Don't Panic! - The Festergut Edition.

Don't Panic!

That is my newest motto.  Actually has been for a long time.  When I was co-raid leader in my old guild and even before I was I would tell people not to panic when such and such happens.  I think that is one of the first thing I learned on my own when I started raiding and in a way I found it strange that no one ever told me that.

The Don't Panic! concept is this:
When something happens during a battle there will always be time to react.  If you panic you will not be able to react reliably and correctly.  You will make quick, and often wrong, decisions.  If you take your time and do what you are supposed to without going into a panic everything will be fine.

The Festergut Edition:
Last night was a good ICC run, everything moved along smoothly. First four bosses went down faster then a Thai hooker.  Then we ran up against Uncle Fester and everything seemed to hit a brick wall.  It is understandable for a group that has not gotten past that before as a whole and only a few people that have gotten through it at any given point.  Add to that the fact that one of our healers had never even stepped foot in ICC before this run.  Given that fact, and the fact we two heal it, he did a super job.  If you had not known that he had never been in ICC before you would have never guessed.

First shot at Uncle Fester went well.  Got him down to less then 50% before he shot out his Pungent Blight.  Shortly after that everything fell apart and we died one by one.  No biggie really.  That was a fantastic try for a first shot and it gave people a chance to see how the mechanics work.  In truth, with a first try like that and a couple of people that did not know the mechanics it seemed like now that everyone knew it would be a cake walk.

The wipe however seemed to cause Panic Syndrome, the death of many a raid.  Next attempt, when the Gas Spores came out a case of bad luck happened and they were both in melee, one on the guy tanking Uncle Fester and the other on the tank healer.  The tank could not move and the healer, while trying to do the right thing and coming out to ranged had to stop healing the tank and the tank went down, soon to be followed by the rest of the range.

Third attempt.  Again, Panic Syndrome set in when the Gas Spores came out and both where in melee.  Even if we had said X comes out if both are in melee (and X is not the tank) it seemed X did not get that memo and when he finally did Skull had already noticed that X was not moving and did the right thing and moved out.  (I love people that pay attention and make adjustments like that)  Thing is, when X noticed Skull running out he noticed, oh crap that is supposed to be me, and started running out too.  Needless to say, when Pungent Blight came later it resulted in a wipe.

Forth Attempt. The raid leader explained the X moves out theory again for anyone that missed it.  Politely of course.  We go at it once more and one of those good things happen.  One Spore was in range and one in Melee, so it was a beautiful thing.  If that always happens it makes life easy and turns Uncle Fester into nearly a tank and spank with limited movement from the range only.  No worries about who goes in and who goes out.  Except one...  Apparently the person with the X did not understand the, "if both are in melee" part, and ran out when he saw he had the X.  I was about to yell out in vent for him to run back in when I noticed the other hunter in the crew was running in.  He saw the X guy running out and ran in to cover his ass.

Smart move, heads up move, absolutely not a huntard move, I was glad to see it was one of my own kind had saved that from being a very messy problem. Everything is fine and dandy.  Just let the things blow up and the melee runs back in and the range can run back out.  Not ideal, but it will work right?  Nope, seems the raid leader saw the X running out but did not notice the Skull going in to cover him and yelled on vent for the X to go back in the group.  I said back quickly, don't worry the skull is in melee.  By then it was now to late.  The tank must have been getting frustrated and lost his focus for a minute and down he went.  Causing yet another wipe.

Fifth Attempt.  The raid leader decided that being I am range and apparently know what is going on that I would call out what to do.  So from now on, no one will need to think at all.  Just wait for my voice and do what I say.  Nice in theory, not so nice if people do not listen to me.  For some reason our tree decided he did not like being in melee and stayed out with the range.  No problem really, as long as he can heal and moves in with the spores pop up all will be fine.

First spore comes with me saying, ranged collapse.. followed three seconds later by, tree collapse.  Tree does not move.  Everyone goes back to pew pewing and I say, in preparation in vent, when I say range collapse everyone needs to get on the point of the star.  Did not mention the tree again but I knew that he and everyone else knew what I was talking about.  Next time the spore comes out I say range collapse and the tree starts to move before stopping for some unknown reason.  A little closer I say on vent.  3 more seconds, a little closer, I say again and the tree starts to move but it was now to late.  I see where this is heading and it is going to be really painful soon.  Third time around I say, range on tree.  All range moved to the tree.  I figured, if the tree will not come to the forest then the forest will go to the tree.  And then range back out.  Needless to say, when pungent blight came out the tree did not survive and slowly we wiped.

Sixth Attempt.  Everyone wanted to give up and I do not blame them.  The raid leader convinced them one more try.  So we did it again.  It did not last long.  Something freaky happened and one of the tanks died seconds into it.  It happens, we have all been there.

Seventh Attempt.  Okay, I am all for progression, I do not mind wiping but I do not like wiping to stupid stuff over and over when it is the same mistakes. So I guess some of my old raid leader tendencies came over me and I started talking on vent.  How about we try with everyone in except the three ranged.  Healers too, they can reach us from there.  I will call out who needs to come out to range, do not move unless I call your name.  Above all else Don't Panic!, we have 12 seconds to react.  It will take you no more then 3 seconds to move after I say your name.  We have more then enough time.  Do not rush it, just Don't Panic!

The run starts, we get lucky.  First spores come out and it is perfect, one in range and one melee, range collapse basically without me saying anything.  Second, same thing.  Third time it lands on the two hunters.  I tell the other one to go in even if I am X.  I am nearly double his DPS, it was a DPS decision for him to go in, but he listens and moves in perfectly and back out on his own after it pops.  Pungent Blight comes, no one dies.  Forth time comes, one melee runs out the second I call for it as if he knew he was going to be called out.  Fifth time comes and it is one range and one melee again so no worries.  Sixth time never needs to come as Uncle Fester goes down.

See the wonders of Don't Panic! at work?  Sure we got lucky with many of them one melee and one range, but no one went into a panic running around like a chicken with their head cut off.  Also got lucky that the melee that got the spore was someone that understood what to do.  But they moved out smoothly and did not rush it. When you panic you rush and when you rush you make mistakes like running in the wrong direction.  They did not panic, they looked where they were going and they walked there.  Nice and sweet.

So the key to success in any fight is to remember those two words.  Don't Panic!

Good things happen when you Don't Panic!