MrT

So, wow. The guild tried Magister's Terrace on Sat night, for the first time as a guild. (Various individual members had tried PUGs before, with disastrous results. Serves them right for not waiting for us, IMHO.)

We are a small guild and a good team. We have gotten used to cleaning out instances quickly and efficiently. Coming in as spoiled as we were, MrT was a rude awakening. We went in at around 10pm, and finally gave up (at the 6-pull before the final boss) around 1:30am or so. I lost track of how many times I died, but I had to repair twice.

It was humbling. I sure felt humble. I also felt undergeared, slow, and useless as a warlock. The 5v5 "PvP" fight was the worst--I had the responsibility to keep Curses of Tongues, Curses of Exhaustion, Fear, Howl of Terror, Death Coil and my felhunter's Spell Lock on all five targets. Which meant that I needed to be able to tell within a split second of targeting something whether it was a caster or melee, whom it was targeting at that moment, what it was doing, and what the key-binding was for the appropriate spell -- and then tab to the next target and make all the same snap decisions.

Well, I won't go into greater detail because many blogs have already done so. But I did come up with two tips:

(1) On the Vexallus fight (second boss), don't bother keeping off the platform and away from the boss, because although you may (MAY) avoid the chain-lightning, you can't avoid the Overload ability which does damage to all players regardless of position. And if you're sitting on the floor while he's on the platform, you'll be stymied in your attempt to cast spells on him many times by being told "not in line of sight" (even if you can actually SEE him). Then you'll waste precious DPS seconds running up onto the platform to get Vexallus into "sight." So stay up on the platform from the beginning.

(2) Magisters are not seducable. Neither are the mini-bosses who come with Priestess Delrissa (third boss).

Anyway, we were too demoralized to try again last night, but I really need to best this instance for a few reasons. First, because like Wyanna, I hate being "beaten by a computer." Second, because I gave Wyanna (and other guild members) so much crap for PUGing without the guild... and then the guild couldn't do any better. Third, the loot is so sweet. Have already secured myself a Band of Arcane Alacrity and am ever-hopeful for other nice things from Kael'thas himself.

Maybe tonight? Wish us luck.