Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite WoW encounter?
by Ryan Smith 
Mar 13th 2011 at 8:00AM
In Cataclysm, a number of different raids and dungeons were added to the game, some with mechanics never before seen in the World of Warcraft. Before this, there were numerous encounters that tested raiders' ingenuity and button-mashing skills to the limit, causing players to think up new and questionable (Saronite Bombs, anyone?) ways to counter them.
What has been your favorite raid, instance or specific encounter? Mine would have to be a dead tie between Molten Core and Ulduar; the epicness of watching my brother being the only one left standing during a Ragnaros fight, compared to the dark whispers of Yogg-Saron as you rip your hair out of your skull, trying to get that last 10% down without being overwhelmed by invincible adds. A lot of these fights have been epic; a lot, a pain. But all of them have meant something special to those who have beaten them.
What has been your favorite fight, raid, instance, or outdoor raid, and why? Was it because of the people you were with, the joy of downing a hard boss after the frustration of wiping, or the wonderful purple (or blue) loot that flowed in afterwards?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Aticus Mar 13th 2011 8:05AM
Ragnaros. All other comments will be purged.
Knob Mar 13th 2011 11:26AM
Too soon! You have commented too soon, Aticus! Justice shall be met, indeed!
vertigobliss86 Mar 13th 2011 12:54PM
Ragnaros was the best in suspense. Here you are watching him awaken, and then get PO'ed and take his fury out on you.
thedoctor2031 Mar 16th 2011 1:22PM
Ragnaros was definitely an epic fight, I never got to play it myself in vanilla but I watched my brothers go up against him many MANY times. After watching them FINALLY down it it just gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. And I also liked the build up to Ragnaros, with Major Domo Executus summoning him TO SOON!
And Ulduar was definitely my favorite raid in wrath and I still run it with guildies to get em drakes and for the fun of it.
Also I would like to thank WoWInsider for publishing my article. Makes me feel accomplished. Thank you WoWInsider!
kidjingo Mar 13th 2011 8:05AM
Ulduar all the way. Best layout, boss fights, and overall feel for any raid so far. Especially considering naxx before and trial after.
Jae Mar 13th 2011 10:53AM
I am the lucid dream.
The monster in your nightmares.
The fiend of a thousand faces.
Cower before my true form.
BOW DOWN BEFORE THE GOD OF DEATH!
darthjeffrey Mar 13th 2011 8:19AM
Ulduar was pretty epic for me first time i went in there. Seeing all the huge mobs patting around and having to use vehicles in the first part of it was a sight that will stay with me forever.
Rigo Mar 13th 2011 8:24AM
Prince in Kara was a favorite of mine. It was my first time being in a raid from start to finish.
Next would be the Lich King, not for the actual encounter but I liked the feeling of destroying the main villain.
Rob Mar 13th 2011 11:43AM
Yeah i was just going to say, Prince. It felt really epic to FINALLY see him and defeat him. It took (our horrible) guild like 6 months. And i just love the encounter, what he says, the (very very easy) void zone mechanic, etc. Not like say the Illidari council.
Oh my next two favs: Illidan and LK.
Straz Mar 13th 2011 12:56PM
I had seen LK so much questing and running dungeons, that by the time I had actually gotten to him it was very anticlimactic. I really just wanted him dead in hopes that he wouldn't slow-chase me in HoR on alts anymore.
Now getting to Illidan was scary. You didn't see him anywhere else in game, save an image at Netherwing, so when you finally confront him it's an awe-inspiring moment. Illidan's definitely my favorite encounter. Blackheart the Inciter is second (TIME FOR FUN).
Dreshung Mar 13th 2011 5:05PM
I don't know if I would go with Prince, but I would have to say Curator from Kara is my favorite. There is just something about your first raid encounter that sticks with ya. There have been some really amazing fights since then, but Curator will always hold a special spot for me.
Evelinda Mar 14th 2011 1:58AM
ah, yes, prince, 100%! kara was the first raid i ever completed, and hot damn was it satisfying.
plus, he's just so over the top, especially for someone who (in the grand scheme of things), was so relatively unimportant. "You face not Malchezaar alone, but the legions I command!"... brilliant.
Knob Mar 13th 2011 8:25AM
Ulduar, especially after you enter the complex proper (Antechamber onwards). The Keepers, along with their respective hard modes, the awesome lore-centric encounter that was Algalon, Yogg-Saron, especially in the 0-keeper incarnation. The entire place was such a win on so many levels; design, art, encounter design, the whole lot. It's such a shame that it was followed by the travesty that was ToC, which also made many people skip Ulduar completely. A damn shame.
pancakes Mar 13th 2011 8:26AM
Secretly, i enjoyed both Flame Leviathan and Malygos mechanics wise. Shade of Aran was always entertaining, just because he was so cool. I like the 3rd boss and the 2 fire elemental pulls just before him in BRC as a tank.
But, out of all the fights, i think Heigen was my favourite, because I was good at the dance, & the rest of my guild wasn't, so it made me feel pro.
Luci Mar 13th 2011 11:09AM
Shade of Aran all the way! When you were new to it it was terrifying, after you did it a few times it was hilarious!
I'm surprised vent didn't explode from all the DONT MOVE DONT MOVE DONT MOVE! lol
velarya Mar 13th 2011 8:27AM
All of Ulduar. Every inch of it. Every boss encounter, and the epic trash as well. Ulduar is the bar Blizz set for itself, and will have a hell of a time releasing anything close to as epic.
Orrdeath Mar 13th 2011 8:29AM
Heroic lich King, was awesome to see everyones coordination and team work come together to down him. Was a very fine line between failure and success. Maybe it was because he was the lich king but the first time we downed him everything seemed sureal.
I like a bunch of the new fight mechanics of cata also, blizzard has come a long ways.
Kaage Mar 13th 2011 8:29AM
the back end of AQ40 - The guild-breakers. (Twin Emps and C'thun)
TheDr Mar 13th 2011 8:32AM
The gunship battle in ICC, Just the epicness of having a giant ship to ship battle, Not having to worry too much about mechanics because they all made sense. When your guns go down you get over there and stop the person shutting them down. Kill the people shooting you and stay on your ship to do it.
ummeiko Mar 13th 2011 8:57AM
Ulduar is by far my favorite raid instance. Sunwell is nearly tied for first. Ulduar wins out a bit because of the creativity of the encounters and the ways to trigger hard modes. Plus the zone just looked amazing.
My two favorite fights are Eredar Twins and Mimiron (with or without fire).