The curse, reversed

The revitalization of the guild continues apace! Last night we swore revenge on the epic beatdowns the Blood Queen had inflicted upon us. We, along with our trusted friend the 10% buff, were going to get our pound of flesh from her sparkling hide.

The first pull was around 7:00 or so, after quickly doing the raid weekly and then shuffling over to Icecrown. Once we were through the trash I gave a rundown of the fight to the four or so people who had never done it before. After rambling for ten minutes, I then gave the cliff notes version:

Swarming shadows, run to the walls, don’t drop it in melee. Pact of the darkfallen, get to the middle. Air phase, spread out six yards apart. Bites, do them.

And then we were off to the races. We had an epically awful first go attempt that failed at around 45%. No matter, those four people saw the mechanics of the fight. The next attempt we got her to 12% or so before she enraged. That filled me with hope. I told everyone I believed in them, and then we proceeded to wipe for the next two hours.

Sigh. You people just can’t make things easy, can you?

By the end I was starting to despair, as I’m sure people could tell by the lack of enthusiasm in my voice. I knew we were capable of the kill but we needed to overcome those stupid little mistakes that would get someone killed. People dying in airphase. Not getting bites off and getting mindcontrolled. And so on. There are a hundred ways to mess up, and just one death usually meant falling behind the enrage timer.

What I think eventually turned the tide was making the first biter wait as long as he could before biting the second person. This would then push the second wave of bites to after the air phase, rather than right before it. Once we started doing that, we stopped losing people during the first airphase. The only downside being that this reduced how much time we had at the end with all vampires up, but thanks to Mr. 10% Buff we had the wiggle room.

After the two hours of wipes some off us were rezzed up at the boss, others released and started to run back in, only to find the Valks back up and circling the Upper Spire. I started to run down the hallway to meet them, but all the packs there had already respawned. Those of us left behind wiped ourselves and then met everyone at the teleporter to reclear back up to BQL.

It was already 9:30, basically thirty minutes before the raid would end and it was starting to look like we weren’t going to get her.

I knew, despite any despair I might be feeling, we couldn’t use the respawn as an excuse to quit early. That attitude was fatal to the guild and we had to break it, or it would break us. So, reclear we did, and made our way back up. Some folks took a quick break and we readychecked, flasked, and were off.

I pulled and we all started to pour in the hurt. 65% before the first air phase, ahead of the timer. Bites occurring after she came down, so we were safe for that.

To help this crucial point along, I popped Divine Sacrifice/Guardian to shave off some damage. I also bubbled because someone got awfully close and I didn’t want to accidentally kill them. Thankfully, no one died during the airphase. Everything was going well, people just needed to hold it together.

More bites go out and the second airphase happens. Again, no deaths. Then the last wave of bite assigns go out and I watch the window for the addon to report back successful bites. I watch Vampires 9-13 get created quickly, then with sweat dripping down my brow, the last few trickle in. Vampire #14. “Two more guys!” Vampire #15. “One more, get that bite off!” Vampire #16. Everyone was bit.

“Pop bloodlust, burn cooldowns, NUKE HER!”

I pop wings and immediately start laying as much dps in as I can. It’s about 40 seconds left on the enrage, 25% to go. I’m watching both her health bar and the enrage timer with equal parts dread and hope. Shouting encouragement into vent, both tick down to the inevitable. Finally, with about 1% to go we had only a few seconds to live. Finally, with her hp in the decimal points, it was obvious she was about to enrage. I quickly popped bubblewall, both trinks, and an armor pot, bracing myself for the burst.

It was all for naught, though.

With a screech she then collapsed to the floor, never getting a hit off. We killed her the millisecond she enraged.

It took a second for the kill to sink in, and then I quickly clicked on her body to see the loot. And there it was. The shield. The Icecrown Glacial Wall. The bulwark I had been drooling over since it was first revealed. (Yes, yes, I know, the heroic 10man shield is better, let me have my moment, damn you.)

Taking up the IGW, I put to rest the ghosts of all the shields I had lusted over before, but been thwarted in my attempts to obtain. The ALD, Bulwark of the Amani Empire, Bulwark of Azzinoth. All had escaped my ambitions. Finally, I had broken the curse.

More importantly (far more importantly), this was a huge victory for the guild. We went from weeks of early exits, no new kills, endless demoralizations. It looked like ES was on the way out. This week we bucked the trend though, we refused to leave, we didn’t let excuses prevent us from continuing to try fights.

I’d like to take credit for it, but I honestly can’t. I’m a terrible guild leader and an even worse raid leader. Sure, I can explain the fights, I can diagnose wipes somewhat efficiently. But, I am just as susceptible to despair as any rank and file, and after those numerous wipes I was all but giving up on the inside. It was only by the light of the optimism of my officers and the happy warriors of the healing corps that the mood of the raid stayed afloat and we were able to muster the will to down this blood-sucking bitch.

This victory belongs to the entire guild. You guys earned it!