A Guide to DK Glyphs, Part Two: A Glyph for Every Occasion

We continue our examination of DK glyphs this week by dissecting all the major glyphs at our disposal. Remember, I have used a highly scientific measuring system, by which I mean I picked my favorites and gave them all correspondingly good letter grades (A, B, or C; no pluses or minuses) based on their application in PvE DPS, PvP, and PvE Tanking.

Glyph of Anti-Magic Shell
PvE DPS Grade: C; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: A

An extra 2 seconds on one of the DK's chief resistance abilities is a solid addition to your glyph page, if you anticipate taking a lot of magical damage. Thus, tanks and arena fighters will probably find it very useful, while support DPS will probably want to skip this one.

Glyph of Blood Boil
PvE DPS Grade: A; PvP Grade: A in BGs, B in Arena; Tank Grade: B

For those DKs who love facing off against large collections of trash mobs in dungeons, or running BGs with groups of opponents, this glyph is outstanding, adding more versatility to your basic AoE attack. Its usefulness is in direct correlation to how many mobs you'll be fighting however; arena players will want to think twice before taking this one on, though tanks may find it gives them an extra method of keeping unruly mobs in line.

Glyph of Blood Strike (Highly contingent on above glyph)
See above.

This glyph should really only be taken if you invest in Glyph of Blood Boil (unless you run dungeons with a troop of Frost mages). Bottom line: if you want to slow your targets, this glyph will help you bring them down all the faster.

Glyph of Bone Shield (Unholy Tree Only)
PvE DPS Grade: C; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: A

This glyph is all about survivability. And the two areas where DKs need it most are arenas and when tanking. In both cases, this glyph is one an Unholy DK should strongly consider.

Glyph of Chains of Ice
PvE DPS Grade: B; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: B

It never hurts to deal some damage when you slow those pesky escaping enemies. But in the current game where level 80 toons can only have 3 major glyphs, anyone who is not heavily into PvP may find this glyph too limited for everyday use.

Glyph of Dark Command
PvE Tank Grade: B

Only a tank should bother with this glyph. And most often, a MT won't need to rely on Dark Command to keep enemies in line. Taking this glyph does help to ensure that if a mob escapes you can get them back to you all the faster, but maybe it's a better choice for OTs instead.

Glyph of Death and Decay
PvP Grade: B; PvE Tank Grade: A

DKs tank by doing DPS, and the more damage they put out the better they are at holding aggro. This glyph makes it all the easier to keep mobs where they should be. And the occasional black sheep PvPer may like it as a means of more effectively routing grouped enemies.

Glyph of Death Grip
PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: A

Take this glyph any time you anticipate a need to pull mobs/enemy players quickly and efficiently. Players in WSG or AV will most likely get the most out of this glyph, but any PvPer can put it to good use. Tanks may also find it helpful in timed instance runs, like Heroic Culling of Stratholme.

Glyph of Death Strike
Grade for all instances: A

Any time you need to heal yourself, this glyph will help out. It will help even more when used as a "panic button" in high-damage or lengthy fights, and is a great way to keep healers from having to focus on non-tanking DKs.

Glyph of Frost Strike (Frost Tree Only)
Grade for all instances: B

This glyph is a time-saver, allowing you to put out more damage while expending less runic power (always a plus if you're saving up for a big cooldown ability). Simple as.

Glyph of the Ghoul (Unholy-friendly)
Grade in all instances: A

A major complaint of Unholy DKs is how easily our ghouls perish when caught in the crossfire. This glyph significantly buffs ghoul longevity, which everyone can appreciate.

Glyph of Icebound Fortitude
PvE DPS Grade: B; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: A

Waiting to get enough runic power for Icebound Fortitude to activate has caused many a DK to take unnecessary damage. On the flip side, some may argue that 20 runic power isn't a lot to spend.

Glyph of Icy Touch
PvE DPS Grade: B; PvP Grade: B; PvE Tank Grade: A

Everyone uses Icy Touch, and this glyph sets you up with a healthy dose of runic power right off the bat. Highly useful for tanks who prefer pulling with Icy Touch.

Glyph of Plague Strike
Grade in all instances: B

This glyph isn't fancy, but Plague Strike is part of pretty much every DK's rotation, adding some decent damage to each fight. A solid, if unimaginative choice.

Glyph of Obliterate (Frost-friendly)
Grade in all instances: B

While not Frost exclusive, Obliterate is less friendly to those DKs without Annihiliation. Still, this glyph poses a good damage buff for those able to compensate for it.

Glyph of Rune Strike
PvP Grade: B; PvE Tank Grade: B

The damage increase is good, but the fact remains that Rune Strike is a situational ability; filling a slot with this glyph may not suit everyone. And PvE DPSers should stay away because of the ability's high threat generation.

Glyph of Rune Tap (Blood Tree Only)
PvE DPS Grade: A; PvP Grade: B; PvE Tank Grade: A

Dungeons and raids are where this glyph really shines - a group heal effect is never frowned upon, especially among single-target healers like paladins.

Glyph of Scourge Strike (Unholy Tree Only)
Grade in all instances: A

Perhaps more than any other tree, Unholy relies on diseases to get the job done ("the job" being, of course, reducing your enemies to a puddle of bones and goo at your feet). This glyph helps to ensure that your diseases are always up, and can cut down on rotation time also.

Glyph of Strangulate
PvE DPS Grade: B; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: C

This glyph looks tailor-made for arena fights against casters. Most mana-based classes have abilities which allow for melee kiting, and this ability is a nice counter-attack to Blink, Fear, or Disengage. It application in PvE is weaker however, and tanks especially shouldn't waste time with this one.

Glyph of Unbreakable Armor (Frost Tree Only)
PvE DPS Grade: C; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank Grade: A

An increase in armor is critical for hard-hitting bosses and melee fighters, and this glyph is a good one to take in both situations. Since the goal of DPS support in PvE is not to be hit all that often, this one is probably not all that useful.

Glyph of Vampiric Blood (Blood Tree Only)
PvE DPS Grade: B; PvP Grade: A; PvE Tank grade: A

In situations where healing over time is a must, this glyph is a good friend to Blood DKs. Again, not as useful to DPS support classes, but this glyph may be worthwhile anyway for its utility, at least until dual specs come out.

The Unholy Commandments

Taking a leaf from one of the best melee DPS guides I’ve found out in the blogosphere, I’ve put together my own list of dungeon and raid commandments for DPS DKs. Enjoy!

1. Don't die. Or, alternatively, Heal Thyself! You have more healing abilities than the average non-mana fighter, so use them to the best of your ability. Death Strike when you can, pop consumables, sacrifice your ghoul, bandage, pray, use Icebound Fortitude or Lichborne, do whatever you can to keep your health above that red zone, and keep healers from worrying about you. And if you die, you better come back as a ghoul.
2. Don't cause your friends to die, whether from wanton use of Death Grip, berserking ghouls, or plain stupidity. Learn boss fights in advance, and know what that debuff that just got cast on you does. We are a new class, yes. But that's no excuse for ignorance.
3. Don't pull aggro from the tank. All it takes is a mis-cast Death Grip or Dark Command to cause mayhem throughout your entire party. To this end, always keep an eye on your Presences too.
4. Know your role, and use your special abilities well and often. DKs are the leaders in melee anti-magic classes. We have interrupts, silences, taunts, and shields, all of which revolve around making us both resistant to magical damage and capable of dealing out damage better to magical classes. Let the warriors and druids handle the big sweaty hitters, and the paladins manage the trash mobs. Our prey is mana-users, and we hunt them better than anybody else.
5. Always maintain your diseases on your targets. There is absolutely no excuse for not doing this, as it's how we DKs do our best damage. Use Pestilence and Blood Boil whenever applicable, for in the current state of the game, AoE is our friend. But, remember also to...
6. Pay attention to CC. Do not indiscriminately DoT magely sheep or cancel priestly shackles. When you AoE, do it intelligently.
7. Keep monsters away from your squishy friends. It's often easy to forget that despite all our damage, DKs can also be a support class. We can shield our friends from magical damage, call more minions into battle to turn the tide, and act as off-tanks in a pinch to keep aggro where it belongs. It is never noble to ignore pleas of help from the mages and priests you've sworn to protect just to get a higher ranking on that damage meter.
8. Love your ghoul. It can increase your damage, interrupt spellcasting, heal you, and act as interference when your squishy friends get targeted. That said, always use your ghoul well, and don't distract other players by misuse.
9. Help your party buff. Horn of Winter may be all we have in our spellbook, but that's no reason to sit idle while the raid prepares its assault. Max out your cooking and share food with your friends. If a mage or warlock is casting a table or stone, help them out. Be responsive and active, for in the buff department, DKs get more than we give.
   
10. Do not abandon your post. The tank is there for keeping the attention of the boss, the healers are there to keep the party up, and you are there, though thick and thin, to see that the boss goes down. When the @#$% hits the fan, use everything at your disposal to see that you do your job, regardless of repair costs, personal safety, or used consumables.
    

A Guide to DK Glyphs, Part One: Free Ghouls For Everyone!

Who doesn't love a good ghoul?

Once your death knight has completed the long slogging trek that is leveling and reached level 80, you likely have a number of things to cross off your list to make them ready for what lies ahead. There's gear to be purchased/made/picked up in dungeons, and PvP to be won for that all-important resilience gear. There is an epic flyer to save up for, and daily quests to be done. And now, with patch 3.1 waiting in the wings, every death knight needs to be thinking long and hard about their dual specs. But in all the hubbub that ensues after your DK's final ding, make sure you don't forget about your glyphs!

I'll start part one of my glyph analysis by taking a look at the minor glyphs available to DKs. In part two, which is forthcoming, I'll be discussing the plethora of major glyphs we have at our disposal. Remember, at level 80 you've got three minor glyph slots and three major glyph slots to play with, so go wild and have fun!

In a purely scientific evaluation system (a.k.a. choosing which one sounds the coolest or is most useful to me personally) I have given each glyph a letter grade which corresponds to how well I think it meets the need of three basic DK capacities: PvE DPS, PvP, and PvE Tanking. Where applicable, I have also identified whether a glyph is useful only to a particular DK talent tree (Blood, Frost or Unholy), as some glyphs deal with talent-specific abilities. Edit as of 2/23: I have eliminated the pluses and minuses from my letter grade system, to make it less subjective.

Saving Time: an Examination of DK Minor Glyphs.

Glyph of Corpse Explosion (Unholy Tree Only)
PvE DPS Grade: A; PvP Grade: A for BGs, C for Arena; PvE Tanking Grade: B

Basically, if you're the type of DK who likes playing in situations with multiple targets, this is the glyph for you. Most dungeons these days come packed with trash mobs, adds, or multiple bosses, and this glyph is a key way to make you effective at dealing AoE damage to trash mobs. Same for BGs. But, for arena players, this glyph is less useful. After all, unless you're in a 5v5, the likelihood of the "double explosion" proccing at all is small. As far as tanking goes, it'll help you in trash fights, but probably not against those big boss baddies.

Glyph of Blood Tap
PvE DPS Grade: B; PvP Grade: B; PvE Tanking Grade: A

I didn't give this glyph a super-high rating because I figure most people are going to use Blood Tap regardless of whether it damages them or not. On the other hand, tanks may find it useful because it's less damage their healer needs to worry about. But personally, I'm on the fence on this one.

Glyph of Death's Embrace
PvE DPS Grade: A while leveling, B at level cap; PvP Grade: B; PvE Tanking Grade: C

Death's Embrace is extremely useful for you ghoul-lovers out there, and should be a key slot of the leveling Unholy DK's glyph page. After level cap though, most players will be weighing whether they want to get a refund on runic power for healing their ghoul, or whether they'd just rather summon a new one after the old one dies and leave this slot for another glyph.

Glyph of Horn of Winter
PvE DPS Grade: A; PvP Grade: B; PvE Tanking Grade: A

For raiding, I think this glyph is critical. In boss fights no one wants to waste a second thinking about renewing Horn of Winter, especially in timed DPS races, where every damage spell counts. Only one DK needs to take this glyph per raid. As far as PvP goes, however, I don't think this is anything special.

Glyph of Pestilence
Grade for all instances: A

Simple fact: DKs do damage by inflicting diseases. Any time you're fighting multiple mobs you'll be using Pestilence, and this glyph just means you'll be hitting targets even if they're farther away, allowing you to manage more dispersed mobs. No brainer.

Glyph of Raise Dead
Grade for all instances: A

Personally, I love this one, since I hate buying Corpse Dust and don't always bring enough to get me through an instance without many humanoid targets. This glyph also means that non-Unholy DKs don't have to worry about spending their hard-earned cash summoning ghouls that only last a couple of minutes.

Join us next time for a look at major glyphs! Happy Trails!

Why the Return of Naxxramas is a Good Thing

When the great floating citadel of Naxxramas retreated to Northrend, there was a general outcry among experienced raiders used to seeing it in the Plaguelands. “We’ve already been to Naxx,” they cried, “and now you’re going to make us do it again?” Old-school raid purists were even more miffed when they discovered that unlike its previous 40-man raid incarnation, Naxxramas was now tweaked to allow 25- and even 10-man raids to plumb its darkest corners and discover its best-kept secrets. “Stop! You’re running it!” they screamed, “Give us back old Naxx! Send it back to the Plaguelands, where it belongs!”

But amidst these screams of frustration and howls of rage was another sound, from a different demographic of the Blizzard community. It was the sound of satisfaction, and it was a sound being emanated from every single person who had never had a chance to set foot in Naxxramas before. I was one of those satisfied denizens of WoW, and I’m here to tell you why the return of Naxxramas is a very good thing indeed.

Casuals never saw it. People who didn’t want to invest the time required to get the necessary gear, make the masses upon masses of friends, and spend hours coordinating strategies and developing theories and setting their noses to the grindstone for hours on end to get attuned with Argent Dawn to even enter the instance have never seen Naxxramas. Now, they can.

People who joined post-BC never saw it. After Burning Crusade launched it was nearly impossible to get a 40-man raid together to run old-world instances, people were so busy exploring the wonders of Outland. As a post-BC WoW convert, to me, Naxxramas was something which always sounded cool, but which was unattainable. Now, my guild, which is composed mainly of people who started playing post-BC have a chance to see this legendary content.

Encounters have been rebalanced. Naxxramas has been rebalanced to consider the plethora of new level 80 abilities, and the new game class of Death Knight. This means that the Naxxramas we’re seeing at level 80 has been modernized. While some would call this a bad thing, I can only call attention to other old-world dungeons and raid encounters, like Dire Maul, Maraudon, Molten Core or Ahn'Qiraj. On my server, these instances are ghost-towns, because the mobs, bosses and loot therein have not been updated to keep pace with all the new character abilities. But Naxxramas has been saved a long, slow demise from lack of use by its new retune.

Is it a bad thing that what has been called one of the greatest instances in the game should see a new coat of paint and a location change? Is it bad that Blizzard is “reusing” content? In my book, not at all. See you soon, Patchwerk!

Arcane Advice: A Mage’s Perspective on Dungeon Running, Part Four

Part Four – Loot!

For some, loot is the single greatest reason to run a dungeon. Unlike the more intangible rewards of downing a boss or “unlocking” content, loot is the single component of a dungeon which your character gets to take away with them after the instance is over. Loot is a permanent reminder of where your character has been and how far they’ve come. In some cases, the loot a character wears is a better indication of their accomplishments than their level, professions, or spec.

However, perhaps because of these factors, loot can be a major source of disagreement among party members. What follows are some tips to help keep dividing the plunder a civil and successful occasion for your party.

Determine your rules before any loot drops. Check with all party members before you’ve even downed a mob, and make sure everyone’s on the same page. If you’re using Need before Greed, determine when Need rolls are acceptable. If you’re employing the services of a master looter, make sure they are trustworthy and capable of carrying out their duties. If you’re on a guild run using specific loot rules, make sure everyone is familiar with your policies. Whatever loot system you’re using, make sure all group members agree to abide by it.

Bind-on-Equip Items. Make sure you establish ground rules regarding BoE items. Are players allowed to roll on them for alts? What if they're going to sell the item on the auction house? If you're doing a guild run, will the item go to the guild bank, or will it be sold, with the profits going into the guild coffers?

Check your quest rewards. Sometimes, the quest reward gives better loot than what drops in the dungeon itself. Before you make your loot roll, take a quick look at your quest rewards, and make sure there’s nothing better waiting for you when you get out of the dungeon. It makes little sense to make a Need roll, for instance, on the Attuned Crystalline Boots which drop from the boss Keristrasza when my mage can pick up the far superior Sandals of Mystical Evolution for completing one of the quests inside the Nexus.

Off-spec Looting. There’s a fair amount of controversy surrounding this subject. These days, what with the new consolidation of spell power stats, as well as critical strike, chances are at some point during your dungeon run you’ll encounter an item which is a “must-have” for multiple classes within your party. Here’s where communication is of utmost importance. Some questions to ask when considering hitting that Need button:

• Is this item something I will equip and use right away? If not, is there anyone else in the party who could use it right now?
• Is this a main-spec or an off-spec item? If it’s an off-spec item for me, is there anyone who might need it more than I do?
• If the item is main-spec for me, what armor class is it – cloth, leather, mail, plate? Is there anyone in the group who is restricted to a particular armor type for whom this might be a better fit?
• How well do I know my group members? If I am new to the guild I’m running with, what are their loot policies?

These questions are not designed to force anyone into being a loot martyr, but they are included here to facilitate a group discussion about loot. Usually there is no reason to be rushed or arbitrary in your Greed or Need selection – loot timers are long for a reason. Even if you’re the only person in the party who appears to have a claim on a particular item, it never hurts to ask before hitting that Need button.

Regardless of your party's approach to pulling, combat, wiping, or loot, remember that above all else, good communication is the best way to facilitate smooth dungeon runs. Whether you're a seasoned guild farming Illidan, or a new PUG just gearing up for Wailing Caverns, talking with your party members, determining strategies, and setting ground rules can save time, energy, and help to improve group performance.

Good luck in your dungeon runs! May your wipes be few, your kills be many, and all your loot be epic.

Arcane Advice: A Mage’s Perspective on Dungeon Running, Part Three

Yesterday we continued our in-depth analysis of running instances by taking a look at some tips and strategies for combat. Today, we explore what to do when all your well-laid plans go up in smoke, and you and your party have become puddles of sticky goo lying on the dungeon floor.

Part Three – Wiping.

Wiping happens. Simple as that. In all likelihood, wiping is more common in PUGs and with people you don’t know as well, but seasoned groups can wipe also, especially now with all the new content available in Northrend, and the fact that most people are still learning the redesigned capabilities of their class. I have noticed three major phases of wiping, each featuring different things you can do to make your wipe recovery as painless and efficient as possible.

Phase One: “We’re Wiping!” This phase could also be renamed “Damage Control,” because in essence that’s what a pro-active group needs to do to minimize the impact of the wipe and get everyone back on their feet as fast as possible. The first phase of wiping is to actually notice the wipe and either take action against it, or determine what needs to be done to make wipe recovery as fast as possible.

Fighting the Wipe: This can involve an off-spec tank jumping into the fray as the main tank goes down, or an off-healer switching up their DPS for healing. Use any consumables you have at this stage, pull out all the stops on your special abilities, throwing your caution, like your mana, to the winds. There is usually no excuse for not going down fighting: any extra mob you can kill during a wipe is one less mob you’ll have to deal with when your party is ready to take on the fight again.

Fast Resurrect: If dropping a few mobs on your way to oblivion is not a possibility, at least make sure you’ve positioned your corpse-to-be in a location which is easily seen by your party’s healer. Dying under slain mobs or in hard-to-reach corners make it all the harder for your character to be resurrected, and sometimes even endanger the healer, who may inadvertently gain aggro as they attempt to reach you. If you do wind up dying in a bad location, a corpse run may be your best option.

As for the resurrection itself, soulstones, goblin jumper cables and shaman self-res abilities are a huge help here, but to make things even better, the last party member standing during the wipe can attempt to lose the interest of the aggroed mob (usually through Invisibility or Stealth) and then resurrect the party. Regardless of how you do it, if there’s one person still alive in your group after a partial wipe, no one should release their spirit until the “all clear” is given. Certain resurrection abilities require the spirit to still be connected to the body to work.

Phase Two: “The Zen of Corpse Running” The last thing anyone should do is lose their temper when wiping. Don’t fall into the trap of blaming someone for the wipe, though that can be very easy to do, especially on a repeat wipe when repair bills, and sometimes emotions, are running high. As you’re running your character back from the spirit world, take some deep breaths and consider how you can approach the problem constructively.

If you experienced a full-party wipe and you are not the healer, you should still make a good-faith effort towards corpse retrieval by releasing and running back to the instance. This is especially true after multiple wipes, when dungeon respawns may make it difficult, if not impossible for solitary party members to make it back to the wipe point unscathed. Perhaps the biggest faux pas of wiping is going AFK while your party-mates run back to their corpses.

Phase Three: “So What Happened, Exactly?” Before you reengage the fateful foe that sent your group on a quick trip to the spirit healer, analyze the situation: what made you wipe?

Unforeseen Difficulties

• Were there unanticipated adds?
• Magical resistances?
• Did the boss suddenly reveal new abilities?

Technical Difficulties

• Was there a problem maintaining tank aggro?
• Was party healing unable to compensate for damage taken?
• Was your DPS insufficient to burn the mob down?
• Were there line of sight issues?

Take the time to answer questions like these before you restart the fight. Your party’s probably not going to get anywhere if you just resurrect and hurl yourself back at the mob that wiped you without taking the time to rethink your strategy.

Stick with us for the final episode of our dungeoneering special – Part Four – Loot!

Arcane Advice: A Mage’s Perspective on Dungeon Running, Part Two

In yesterday's episode of Arcane Advice, we kicked off a four-part series on the celebrated art of dungeon running by taking a look at the finer points of opening a mob fight, or pulling. Join us now as we enter...

Part Two – Combat

Ok, you’ve marked targets, assigned CC, determined an off-tank and off-healer and made your pull. Now, if things go well, you are going to lay waste to the mob(s) before you, claim their loot, and celebrate a well-earned victory. But sometimes it isn’t as easy as tanking and spanking your way to glory. In this edition of Arcane Advice, we take a closer look at some important things to consider when entering the world of dungeon combat.

What’s Your Threat? It’s easier than ever to monitor your aggro production now that patch 3.0.x comes with a built-in threat meter. There are even built-in text warnings when your threat gets too high. To set your threat meter, go into your user interface, select the Combat menu, and take a look at your options. You can choose to have your threat meter display when in a party group, a raid group, or only in dungeons.

Talk. Whether you’re using voice chat or typing on your keyboard, communicating while in combat is a very difficult but critical skill to master. Among the communications issues which may crop up during combat are the following:

• Fight strategy changes, identifying phases of boss fights, or determining if someone needs to jump in on a different role.
• Letting the group know when it’s safe to jump in after the pull without drawing aggro, or if the group should use certain spells or abilities to help make the tank's job easier.
• Keeping each other informed when a player needs help escaping adds, if they notice adds joining the fight, or when CC abilities break or run out of time.
• Figuring out what happens when there's a wipe coming on.

Know When to AoE. Nearly every class has access to one or more “area of effect” (AoE) spells, many of which are indispensable in dungeons, if used properly. But as you might expect, the proper use of AoE spells varies from instance to instance. Generally, if you’re using AoE abilities during a fight, you shouldn’t be using CC abilities, and understandably so. Most crowd control breaks on damage, and some crowd control, like Polymorph, actually forces the mob to wander aimlessly, which can accidentally bring your sheep into the path of an incoming AoE spell. However, some fights are virtually impossible without AoE abilities. Just make sure all members of your party know when to CC, when to AoE, and when, on rare occasions, to do both at the same time.

Everyone’s a Hybrid. Druids, Shaman, Paladins, and Priests are famous for their abilities to fulfill multiple roles in combat. For years now, the so-called hybrid classes have strengthened the groups they join by acting as jacks-of-all-trades, characters who can easily shift between tanking, DPS, or healing, and pick up the slack when things start to go foul in combat.

While these classes are more likely to be successful at jumping in to save the day at a critical juncture, the new talent trees have given every single class more nifty tricks to play with and new ways of approaching combat. What this means, however, is that from now on every class, not just the so-called hybrids, needs to approach combat with a flexible mindset. For example:

• Devote one hotbar to “off-spec” abilities. Sure, you may not use it much, but in the case of unforeseen enemy magical resistances or the sudden death of your tank or healer, having all of your rarely-used abilities available at a glance can save the day.
• Use your professions and possessions to their utmost. Many items have some application in battle. Obscure potions, sticks of dynamite, fighting pets, trinkets, stones, and elixirs can all turn the tide in your favor.
• Don’t let your armor class dictate your role. We’ll be talking more about wiping in the next episode, but for now, consider this: when the bits hit the fan, you’re better off if you approach your role as something malleable, than if you fit yourself into just one of the tight little boxes of DPS, healing, or tanking. As a mage, I have even used a rough-shod combination of my Water Elemental ability, my Ice Barrier, my Mana Shield, and copious amounts of Cold Snap and Ice Floes to tank a boss when all hell breaks loose. Sure, sometimes it doesn’t work, and we wipe anyway, but I’ll happily charge into close range with a boss, spells blazing if the tank is down and we’re trying to avoid a wipe.

Join us next time for a discussion of what to do when everything goes pear-shaped. Part Three – Wiping is coming up!

Arcane Advice: A Mage’s Perspective on Dungeon Running, Part One

DPS classes don’t always get asked their opinions on running dungeons. As a priest, I was commonly asked about such things as pull numbers, mind control, boss resistances, and the need for a secondary healer, but as a mage I’ve generally just rolled up to the instance, blasted my way through some enemies and gone home. In fact, I usually wind up asking the groups I’m in for feedback, such as when to AoE, how much time the tank needs to build aggro, whether I am sheeping before or after the pull, and which adds need to be DPSed down first.

Nevertheless, running any dungeon, unless you’re decked out in level 70 gear running Ragefire Chasm, is a team effort. With the recent talent tree changes, new options have opened up for all classes. And with ten new levels to explore in Northrend, many dungeon groups are featuring “off-spec” healers and tanks, or DPSers spec’d more for leveling than they are for raiding. It’s a new game for all of us, and many of us are using this new time to “re-learn” our classes. Now, more than ever, we all need to be informed, flexible and strategic about working with others in a dungeon environment. To that end, this guide attempts to provide “food for thought” for all dungeon-goers out there. Good luck!

Part One – The Pull

The basis of any successful pull is communication. Who is killing what? In what order? What happens if the boss suddenly polymorphs the healer? What if the boss can duplicate herself? These and many other questions can and should be asked before the pull happens, because the pull, its engineering and strategy, may be the single most important part of any dungeon run.

Marking. Marking is usually taken to be par for the course in guild groups and among people who know each other, but it isn’t always used in PUGs and it should be. While marking can be hard in a new dungeon where no one knows their way, and is often assumed to be “elementary” in groups where most members have run it before, it never hurts the party, can often prevent a wipe, and ensures that every party member, no matter who they are, knows what they should be doing at all times. Tips for marking:

• Mark Kill Order. This prevents “mis-targeting” for those party members who are inferring what they should be killing by targeting what the tank is currently fighting, and helps to prevent “down time” for DPSers who are wondering what their next target should be.
• Mark Crowd Control. Each class capable of CC should have their own, pre-agreed symbol during combat. All classes capable of continuing CC through subsequent casts should set their CC target as their focus and work pro-actively to ensure that their target stays out of commission until the tank has deemed it ready to be killed.
• Stick to Your Marking. We’ve all seen it before. The warlock DoTs the mage’s sheep, the mage casts frost nova and breaks the hunter’s freeze trap, the priest MCs the secondary DPS target and the warrior uses their AoE ability on the priest’s shackled undead. The bottom line: target the mob to which you’ve been assigned!

Order and Direction. Every pull is different. Some pulls require a break in line of sight. Some pulls should be started via a Polymorph or Mind Control spell. Sometimes the hunter pulls the mob back to the party. Sometimes the tank charges ahead and takes the fight to the mob.

With all of these different factors, party members need to be flexible when tackling the pull. But all pulls should have the following things in common: a pre-determined person executing the pull, and a designated spot where the mob is being tanked. Some questions your party will need to answer in determining the order and direction of your pull:

• Is CC happening before or after the pull? And on a related note, if your mage or priest is opening the pull with their CC, how are you going to get aggro off of them and back to where it should be?
• If the puller is leading the mob back to the group, where does the group need to stand so they won’t get hit by any secondary damage abilities? This is extremely important in boss fights, where a single AoE from a boss can down cloth-wearing healers and crowd-controllers.
• Is the fight going to involve movement on the part of any of the players involved? If the tank is moving, how can healers maintain line of sight? And if everyone needs to move, how can the party maintain DPS and healing efficiency while running around the room?

Know Your Crowd Control. Not only is marking targets an important part of crowd control, so is knowing which targets can be CC’d by which classes:

• Druids can Hibernate beasts and dragonkin.
• Hunters can Freeze Trap just about anything.
• Mages can Polymorph humanoids and beasts.
• Paladins can use Repentance on humanoids, demons, dragonkin, giants and undead.
• Priests can Mind Control humanoids, and can Shackle undead.
• Rogues can Sap humanoids.
• Warlocks can Banish elementals and demons.

For a more complete listing of who can CC what, visit wowwiki.com.

Contingency Plan. While this may seem like over-thinking the pull, figuring out what everyone is going to do when things go southward can save time after a wipe, or even avoid a wipe altogether. Contingency plans vary depending on class, on dungeon, even depending on profession. Some general tips on creating a contingency plan:

• Assign players responsible for CCing or for DPSing adds. In boss fights, incoming monsters can wipe the heartiest of parties unless someone is ready to get rid of them quickly.
• Who helps the healer? If the healer pulls aggro, who can step in and get mobs off the healer efficiently? If the healer goes down, who can act as back-up?
  
• Determine the off-tank. In the event of the tank going down, who’s going to jump in and attempt to keep the boss occupied?
• Use resurrect abilities proactively. This includes all class abilities (soulstones, self-resurrection, etc.) and also the Goblin Jumper Cables made by engineers.

Stay tuned for next edition of Arcane Advice, when we take a look at: Part Two – Combat.