Getting into my hunter has been rather difficult as of late and I’m not sure why. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I just can’t seem to find a pet that I go “Amagawd I lurve this one I want to keep it forever!” Now don’t get me wrong. I do like Torxus and he’s a great pet. But I just don’t feel the “connection” that I think I should have. It’s not the same as the connection that I had when I was using Anubis, my worgen friend. And it makes me sadface.

Perhaps it’s because Survival isn’t my favorite. I suppose I haven’t had enough experience with all the other specs to know enough to say (mental note to get to testing that), but I know that during BC I played a shadowpriest predominately and Survival does play a lot like shadow did back then. So who knows? I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I feel like I’m playing a gimped class. Despite all the rose-colored-glasses posts that I see about how hunters can be competitive, the fact is, any other class (well almost), of equal skill and gear could out dps the hunter in virtually the same situations. This also makes me sadface. I just wish there was that spark back into playing a hunter for me. *sigh*
who knows?

I saw a fellow blogger post something about druid tanks and how she sees less and less of them as of late. Well, my druid is a bear and will forever be a bear. I have a feral pvp spec, but I <3 my bear. He's currently tanking Ulduar 10 and some 25 man bosses. =d

Also I have been leveling a warrior. He's a fun little guy and I enjoy playing him simply because I have figured out that Charge is my favorite ability in the entire game. I realized this on my druid and it holds true on my warrior, heck even back when boars were the only pets that had charge, I tamed a boar and used it just because of charge. ^.^ I like to go fast. =]

More to come later this week. I think I'm going to go fiddle with my hunter some.

Keep the party going.

That being said, my current spec is survival and it’s not likely to change anytime soon. Now I know, “It’s the top dps spec! you’re running it because it’s FotM!” And I would be lying if I said I don’t enjoy the numbers. But for me it’s a little more than that. You see, back during BC I played a shadow priest (RIP Shadow =,[), and by all accounts, Survival feels ALOT like a shadow priest to me. I have my dots to manage, I have the mana replinishment buff (which I am sad was given to other classes because I loved being the only person [sort of] that could do it), and I provide other various buffs to my party. I love playing survival.

I used to have a hard time managing my Lock and Load procs, but I recently downloaded and am currently using PowerAuras which I have to say is freaking amazing for any class that has to manage some sort of proc based buff (LnL, clearcasting, etc.). I’m proud to say I rarely miss a LnL proc anymore and I have seen my dps increase as a direct result.

Speaking of DPS, I generally run around 2k+ DPS in my crappy gear (well mostly crappy), which I find amazing and only see room for improvement. The few pieces of gear that I do have that are great are on account of the donations of some guildies and a few that I made on my druid. Thank you to all that helped me with said gear. I love my guild.

Speaking of druid real fast, I tanked a few 25 Ulduar bosses on him last week and got my BiS Staff which a fellow raid member then promptly enchanted for me (I haven’t forgotten about you Herra, I’m collecting the mats to pay you back I swear >.<). Yay for progress on all characters.

The last thing I really am freaking excited about is my new pet, Anubis. Anubis, as some of you may know, was previously named Garwal. Now there is a trick to taming Garwal that allows you to keep him in his Worgen form. He is so freaking beautiful and I love him. Were it not for him I dunno that I would be raiding with a wolf, and I don’t even know if I would be raiding as survival. See, in order to tame him you have to have some way of being able to time your tame to end exactly as he transforms, and the easiest way to do this for a hunter is to have Wyvern Sting. Messing around with my newly found survival spec, I found that I loved explosive shot, the mana regen, and all kinds of goodies that survival had to offer. So I decided to keep it (at least for a while!).

In the end everyone has their own reasons for playing their class and spec, and for me, I <3 Survival.

I got into my guild’s 10 man Ulduar on my druid and I tanked a boss or two and on Auriaya [Ironaya's Discarded Mantle] dropped and I got super excited because I was gonna roll on it… then I realized I wasn’t on my hunter and I became a sad panda. But grats to the hunter that did get it! even though it wasn’t mine…

Anyways, Ulduar was alot of fun. I would actually go as far to say that I like it better than Naxx just because it’s shiny (except the weapons all look plastic and I’m not a big fan of plastic swords =/). We were pulling trash and it went something like this (Me: Tanking, RRM: Random Raid Member).

Me: So what does this trash do?
RRM: Uh, nothing special I don’t think.
Me: So I can just punch it in the face and we’ll be good?
RRM: Uh, sure I gues-
Me: PULLING
*I run in and start spamming mangle and lacerate like a madman*
RRM1: Oh, my god did he just pull?
RRM2: FFS, get in there.
RRM3: Damnit Ribbons!!
Me: ^-^

There was much laughter and joking to be had as we figured out these random trash pulls up to Hodir just by playing and experiencing. In my opinion, that’s really when you find out how good/skilled your group is and how good their reactions are (especially your healers >.<). There's something to be said for a group that can go in and not know anything about the fight and adapt to the situation and work together to down a boss. It brings back a sort of classic, primal fun to raiding that has been missing since the invention of tankspot/bosskillers. Now I'm not knocking them, thank god for them actually. If I don't have to spend 300g in repairs in a raid lockout period because someone else whispered in my ear, "Hey this is how you do this fight." then I am grateful and appreciative. But every once in a while you just have to get back to your roots as far as raiding goes (or discover the roots for the very first time) by just winging it. That's when you really start having a good time and having fun with raiding, and it becomes more about each individual encounter and not just "getting the trash done so we can kill the boss and get phat lewtz". Though, I do love me some phat lewtz.

The night ended with me on my hunter again, finishing up some random quests in Dragonblight and with the help of a good friend of mine in game, I was able to do some group quests and get some mad xp's before the server shutdown as if Blizzard were forcing me to go to bed. Which I didn't because I'm here blogging, so HA! But the entire time I was in Ulduar I was thinking, well if I were here on my hunter what would I do? How would I pull this? I would probably have to get my pet out of that crap and heal it before sending it back in. Eh, I wouldn’t have done that if I were that hunter, I would have waited until bloodlust to pop that. Or maybe I could pop it once at the beginning of the fight and then again during bloodlust at the end..

To which I was rudely snapped out of my thoughts because a healer died and someone else was low and now I had to play catch up on the aggro tables by slamming my head against berserk and mangle repeatedly so that no one else died. But ya know, if I was on my hunter I would have sent my pet in to taunt and possibly sacrificed it (God knows I hope I never have to do this) so that the healer can live and we don’t wipe. Endless circle of thought processes. Ad infinitum.

Matron Mother Battlewail stood just outside of the threshold of the orphanage and watched the exchanging of the guards on duty by the massive gate that marked the entrace to the Valley of Honor and chuckled as she heard Tosamina cry out “Stop whining! Where is your brother and sister?” from inside as she tried to settle the children down and prepare them for bed; apparently, with little luck. Tosamina would make a fine Matron one day. Firm but gentle, with an eye for getting things done, she could use a little more patience, but that would come with time.

She let her gaze drift over the beautiful, red stones that the city-fortress was built upon, across the fishing pond where Lumak the fisherman was packing up his tackle, and to an odd couple that were sitting on the bank closest to the orphanage. She watched as two children, most likely the brother and sister that Tosamina was looking for, played with the strange couple and couldn’t help but smile. It was a game often played between the more fearless children of the orphanage and this one particular creature. The large, spiked lizard would lay down and close an eye, pretending to be napping, occasionally swishing it’s thick and powerful tail back and forth, and the small orcs, giggling the entire time in a most unstealthy manner, would creep up behind it in an attempt to grab the massive spike on the end of it’s tail. The beast would jump in feigned surprised and roll over, then with a flick of it’s tail, dump the children into the pond, emitting a harsh, rasping noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter. The dark haired orc that sat as it’s companion nearby would “help” them with small phrases such as “Hey, I think she’s asleep.” or “Come at her from this flank as not to wake her.” Which made the young orcs giggle all the more.

“Orgra! Sanshir! What do you think you’re doing?!” Tosamina appeared in the doorway.

“Oops, looks like she found us out! Come on then you two.” The seated orc rose and scooped up the two, sopping kids in his muscled arms and closed the space between the pond and the orphanage with cheetah like agility and grace, the protests of the two children ringing out in his ears. “Sorry ma’am, didn’t realize they were missing. Here ya go.”

“Didn’t realize they were missing, Fyrus? Really? What do you take me for, a fool?” Fyrus muttered something at which the children started giggling and Tosamina fixed him with an icy glare. Fyrus gave her a rogueish smile in return and promptly turned on his heel, looking back to his companion and finding her sprawled out amongst the bulrushes near the pond. He was about to call for her when a gentle hand touched his shoulder.

“Hello young one. It is good to see you again, though I know your time is short.” She smiled at him as he turned to meet her. She never really got over how piercingly red his eyes were. The blood fury was strong within this one.

“Greetings Matron Mother,” he bowed, “It is good to see you as well, the years have been as kind to you as ever.”

“I expect you’re leaving in the morning then?”

“Perceptive as always, Matron.”

“You still intend to find out then? What if you don’t like the answer?”

Fyrus’ eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth creased into a frown around the white tusks that adorned his bottom lip. “Yes. I do intend to go. Even if the answers are less than what I hope for.” Fyrus smiled weakly.

It was the Matron’s turn to frown, “What is it that you hope for? Certainly you can’t expect.. I mean after all this time.. The entire regiment was reported lost!”

“Yes, I know.” Fyrus flashed her another half-smile and turned on his heel, walking down the path towards the gate in the distance. “Come, Zan. We still haven’t even packed yet silly girl. I hope there are enough fish at the house to feed you.” The warp stalker rose and plodded up beside Fyrus, her sharp claws clacking against the stone path.

“Where is he going Matron?” Sanshir had reappeared at the door, her doll smushed tightly against her new and dry night gown.

Matron Mother Battlewail shook her head. “Chasing dreams..or let us hope dreams, for if not he is chasing nightmares.”

Sanshir looked puzzled at the Matron’s mysterious words, little creases permeating her tiny eyebrows. She suddenly snapped up straight and took a couple paces toward the figures retreating toward the gate. “Farewell Fyrus! Farewell Zanbatou! Be careful, but return soon!”

“Lok’tar Ogar!”

Upon hearing these words the orc child stood up straight and proud, hand thumping to her chest in mimic of the Hunter she idolized.

“Lok’tar Ogar!”

I naturally try and turn off all addons and even deleted my WTF folder to no avail. Finally opening a ticket on another character. The GM wait was about an hour and a half (great service time I know) and I finally got it taken care of. Logging back in, head back to finish the quest, jump in the water, and BAM. D/C’d again.

Very frustrated I open yet another ticket on the other character and only had to wait 15 minutes this time [I think they sensed my displeasure =O]. Having it taken care of again, I am currently happily questing and staying away from water as much as possible.

I guess Fyrus is just a little aquaphobic =X.

In this little wowspace I hope to document all the random thoughts, lessons, and stories that I come up with and learn. There will be some RP, some random thoughts, maybe a “How to..” or few, but mostly nonsense.  I hope to see my hunter (and myself playing my hunter) grow and just have a good time. ^.^

So grab a cup of Kungaloosh, sit back, and enjoy because I believe that WoW, life, and all other things are meant to be enjoyed. After all, hunting is a party.