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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsAsk WoW Insider: Instance running 101
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 1st 2008 at 6:00PM
Here's a question for you all from Percinho about my absolute favorite thing to do in game: five man instances. He and his guildies are about to run their very first instance (or they were when he sent this to us at ask@wow.com), and he wants to know your very best tips for instance running:For the first time we have 5 players with level 60+ characters and so have decided to run some instances. None of the guild have extensive experience of instancing as we tend to mainly be solo-ers, or group up in twos and threes just to quest. We're heading to the Ramparts in Hellfire Peninsula with a Warrior, Priest, DK, Rogue and Mage. What we're after is some tips for successful instancing that we may not have considered, those things that every veteran knows that wouldn't even occur to instance-n00bs like ourselves.
Anything that could help our first guild run avoid total disaster would be greatly appreciated!
Percinho
Well hopefully they made the run fine, but it's a good question: what do you wish you'd been told when you first started running instances? Percinho also mentions that they're aware of the aggro mechanics -- that's the thing I had the hardest time with when I started, though it seems easy now. I'd also say settle the loot rules first, since even in a guild, that's where problems come from. Finally, an awareness of what other classes can do is always good: helping a Warlock to remember his soul stone or asking a Shaman for a specific totem in a certain situation can help the whole group (if done tactfully, of course, not "omg lay poison totem down, noob"). What say you, readers?
Previously on Ask WoW Insider...
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Guilds, Odds and ends, Instances, Ask WoW Insider, Bosses
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
aurorallew Dec 1st 2008 6:51PM
1) focus fire. All DPS needs to be on one target at a time. The others can be crowd controlled with spells / abilities such as Polymorph (mage), Sap (rogue), Repentance (ret paladin) etc.
2) Tank needs to understand that he must build threat on all mobs, not just the mob people are hitting, because the healer is building threat on all mobs.
3) Don't AFK for long periods. Get in a rhythm.
4) Be patient with each other. Fighting never made a problem better.
5) Pay attention to what mobs are doing. Mobs cast spells that can be interrupted. They have buffs that can be stolen or dispelled. They heal each other, etc.
Culhag Dec 1st 2008 8:42PM
"3) Don't AFK for long periods. Get in a rhythm."
I wouldn't have thought to say that, but it's very true that if you have to wait someone for 15 minutes it can break the rhythm of the group even if you were doing well.
Xingua Dec 1st 2008 6:55PM
-WATCH OUT FOR PATS! They're the mobs that move around, and can often be accidentally pulled when you are fighting a different group. That leads to:
-You don't need to fight the mobs exactly where they stand. Try pulling them back to where you are, which allows you more room to use AoE and avoid pats.
-Line of Sight (LOS): for ranged mobs, you'll often want to grab aggro (use a ranged ability) then run behind a corner/box/column in order to get the ranged mobs to run over to you. This will help with both the previous tips.
-You don't need to kill every mob in an instance, there are often packs you can avoid, but you'll only learn that after running a few times. It is generally a good idea to clear all mobs around a boss though, because bosses will sometimes aggro every mob in the area to the fight, when you just are trying to take on a boss.
Will Dec 1st 2008 6:59PM
making sure people know their roles and are specced for those roles... having a priest who's only have specced into healing will really hinder your run if you don't have another healer, same for tank.. I hate it when people show up and have a half assed spec if the content is challenging
http://www.wowconfidential.com
AyaJulia Dec 1st 2008 7:08PM
This is going to seem like I'm kind of harping, but it's been a source of recent frustration in my pugs and among some guildies.
- Don't use damage meters as a tool to see how hard you can push yourself unless your tank/healer are absolutely first-class. You'll end up engaging too early, over-aggroing, being in range of that one group-wiping ability from the boss just because you had to get that last hit in, letting your CC drop, whatever.
- Don't use damage meters as the sole measurement of group performance. The mage might be a little behind because he has to sheep. The warlock might be a little behind because he has to use the succubus to CC. And so on. There are loads more ways to contribute to a group.
- Do use damage meters to improve yourself. Use them to gauge how well you're doing compared to the rest of the group. If you're in a group of friends and you're vastly outperforming the rest of your pals, you might care to pass some loot on to them. If you're at the bottom of the group, you need to do some extracurricular improvements--examine your spec, the abilities you're using, grind for some cash to buy upgrades, whatever.
- Don't be that guy who asks for damage meters in a pickup group. If you care about them, get your own and don't flaunt them. It almost never fails that the guy asking for meters or reporting them unsolicited is the guy who causes the tank/healer the most headache.
... oh, and completely off-topic, but if there are any warlocks out there, quit life-tapping out of combat while your healer is drinking. -.- You have to wait on us to drink anyway, AND when we get up we have to spend the mana we just spent our time filling up healing your butt again.
Terethall Dec 1st 2008 7:24PM
Warlock here. If a warlock is being a jerk and lifetapping while you're drinking between trash pulls, just don't heal him (and if he's affliction, slap him and tell him to use dark pact + imp). If he gets mad at you for leaving him at 60% health, explain that he shouldn't be in any danger unless he pulls aggro or gets too close to an AoE mob. If he's still mad, type /ignore, because he is a nooblock and he gives us regular locks a bad name.
FenSat Dec 2nd 2008 10:27AM
@Therethall
Warlock here...if he's affliction and using dark pact, slap him for speccing it because life tap scales far better, and that affliction lock should know, knowing just how bloated the tree is, how much better that precious point would be better spent elsewhere. Just kidding...well, partially.
@AyaJulia
I typically don't lifetap out of combat, it's something I do at the end of during combat to get the full benefit out of Haunt. However, after a boss fight that really taxes me, I will lifetap to mana up then eat some of the awesome food I make myself. Last night I had an otherwise wonderful priest who couldn't bear to see my lifebar go down for even an instant healing me before I could even start eating. I had to explain twice that I don't drink, I tap and eat, since nice food is free for us cooks.
However, if the warlock is tapping out of combat with no intention of eating and then expects you to heal them, they are being lazy and SHOULD be slapped.
Vocenoctum Dec 2nd 2008 1:49PM
I've got a tank (prot-war), healer (holy-priest) and my main is an Affliction Lock. Out of a boss fight with lots of AE, but all means please don't waste mana healing me.
I drove a friend crazy while we were doing Isle one day without knowing it. At the end of the quests, she asked if I didn't have bandages or something, since she wasn't spec'd healer.
"Oh, I didn't know you were trying to heal me, I keep myself around 60% health to keep benefit from Siphon Life, Drain Life, Haunt et cetera."
If you're partied with an affliction lock, be aware that in combat they are self-healing, sometimes a LOT. It's a design feature for us, and keeping me topped off is a waste of mana.
(Ignoring of course the times when Area heals are used.)
Out of combat, sometimes I will lifetap just because it's pointless to have one bar full and the other empty. Both can regen at the same time. With Fel Armor now, I also have accelerated healing. If I notice a healer healing me, I'll let them know it's not needed.
(The flip side of this, if someone wants to say Lock's are OP, is that in lots of groups, my DPS isn't fully realized simply because mobs die before DoT's have run their full course. For this reason I usually use my lock when soloing.)
Balius Dec 1st 2008 7:13PM
Let the tank pull.
I know, very basic rules, but the mistake I most often see in players used to working alone is the mentality that anyone can start a fight. The warlock will cast, or the mage will smack an enemy with a pyroblast. It's bad mojo in a harder instance to have your squishies looked at, even for a few seconds. So let the tank pull.
To that end, your warrior needs a ranged weapon and ammo for whatever it is. You usually don't want to fight where the game puts the enemies, so the tank needs a way to bring them to a better spot.
Terethall Dec 1st 2008 7:16PM
Remember, dps very very slowly. If you get aggro, it's a fifty DKP minus. And if you get kicked into the whelps, it's a fifty DKP minus again.
And most importantly, there is NO aggro reset.
A final tip for the pros: Have DoTs up on every time.
Pat Dec 1st 2008 7:27PM
1. Have fun! I've started doing 5 mans with my main when DM came out. (DM = Dire Maul, the first 5 man dungeon ever!). I still love doing them!.
2. Take it easy. Know the mobs. Know the fights. Don't rush in.
3. Have 1 leader making the calls. The rest can suggest, but only 1 should make the decisions. Trust me, this will make your run easier.
4. Use raid icons. Assign CCs. DPS, ASSIST THE MAIN ASSIST! For 5 mans, the MA is your tank.
5. Don't worry about the nice blues that drop. Don't go nuclear if someone else gets that phat loot. If you're learning 5 mans, it's more important to learn teamwork and the group mechanics. Once you get that solved, you can farm instances all you want and get your phat loot!
6. Let your team take chances. It's ok to make mistakes, specially when you're learning new content. Try out suggestions from the team, but remember, only 1 may lead. You can't go anywhere if all 5 of you try 5 different strats at the same time!
7. Learn from your mistakes. Don't repeat them. Don't break CCs. Don't overnuke. Watch your healing aggro. And most of all, if you have aggro, RUN TOWARDS THE FRIGGING TANK! Not away from him! Trust me, it will save your life.
8. If all else fails, and you still wipe continually or you're not having fun, I suggest that you look for a different group. This is a fact--there are good group players and there are horrible group players. Some players make mistakes once or twice, and they learn from them. Some players just don't. My suggestion. Replace them, move on, and have fun!
Dysmorphia Dec 1st 2008 7:40PM
For the healer:
If you get aggro, run towards the tank not away from him. Right on top of the tank is actually a pretty good place for the healer to stand during most fights. This is sort of counter-intuitive and I wish I had learned it earlier.
Watch out for area of effect spells from the mobs. If fire or ice is raining down on your, or a pit of doom seems to be opening under your feet, move quickly.
Get the Healbot addon. It will make healing easier so you can maintain situational awareness (and get out of the fire).
Get Decursive. It makes curing curse, poisons, and so forth a lot easier.
You can start casting heals on the tank and then interrupt them by jumping if they turn out not to be needed.
It's sometimes necessary to let the DPS die so you can save the tank or yourself.
Gimmlette Dec 1st 2008 7:33PM
1) Have fun. Know, going in, that you will wipe and probably wipe often. It happens to all of us; pulling the first boss without clearing around him because we're all 70+ and can handle it. We laughed so hard while running back.
2) Set loot rules. Know your armor so if something drops, you can say, "Yes this is a major upgrade" or "It would be a minor upgrade for me. Can anyone else use it?" One of the biggest time wasters is the distribution of loot. If you have someone in the party who DE's, set the ground rules for how the result will be distributed.
3) Come prepared with potions, reagents, poisons, whatever consumable you need to do your job. Come repaired. I can't tell you the number of times I've been in a group that got into the instance only to have one person say, "OMG, my armor is at 45%. Where is the nearest repair person?"
4) It's not required, but using a chat function like the free "WOW Chat" can make communication during a fight so much easier. In a pitched battle, particularly with a mage or other class with bright, sparkly AOE's, it can be very easy to lose sight of how many mobs are in a battle. Having someone say, "We got adds from behind," or "I'm down" or "Sheep the caster, please?" can make or break a group.
5) Be courteous to your fellow raiders and know your limits. If you go in and wipe continuously on the 6th pull, maybe you need to step back and go do something else. No one likes to keep trying for 2 solid hours on the same bunch of mobs. It's okay to say, "This isn't working tonight, guys. Let's take a break and come back tomorrow." Then you can check any of the strategy sites for other tips.
6) Have fun. Again. Have fun. It's a game.
Thomas Jespersen Dec 1st 2008 7:37PM
Make sure you are fully repaired during the run. You should probably expect to wipe a few times first time around, so absolutely make sure everything is fully repaired before starting.
Also make sure you got all reagents needed for spells, and mana classes make sure you got plenty of water unless there is a friendly conjuring mage around.
Advice to priest is to hotkey the "Fade" ability. Priest probably has never used it solo but it is essential in groups.
Krick Dec 1st 2008 7:43PM
As a once noob tank, I think one of the most important things is that everyone in your group install Omen threat meter and know how to read it.
Ideally, the ONLY person who should be taking damage is the tank. Unless you're a melee (pronounced: MAY-lay) DPS beating on a mob or boss that uses AOE, there is ZERO reason for you to be taking damage... unless you pull aggro off the tank. This should NEVER happen if you are watching your threat with Omen.
With a healer, it's a little more tricky because they build aggro with all mobs when they heal, but if the tank is doing their job, that shouldn't be a problem.
Oh... and this is for all the Rogues in the audience... level your frickin' lockpicking you lazy bastards. Many groups don't want to take a rogue into an instance anyway, and if you don't have maxed lockpicking for your level, your chances of being invited back are even smaller. Lockpicking is stupid-easy to level, much easier than most skills like say...fishing for instance. A rogue without lockpicking is like a hunter without misdirect. It's a key skill (pun not intended) for an instance group and you're expected to have it.
Of course, there are some of you, and you know who you are, that lie about your lockpicking skills so you can go back later and have the chests to yourself. We're onto you.
...
Krick
http://www.tankadin.com
rinks Dec 1st 2008 7:59PM
I wouldn't start as low as ZF; better practice for a group of 60s would be either UBRS, BRD, or Stratholme (for the pat practice). Those are fairly forgiving, you get an achievement, and it's a good way to get your bearings for BC content. IMO, BC content assumes you have run those instances ad nauseum anyway.
hold up Dec 1st 2008 8:12PM
One of the most important that I havent seen put up here yet (although i may have missed it)
If you think a wipe is imminent DO NOT turn and run away.
1. You may survive. There has been countless times where a tank has gone down early and I've seen a rogue vanish or a mage start blinking towards the door and the group was able to survive and everyone is looking around like "Where the hell did Charlie go?"
2. You may cause more death. There has been many times where a bunch of people die and run back to the instance only to zone in to a mage blinking towards them with a pack of 10 hungry mobs following resulting in yet another wipe when the person makes it out those mobs turn onto the unexpecting people who just zoned in.
GrumblyStuff Dec 1st 2008 8:16PM
Tanks:
Guess what? You have the toughest job.
You control the speed on the group. You make sure everyone is present, buffed, and full mana/HP for the next pull. You let DPS know who to CC, the kill order (via marks), and you _spank_ DPS for not listening. Casters and hunters should be out of melee range, and melee should be behind your target. If your computer can handle it, run WoW in a window so you can quickly look up strats on bosses or tricky mobs. I don't recommend /readycheck as it gets quickly annoying; a simple "/p ready?" should suffice.
You should gear and spec for tanking. Druids can get away with just speccing and using high stam/agi gear but warriors, DKs, and pallies need tanky gear. High stam and def/parry/dodge/block rating (DKs obviously don't need that last one). Obviously you won't do as much damage as a DPS spec but they have significantly buffed tank damage output.
And above all else, __protect the healer__. That armor and avoidence will only keep you alive for so long.
Healers:
Mana pools and regen is the name of the game. Going healing spec will help boost heals and regen. As stated above, you and the tank are the most important to keep alive. As such, you need to focus on those green bars on the side of the screen and not so much the fight (the tank should mention prior to pulling if the fight requires moving around). Green bar goes down? Press button to make green bar go up.
DPS are there to protect you, too, so be nice and heal them and their pet if you can. They like that and will be all the more willing to cover you and take one for the team in the time of need.
Pre-heal the tank if you can before the pull. HoTs, PoM (priests only), earth shield (shamans only) are all good. Priests should shield only if the tank asks. If you find no one taking much damage, go ahead and drop a couple damage spells or braid your hair or something. :P
DPS:
Hi. You're mostly expendable. Also, there's a ton of DPS classes out there in addition to healers and tanks that could DPS as well. Because of this, it's in your best interest to learn the ins and outs of your class.
You should have a threat meter. Your tank's threat should be the only limit of your DPS. You should only attack what the tank is attacking except in AOE situations. You should give the tank a few seconds into fights to get themselves situated (you should be using this time to be CCing or debuffing). Help the tank and healer however you can. Off heal if needed. Debuff on long fights (thunderclap/demoshout/sunderarmor/insectswarm/curses/exposearmor/etc.).
The smoother you help make the run, the greater the likelyhood you'll be invited again. Damage meters aren't the end all measurement of your run. Listen to the tank, don't pull unless asked, __don't stun lock the tank's primary target__, buff the group if you can....
Oh, and everyone? Don't be a dick over loot. Share the love, preferably gear upgrades for main specs. Ok, if there's only one platewearer and that's all that's dropping, yeah, that sucks but don't blame him/her. There will always be more chances.
Taytayflan Dec 1st 2008 9:03PM
Clearly explain to the newbie melee classes that you shouldn't be getting hit unless your the tank.
Also, tell people ASAP who can heal, who can't, and that you should always run if a wipe is your fault.
SleepySlug Dec 1st 2008 9:32PM
My biggest adjustment was just knowing how to play my class in an instance. Running instances and soloing are very different, and not just for the tank and heals, even for the dps. Dps need to know how to optimize their dmg while still managing aggro, meaning using moves you don't normally do while soloing. I play a rogue so immediately Rupture, Garotte, Slice & Dice and Feint leap to mind.
On another note, the blame game isn't very fun, but it's necessary if you're gonna learn from your mistakes. Just don't be a jerk about it. Learn from your mistakes and try not to rely on luck if you're stuck. Try to do something different after each failed attempt; there's no point in beating a dead horse and wasting your gold on repairs.
Good luck and have fun! #1 rule. Enjoy it, cuz it's pretty much all you'll be doing eventually =p