Challenge Mode videos

5-man challenge modes are a good test of your raiding skills, and will highlight areas where you can improve.  They are like the 5man heroic version but everything hits a lot harder, and in a few spots there are more mobs, so you have to respect the fight mechanics.

Our goal is not necessarily a fast time, but a clean run -- minimizing unavoidable damage taken, while maximizing DPS and healing output.

We have done a mostly guild run of Gate of the Setting Sun (with Cloud healing - thanks!), it wasn't too painful apart from the noob tank taking a while to sort out the adds on the last boss.

There is a wide difficulty spread amongst the different dungeons - we also tried Shado-Pan Monastery, it was brutal compared to GSS (here is one guy's ordering of difficulty).

Video links: Gate of the Setting Sun  Scarlet Halls

Note that they will skip some trash with Invisibility - we probably won't do that at this stage until we have perfected our play on the later bosses. If you skip it and then wipe, you have to clear it on the runback :)

General tips:

• You must travel to the instance - there's no auto zone in feature.
• When you set your UI to 'challenge mode' and zone in, the timer doesn't start until you click an orb.
• Allow a couple of hours while you learn the fights.
• Flasks are essential.
• Having a Time Warp, and at least 2 ranged DPS, makes things considerably easier in most spots.
• There is a daily quest that gives 80 VP for a particular dungeon -- however you can of course do any one at any time.
• There is no loot, but there are special rewards for achievement sets.
• Each of your gear items is scaled down to 463 (but lower items are not scaled up). So, ideally you should have a 463 item or higher in every slot, else you are putting yourself on the back foot.