Heroic Raid Lockouts: The Basics
In World of Warcraft, Heroic raid lockouts work differently than you might expect. Unlike Heroic dungeons, which have daily lockouts, Heroic raids can actually be run multiple times per week. This system allows players more flexibility in their raiding schedule and opportunities for loot.
How Heroic Raid Lockouts Function
Heroic raids operate on a boss-based loot lockout system. Here’s how it works:
• You can enter and clear a Heroic raid as many times as you want per week
• Loot eligibility is tied to individual bosses, not the entire raid
• You can only receive loot from each boss once per week on Heroic difficulty
• Bonus rolls can be used on subsequent kills, even if you’ve already looted the boss
This system allows raiders to help guildmates or friends with boss kills without being locked out of loot for the entire week.
Differences Between Raid Difficulties
It’s important to note that each raid difficulty has its own separate lockout:
• LFR (Looking for Raid)
• Normal
• Heroic
• Mythic (works differently, with an instance-based lockout)
This means you can potentially kill the same boss on all four difficulties in a single week, being eligible for loot each time.
Heroic Dungeon Lockouts vs. Raid Lockouts
While Heroic raids can be run multiple times per week, Heroic dungeons operate differently:
• Heroic dungeons reset daily
• You can only receive loot from each Heroic dungeon once per day
• The Group Finder allows you to queue for random Heroic dungeons even if you’ve completed them that day
Maximizing Your Raid Opportunities
Understanding the Heroic raid lockout system allows you to:
Help friends or guildmates with boss kills
Practice difficult encounters without losing loot eligibility
Increase your chances of getting specific items by using bonus rolls on multiple kills
Remember, while you can enter the raid multiple times, you’re only eligible for loot on the first kill of each boss per week on each difficulty.