I have raided on and off since 2005, and the evenings that fall apart almost always fall apart before the first pull. This is the list I run through while the group is still gathering. It is short on purpose: a checklist you will not use is worse than none.
Thirty minutes before the pull
- Open the character panel and look for gear with empty sockets or missing enchants.
- Check your bags for flasks, food and potions, and restock from the guild bank if you share one.
- Repair armour. It takes ten seconds and saves an awkward conversation later.
- Reread the fight notes for tonight’s boss, especially the phase you struggled with last week.
Interface and settings
Nothing wastes a pull like an unreadable screen. I keep one profile for raiding with large raid frames, clear nameplates and boss timers visible. If you have not tuned yours yet, the settings guide is a good place to start, and the simulation guide helps you choose between close gear options before you walk in.
During the raid
- Call out your own mistakes briefly and move on. Nobody wants a postmortem mid-fight.
- Keep one eye on the raid leader’s marks and one on your own cooldowns.
- Use the pause between attempts to adjust, not to chat about the last wipe.
- If you are on a rotation night, say so early so the group can plan around it.
After the last boss
Write down three things: what went well, what went wrong, and what you will change next week. I keep mine in a plain text file, and it is the reason my raid habits have improved more in the last two seasons than in the five before. Then check the weekly rewards, which is where my write-up on the Great Vault comes in handy.
A note on alts
If you play more than one character, decide on Monday which one needs attention most. Spreading effort across four characters rarely finishes any of them. Pick one, finish its checklist, then move on to the next.