We're number 11!

Like being number 1, only worse.

People might figure I was talking about the Olympics, but they would be wrong.  I am talking about beating the Lich King.  Last night my guild finally downed him after 3 weeks of bashing and it feels great.  According to GuildOx we are 11th in the world for 10 man Strict guilds.

10 man Strict (hereafter just 10 man) is an interesting ranking.  It is sort of like being in the Discus in the Olympics. Nobody doubts that the best Discus athletes in the world are excellent at what they do, yet being the best or near the best in the sport isn't remotely as prestigious as the 100 meter dash.  It is certainly easier for any specific group of 10 players to rank up higher in 10 man than 25 because there is so much less competition, and yet at the higher levels the quality of play required is the same.

It is fantastic that there is some recognition for the style of play I have chosen.  Initially when OGT was forming up for this expansion we had difficulties recruiting players because everyone wanted to be in a 25 man guild.  This eventually resolved itself because the content got harder and people recognized that being in a very good 10 man guild was better than a scrubby 25 man guild.  The fact that online sites like GuildOx started tracking achievements for those guilds that stuck to 10 man raiding only really changed our style though.  Instead of running a few 25 mans here and there for gear we stuck to 10 mans only.  I like this a lot more because I don't feel obligated to run with buffoons to gear up and I can stick to running with my guild alone.  Perhaps I shouldn't allow the fact that a random internet site ranks people to organize my play experience so much, but it certainly does.

This was certainly a fitting end to the boss of Wrath of the Lich King.  The fight was hard, required good gear and mandated proper execution.  Blizzard, you get a Fonzie like double thumbs up.