[Your character name, class, specs, and Armory link. Try to log out in main-spec gear]
Aurastra, windwalker monk, 892 item level, 49 artifact points.
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/d ... tra/simple
Who are you?
Lia Brenner, 31, an Ukraine-born citizen of Israel.
To which Raid Group are you Applying?
[Our raid groups are "RG1" (3 days a week, Mythic progress priority) & "RG2" (2 days a week, Heroic progress, Mythic when possible). Each raid group has its own requirements and expectations, and you should have a preference on which one you join.]
A question that merits much consideration. While I have certainly been capable of raiding mythics three days per week in the past and deliver solid performance, I would rather not be in a position of contention over raid spots with people who have, in all likelihood, more dedication to performing at their absolute best, will to switch specializations/classes as needed and better reflexes. As such, I would rather apply to group 2 as I have a better chance of actually making a contribution, but would naturally aid progression group if legitimately needed.
Experience
[What is your prior raiding experience? Which tiers? LFR/Flex/Normal/Heroic/Mythic? And importantly: Did you clear these raids when they were current content (the most recent tier added), or come back in the next patch? For "Heroic" SoO please be clear whether you mean pre-6.0 or not (before/after the name changes). If you've performed any character change re-rolling in your time, what character(s) and role(s) did you play during which content?]
Current expansion experience involves cutting edge Xavius. From roughly ICC onwards, I have cleared the vast majority of raids at highest difficulty level during their respective patches; the outliers being HFC (12/13) and Trial of Valor (1/3). Until Mists of Pandaria, I have played a rogue; given Blizzard's treatment of the class, switching mains perhaps didn't work as well as I expected, but this is regardless a character on which I have earned achievements that are not available anymore (such as MoP and WoD challenge modes) and so I will keep maining it for the foreseeable future.
Raid Role
[Describe your current role in a raid team, how you prepare for it and how you judge your own performance. Where do you learn new things and keep yourself updated on your class?]
Windwalker monks are a niche DPS class, being surpassed by several popular specs in Patchwerk department but particularly suitable for cleave/AoE fights which are thankfully plentiful in Nighthold and naturally excelling in M+ dungeons. As Legion has inserted several variables that make straightforward DPS comparison harder than usual, such as the impact of legendaries, I largely look into areas where my own performance can be improved rather than compare myself with others. For a monk, this process is greatly intuitive, as a rotation with mismatched resource/cooldown allocation simply does not feel fluid; keeping up Hit Combo, applicable on vast majority of fights, also provides direct feedback.
The go-to resource for WWs is the straightforwardly named Walkingthewind.com, and its theorycrafters tend to be very much up-to-date with figuring out both gearing/rotational priorities and counterintuitive aspects of the class (such as exposing the numerous bugs crippling Storm, Earth and Fire).
All in all, however, I do consider the focus on logs a somewhat superfluous measure, especially considering its impact on morale when used as a measure of a player's worth. There are few fights nowadays where absence of overall DPS (not counting burst windows) is going to matter more than accurate (and consistent from pull to pull) handling of mechanics without leaving room for error.
Your Spec
[Tell us about your rotation priorities (for DPS primarily), stat priorities and important talent choices. We like to see the insight behind your gear and build choices, and it clarifies things in case Armory shows you in some strange PvP/soloing spec!]
Windwalkers operate on a pure priority system. Maintaining a fluid rotation revolves around having the chi available for Fists of Fury, Strike of the Windlord, and Rising Sun Kick, in that order, as they come off cooldowns, without using Tiger Palm twice in a row as that would break the damage bonus of Hit Combo, the go-to talent in most situations as it benefits single-target most and area of effect - only slightly less so. Energizing Elixir provides the most chi per minute if used at zero chi, but most importantly, it is used to plug in the holes in rotation (situations when abilities come off cooldown but no chi is available). This doesn't happen on single target but can often occur as a result of using the chi-intensive AoE. The final monk talent is a straightforward choice, with Serenity being superior normally while SEF exceeds its potential if the monk has the Drinking Horn Cover legendary to extend its duration, which I have.
I was not quite lucky in obtaining a second legendary that constitutes a major DPS increase (Such as Cinidaria or Katsuo's Eclipse), and as such am using March of the Legion for the utility it provides (AoE movement bonus is useful in a variety of contexts).
As of gearing and stat priorities, I am very much aware where one's ideal stats lie (Agility on trinkets is superior, mastery is next best, versatility and crit are behind but surpass it under very specific circumstances, haste is rubbish). Unfortunately, having a BiS list at the ready still means having to go to war with the gear you have. I have excessive haste and am currently trying to get rid of it, but in the meantime doing so would lower my item level dramatically.
Off-specs and Alternative characters
[How comfortable are you switching to your off-spec for a fight/raid if needed?
Do you have any alts that would also be a viable option for raiding with us? Please add Armory links for other characters if so, and tell us to what degree they are/have been played.]
I have no off-spec, and my alts exist largely to support my main through professions.
Communication
[Do you have a microphone and how comfortable are you with using it during encounters if needed? Are you happy to use these forums for discussion of tactics/general scheming, and check back regularly for important information?]
While I do have a microphone, I would rather refrain from using it beyond actual combat call-outs, as my pronounciation does me dramatically less justice than my writing. I communicate on forums frequently, assuming I have actual, legitimate input on the matter, which is often. I socialize mostly in guild chat, however, and am unlikely to engage in casual talks on Discord.
Combat Logs
[If possible please link a log showing your character raiding current content. If you have no logs, please explain why (eg, logs expired) and/or aim to log your performance from an LFR/Normal/PUG run, to add to your application. TRC raiders are expected to review their own performance on Warcraft Logs in order to improve, so you should be/get used to doing this.
It's especially important for dps-players, and applicants who would need to transfer before we can trial them (eg Horde).]I am afraid any guild logs with my name on them have indeed expired. All I got to my name currently is screenshots demonstrating that I am, by and large, doing damage befitting of my gear under real world conditions.
http://imgur.com/a/AteeA
http://imgur.com/a/ot5Jd
Your UI
[Attach a screenshot of your current raiding UI, and if it shows anything unusual (in the UI, not the chat box :p), feel free to explain your choices. A screenshot during raid combat is most desirable.]
Please see above. Before anyone asks, the bars/panels are homebrew rather than a default pack.
Guild History
[What other guilds have you been in? What made you move(/plan to move) from these guilds, and why do you want to join TRC?]
The guild I have been in for the past expansion and more was named Wipe Material (Defias Brotherhood, Horde). It seems that after taking most of the extended HFC tier to clear the instance on mythic, raiding and recruitment policies have been revised somewhat, with progress taking priority over access to raiding for all. Meanwhile, the progression through Emerald Nightmare has exposed an unfortunate fact in regard to windwalker monks: despite being remarkably strong during the expansion's launch, they did not quite manage to hold up as gear levels increased due to lack of synergy between artifact traits and comparatively lackluster legendaries. Recognizing this, I passed on loot and, eventually, spots in favor of allowing the raid to stack specs better suitable for current content, which the guild could afford to due to constant recruitment of quality personnel, including cross-server migrants attracted by rapid progress and contributed to it in turn. By the time windwalkers got a much deserved buff, myself and a lot of people who stuck with the guild throughout good and bad times (Warlords of Draenor certainly qualifies as the latter) were sidelined for months. This is despite consistently being online during the entire raid time in case backups were needed. Veterans have found themselves unable to compete with the lean and mean newcomers willing to go to excessive lengths to improve their performance. Eventually, DKP rewards for attendance were scrapped altogether, making people such as me the proverbial fifth wheel in a remarkably well-oiled machine. As I kept upgrading gear, recent monk buffs allowed me to perform on par with regular raiders, but by this point the raid leaders (also recently recruited and given free rein by the old officers) would understandably stick with the people they knew best. Considering I was on good personal terms with the bulk of the guild and it was the "business strategy" that I had issues with, leaving was not a move I considered lightly, but I had to resort to it regardless once it became obvious I am unlikely to be needed in raids again. Considering the sheer frustration of the situation, I've taken an extended break from the game entirely, and eventually decided I need a fresh start of sorts in order to return playing. Hence, the faction change. At present, I am in an "everyone is invited" guild for convenience.
Raid availability
[Can you generally make all of our raiding days/times, or are there any difficulties with this? Our current raid schedule is found here.]
If there was a pride spot for me in regards to raids, it would be availability rather than outright performance. I am there if needed; whether or not I am needed is not something I have much control over.
References
[How did you hear about us? And do you know someone from the game who can vouch for you as player/person?]
Via search and impersonal recommendations. I am afraid I haven't got much knowledge of Alliance, but I have utmost respect for those guilds that stand the test of time, achieve results without succumbing to elitism and maintain not one, but two active rosters.
About you
[A little something about yourself as a person. It can be brief if you like, it's just a sort of introduction to the rest of the guild.
]I am a veteran player, having been with the game since open beta and on Defias Brotherhood since it opened (Founded Burning Dawn alongside Rangor back in 2006). As such, I've developed a somewhat long-term and accepting perspective on the game and people who play it, actively making a point of not being embittered by numerous setbacks. I'm not necessarily the reclusive person I might appear at the first glance and am always up for a good in-depth discussion, particularly when it comes to science, politics or philosophy. I also draw... sort of.
Miscellaneous
[If you have any extra notes that do not necessarily fit in anywhere else, stick 'em here.]
Not currently, but you're welcome to clarify any issue you might have if you happen to see me online.
