So, you finally have finished the mindless questing and grinding to hit 85 but the first question you think is where do i start and how can i start getting some purples for raiding. It starts before you hit the level cap doing a little bit of research about your class and the gear upgrades available for you will help you a ton. Start by checking which Cataclysm faction has epics for you and the shoulder enchant for your class so while your questing you can quest in the specific zones that benefit you in that faction, you can get 2-4 epics from these quartermasters. To join heroics when you reach 85 you must have a average ilvl of 329 but for most when they first level there at that point yet. Group quest in the Twilight Highlands give ilvl 349 loot to help when you get there you can also go to the AH and buy high ilvl gear pieces to have in your bags, even if there not the proper armor proficientcy for your class all you need is to have the highest ilvl piece for a certain gear spot in your bags. Currently the Que time for DPS in the heroic dungeon finder is ridiculous so unless you have unlimited time to wait finding away to join heroics can be tricky. Investing into getting a heals or tank spec for shorter Que times can really pay off and if your one of the unlucky 4 classes who only have a dps spec being in a active cataclysm guild is awesome. Finding that tank or healer who likes to run heroics can help the hump of hitting 85 but doing work on your own you start to get ready to entering your first Cataclysm raid.
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When you start raiding you will come across players who will have seemingly good gear, gems, enchants, etc but are still bad players. The reason why is because of a fundamental lack of knowing there class mechanics, the raids in Cataclysm are much more demanding then during wrath especially since everyone at the moment is undergeared so getting the all out of your dps and heals is a must. Going to check some of the forums on Elitist Jerks or others will help make the difference.