Last night was out last tries at Artie before we have to start anew, so you can imagine the pressure to get him down was (for me) intense. We had a few issues getting the group together, but after some substitutions and generous offers from peeps to step out, we got a working group. The sub offtank we had (the usual one flaked out on us again…maybe he had a good reason, I do not know) was playing a alt that I don’t think was *as* well geared as his other toons and more substitutions occured and then we got the tank from the group that had downed LK in his place. He suggested a few changes in our strat and they seemed to do okay, it’s just that we’ve been tweaking our strat with every variation on our group more and more and it’s getting quite confusing. There were a few times we got Artie to 50-something percent, once he was at 48%. Not as good as our last time, that’s for sure.
I’d get dejected (and part of me is), but I’m also stubbornly determined. Just like on Sindy, it’s ON, bitches! I will die as many times as I need to, and start looking to what I can do to change MY toon up (whichever toon is needed) to improve my healing. I should note that I mostly raided on Ryska, but brought in Endy once just as we brought in the new off-tank and it’s….very difficult for me to just switch on a dime like that. My muscle memory is telling me to hit *this* button to do *that* and wait, I don’t have that anymore, I have *that* instead and omg omg, the pain!
If only people would move when I called out (or even if I don’t) the Plague….that would help. >.<
Icy balls of throw-you-over-the-edge….bad.
Valkyr? Evil incarnate that need to die ASAFP. No really, DIE BIRDS DIE!
Location, location, location! GTFO for defile, group hug for Infest and Valkyr (unless Valk and defile come at once, then spread out juuuust enough to run after the bird grabs someone. Having a defile in the center of the platform sucks.
Raging Spirits really need to die. Having them last too long into phase 2 is a pain. No really…ouch.
(Un)holy Randomness 
Tankerton would have been fine save that Z was overwhelmed and out of practice. He’s running his warrior through random now and has upgraded his gear. He’ll be ready should he be called upon again.
Contrary to my prediction, I did not shrivel up and die. I’m now just more motivated.
I seeeeeee. Well, in any case, like what Kan said below, we need to fine tune our strategery (I may make up something in photoshop), and stick with it. With all our guest raiders, we’ve changed around things so much, I’m not sure what we’re doing. However, I think having to start from scratch, much as I wasn’t looking forward to it, will be good for the change of pace and when we get to Arthas, we’ll be refreshed and ready to kick his BUTT!
I’m motivated like I was for Sindy, but more so. I want LK down so very very badly. VERY BADLY.
I think it just boils down to you guys deciding on a strategy ahead of time for each phase. Then no matter who you get in group stick to that strategy and just figure out how to make it work for your group.
Practice with the same strategy is the only way to win this fight. Sure you have to be ready to adapt should RNG mess with you but having a ridged plan to return to is best. Adapting then settling back into your plan is the only way to win this fight.
I took a bit of a look see at my priest last night to see what I could do to help things to even smoother next time we get to Arthas. I had enough Justice Points to get T10 pants last night, so I got those all gemmed and properly enchanted. Then I reforged some of my crit off (to put me at about 24.44%….I couldn’t find any hard and fast numbers, even on EJ, about how low I could get my crit as a disc priest) into Mastery, which makes my bubbles absorb more and, err, something else. Then I regemmed one or two gems to lose 10 Int and 20 Spirit but gain 30 Haste. Well, that’ll be once I get the other gem I have cut anywho. I believe I need more haste, to be at the lowest haste number I could find on EJ, which was 711. There are alot of numbers on EJ. LOTS. SO! Now I think I’ll spend all day looking at other disco priests on wow-heroes and see what their numbers are and where I need to tweak some more. Want. Arthas. Down.
C’mon, there is no excuse for people not running out of the group when they get plague. If they are running DBM or equivalent, everyone can see the count-down. It’s not like dps have to focus much on at that point.
Similar for ice balls. Get them down! No excuses!
I love your determination, though. Keep going, and you will do it!
There isn’t an excuse, but I know even I get caught up in stuff sometimes and just don’t notice stuff that pops up, so I can’t point fingers without having one pointing at me as well. But still, it is annoying when people just stand like bumps on logs with the Plague on em. And the ice balls….ugh, had issues with those last night. *sigh*
People should spot their own damn plague – as a healer you have enough to do! This alone would make me the feel group, in general, wasn’t taking responsibility for the fight – yes it’s helpful to have someone being shouter but it should be a luxury not a necessity, you know.
I don’t know if you’re doing this but if you do have to be shouter I, err, train people to respond to short, angry commands 😛 So “MOVE” in phase 1 means “you have the plague, get to the OT” – its’ easier on me because barking out one word takes less concentration than explaining precisely what is going on, and also I feel there might be something pavlovian going on 😉 With enough practice you’ll just have to ring a bell over Vent.
But keep trying – I have faith that you’ll get him down! And, honestly, I’m sure blood-minded is a big part of it – that’s been basically our approach. And it’s a great fight, isn’t it?
I think I’ll appreciate the fight more when (not if!) we actually kill the bugger. And actually, I did turn into a bit of a one word shouter last night. “Stunned” when I got a Valkyr stopped in place. “Defile, move!” when it was incoming, since people don’t always start moving away when it’s about to hit.
I have faith we’ll eventually get him down too, I’m only worried about the timing. There’s a lot of pressure (at least for me) when you know you’re on a bit of a timer. Soon as Cata comes out in a month, folks will be all over that. Though, I wonder if that’ll make the encounter easier, with the shiney new gear we’ll be getting….hmmm.