Am I a question talker? Not usually.

Because my raid leader is on vacation, our raid team is on break this week. Does this mean that I get to spend a week out in nature, collecting fresh blueberries and braiding garlands with wildflowers? Maybe heading to a museum or poetry reading to get some culture? Perhaps learning a new skill to better myself or enrich my life?

Of course not; I'm raiding with someone else for a week.

Warlock for hire!

In true mercenary fashion, OG Priest and I helped out a friend's 14/14N guild, which we are proud to say is now 1/14H. Is it cheating a little to bring in fully heroic-geared raiders to slum it in a normal run? Maybe. Do they care at all? Hell no! Heroic loots!

And how does it make me feel to be back where I once was, progressing on that very first boss of the tier? Is it the same heart-pounding push for DPS and fight for survival, all culminating in the sweet relief of victory? Um... no, not really. Let's face it. Progressing on a fight this late into a tier is much different than progressing SoO just fresh out of ToT. Everyone has been clearing Normal and Flex for months, which means that the average ilvl of a raid team is so inflated that the bosses should be complaining that the fights are rigged or that no one is enforcing weight classes. Then I get to hear my guildies talk about how 10 man is so much easier than 25 because their alts are killing N Garrosh with 20 more ilvls than when it was relevant.

Do I sound a little bitter? I bet I do. Without getting into the whole 10 vs. 25 argument, I wouldn't call anything that we're doing right now difficult for people who have already seen it. There's a difference between killing bosses on alts to prove one's ability to be proficient at multiple classes and progression raiding for guilds not involved in the push for rankings. Does that mean the latter is more valid/worth more/more honorable in comparison? No, it's just different, but I wouldn't use alt-raiding as a stepping stool onto my high horse.

Am I done ranting? Yes, I am.

-Avia.