Transitioning From Casual Raiding to Hardcore

This is a guest post by Aerislan.

For some raiders, there comes a time when being casual just doesn’t cut it anymore. The thought of PuGing another Naxx, Maly or OS run just isn’t as appealing as it once was. Sometimes they just want to see if they can perform as well in a heroic raid as they do in a heroic instance. If you’ve faced a similar situation you might want to consider making the change from casual to hardcore raiding. However, there are some important steps you need to take first.

1. Guild Selection

The first and probably most important step you’ll take is going to be guild selection. If you are already in a guild, you might want to take some time to talk with the GM and Officers and find out whether or not they are planning on focusing on guild progression and raiding. If not, it’s probably time to say goodbye. Explain your reasons and bow out politely. I say this because the next guild you apply for may just want to talk to your old GM and officers to see what kind of player you are. Now you just need to find the right guild. A good place to start your search is the WoW Realm Forums or the Horde or Alliance guild recruitment forums. Once you have a list of prospective guilds you’d like to join, you can check them out at WoWJutsu or a similar site like WoW-Heroes and see their ranking, and get an idea of where they are on progression. You’re going to have a hard time getting into a guild that regularly clears Ulduar if you’re geared for Naxx. Before you apply to any of the guilds you’ve set your sights on, you should visit their websites. This will allow you to see what their raid schedule is like, loot rules and other important information. Once you’ve done your homework you need to decide on a guild and then apply. This post should help you out in filling out a “Killer Hunter Application” You should take the application process very seriously as this will give the officer or GM their first impression of you. It’s ok to have a sense of humor, but save it for the interview (if the guild you apply to conducts interviews that is). Be honest on your application, and answer all the questions to the best of your ability. The reason for this is simple. If a guild is very popular there is a chance they get a large number of applicants. The more applicants they get, the more reasons they look for to disqualify an applicant. It’s harsh, but as a former class leader, and guild recruitment officer I can tell it’s a necessary evil. You should make your application stand out. A previous post here on the site should give you an idea of what criteria you will be graded on.

2. Getting Into Raids

Congratulations! You got accepted to a raiding guild! Now go sit on the bench.  This is a likely scenario so be prepared. If the guild uses DKP or a system like EPGP to determine who gets a raid invite and who doesn’t there is a very good chance that you might have to do some work to actually get a raid spot. If so, you should make an effort to be online and ready to go well before invites go out. Most guilds will award points for simply being ready for an invite. Also, just because you didn’t get an invite, keep yourself available in case they lose a member and a spot opens up. I don’t mean sit outside the instance, but at least let them know you’ll be available if they need you, whether you’re fishing or playing an alt. Keeping an ear out on Vent doesn’t hurt either. I earned my raid spot in a previous guild because I was subbed in for a DPS that DCed and never returned. I was camped right outside the instance, had all my consumables, and I had researched the bosses that the raid was working on. Within five minutes I was already with the group and ready to go. A little preparation got me a steady spot instead of just a one time invite. Which brings me to my next point.

3. Be Prepared

Don’t prove Illidan right, it’s bad for business. Seriously. Do your homework!! Watch boss strategy videos, farm enough mats to either make your own consumables, or have them made, buying them off the AH is also acceptable, just have them! If you’re not sure exactly what consumables you might want to bring, try this post. I can tell you from experience, there is nothing more embarrassing than running out of ammo in a raid.  TankSpot is an excellent resource for boss strategies, as well as BossKillers.  Granted, most videos won’t tell you what you need to do specifically as a Hunter, but it will give you an idea of what to expect during the encounters. Drotara over at Less QQ More Pew Pew has a decent collection of Ulduar videos you can check out as well. Just be sure and tell him I sent you, I get a dollar for every referral, and the economy is all…well you know. Knowing the fight beforehand will give you an edge, and it saves the raid leader the trouble of explaining every single fight in great detail to you. Also, make yourself available to your guildies. This will show them that you want to be part of the team, and aren’t just hoping to have some epic loot just fall into your lap. I know a druid that earned her raid spot by dropping a fish feast after EVERY wipe. She knew her stuff too, so it’s not like it was just the fish feasts that got her in, but they did get her noticed. Now she raids just about every night. If you have a profession that others can benefit from don’t hesitate to use it to your advantage. Alchemists, offer to craft potions, flasks and elixirs for raid members as long as they supply the mats. Or offer to sell them for a discount if they don’t want to go through the trouble of getting the mats themselves. Make yourself indispensable! The more face time you get with the other members of your guild, the more likely your name is to come up when discussing raid spots. At the very least, you’ll make some great friends this way.

4. Keeping That Raid Spot

Have fun. It’s that simple. If you wipe 23 times on Mimiron, laught it off, enjoy the camaraderie, or fake it if you have to. This especially applies to progression guilds. Progression guilds wipe, a lot. Or they are just freakishly lucky and down every boss on the first try. Either way, if you’ve got a good attitude and are fun to raid with, chances are you’ll continue raiding. If you piss and moan over your repair bills, slow progression or a lack of drops (but that wouldn’t happen…everything is a hunter weapon right?!) people aren’t going to want to listen to it, and subsequently your raid invites will dry up faster than core hound slobber. Keep the previous two items in mind throughout your raiding career as well, and you can’t go wrong.

Now I can’t personally guarantee you that following my advice will you have decked out in hard-mode Ulduar gear within a week. I can speak from personal experience that it won’t hurt your chances though. I used these tactics to earn a steady spot in what was a top 20 raiding guild on my server prior to WotLK being released. Hope this helps, good luck, and happy Hunting!!