The Deadmines PUG from Hell

I wanted to have a go at Tanking the lower level Instances to see what I'd missed so I rolled a Draenei Pally (because Draenei and BElfs get a lot more Green gear from low level quests). I couldn't use the LFD tool until 15 but I waited until 16 (when I got Hand of Reckoning) to join the queue for RFC. After all, what good is a Tank without an actual Taunt ability, right?

RFC was a cinch, mostly because level 15 characters are starting to get a little too high for it and we were all 16 & up (inc. a 20 Warrior who signed up for DPS but acted like he was a Tank). Despite being a little on the high side for RFC I still got a reasonably nice blue 1H sword which was an upgrade even over my 2H weapon.

With RFC out of the way I hit Westfall in preparation for Tanking Deadmines. I could have just gone straight in via the LFD tool but I wanted the Van Cleef quest for the reward. (I also needed to stop at Stormwind to learn how to wield 1H Swords ;)

By the time I finally had the mission to kill Van Cleef I was level 18, which is a reasonable level to tackle Deadmines. But after signing up and volunteering to Tank I didn't get in straight away, and that was not something to which I had become accustomed. Then when I did get into a group one of the DPS declined the Run so we went back to the head of the queue.

Finally we picked up another DPSer and we were in. Myself, a 20 Warlock (in Heirloom gear), a Druid Healer, a Mage (calling himself Evilcaster), and a Rogue.

The Warlock was, to be brutally honest, an arse. And yet he was in Heirloom gear so he clearly should have known better.

While I was the designated Tank and thus should have been initiating the Pulls, the Warlock was doing his own thing and grabbing Aggro on multiple Miners. I was fighting to grab Aggro back when the inevitable happened. The Warlock drew too many Miners, along with a couple of Elite Defias Mobs, and we Wiped.

In Rhahk'zor's room before I could pull the Warlock sic'd his Voidwalker onto one of the Defias guards. I picked up Aggro on Rhahk and we managed to down the Ogre boss but it was a close fight. The Warlock then went missing. Not AFK, I mean he ran off. When he returned he claimed he'd gone to Solo the Pat that comes after Rhahk is defeated. By now that should have been more than enough signs and yet we continued on.

In the Smelting room we fought our way down the ramp while I fought the Warlock for Aggro. At the bottom of the Ramp I tried to carefully pull the nearby Goblins while the Warlock did his own thing, which meant running off and Aggroing the entire room.

"What the hell is he doing?" I thought to myself as he died, the Goblins swarmed us, and we Wiped again.

And then it appeared in Party Chat.

LEEERRROOOOOYYY JEEEEENKINNNNNSSSS!!!!
DAMN MAN THAT SHIT WAS TIGHT!!!

Yes, he actually typed that.

I got the Spirit Release and realized the 'Lock had Soulstoned me. And if I'd been in a better spot we might have been okay, but no. I'd tried to save the day and was in a bad spot to SS Rez.

After waiting for the Goblins to rearrange themselves I managed to Rez w/o attracting attention, but as I tried to Rez the Druid a Goblin spied me, summoned his little robot helper, and attacked. I took him down and was slowly working on his Robot when another Goblin heard the commotion and joined the fray, summoning a Robot of his own. I fought valiantly but to no avail and died a second time, and this time had no choice but to Release and run back from the GY.

On the way back in to the Instance I right-clicked the Warlock's profile and selected "Vote to Kick", and the message popped up "You are dead."

Crap. And because I'd SS Rez'd then died a second time, by the time I got back inside the group were some distance ahead of me.

Again I right-clicked the 'Lock and selected "Vote to Kick".

"Not in combat."

WTF???

I selected the Warlock and sure enough, he was targeting a Goblin. I made it back to the group as they finished off Gilnid and the Goblins. The door behind him opened and the 'Lock was the first player through. This time I was not surprised to see him round up a whole mess of Miners and Defias and cause yet another wipe, and just like that I was dead again.

As we ran back to the Instance our number was suddenly reduced to four and I could not believe my eyes. After causing multiple wipes the 'Lock had dropped group.

What an arse!

On the plus side I was now Party Leader. Awesome. I know Deadmines like the back of my hand. I'm Tank AND Party Leader. There's only four of us but I was pretty sure we could finish this. (In retrospect I should have re-entered us into the queue and picked up another DPS, but I did not do that. It's a learning experience though, right?)

I immediately typed in chat, "Thank heavens he's gone, because as soon as we were in I was going to Vote to Kick him!"

LOL was the only reply, from Evilcaster no less, who would actually prove to be a decent Mage when not being eclipsed by an idiot 'Lock.

The Druid and the Rogue remained silent, at least until the Rogue complained about her armor and weapons being broken. This was understandable because for some reason, every single time she Rez'd, she had Resurrection Sickness. It was only on our last Wipe that I realized she was not running back into the Instance to Rez, but Spirit Rezzing after each death. Oy vey!

Then when she ran to loot Smite's Treasure Chest not once but twice (after I Rez'd her and in spite of my saying "Wait!"), I realized we were running with a very young player or someone on their first Alliance toon...or both.

On the Rogue's second death the Mage followed the plan that I'd already announced, being Sheep one of the Guards and keep it Sheeped while we killed the second guard, then Smite, then the Sheep.

I Rezzed the Rogue yet again and seeing her run immediately to Smite's Chest for a third time explained that it was Smite's chest, not ours, we couldn't loot it. She was not happy.

We slowly killed our way up the ship and near the top, with the Rouge dead yet again (this time having fallen off the gangway and been killed by a Troll, or so she said), I saw Capt. Greenskin and his posse stroll past above us, stop, then start running back to the ramp down to our level.

"Follow me!" I typed (and thank heavens I'm a proficient typist. "Quick! Onto the wheel!" and I ran to the paddle wheel and leaped up onto it.

The Druid made it on with me but the Mage was a little slow. After killing him Capt. Greenskin's crew pursued us to the wheel and I watched, puzzled, as they stood on the gangway for several seconds and then...the Druid died. Just like that. I thought I saw a puff of flame on Greenskin as the Druid died, and with that Greenskin & his crew ran back to the top deck and continued patrolling.

Still not yet back the Rogue announced that she was going to repair her gear (which I'm pretty sure was almost all Red by now) while I rez'd the Druid & Mage. We established a plan to take out Greenskin, and after clearing the final ramp ran back to Rez the Rogue who had died yet again while trying to stealth in past a Pat.

We returned to the ship, made our way back up to the top, and following our strategy Capt. Greenskin & his posse died without a hitch. Now all that stood between us, victory, and that Deadmines Achievement was Van Cleef.

Knowing he comes with two Mobs (and respawns two more at 50%) I outlined our strategy then pulled him, and things were actually looking good right up until the Druid ran out of Mana and the Heals stopped coming. I died, then the Druid died, then the Rogue dried. With Van Cleef and one Mob left the Mage gave it all he had but it just wasn't enough. Van Cleef had less than 100hp left when the Mage finally died. (I really should have picked up a 3rd DPS, so being Party Leader this defeat was nobody's fault but my own.)

After running back to the Instance and seeing full respawns I realized it was time to finally call it quits, and when I told the other three I had to leave it seemed I was simply expressing what everyone was feeling and the group dissolved.

Does it change my mind about Tanking or cross-server PUGs and the LFD Tool? Hell no. We had one idiot griefer (but we moved past him) and one newbie (as opposed to a Noob!) who (I hope) learned from his/her experience with us, and yes, I spent a good part of my evening in Deadmines and didn't down Van Cleef, but I still had a good time (and learned a few things, too).

In the end I think this sums up PUGs. Some of them are great, some end in disaster, and some are just business as usual; successful, but not memorable. Sure, the arse hats are memorable and make you fear the PUG, but they're also few & far between, and if you let them keep you from PUGing Instances you're really only hurting yourself. After all, it's your $15. Why let someone else control your game?