Preparation for Cataclysm

[Ualaa]

Given that you already have 5+ accounts, I'd probably do the RAF in stages.
Call your existing accounts A-E.
And eventually add five additional (classic warcraft only) accounts purely for RAF purposes.

You have toons on the existing accounts, from previous leveling combinations.
Use a tank/AoE class that is already there, to boost with.
Since groups are limited to a maximum of five toons, and boosting is the fastest leveling out of every method, go with two RAF accounts at a time (twice) and then a single RAF later.

IE:
A >> F
B >> G
Boost with C, D or E.

C >> H
D >> I
Boost with A, B or E.

E >> J
Boost with A, B, C or D.

I know you have a 5x Druid team, and assume you have other 5x combos such as Shamans too. So there are two sets you won't need to boost. Lets say for argument, you need: Hunters, Mages, Paladins, Rogues, Warrior, and a partial number of Warlocks.
You boost Hunters and Mages, and use the two 60's on FGHIJ to grant Paladins to ABCDE.
Then boost Rogues and Warriors, using those two sets on FGHIJ to grant Warlocks to ABCDE.
By setting up RAF this way, for every two sets you boost, you actually receive three sets of toons on the keeper accounts.
And not that finances are likely difficult, but each existing account will get a free month out of it, and the new Rocket (2-man) flying mount.

That will get you a level 60 (or higher) of every class on each of your existing five accounts. That should leave you a couple of open slots per account, for either bankers or future characters.

[Ualaa]

I've decided on a budget of 100k, for my speculation.
A small portion of that has been used to create five new alts, each purely for banking. So I have five level 2's, each the sole member of their own three-bank-tab guild. I already had two guild banks. That gets me 21 x 98 = 2058 slots/stacks for speculation.



Almost everything at level 80, will likely follow the BC/WotLK trend of becoming virtually worthless overnight.
To that end, I'm slowly liquidating anything that can be sold.
This includes level 80 starter gear, for three teams that aren't 80th yet, as Quest 81/82/83 items will likely surpass this gear.
I plan to have no surplus flasks (each team will retain some for a leveling edge), level 80 green/blue gems, armor/weapon enchants etc.
I am continuing the alchemy transmutations, with my army of alchemists. But instead of stocking 8-10 stacks of Eternals/Gems for each transmute type, I'm basically buying what I need each day; profits aren't quite as good, but I won't be stuck with a pile of worthless mats.



My focus is on trade skill leveling items.

The bulk is level 80 items, specifically: Borean Leather, Adder's Tongue/Goldclover/Tiger Lily, Frostweave Cloth, Infinite Dust and Saronite Ore.
I'm buying anything available at a reasonable price.

I am also buying lower level trade skill goods, with a goal of 30-50 stacks of each.
- Light, Medium, Heavy, Thick, Rugged and Knothide Leathers.
- Copper, Tin, Iron, Mithril, Thorium and Fel Iron Ore.
- Linen, Wool, Silk, Mageweave, Runecloth and Netherweave cloth.
- Strange, Soul, Vision, Dream, Illusion and Arcane dusts.
- Briarthorn/Peacebloom/Silverleaf, Fadeleaf/Goldthorn/Khadgar's Whisker, Kingsblood/Liferoot/Sungrass and Golden Sansam/Felweed/Dreaming Glory/Ragveil.

In addition to tradeskills/first-aid, I'm stocking Netherweave and Frostweave bags.

I'll release these in waves, breaking them into groups to be released during: week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, week 6, week 7 and week 8 of the expansion.
The goal is to sell each, as demand is the highest and supply the lowest.

[Tim]

Hey Ualaa, okay so for the RAF, how would you suggest I do it?

So lets say I had 6 accounts I decided to stick with, 1 of my old ones with a level 80 druid (for powerleveling), and 5 new ones. Assuming the old account druid is Z, and the new accounts are A-E, should I:

Z recruits A
A recruits B
B recruits C
C recruits D
D recruits E


And then I could level:

Z+A+B+C+D
(and then rotate)

Z+B+C+D+E
(and then rotate back)


Is that sorta what you were thinking? I think that makes sense, right?

Is there any 5x of a single class that you think I could start now that wouldn't be replaced by a new class/race combination in Cataclysm?

[Ualaa]

If you want a Worgen or Goblin team, make one...
Personally, I'm thinking of one of: 5x Mages, 5x Paladins or 5x Rogues.
At the moment, leaning towards the Pallies, which means not Worgen or Goblin.

If you have six accounts now...
And want to RAF to speed-level/boost toons.
I'd just pick five of the six, to level with.
And link two existing to two new, repeat two different existing to two new, and then one existing to one new.

You've already got several toons on your existing accounts. So I would just link each existing account directly to a new account. That way, you get the RAF boosting speed, but don't need to replace characters that have already been leveled up.

If your current accounts are ABCDEF.
And the new ones will be GHIJK.
Go:

A > G
B > H
Boosted by C, D, E or F.
Level as many classes on AB as you are missing, but take into account for every two toons leveled/boosted, GH will grant a toon on AB. (not caring what you partner them with on GH, since these toons will be discarded after RAF).

Then repeat the process with:
C > I
D > J

And repeat again with:
E > K

[Tim]

Okay so I really want to narrow my WoW accounts down to 6 max, as in, 1 of my old ones max (for powerleveling if I wanted to) and 5x new ones.

So really the big question goes, which I don't remember, is how the gifting goes. If you do the traditional:

A->B
B->C
C->D
D->E

Then all 5 accounts get to 60 on 5 guys, does A not get any levels to gift? Or is it E?

[Ualaa]

The newer account, which was referred by an older account, grants levels backwards in the chain.

Example: A > B > C > D > E.
E gives to D; D gives to C; C gives to B; and B gives to A.
A receives levels, but has none to give to others.