Ailis in Hunterland

This post is really directed more for guild raid leaders – the people that herd roughly the same beetles each week.  PuG raid leaders can benefit from the following advice, but you are a completely different species entirely.  My only tiny thing I would say to you guys is let folks roll for loot on their main spec, especially if you asked them to forego their main spec for their second spec so you could complete your raid group.  Letting the druid roll on the kitty legs even though you asked her to come as a tree is no skin off your nose, especially since you wear plate.  If someone is in LFG under two categories, inquire as to which is their main spec, ask if they would mind switching, and assure them they can roll main if they so desire.

Takes 45 seconds.

Trust me.

For the guild raid leaders, whether you’re a veteran raid leader or someone thrust into (or volunteered for) the position, you’re in a very thankless job.  You get to make the calls, decide what boss is next; you have to know what you’re doing (or pretend to anyway) and you get to deal with the asshats.  But it can have its perks and exciting moments.  Guild first kills feel a teeny bit more “yours” when you’re the raid leader and a good night free of drama and loaded with kills makes you feel accomplished.  A good raid leader may not always be well-liked but they are respected, get the job done, and keep the group moving forward.

I’ve learned a few things from my time in the hot seat and time spent observing many different raid leaders and various styles.  Some of this might be a little “duh” for some of you but, hey, grain of salt, okay?

1. Research the Bosses

Duh, Ailis.  Actually you’d be surprised at how many raid leaders don’t research the boss strats.  There are many sites out there dedicated to providing strats, ideas, do’s and don’ts and tips for pretty much every raid boss in the game at the moment.  However, go a step further and ask that everyone in your raid research the boss strats as well.  Post what bosses you want to blow up in your guild’s forums and ask that everyone prepare by looking up at least those specific ones.  Then, at raid when you’re giving out assignments, assume everyone did and speak as such.

“I will call out the injections.  Monkeenutz will be MT.  Lolwut will be on adds.”  *ready check*

You’ll find out real quick who didn’t research the strat.

When you and your raid are prepared with at least a basic knowledge of the fight, it cuts out a lot of the time wasted explaining the fight and everyones role.  I’ve been in some runs where they don’t even ask – they just pull and you either know it or you don’t.  And, should you die to something stupid, you are told.

Repeatedly.

2. Set a Goal in Progression Content

Having a plan for the night shows your raid that you put some thought into the evening.  Tell them what time the raid will stop (if you don’t have a stop time already) and what you would like to accomplish by that point.  If you’re doing multiple bosses or attempting hard modes, set a limit on the number of tries but be flexible.  If you say you’re giving FL+4 five tries but you get him to 2% on the fifth try, be prepared to give it a good ole sixth.

Setting goals gives your raiders a sense of structure and a tangible end point they can focus on.  ”Okay, we’re going to get through Thorim by midnight, not skipping Razor and Ignis, and pick it up with Mimiron on Thursday.”  Quick, simple, easily definable goal and no question as to where you want the group to be by stopping time.

3. Delegate

Being a raid leader means you can tell other people what to do.  But this doesn’t always mean bossing them around.  It means giving out some very key assignments.  For me, I usually put my main tank in charge of his/her own duties plus that of any off tanks (s)he has in the raid.  I also ask the main tank to set the pace of the raid by keeping an eye on healer mana.  75% or higher means pull is coming.  I will also assign one healer to be “in charge” of the other healers and handle healing assignments.  Also, I am rarely master looter – I will give that responsibility to someone else that I trust to abide by the guild loot rules.

By spreading out responsibility, it gives you the ability to focus on the raid performance as a whole and evaluate the team and how it’s progressing.  You can also deal with any drama that creeps up without having to worry about loot taking too long because you’re in tell-hell about what so’n’so did during the last trash pull.

4. Be Vocal

If you are extremely shy or, for some other reason, don’t like talking in vent, I’m sorry but you probably shouldn’t be a raid leader.  You have got to communicate with your raid.  Show them you’re serious about it, have fun with them, be vocal with them at all times.  If you don’t, someone else will and will probably end up taking over your raid.  The more you demonstrate that you’re focused on the raid, the goals, the game-plan and are happy to have everyone there, the more your raid will take you seriously as a raid leader and listen to you more and more often.

Start out the raid by going over your plan for the night, a quick rundown of loot rules if there’s anyone new in the raid, ask if there are any questions, check buffs and get everyone going.  When you wipe, be the first one to ask (as politely and diplomatically as you can) “What went wrong?” and vocally work with your raiders to address the situation.  Sitting there in party chat, officer chat or whispers dealing with an issue while vent is dead silent will only make for uneasy and somewhat impatient raiders.

If you, like me, assign heal leads and tank leads, ask them give out their assignments to their healers/tanks in vent for the raid to hear.  It’s good for the tanks to know who’s healing them and it’s good for the DPS to know when the tanks may be switching targets on some fights.  Even if no one cares who is doing what, you’re covered anyway.

Again, it’s all about structure and perception.  The more you show you care and are serious, the more your raiders will care and get serious.

5. Encourage Out loud – Admonish in Whispers

This is a hard one to tackle but it’s very, very important.  If someone blows up the DPS charts, a quick “great job” in vent will go a long way.  Raiders like pats on the back.  It makes them feel like you were paying attention to them.  If you one-shot a particularly hard boss, some sort of verbal applause is always appreciated.  Cookies, gold stars, blue ribbons, raiders eat them up because, to some extent (large or small) they are there for themselves and to show off.  It may just be a little showing off, but it’s there and acknowledgement of an excellent job of subtly showing off is a good thing.

If someone screws up, is being a jerk or is just not getting it, don’t yell at them in vent unless it’s a last resort.  And I mean Last. Resort.  Nothing will make a raid awkward quicker than a raid leader bitching someone out in vent.  Take it to tells, and, if you have to, shoot a quick message to your MT asking them to keep going while you deal with this.  Letting the MT be the pace setter really helps in these situations.

This is more for 25 man groups.  In a 10 man, this may or may not apply.  If your group is such that yelling at each other in vent is how you roll then go for it.  But in a 25 man situation, keeping it behind the scenes is usually a safer practice.

6. Know Your Teams and Their Classes

Know your raiders both as players and as their class.  Pay attention to their play-styles as much as you can – their strengths and weaknesses.  Do they suck on trash but shine on the boss?  Do they do better with AoE tanking than they do with Single Target tanking?  Do they seem much more at ease healing the raid than healing the tank?

Also, if you play one particular role to the exclusion of the others – always just a tank, just ranged, just melee or just healing – have a basic understanding of what each role does in each fight.  Melee stays away from X and focuses on Y.  Ranged blows up X and then deals with Y if Melee is too slow.  The tanks switch whenever this buff stacks to three.

Finally, have at least a basic understanding of how each class/spec works.  What buffs can they provide and is everyone buffed correctly?  Nothing is more annoying than an Enhancement Shaman asking every ten seconds for Might instead of Wisdom.  What are some of their more important skills?  What unique things do they bring to the raid – totems, hots, aoe, etc.  However, never tell your raiders how to play their class.  I do not care how much, if any, experience you have playing that particular class – if it is not the class you are leading the raid with, don’t pretend to be an expert.  Nothing is more condescending than listening to someone tell another class how to do their job.  If you have advice or want to make sure a specific something is being done on this specific boss (Tremor Totem on Auriaya, for instance) a quick question in vent is all it takes.

7. Change the Scenery

Burnout will creep up quickly especially when you’ve hit a roadblock on a particularly difficult piece of the new content.  As a raid leader, even though you are just as frustrated and tired as the rest of the group, you have to keep a positive attitude.  However, acknowledging the frustration and burnout is a simple as suggesting an alternative raid for the night or an achievement you’ve never done.  There are several fun, yet challenging, ones out there that may provide a bit of relief from the same 40g wipe try after try after try.  Go do something else then come back to it.  You’d be amazed at how much more refreshed everyone feels after running off to down Sartharion really fast then coming back to Mimiron.

8. Be Flexible

Even though you come in with a plan, be flexible and adaptable to changes in the plan.  Even though you watched a particular video on Tankspot, be prepared for someone to have an alternative idea.  Even though you didn’t want to do FL+4, everyone is feeling really optimistic about it and wants to give it a shot anyway.  Remember, you’re raiding as a team – you are a unit with a leader but, as that leader, you need to listen to your raiders and what they want to do as well.  It’s all about finding what works best, what your limits are, where your chemistry lies.

That being said, make it clear that you expect your raiders to be flexible, too.  The strats we have for a lot of the bosses are because some group went in there and tried a few really crazy things, made something up, it worked and someone who was paying attention wrote it down and posted it somewhere.  That does not mean it is the only way.  It may be the way most people do it – it may be one of the only ways that it actually works, but that doesn’t preclude you and your raiders from trying something new.  Ask your raiders to think outside the box and outside their own limits.  Come up with your own strategies sometimes.

9. Maintain Discipline

This one is another hard one.  Yes, your raiders pay money to play the game and, therefore, are “technically” entitled to do whatever the hell they want.  In a raid situation, where you’re supposed to be moving as a team, that only goes so far.  Don’t let your raiders tell you what to do.  Don’t let them treat the raid like an afterthought or “something to do” tonight.  Don’t put up with extended afk’s or impromptu logging out.  I have written on the subject of how raiders should act during raids (even somewhat sarcastically…) and it’s up to you, as the raid leader, to enforce the raiding guidelines that you maintain and that your guild maintains.  Again, enforce them vocally.

It is inevitable, especially in 25-man raids, you will have at least one asshat, one person who complains about such and such rule and how it isn’t fair, one person who ignores the whole “be repaired and bring your own consumables” rule, one person who afk’s for 20 minutes without telling anyone, one person who tries to take over the raid or bosses everyone around.

Be firm in your discipline and adhere to your rules.  Structure gives your raid a sense of organization and less chaos in the hectic frenzy of downing a new boss.

10. Remember, it’s a Game for Some, a Hobby for Others, and a Job for the Crazy Ones

There will be all levels of players in your raid at times from the very casual to the very hardcore and it’s up to you to find a balance and to know which general direction your raid is leaning towards.  It’s also up to you to figure out (if you haven’t already) which category you fit into.  If you’re more of a casual player but find your raid group is leaning towards the more hardcore, then maybe leading smaller raids or non-progression raids is more suited to your tastes.  If you’re more hardcore and your raid group is more casual, first find out if it’s just a lack of enthusiasm and discipline and then decide if it’s the group you want to be raid leading after all.

Raid leading can be very stressful, disheartening and hard.  A lot of things are your fault either directly or indirectly or actually not at all.

It’s also very rewarding and can be a lot of fun and give you a great sense of accomplishment and success.  When you hit that point where the group is cohesive and focused and is plowing through content and finishes the raid feeling good about the events and not really minding the repair bill so much, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

Remember, raiding is a team effort.  If your whole team isn’t there with you, it’s time to figure out how to make that happen.