Raid Leader Strategy - PUG shrouds to make "friends"

[The_Great_Samulas]

This last month I've been doing more shrouds than I normally do. I went down to 1-2 a week and concentrated more on epic quests/raids, because my stockpiles of larges were considerable (30 large scales). The ones I was running were often closed groups from specific invites. However, I've been doing them a bit more lately. I don't lead these raids myself anymore on normal difficulty, as they are quite easy, so I've been joining PUGs.

Anyways, I've found that this is a pretty good way of identifying bad/obnoxious players to keep them out of the more challenging raids. This is in conjunction with identifying the good ones as well. I have also noticed you get players that will drop group with little provocation, or just drop after part 4 when they know its a completion run. I've added more toons and guilds to my "friends" list this last month than I have in the previous 3 months. I had a particularly bad sorc last night, that prompted this observation.

Thought I would share this. Seemed a partcularly useful strategy considering you run the shroud anyways. It still is a balancing act between extra time in a PUG shroud vs. meeting new players, but I like meeting new players and it seems you get a different breed in the shroud (maybe its just because I don't put those together myself anymore). I tend to run the PUG shrouds on my healers, as A) I can ensure completion even in bad groups almost all of the time, whereas you can't on DPS, caster, or bard spots and B) you can wait to the end to join and not have to wait at all to get started.

I hope this doesn't sound too elitist, but I've found my enjoyment of the game is enhanced by an up-to-date "friends" list.

[Yoduus]

not all players show their true selves during a typical run of the mill shroud though, i for one hardly ever go wash my hands during shroud, just a thought

[Tobril]

I was hoping this would be a guide for speeding/smoothing PUG shrouds...oh well.

It would be nice if you did start leading PUG shrouds.

Right now it's like pulling teeth to convince people to not take forever.

Buff-fests at every part, secondary casters (rangers/paladins) won't help out to speed buffing, everyone wants GH, etc...

Typical time now is ~33-44 minutes.

It would be really nice to get some help trying to speed up these daffodil-sniffing contests.

[k1ngp1n]

I was hoping this would be a guide for speeding/smoothing PUG shrouds...oh well.

It would be nice if you did start leading PUG shrouds.

Right now it's like pulling teeth to convince people to not take forever.

Buff-fests at every part, secondary casters (rangers/paladins) won't help out to speed buffing, everyone wants GH, etc...

Typical time now is ~33-44 minutes.

It would be really nice to get some help trying to speed up these daffodil-sniffing contests.

This. A few runs ago I actually had a cleric demand to spam off Spell Resistance. *Sigh*

Part 1: Jump pot, go - songs, haste, on portal 1, gh if ya got it otherwise just roll.
Part 2: Deathward, Haste, go - Fire resists/FoM while gathering, haste again.
Part 3: dont shrine, just go
Part 4: Poison pot, Fire resist, FoM passed, go... haste and songs, rage on the first mob group, go.
Part 5: Go straight into melee, deathward, haste, fom passed, poison pot - none of this gathering/kiting bs.

Then they get whiny when I tell the bards/wizzies to stop passing blur for 4/5. *sigh*

[mws2970]

This. A few runs ago I actually had a cleric demand to spam off Spell Resistance. *Sigh*

Part 1: Jump pot, go - songs, haste, on portal 1, gh if ya got it otherwise just roll.
Part 2: Deathward, Haste, go - Fire resists/FoM while gathering, haste again.
Part 3: dont shrine, just go
Part 4: Poison pot, Fire resist, FoM passed, go... haste and songs, rage on the first mob group, go.
Part 5: Go straight into melee, deathward, haste, fom passed, poison pot - none of this gathering/kiting bs.

Then they get whiny when I tell the bards/wizzies to stop passing blur for 4/5. *sigh*

You don't kite long enough for the casters to get their SP back in the pools in pt 5?

[Quikster]

You don't kite long enough for the casters to get their SP back in the pools in pt 5?

Kite? WT_heck is Kite?

No, if two healers 1 holds mana till harry drops and heals then, while the other regens if needed.

Caster should have most of their mana when harry drops. I usually have a caster pull the elemental out of the group of mobs and take it to a pool. They can regen mana between polar rays or while letting the earthy cook in a fw. Then they can debuff/cloud if needed and dump their mana, they can regen when out.

The whole regen while kiting thing came from the old days when harry was only at half health when the pools disappeared, and only 1 person could use a pool at a time. Now none of that is needed. Level 20 groups with decent weapons and pres should be able to take him down in a reasonable amount of time.

[Tobril]

You don't kite long enough for the casters to get their SP back in the pools in pt 5?

It’s not necessary.


Secondary casters can pass out freedom/fire as needed and everyone should be able to handle poison on their own.

That keeps the healers from having to do anything except prayer and maybe mass protection.

Haste/rage/songs during the fighting.


You should be able to get that all done before harry pops out.


DPS fights, casters cloudkill/exhaust if you like and then empty their blue bar, healers heal. (crazy healers like me can go in if they like, just be careful and don’t die or you’ll never hear the end of it)


Then your goal is to kill him before your first madstone proc wears off.


Now the trick is to get PUGs to do it like this.

[k1ngp1n]

You don't kite long enough for the casters to get their SP back in the pools in pt 5?

Nope. If I'm on my cleric and have any ability to manipulate the pace or stategy of the run, I call straight into melee. While they're beating down at the altar, I'm in the pools tossing FoMs. If Kasquik is there, I toss a deathward first. When Harry pops I'm out and at it. I don't expect that in most pugs when I'm on melee though 'cause most clerics lose it (sometimes literally) when I suggest that they not be at 100% and it'll be OK.

It isn't meant to be elitist or anything either. Its just that 20 minute Shrouds are addictive.

[mudfud]

I've found that shroud normal just doesn't cut it anymore for me. Most times now we do Hard with a few Elite runs now a week. Same completion time as normal, communicate what's needed. For elite make sure of a DR passing weapon.
That's the way I've found that really shows what pugs know there stuff and which ones like that they do.
The ones that just hit the lfm and whine when they enter and see we are on elite most times can't cut it. But once we complete they see how it's as easy as normal.

[Quikster]

I've found that shroud normal just doesn't cut it anymore for me. Most times now we do Hard with a few Elite runs now a week. Same completion time as normal, communicate what's needed. For elite make sure of a DR passing weapon.
That's the way I've found that really shows what pugs know there stuff and which ones like that they do.
The ones that just hit the lfm and whine when they enter and see we are on elite most times can't cut it. But once we complete they see how it's as easy as normal.

Last time I pugged out spots on elite shroud, Me hex and Minari finished (like did pt 4 and pt 5) while the rest of the puggers where soul stones lmao. Its much faster to three man normal than eltie