Last week, we made the call to end our season early in Last Call.
We did not close out the tier. We did not secure Cutting Edge. And while there were a lot of contributing factors, the responsibility ultimately sits with me.
This wasn’t a single-point failure. It was death by a thousand cuts over the course of the tier.
The Reality of the Season
Over the span of this tier alone, we cycled through five different tanks.
That level of instability at the most foundational role in the raid is incredibly difficult to overcome. Tanks set positioning, pace, and confidence. Every time that role changes, the entire raid has to adjust. We never really got to stop and build sustained momentum.
On top of that, one of our principal healers disappeared mid-season and never logged back in. There was no message or explanation. Just gone. I genuinely hope she’s okay, but from a raid standpoint, losing a core healer like that leaves a massive gap that isn’t easily replaced.
We also ran into a problem that quietly compounded everything else. Attrition eroded our roster depth.
By the final points of the tier, we were running on razor-thin margins. We did try to recruit reinforcements, but the reality was harsh. The players applying simply weren’t at the same experience level as where the team had already progressed to. Bringing them in would have meant significant reprog just to get them caught up.
That put me in a tough spot.
Do we reset and relearn fights with new players, knowing we’re already late in the tier?
Or do we roll the dice with the roster we have and push forward?
I chose the latter. And while that kept our progress intact, it also meant there was no slack. If even one person couldn’t make raid, we were at risk of not raiding at all. There was no bench. No buffer. No margin for error.
For about eight weeks (after Thanksgiving), we dealt with roster inconsistency and constant relearning. I had to set different lineups. I had to adjust assignments. I had to set different expectations. Instead of refining execution, we were constantly stabilizing just enough to keep going.
But yeah, that’s not how Cutting Edge teams succeed.
What We Still Accomplished
Despite all of that, I’m still proud of what this team did.
In our first expansion together:
- Tier 1: 7/8 Mythic (Nerub’ar Palace)
- Tier 2: 8/8 Mythic (Liberation of Undermine)
- Tier 3: 7/8 Mythic (Manaforge Omega)
That’s not nothing. For a team that came together at the start of the expansion and spent much of it fighting roster instability, it shows there’s real capability here.
But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. In Mythic raiding, close just means unfinished.
Where I Fell Short as a Leader
I underestimated how much instability we could absorb and still push at a CE pace.
I tried to patch holes instead of doing a more deliberate rebuild sooner. I spent too much time reacting and not enough time forcing a reset when it became clear the margins were disappearing. And while the strategy work and planning were there, the lack of roster depth meant we were always one absence away from a lost night.
That’s on me.
What Comes Next
Now comes the rebuild.
We need:
- A stable tank to carry into the next expansion
- More healing depth
- Additional DPS consistency
- And ideally, more leadership support, so decisions and responsibilities aren’t concentrated on just one or two people
Roster depth isn’t a luxury. It’s a requirement. Without it, every night becomes fragile, and progression turns into survival.
Looking Ahead
Last Call didn’t get CE this tier. That stings. But it doesn’t define the team.
What it did do was clarify exactly what needs to change and what cannot happen again. The lessons from this season are going to shape how this team is built going into the next expansion.
If you’re a player looking for a new raid home, especially someone who values structure, accountability, and stability, come check us out. This team is being rebuilt with intention.