Guest Post: How to succeed in dungeons without really trying
by Aiden James Kosciesza 
Jan 3rd 2011 at 2:00PM
Make no mistake: Early Cataclysm dungeons are not the faceroll that we experienced at the end of Wrath. Not only have everyone's gear levels dropped dramatically relative to the content, but Blizzard has returned to a more BC-style design philosophy wherein crowd control really matters and one live mob can make the difference between an easy pull and a very difficult one.
Of course, the ideal solution is to read up on the dungeons beforehand and make sure you're prepared for them, but we don't live in an ideal world. Sometimes, you'll wind up in a random dungeon that you weren't expecting, and you haven't had time to research. Additionally, dungeon guides don't always give tips for trash, and trash pulls now require some coordination. Luckily, instance design does not expect you to have an encyclopedia in your head. An alert dungeoneer can succeed on the fly by following a few simple tips.
Be up front and ask questions. If you zone into a dungeon you're doing for the first time, say so. A simple "first time in here" will let other players know that you're still learning the mechanics of the instance and may need guidance. It's always possible that an impatient member will drop group or, worse, vote to kick you, but trust me: You don't want to go through the dungeon with that person anyway. The vast majority of groups will be relieved that you spoke up and will offer information throughout the zone. When you come to a boss you haven't seen yet or don't remember, a quick "Does this guy do anything special?" should be enough to get the tips you need. If none of your group members are forthcoming, you'll have to rely on general dungeon knowledge to get you through.
Know your CC. If you're a DPSer, make sure you know all of your class's crowd control options and have them ready in a convenient place on your action bars. If you're a tank or someone who is leading an instance, it's probably a good idea to be familiar with all crowd control options, but if you're not, ask the group who has CC at the beginning of the dungeon. The person leading should assign a mark to each CCer and keep the assignments consistent throughout the run. If you are a DPSer who has a useful CC ability but the tank is forging bravely ahead, speak up and mention your capability. It could mean the difference between an easy pull and a trash wipe.
Get DBM. The Deadly Boss Mods addon is an essential tool in any dungeoneer's arsenal. If you're quick-witted or a veteran of other WoW dungeons, DBM's announcements will help you know what to do even if you've never seen the dungeon before. Healers will especially appreciate the announcement of special boss abilities, as these almost always cause the group to take more damage and a heads-up can help the healer compensate. DPS will be warned not to stand in the fire and when to interrupt boss spells.
Don't stand in bad things. As we all know, if the floor changes color at the boss's behest, it's time to move your butt and get to a safer spot. Fire, shadow, falling rock, water, arcane magic -- all of these are examples of Things You Don't Want To Stand In. Most players are pretty good about not standing in the fire, but it's important that you keep your eyes open, even on trash pulls. Don't overwork the healer's mana by being slow to move. Also, melee DPS especially should be aware of the mob's proximity abilities. If you're standing in front of something that is hurting you, move out of the way.
Stand in good things. Cataclysm has introduced a new dynamic to the old not-standing-in-fire strategy: good fire. Some of the healing classes have gained new AoE heal abilities that show up as spell graphics on the ground -- but these are the good kind. If your healer casts one of these spells, such as Efflorescence, Power Word: Barrier, or Healing Rain, it'll show up as a shiny spell graphic at a fixed location. If it's possible and convenient amidst your other responsibilities on the fight, move into these spell graphics so that you benefit from the AoE heals.
Watch your health. If you're not the healer, it's important to watch your own health. If you notice that you're taking a lot more damage than usual, you may be standing somewhere you shouldn't be. Awareness is key. It's also a good idea to have potions, bandages, or self-healing cooldowns ready, but do not use them unless necessary. Cataclysm healing is not about keeping players at full health, and if you use your self-healing abilities when you are not in immediate danger of dying, you're just wasting the healer's mana; he or she was probably in the middle of healing you.
Follow the leader. If you're the only one new to the dungeon, chances are the other players know things about the encounters that they've either forgotten or neglected to tell you. If you see everyone else moving to a certain spot, moving out of a certain spot, or switching DPS to an add, be the sheep and follow along. Awareness is still key! It could save your party from a wipe.
All of these tips notwithstanding, it's still a good idea to read a guide for dungeons you have yet to visit. WoW Insider has some great guides up for you to peruse, and it doesn't take long to give them a once-over. However, if you zone into an instance and draw a blank, these tips will help you make the most of it. Good luck and have fun!
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.Filed under: Cataclysm, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
JT Jan 3rd 2011 2:09PM
A good guide. However, I do feel a bit compelled to mention that the answer to "does this guy do anything special?" is invariably "yes," and a quick perusal of the wowpedia entry on a dungeon when confronted with an unfamiliar loading screen really does work wonders.
Pyromelter Jan 3rd 2011 2:38PM
I like the advice, but would word the question a bit differently. Because bosses do things that tanks need to know about, but dps don't, and vice versa, a better question is "What do I need to know about for this guy?" Sometimes you want to kill adds, sometimes you don't, usually you don't want to stand in fire, but occasionally there is a mechanic where you want to stand in something, or maybe there is a boss threat-drop. Or there are times you want to stack up, where other times you want to spread out.
I definitely agree with the writer when he says that you really should say "first time in here." I think most players are understandable, and there's a lot of people still running through dungeons for the first time. Usually people don't have a problem running through basic mechanics of fights. I think most dungeoners would take an inquisitive first timer who can play their class decently over someone who thinks they are elite but never asks for advice.
If at all possible, tagging along with a friend who has done a dungeon before can be a big help to someone running a dungeon for the first time.
Bynde Jan 3rd 2011 2:43PM
Sure, if the loading screen gives you enough time to find the strategy for that Dungeon.
I cannot, nor will I even try, to keep this encyclopedic database of dungeon strats in my head. I can barely keep my ATM PIN in my head.
So, I try to keep on dungeons by reading. If at some point I feel masochistic and join a LFG, and it's ainstance I don't know I need to depend on the kindness of strangers to tell me "what this guy does".
JKWood Jan 3rd 2011 2:43PM
You're assuming I can check Wowpedia without logging out of the game completely.
Sleutel Jan 3rd 2011 3:01PM
Better yet (and especially helpful for people like Bynde): compile a dungeon cheat sheet on your guild's forums. One of my guildies did this at the very launch of Cata, and it's been unbelievably helpful. It was one big huge monster post with the highlights for every single dungeon boss: a list of each boss's abilities, a "sum up" of what to do and what not to do (e.g., "DPS the adds and stay out of the fire"), and anything special you should be aware of that's different in Heroic.
For the first few weeks of Cata, anytime I was queuing for a run, I had a browser tab open to that thread, so I could easily tab out before a boss to learn what was important or refresh my memory. Added bonus: you can copy and past from the thread into party chat for group members who don't know the fights.
JT Jan 3rd 2011 3:15PM
Pyromelter,
For sure. Really, before queueing up for a random heroic via the RDF, one ought to have been through each dungeon on normal at least once, and preferably on heroic at least once with guildies. The time for questions is on vent with friends, not via ingame chat with strangers.
Bynde,
I tend to keep wowpedia alt-tabbed when playing. The loading screen is usually time enough to bring up the dungeon, and I typically take a quick "All right, does everyone know this fight?" moment before starting the encounter to refresh my own knowledge.
JKWood,
I am indeed; I wasn't aware players were having that issue. Have you tried played in fullscreen-windowed mode? It fills up the screen like normal, but allows you to alt-tab over to your browser more easily.
Sleutel,
Wow, that's a great idea! I think I know my project for the evening. Cheers. :)
Eisengel Jan 3rd 2011 10:27PM
Honestly, here's the breakdown for pretty much every boss so far in heroics:
1. Kill the adds immediately! DPS the boss when no adds are up.
2. Move out of bad things immediately! They hurt lots and can OHK you.
With a few exceptions, these two rules will get you through DPSing most heroic bosses.
Twill Jan 3rd 2011 2:10PM
As a tank/healer combo, I thank you. Also, no we are not extinct. My druid and paladin do tank and heal, and its not bad at all.
I'm just glad that you wrote this so that people who are afraid to run dungeons actually get up and do them. The real issue I find is the scrubs who think they rock but don't read articles like this and then expect someone like me to carry them through the content.
Either way, woot.
Natsumi Jan 3rd 2011 2:10PM
At first glance I thought this post was going to consist of, "Find yourself a Bear Tank." due to the pic, lol.
Glad it was more substance about how us old timers play and less on group comp :D
artifex Jan 3rd 2011 3:06PM
Honestly, *every* time I see a bear tank, I remember (the) Alamo:
( http://www.wowwiki.com/Alamo )
Revynn Jan 3rd 2011 6:57PM
I refuse to do Halls of Origination with anything but a bear tank. Not because they have some sort of special advantage or ability, but because Bear + Camel = Hilarious.
razion Jan 3rd 2011 2:14PM
"My fear of the ground has INCREASED from playing this game..."
Ikarus Jan 3rd 2011 6:51PM
Helpful tip for "Don't stand in bad things" > Go into your video settings and make sure "Projected Textures" is on. I've found a number of things you just can't see without this. Even things you can see with this off become much clearer.
HHUK Jan 3rd 2011 2:15PM
Whenever I join a heroic I've got the wiki page loaded up and ready to see if there's any important tactics. Even if you've done it before, a bad tank or DPS doing things wrong will need advising if they're clueless on the fight aswell. If you have the knowledge then you can help the group as a whole. Even if it's a quick glance while the healers getting mana before a fight, a quick glance can be a life saver.
Laid Jan 3rd 2011 2:19PM
As a Disc Priest, I kindly thank you for the "Stand in Good Things" part. I can't tell you how many times tanks/melee dps step out of my Power Word: Barrier -,- Giant Golden Shield?! RUN!
ambermist Jan 3rd 2011 2:59PM
I've been running Heroic BRC a lot trying to get the bracers I want, and Solar Beam (interrupt and AoE silence) is AWESOME on packs of caster mobs, like the ones in the hallway surrounding Corla and the ones in between the dance-with-the-fire boss and the last one.
Unfortunately, most of the tanks I have encountered are unfamiliar with the ability and immediately run out of it. Sometimes I explain, sometimes I don't, but I always get a good chuckle when we're standing at the last boss in an instance and someone finally says: "that beam of light, is that the adds?"
Nope, just lil old me. :-P
AudreyR Jan 3rd 2011 4:08PM
Even for guild groups, I start off by dropping a healing rain at the group's feet. "This is good stuff. When you see it, come to it."
Of course, this doesn't work on similar spells with long cool downs.
Kuro Jan 3rd 2011 2:21PM
Need to put some emphasis interrupting spell casts. More classes have the ability to interrupt spells now and they need to learn to use those abilities frequently, even on trash pulls.
If the frog on that Stonecore Earthshaper breaks, you can interrupt his very very very long Force of Earth cast and save some grief.. cursing... running to the instance door in a bubble...
Offensive Dispell/Purge/Devour Magic/Shield Slam also needs a mention. (I'm looking at you HoO Temple Fireshaper.)
Pyromelter Jan 3rd 2011 2:43PM
For offensive dispells, if you have a mage in the group, a friendly reminder of "Hey mage, you know spellsteal is good on these guys right?" can really help. You dispell the buff, and then the mage gets the buff. A mage who is a first timer will be thankful, and mages who have been around the block will give you a smiley faced "yup!" because you have just acknowledged how awesome they are.
Ilmyrn Jan 3rd 2011 4:26PM
Oh Lord. My first time in Heroic HoO was with me (paladin) tanking, a druid healer, two rogues, and a frost DK.
Those freaking Fireshapers.
Never again.