The blog is Soulstoned !

I have been lost for a month. I had a conjuction of Family issues, Piles of Work at the Office, and end of semester Exams. I just didn't have the time to post.

I raid 2 days a week, friday and sunday nights, most times 7 hours. This month I raided only 2 days. My Guild has been having a hard time with our second 10 man group, and our main 10 man group seems to be stuck on progression. So the few time I had to play, was spent dealing with those problems with the other Officers.

Small guilds have not very forgiving rosters, I'm the main tank on my 10 man group, and we have an always changing off tank, for a complex amount or reasons. My 10 man group got stuck on the sames fights  while those changing off tanks filled my place as main tank.

Time has for as long as I can remember, been my worst enemy. I just don't enough time. Stubborn from Sheep the Diamond, used the term "Part Core Gamer" (He might get copyrights on this...), to describe how he approaches WoW, and its very close to how I approach WoW too.

Getting the best of the time I have, and using it effectively, to cover School, Work, Guild Manahing, Raid Leading, PvPing and last but probably the most important thing, Finding a Girlfriend (I broked up recently, and it lasted 4 years so I'm on a weird place right now). Thats why I haven't post, and a lot of interesting stuff is happening right now.

As of now most things keeping me  from posting, seemed to have gone away. I was about to come back, but an oportunity for a Trip to Korea appeared, its not vacations tough, I'm visiting the Hyundai Construction Equipment factory, but hey a trip to Korea its a trip to Korea, right ?, so I'll be delaying my return.

I end my post with some interesting Paladin information covered by other and more experienced bloggers. And with the promise of returning next week for good.

The Paladin tier 12, was one of the topics I intended to cover, yet I like Bubbles covered already.

I have been working on a Protection Paladin simple Guide, but Rhidach, from Righteous Defense does it masterfully, and has some insight on Nefarian.

Paladin Master Ophelie from The Bossy Pally and the Giant Spoon, talks about Holy Mastery.

Guild Happenings: Lost in Translation

As an Officer, you are in many ways a Guide for your Guildies. Specially if your in a "casual" and friendly Guild, and particulary if you accept some leveling players. I try my best to help my Guildies in the things they need, and I really feel it is my responsability as and Officer to look for those leveling players in particular. As a result, a lot of my Guildies often recur to me when in doubt.

Once upon a time I had a Guildie who had just started playing, so naturaly, he asked a lot of questions. One day he had a quest wich send him to Tarren Mill, and He didn't know where Tarren Mill was, and so he asked me, but for you to understand or rather enjoy what happened, let me give you some background information.

I'm Mexican, and I play in a Latin Server, most of my Guildies only speak Spanish, and play with the Spanish Game Client, I don't. Most of the translations are quite literal. wich end up being lame, and the voice acting is spanish it's just meh. I mean Scourgelord Tyranus "Power Overwhelming" was nice, but in Spanish Señor de la Plaga Tyrannus "Poder Abrumador" was just plain bad. That's why sometimes when I'm asked about something, I just don't know what they are referring to, and somethings are translated quite different. The conversation happened in Spanish, but in order for you to undestand it, i'm going to translate it, as best as I can. My Guildie has the Client in Spanish, and I in English, but for things to make sense, lets say it was au contraire. For the Conversation imagine I have the Client in Spanish and my Guildie in English (I think I'm being redundant here). Hoping it stands true, to what it was in Spanish.

Troubled Guildie: Excuse me Visita (Me), do you know where Tarren Mill is?
Me: Mmm my bad I don't know what is Tarren Mill, you see I have the Game in Spanish. How is it in Spanish, or link me the quest in Guild Chat.
12 Seconds Later
Troubled Guildie: Podrias decirme donde esta Tarren Mill?
20 Seconds later (I just couldn't stop laughing)
Me: I needed the name of the place in Spanish, but give a few secs I'll look for it.
Troubled Guildie: Oh.... my bad
15 Seconds Later
Me: It's on Hillsbrad Foothills, Just pass Silverpine and keep following the Road, Tarren Mill is near a River, a bit to the North, almost in the Middle of the map.
Troubled Guildie: Ok ty, Visita.

To date I start laughing everytime I remember what happened, but that is one of the little satisfactions you get when helping new players, and everyone one of us was new at some point. I have had a lot of different Guildies, but that guildie won my friendship in that moment. If you take leveling players on your Guild, and they are really new, help them, it's not always easy, but you might end feeling the excitement you felt when you were new to the game, just by hanging with them.

This how the Conversation really happened:

Guildie: Oye visita podrias decirme donde esta Molino Tarren?
Yo: Molino Tarren?, puedes decirmelo en Ingles o linkear la quest en el Guild Chat; es que tengo el juego en Ingles
12 Segundos Después
Guildie: Where is Molino Tarren?
20 Segundos Después (No podía dejar de reirme)
Yo: No, me refiero al nombre del lugar, no que me hicieras la pregunta en Inglés. Dame un momento y checo el nombre
Guildie: Aaaaaaa, disculpa XD
15 Segundos Después
Yo: Esta en Trabalomas, debes de cruzar todo el Bosque de los Argenteos por el camino que sale al Sur, y seguir en el. Molino Tarren esta casi a la mitad el mapa, un poco hacia el norte, y cerca de un río.
Guildie: Ok gracias Visita.

Paladin Tales

I was lost within the heroic flow of real life, but somehow manage to be on time for my raid on sunday.

After a wipe with Maloriak, Half the raid somehow reentered the Raid about the same time, and where heading towards the elevator. The elevator was up everybody was running for it, as we were about to get it, it went down. I was the last one of the group and as the elevator began its slow descent, people stopped at the edge and sighed, not me.

I kept on running and jumped, time stood still while as I flew high , until someone started laughing on vent, and even made a "Splut" sound when I was about to land. It took 2 seconds to realize that raider what had happened.

He was waiting for my HP bar to reach 0, when he made the "Splut" sound, only to be replace by the soft and marvelous sound of my Divine Shield as it affected reality creating a space made of light wich negates all damage.

As he went silent, I just said "Pallys are Sexy".....

Notes:

1. There were no druids or engineers with parachutes at that time, and our priest entered before the event happened. One of our mages has the "necesity" of buff everyone with slow fall, hoping for someone to jump and die in boiling magma as once happened to him, thats why everyone stops or made a cancelaura macro.

2. Master Katie Teidrich had illustrated something similar in Dead Fall
3. I had a lot of thing going in the past weeks but im not going anywhere

Dips on the Guild

I've been having some rough times with my Guild, wich at one point, got me thinking some really crazy ideas, as I wondered some of my most basic stand points, but one of them really caught my interest. Before I share it with you, i'm happy to say, my Guild has settle down and we are once again, advancing.

Who owns a Guild?

Is it the GM, the Officers, the Founding Members, the Active Members ?. Imho a Guild is made by the players inside it, and can only be as good as those players made it. Decisions for the Guild should be share with everyone, since it involves everyone, and there should be room for discussion and improvement; thats mostly how I see it. However, drama is something that's just around the corner, and it may happend at any time, and to anyone.

When really big "Guild Drama" happens, in cases where is not a small amount of people argument, and Guild taking sides, I mean cases where everybody is involve, and a lot of different opinions and decisions are being made, or demanded. Where it gets to the point of people leaving, treathing to leave, or asking for some big lead changes.

I have been in some of these cases, and in one of them the GM, just kicked everyone not sharing his point of the Guild, and those who did share it, remained. In others the GM, some Officers, and some Guildies, left the Guild. I even know of one where everyone left.

What to do in those situations, is an individual decision. Each player, enjoy's different things and aspects of the game, and has different schedules, even more important each player, is different and unique, like snow flakes XD. That's why online gaming is not rated by the ESRB, online gaming is like a box of chocolates...

In Cataclysm, Guilds gained more weight. Guild Perks and Achievements award life quality improvers, and some strong raid helpers. Guild matter more, and whats even more important, in order to get those thing, everyone must help to get them. Sure they can be achieved by few dedicated players, yet it still remains a group effort, and those rewards are earned by everyone not just the GM and Officers.

Here's my point. If you are in a Guild with say 30 active accounts, 1 or 2 raid groups, fairly active and helping members, and drama appears. If things come to worst, who gets to call Dips on the Guild?

Since the Guild reached lvl X, and its made of all the members effort, should it be a vote democracy on those hard decisions?, should it be the Officers who contribute and work hard for the Guild?, Is it the GMs right, to kick everyone out, just because he can?.

In Wotlk you just changed the Guild Tag, and if needed everyone could leave and make a new Guild, but in Cata, is the perks, the Gold spent, the TIME spent. Its everyones hard work. I know a GM or Officer can kick everyone out, they rank permit it so,but what I mean is, Is it still just they Call?.

Maybe im just refering more to the Etiquette in game, for Guilds right now. I mean, if a GM kicks everyone or those who want changes in a guild enterily out of spite, its obviously bad etiquette. So how much the guild belongs to everyone?. We have PUG etiquette, wich changes should be made on Guild etiquette, now that what everyone does count more substantially.

Guild hard times in Cata

I'm really sorry for not posting last week, but Real Life issues must be worked fast.

I'm an Officer in a small Guild, yet on Wrath we did good on progression. We had some problems at the end of Wrath with people leaving due to various reasons, yet as Cataclysm approached, we had some new people and some lost raiders returned. We were ready for Cata, or so we tought.

As we leveled up trough the new content, we had some troubles since, theres was only 1 healer and tank, leveling as a healer and tank. Wich limired the amount of people who could run in Guild dungeon groups. I made Protection my raiding spec, and leave my loved Retribution in Hold, as we needed more tanks.

We were gearing faster, with two tanks leading dungeons, but most of our healers, didn't want to heal, "until they got 346 gear", this only made reading slower. We managed to get some healers to step up, and even tough not everyone had 346; I had like 332 Ilvl, we marched into Baradin Hold, and got ourselves a Kill. At the time we were one of the first Guilds, in the server to down the boss.

And so we went to visit Bastion. Halfus had the Slate, Nether, and Storm, we tryed it but failed miserably, and so we went to BWD. Magmaw HP was slowly going down, but the people were doing better each try we did. We had a Awesome start in our raiding, as we had intented before cataclysm started, but "No king rules forever".

For the next weeks we had a "Series of unfortuned events", the other tank was moving to another city so he miss the nex raid, somehow we managed to bring magmaw down, with 4 healers, 1 tank, 5 dps XD. On the second raid day, more people were missing.

For like 2 more weeks raiders were Intermittent, we somehow managed to down Halfus and the Conclave of Wind, wich encouraged the Guild. But the raids didn't feel right.

Our main tank finally moved, but it would take 3 weeks for the telephone company to get him Internet, and was really bussy on his new job. Our GM also moved and was in the same condition, and the PC of an Officer hit the bucket. Leaving the Guild on 2 Officers, a Lock and me.

We were like 16 people ready to raid, but most of them were DPS. I started pushing 2 more tanks to gear fast, we had our guild alchemist farming truegold, for crafted epics. But we could not make and solid raid group, we had different raiders everynight and got stuck on progression. One week we managed to bring magmaw and Halfus, and made some attempts to the Twin Dragons and the Omnotron. But the raids felt heavy and plain. There was always someone not happy about something on a raid. On halfus I got whispers, complaining that the other Tank (Those 2 other tanks I had been helping to gear up) failed. The same thing happened with some healers. I replied, to those whispers, that it was the first time they were doing the fight, and they were our tanks and healers, and that only by raiding will they learn the encounter.

When our main tank finally ot back, we managed to get the Omnotron and the Twin Dragons down. The raid went a really much easier, and people were missing less raid days. Yet impunctality and Loot, were a problem.

We ran EPGP, in Wrath and we had few issues. Most of our raiders passed gear when the person behing them on priority needed more that piece of gear. But as we were getting ready for Cataclysm we made a major guild gathering on Vent, and talk about making a change for the loot system. We (Officers) wanted to give the Gear wich goes on the Hands (Shields, Wands, Off Hands, Weapons, etc) and Trinkets with Loot Council, decided by the Raid Leaders, since it makes a bif differences in performance, in order to make our raid groups more balanced, and everyone agreed.

With all the issues that presented and the people missing, we had apart form those I already explained, 2 more raiders missing, one due to family problems, and the other one because of school, both were healers. And we have 2 more raiders leaving the Guild.

We weren't running the EPGP, because we didn't wanted to hurt so bad those players missing for real life issues, and thats one of the things that has define us as a Guild. But it was about time, the Raid group seemed more solid, and with EPGP the impuctuality will be resolved. We annouced that we were going to start running the EPGP the next raid, and that was when things went south.

Real Server Downtime

I'm sorry for not posting something earlier, real life crit me in the face really hard this week.
If you are out there, and read this, the post will be delivered on sunday, yep sunday morning post.
Theres no such thing as Bubble Hearthing from real live Y_Y.

Can I shake your Hand?

As you probably now Pallys are the most awesome and sexy class, yet I've been finding Pallys who don't use all of their abilities, in particular their "Hand" spells.

Pallys on any spec, have all of the "Hand" spells, and they are there not just to take space on the actions bars, but to be cast at the right time. We are natural friends to everyone, and everybody wants to shake our Hands. You see we were desing for glory.

Knowing when and how to use your "Hand's" makes a big difference, and is on the distinctive traits of a Sexy Pally. Allow me then to share some of my knowledge (As little as it may be).

 Hand of Protection makes the target Immune to Physical Attacks. This spells is one of our most iconic spells and serves as a multi utility tool. "Save the Day" spell. When to use it?

• Some party or raid member manages to be the object of "love" of a loose Add. Works awesome on squishy classes, clothes preferable (Mages have their own shield they are not on top of our priority list, nevertheless don't forget them), our Leafy friends the Druids need protection too, good old Shammys, and help those plate weares too if they are being hit hard, but make the squishier classes your prioritys, specially healers. Be careful on using this on other Pallys, as they will get Forbearance and you'll render them unable to cast the more potent  Divine Shield.
• Some party or raid member is building a deadly amount of treath. Hand of Protection temporary makes the target disapear from the aggro table, but remeber that once the spell fades, they will return to the aggro table. As long as the Hand lasts the target won't be attacked by physical attackers, that won't be the case with casters. Those seconds not gaining aggro should be enough for your tank to out aggro the protected target.
• Prevent Abilities. For an example, when you get the storm drake on the Halfus encounter, one loose Shadow Nova hurts the raid pretty bad and theres always a Shadow Nova at the end of his Furious Roar, in order to interrupt them you can cast the hand on yourself or another raid member (make sure to let them know, and that they can interrupt), you will not be affected by the roar,  giving you the chance to interrupt the nova. Divine Shield does the trick too, but in case you have it on Cd or you are affected by Forbearance, enable other raider, so he can interrupt the Nova. Doing this makes raiders happy.
• Emergency on Arena. If one of your companions ends up being beaten by Melees, act fast. Sometimes its better to cast the Hand before damage occurs; be ready to use it.
• Removing some Physical Debuffs. The spell can remove some nasty physical debuffs, like Harmstring, or the Boiling Blood debuff that Deathbringer Saurfang delivered.
• Bubble Taunt. When you have a boss with 2% health, and 2 secs on the enrage timer, Bubble Up, Taunt, and buy your raid or party some precious little seconds of DPS. You can do this with Divine Shield also, thats true, but if you get someone else from your raid do the Bubble Taunt also (That someone needs to have a taunt, or taun like ability), you can buy even more extra seconds. This is called Double Bubble Taunt, sexy name.

Its me being hit by an angry mob of Pally Haters, see how useful Shields are...

Hand of Salvation this spell reduces the amount of treath. "Somebody is doing it wrong" spell. When to use it?

• Be it that you got a "low treath tank", "big treath dps" or "I can't control mah poweh" raiders, use salvation. Protections Pallys are the only tanks, who can "control" other raiders aggro, you might cover your lead on treath or help and off tank with a particular raider. 
• Holy Palllys not always use Salvation, and its a shame, you have an advantage point by being at range instead of melee and might reach faster, or just reach that far away squishy mage building some nasty aggro, whereas a protection Pally in order to reach him, need to move with the boss following him. 
• If you are a ret Pally, and start off with some cooldowns, you might want to use Salvation in conjuction with those to avoid taking the lead on aggro, and don't forget to help with the treath of raiders if needed. 
• If you Glyph it, instead of reducing some treath over time, completely stops the target from gaining more treath, as long as the spell lasts. It makes the spell instead of a "band aid" a "OMG someone else hit him harder" thing, supposedly the tank.

Hand of freedom makes its target immune to imparing effects, and also removes them. "Who's gonna stop me now" spell. When to use it?

• When a raid or party member is slowed, or glued  by some evil witchcraft and a "Hope Breaking" ability is going to hit them, if they don't move from where they are. For instance the encounter with Asaad in the Vortex Pinnacle. The static cling grounds the target and you need to avoid the supremacy of the storm by positiong yourslef in the "Safe Triangle of Energy", but not much can be done if you are stuck to the ground. Release those poor people.
• When you or a partner in Arena or Bg, are snared by some wrong doers. If you are running away you need to do it fast, and that mage's slow isn't helping, or if you need to deliver some melee punishment, that harmstring might not be making it easier, Free yourself. Don't forget to use it on other players, those extra swings your buddy was landing do make the difference.
• When you want to avoid and ability. On both PvP and PvE, some abilities will snare or inmobilize you, but if you know they are coming, act first, and laugh about their futile intentions. Hunter traps, frostbolts, Static clings, etc.

Hand of Sacrifice you redirect 30% of the incoming damage of your target to yourself. "Take me Instead " spell. When to use it?

• Gargantuan amount of damage is incoming to your tank or other raid/party member. This spell works almost as a Tanking cooldown, but to do so, when you cast the hand on the target, you'll need to cast Divine Shield, Hand of Protection or even a Glyphed Divine Protection, just make sure you use the correct damage reduction ability (Hand of Protection only stops Physical damage), or you might end killing yourslef, or just complicating the situation. Hand of Sacrifice is a really powerful spell and not all Pallys seem to use it, when my guild was doing Festergut 25, we had one tank dying when the Gastric Bloat was on 8, we had 6 pallys on our raid, so we make a chain wit orr Hand of Sacrifice, and made it until the other tank taunt it. It doesn't matter what spec you play, use this spell. If your tank gets chewed by magmaw; if someone is locked with Acquiring Target when magmatron is up; if somebody is about to get hit by a Meteor and somehow finds himself alone on th valiona and theralion encounter; Use it on any mechanic that involves a nasty amount of damage, you can and should make that ability less painful. Show your Pally golden Hearth.
• Works awesome in Bgs or Arenas. You do more damage when you and your teammates are alive, than by yourself; specially if you need a burst kill, those extra hits will get the job done. On Bgs, share the pain with your other companions, when defending a nod, each second you last holding the nod is good. When attacking the enemy army leader, help the guy whos tanking, he and the healers will like appreciate it.
• Breaks Cc. Be that you are on PvE or PvP, you can get yourself out of Cc, with the damage you transfer, kind of like Ozruk shields, wich break his paralysis and let you continue doing your job, or just flee the shatter. On PvP is awesome, if you hear the woosh of a rogue or can't find your opponets, you know they are invisible, or stealthed, land your hand on a buddy, so you may break the Cc that may be about to land; or do so if you feel somekind of Cc is incoming,you need to keep healing or hitting something, don't let an unworthy Cc stop you XD.

Hand of Reckoning this is our Taunt, single taun. "Get over Here" spell. When to use it?

• You see a Mob running towards your squishy friends, use it. You are a plate wearer and you are sexy, mobs respect enemys who wear plate and are sexy, and you'll last longer than your more squishy friends; have the mob until the tanks pick that Mob, the Mob dies or you die, but don't let it get to your healers, if you are a Healer tough, don't do this. Always take good care of your healers, they will take care of you. Don't forget you can also help other squishy dps, they are not as sexy as us, but helping is the way of the Pally.
• This is the Taunt, in the Bubble Taunt maneuever. wich is explained in the Hand of Protection part above, but if the damage the target of the taunt does, is not physical, you'll be better by doing the Bubble Taunt with Divine Shield.
• If a Boss its about to die and you hit the enrage timer, taunt him off even tough you cannot bubble, ask for other taunts, you might just earn some precious seconds for a kill by making the boss run. If you are a Holy Pally, taunt him as fast as you can, you won't be healing much at that point, and you'll need the dps to burn him down, so take the bullet, be a hero (we rock).
• If the Tank made a horrible pull and you are ret, taunt one add, away of the pull and when he's on you, repentance him, make that bad pull more manageable, everybody will be glad you did. Make sure the add you picked can be affected by repentance, otherwise you are making the pull harder

General Rule

Players may only have 1 Hand per Pally at any time, so casting Hand of Protection, followed by Hand of freedom, will cancel the Hand of Protection. Be careful with those casts, you don't want to override a Hand that's doing what is needed, yet you can make use of these restriction. Hand of Protection won't let you cast Physical Abilities, and you might end up locking a DPS from doing their job, true, you can remove buffs by right clicking on them, but lots of players have custum UIs, and a /cancelaura command in the middle of an encounter gets trick; so cast another hand on them, to let them keep doing their job, help them all the way. Be sure to remind a Hand Protected player. that spells can be cast during the shield, so they can keep doing DPS or Healing.


Those are our hands, and using them, may turn you into a hero, or just a good Pally, it's up to you to save the day. Be warned tough that you might turn into the object of adoration of other players, even complete strangers may ask if they can shake your Hand. But fear not my Pally friend, wiser Pallys (/salute, Ophelie did far a better job, than mine with just one spell Y_Y, but since dungeons and raids seem to be more demanding, I tought a quick reminder of our "Hands" was needed) have had this burden for a long time.