MMQB: Island Edition

 Anub'arak, Guild, MMQB, Progression Raiding, Raiding, Trial of the Crusader  No Responses »
Nov 302009
 
I’m on vacation in St. Thomas this week, so I won’t being doing much blogging.  I was fortunate to squeeze in a TotC (25) run before I left for vacation.  I was even more fortunate to snag Talonstrike.  I still want the gun from Onyxia (25), but I certainly feel better now.

I ran TotC (25) with a guild I’m hoping to join.  You’d think topping their meters and out-dpsing their best geared hunter (who was better geared than me) would warrant an instant invitation regardless of spot availability.

It appears the Darkbrew effect is alive and well.  This works in one of two ways,
  1. Groups that wipe several times on a boss and then pull me into the run usually one-shot the boss on my first attempt.  This has happened for Ony 10/25, Iron Council (25) and Hodir (25).  Probably some others too.
  2. Raid teams I’m on that are unable to progress past a certain point will have breakthrough while I’m on vacation.  This has happened in Naxxramas and now TotC (25).  Congratulations on downing Anub, and you guys suck!

Ten Things I’m Thinking About

  1. Failures on Anub (25) have cost me 24 badges, 8 chances at trophies, and opportunities to get Leggings of the Lurking Threat, Archon Glaive and Belt of Deathly Dominion.
  2. I both love and hate that my guild got Anub down in TotC (25).
  3. Other than badges there is no reason for me to run TotC (10), VoA (10), or Onyxia (10).
  4. Patch 3.2 has been my favorite patch of this expansion.  I finally caught up to the Joneses.
  5. I don’t think patch 3.3 will drop this week, but it’s safe to say we’re officially on patch watch from here on out.
  6. I’m looking forward to getting my Runed Band of the Kirin Tor.  Nice way to ring in patch 3.3.
  7. My GM has asked me to tutor a couple of Hunters.  I told him okay, but only if they want to be tutored.
  8. We recorded episode 15 of the Hunting Party Podcast.  No guest this week, just Euripides, Frostheim and I talking.  I missed the first half of the show because I was raiding.  It was, of course, the best half of the show.
  9. My wife is a real pro at travel planning and packing.  I got to raid the night before our trip as a result of this.
  10. Island internet is still better than no internet at all.  Not by much though.
 Posted by Darkbrew at 11:26 pm

ICC Preview: Gunship Battle

 Boss Strategies, Boss Strategy, Gunship Battle, Hunters, ICC Preview, Icecrown Citadel, World of Warcraft  1 Response »
Nov 272009
 
This is real simple, if you don’t want to know squadoosh about the Icecrown Citadel raid then don’t bother reading this article.  My definition of a spoiler, however, is going into a raid encounter not knowing what to do, so I’ve been doing a little homework on the first four bosses that will be available when patch 3.3 is released.

Today’s article is about the Gunship Battle, the third encounter you’ll face.

I’ve got one word for this one – Jetpacks!  Between that and my Hand-Mounted Pyro Rocket I move closer to becoming Boba Fett every patch, but I digress. This Gunship Battle has the makings to be one of the most fun encounters in the game.  I enjoyed the vehicle encounter in Ulduar, I think this will blow that away.

Basically the raid will be split into two main groups: Ship Defenders and Boarding Party.  The breakout of the groups will be similar to Thorim in Ulduar.  The ship defenders are your AOE specialists and the boarding party are your strong single target dps.  As hunters we can probably be in either group. The boarding party gets to use the jetpack so I will stage my own mutiny fly there regardless of my assigned group.

Also some raid members will get to man the ship’s cannons which will be key in destroying the enemy ship.

Anyway check out the video and read through the available strategy information and get ready for Icecrown.

My Thoughts For Hunters
  • The adds on the enemy ship are great for single target DPS.  This means we will likely get to use our jetpacks and fly over to the enemy vessel.



Resources



Loot

Things a Hunter might want.

Item iLevel Item Type Slot Source
Icecrown Rampart Bracers 251 Mail Wrist 10-man
Pauldrons of Lost Hope 251 Mail Shoulder 10-man
Scourge Hunter’s Vambraces 264 Mail Wrist 25-man

 Posted by Darkbrew at 11:58 am

ICC Preview: Lady Deathwhisper

 Boss Strategies, ICC Preview, Icecrown Citadel, Lady Deathwhisper, Raiding, World of Warcraft  No Responses »
Nov 252009
 
This is real simple, if you don’t want to know squadoosh about the Icecrown Citadel raid then don’t bother reading this article.  My definition of a spoiler, however, is going into a raid encounter not knowing what to do, so I’ve been doing a little homework on the first four bosses that will be available when patch 3.3 is released.

Today’s article is about Lady Deathwhisper, the second boss you’ll face.

Please note that this is just one of three videos that folks over at Tank Spot recommended for viewing.

Unlike Marrowgar this fight is going to be a real test.  It’s all about getting to Phase II.  Phase I looks like a real cluster with lots of adds running around.

Crowd control will be useful (especially priest’s Shackle ability).  Also focused targeting of certain adds will be important.  Players will get mind controlled and will need to be CC’d when that happens.  All of these things are part of Phase I.  If you make it to phase two the fight becomes more or less a tank and spank.

Resources

My Thoughts for Hunters

  • Phase I requires a ranged tank, but I do not think Hunters will be used to fill this role.
  • We’ll be trying to burn down her mana shield.
  • We’ll be DPSing adds
  • We may have to help with CC on both adds and MC targets.
  • Oh and stay out of the green stuff.

Loot

[EDIT: Since I published this article MMO-Champion updated their database with items from this boss]

Item iLevel Item Type Slot Source
Handgrips of Frost and Sleet 251 Mail Hands 10-man
Njordnar Bone Bow 251 Bow Ranged 10-man
Leggings of Northern Lights 264 Mail Legs 25-man

 Posted by Darkbrew at 10:58 am

ICC Preview: Lord Marrowgar

 Boss Strategies, Boss Strategy, ICC Preview, Icecrown Citadel, Lord Marrowgar, Patch 3.3, Raiding, World of Warcraft  No Responses »
Nov 242009
 
This is real simple, if you don’t want to know squadoosh about the Icecrown Citadel raid then don’t bother reading this article.  My definition of a spoiler, however, is going into a raid encounter not knowing what to do, so I’ve been doing a little homework on the first four bosses that will be available when patch 3.3 is released.

Today’s article is about Lord Marrowgar, one of the first bosses you’ll face.

Here is a video from one of the PTR encounters.  It’s also featured in the pre-guide from Tank Spot.  Based on what I’ve read so far, this seems like a pretty straight forward introductory encounter.  It looks as if competent raid groups should be able to take him down on their initial attempts.  He is also one of the bosses featured in the new weekly raid quests.

Resources

My Thoughts for Hunters

  • We’ll need to be on the lookout for Cold Flames that shoot out.  As ranged we should have plenty of time to avoid them.
  • We need to be ready to dps folks trapped in the Bone Spike Graveyard.
  • We need to move out of the way of his whirlwind while still watching out for Cold Flames.
  • No CC or adds to deal with so it’s pretty much about raid awareness.

Loot

Things a Hunter might want.

Item iLevel Item Type Slot Source
Linked Scourge Vertebrae 251 Mail Waist 10-man
Snowserpent Mail Helm 264 Mail Head 25-man
Band of the Bone Colossus 264 Miscellaneous Finger 25-man

Marrowgar loot list from MMO Champion (at least what’s been discovered thus far).
 Posted by Darkbrew at 1:38 pm

MMQB: Gear Score

 Ammo, Gear Score, Hunter Loot, Icecrown Citadel, MMQB, Ranged Weapons, Trial of the Crusader  2 Responses »
Nov 232009
 
Another Monday, and another week of raiding comes to a close.  Last week I predicted we’d have four hunters on our VoA/Ony run.  I was wrong we had five.  Thanks to a healer shortage on Saturday we only had three hunters for our TotC (25) run.  No hunter loot this week. Hunters are close on gear, but not on dps.  This much competition combined with open role, combined with me only needing a few items, doesn’t bode well for getting what I need before Icecrown arrives.

It doesn’t help that our strategy for Anub (25) is all wrong.  Of course it’s all wrong because our middle to bottom dps is atrocious.

Gear Score

Stuff I Need* Gear Darkbrew
Giant’s Bane 1 0
The Diplomat 1 0
Talonstrike 1 0
Rifled Blastershot Launcher 1 0
Death’s Verdict 1 0
Lupine Longstaff 2 0

* Note:  these are things I’ve seen drop, but haven’t won.

Ten Things I’m Thinking About
  1. If you’re looking for a raiding guild now is the time to step up your search.  TotC 10/25 normal modes maybe puggable now, but they weren’t when 3.2 first came out.  I suspect the same will be true for Icecrown Citadel.
  2. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new ammo in patch 3.3.  Two crystallized earth for 1K bullets and two crystallized Shadow for 1k arrows.  Very cheap to make.
  3. I’m coming to the realization that my next ranged weapon upgrade might actually come from ICC (5) heroic.
  4. I used rail against DKP systems; I could really use one right about now.
  5. They say patience is a virtue and that good things come to those who wait.  An in-game friend has asked me to be patient.  Okay, I’ll play your waiting game.
  6. I’m considering having Crusader’s Dragonscale Bracers made.  Unless I start doing TotGC (10) these might fit the bill to start in Icecrown.
  7. I’m also thinking I’ll wait until patch 3.3 hits before I have them made.  I’ll sell my orbs now and then just farm what I need when the patch drops.
  8. I’ve been reviewing the e-mail sent to my spam folder.  I’ve learned two important things about myself.  (1) I have made a profound impression on people that I can’t recall ever meeting, and (2) They’ve all died around the same time.  Creepy, I know.
  9. I upgraded to Windows 7.  I’m getting very good at recovering lost data, not so good at backing it up.  Epic Fail.
  10. I’m going on vacation next week.  Looking forward to catching up on some sleep.

Quote of the Week I

“Just ask Darkbrew.”

This was said to one of the hunters on our Onyxia (25) run.  We had three pallys so he wanted Wisdom to help him with mana issues he was having.  He was told no because the Shammy was handling mana with a totem.  This discussion went on for several minutes.  Finally someone said if you’re having mana issues, just ask Darkbrew.

Quote of the Week II

“I don’t need to ask Darkbrew!”

This was the hunter’s response to quote I.  If dying from a whelp in phase II is your method of conserving mana, then maybe you do need to ask Darkbrew. By the way mana isn’t your only issue, but since you’re not asking then we’re not telling ;)

 Posted by Darkbrew at 11:31 am

I Mourn for Shadowmourne

 Axes, Hunter Pets, Hunter Stats, Hunters, It's All Hunter Loot, Jewelcrafting, Legendary, Shadowmourne, World of Warcraft  2 Responses »
Nov 192009
 
MMO-Champion data mined information about Shadomourne the new legendary axe dropping from ICC.  I play a dwarf hunter and am perfectly capable of wielding an axe.  Apparently Blizzard is well aware of this and has restricted the classes that can use this to Warrior, Paladin and Death Knight.

Now since this is the PTR I’m sure it’s just an oversight and we can expect to see Hunter added to that list.  If not I may have to get in touch with Mr. T and see how good his WoW hacking skills really are.

As a jewelcrafter I’d be perfectly happy loading the three gem slots with Delicate Dragon’s Eye for 102 agility.  And my pet could use the strength, right?  C’mon Blizz!

 Posted by Darkbrew at 12:33 pm

Patch 3.3 – Ammo

 Ammo, Ashen Verdict, Engineering, Gear, Gnomish Engineering, Goblin Engineering, Hunters, Patch 3.3, Raiding  5 Responses »
Nov 182009
 
The speculation appears to over.  The latest PTR build has brought hunters new epic ammo.  It will be made by engineers, but available to all.
  • You need to be honored with the Ashen Verdict to purchase the plans.
  • Bullets require Goblin engineering and Arrows require Gnomish engineering.  This means that a single engineer will only be able to make one type of ammo.  I will probably be Goblin engineering, so please don’t ask me to make arrows.
  • They appear to be cheap to make (and hopefully cheap to buy).  One stack of bullets required two crystallized earth and one stack of arrows requires two crystallized shadow.
  • The ammo does 91.5 dps.

 Posted by Darkbrew at 12:52 pm

The Hunting Party Podcast, Episode 14

 Hunters, Insane Title, Kripparrian, Podcast, Podcasts, The Hunting Party, Won WoW, World of Warcraft  No Responses »
Nov 172009
 

The Hunting PartyHi folks! This week, Darkbrew, Frostheim, and I have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kripparrian, the hunter with the most DPS records. In case you’re wondering how that works, if you go to worldoflogs.com and look at hunter DPS or damage done benchmarks, it’s his name you’ll see there most often. Kripparian is a hunter in the Exodus guild, a major PvE guild with many world firsts under their belt.


[audio http://www.badiator.com/huntingpartypodcast/huntingparty_014.mp3]


If you want to know how he does it, you can (a) listen to this week’s podcast, (b) visit his youtube channel, (c) check out a post Euripides wrote on OutDPS trying to piece together how he manages his cooldowns, (d) check out a similar post by Frostheim about stacking cooldowns and procs, or (e) search fruitlessly for a similar post here at the Brew Hall (hint:  you won’t find one).


In addition to having beaten the PvE game, Kripparian has made (and spent!) hundreds of thousands of gold, has finished every arena season in which he’sparticipated in as a gladiator, and has 10620 achievement points.


As always, here is the iTunes store link, the Hunting Party Podcast feed, and the direct XML feed. If you email us comments or questions, we’ll read them on the next show. Send an email to huntingpartypodcast@gmail.com.


If you don’t do syndicated podcasts, and just want to download this week’s MP3 and play it on your player of choice, click here.

 Posted by Darkbrew at 2:20 pm

MMQB: As Good as it Gets

 Broncos, Loot Rolls, Loque'Nahak, MMQB, Redskins, Trial of the Crusader  No Responses »
Nov 162009
 
Monday has arrived and that means another raid reset is upon us. Patch 3.3 continues to bake in the oven and it seems close to being done.  More raid bosses were tested, the Halls of Reflection are open, and a lot of the yummy loot has been added to the game.  I have to say the Emblem of Frost Hunter gear is looking nice.  It is itemized well, has red and yellow sockets, agility bonuses, and a distinct lack of haste.

Speaking of gear, I’m coming to the realization that that I could be marching on Icecrown Citadel with my current gear set.  Assuming an early December release for patch 3.3 (I’m thinking 12/8), there just aren’t many shopping days left.  Still on the wish list are Ranged, Melee, Legs, Trinket, and Belt; in that order!  I’m going on vacation the week after Thanksgiving, so given my raid schedule that leaves two Onyxia and VoA runs, and one TotC (25) run.  This had better be one heck of a lucky week in terms of drops and rolls, or this may be as good as it gets.

Ten Things I’m Thinking About

1.  There’s no point in me checking the guild calendar every 10-minutes to see how many hunters are signed up for Tuesday’s run.  It may only be two now, but there’s no reason to believe there won’t be four when sign-ups close.

2. I couldn’t make the guild TotC (25) run this week so I pugged with another guild.  New group, same result; Anub lives to fight another day.  Maybe it’s me?

3. Just checked the combat logs, number one on most fights and no deaths except on Anub.  It’s not me.

4. The group I pugged with is going after Anub tonight.  Can’t say the same for my current guild which couldn’t get him down this week either.

5. Anub has three items I could use.  Legs, polearm and belt.  I rolled a 97 on a trophy and lost.  During our run there were a total of four rolls of 100 for various items.  I should probably hope that none of my stuff drops.

6. The guild I pugged with might soon have an opening for a ranged dps class.  I will probably take it.  Finding the right guild is a lot like finding the right company to work for (that’s not necessarily a good thing).

7. Loque’Nahak is the coolest pet ever!  I will have to bring him to face Arthas at some point.

8. My old guild’s forums are dead.  They used to be a lively place where the officers hung out.  My decision to leave was probably the right move.

9. The Redskins suck this year, but they beat Denver (a team with playoff hopes).  Did I mention that my wife’s family is from Denver and are huge Broncos fans? :)

10. My wife and I disagree about how much lettuce should go on sandwich.  Some battles just aren’t worth fighting.  I need an office rabbit.
 Posted by Darkbrew at 3:02 pm

The Hunting Party Podcast, Episode 13

 Euripides, Frostheim, Hard Mode Raiding, OutDPS, Podcast, Podcasts, Quadilious, The Hunting Party, Warcraft Hunters Union  No Responses »
Nov 132009
 

The Hunting PartyHi folks! This week, we interview the guy your raid leader points to when you don’t succeed in your efforts to get out of the fire: Quadilious. He’s a hunter, he’s a quadriplegic, and he raids hard modes. How much more badarse can one get?


[audio http://www.badiator.com/huntingpartypodcast/huntingparty_013.mp3]


As always, here is the iTunes store link, the Hunting Party Podcast feed, and the direct XML feed. If you email us comments or questions, we’ll read them on the next show. Send an email to huntingpartypodcast@gmail.com.


If you don’t do syndicated podcasts, and just want to download this week’s MP3 and play it on your player of choice, click here.

 Posted by Darkbrew at 11:17 am
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