For those of you who don't know me, I am the founder of Ante Meridiem and built both AM and PM from the ground up.. I left the raiding scene 2.5 years ago to spend time with the growwing family and to deal with a crazy schedule that made raiding nearly impossible.
I said on my departure that someday I may return to WoW in the raiding aspect, but unsure as to what capacity it would be. After enjoying this new expansion and getting the itch once again, it's time to assemble the team.
I'm creating a new
I'm running it a lot like I did the 25man AM and PM Raid Team and Pret's 10man Team with a slight twist. I am looking for a team centered around strong, well-played people who can carry their weight + 10%. The schedule will be light, but the intensity will be high. Although I'm absolutely against fluffing meters and people being 'show boats' you need to have the mentality that you are (or can be) the best in your class/role and bring that level of play, plus some.
This is NOT like many of the alt runs. My expectations for raiders will be very similar to what they were for my previous teams. You will have to earn a spot on the team, you'll be expected to know the fights and your role, and you will be expected to show up. If you don't meet those expectations, you will be removed. Period. I want this team to be a group of 'bad asses'. I want each and every person to respect and compliment the next person on the team, and to do so, I will be implementing much more team cohesion by allowing the members of the team to decide who makes it to the team AND who is removed from the team. If you consistently fail (mechanics, performance, attendance) you will be removed, not just by me, but by the team.
In return, you'll get a raid leader who is prepared, and a raid that will almost always run. In over 7 years as a raid leader for the either the AM Team or PM Team, I never had to call a raid because people didn't show. I may have had to pug some spots at times, but we ran. When I carve time from my schedule to run a raid, I will see to it that the raid runs.
This team will only raid five to six hours a week.
We will raid either Thursday/Friday or Friday/Saturday. The final decision on the exact days will be made once those available have stated their preference.
The time slot will be starting 8:30pm firm, but if everyone is on we can always pull a little earlier, and we will wrap up at approximately 11:00pm, but contrary to Pret's team, if we wipe at 1% at 10:59pm, plan on one more pull.
We'll have different goals than the AM or PM Teams.
The AM and PM Teams are hardcore mythic progression teams. They min/max everything, are concerned about rankings, and will be working hard to beat mythic bosses in the current tier.
Although we are not initially planning on any mythic raiding, our mission statement will be "Clear as much content as quickly as possible with as little amount of failure as possible". Where that leads us, will be determined by the level of output we have.
Who would enjoy this raid?
Raiders who can't make the regular raid times of our Mythic AM and PM teams. Anybody who wants to push Heroic progression quickly and efficiently with like-minded individuals. We are definitely not competing with Pret's team as we will be raiding in a different time slot.
What if I join but secretly want this to become the top-rated mythic team on the server that only runs for five or six hours?
We may never venture into Mythic raiding, and if you're ok with that, then that is the mentality I'm looking for.
If you're just focusing on heroic mode, will it even feel like progression?
Yes, I believe so. We'll only be raiding half of the time of other guilds.
So it'll be just as hard to us as Mythic raiding is to the AM or PM Team?
No. But our mentality will be to push and push hard. We may push for extremely quick clears followed by perfecting our mechanics by doing achievements or something more complicated. Again, if you want to experience Mythic raiding, apply to the AM or PM Teams.
You said this wasn't an alt run. Does that mean I'm not allowed to apply with my alt if I'm on the AM or PM Team?
I will treat the situation just like I did for people who raided with both AM and PM. Neither are alts. You now have two mains. That's how seriously I expect your commitment to the Heroic group to be.
What are the attendance requirements?
If your attendance will be lower than 100%, there's no reason to apply. While the Flex nature of Heroic will provide us with a little wiggle room, this will still be a progression team. We'll lose time on our farm kills if we're constantly re-adjusting our strategy because several different people want to be present/absent on any given week. However, I plan on giving everybody the week off during holidays, like Christmas and New Years. I also take a vacation every year, so I don't hold it against others when they do the same. But if you think you'll likely miss a day or two a month, then this is not the team for you, regardless of the new Flex system. The team needs to count on its members to show up.
What are the ilvl requirements?
I expect you to be in heroic dungeon gear (ilvl 630) by our first raid. Yes, you may have "those one or two pieces" that never dropped for you, but there are craftable pieces for every armor slot now, and you can wear up to three crafted pieces. If you can't commit to running dungeons to gear up for the first raid, then you don't have the time to commit to our raiding schedule.
Since it's only a heroic group, will there even be a raid leader?
Yes. Although the organizational demand is much less for heroic teams, you still need somebody who can cut off discussion and say, "Both strats might work, but this is the particular strat we're using on this pull," and one voice whose authority carries weight when a call in the middle of a fight needs to be made. I'll be that voice and I'll set the atmosphere.
What will the atmosphere of raids be?
If you're looking for somebody to yell at you,
What's the loot system?
We'll /roll for main spec gear, just as the 10man did. EPGP doesn't currently seem necessary for our purposes. Off-spec gear will be awarded at my discretion to people who actively switch specs for the team. To be clear on this point: off-spec gear still exists (e.g. only healers use spirit and items with spirit don't change with specs). After that, I don't mind giving it to people for personal off-spec use. One note, though: please be considerate of fellow raid members and know that, sometimes, it's okay to put your dice away and congratulate somebody who hasn't won anything yet, that week.
So are you wanting people to switch from the AM or PM Team to your team?
Absolutely not. If you can continue to raid with the AM or PM Team and still desire the best gear, the hardest bosses, and the time it takes to pursue those goals, please stay with your team! My team has drastically different goals, and frankly would not be appropriate for a number of folks on the other teams. If you have an alt that you pug each week, then maybe consider us. Otherwise, keep making the AM and PM Teams stronger with your help. If you've retired from one of the teams, we may be exactly what you're looking for.
What specs/classes do you need?
I currently haven't decided if I'll be playing a Resto Shaman, Holy Paladin or Prot Paladin. The raid composition beyond that is completely up in the air.
How do I apply?
Respond here with an armory link to your toon, and also include with the post what your class and spec are. If for some reason you don't want to reply publicly, shoot me a PM through the website or hit me up in game.
I wanted to apply, but I see you already have casters/melee/tanks/healers who've replied.
This isn't McDonald's. First come isn't necessarily first served, though the earlier somebody replies, the better the chance that my plans will start formulating with those raiders in mind. But don't take your chance at being on the team away, simply because you came a little late to the party. Retired raiders, especially, don't check the website as often as others, so I understand and plan on waiting until WoD drops to see all of the replies I get before I finalize a team. Also, due to the nature of flex raiding, I'm able to have (and plan on recruiting) more than 10 folks. I can't take 5 healers or 4 tanks, but I have more wiggle room than before, especially for people who can play multiple roles.
So is this Heroic raid team a guaranteed thing?
No. If nobody responds, then expect to see me in /trade, looking for a pug.
But we still have the strength and good name of <Ante Meridiem> behind us. If I need to grab a few spots from outside the guild, I will recruit them. I like the people who make up this guild, however, so I always start here first.
I know a former AM member who doesn't check the website anymore, or a raider from another guild who might be interested.
Feel free to share the information with them if you think they'd fit in.
When would we start raiding?
TBD
What if I have other questions?
Post them below. If you have them, somebody else probably does to. You can also whisper me ingame or PM through the website.
You
Some things never change.
which may be awhile.
