Yes folks, there it is. Madness heroic is down, we've got all 8, and we've finished the tier - the first time this guild has completed all the content while it's still current. This is a big achievement for us, and you should all feel very, very proud.

After the previous night's clear of the first 6 bosses, we started the night with Spine heroic. Despite the lure of The Game That Won't Be Named, and despite Norway's national day, and despite a few people being unable to show, we had a good setup for it. However, we also has a whole Sunday's worth of technical issues getting in the way, with people DCing, people being left on the ship, people being thrown off on the roll despite having the buff, and other irritations. I can't have been the only person thinking that the Gods of the Internet did not want us to get Spine out of the way.

But we finally, and with a lot of patience, got the kill, with a very clean attempt until close to the end when a mysterious cause wiped out about half of us. The rest kept their heads and we got the last tendon, with two hours of the raid gone.

And so we had just one hour to get to work on Madness heroic. Last week this felt very close, and I firmly believed that only a bad setup due to a few key people missing on Monday had prevented us from getting this kill last week (I'm looking at a certain high DPSing Anglo-German duo here!). We started with some nice attempts, and we were faster than we had been at getting the first platforms cleared with some very nice DPS. And so we came to those magic, focus-buffing words from Jedrak - "It's the last pull of the night, guys!" It was all we needed. Well, that and our lucky sacrifice - we can't get a smooth kill these days unless Wrekh dies. I had my own problem as soon as we'd pulled when my cat found her way into the room - I swear that door was shut! - and jumped onto my lap just as Jed counted down, tabbing me out, so I missed my pre-pot. But it didn't matter. We cleared the first four platforms as smooth as butter, and then it was just phase two to get right. Jedrak called it perfectly to control the DPS, we were fast to the bloods when they spawned, and there it was - Madness heroic down and the tier complete.

We got not one, but two mounts, too - they went to Alexyno and Caegryn. Gratz to them!

As usual, the shot below doesn't contain all the people who got us here. It's been a demanding tier and it's taken a lot of hard work and patience from everyone. Orc of the Covenant are a team, and this belongs to all of us. I'm so proud of you all!

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Wednesday, and we start afresh with a quick farm night.

Despite the alternative pleasures on offer in The Game That Won't Be Named, everyone belatedly realized that sharing their battle tags with guildies means that "I'm sick", "I have to work late", "My Internet went down" or "My hands fell off and can't find one of them" weren't going to be believed. So with various levels of enthusiasm we unwrapped a fresh instance and got stuck in.

Top of the enthusiasm stakes was Enzura, who finally got a chance to tank some bosses after last week's problems. Also enthusiastic was Jedrak, who got a chance to DPS for a change, although he did get a bit carried away and miss an hour on Ultraxion. Nice to see someone really getting into the full "Never mind the tactics, watch the meters!" mindset of the true deeps-whore.

But overall, it was a good raid. Yes, we had a few cockups, but as I'm sure Gabii will attest, one must be a little careful about pointing fingers, lest you be judged accordingly when it's your turn to fuckup.

But we got stronger as we got going, and ended the night with one of the sweetest Blackhorn kills ever. I'm not sure I've ever seen Mumble clear quicker after a raid, though, as everyone popped off my friends list, only to reappear in The Game That Won't Be Named.

Tonight we have a nice setup despite the double distraction of The Game That Won't Be Named and Let's Be Smug About Being Norwegian Day, so let's put Spine to bed quickly and get back to Madness heroic. It's time.

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Last raid of the week, and we return to Madness heroic.

And unfortunately take a few steps backwards. Nobody's fault, but we didn't have the right signs for the job. It's the middle of the exam season, so we had a few key people unsigned, and one new player, a little under-geared and under-experienced, was thrown into his first raid with us right at the deep end. Thanks to him for being willing, and to Exstaria for playing his off-spec.

But the end result was fewer attempts reaching the second phase. We got more platform practice, which does still seem needed, and yes, we have to solve that tricky 'oh, the parasite was on me!' addon issue before next raid - make a Power Aura/TellMeWhen/Whatever addon you use for it if you need, but make sure you see it.

Next week we need to get back to Madness quickly, so please leave Diablo III long enough to sign for Wednesday - we're a little light again - and let's burn through the first seven bosses as quickly as possible. The end of the tier is so damn close!

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