New Player Raid Training - Lord of Blades

[Tobril]

Are you a new player wanting to try a bit of raiding? That’s awesome!

Unfortunately you face a few obstacles.

When LFM’s for raids do appear, leaders tend to presume that you’ve
ran the raid hundreds of times and they lose sight of what it’s like to be new
to the raid. They then yell at you for not “just knowing what I want you to do”
or otherwise being a mind reader.


My goal is to help alleviate this issue and run some training for raids which
have become problematic for the PUG scene. Having fun is a big plus as well.


If you are interested please respond to this thread with your character you
want to bring and short description of your build. (class split, race, PRE)

All directions will be given via spoken English. If this is an issue to disability,
language barrier, etc please let me know ahead of time and we can
probably make appropriate arrangements.


If the list fills up please sign up anyhow in case other people cancel.


Thursday, July 5, 2012 - 19:00 MST (That means 7:00 P.M. Mountain Time, 8 Central, 9 Eastern, etc)

1 – Tobril (exact character may change depending on who signs up and shows up)
2 – BoloGrubb - 20 Stalwart
3 – Rosten (drow cleric)
4 - Orberon – AA ranger
5 - Dhavia – Articifer 20
6 - Kazual – 12/7/1 Ranger/Thief/Fighter
7 - Nolo – Hargl (16/2/2 Warchanter) OR Zzyzzxy (20 FvS)
8 - Mytaru, 20 TR Human Cleric
9 - Dubbell O'Seven - Articifer
10 - Atheistik - 20 FvS
11 - Thugorthaur - 20 Paladin
12 - Darckchalinha Human WIZ PM 20

13 - Gavrok - FvS
14 - Masselna, 20 PM


Alternates/Standby/Helpers:

Samius (if I get him drunk enough)
Hendrick
Morf
Eternal Wrath in general

We won yet again!

Despite my shoddy explanation everyone did really well
and adapted quickly to changes.

Special thanks to Undeadtank for happening to wander by and
keep the LoB under control for us, as well as all the other usual
helpers.

Remember, if you have any questions/comments feel free to ask
them here, track me down, /Defense, whatever. I know people
will be taking this information home to their guilds/static groups
and I'd like to make sure people are doing things in a reasonably
optimized way.

I look forward to seeing more people run this awesome raid!

[Tobril]

Mandatory Things to Bring: (I will ask you to link items when joining, you don’t get in without them)

All characters
100% Fortification
400+ HP


A few guides: (We’ll go over some refinements to these references)

Rerolled http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?p=4087529
Shade: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=350120
Wiki http://ddowiki.com/page/The_Lord_of_Blades
Advanced Tanking Guide http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=359765

Melee
Lord of Blades has DR adamantine+good.

If an articifer is present you can get by with either
adamantine or good. Have a backup weapon that has
both components just in case we don’t have an arty.

Smiting
Adamantine Holy Burst of Greater Construct Bane (or similar)

Arcane
Disintegrate
Prismatic Ray (scrolls too)
Haste
Blur
Greater Heroism
Resist Energy
Power Word Kill
Otto’s Irresistible Dance
Dancing Ball
Stone to Flesh

Divine
Mass Deathward
Resist Energy
True Seeing
Freedom of Movement
Resurrection or True Resurrection (don’t use raise dead)
Stone to Flesh

UMD people
Prismatic Ray x100
Stone to Flesh (fleshmaker stick work also for non-UMD people)

Ranged people (AA, articifer)
Smiting or Greater Construct Bane

Ranged is important for the raid. There are pillars that
need to be destroyed at range in order to complete.

Articifer
Adamantine weapons for sure
Good weapons
Prismatic Ray (scrolls)
Heal scrolls (you may be tank healing)


Optional Things That are Really Nice:
Healing Amplification (healer friend for warforged)
Clikies – (items that cast spells on you, Greater Heroism, Deathward, etc in case you die and need to be rebuffed)
Potions – Resist 20 (again, in case you become deceased and need to rebuff when raised)
Potions – Cure/Repair Serious, Silver Flame (help out healers a bit and/or save yourself in an emergency)
Regeneration – Tasty Ham, Pouch of Jerky, etc. “Trickle” healing in this raid is helpful
Be Really Focused – This raid requires more attention than most, be ready to concentrate.


Things I Don’t Want You To Use:
Mnemonic Potions – It’s important to learn how to raid without relying on these,
as it’s highly likely they will be placed on a large timer someday.

Voice Chat when the leader is speaking
Voice Chat when someone with an Important Job is speaking

[Tobril]

(I will work on this section over the week, there is a lot that happens in this raid)

Different groups do things a little differently, but as there
is no established PUG method I feel the below alterations
and additions to the existing guides are the simplest to explain
and implement.


A few notes/additions/modifications on the phases: (you did read the guides and watched the video, right?)


Start Time

Stand on the edge of the platform.
(just like abbot, the “water” is a Bad Place To Be)

Kill order: Articifer, paladins, assassins

Tank: Move the LoB to the opposite side where you enter the platform.

Dog Kiter: Take the dogs to where you enter the platform. (opposite the tank)
Then proceed to run in a circle for most of the raid. Enjoy!


Vanilla

Fight on the left shoulder of the LoB at maximum weapon distance.


Stun Hit:

Watch for the tank to be/say that he is stunned. If this happens
back up a few steps.

If you don’t back up you’ll be shredded before a healer can respond
to you getting caught in the backspin. (think trying to wrestle a helicopter)

Tank: Listen for the “wind-up” sound and block. Shield bashing tanks
are at much less risk of being stunned.

Tank Healer: Watch for the backspin to end and be prepared to apply a
large heal to the tank after he takes a Big Hit.


Whirlwind:

The LoB will wave his spear over his head. Back up and stop DPS.

Tank: Hit intim and jump/step back into the water during the spin.
(don’t mess up, this can wipe a party if mishandled)

Tank Healer: Be prepared to follow the tank a bit to compensate if
he accidently wanders out of range.


Jump

Dogs run to the LoB and give him a DR buff. Stop DPS and let the
kiter regain the dogs. This allows the dogs to be removed without
risk of the tank intimming them in addition to the LoB.
(if there is no dps on the LoB the tank doesn’t need to re-intim)

This phase is the same as before but adds a jumping maneuver to the LoB.

STAY TOGETHER NEAR THE TANK WHEN THE LOB JUMPS. If the
LoB lands on you and you run away then you’ll almost certainly
die and possibly jeopardize the entire raid. Turtle up and take it
like a bro. Watch the floor for a “water ripple” effect that signifies
where the LoB will land.

Use ranged weapons when the LoB comes down to help convince
him to come to the tank, who will then intimidate the LoB and resume
tanking. This is just like Sulu teleporting in VoD, the LoB’s aggro resets
during the jump.

My groups also assign a person to act as a full time dotter to make really
sure the LoB comes to the tank. The dotter stands near enough to the
tank for intim to pull the LoB away and provide a healthy hate amount
so that melees can apply full DPS without issues.

Dotter may need a heal/harm, so keep an eye out for them until the tank
re-establishes intim.


Rain of Blades

Dogs run to the LoB and give him a DR buff. Stop DPS and let the
kiter regain the dogs. This allows the dogs to be removed without
risk of the tank intimming them in addition to the LoB.
(if there is no dps on the LoB the tank doesn’t need to re-intim)


This phase includes all the elements of the previous phase and adds another
special attack to the LoB’s arsenal.

The LoB will bend over similar to when he jumps, but will instead
cast a way cool vertical blade barrier effect that deals significant
damage.

Tank: Stay put and keep tanking, the healer will keep you alive
from the center.

Dog Kiter: You also keep doing what you’re doing. If you are
not self-healing enough for the rain the group healer can cover
you during this phase.

Everyone else: Run to the center circle. Much like Abbot inferno
you are safe to run back in after a few seconds, despite the fact the
animation is still playing.


Smoke/Coffee Break

During this phase the LoB goes nuts and charges non-stop.
He mainly runs across the platform in the cardinal directions,
but every now and then he gets messed up and runs slightly
off axis.

Kill order: Articifers, (aka The Bad Men) paladins, assassins

Leave an assassin or two alive and either dancing or firing on
a caster/healer with a torc.

Separate one dog, kill it. Then kill the other dog. When the
dogs spit goo move away or break enchantment.


Pillars and We Win

Start on the left of the LoB and work away from him along
the circle. Work on the same pillar. Tops have low HP, they
canb be dps’d/spelled easy. Bottoms have much more HP,
dps works but scrolling is faster. (ok, more so on epic, but
might as well practice like it’s the big leagues)

Tank: Occupy the LoB

Tank Healer: Um, heal the tank.

Quori kiter: Kite everything that is not the LoB, stay alive

Everyone else: Destroy pillars, keep the quori kiter alive


Optional – *** stay down already

We probably won’t do this for the training run unless we are
really doing awesome and have an artificer who needs the
Toven’s upgrade.

If we do…basically fight the LoB as normal while the quori kiter
attempts to gather all trash and not die. Reduce the LoB to 0 HP
three times and then take out the pillars.

Completing this nets an extra chest with more binding fragments
and a decent probability of one of the two upgrade pieces for Toven’s
Hammer. (runearm)


Victory Lap

Kill elementals, make sure to have dotters/ranged for air and the ability
to stay alive in the other rooms. (healers, potions, etc)

[Tobril]

Miscellany



Who Gets The Buff

There are a few different schools of thought on this subject.

Some people prefer to allocate the buff to the healers. This
would be fine except most healing is done via scrolls, particularly
the main tank. Rebuffing due to deaths tends to take the most
sp, so try to not die and healer/buffers will have plenty of sp.

Another thought is that the tank should get the buff. I’m not
particularly fond of this methods due to the confusion it tends
to cause.

My preference is to have casters and dps get the buff. (in that order)
Casters tend to go through more resources in my experience.
Both casters and dps leaving the LoB for a moment is much less
problematic than a tank or healer, particularly if people do not
pay sufficient attention to the debuff and become mind locked.

[Tobril]

One more for pretty pictures and whatnot.

Also, time is tentative, gotta verify but will probably be the correct day. Might do a weekend one also.

Post away!

[TorGrimorde]

Might do a weekend one also.

Subscribed to the thread in the hope that you do decide to do a weekend :-)

[madmaxhunter]

Edit: nvm, missed the date, I will have TRed by then.

[Grieve]

Couple things Tobril...

Break Enchantment (Spell and Scrolls for Dog Goo, if one dies by accident)
Freedom of Movement type gear (Spiked Boots, Rock Boots, Kundarak Delving Boots, Docent of Grace)

Arcanes should also consider loading Crushing Despair, Bestow Curse, and Symbol of Pain since Neg leveling won't work. Also, I know it's obvious, but both Eladar's Electric Surge & Niac's Biting Cold.

Also, the UMD people should also carry plenty of Heal scrolls, if they can reliably use them.



As for me, if you can find me and pry me away from what I am currently doing at the time of the raid, I will assist with the run. (Honestly, at this point not sure if I'll even be in game.)

[rdasca]

I would like to bring my AA Ranger, Orberon or I guess I could finish flagging FvS if you need another divine.

[Hendrik]

Glad to step-up and help with an alt spot.

Many classes avail Tobril.

[Jondera]

Sign me up - Dhavia, Artificer 20.

I've only got about 360 HP right now, but I'm short a couple things (SFL, GS HP item) which I should be able to get by then if I work at it a bit.

[CheeseMilk]

Sign me up... Kazual, 12Rgr(TempestII)/7Rog/1Ftr.

I should be able to kite the dogs (the only time I tried this raid, that's what I did) but I'm happy to fill any other role.

42-ish UMD with a GH on.

[Nolo_Contendre]

I would love to get in on this. I can offer Hargl, a lvl 16 bard/2 fighter/2 barb warchanter, or Zzyzzxy, lvl 20 evoker fvs. I should be able to log on the 5th.

[Tobril]

Added people.

Will also work a bit more on the requirements and
additions to the existing guides.

[Rudyck]

Sign me up too please!

I've missed the last few Raids you have run, but would love to get in on this one.

My main is Mytaru, 20 TR Human Cleric, Radiant Servant II. This char would be my first choice to bring.

Also flagged and available are:

Dewarf, 20 Warforged Barbarian, Frenzied Berzerker III.
Visaara, 20 Drow Rogue, Assassin III.

May or may not be TR'ing by then, but possibly also available:
Rudyck, 20 Drow Wizard, Pale Master III

And not flagged for LoB, but _should_ be by then:
Axelsong. 16 Bard / 2 Fighter / 2 Rogue, Dwarf Warchanter.

Thanks!

[Tobril]

Sign me up too please!

I've missed the last few Raids you have run, but would love to get in on this one.

My main is Mytaru, 20 TR Human Cleric, Radiant Servant II. This char would be my first choice to bring.

Also flagged and available are:

Dewarf, 20 Warforged Barbarian, Frenzied Berzerker III.
Visaara, 20 Drow Rogue, Assassin III.

May or may not be TR'ing by then, but possibly also available:
Rudyck, 20 Drow Wizard, Pale Master III

And not flagged for LoB, but _should_ be by then:
Axelsong. 16 Bard / 2 Fighter / 2 Rogue, Dwarf Warchanter.

Thanks!

Added.

[CThruTheEgo]

Sign me up. I'd prefer to bring my pure artificer, Dubbell O'Seven. I can also bring a kensai fighter, pale master, or cleric if needed, but I'd need to get them flagged first. Thanks for setting this up.

[Bolo_Grubb]

my tank BoloGrubb is flagged. I would like to go if I am able.

[Stermlin]

Save a spot for me please, level 20 FvS Atheistik.

[elricken]

Save a spot for me please, level 20 FvS Atheistik.

You should start logging on more, I've actually been playing and **** lately. Depressing to see a max of 3 people on lately