RAF Powerleveling Combos

[Sorphius]

*Edit - TLDR:
1) Is a shaman, priest, or druid better to pair with a warrior for RAF leveling?
2) Is a Warlock, Shaman/Priest/Druid (if not used above), or Rogue better to pair with a mage for RAF leveling?
3) For each of the two combos above, what's the optimum spec combo?
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Alright, so here's my situation. I hate leveling. Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE leveling. Did I say I hate leveling?

Anyway, I'd like to get to a place where I have a full stable of 85s consolidated on the same server/faction. I picked up the battle chest + xpacs while they were on sale last week, and would like to RAF dual-box to do it. I'm a high school teacher off on summer break, so time's not really an issue (I have 8-9 hours/day I can easily dedicate to this while the wife's at work). Nonetheless, I'm looking for the most cost- and time-effective way to go about doing this. This is what I'm looking at:

Currently 85 on my main acct:
Druid (Bear/Resto)
Paladin (Prot/Holy)
DK (Blood/UH)
Hunter (SV/BM)

Currently 80 on my main acct:
Warlock (different server)
Priest (vanilla-era dwarf on different server & would race change)
Rogue (different server and faction)

Don't have at all:
Warrior
Shaman
Mage

I think I'm going to be using ISBoxer once I get up and running. I've never done this before, but I'm a pretty quick learner and from the best I can tell ISBoxer seems to be one of the more noob-friendly programs out there in terms of minimal script-writing, etc. I'm just getting conflicting info about the best way to move forward.

I have a friend who's a quest-a-holic (Loremaster x3... /wrist), who swears that the quickest way to RAF dual box is to roll two of the same class/spec so that your binds and rotations are all the same. It seems very easy and straightforward, and has the added bonus of not having to pay to transfer any characters from the RAF account to your main. However, it also means grinding 1-80 three times in order to get every class, and I'd still need to transfer my warlock, priest, and/or rogue.

However, since I hate leveling so much, I was thinking along the lines of leveling two pairs of different classes... most likely Warrior + shaman first, followed by mage + something else, then using all the earned bonus levels at the end to boost a 5th character straight to 80. This would certainly be much faster, but has the drawback of needing to pay $50 to transfer the RAF toons to my main account.

So what would be the better option for a complete newbie to multiboxing? I know I'm going to face a learning curve with the boxing software alone. It looks like the financial cost will be similar regardless of which way I go. So, would the complications of coordinating different classes/roles coupled with the initial learning curve be enough to make the option of leveling 3x sets of the same toon into the "lesser of two evils"?

Also, provided I go with option two, what would be a good class to pair with the mage as I level up? Would he be better served by having a dedicated tank (I wouldn't mind having a second druid around to use as a dedicated banker/gatherer), or should I pair him with either a priest, rogue, or warlock?

[zenga]

I understand that your goal is to have one of each class at 80. Now if you consider the price of 2 transfers, I'd suggest you just buy a 3rd xpac and put some game time on it, should be pretty much the same. Your main invites B, B invites C. That way you can use one of your lvl 85s to boost B & C. You basically park them at the dungeon entrance and clear the place on your main. On certain dungeons you'll have to move them slightly. There is no need to quest whatsoever, and it's hands down the fastest method to get a toon to 80. A prot paladin, dk & druid are all good boosters and can solo normal dungeons up to lvl 80 without any problem.

Per set of 2 80s on account B, you can get 1 toon to 80 on your main account. The advantage is though that once you have your first set to 80 on B & C, that you can use say a lvl 80 paladin on C to boost your main & B through low level dungeons as it's a shame to use grant levels for these easy levels.

A simple example:

1) Create a new toon on B & C (i.e. paladin). Do the starting quests so they are lvl 10.
2) Use your prot paladin on A to boost them through shadow fang keep, you can get like 2 levels per clear. Then go to SM, rinse and repeat till they are lvl 80.
3) You now have a prot paladin on your main account (A), and a lvl 80 paladin on B and one on C. Buy the lvl 272 tank gear for the paladin on C, fairly cheap.
4) Create a new toon (warrior, mage, shaman, whatever you want) on A, and one random on B.
5) repeat step 1 to 4, just with C as a booster and only till lvl 40.

You now have:

A) a lvl 40
B) a lvl 80 and a lvl 40
c) a lvl 80

can can grant 40 lvls to the lvl 40 on B, which gives you 2 lvl 80s on B.
those 2 lvl 80s on B can now grant each 40 lvls to A (80 in total).

So you either boost another 2 toons on A & B to 40 (that goes really fast, a matter of hours), and that way you can give the 2 40s on A levels up to 80, or you just give all your levels to A (which is a waste as the first levels are really fast).

You can obviously change/allter/expand this example to maximize it the best way possible for you.

A 3rd account offers so much more that i's almost a waste not to do it. You don't need to buy an isboxer license (or equivalent) and you don't need any server transfers.

Alternatively: you just stick with 2 accounts, and just run them through dungeons. It's an advantage as a novice multiboxer to use the same classes, but it's not required. So make 2 shamans, 2 mages, etc and just use them to level up through dungeons.

[Sorphius]

Wow, thanks for the very quick and thorough response!

I had considered buying a 3rd account, but now that the sale is over, the $80 price tag scared me off. The lack of server transfers, however, is certainly an advantage.

If I went that route, wouldn't I run into the "you have entered too many instances" wall pretty quickly in the lower levels?

[zenga]

If I went that route, wouldn't I run into the "you have entered too many instances" wall pretty quickly in the lower levels?

Yes and no ... You can do 5 per hour, and I bet you need to take a wee now and then. Else start smoking and problem solved :) In reality it won't be that bad though, there aren't a whole lot of instances that are that fast.

[candlebox]

I have learned to loot the lower level instances. This prevents the entered to many instances. I also bounce around and do all the dungeons i can, that way I get the achievs, and the quests.

[luxlunae]

I'll also point out that since boosting isn't REALLY multiboxing it looks like you can do zenga's plan without bothering to buy software or set anything up.

[Truelle]

If you are just boxing teams of two then using the Dungeon Finder to level your teams up is really, really fast. The easiest way to do is just spec both as DPS (the ques are a little longer but still not too bad.) This works great all the way to 80. I usually stop and quest a little at 68 to get some WotL gear in Borean Tundra. All of the starting quests in that zone are very boxer friendly. Using this method you are looking at less than 24 played hours to get your duos to 80.

[Sservis]

To followup on zenga's example, you don't need Cataclysm on C, if you're going to transfer the characters off or let the account expire. This will cut the no deal cost in half.

[Sorphius]

To followup on zenga's example, you don't need Cataclysm on C, if you're going to transfer the characters off or let the account expire. This will cut the no deal cost in half.
Yeah, I realized that today after I'd already bought all three. Fortunately I got them at target instead of the Blizz store and haven't opened Cata yet, so I can take it back.

[candlebox]

You should run double tanks, and solo tank raids. Best way to make friends.

Run a double feral team. You can dual tank, dual heal, dual dps feral/boomy. It will give you great practice to start instancing at 15. Less spells, and easier fights.

You have all the options there as a feral team. If you were running more I would move toward shaman. But with two you could tank/heal yourself. Which feral's can tank current LFR content in pvp gear.