Four heads are NOT better than one
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Here it is - the final push to Arthas. The end of the line in WotLK raiding. We've all been waiting for this challenge with baited breath, and in a welcome reversal of form for Blizzard (after the Insta-Raid concept of The Coliseum), Icecrown Citadel was worth the wait.
TDC's introduction to Icecrown Citadel began with a reintroduction to...trash mobs? Yes, we're back to dealing with trash mobs, crowd control, and pull strategies, a welcome return to the raiding scene we haven't experienced since Ulduar. The trash, while not overly difficult, did require the raid to pay attention and focus, and is a nice warmup for the first boss in ICC, Lord Marrowgar.
Marrowgar is a two phase fight, similar in many ways to Leotheras in SSC, with a splash of the Lynx boss from ZA. P1 involves tanks splitting damage from a sabre lash mechanic, while the raid pours dps on the boss, all the while watching out for random spikes that afflict raid members and must be dps'd in order to free the affected raider. At measurable intervals, Marrowgar transitions to P2, which involves him running around the room executing Bone Storm, which is essentially Bladestorm on steroids. Once Bone Storm is over, the tanks need to gain snap aggro and reposition Marrowgar, after which the raid transitions back to P1. It's a straightforward fight, and once TDC decided where we wanted to tank him, there were four skulls sitting atop a large pile of bones.
ICC looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. Challenging fights, trash that requires some work, and an epic ending to the WotLK saga. Arthas, get ready - TDC is coming for you!