Prepping for 3.2 Raid Style
Patch 3.2 is looming on the horizon with the (final stages?) testing on the Coliseum underway on the PTR as I type this. While the patch may not be dropping a ton in the way of new content, there are some very significant changes coming up that will require your guild, specifically your raid leaders and managers to do a little thinking.
The biggest one, of course, is the emblem changes. In case you’ve been in a barn this whole time, after the patch, all instances that previously dropped Emblems of Heroism and Emblems of Valor will now drop Emblems of Conquest. Yes, that means Heroic Violet Hold, Naxx 10, OS 25, Ulduar 10 and everything in between will now drop Emblems of Conquest. Heroism and Valor can only be obtained by trading down at the vendor.
What does this mean for your guild?
Well, it means a lot of people are going to get geared up really fast in purchased Conquest gear. This includes alts that are on the verge of raiding. In a time where attendance is low and guilds are scrambling to fill key spots in raids, this could be hugely beneficial. Someone have a healer alt that needs a few pieces from the Conquest Quartermaster? Grind a few Heroics and maybe a quick Naxx10 and they’re set for Ulduar.
Be careful, though – this also means that there will be folks walking around in tier 8 gear who may not necessarily function well in a raid or be that experienced. Vet all new raiders thoroughly if you don’t already. Run with ones you don’t know before inviting them to your guild to make sure they’re an experienced raider and a valuable addition to your raid team and not a freshly minted 80 who spent a week straight grinding heroics.
Burnout is at an all time high right now, which is contributing to the attendance issues. While guilds are trying to schedule 25 mans, they are more often than not coming up short and either having to cancel or fall back onto 10 mans. If alliances aren’t a viable option for your guild during the slow season, falling back on 10 mans or even 5 mans won’t be as huge of a step backwards since the emblems will still garner you tier 8 loot and these instances will be an excellent source of shards and crystals for your enchanters.
Do what you can to make it fun, though. Even at the prospect of top level emblems, some raiders may balk at returning to Naxx or heroics. I myself am not really keen on dancing with Heigan for the umpteenth million time. Make it an achievement night. Go after Sarth with multiple drakes. Form Heroic teams for the purpose of getting red proto-drakes. Make up your own guild achievements. A prize for the person who can run naked the furthest through the room after Heigan. A prize for the top DPS on Patchwerk. Something silly and fun.
The Coliseum will be bringing a whole new set of loot levels and a viable alternative for alts and new 80′s gearing up as the 5 man version will drop iLevel 200 gear. Form teams for all levels of the Coliseum, go after achievements, do timed runs, make it a spectator sport, there are a million things you can do.
Finally, as a raid leader, briefly go over any and all class changes incoming and see what, if anything, will change in your current raid makeup. Are the Death Knight changes going to affect your tanks? Are the new druid forms so enticing that your Owlbear is now a Kitty? Will a key member be upset he was nerfed so now he’s playing his alt?
Be as prepared as you can because, while there’s not a lot in terms of volume of changes and content, the ones that are coming down the pipe are very significant and could change the way your guild raids.
