring a bit more experience and patience to finish. The most difficult (IMO) are Halls of Origination, The Stone Core and Grim Batol, taking up the most time and being the least forgiving as far as CC and mechanics.
Raid Awareness aint only for raids
While WotLK seemed to feed the notion of sloppy roflstomping, Cataclysm certainly punishes it. Gone are the days when you could blow through an instance while watching TV, browsing LJ and glancing at Atlas Loot all at the same time. True heroic success is based upon an individuals awareness to their surroundings. Is there bad stuff on the floor? Is there bad stuff raining down on my head? Hows my aggro? Is the target I'm supposed to CC under control? These are questions that you must constantly answer throughout the dungeon.
I'm sure you've heard countless times that mana is tight these days. Well, it is. Your job as -any- role in a heroic is to minimize any damage you take so that your healer doesn't have to waste precious mana on your sloppiness. If the healer is too busy spamming their most expensive heals just to keep everyone alive, you're going to have an oom healer and a failed encounter.
Tank Overview
Healer Overview
DPS Overview
Well there it is! I hope your heroic experiences are positive, but i bid you have patience for those times when things get hairy. Heroics aren't for the feint of heart, but they certainly aren't exclusive to the hardcore raider or insane :) If you have any questions or comments, indulge me!
I have written a quick primer for those who are shying away from the big bad heroic to better help them face their fears and hopefully have an enjoyable and successful time.
Preparation- Gear
Believe it or not, obtaining heroic ready gear is much easier than one might imagine. You may technically queue for a heroic by ilevel 329 but I wouldn't recommend doing so until ilevel 333. To hurry your hiney into heroics asap, there are a few sources of gear that will help you along the way.
- Collect as you Level: Sure it's not the best gear out there, but choosing quest rewards that fit the spec you plan on PvEing in can go a long way when it comes to preparing for heroics. Some of the longer quest chains in uldum and twilight highlands even offer juicy ilevel 333 gear!
- Reputation Rewards: All of the factions offer notable rewards at each reputation level. Being honored allows you to pick up 333 gear even at the low level of 83! Being revered opens up the 346 gear (heroic quality) for a level 85, and exalted of course grants 359 gear, or the elusive epics. If you've been questing far into the various cataclysm zones, you will find that honored and even revered reputation will probably be achieved well before you hit level 85. Make sure you check each faction to find out what rewards best suit your class and spec. You may find out that you've earned some heroic quality loot before you even have to step foot into one!
- Level 85 Regulars: There are a handful of level 85 regular instances that are easy to farm for some 333 gear before you take that first step into a heroic. Lost City of Tol'Vir, Grim Batol and Halls of Origination can be farmed to your little hearts content enabling you to pick up a few more pieces to replace those icky greens left over from questing. Remember that these 3 dungeons also reward reputation, so be sure to wear a tabard while farming these.
Not all heroics are created equal. Some will have you thumping your face on the keyboard in utter frustration (Hell, my warrior's first heroic was grim batol...a dungeon that lasted me over 4 hours before we finally finished it) and some will be such a breeze you won't be able to wait to queue up and do another.
The Vortex Pinnacle, Shadowfang Keep, and Blackrock Caverns are the most mild of the batch. Their success hinges more on figuring out the boss 'tricks' and less on actual gear. Deadmines (though stupid easy at first but gets quite horrendous for the last 3 bosses), Lost City of Tol'Vir and Throne of Tides are more intermediate, requiring a bit more experience and patience to finish. The most difficult (IMO) are Halls of Origination, The Stone Core and Grim Batol, taking up the most time and being the least forgiving as far as CC and mechanics.
Raid Awareness aint only for raids
While WotLK seemed to feed the notion of sloppy roflstomping, Cataclysm certainly punishes it. Gone are the days when you could blow through an instance while watching TV, browsing LJ and glancing at Atlas Loot all at the same time. True heroic success is based upon an individuals awareness to their surroundings. Is there bad stuff on the floor? Is there bad stuff raining down on my head? Hows my aggro? Is the target I'm supposed to CC under control? These are questions that you must constantly answer throughout the dungeon.
I'm sure you've heard countless times that mana is tight these days. Well, it is. Your job as -any- role in a heroic is to minimize any damage you take so that your healer doesn't have to waste precious mana on your sloppiness. If the healer is too busy spamming their most expensive heals just to keep everyone alive, you're going to have an oom healer and a failed encounter.
Tank Overview
- Let your team mates use Crowd Control: The more mobs CC'd, the less that are hitting you aka the less mana the healer has to spend keeping you alive. If mobs need to be CC'd, don't break them.
- Use your defensive CDs: If you anticipate a hefty amount of damage coming in, do your healer a favor and prepare for it. Pop a CD and save your healer half their mana pool.
- Positioning: It's usually the best idea to face your targets away from the group. This will avoid needless group damage caused by breaths, cleaves and other AoE mechanics. If the target has a knockback, put your back to the wall so you don't go flying all over the place.
Healer Overview
- Mana Conservation: Read up on your class and spec to learn the most mana efficient healing spells. Don't blow giant expensive heals when a couple of cheap light heals will do the trick. Only aoe heal if enough group members will benefit from it, and use mana regen CDs as needed.
- Communication: Tell your group if you need to sit and drink. Members of your group have their own job to do, and sometimes paying attention to the rate at which you spend your mana isn't the top thing on their mind so you need to gently remind them when its time for you to drink
- Buffing: Always make sure your party is buffed. Figure out which buffs you will be using, since many override eachother and group composition can greatly effect the buff combination you decide to use. This is especially true if there is a paladin and shaman in the same group. Devotion Aura and Stoneskin Totem will not stack, Mana Spring Totem and Blessing of Might won't stack, and neither will Glyphed Healing Stream and Resistance Aura. Talk with eachother to figure out the best combination for your group.
DPS Overview
- Pull Your Weight: It is very important that you know the best possible DPS rotation for your spec and execute it to the best of your abilities. Pulling low DPS means longer boss fights which mean healer going oom. Focus on maximizing your dps without yanking aggro. Any class should be able to pull at least 6K during boss fights. Anything less then that and you might want to take a second look at your spec/glyphs/rotation.
- Avoidance: Be aware of your surroundings. Don't expect an infinite shower of heals if you constantly stand in the way of cleaves, in void zones or in fire. Pop defensive CDs if it means avoiding a good chunk of damage.
- Use your Arsenal: Just about every class has some form of utility. Know your crowd control abilities and use them. Keep an eye on your CC'd target so you can reapply if you need to. If you know a target does beastly damage to the tank, disarm or stun it.
- Pulling Aggro: It happens to the best of us. Properly handling it can make or break an encounter. One should use all their anti-aggro abilities to avoid such an event, but in case it does either drop the aggro if you can (Vanish, Feign Death, Invisibility, Iceblock, etc) or run your hide to the tank so he can grab it off you. Do NOT keep DPSing like there's no tomorrow or running as far away from the tank as you can.
Well there it is! I hope your heroic experiences are positive, but i bid you have patience for those times when things get hairy. Heroics aren't for the feint of heart, but they certainly aren't exclusive to the hardcore raider or insane :) If you have any questions or comments, indulge me!