In the vast realm of video games, I've always steered clear of the "elite gamer" label. My gaming preferences lie in point-and-click puzzle adventures and narrative role-playing games. I cherish the solitude of gaming alone and am inherently noncompetitive. Yet, an eight-year chapter of my life was dedicated to World of Warcraft.

Unraveling the Art of Kiting the General in WoW

Early Glimpses of Elite Skill

In the early days of the storied MMO, World of Warcraft offered a tantalizing glimpse. It was the possibility of attaining an elite level of skill and having that prowess recognized by fellow players. My elite gamer moment wasn't about reaching max level in four expansions or achieving grand raid victories. Instead, it was the simple joy of being a Hunter who could kite the General in Upper Blackrock Spire. 1: Back in 2005, the Looking For Group chat channel buzzed with a telltale message. "LFM UBRS have key need hunter" signaled the call for more players to attempt the 10-player dungeon. UBRS was a stepping-stone raid on the path to Molten Core, a lava-split fortress within an active volcano filled with black dragons and fire elementals. 2: To even enter UBRS in the early days of Vanilla World of Warcraft, one needed a member to complete a circuitous questline involving random item drops, a hidden NPC, a full run through Lower Blackrock Spire, and a trek to Dustwallow Marsh to subdue a random dragon. It took a lot to assemble a group, yet these groups were often tenuous.

The Final Boss Dilemma

The final boss of Upper Blackrock Spire was General Drakkisath, a centaur-dragon brute. His guards hit hard, overwhelming healers and wiping the raid. The accepted strategy was to focus on killing the guards while one person kited the General. Only the Hunter class, with its ranged physical damage and pet, had the right abilities. 1: The General ran faster than a player's run speed, but Hunters could use Aspect of the Cheetah for a speed boost. His melee attacks were deadly, but the Hunter ability Distracting Shot could apply a taunt from range. Hunters could kite the General through long rooms and a narrow, railing-less pathway. 2: However, the Hunter's mechanical abilities weren't enough. Distracting Shot had a limited duration, and turning around to reapply it risked being caught. The solution was the jumpshot.

The Jumpshot Technique

The jumpshot exploited World of Warcraft's jump physics. By pressing the jump button while running and quickly whipping the mouse around 180 degrees to fire a ranged ability, Hunters could maintain their forward momentum and keep the General chasing them. 1: Performing a jumpshot required precise timing and coordination. Hunters had to start running, jump, and fire in the split second before landing. It was a skill that separated the elite from the rest. 2: Thanks to the jumpshot, Hunters could keep the General engaged while the rest of the group took care of the guards. It was a crucial part of a successful UBRS raid.

The Burden of Responsibility

Beating the odds and assembling a UBRS raid was a feat. Nine strangers depended on the Hunter to kite the General right. In an MMORPG, damage classes often felt like supporting roles, but kiting the General was a rite of passage. 1: It gave Hunters a sense of ownership and belonging. They weren't just playing a class; they were elite Hunter players. 2: Later updates by Blizzard aimed to move away from class-specific strategies. While it was a bittersweet change, it made the experience of kiting the General even more special. 3: I'll always be among the elite cadre of Hunter players who can say they mastered the art of kiting the General. World of Warcraft gave me a taste of that classic elite gamer cachet, and it will always hold a special place in my gaming history.