1. Get Ready to Commit to a Schedule
Mythic raiding isn’t easily accomplished. It requires hours of game-play and research. Most guilds have a set schedule they raid per week. For example, I raid Wednesday, Sunday and Monday from 7:30 to 10:30 CST. I’m expected to maintain at least 90% attendance and miss raid as few times as possible. Yes, real life happens and most guilds understand, but life doesn’t happen on every progression day. So be prepared to put in the time to achieve your goals!
2. You need to have logs.
What are logs? Logs are when a member of the raid logs everything that happens in a raid using a java program and then uploads the data to a website so you can review things like damage, healing, and other mechanics. You probably have logs and don’t even know it! Warcraft Logs is most commonly used by guilds today. If you don’t have logs you can use these easy to follow instructions so you can log your next raid. You can search your character name and it will show you how your character has done per difficulty and compare it to other people of your class, like . These logs shown are percentile rankings so if it says you are 95 it means that you out performed 95% of all other people of your class. These logs are how guild officers will decide if you are good enough to join their ranks.
3. Prepare to Do Homework.
If you loved doing homework in school this is definitely going to be for you. Mythic Guilds expect you to know a raid encounter before you first pull it. That means doing research. You may ask “How do I know what happens when I haven’t even seen it?!” This why we have Youtube! There are tons of guides from the PTR, public test realm, that people have put together for your viewing pleasure. One of the most popular guides is Fatboss TV. These two gentlemen make hilarious but educational videos that will let you see how a raid encounter goes long before you ever see it for yourself.
You thought there was only encounter homework? Oh no, there is much more when it comes to playing your class. There is always new information out there about how to properly play. “But David, I read Icy-Veins’ class guides. Do I need to do anything else?” YES! There are whole websites dedicated to your respective class. A few them are “Peak of Serenity” for Monks, “Altered-Time” for Mages, and “How to Priest” for, you guessed it, Priests. These websites and the others like it go into great detail on how to maximize your class in a raid environment. It is important that you read them and gather all the information you can to make those logs look good!
4. Hardware and Addons
Hardware might not seem all that important for raiding, but it can play a key factor in your performance. If you are use to clearing heroic with a small group of people like 10-12 and averaging 20-30 fps, frames per second, your computer may have a harder time with 20 people in a mythic raid. A good test on how well your computer will function is use the LFR, Looking for Raid, function. This will put you in a raid with 25 people so you can get a good idea of how your computer will do in mythic.
Guilds want people who can communicate. A headset and microphone are almost mandatory. There is nothing wrong with not understanding a mechanic or having a question to help you better understand something. There is a problem with not asking. You can get a cheap headset at your local Walmart for $9.99. Do yourself a favor a spend that couple of bucks so you don’t have to type and so your perspective guild knows you can talk when required.
Some guilds have required Addons that are needed to raid. These addons can make raid mechanics easier, have timers to show you when mechanics are coming, and even help your raid manage them easier. Most mythic guilds have 3 base addons that are required. DBM, Deadly Boss Mods, or another popular boss mod is Bigwigs. Exorsus Raid Tools is another mod that allows the raid leader to send notes out to the entire raid, track cooldowns and manage mechanic assignments. Last but certainly not least is Weakauras 2. This addon can be used to track cooldowns on your abilities, track buffs and debuffs and notify you of when mechanics are happening. These addons make mythic raiding much easier since even Blizzard realizes that people have them fights have been tuned with them in mind!
5. Fill Out Applications
WHAT?! Like a job?! Yes, like a job. The application process can be long or short depending on the guild. They want you to put the time and effort in to tell them about you. How long you’ve been playing, or what makes you want to raid. This process is so the guild can decide if you are good fit for them. Guilds don’t take new members lightly they want to know that before they spend the time investing gear and resources into you that you share their same mind set. Don’t blow this off, a good first impression makes all the difference! I’ve been asked to join discord and talk to the officers or I’ve filled out applications that make a security clearance look easy. The important thing is take it seriously and be honest. They can always do a little research to find out the truth.
You have the knowledge, equipment and mindset to become a mythic raider. Now all you have to do is put your nose to the grindstone and do it!
