RWF Guild Spotlight: Aversion

By Hulahoops — Mar 1 2022 19:00 UTC

Für eine deutsche Übersetzung dieses Artikels klicke bitte hier.

The Race to World First (RWF) for Sepulcher of the First Ones begins in just one week! To kick off what we call “Hype Week” at Raider.IO, we’re bringing you an inside look at one of the guilds that will be putting it all on the line and competing for one of those coveted top ranks. A guild that has, regrettably, not garnered as much attention as some of its RWF counterparts, Aversion is an absolute force to be reckoned with. This German guild has achieved top 10 World Ranks in 4 of the last 5 raids, including World Rank 6 in the most recent RWF of Sanctum of Domination.

Aversion is truly the cream of the crop of the German raiding scene, and has a very tight-knit and supportive community. Known for their high-quality RWF Event productions, their plans for Sepulcher of the First Ones are sure to be something special. Whether you understand the German language or not, Aversion’s RWF broadcasts always have great features that are worth checking out for everyone!

We were fortunate to have a chance to speak to Aversion’s guild and raid leader, Nexxzz, for a sneak peak at what it’s like behind the helm of one of the best guilds in the world! Read on to learn more about Aversion, and don’t forget to check out their RWF Event, streaming live from the Esport Arcade studio in Germany on the Aversion Twitch Channel.

Aversion Origin Story
Key Factors to Aversion’s Success
Pros & Cons of a German-Language Guild
The Upcoming RWF
Thoughts on the Untested Raid Bosses
RWF Prep
Best Parts of LAN Events
Fun Facts about Aversion
Aversion Guild Theme Song

“Over the past 5 years, the mindset of our guild has evolved in the right direction. We now understand WoW more as a team-based game. We play for each other and not just for ourselves.”

Q-1: How long has Aversion been raiding together? What’s the origin story of Aversion? Has the guild always aimed for top ranks?

Nexxzz: Aversion has been raiding together since Tomb of Sargeras and the core of the guild has been raiding together for 7 years now. Before we renamed the guild to Aversion, we were called Impact and we raided 5 nights per week. During that period, we were one of the two best German Guilds. We aimed for a good result, but not as high as we strive for now in the RWF.

We had to rename the guild because we separated from the old guildmaster and needed to create a new one. The name was the outcome of 25 Raiders finding a “cool name” 😀. Upon founding Aversion, we raised our commitment and aimed for higher ranks in the RWF. Our best finish was in Sanctum of Domination.

Q-2: What do you think are the key factors behind your guild’s success?

Nexxzz: Experience, effort, and a good mindset. Over the past 5 years, the mindset of our guild has evolved in the right direction. We now understand WoW more as a team-based game. We play for each other and not just for ourselves.

“...The whole German community stands behind us and supports what we are doing. This has made a positive impact on us because our community just wants to help us with our split runs and see us succeed.”

Q-3: What are the pros and cons of being a German-language guild? Does this have any impact on the Race to World First?

Nexxzz: The first big con that comes to mind is that we are limited for our recruitment. There aren’t that many players in Germany who can play at the top level who also want to commit the time necessary to compete in the RWF. This impacts us for the RWF since our competitors can recruit members from a larger playerpool in comparison.

The huge pro is that the whole German community stands behind us and supports what we are doing. This has made a positive impact on us because our community just wants to help us with our split runs and see us succeed. Some of our helpers have even passed up more lucrative offers from other EU guilds for their normal splits.

Q-4: What are you most looking forward to about Sepulcher of the First Ones?

Nexxzz: Rygelon — I really hope that this boss is coming close to a tuning similar to Sludgefist during the first week of Castle Nathria. The Dungeon Journal is very promising and I hope that Blizzard gets the tuning right this time!

Q-5: What are your thoughts about the final 3 bosses being untested and unreleased until Mythic week?

Nexxzz: I think it’s awesome for the people watching the RWF unfold. It will be exciting to see how each guild approaches this task. It brings a lot of new aspects to the RWF and will most likely stretch out the duration of the race a bit more, which is also good for the people watching the show.

From a guild perspective, it’s also exciting to have 3 untested bosses and it will hopefully be a cool new experience. However, the possibility that these 3 encounters are bugged is pretty high, which can be frustrating for whoever approaches the encounter first.

Ultimately, I like the fact that we couldn’t test the last 3 bosses on the PTR and I think it’s worth seeing how it all works out. If it goes well, it will be awesome. If not, Blizzard can always go back to testing every encounter before releasing it.

Q-6: What kind of preparation is involved for you as a guild and raid leader before a new tier comes out?

Nexxzz: Regarding raid leading, it’s a lot of boss preparation via the Dungeon Journal, our recordings of raid testing, checking the logs of the tests, and thinking through the untested encounters. Being prepared and knowing every detail of the fights are important factors towards finding working tactics and solutions.

As a guild leader I have to prepare a lot of things for the RWF such as integrating new trials, coordinating our raid schedule, preparing our setup/roster, preparing splits with my team and a lot of other aspects. My favorite part though is getting my team mentally prepared for the upcoming race and motivating them to have fun and play their best game.

Q-7: Aversion has done multiple LAN events, but had to go fully remote due to Covid for the last RWF. What’s the best part about a LAN event, and are you excited to be back on-site with your guild for Sepulcher?

Nexxzz: I’m really excited to see everyone again in person! The best part about the LAN event is to have your team around you and create a unique experience while we are doing what we love. Especially for me as the Head of the Aversion Organization, it’s awesome to get the whole crew together and have everyone support each other!

“...We have an awesome live broadcast planned for the RWF and even non German-speaking viewers can have a great experience on our channel.”

Q-8: What’s one thing you wished more people knew about Aversion?

Nexxzz: I’m overall really happy with our position in the WoW community and can’t think about a fact that needs to be publicized more. Maybe something worth mentioning is that we have an awesome live broadcast planned for the RWF and even non German-speaking viewers can have a great experience on our channel.

Q-9: If your guild had a theme song, what would it be?

Nexxzz: “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins describes my guild pretty well from the start of the farm till the new RWF comes up once again. It’s super chill till the race, during the race its full power, and after the race it’s chill again!

In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

About the Authors

Hulahoops has been playing WoW since Vanilla. She has recently shelved Retail to go back and re-experience TBC in all its glory, but will one day make her way back to the Shadowlands. In her hey-day, Hulahoops could be found raid-leading in Mythic Progression, or competing in the MDI with her team Angry Toast. Hulahoops is a Holy Paladin in every sense of the term: she moderates the Hammer of Wrath Paladin Class Discord, and she was a practicing Lawyer for 7 years. Judgment isn't just a spell! Hulahoops decided to put the law books away and follow her passion for gaming and esports by joining the team at Raider.IO. In her capacity as General Manager, Hulahoops oversees events, content, and more!

Picco is an old-fashioned WoW gamer that started back in Vanilla and has played ever since. She is a healer by heart and is currently maining Restoration Druid. She loves Mythic+ and has a great passion for events like the MDI and TGP. Picco is part of the KeystoneMasters team and enjoys jiggling around with ideas for fun new formats of community tournaments. She is also a Mod for several streamers and guilds, particularly during the RWF. Outside of WoW, Picco is a Sprout in FF14, where she explores with her Lala Summoner.