Grah! So close!

So last night we got a progression team together and headed back into ICC to pick up where the Lower run from the night before left off.

We made quick work of Saurfang (killed him before he even got a single Mark off) and Festergut (oneshot, despite having to use 2 brezs) before heading heading onto Rotface (or, as we've taken to calling him, Buttstink).

I think it was the 4th time (by which I mean lockout period, not individual run) since the Plagueworks opened that I've been involved in attempts to kill him. And it was the first one that didn't feel totally and utterly frustrating. Despite about 10 wipes, I actually had fun for the first time.

Why?

Because for the first time it felt like we were doing it right. Not quite good enough, but at least right. Almost every attempt got him down to at least 25% before it started falling apart on us. And each attempt, even the ones that weren't quite as good as whatever came before, felt a little better. And it was always the same story: we'd be doing perfect, then one person would die and it would just snowball. I know when we finally get him it's going to be with all 10 members up, all brezes off cooldown, and no Ankhs used.

Our last attempt of the night was a 1.16% wipe. We had him down to 85K. And I think that if I hadn't panicked and stopped thinking, I could have gotten him. I got overwhelmed with slimes because everyone else was dead and I just stood in one place. If I would have kited him to keep the slimes off me, maybe waiting for a Slime Spray to drop into Cat for a last all-out damage barrage...maybe.

We decided to go up for one final attempt after that (it was right on the edge of our usual end-time) but trash had respawned by then. It was a completely demoralizing way to end the night. Not even a spectacular failure wipe, but having to leave right as we're all excited that we can do it because we didn't have time to re-clear trash.

As we were putzing around Dalaran trying to pat ourselves on the back to some extent, our main healer mentioned that he noticed the healing getting easier and easier as the night wore on, which I think is the single most encouraging thing a healer can say.

I don't know when we're going to be able to get back in there. Saturday, maybe. If we sacrifice a guild night. Or Sunday after we run the guild weekly. We'll see.

It's weird finishing a night of raiding and feeling so accomplished and so defeated at the same time.

To sate the defeated part, I went over to Mass Effect 2 to waste some mercs for the next two hours before heading to bed. That took the edge off. :-)