Saturnalia tag:www.3d6.net,2008-10-09:/saturnalia//4 2009-01-27T16:38:27Z Pushing the limits in World of Warcraft since 2008 Movable Type 4.23-en Introducing: The 5-Man Saturnalia Crew tag:www.3d6.net,2009:/saturnalia//4.153 2009-01-27T14:00:00Z 2009-01-27T16:38:27Z We've bulked up to 5 regular instancing members, as I've mentioned previously, so I thought this was a good time to introduce you to them. Kllewdor is our new Warrior tank; Luzun is our new Rogue. Himalountain (my toon) was... Aaron Sherman WoWScrnShot_120608_123912.jpgWe've bulked up to 5 regular instancing members, as I've mentioned previously, so I thought this was a good time to introduce you to them. Kllewdor is our new Warrior tank; Luzun is our new Rogue. Himalountain (my toon) was our Paladin Tank when we had only 3 people, but now he's healing and our previous healer, a Shaman named Chepi, has gone elemental dps.

Recently, we've been pushing through the 70s instances to help our new members level and some of us have been taking a little time off, but since we've been instancing every Saturday, I should also share some of those screenshots.


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Continue reading Introducing: The 5-Man Saturnalia Crew.

 A look into the process tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.135 2008-11-25T13:00:00Z 2008-11-25T17:56:38Z I realized today that the way we schedule and plan our dungeon events is somewhat unusual. Most guilds that do instance runs probably schedule them ad hoc. Instead, we do it more like a raiding schedule, and perhaps that's why... Aaron Sherman
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Continue reading A look into the process.

 4 Manning Nexus and Utgarde Keep! tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.132 2008-11-24T14:50:52Z 2008-11-24T15:14:33Z Usually, we 3-man instances, and we did plan to do so for the Wrath, but a friend leveled up and wanted to join us, so we're now 4-manning the Wrath of the Lich King dungeons. We started with Utgarde Keep,... Aaron Sherman Keristrasza_kill.jpgUsually, we 3-man instances, and we did plan to do so for the Wrath, but a friend leveled up and wanted to join us, so we're now 4-manning the Wrath of the Lich King dungeons. We started with Utgarde Keep, the nominally 70 instance, but when we moved on to Nexus, we actually found it much easier. Utgarde was doable with 4 except for the last boss which is just not tuned for your run-of-the-mill level 70 tank, and requires much more timing and precision than any pre-70 instance bosses. Frankly, I expect to see the final boss of Utgarde nerfed in the near future. Nexus was another story. It was fun, fast and furious. It changes so much through it different sub-zones, and you really have to learn the instance to do it well.

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Continue reading 4 Manning Nexus and Utgarde Keep!.

 20 levels in 24 hours! tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.124 2008-11-04T19:00:00Z 2008-11-04T19:16:54Z Last night, Himalountain gained his 70th level, and has joined my other two Horde 70s and one Alliance 70. He then became my third character to get an epic flying mount. This felt like a real accomplishment, but it was... Aaron Sherman Himalountain_at_70_in_Orgrimmar_on_Zhevra.jpgLast night, Himalountain gained his 70th level, and has joined my other two Horde 70s and one Alliance 70. He then became my third character to get an epic flying mount. This felt like a real accomplishment, but it was nothing compared to what it would feel like, less than 24 hours later, to gain 19 more levels across two characters in one evening!

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Continue reading 20 levels in 24 hours!.

 Black Morass and Headless Horseman! tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.119 2008-10-30T17:00:00Z 2008-10-30T17:10:09Z Last night we had planned to just try out Black Morass. We were not hopeful. Of course, our usual limitation is that we only have three players for a five-man instance, but we've learned to overcome that. Nominally, BM is... Aaron Sherman Aeonus_kill.jpgLast night we had planned to just try out Black Morass. We were not hopeful. Of course, our usual limitation is that we only have three players for a five-man instance, but we've learned to overcome that. Nominally, BM is a level 69 instance, but many consider it harder than some of the level 70 instances. Indeed, with a 68 tank, 69 dpser and a 69 healer who dinged 70 while we were there (grats Chepi!), we were clearly on the hairy edge, but after an initial wipe and our lessons learned, we actually won!

The elation went to our heads and we decided to push our luck by taking on the Headless Horseman. Now, this is a level 70 seasonal boss for Hallow's End. He's not meant to be a pushover for a level 68 tank backed up by only two other players. He's not really meant to be easy. We smacked him down a grand total of 5 times (one of us had not picked up the daily, so he couldn't summon a second time) without breaking a sweat! It was tons of fun, and the first level 70 purples that these characters have seen.

There were only two down-sides: we only got the caster rings (though the pet and the broom both dropped once each) and we forgot to screenshot it. Oh well, back to it tonight to kick his butt and take some pics!

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Continue reading Black Morass and Headless Horseman!.

 Back to dungeons: Old Hillsbrad / Escape from Durnholde Keep tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.84 2008-10-23T18:03:58Z 2008-10-23T18:35:57Z Ever since The Burning Crusade came out, I've been a fan of the Caverns of Time instances, and Old Hillsbrad is probably my favorite. Being transformed into a human, saving Thrall, and seeing a favorite zone from the game returned... Aaron Sherman Epoch_Hunter_kill.jpgEver since The Burning Crusade came out, I've been a fan of the Caverns of Time instances, and Old Hillsbrad is probably my favorite. Being transformed into a human, saving Thrall, and seeing a favorite zone from the game returned to its previous state is just too cool. So you can imagine that as Saturnalia have been leveling and 3-manning all the 5-man instances, I've wanted to know how we would fare here....


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Continue reading Back to dungeons: Old Hillsbrad / Escape from Durnholde Keep.

 Gathering data on the 3.0.2 patch tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.65 2008-10-14T17:47:39Z 2008-10-14T18:02:48Z Today is the release of 3.0.2 and there's a landslide of info.First off, start here because green is pretty: The 3.0.2 FAQOnce you have your legs, you'll want to look at MMO Champion's excellent release announcement page, the full test... Aaron Sherman
First off, start here because green is pretty: The 3.0.2 FAQ

Once you have your legs, you'll want to look at MMO Champion's excellent release announcement page, the full test realm patch notes (really long), and the MMO mirror of those notes.

There are major new features that you'll want to try out:


Welcome to 3.0.2, the patch that contains nearly all of the code changes required for Wrath of the Lich King. You are, for all intents and purposes, playing the expansion as of tonight, modulo the ability to level to 80 or go to Northrend. I know I'm going to have a long night of re-speccing and deciding if I'm going to bother with inscription or not.... sigh.

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Continue reading Gathering data on the 3.0.2 patch.

 A 3-man guide to Blackrock Depths (BRD) tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.63 2008-10-14T12:56:23Z 2008-10-14T18:04:24Z The 3-Man Guide to Blackrock Depths (BRD) is intended for World of Warcraft groups that want to follow in the footsteps of Saturnalia, doing old-world content at appropriate level. If you're 70 then you can probably solo BRD (depending on... Aaron Sherman Saturnalia_on_Emperors_throne.jpgThe 3-Man Guide to Blackrock Depths (BRD) is intended for World of Warcraft groups that want to follow in the footsteps of Saturnalia, doing old-world content at appropriate level. If you're 70 then you can probably solo BRD (depending on class and spec), but if you're a group of 3 with an average party level of around 55, you can still do it if you know how. This guide will teach you. ]]>

Continue reading A 3-man guide to Blackrock Depths (BRD).

 The 3.0 Player Test Realm (PTR) tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.26 2008-10-09T22:02:32Z 2008-10-14T18:05:38Z Saturnalia took on the 3.0 PTR today, in our usual 3-man grouping style. We are all 65, so we decided to do Underbog which was a little low for us, hopefully counteracting the fact that we all had UI brokenness... Aaron Sherman Hungarfen_PTR_kill.jpg

Saturnalia took on the 3.0 PTR today, in our usual 3-man grouping style. We are all 65, so we decided to do Underbog which was a little low for us, hopefully counteracting the fact that we all had UI brokenness due to the loss of settings and mods. It was really enlightening, and we can see that some things are likely to change. Here's how it went.

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Continue reading The 3.0 Player Test Realm (PTR).

 Saturday, August 30, 2008: Underbog, Slave Pens tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.25 2008-10-09T21:55:22Z 2008-10-09T21:59:41Z Party: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps) Levels: 63-64 Status: Blood Furnace full clear Between this last week and our normal Saturday get-together we cleared Slave Pens and Underbog except for The Black Stalker. The final boss of Underbog... Aaron Sherman Rokmar_the_Crackler_kill.jpgParty: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps)

Levels: 63-64
Status: Blood Furnace full clear

Between this last week and our normal Saturday get-together we cleared Slave Pens and Underbog except for The Black Stalker. The final boss of Underbog had some horrible reset issues, resetting as soon as it had me (tank) in its beam. We'll figure that one out and give him another go.

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Continue reading Saturday, August 30, 2008: Underbog, Slave Pens.

 Saturday, August 23, 2008: Blood Furnace tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.24 2008-10-09T21:50:47Z 2008-10-09T21:54:31Z Party: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps) Levels: 62-63 Status: Blood Furnace full clear Well, Blood Furnace turns out to be a dungeon I'd avoided somehow, so it was all new to me. What struck me most was how... Aaron Sherman Keli'dan_the_Breaker_kill.jpgParty: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps)

Levels: 62-63
Status: Blood Furnace full clear

Well, Blood Furnace turns out to be a dungeon I'd avoided somehow, so it was all new to me. What struck me most was how gimicky the trash was. When you compare it to the old world, almost all old world 5-man dungeons had a mix of groups that you pulled, fought and killed and those groups that had a gimmick of some sort that made you have to switch up tactics, take out certain guys first or use your tanks in odd ways. Blood Furnace (and Ramparts) had almost nothing but gimmick groups. There's trash that stuns, silences, drops bombs ala Gnomeregan, knocks back, knocks down, charges and lots of stuff I imagine I'm forgetting. Broggok was probably the toughest boss fight, and he went down on our first try without even a glimmer of doubt about the outcome, but we wiped 2-3 times on trash.

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Continue reading Saturday, August 23, 2008: Blood Furnace.

 Saturday, August 17, 2008: Scholomance tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.23 2008-10-09T21:47:02Z 2008-10-09T21:49:09Z Party: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps) Levels: 62 Status: Scholomance full clear Milestones: none, really We're 62 now, and so Scholomance isn't all that much of a challenge, even for 3. Still, it was on our list, and... Aaron Sherman Darkmaster_Gandling_kill.jpgParty: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps)

Levels: 62
Status: Scholomance full clear
Milestones: none, really

We're 62 now, and so Scholomance isn't all that much of a challenge, even for 3. Still, it was on our list, and since we didn't get to it before now, we wanted to clear it out to be complete. It was a fun run. We did Rattlegore first, then we went down into Darkmaster Gandling's area and killed him before leaving via Jandice Barov, though we forgot to grab the chest after killing her, doh! Ras Frostwhisper was an interesting fight, though he went down too fast for it to be all that much of a challenge.


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Continue reading Saturday, August 17, 2008: Scholomance.

 Sunday, August 10, 2008: Hellfire Ramparts tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.22 2008-10-09T21:41:57Z 2008-10-09T21:46:11Z Party: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps) Levels: 61 Status: Ramparts, full clear Milestones: Omor and Vazruden down Our first Outlands instance (Hellfire Ramparts AKA Ramps) went smoothly. We had a fair amount of trouble with the Destroyers (as... Aaron Sherman Omor_the_Unscarred_kill.jpgParty: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps)

Levels: 61
Status: Ramparts, full clear
Milestones: Omor and Vazruden down

Our first Outlands instance (Hellfire Ramparts AKA Ramps) went smoothly. We had a fair amount of trouble with the Destroyers (as usual, trash is almost always harder than bosses), but for a group of three 61s, we kicked some serious orc ass. Of note were the flawless executions on Omor and Vazruden (pictured, right). We cleared them both on the first try with our newly specced Resto Shammy barely breaking a sweat keeping our crazy selves alive! Edit: our shammy tells me that he just made it look easy, and in reality, the last fight was very close.

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Continue reading Sunday, August 10, 2008: Hellfire Ramparts.

 Saturday, August 9, 2008: Undead Stratholme tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.21 2008-10-09T21:35:14Z 2008-10-09T21:40:45Z Party: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps) Levels: 60-61 Status: Stratholme, full clear Milestones: Barron down Saturnalia finally finished clearing Stratholme. Not quite as large as BRD, but still a daunting instance, we did it in parts between mid-week... Aaron Sherman Baroness_Anastari_kill.jpgParty: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps)

Levels: 60-61
Status: Stratholme, full clear
Milestones: Barron down


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Saturnalia finally finished clearing Stratholme. Not quite as large as BRD, but still a daunting instance, we did it in parts between mid-week and Saturday, finally killing the Baron after a slog through Strat undead late Saturday afternoon. The Baroness Anastari was the hardest fight. Her mind control was daunting to a group of 3 (makes me wonder how Time for Fun is going to go in Slabs). None the less, we took her down on the second attempt and mopped up the Baron on our first! Enjoy the screenshots!


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Continue reading Saturday, August 9, 2008: Undead Stratholme.

 Saturday, August 2, 2008: Dire Maul West/North tag:www.3d6.net,2008:/saturnalia//4.20 2008-10-09T21:31:00Z 2008-10-09T21:34:29Z Party: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps) Levels: 60 Status: Cleared Dire Maul west up to Prince and north up to Kromcrush Milestones: Immol'thar down In our second week of Dire Maul we cleared the west wing and almost... Aaron Sherman Immol'thar_killshot.jpgParty: Chepi (heals,dps), Jazred (dps), Himalountain (tank, aoedps)

Levels: 60
Status: Cleared Dire Maul west up to Prince and north up to Kromcrush
Milestones: Immol'thar down

In our second week of Dire Maul we cleared the west wing and almost all of the north wing. This was an interesting wall for us, since we just could not take down either Prince Tortheldrin or Captain Kromcrush. In the former case, it was entirely a matter of an agro-wipe. We tried to swap between our Paladin and Druid as tanks, but he agro-wipes so often that we just couldn't keep him off the healer, and taunt cooldowns were burned almost immediately. Kromcrush we probably could have beat, but it was a good 5 hours into our run (clearing is slower with 3), and we just didn't have the energy to give him a third try. He summons two adds and begins Retaliating, so you have to stop dpsing him and gain control over the adds. It's tricky, and someone was cleaving a lot, but it's certainly a paladin-friendly fight, so we should have gotten through it. Next time. We'll probably go back and do the tribute run at some point, but we might kill him just out of spite ;-)


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Continue reading Saturday, August 2, 2008: Dire Maul West/North.