Do you pug or use a static for raids?

[Nabian]

I personally prefer to run savage content with a static. I had to quit my last static unfortunately thought because of real life time conflicts. I have the mentality of a hardcore raider with the availability and free time of a casual player...its tough. I need to find a static that can handle only running two nights a week for two hours max. I probably won't be able to do any more savage content (outside of pugs) for awhile.

The problem with pugs is that while there is generally considered a "main strategy" every player likes to do things slightly differently. Those subtle variations can cause all sorts of headaches and problems.

[AppleJinx]

My schedule is too erratic for a static so I am pug only. In my experience though, if you start pugging the new tier as soon as it drops and if you do it hard enough you can clear the tier in under 2 weeks. 1 if you get lucky.

I started playing the game in 3.4 and delta is my first real raid tier and both delta and sigma took me 3 and 2 months to clear with pugs respectively. Delta took longer because I was raiding with a static that was stuck on o3s for a month+ plus so I left it and went on and clear o4s with a pug and that took less than 2 weeks. Sigma also took 2 months because I started the raid tier late in april.

[rjspencer4]

I had a static but I'm going to start using pugs instead

[CrystalRainbow]

Static 1st clear then pug after.

[HyoMinPark]

I prefer statics with regards to Savage raids; I don’t really like pugging them. I prefer statics because I like consistency, and I want to clear content with players who are like-minded to me (i.e., they want fast and optimal clears). I’m also into optimization, and the static I’m in now frequently coordinate things like buff alignment to allow for such, and the healers work together and map out their healing so one or the other aren’t fumbling about trying to figure out what to do. That’s not something you really get in pugs.

[Vidu]

For savage-raids I prefer to do them with a static. My main enjoyment comes from clearing this content with friends, to accomplish something together and have a good laugh while doing so. We're progressing slowly, but steadly and with a lot of fun (which is what I play this game for).

As soon as weekly-lockout-restrictions are lifted and everyone can go into farm-mode, I'll usually pug tiers that I still need loot from (nothing this time, yeah!)

For Ex-Primals my static is always trying to clear them together for the first time, often attempting a blind-run or semi-blind-run (we have some people who just cant wait and need to clear on day one, but they're kind enough to keep their mouth shut about mechanics, until we ask - often muting themself because they're laughing so hard at us trying to figure out what to do). After that its pugs for me - I want those dogs and not everyone in my static shares my willigness to spend way, way to much time on farming them. Also scheduling would be a nightmare with having people from europe and the US in our little group and two evenings with two hours each are enough for us to clear raids, but not to get dogs.

In general though: I just enjoy those fights more when I do them with friends, specially for the first time! We like to do blind-runs and figure stuff out ourselves, which is just something you cant to with pugs. I'm actually proud of us that we managed to figure out Sigma by ourselves (well, at least up to the first Trine, we consulted a guide for the rest - but everything before that was us analysing what happend and how to prevent it from happening again). That and the great memories you create with your friends are why I raid in the first place. I have little intrest in just clearing the fights - I have a lot of intrest in clearing them with my friends!

[Magic-Mal]

PUGs for all EX and Raid content that I choose to do. I don't want a static because:
-I don't have the time schedule to commit to one.
-No static drama.
-No worries of what I could do should the static suddenly disband.
-I want to be able to jump into raiding or trialing any time I want to.
-I don't enjoy voice chat because hearing voices in my ears disturbs my concentration and most statics require Discord.
-When I'm trying a raid or trial for the first time, I'm not going to watch any videos or read any guides. I like to learn everything on my own. So I make my own party and make it clear that a guide isn't required to join. They've always been nice experiences so far.

[Dzian]

I don't really bother with statics on a serious level. I've been in a few with friends and you could say I am in one now for heaven on high but it's not terribly strict. it's just 4 of us who will jump in and climb a few floors as and when we're all on atthe same time. really doesn't matter what day or time it is. it's just as and when.

most of my savage raiding since 3.0 landed has been pretty much filler. some friends needs a rep for the days runs and well i got nothing better to do sort of thing. which is why my savage clears are kinda all over the place. cleared 3 but not 2 cleared 5 but ot 4 sort of thing.

way back in ARR people used to say if you didnt have a static there was no way you'd clear coil and a couple of friends and I managed to clear the whole thing incredibly randomly. just throwing up the odd party finder as and when we could be bothered. We cleared all of final coil in a single evening just because we had nothing better to do. 5 total newbs who had only beating t9 a few days before. 2 people that had cleared 10 and 11 but not 12 or 13 and 1 who had cleared it all just came to help. pretty rag tag bunch and yet cleared all 4 turns in a single evening..

I don't think anything in this game is particularly difficult there's vary little variation and randomness in boss patterns or encounter design and it'sall far to scripted which generally means you always know whats going to happen long before it does. A B C D oh look E and F i was not expecting that..... /sarcasm

I have no real interest in savage raiding the rewards are generally worthless and there's not even thestory to entice you in anymore. so generally speaking the only time i ever set foot into a savage raid has been if a group of friends needed someone to fill a gap and i hd nothing better to do.

[TSLsmokey]

unfortunately. I don't have time for a static due to an erratic work schedule and school. So I have to PUG. Made it to O4S and O7S with pugs and I never progressed further on the latter due to my crazy work schedule.

[Sunako]

I have pugged everything, but ucob during this expansion.