WoW Rookie: Are you ready for heroics and raiding?
by Michael Gray 
Mar 17th 2011 at 1:00PM
One of the most frequent questions we get around here is "How do I know when I'm ready for instances/dungeons/raids/arena?" It's a tough question; there are so many variables that it can be difficult to pin down a real answer. And even then, since a single person in a raid group represents just one person out of 10 or 25, if your personal DPS is a little low, then your teammates might be able to cover the slack.
That being said, the desire to be the best you can is one of the most important qualities of a raider. So if you care about being sure you're actually ready for heroics and raids, then we want to try and support that. Let's talk about some general guidelines for figuring out whether you and your character are ready for each next level of progression.
Starting instancesThe game does provide a basic test to see whether or not you're eligible for instances. It checks your level before you can enter, and you're required to meet a basic gear item level to use the random dungeon finder. But we've all seen that you can game those systems in any number of ways.
For normal level 85 instances, DPSers want to be putting out somewhere between 5k to 7k DPS. That's a rough estimate; some fights favor certain roles, other fights favor certain specs. It's really a mixed bag, and you can't just assume that your DPS on a target dummy is "enough." Still, 5k to 7k DPS is a solid staple.
Tank and healer thresholds are a little bit more of a challenge to pin down, because crowd control is key in normal instances. Tanks should be in predominately 300 item level gear, as should healers. The closer your item level is to 333, however, the better off you are.
Assuming you don't totally outgear the instance, you'll want to use a lot of crowd control. The more successful you are in your efforts to use CC, the less pressure is on the tanks and healers. The gauge swings too wildly based on that CC to be any more specific.
Ready for heroics
Heroic instances are more demanding. Your DPS output should be somewhere between 7k and 10k DPS. You can squeak by with a little less DPS, certainly, but the 7k to 10k range is a nice, comfortable place to be.
Tanks should be rocking close to 100k hit points natively through gear. If you are geared to 100k hit points through item level alone, you should have no problem at all tanking heroics. Using enchants and gems to get you there, however, will mean you're largely a mana sponge and will thus be putting a lot more pressure on the healer.
Healers are the hardest to gauge, as always. A lot of a healer's performance relies on his or her ability to choose heals wisely. But your item level should be above 329, of course, and moving closer to the 340s.
DPS characters joining raids should be putting out 10k or more damage per second. This is an easy gauge, since that's what's required to take down Argaloth. Anything less than 10k DPS, and your raid will need to make up the difference. While other raid bosses don't necessarily have an enrage timer, Argaloth is a good, solid test of your damage.
Tanks should be over 120k hit points from their gear at this point. Healers should be at least 340 item level; everything over 346 is bonus.
The caveats
The thresholds above represent rough guidelines. Please don't forbid a skilled player from your raid and quote this article as being why. However, for folks who are trying to get a good feel of whether they stack up in terms of forward progression, hopefully these goals will give you a deeper understanding.
Also, it helps if you're in a guild group. This is because the coordination and team play tends to be a little stronger, making up a bit for gear issues. Also, if more than one person in your group is new to that level of play, then you will be even a little more challenged in the learning curve. If you find yourself in a PUG or with more newer players, pad the numbers even a little further.
My favorite mod for gauging my DPS is Skada. It's pretty solid and reliable, and I like its options.
Visit the WoW Rookie Guide for links to everything you need to get started as a new player, from how to control your character and camera angles when you're just starting out, to pulling together enough cash for mid-level expenses such as mounts, to dungeoneering and travel tips for lowbies.
Filed under: WoW Rookie
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Baba Mar 17th 2011 1:07PM
I would argue that the tank will need more health than 100k to do heroics with "no problem at all". Stamina isn't so important compared to mitigation, but I can't see how a tank with 100k will have the gear that gives enough mitigation to survive (for example) Ripsnarl. A tank with 100k hp will have a very hard time doing trash and if they're using the DF they'll get kicked, abused and generally given a hard time :/
I guess the caveat is try and run in a guild group if you're just venturing into heroics with that kind of gear.. it's a brutal job :S
Todd Mar 17th 2011 1:21PM
"Tanks should be rocking close to 100k hit points natively through gear."
That's just gear; it doesn't include enchants, gems, food, or self-buffs. After those are applied a tank should be in the 125k-160k range.
However, I do fully agree with your mitigation point. That would be a nice guideline too.
Canth Mar 17th 2011 1:26PM
I agree. I didn't venture into heroics (as a DK tank) until my iLevel was 335, and I had 130K hit points with only self-buffs.
And even then it was rough at times.
Though healer quality also fluctuates. I've tanked one heroic where the healer stated he couldn't keep me up, and then the next heroic the (different) healer ran the instance at full mana and said I was easy as cake (or pie if you happen to be of that persuasion) to heal.
But as a tank, I definately held back a little and didn't jump into heroics straight at the 329 ilevel average. Heroics are hard, and chances are pretty damn good that 2 out of the other 4 people are not ready for the instance you are doing with them. I've seen anything from healers with less than 60K mana (and running out after each and every fight) to DPS doing 4K DPS. You are why there's a tank shortage people. We don't enjoy running with you. Go back to doing regulars and get some real gear and improve your skill.
Geiss Mar 17th 2011 1:34PM
I'm sitting at 120k on my tank (still in a lot of i 318 gear), and would DEFINITLEY not feel comfortable going into a heroic based on what I've seen from the back of the group as my 346 geared healer. Tanks should be aiming closer to 150 than 120 on HP, and by my best guess, 25% dodge + parry would be a great start. Otherwise, you're just a mana sponge.
And healers hate mana sponges.
Vega Mar 18th 2011 4:59PM
He said 100k hp through items alone. As in, your total hp minus your hp with no gear on.
Not 100k total. My priest in quest gear had over 100k total right at dinging 84-85.
Read things a bit closer next time.
kerese Mar 17th 2011 1:25PM
I think a good indicator of raid readiness both 10k dps and the ability to consistently NOT DIE in heroics. Most heroics do not have fights that require healers to keep dps alive; instead, they rely on incidental, avoidable damage. If you can live through most heroics, except for say Rajh or the guy in SFK, you are prepared to dodge things and stay out of the fire. If you die to Corborus, or Altairus, or Lady Naz'jar, or Ozruk, you are not ready for raiding mechanics and need to work on your situational awareness.
Canth Mar 17th 2011 1:29PM
And just because you have the "Ready for Raiding" achievement doesn't mean squat. I had one party member get it while laying face-down the entire fight. (They went all-out DPS during an aggro reset, and paid for it in full)
Plus that fight is easy as cake to avoid the fire and circles. Anyone can do that one. (And I say that as melee(tank) who still continues to do decent DPS on the boss during the flame wall)
Worldworstretadin Mar 17th 2011 5:49PM
Absolutely correct! I think a lot of DPS have had to "re-learn" the value of CC and staying the hell out of the bad stuff after a steady diet of single-button-asleep-at-the-wheel AoE instancing in Wrath, or face spending a good portion of any fight inspecting the flooring.
Now, if only I could train myself to remember that the blue stuff on the ground when you have a Shaman healer is good...
Reading the comments further down about tanks taking CC as an insult: please, please PLEASE tanks, when I Hex something on my Resto Shaman and ask the Hunter or Mage to CC as well, I'm not saying something unsavoury about your mother. I'm trying to conserve precious mana so I can keep you and the rest of the group vertical. The number of times I've been abused by tanks for Hexing or had them taunt said CC'd mob anyway...
Giggady Mar 17th 2011 1:26PM
A tank in i329 gear would have over 100k hp anyway, surely?!?
Anyone contemplating tanking a PuG with less than 130k should be marking trash for CC and using all their CDs wisely.
From what I've seen the past few weeks it's returning to the old WOTLK AoE fest in heroics and it's not pleasant to heal. When you suggest marking even a skull, let alone mobs to CC it's like a tank has had their ego dented.
Geiss Mar 17th 2011 1:36PM
Gig, I'm starting to see this mentality come back as well, and it's bothersome (let alone stressful) to heal a tank who doesnt want to CC.
Peli Mar 17th 2011 1:55PM
@Geiss I couldn't agree more. While my druid isn't at all the epitome of BiS gear-wise, I have over 100k health and mana self-buffed, yet I have ran several instances where tanks have flat out refused to allow CC (as soon as a mob is CC'd, they purposefully throw out AoE damage and pop it).
I'd like to add the suggestion to ENCHANT AND GEM YOUR GEAR! Most of the best enchants are dirt cheap (easily covered by doing 30 mins worth of dailies), and there's no reason to not have the Therazane enchant if you're running heroics. My druid had just about every enchant on his quest reward healing set before stepping foot into normal dungeons.
I recently had a warrior touch on all of these pet peeves in TotT (while tanking in ungemmed or DPS gemmed, unenchanted, mostly PvP gear), and it drove me NUTS. When he decided to pull the 5-packs of trash and broke several CC's, I ended up running out of mana and then we all died.
Luna Mar 17th 2011 2:03PM
What the healer says: "Hey, can we please have the mage sheep the healer? It would make the encounter go much smoother?"
What the tank hears: "Yo, stupid, you can't do your job and your momma is ugly."
How can we get the idea across that CC'ing is viable, preferable, and it keeps the stress levels down and lets the healer conserve mana and keep everyone alive?
wutsconflag Mar 17th 2011 2:37PM
The worst offenders are tanks who refuse to allow CC or break it indiscriminately. My brother falls into this category. He loathes CC, which I just don't understand. Sure, maybe we could kill the whole group without it, but I'd rather our healer didn't have a heart attack while doing it.
Boobah Mar 17th 2011 4:15PM
I'm geared enough at this point that, I'm ashamed to say, my biggest problem with folks doing this is realizing that I actually have the mana regen to use my fast and/or big heals far more often than I do; a fully controlled trash pull, with only one mob up at a time almost never requires more than Earth Shield, Riptide, and Healing Wave. And the only time those pulls drop me below 90% mana is when my trinket procs and adds another 20k mana to my maximum.
It makes the trash packs the interesting part of the instance, rather than the boss dances.
Not, mind you, that I do any encouraging of the AoE fest, aside from trying to heal through it. I'll hex and bind anything I can, and I love seeing marks go up on stuff. I'm there to help others gain loot in exchange for my VP, and it's faster to CC than wipe.
Chokaa Mar 18th 2011 9:31AM
DK Tank here.
I use and abuse the hell out of puglax and quickmark, and more often than not I get flak from my healer or one of the dps'ers : "do we HAVE to CC? Itz a waste of time"
Get enough of those and it almost makes me want to abandon the auto-marking auto-cc assignments. Almost.
I still use crowd control even with my ilvl at 356 and damn near 200k hp. Why? Because it makes things smoother. Especially when theres a frigglefragglin healer mob.
Hal Mar 17th 2011 1:35PM
Hm . . . when I started running heroics, I was doing about 6k DPS. Most of my groups were in about the same place.
And yet, somehow, we managed to pull it off. Really, as long as you're in up-to-date gear from questing through Uldum/Twilight Highlands, you should be fine (YMMV). In fact, questing fully through the zones is the best way to go because you'll not only have gear ready to go, but you'll have rep built up with the factions, possibly allowing you to buy good pre-heroic gear.
Boobah Mar 17th 2011 4:20PM
6k is adequate for most heroics; it'll still likely get you dead against the harder DPS check bosses like Ripsnarl or Springvale, though.
Marvelous Mar 17th 2011 1:39PM
I started tanking heroics on my DK and Druid soon as I hit iLevel 329 and this was after the Great Heroic Nerf of 2011. My strategy on trash depends on the dps I have with me. If I have three dps each rocking 18k dps I'm not going to bother with crowd control since it's dead in about 12 seconds. On the other hand, I try to always mark a skull. If the dps is all around 6-8k, I will use all available crowd control!
Therar Mar 17th 2011 1:44PM
I am gemmed but not fully enchanted as a tank. Should I wait until I'm fully enchanted for heroics?
(cutaia) Mar 17th 2011 1:54PM
I don't know if you should wait until you're fully enchanted, but I can tell you that a lot of the enchants you'd want to put on gear for heroics is actually going to be fairly cheap...some as low as 8g or so. So, you might as well see how enchanted you can get without breaking the bank. You might be surprised just how many you can get rather affordably.