Pause For The Cause: A Quick Break From the Madness that is Cataclysm

I don’t really need to say it, but I will- CATACLYSM WINS.

I race changed Aanthe to Worgen- and changed her name to Ellspeth.  So, that will explain the few changes I’ve made to this page a bit.  I’ll toss up a screenie of her soon.  She’s also hit 85 and is working on instances to get some leet healing gear.

Yeah, I think that sums up my week pretty well.

So, I gotta say, my favorite things about Cataclysm?  Uldum and the Harrison Jones movie- like questline; WORGEN; and the Visions of the Battle Maiden quest line Vashj’ir.

What about you?

-runs back off to jump back into WoW-

A Look at Mastery: Symbiosis Broken Down

OMG AN ACTUAL INFORMATIVE POAST!

What am I thinking?  I should just stick to snark.

LOLcat asks me this.

Ok, now as I’ve said before, I’m not a number- cruncher, theorycrafter, or mathhammerer.  NOT.  Right, so what’s my business trying to discuss this newest of new shiny things in the Resto!Druid arsenal?

Because I can.  Because I can take all of the technical talk and put it into a language casual people- like me- can actually understand.  You know, make the information usable for the masses.  And because, ultimately, while the post will be informative, I will snark something.  And who doesn’t love that?

Ready to go?  I sure am.

A Look at Mastery: Symbiosis Broken Down

Let us take a look at Symbiosis, shall we?

DISCLAIMER:  Nothing I’m going to say here is LAW.  This is my personal opinion about how Symbiosis works and what I believe its supposed to be used for.  Do not take my words as the end all, be all of Druid opinion of Symbiosis.

Symbiosis:  Increases the potency of your healing spells by 10% on targets already affected by one of your heal over time spells.  Each point of Mastery increases heal potency by an additional 1.25%.

Now, I’ve heard and seen the arguments.  But lets break it down a bit.  This is basically saying, ‘if you cast a Direct Heal (or a DH effect) on a target, make sure they’ve got a HoT on them first.’  A lot of people seem to think that this is going to push us Trees more towards the ‘tank healing’ side of the healing universe and away from the ‘raid healing’ niche we’re so fond of.  Eh.  I can’t really say I disagree, but I don’t think that the reason Blizzard gave us this Mastery is to make us tank heal.  I think they did it to make us a little more flexible.  I remember my time as healing lead, and I ALWAYS put the Holydins on the tank.  ALWAYS.  You can probably still ask them, and they’ll tell you that- no matter how much they begged me to raid heal.  Now, us Trees are freakin’ amazing raid healers… but we were always a little weaker on the tank healing side since Blizz nerfed Lifebloom into the toilet.

Yeah... what happened to my Lifebloom?

Here’s why I think they did it- to balance druid HoTs and Direct Heals.  Remember, now each of our heals is supposed to have a niche (even if Healing Touch and Nourish have a RIDONKULOUSLY long cast time, even reduced with Haste.)  Let’s say you’re healing someone and you tossed a stack of Lifebloom’s on the target.  If you cast a Nourish on that same target, you’re going to get the additional healing- plus a refresh on the Lifebloom, according to Nourish’s new mechanic.  If you’ve got 8 points of Mastery (which is low, but you can reforge your gear to get at least that much now), that’s an additional 22% healing done by that Nourish- not to mention all the EXTRA healing the refresh of Lifebloom is going to give that person.  Its important to note that this will only work if you cast a DH effect over a HoT of some kind- this includes Swiftmend.  This is, in fact, giving us a reason to use those DH’s, because there is the potential for TONS of bonus healing.  Sure, you’re not going to want to use DH’s for everything, but that’s not what Symbiosis is there for.  Its there for you to be used during tougher fights to help you manage your healing and your mana more effectively- which we will have to do now that our damn near infinite mana pools are a thing of the past.  22% bonus healing for the same mana cost as a HoT and a DH?  I fail to see where there is an issue with this, especially since there will be MORE bonus healing with more Mastery points.  I’ll be in the throngs of druids who will be stacking Mastery at every given opportunity. Is Symbiosis the greatest Mastery talent?  Certainly not.  But its ours, and we have to learn to play with the cards Blizzard has dealt us.

Druids, we have always been great healers.  But, I forsee that these changes in our chosen healing class are going to separate the good Trees from the one’s who were just spamming Wild Growth and Rejuv on the raid and not caring about anything else but topping healing meters.  Times, they are a’changin’, and we are changing with them. The bottom line is that its time to separate the Pro!Trees from the Nub!Branches.

Tree!Druids UNITE!

Now, let’s show Blizzard we can handle anything they throw at us!

And now, for a new addition to the blog:  around the Blogosphere!  Let’s see what others have blogged about recently!

Blogosphere

• Wugan over at Flow talks a little bit about Shaman CC and macros.
• Leesah over at R&R has up a list of Pre-Raid Resto Gear that’s very useful.
• mah buddy Dreddnought has a sneak peek cheat sheet of some of the new Cata instances!

That’s it for now!  Be cool, and stay angry, healers!

~Pyo

Hunters: Don’t Be Like This

Really, that is the best title for this post.

Greetings and Salutations, all!  I hope Thanksgiving found everybody at home with family, stuffing yourselves dumb, like I did.  As you contemplate the mountains of leftovers in your fridge and squeeble over the soon- to- be release of Cataclysm, let’s talk about something near and dear to my heart.

Hunters.

Yes.  I AM A HUNTER AT HEART.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE druids.  LOVE.  But my DPS class of choice is- and always will be- a Hunter.  I will, in fact, be rolling a Worgen Hunter next week- Sethserra.  And one of the things that always pisses me off about Hunters is this- the sheer amount of Huntards out there.  Hunters are, indeed, one of the easiest classes to play.  But it takes something special to be a GOOD Hunter.  I was a good Hunter.  I raided TBC as a BM Hunter.  I know, I know, all I had to to was keybind Steady Shot to my mousewheel and weave it between Auto Shots to get top DPS, but that’s not what made me a good Hunter.  And, frankly, the overabundance of Huntards I see is disheartening.  Huntards are a plague on WoW society- they make us grind our teeth when they don’t take Growl off (unless the Tank can’t tank), or when they complain that us healers should be healing their pets (you have Mend Pet, don’t you?  USE IT.) or when they frontload enough DPS to pull aggro off of a pro!tank… and then whine when they die.  Something needs to be said to stem the flow of Huntards.  So, here it is!  This is for you, pro!Hunters who are sick of having your good reps destroyed by these noobs, and you, new WoWers who want to play a Hunter.

The Classic Hunter

Hunters:  Don’t Be Like This

1.  Don’t complain about your Resource. For fucking serious.  Focus is AWESOME in a bucket.  It beats the shit out of having Mana.  I am sick to death of listening to Huntards complain that ‘Focus doesn’t work.’  It DOES work, you just have to learn how to use it.  Know what abilities generate Focus, which ones use it, and which ones have no cost.

2.  Put your damn pet on Passive in instances.  Really, this is something you should be doing anyways.  Your pet should be under your control.  The best way to do that is to command it to attack when you do, that way it always attacks your target (which should be the tank’s target) instead of running around attacking everything else.  And under no circumstances should your pet ever be on Aggressive.  The only possible exception to this should be when you’re trying to find that sneaky ass rogue who keeps ganking you or during a duel.

3.  Always be aware of your pet’s location.  This will prevent a lot of heartache- and wipes- in instances.  Pet management is key to being a good hunter- know where they are and what they’re doing at all times, so they don’t pull a group of mobs you’re not ready for.

4.  Turn Growl off.  There is no reason you should have Growl on during an instance.  The exception?  If you’re saving the healer’s life by having your pet pull aggro off of them.  That’s the ONLY time you should have Growl on in an instance.

5.  Don’t forget about Traps! You’re Traps are great CC, especially since they now can be delivered via a shot.  Just don’t forget about ‘em once they’re set.  Remember their duration, and remember to refresh them if necessary.  Also… don’t break your own CC.  That should go without saying, but… I’m saying it.  With how important CC is going to be in Cataclysm, you can’t afford to fuck up like that.

6.  Learn/ remember how to kite properly.  I know, I know!  Its been a long time since the days when we had to kite General Drakkisath  in UBRS, but you will NEED to dust off (or gain completely) those kiting skillz.  According to rumor, there is going to be a boss in Cata that will have a mob that will need to be kited the entire fight, so get ready.

I know, I know… I usually do this in groups of 10, but I think I’ve covered just about everything.  Come back later on for an Introduce an Alt post before Cata’s release.  Until then, stay angry, healers!

~Pyo

 

Holiday Post: Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick drop in to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING, YOU GAIS!  I know I haven’t been around again, but I’m on vacation- sue me.  I’ll be back next week with the first installment of Pyo’s Introduce and Alt!  Until then, stay safe this holiday weekend, eat lotsa turkey, and relax.  You’ve earned it!

Post of Absolutely No Value- I’m Back In the Game!

Seriously.

I was gonna do a whole Huntard post… but I actually raided tonight.  For the first time in almost nine months, since school began.  And you know what?

I missed it.

WOOHOO! I'm back in the game, baby!

I gotta tell you- I’m just glad that, despite all of my T9- and less than- gear and trinkets, I can still hold my own as a tree.  My guild, The Grim Covenant, cleared up through Valithria Dreamwalker.  We got one of out Retadins his Shadowmourne.  I even managed to score myself some upgrades.  But I’m back, baby.  For real.  I get to do it again tomorrow, too!

Seriously, that’s my whole post.  Me being squeetastic at raiding with my uber-awesome guild again.

I’ll be back later this week with a real post.  Tomorrow, I graduate from my final class, and I go on a nice, long break.  Maybe my post will be about Huntards.  Or maybe it will be about Cataclysm.  We’ll see.  Until then, stay angry, healers!

~Pyo

Tanks: Dumb Things You Do (Or Say)

Inspired by a reply to a recent post of mine, I have decided- in the interest of fairness and snarkiness- to give you tanks what for.  Now, allow me to clarify- my response to the poster wasn’t to be a smart ass.  It was to demonstrate that the context under which that post was made was that it was directly SOLELY at the DPS, and not at the healers or the tanks.  I believe I’ve got the healer- bashing covered, but I’ve never bothered all you tanks who might be reading this.  For all you good tanks out there, please ignore this post, as it is clearly not directed at you.  At all you other tanks… learn and learn well!

Tanks- this is for you!

Tanks: Dumb Things You Do (Or Say)

Now, this is mostly from the perspective of instance tanks- I’ve had the honor and pleasure of healing and DPSing alongside some of the finest tanks I’ve ever seen in raids.  But in random Heroics, I am rarely surprised that some of these things happen.

1.  Wait for us to mana up. This isn’t just for the healers- that poor mage that just cranked out 20 bag slots worth of Conjured Cinnamon Rolls and Conjured Sparkling White Wine needs mana to make things explode.  Let him, cuz he’s a fireballin’ M-A-G-E.  After a fight, if I need mana, I’m gonna sit down and drink.  Good tanks wait for their team to be ready before moving on.  It ensures our mutual survival.

2. If that huntard’s pet is Growling, SAY SOMETHING.  Seriously.  Be nice the first time, be mean the second, and kick the moron the third.  Shit.. maybe I should do a post just for Hunters… hmmm.  -seriously ponders-

3.  Make sure your gear is repaired. This is especially important for the one taking the facepunches, though it’s a good overall rule for everyone.  PLEASE make sure your gear isn’t about to go red on you, you’re whole party will thank you.

4.  Make sure you have the right gear on PERIOD. I don’t care if you’ve ‘tanked this in your DPS gear.’  Don’t.  Just strap on your Stamgear and your big ol’ shield and lets make this as easy as we can on everyone involved.  I HATE healing tanks in nontank gear.

She's ready to Consecrate... or is that Bubblehearth?

5.  Check your spec. Accidentally forgetting to switch to your off- tanking- spec is ok.  ‘Accidentally’ forgetting to switch to your off-tanking-spec (lol) is not.  Yes, we- the others in your party- can tell the difference.

6.  Tell your party how you operate.  I say this from my own meager experience as a tank.  My little Vissa would tank on occasion back when she was in her 30′s and 40′s, and I always told whatever party that got the dubious pleasure of having me tank for them that I would put down 3 Sunders and to kindly wait to blow the boss up until then.  For the most part, they respected my call- some actually thanked me for telling them my plan ahead of time, so that they knew when they could go nutz.

7.  If someone pulls aggro, tell them where you are so they can find you. There are enough warning devices out there now that will allow someone to know when they’ve overdone it.  Slap down a Consecrate, or wait for them to get next to you and Thunder Clap or whatnot.  Don’t run to them!  If you absolutely must get to them- i.e. they are Rooted into place- just go backwards so you don’t miss your Parries and Blocks.  But always insist that if someone grabs aggro that they come to you.  Think of this as our way of making your life easier.

8.  Don’t berate your healer for a little pre-pull HoT love.  Really, its not going to cause enough aggro to pull the mob/boss from you.  Yelling at me for tossing a quick Rejuvenate on you because you think its going to hinder your ability to gran aggro is ridiculous.  I have not healed people for less.  And, yes Healers, this HAS HAPPENED TO ME.  -facepalm-

9.  Don’t refuse to run an instance simply because you don’t like the class of healer you got.  Again, you would think this wouldn’t happen… but it does.  A LOT.  Gee, Mr. Mean-Tanky-Pants, you don’t like druids healing you… so you’re going to drop group?  Really?  This is a special form of asshattery you cannot afford, my friend- tanks can rarely afford to be picky with their healers.  We druids can keep you up, don’t worry!  ALL HEALERS have some tank healing capability.  Trust in the leaves and totems and bubbles and sparklies.

10.  When all else fails, talk to your party.  I have seen amazingly bad pulls be survived through simply because the tank and the healer and the deeps effectively communicated what they expected of each other.  Don’t be afraid to tell us something, especially if it could spare us all a run from the graveyard and a repair bill.

Well, I hope this adds some balance to the snark I present to you here.  Stay tuned later this week for a post for hunters- I know, they’re not healers, but I’m an experienced hunter, and Azeroth could use a few less huntards.  Until then, stay angry, healers!

FOR THE HORDE!  (Sorry, Alliance, you guys will never have as cool a battlecry as that… though ‘HAVE MERCY!’ is an appropriate response.)  XD

FOR THE HORDE!!!!!!!!!!

~Pyo (who’s druid is a Night Elf, but who PvP’s FOR THE HORDE!!!!!)

 

If The DPS Dies, Its Their Own Damn Fault: When This Is and Isn’t the Case?

Yes, I am really going there.

BHAHAHA!

-clears throat-

Anyways, I am typically of the belief that if you are DPS and you die on a non- boss fight… it is your fault!  Let’s face it, DPSers- there is no excuse for it.  If you’re dying during a mob pull, you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around you.

So, lets pick out a few normal, every instance situations and weigh the details.  And we, the Angry Healers who have to watch your health bar dwindle to nothingness, will determine whether or not your death is your fault- or ours.

If the DPS Dies, Its Their Own Damn Fault:  When This Is and Isn’t the Case

So, let’s look at some common scenarios encountered in your typical instance/ Heroic/ raid:

1.  Standing in the Fire- DPS’s fault?  You betcha.  I’m sorry, it’s the classic complaint of all raiders.  This goes along with Void Zones.  Don’t stand in them.  Don’t stand near them if you’ve got a shitty machine and need to turn down your spell graphics to run WoW smoothly.

Don't blow up the raid. It will make me hate you.

2.  Running up to a mob and Pyroblast critting it for half of its life-  DPS’s fault?  Hell yes. There is this thing.  Its called aggro.  If you hit the mob first, you will get the aggro the tank wants and die.

3.  Letting a tank get aggro, but blowing all of your cooldowns to get that BIG CRIT to blow up your Recount and report repeatedly in party chat, only to pull threat- DPS’s fault?  If you do this, you should go stand in the fire.  Seriously.  No one cares about your Recount if you continuously pull threat.  Scoring that BIG CRIT just to stroke your own e-peen is annoying at best.  It gets you killed in my party- I do NOT heal fools like you.

Pay less attention to this and more attention to your surroundings.

4.  Watching General Vezax launch a Shadow Crash at you… and not even bothering to move.  DPS’s fault?  Fuck yeah.  This goes for all forms of ‘avoidable damage.’  If it can be avoided, it should be, especially something as easy to dodge as Shadow Crash, or Void Reaver’s Arcane Orbs.  Its damage you are taking that’s making me expend unnecessary amounts of mana to fix.

Yeah, you see that? AVOIDABLE. Don't make me let you die because of this.

You know what?

DPS, the only time its not your fault is when you’re taking damage that is  unavoidable, like Gluth’s Decimate, or Stinky’s poison cloud attacks.

Other than that… be prepared to have it blamed on you.

Cap'n Jack can get away with it on occasion. You can't. So don't try.

That’s it for this week, folks.  Tune in again on Tuesday where I’ll rant about something that I have yet to determine.  Until then, stay angry, healers!

~Pyo