Ask WoW Insider: What does an ex-GL do?
by Mark Crump 
Jul 7th 2008 at 9:00AM
Welcome to today's edition of Ask WoW Insider, in which we publish your questions for dissection by the peanut gallery -- now with extra snark and commentary by one of our writers. This week Nickiter writes in:
Hi WoW Insider -
Until tonight, I was the GL of a raiding guild - a new guild, to be sure, and not terribly accomplished. But, after a night of listlessly wiping on The Lurker Below, I gave up.
Maybe I don't have guild leadership in me, maybe I do, but that's immaterial.
What I'm asking of WI and your sometimes kind, sometimes harsh, but always vocal readership, is what do I do now?
I'm a Protection Warrior in T5-level gear, aka the least in-demand class in the game for guild recruitment. I also have a Hunter... which I'm not even going to bring up.
I love raiding... PvP is a diversion, at best... What have those of you who've been in this situation done?
Reroll a Resto Shammy and find a guild to Brain Heal for? Quit 'til Wrath? Something else entirely?
Thanks in advance for your input.
- Nickiter, Smolderthorn (H)
I'm pretty much going to throw this out to the audience -- you're having problems I couldn't even dream of having, but I'm sure you're not alone in. Plus, I thought it was a good question even if I couldn't throw some snark in.
So, bring it, boys (and girls).
Got questions? Don't wait! Send them to us at ask AT wowinsider DOT com and your query could be up in lights here next week.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Raiding, Ask WoW Insider
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
biglou Jul 7th 2008 9:14AM
I would re roll an opposite faction toon. If youve only played alliance or horde, there is an entirely new game on the other side.
ooola Jul 7th 2008 9:18AM
First off. I don't belive that a t5 tank is the least in demand class.
I've been in a similar situation as you. I was the GL of a BT guild before the release of sunwell. We did fairly well but after a bunch of core players left the guild we were pushed back to SSC/TK for attunement raids. After a while the guild broke up and I stood there without a guild asking myself the same types of questions you are doing now.
I also found another problem. Although I was fairly known and had a pretty good reputation no guild would accept me. I don't know the reasons why but one of these guilds were afraid that I would not fall in line as a regular member due to my GL background. So suddenly I had a different problem. So what did I do? I quit wow for about 2 months and then rerolled on another server.
Matthew Rossi Jul 7th 2008 9:58AM
For what he wants to do, yes, protection warriors are not terribly in demand. Almost no raiding guilds don't have all the prot warriors they want. My guild has three full time raiding warriors, one who tanks full time (me) and two who spec tanking or DPS depending on what's needed. (I used to do that, but now my gear's solid enough that I can pretty much just hang out and tank.)
Warriors are the smallest part of our raid force. One of our warriors only raids on weekends, effectively, meaning that in every raid we will at most have two warriors. One will be always tank specced, the other will usually be DPS. The rest of our tanks are druids and paladins (usually two druids switching between DPS and tank as needed and one or two prot pallies.) You really almost never need more than four tanks, so having druids as OT's makes a lot of sense as they can switch between DPS and tanking in the same spec just by gear switching and paladins are exceptional at trash tanking in a way warriors will never be.
The T5 or better geared prot warrior is a main tank. And most raiding guilds have the main tank situation already sorted out.
Nick S Jul 7th 2008 2:15PM
Thanks, Matt, for that clarification - so many people tell me "Tanks are so in demand!"
Unfortunately, that's only from the perspective of the LFG channel. Because of the nature of the main tank role, guilds typically don't want to see much turnover in that position.
And thanks to everyone for your input. :-)
SteveD Jul 7th 2008 9:17AM
At this point it is probably best to find a small group of maybe 10-15 people that you want to level with and enjoy the rest of BC because once WotLK comes out everyone will be reset and that need for tanks will be high again.
I'd suggest start building a dps set and try out arms/fury combination to help with leveling and grinding out some dailies for cash. While its not raiding - there is always the chance to do pugs. You won't be the only one in this situation as the new expansion hits and this could easily be a blessing in disguise.
Alaw Jul 7th 2008 4:04PM
How about "quitters never win and winners never quit"?
Sephrenia Jul 7th 2008 9:40AM
Make a list of what you DO want. Do a bit of research of other guilds on your realm, or even another if you feel there's no place for you where you are.
There ARE guilds to suit all sorts of people. Eighteen months ago I was a hardcore raider, but I didn't want to be rushing to put my kids to bed, so went hunting for another guild. I did a lot of research. I made lvl 1 chrs on other servers and chatted to people in the guilds I was interested in.
I transferred servers and have been in the same guild since. They ticked all my boxes. Sure we have a few issues now and then, but on the whole the reading, chatting and research paid off.
Good luck.
chris.dostal Jul 7th 2008 9:41AM
There's always the server transfer route. I can understand not wanting to give up a level 70 toon just to re-roll, and I promise you that tanks are not the least recruited class on all servers. Hell, I haven't made it to level 70 yet (64 ftw) and I have to beat instance run requests off with a stick because some of the smaller servers have no tanks.
Sure, the lower server pop means that you aren't as likely to be running Sunwell any time soon, but it can be a good diversion until Wrath comes out. Find an RP server and you will soon again be in high demand (and the RP really is almost non-existent, so there's really nothing to worry about there).
Tomah Jul 7th 2008 9:55AM
Depends on the server - it's still fairly in place on Moon Guard and Sisters of Elune.
William Jul 7th 2008 9:42AM
Cho'gall needs tanks and healers all the time. And T5 is great working-gear. You'll find something. Just keep looking. Good Luck!!
Chucko Jul 7th 2008 11:03AM
Personally, I was GL of a guild I attempted to grow for some time... eventually we were able to have nominal success in Kara for a time. Unfortunately, the guild fell apart due to various drama related issues. At this point, I took my warrior to another guild with several WoW friends in the leadership. Without the mantle of GL, I was able to become their MT and raid leader (ever tried leading a raid as MT? It's... interesting). Without sitting on the GL perch, I was actually able to initiate more control over the actual pve progression of the guild (most of the leaders are pvp-oriented, so I was able to carve out my little niche) and we soon had Kara on farm, and Nalorakk down in ZA.
So basically, I really don't want the title of GL again. Ever. Being an officer is good enough for me, and gives me more freedom to do exactly what I want in the game. It's thankless enough being MT and RL, but I know my GL catches a lot more flak than I do (mostly about me, as it would seem). :)
We're experiencing a lot of growing pains recently, but once they're worked out, I look forward to even greater successes.
Smorcus
Runetotem (H)
Sonmerlong Jul 7th 2008 4:12PM
Chucko, i am a GL, RL, and a MT.
Lead my guild all the way into MH and BT after forming it when BC came out.
And i am not at all unique.
In fact, a large percentage of the farthest progressed guilds in the game are lead by their MT.
Naix Jul 7th 2008 9:46AM
As a prot warrior you should defiantly not stop playing. Don't look at gear as the only reward because you will be let down. Think about the fun factor. You should tank a reg instance for a hellfire ramps instance on normal for a newbee group, Pug a Kara, Lead an 5 man MC run.
Have fun remember thats why you got the game right?
Tutamen Jul 7th 2008 9:53AM
One of the problems with guilds i see is having Tanks as guild leaders. Tanks make great raid leaders, don't get me wrong. But having to deal with the internal politics, the drama, guild bank etc ASWELL as sorting out raids, tactics and the like gets pretty damn stressful.
As for what to do with yourself, don't underestimate the need for good tanks. And don't rule out applying to t6 guilds in need of tanks. They can literally gear you up for sunwell in about a week.
Best of luck.
tomarusanguirel Jul 7th 2008 10:10AM
lolwut? Your argument almost makes complete sense. If it weren't for the fact that having to deal with the "internal politics, the drama, guild bank etc," has absolutely no bearing on class. Any class that is GL has to deal with the same thing.
If your argument was that Raid Leaders shouldn't be Guild Leaders I could understand, but that Tanks shouldn't be Guild Leaders? That just doesn't make sense.
TobiasX Jul 7th 2008 10:57AM
I think his point was that Tanks, by their nature, get a lot of complaints; that's just a fact of tanking. Same as healers. Only the dps are really safe as there's always more of them.
Any tank who's also a guild leader is either a master of organisation or a glutton for punishment.
As for the person who sent the letter in, look at other servers after checking with all the big guilds. Make a warrior on the Test Realm and see if you enjoy DPS more. A player with flexibility in spec and role is always more appealing.
darian Jul 7th 2008 11:48AM
Um. What he said makes perfect sense.
Even if they aren't the explicit raid leader, main tanks do a lot of raid leading. The impetus is on them to keep raids moving quickly and smoothly so that the guild isn't raiding all night long. That involves a level of authority and responsibility just below the raid leader.
There are cases where the raid leader does everything, but even then tanking is the most stressful and often least rewarding role in raids. Adding that to the standard Guild Leader stress can be a first-class ticket to burn out.
Ktok Jul 7th 2008 12:19PM
I've been the guild leader and main tank of my guild for five years, spanning EQ1, EQ2 and WoW... no problems here. However, I'm also one of the least stressed people I know, and have always had a very loyal, dedicated core of officers. We've also always been careful to not recruit idiots or drama queens, and we kick them out pretty quickly if they do turn out to be that way.
Nothing about leading a guild needs to be stressful unless you are in such a hurry that you place "they're a warm body that can throw a heal" over "they're a sane person who won't make my life hell". Recruit carefully... and remember, if Mr. T6 Priest doesn't have a guild already and won't tell you why they don't, you can put money on it being that they're a nightmare to deal with and have been booted out of every other guild on the server by now.
ThorinII Jul 7th 2008 10:08AM
Sell your acct on ebay and don't look back! Get out while you still can! RUN! RUN!
Just kiddin, roll an alt and play it until WotLK. Things will likely change with it hits.
ThorinII Jul 7th 2008 10:09AM
*WHEN it hits...