NEW Raid Rules and Rank

If you are interested in being considered for this title, please send Lladnaea an ingame mail stating your interest and which Toon you will be using for progression raids. (we are aware of alts and they may be called upon to step in, however, we wish to have only the main raiding toon in this rank)

Covenant is a casual friendly guild that has serious raiding goals. Our mission is to move forward in endgame but stay sociable, respectful and safe. We value members who want to contribute to the guild outside of raiding completely or want to contribute outside of raids and occasionally in raids as well. All we ask is they value our goals and understand that our raiding is taken very seriously.

Dragonlord Rank

To gain rank as a raider a number of factors are taken into consideration, and a holistic view of the individual raider is taken. To gain a promotion to raiding rank, the following is looked at, though not exclusively, to ascertain if you are ready.

• Ability
  
  Naturally, ability plays a part in what the officers look for. Some things taken into consideration, though not exclusively, are -
  
  DPS - how much and how controlled
  Healing - how much and how controlled
  Tanking - How well you tank
  Situational awareness - how well you "read" the fight and can adjust to it
  Class abilities - how well do you employ your class abilities during the raid if and when required? (e.g. as a mage, do you sheep when needed and keep it sheeped? As a hunter, do you trap/mark/slow mobs when required? etc)
  
  Attitude
  
  Attitude is also taken into account. A raider who is the best healer, but is disruptive to the raid, or goes afk for no apparent reason, isn't necessarily better than a healer with less ability. To gain a promotion to raiding rank, the following is looked at, though not exclusively, to ascertain if you are ready.
  
  Availability when the raid is formed - ie are you early, on time, late.
  Has the required reagents/pots/flasks - Does the raider carry enough to see the entire raid through, halfway through, not at all
  Attitude towards loot - Does the raider call on everything, passes to less well geared etc
  Attitude towards raiding - how does the raider react when things are going well, average or badly
  
  Attendance
  
  To gain rank, and to maintain that rank, the officers will look at your raid attendance. All raiders should have a high raid attendance, especially in regards to new content. To gain a promotion to your raiding rank, the following is looked at, though not exclusively, to ascertain if you are ready.
  
  Does the Raider turn up regularly
  Does the Raider turn up regularly for "farmed" content
  Does the Raider turn up regularly for new content
  
  Unlike ability or attitude, Raiders who turn up regularly for new content, and experience the pain and frustration with ability and attitude, will be promoted over other raiders who don't.
  
  In essence, to gain raiding rank, you have to perform and assist in the guilds progression. Raiding rank is taken into consideration when raid invites are called for. If you feel you should be promoted, but haven't, you should discuss it with your raid leader. Be warned... Raid Leaders will tell you exactly why. You may not like what you hear, but the advice will be given to make you a better raider
  

Raid Sign-up Priority

Even though we have a raiding rank all members are invited to sign up for raids. Our priority can be demonstrated from this:

Group Balance > Dragonlord Sign-up > Non-Dragonlord Sign-up > Non-sign-up

In building a raid group balance is the first priority. Second, we take Dragonlords who have signed up. Third, we take members and Initiates who have signed up.

How to Sign Up for Raids

Signing up for raids is important so that the raid leader knows what kind of balance they will have for their upcoming raid. Raid Sign-Ups are done on the raid calendar, if you are going to be available for the run please sign up using the "Accept" button, use tentative only if you are not sure YOU will be available.

All guild raids now have official Run Times. Currently for Weekday raids this is 3 hours. For Weekend raids it is 4 hours. If you come to a raid and cannot stay for the full official raid duration and do not let the Raid Leader know PRIOR to your raid invite you could be sat out on the next raid you sign up for. If this happens continuously you could be sat out for longer.

Raid Rules
Rules our raiding guild members should know

1. DO NOT GET SAVED TO ANOTHER RAID INSTANCE. Raid dungeons are on timers. For example, if you go with a group and kill a raid boss on Tuesday night, you will be saved to that instance and will be locked out of guild raids of that instance. We need as many as possible available for our raids if we are to be successful.

2. Sign up for runs ahead of time. Spots are available on a first come, first serve basis based on your rank, and there is only a few slots per class. If you are interested, sign up even if the run is full. This way, you are listed as a substitute.

3. If you sign up for a run, SHOW UP. Reliable people make a raid work. We understand that real life issues pop up from time to time, so if that happens try to let the raid leader know if you will not be able to make it so they can plan for a replacement. If you sign up and don't show up you will be placed on the priority drop list. That means the next raid you attend you will have the lowest priority. If this happens often you may be automatically bumped off of the signup list.

If you have signed up and can't show due to a Real Life issue please try and renounce the run prior to 24 hours before the run and send an in game mail to the person who set up the run. Renouncing will not be held against you if you do so no less than an hour before the raid.

4. Be at the instance portal at the time the raid INVITES start. Invites will start 15 minutes before raid time. Generally slots you signed up for will ONLY be held for 10 minutes after the start of invites. If something will stop you from being on at invite time but you will still be on before the raid let the raid leader know. If you don't do this DON'T complain about your spot being given away.

5. Remember that our raids are not only about getting loot, but about helping the guild progress further in the game. Loot is nice, but don't let greed rule how you act. Eventually, everyone will get the nice gear. Gearing out all of our members is one of the guild goals. It just requires patience, teamwork, and a commitment to making the raid work, which sometimes means making a personal sacrifice for the group like sitting in subs.

6. Follow the instructions of the raid leader. One person deviating from the chosen strategy can wipe the raid and ruin 3 hours worth of effort. DON'T ARGUE. If your raid leader asks for suggestions speak up but if not wait till after the run. Our raid leaders are always willing to discuss different tactics and strategies outside of an instance.

If a raid leader assigns a specific job to you, you need to type your role into raid chat to make sure the instructions are clear. EG: "i am MDing skull to whoever"

7. Be willing to play different roles to meet the needs of the raid. If you feel you are being asked to fill a role you feel you are unsuited for, let the raid leader know, but also let them know you are willing to try.

8. During a fight, keep chat to a minimum. It can be very hard to give and receive directions when Ventrilo or raid chat is filled with chatter that could wait until after the encounter. Best practice is to simply NOT talk during any combat unless you've been assigned to call something out. If you have a question during battle or boss explanation, please use raid chat ingame, if you are just wanting to socialize then use guild chat.

9. DON'T LOOT DURING BATTLE. Looting while a fight goes on can be very distracting. If a roll window pops up, players can be easily distracted by the need to check their gear vs. the item drop to see if they should roll or pass, and we all need to be focused on the encounter.

10. Expect wipes. As we progress as a guild, we will face new battles for which we still need to learn the strategy. Part of this learning process is repeated attempts at the encounter, and often repeated deaths. These deaths are NOT FAILURES so long as we are learning from the encounter.

11. Be sure to come to the raid prepared. Have your armor repaired, First Aid leveled with bandages ready, have the reagents necessary for your spells, and the potions/items that you are likely to need for the encounter.

12. No Damage Meters are to be posted in public unless entire raid agrees. Even then it is important to remember that damage and heal meters are not the measure of a good player. There are many jobs in a raid and some require damage...others do not.

13. No excessive AFK's. Excessive AFK's can result in being removed from the raid or even demerits. This includes not going AFK during Loot Distribution. Get drinks, go to the bathroom and refrain from answering non-emergency phone calls. If you MUST AFK let the Raid Leader know and try to make it at an opportune time...not in the middle of a boss or timed trash pull.

14. Mods are tools. Tool being the operative word. You need to be able to play your class well without the use of a single mod. yes, I know scary. It is understood that mods help but it is also understood mods break, often with patches. "My mod is broken (or not working)" is never an excuse for below average gameplay.

Raid Punishments

Demerits - You can receive up to 3 demerits for no shows or breaking of rules and can be sat out of raids for up to a two weeks for serious raiding issues.

Thank you Kenzy for taking the time to sort out and write down such a good and comprehensive RAID policy.

AND...let us all appreciate the effort to get gear for all our guildies, that said loyalty to the Guild is very important...remember your initiation.

Ok so who besides Blackie, the Army guildies and maybe Myre read this stuff anymore? Do we need to get rid of this title for non-existant RAIDing?

It didn't work.

Wow, I take 3 weeks off and now raiding is non-existent. We will be getting back to a raiding schedule soon

It wasn't just you. I've been non functional in Azeroth for two weeks. Or is that non functional IRL and still astounding in game. Blackie would probably play better without me. Hammer would just sell his armor and get drunk at Bruuk's.

When we get back we should have plenty of people for RAIDs...I'm saving the OS weekly cause its easy. We need to get everyone hip to game on the 22nd of Aug and on till we are out in mid Nov...so all of you on leave from the game, rest up and get ready for end of the month action.

Blackie's just waiting with 5.5 bear gear and I can't remember exactly tree gear 5.7?