Useful Macros & Tools to Make Your Own

I enjoy creating macros for my toons. I don’t use them to automate combat rotations, but I do use them to make certain tasks easier. If you are unfamiliar with macros, typing /m in chat will bring up the screen to create and edit one. Give your macro a name and pick an icon, and then you can add the code to it. In this post I will use some of the macros I use to give you an idea of how I use them to make life easier.

Rogue Macros

Pick Pocket – Opener

I use this macro to cast pick pocket whenever I use a cheapshot. It’s a good example of using a macro to turn two button presses into one. You can use it with any opening move by changing Cheap Shot to something else like Ambush:

/cast Pick Pocket
/stopcasting
/cast Cheap Shot

Hunter Macros

My hunter macros come from my favorite wow blog BigRedKitty.net. So I have to give BRK his props before I mention them. He has others there you should check out.

Pet Attack / Hunter’s Mark

Granted, my hunter is a lowbie, but I use macros with him for the same reason I do with my rogue, to make common tasks I use together reruire only 1 button press:

/petattack
/cast Hunter’s Mark

Obviously this sends my pet to attack the given target, and places a Hunter’s Mark on the target.

Pullshot macro

This will keep you from breaking your own traps! Use the exact spacing or you will regret it:

/cast Arcane Shot(Rank 1)
/stopcasting

This will cast a low threat Arcane Shot that will bring the target your way. More important, though, is the fact that it will turn off your autoshot.

All Classes

Assist Macro(s)

If you get tired of clicking or tab targeting to find a target, this macro will allow you to pick another party member, or a pet:

/assist (pet, party member name)

If you want to take this a step further use multiple macros:

Focus macro

/focus
/clearfocus [modifier:shift]

This will allow you to mouse over a target (party member, pet, etc) and make it your focus. If you click the button while holding shift, it will clear your focus target.

Assist focus

/assist focus

Karazhan Specific Macros

Curator and the Curse of Doom!

This button will place a raid warning up to remind your warlock that they need to cast curse of doom. All you have to do is press the button when he’s about a minute from evocating:

/rw CURSE OF DOOM!

Illhoof’s Demon Chains Macro

This will instantly target the demon chains when pressed and send a friendly reminder that the dps should be on the chains:

/target demo
/rw DPS DEMON CHAINS

Ventrillo info macro

This will send your vent information to your raid, or with the help of the shift key, your party. Just replace the ventserver, port, and password with your information:

/raid ventserver, port, password
/p ventserver, port, password [modifier:shift]

This is just some ideas of how basic macros work and what you can use them for. If you want more detailed information, go to priestly endavors, as he did a whole series on macro writing.

Group II Kara Recap

I am proud to say that group II had a very successful first trip in to Medivh’s Tower. We had some hiccups along the way, but for the most part, I was surprised at how well we did. We downed Attumen, Moroes, Maiden, Romulo and Julienne, Curator, Shade, and of course Chess. It wasn’t always pretty, but we did one-shot a fair number of the bosses. Here is a recap of the Raid:

1.) Attumen

Great Job here; the tanks kept aggro, the healers healed, and the dps burned him down.

2.) Moroes

Several wipes here. Crowd control was the main issue, and we need to work on keeping the hunter traps up, including not breaking them. Other than that, mad props to the dual rogue tank on the mortal strike warrior, and to the healers that kept them up.

3.) Maiden

One-Shotted, but sloppily. We didn’t get a single Holy Fire dispelled. The grounding totem of the Shaman helped tremendously, but we have to make the dispells a priority, or I guarentee a wipe next time.

4.) Romulo and Julienne

One wipe, followed by a textbook performance. Healers and tanks, great job. Dps needs to stay on assigned target, as we did on the second try.

5.) Curator

One-Shotted. Dps did a great job of burning down the balls. We need to do more damage during the Enervate, but that will come with time, and gear.

6.) Shade

One wipe, then downed him. Excellent job! No one moved during Flame Wreath, and we downed him before he could drink. Looking for a repeat performance next week.

7.) Chess

You would have to try and lose this and it would still be hard to do. There was some confusion on what to do, and we’ll smooth that out next time.

-All in all, it was a great first attempt, and I can’t wait to work on it again this week.

- ST

Venturing into Medivh’s Tower

Group II made its first trip into Karazhan last night, and I was quite happy with the results. We downed attumen, Moroes, Maiden and Opera (R & J). We didn’t wipe on any trash, and our other wipes came from learning the fights. We wiped three times on Moroes learning the event (dual rogue tank on the arms warrior FTW!) And once on Opera (blinding passion on the off tank). But nonetheless, with a group composed mainly of people who’d never been to Kara, it was a very successful night.

How can we improve upon our success? Easy, Let’s down Curator and Shade when we go back to finish the job. If all goes well, we’ll try netherspite (on the first trip into Karazhan), right after the easy mode loot from the Chess event. But, I digress. Congratulations, Group II, it was ugly in spots (no holy fire cleanses on Maiden), but we did a good job.

Tonight’s the night!

After a month and a half of recruiting and preparation, the time has finally come. Bucklers of Swash Karazhan group two runs tonight for the first time. I am proud to say that for multiple weeks in a row group one has left the place empty. My goal for the evening is to down Attumen, Moroes, Maiden and Opera. If we wipe a few times, that’s to be expected; it takes time to learn the subtleties of a raid. So grats group two, because tonight’s our night. Here’s one thought that I will leave you with before moving on to some last minute raid preparations.

“The Achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.”
- Vince Lombardi

Last Minute raid prep

Some of this is repeat information, but better safe than sorry…

1.) Stock up on consumables before the raid – class items, elixirs, potions

2.) Repair before the raid – You must be Honored with The Violet Eye to repair inside

3.) Download and set up Ventrillo – even if you don’t have a mic, you can still listen, which makes boss explaintions, and quick reactions to problems easier. The connection information can be found in the guild social pane under guild information.

4.) Download and set up Omen – this will help the DPS not overtake the tank on the threat list.

5.) (Optional) Download and install CT Raid Assist – although the blizzard raid interface is usable, I use this to see everyone’s target and set up the MT and OT so that I can click them to pick up the correct target without having to find it in a sea of mobs.

6.) Fly to Duskwood, and then ride to Karazhan; chances are you won’t get a summon. The meeting stone is typically controlled by horde, and summoning is usually an issue. We form at 8:00 server and pull at 8:20 server, so make sure you’re at Karazhan by 8:15. If the stone is clear, we’ll summon to speed things up, but again, this is a rarity, so take the inititive and head there on your own.

Again, good luck to us tonight, and I’ll see you there

- ST

Minumum Gear Requirements for Karazhan

How do you know if you’re geared enough to go to Karazhan? No official word exists from Blizzard. Well, today I’ve got a list for you that spells out stat requirements for each class/spec. I didn’t create it myself; it’s from a post on worldofmatticus.com, I thought it would be helpful though. Keep in mind that these are minimum stats, and that better ones will make your role in the raid easier.

Warrior
Tank(MT): 12000 Armor, 12000 hp, 490 def., 15-30% Dodge/Parry

DPS: 1700 ap, 70 hit, 33% crit

Druid

Tank: 415 def with 3/3 Survival of the fittest, 12000 hp, 30% Dodge, 20k armor

DPS: 600 dmg, 15% crit (caster form), 75 mp/5, 75 hit

Heal: +1000 heals, 100 mp/5

Rogue

1300 – 1400 ap, 90 hit, 20% crit

Priest

Heal: 6000+ health, 7500 mana, +1000 healing, 100 mp5

DPS: 6000 mana, +650 dmg, + 3-5% hit

Hunter

BM: 8000 hp, 6000 mana, 1450 ap, 17.5% crit, 75 hit

MM: 8000 hp, 6000 mana, 1750 ap, 17.5% crit 75 hit

Shammy

Resto: 950 – 1000 heals, 110 mp/5, 10% crit

Elemental: +500 dmg, 20% crit

Enhancement: 1000 – 1200 ap, 20% crit, 8% hit

Mage

+600 dmg, 90 hit, 25% crit, 6000 hp and 7000 mana

Paladin

Tank: 102.5% Total avoidance (dodge/parry/block)490 def, 10500 hp, +100-150 dmg

Heal: 1000-1200 heals, 80-100 mp/5, 8000-9000 mana, 15-20% holy crit

Warlock

Affliction: 7000 hp, 6000 mana, +600 dmg, 90 hit

Destro/Demon: 7000 hp, 6000 mana, +600 dmg, 90 hit, 20% crit

Karazhan Group II — Preparing for Kara

How do you prepare to go to Karazhan, if it is indeed your first trip there? I wish I had known the answer to this question the first time I went. My first trip to Kara I was definately the “noob.” I recieved an invite to go with a good raiding guild, as they just needed an extra dps, even if it wasn’t the best quality. While I didn’t cause the group to wipe, my dps was abysmal, and my gear while good, could have been better. I didn’t have any enchants, didn’t bring any pots (alchemist), or poisons (rogue). I didn’t know any of the strategy, and basicaly tried to stay out of the way unless I knew I wouldn’t screw things up too badly.

Contrast this with today: I run raids, perform loot master duty, provide strategy, make potions and poisons, and consistently bring the high dps to the raid, even though I’m not always #1 on the damage charts. How did I progress to this point? I read up on the things I needed to know to play my class better. I also read up on the other classes and raid strategy, and soon I was organizing and leading our Karazhan raids. Do I know everything now? No. Do I ask for other people to explain fights if I know they can do a better job? Yes. But the point is taking the time to find the resources to understand how the raid works paid off, and now I’m going to share those tips with you.

Things I didn’t know when I started raiding, but wish I did

1.) Every person in a raid is important

When I started raiding, I believed that tanks were the most important people in a raid, followed by healers, and then DPS. What I’ve discovered is that everyone in a raid is equally important:

The tanks need heals to stay alive; the healers need fast dps so they don’t run out of mana, and the DPS needs the tanks to take the damage so they can kill things without being one or two-shotted.

Tank fail = dead dps = wipe

DPS fail = no heals = wipe

Heal fail = dead tank = wipe

See, it’s a triangle, and if any part fails to do its task, then the machine breaks down. Is this the only way to wipe? No, but on a boss, it’s the most common.

2.) DPS classes tend to need the most improvement

Hey, I’m a DPS too; so here’s why I say this. If a tank makes a mistake, or a healer makes a mistake, there’s an immediate consequence, such as a wipe. If a DPS class makes a mistake, it usually goes unnoticed (unless you break crowd control). Also, mobs outside of raiding usually have significantly less HP and armor than the ones in Kara. This means that the super fast way you kill a mob outside of Kara may not be the best way to kill one inside. To be successful in Kara, pulling somewhere around 500 dps minimum is a good mark to shoot for. For more information read this article on Blessing of Kings (it’s a series of five articles if you want even more info).

3.) Melee and Spell Hit are your friends

Tanks and DPS. Most of the mobs and all of the bosses you will fight are going to be 3 levels higher than you. Melee, and ranged non caster dps (Hunters!) this means missed hits; casters, this means resists/partial resists. That may not sound like such a big deal, but for damage classes this means less damage output, and for tanks, this means potentialy missing at a bad time (aka, grabing aggro on a boss that resets aggro). Not everyone needs to cap out their hit rating, but this article on blessing of kings has some good information on the subject, as does this follow up.

4.) Bring any reagents, potions, poisons, elixirs, etc. you can use to improve your performance

I’m a rogue and an alchemist as already stated, I bring my own pots and poisons to a raid, and having read the stats, I can tell you that those two items contribute to at least 5% of my total dps. That may not sound like a lot, but if you do just one million damage (and that’s low for even half of kara) you’re talking about an extra 50k damage. Healers, bring mana pots. Warlocks, come prepared to make healthstones; mages, bring on the buffet; paladins, we need 30 minute buffs! All of these require reagents, so come prepared!

5.) Upgrade your gear

If you’re mainly in blues, I’m not talking about farming instances for new gear. I’m talking about enchants and gems. By simply gemming, and placing permanant enchants (enchanting, leatherworking, blacksmithing, reputation, etc.) you can improve your stats almost as much as a new piece of gear would, and sometimes, even more. My next post will have recommendations for classes for Kara; take a look at it and find the stat(s) you need the most help with, and use Thottbot and Xornot’s Gem Finder to boost your stats. Unless a socket bonus helps you, ignore it and use the best gem for the stat you need in that slot. If you can afford it, blue quality gems are easy to find on the auction house, but I save those for epic items, or items I won’t easily replace.

6. Listen to your raid leader

I’m not saying this becuase I’m a raid leader, I mentioned this becuase raid leaders are responsible with the task of researching or learning all of the nuances of the pulls and bosses. If they ask someone else to explain something, then listen to that person. Even if it has nothing to do with you, listen, because it will help you learn the raid, and all of the roles that everyone plays to work together. Basically, if the raid leader, or someone appointed by the raid leader is talking, be quiet and listen.

7.) Review your performance

I always run a WWS report on any raid I am in, even if I am part of a pug. This way I can compare what I did to the numbers I normaly get, and to the other people in my raid. If I see that a person who’s wearing similar gear to mine perform substatially better or worse than me, I investigate further to see why. It’s much easier to rate your performance when you are looking at unbiased numbers, than it is to try and remember every fight. Am I missing or being resisted at too high of a percentage? Then I should add some more +hit. Am I being parried a lot? That means improper positioning in the fight (I should be behind the mob!)

Karazhan Group II — Loot Rules

First of all, grats be to Bucklers of Swash for being able to actually take two groups to karazhan. Our group I has kara on farm status now, and this group will allow us to progress into the 25 man raids. As I leave group I to run group II, I wanted to say somethings to make our raid as smooth as possible.

Loot. Nothing causes more drama than loot. If you need more information, read this post on one of my favorite wow blogs.

So to ward off as many loot gripes as possible….

Our loot rules are simple and are based on the following premise:

We raid to the further the progression of our guild into higher content areas, and therefore loot should go to players who need gear first to make the raid stronger.

Rules:

1.) Loot will be controlled by a master looter, and loot will be determined via /roll.
2.) Rolls will be allowed in the following order:

A. Need (received no prior loot in this run)
B. Need ( received prior loot in this run*)
C. Off-spec (gear that can be used, but not with current spec)
D. Disenchant (all raiders roll for the mats produced)

* If a person defaults on one piece of gear (no one else needs it), they will still be considered as category A; however, after defaulting on two pieces of gear, they will be considered as a category B.

Note, these loot rules someone could potentially get a piece of loot that benefits themselves more than the raid. For example, loot x drops and two people could use it, one is wearing an epic, and the other is wearing a green/blue. If that happens, remember that you can always pass to someone else if you know they can use it more. Good raid karma and synergy will outshine gear any day.