Wednesday 30 January 2008

Level 33

DefiantI dinged 33 yesterday, after a short spell of questing. And decided i will stick to my resto spec all the way through to 70. Reasons, i want to start as i mean to go, i did try the feral tree and struggled with staying alive sometimes, however the benefits of the resto tree (since respeccing) have saved my butt a few times already, especially the talent where you get free energy / rage when shifting into a form. And since this is a true journal of leveling to 70, doing it in resto build makes it more ...interesting. Oh and i took swift mend as my 33 talent.

I just started in shimmering flats above Gadgetzan. It wont be long until level 35, i remember doing this place a few times and its fairly easy. And then probably a bit of STV later.

With 50g, level 40 and a mount isnt going to be too much hard work. Although i am addicted to travel form.

My gear is pretty ok for now, but its all mostly Stamina anf Agility, i like questing in cat form, and switching to Bear if it looks like im in trouble. Trouble is, i need a nice looking hat...that egg cup thing is shamefull.
I led Tuatha through Kara again last night, and we brought along a resto druid (Clamora), nice guy. And the lifeblooms where in abundance like a sea of banana's for a monkey to bathe in. A real difference in healing, and i never..really had to stop the raid for a mana break through curator and the trash up to the Chess event. I had to remember about the group buff though, and had to place him into the tank group for the bonus, something i didnt know about, another thing learned though.

Thursday 24 January 2008

Im a Bear, a Panther, a Lepard, a Sea Lion, an Elf (and a Bird) and eventually a tree

I remember being in bear form, for Lakeshire. Elf, for Ashenvale. Sea lion while running away from the horde in Arathi Basin. Travel form, for going from A to B. And Catform for leveling.
Again, i was raid leading as my paladin. Not enough healers to come again, and still, in protection spec, pimped to the nines in epic and blue healing gear, i found myself thinking of the druid, tree form. Our resident, and very capable druid Kiddman, was main tank.

As a GM and Raid Leader, i can see the strengths of each class, spec, and player. It is a shame that the bleed effect of the catform is wasted (in most parts) in Karazhan, to show there true DPS. Tanking wise, the druid is victim to the rage vs aggro problem for the first 5 seconds of the initial fight. Tanking alongside a Paladin tank, the Pala has to allow the aggro to build on the druid, and allow the rage to generate to share the aggro between them both, and this can be quite tricky to keep balanced. While the DPS and Healing group jump about re-positioning as the boss spins between them. My guild is used to me tanking and throwing huge aggro down within 5 seconds of the fight, and i see the showbolts and fireballs whoosh over my head. Same can be said for warriors, however, once the fight gets going, all is well for both druid and warrior. Its like i said, that first 5-10 seconds of holding back for the dps..
As a raid leader i crave for a Resto druid to present itself to our raid. I do feel cheated playing my tank as a healer, currently i am 2nd Tank to my friend Micke (warrior) in gear, a great guy. But i doubt a resto druid will benefit from our guild, until we are at the point of 25 man content, and we need more members for that, and it wold be better to play my druid instead of my tank, to sub for a missing healer.. Im still reminded of that Tauren Arms warrior in AB with the resto druid....
(flash heal - flash heal - Holy light, yawn)
I should mention my guild's name, Tuatha De Danann
It's taken 2 years, for a group of friends to come together into one guild with an ambition to play freely, safely, socially, and be more loyal to each other and i with a passion. Its a guild about people/players, not classes progress and epics. This guild is more than skin deep.

Wednesday 23 January 2008

Start right, End right...

After spending sunday's doing the regular "standing at the guild vault making pots for the raid" day (Which is quite therapeutic really, with all that bubbling noise and the rare world discovery excitement) with my girlfriends Mage character. *Shock account sharing* And a lovely comment from Phae about the leatherworking, it looks like, in my heart of hearts, Alchemy and Herbalisim will be the main professions to hit on.
To many times i have lead a raid group to hear "I've used all my mana pots, all 30 of them!" ...ok, so we where training on the Curator at the time... but that thought scares me a little, ...coming from a priest, not that that is a bad thing, but an omen of things to come for a druid? and both paladins standing there with full mana bars and looking like they just logged on. Trust me, they pump out some awsome healing, as does the priest, but at the end of the boss fight, the paladin looks effortless. (And it is, i've done it)

Karazhan is where our guild is at the moment, working up and around Shade of Aran. I recently got involved in the AV bonus weekend (With my paladin), and saw how easy it was to gain honor, and lets face it did you think i tanked AV? no, i healed through it with +1400 healing in my tanking spec..healers are in shortage in BG's, which is a shame because it really does test your reflexes.
One thing i saw which was the bain of any fight was fighting someone who had a druid healer backing them up, loaded with HoT and swift mends etc i watch one Tauren Arms warrior tear through 6 alliance players (Hunters, Clothies, rogues, warriors and paladins), i ended up swapping my gear to PVE tanking, and oddly enough a druid from nowhere started to heal me.

I absolutely love the druid, i had an officer meeting last night, and was tempted to login afterwards and hunt some quests down, but alas, too late.

So, for starter gear at 70, its PVP.
Professions, Alchemy for Pots & Therapy on Sundays.

Monday 21 January 2008

Professions

I am seriously thinking about leatherworking, buying gear from the AH is painful, and the pots that i make from Herbalism isnt worth it all that much, plus the herbing is a real distraction from leveling.
I have considered the options, and decided on my next leveling spree to dump both Alchemy and Herbalism for now and concentrate on Leatherworking and Skinning, at least i can do that without straying off the leveling.
I have considered that when i get to level 70 taking on Jewel crafting, and along with my Alt hunter which i use to gather matts with might be the way to go, however, thoughts might change nearer the time. And i will have to see what consumables i would use alot of.
One definate goal for me with Artemís will be to get PVP gear and Kara attuned, i think the Jara attunment will be after...getting the PVP gear though for sure. This is a long haul journey, not a short blast to 70.

Something i was considering was re-rolling my character to look a little like the pictured in this post. May aswell make a character right to start with, and carry on the journey in contentment.

Friday 18 January 2008

To Begin - Level 31

For the last 2 years i have been playing a paladin. And since begining to near end of this paladin life i have always wanted to play a Druid for many reasons. Main of which is the versitle class that it is. But alas, things within the game, guild politics, and generally guilds, kept me playing my paladin non-stop. But there is now an opportunity for me to level my druid. Currently at level 31, and with the aid of Kopps Guide
I have had a short run of leveling my druid froom level 10 to 31 in a short time, done some battle ground (Which i loved doing) and that has opened up a whole new world of warcraft for me.I have tried all the other classes, but they all seemed to miss something i was looking for. Something imaginative, something flexable, and a jack of all trades. And the druid definately fits that bill. I have some leveling time set aside for next week so i will get on with it when i can.



I respecced to Resto for a test to see how i got on in BG, i was impressed. HoT was very good to watch on other people trying to kill horde, and oddly enough there is never enough healers on the Alliance side to do BG on my Servers Battlegroup Reckoning, however in AV thats different.
Goals?
I would very much like to level to 70, and gain gear by pvp. PVE would be a pain, and very labouring. And resto would be my final build i would think....
Currently
Following Kopps guide i am around in Astranaar, then Alterac questing. And just went to IF to pick up some other quests from the Explorers League, im not sure where to head out to next and will need to look it up. I picked up some new Cat skills, im sure they will be much better when i get back to my original spec.