Went Back and Got Shannox

Third time in with as many different groups of tanks.  I think this time it was helped greatly by setting out raid markers to visually cue tanks on where to generally go, where to move to when the spear is thrown, and what boundaries not to exceed.  The only flaws we had were some healers getting crystalized.  I chalk that up to them not all having the latest DeadlyBossMods installed.

I don't usually raid on Mondays.  I'm glad we did go back and nail him.  Seems easy now.

Our strategy was fairly ordinary.   Position one tank with Riplimb ~50 yards from the tank with Shannox.  Put raid markers where they are generally tanked.  Put a raid marker inbetween those positions.  Ranged is spread out between the Riplimb and middle position.  Then put another raid marker out another 20 yards so you have room to shift if you need to.

When the spear is thrown, the Riplimb tank carefully runs to the middle with Riplimb.  A crystal trap may be used then or spaced for when he goes for the spear.  We had a DK DPS on Riplimb the whole time to be able to apply chains.  I would intersperse concussion shots.  We didn't use slowing traps to help avoid accidental raiders stepping on Shannox's traps.  The Shannox tank strafes left or right to extend the time.

DPS burned the hell out of Rageface.  If you can be Marksman, you should for this fight.  You need to hit hard and break Rageface's face.  His stunning damage attack is random on a player.  But he'll attack (non-stunning) the player that snaps him out of his humanoid-feast.  This will likely be you, mages, and elemental shammies.  Luckily, you'll crit a lot when he's face-down into one of your friends.  When he comes after you, throw deterrance if it's up and drag him through Shannox's explosive traps (not the crystal ones).  You can get some space to fire off some shots, but don't disengage.  You'll screw up your fellow DPSers, healers, and that's if you don't land in a trap yourself.

After Rageface is down, I nuked Shannox from 100% to 90%.  It was damn quick.  Then the other DPS kept on Shannox, while I joined the DK on bringing down Riplimb.  We had it fairly balanced so Riplimb went down as Shannox was at 30%.  That's fairly ideal.  Generally, you will want to get Shannox down to 37% or so and nuke Riplimb and then burn Shannox.  We lucked out on DPS balancing.

Then it's burn phase on the boss.  You go from 30% to 0%.  There still isn't any taunting.  Carefully move to a more open space.  If your healers aren't OOM you're golden.  If the tank goes down, then there's no recovery and it's a 9 minute fight that you lost.  So don't take any stupid damage in this phase.  Stay in range of heals, but don't count on them.  Use your healthstone after everyone takes spear damage.  Blow all your DPS cooldowns.  Don't chatter in vent thinking it's a sure thing.  Enlarge this image if you need help visualizing that. ;-)

Tears Before Bedtime

Sure the DoTs might have got him, but he laughed and went to his happy place instead.

Hunter Valor

We're in a weird time. We hunters need to be maxing out our Valor per week, but 40 minute queue times ain't making it easy.

Valor and You

There is a lot of iLevel 378 gear available for purchase from the valor vendors.  It is very nice stuff.  You want it.

Unfortunately, you can't have it.  At least not much or very fast.  You only can get a maximum of 980 valor per week from all sources, be they random heroic rewards, Firelands raids, or heroic BoT/BWD/T4W.  If you're downing lots raid bosses, you'll cap your valor pretty quick.  If you're not then you need to get on the stick and start running random heroics and random Zuls.

Every purchase-able valor piece costs more than one week's worth of valor.  Some cost more than two weeks worth.  And that's if you're capping your valor.  If you're not, it will take a lot to catch up.

Getting That 980 Valor Cap

You can run random Zul instances 7 times a week - one right after each other if you are into punishment.  This gets you 980 valor (140 * 7).  You can also run 7 random heroics.  But that only gets you a max of 490 valor a week (70 * 7).  When Occu'thar appears as the new loot pinata in Baradin Hold, he'll be worth the same as killing a Firelands raid boss: 120 or 140 valor in a ten-man or 25-man raid respectively.

What You Might Be Tempted To Get

• Nice Bracers (1250 valor) upgrades to Very Nice Bracers (with a heroic boss kill token)
• Nice Ring (1250 valor) upgrades to a Very Nice Ring (with a heroic boss kill token)
• Nice Neck (1250 valor) upgrades to a Very Nice Neck (with a heroic boss kill token)

But What You Really Should Want

• T12 Chest (2200 valor)
• T12 Legs (2200 valor)
• T12 Gloves (1650 valor)

Of course if you're raiding, there are a lot of drops and crafting options that may come much faster than valor gear.  If you're not raiding, I wouldn't count on the leatherworking hands and feet becoming available any time soon.  They require raid drops to manufacture.

Recommendation

I would recommend you always cap your valor every week.  Find a healer or tank and run the trolls.  I would recommend you run BH every week starting July 5th.  It can provide a tier piece or two if you're very lucky - which is a huge amount in un-capped valor. I would also recommend you don't spend valor on anything except tier pieces and buy the chest first.  The legs or gloves may drop in BH.  Or you may get the helm or shoulders in a bad-ass raid.  If you have T11 bonuses hold onto the valor until you can at least get a two piece T12 bonus.  Oh, and you can get a cape, belt, trinket, and ring upgrade from Avengers of Hyjal rep vendors from running or farming Firelands.  You might also get a nice BoE 2h weapon or crossbow.  ... although they reduced the drop rates of those BoEs!

Our Buggy BoE

I shelled out 40,000g for a shiny crossbow that really wants to be rifle.  It was once called the Lava Bore Blunderbuss. It's now a rather ugly Lava Bolt Crossbow.  What's funny is that when I fire it, it sounds like a gun.  It's also a little bit bugged.  I went to the reforger.  You can not reforge -30Mastery into +30Haste.  It only suggests you can reforge Crit or Mastery.  Time will tell.  The 744.1dps is king though.

New Pet Bug on Nef

If you're polishing off Nef the Hyper-Nerfed, be aware that you will not be able to get your pet to attack either Ony or Nef at all.  No matter the pet stance, no matter the command, even typed /petattack.  It will just blink and be on you.  You'll get to use your pet when you're on the pillars.  That's all.

I haven't had any problems with any other bosses or mobs anywhere.  And I didn't have this problem last Thursday on Nef.