The epic post that wasn’t.

I should be writing an epic blogpost about our eleventh hour triumph over Professor Putricide.  

It was set up so perfectly:

One unsuccessful attempt remaining before retreat?  Check.

Trash respawns 15 minutes before the raid was scheduled to end?  Check.

Twenty-five players eager to press on anyway?   Check.  (And much <3 to you for that, Surreality!)

All three tanks with glyphed taunts, to prevent another string of unfortunate late Phase 3 resists?  Sigh.  Check.

A near flawless Phase 1, with masterfully controlled starts and stops?  Check.

An even nearer-to-flawless P2?  Check.

Every single raider alive(!) with no slimes active(!!) going into Phase 3(!!!)?  Check.

The dramatic last second kill?  

...

... ...

... ... ... ...

... ...

...

Try: our third sub-1% wipe of the evening (which would have been heartbreaking enough if an earlier attempt hadn't taken us within 28K lousy HP of a victory).  As Elamism points out, that's one kill shot. 

(Fucking hunters.  Do work!)

I love this fight.

But I hate it.  So.  Hard.

... Still, I'm not quite as discouraged as Stumpy.  Don't worry, Stumpy!  The Plagueworks is merely a setback.

LF1M.

Since the best tree evar came to us via the nebulous "blogosphere," I thought I'd throw this out there as well: Surreality is recruiting a warlock for a core raid spot!   (Believe it or not, Demonology is preferred.)

 The Superforsaken Azargoth took a temporarily leave of absence a few weeks ago, ostensibly to start a rock band (although we suspect it actually had do with a compromised secret identity and black krpytonite).  His handpicked replacement — a nicely geared affliction 'lock sporting the Death's Demise title above his undead cranium — turned out to be looking for a more "hardcore experience" and transferred off-server... so, once again, we find ourselves combing the Drag, the Underbelly and other dark nooks and crannies for a suitable successor.

There are no other warlocks in our raid.  If you join, I can give you my solemn promise: No one will ninja your soul shards!

About Surreality

Surreality is an adult raiding guild on US-Black Dragonflight — Horde-side, of course! 

Since we don't recruit anyone under the age of 18 (Sorry!), our members are all adults.  (Note that adult != mature, as a few minutes on our Vent server will no doubt remind you.  >.>)  Most of us are balancing college or grad school with careers and families, so we strive to make the most of our limited raid time.  As a guild, we pride ourselves on "serious raiding on a casual schedule."

Twenty-five man raids take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 9:30 PM to 12 midnight, Eastern Standard Time.  Ten-man raids are optional and occur on offnights: starting this week, we will be running two ICC10 groups, including one on Saturday afternoons and another on Sunday evenings.   A third group, tentatively scheduled for Mondays at 9:30 PM, is also in the works.

Our current progression is 5/5 ToGC 10, 4/5 ToGC 25, 9/9 ICC 10 and 7/9 ICC 25.

Our Expectations

We're looking for someone in ToC10 gear, at a minimum.  (We've been flexible about gear requirements in the past, but there's no reason not to have T9 equivalent gear at this point.)  ICC experience is preferred but not required.  25-man experience is preferred but not required.  Situational awareness, enthusiasm for hard-mode content, a positive attitude and the ability to take constructive criticism gracefully — and then act on it! — are absolutely required.

For more information about Surreality, please visit our website (surreality-guild.com), e-mail me at elleiras [at] altadin [dot] com, or look for Liluye (or Larissyn or Sarielle or Ihlana!) in game.

I now return you to your non-scheduled blogging hiatus ...

Finally, a DPS race!

We one-shot the Lower Spire last night but didn't quite manage to down Rotface — which I'm actually thrilled about.  No one likes wipes or repair bills for their own sake, but finally coming up against a fight that we couldn't master in one night?  Awesome.

... Heroic Anub'arak doesn't count, by the way.  >.>  We run exactly one block-capable tank, and he seems to be vacationing in Rio or — inexplicably — North Dakota every other weekend.

Anyway, I imagine Rotface will fall fairly quickly tonight, and then it will be on to Festergut: the first real DPS race we've encountered since hard-mode Assembly of Iron.  I'm really, really looking forward to it — not because I can't wait to win Recount (I'm a healer :p), but because it will force a hard DPS threshold on a handful of consistently underperforming raiders.

See, I'm one of those soft-hearted guild leaders who thinks effort matters.  Still can't break 5K DPS on a stationary fight?  Don't worry about it.  Just try harder.  Moar and Azargoth and Neville will carry you.  /pat

But on Festergut?  On Festergut, my consolatory "E" for Effort can very easily become a one-way ticket to Group 6.  Barely edging ahead of the tank?  Sorry.  Log some time with the target dummies and try again next week — if I haven't replaced you by then.

... I sound awful, don't I?  No, don't lie: I know I do.  It's just that after months of feeling obligated to carry people simply because I can (and because I like them; I genuinely like everyone in my guild — even the rogues, although if anyone asks, I'll deny it), I'm relieved to have an excuse to stop that won't make me feel mean.