Well actually I'm 32, but that's not as catchy. Last night I ran both raids for the first time. I've been playing Destiny since it came out almost a year ago, but due to lack of time, and friends who have the game I never got a chance. Yes, yes, I know, the same old excuses... what can I say? I'm a filthy casual. Or maybe Atheon stole all my time and friends. Yes, let's go with that. With the ominous approach of the offensive and omnipotent Oryx, and the impending instigation and installation of the infamous TTK I decided it was about time I finished the story which puts into context the arrival of the aforementioned vengeful father. I've successfully wielded as many as 5 Iron Bananas; I've fallen at Night, I've Strucked with randoms many a time and even faced the innards of a Geriatric Prison but now the time was upon me for Bungie's ultimate challenge... organising 6 people to turn up at the same time and place. Particularly when one can't find his HDMI cable. To that end, with the temporary departure of my girlfriend for the evening, I put out an advert to this effect and collected together a rag-taggle crew of willing experts and blithering idiots. I've always enjoyed having a good old natter while playing ("chat" - for my American cousins), so my criteria for a fireteam are very different to most peoples. You say Gjallarhorn, maxed weapons, level 80 billion and raid experience. I say nice, friendly people who don't shout abuse at each other, have an interest in a variety of subjects and are helpful and supportive. I was lucky to find those people, and my endless thanks go to: • [b]Alph4 Cent4uri[/b]: a man thrust into leadership merely because everyone else stepped backwards, but who led with unimpeachable style. • [b]ProximaCent4uri[/b]: a true lady whose bravery in responding to my ad, and in battle, was matched only by her impressive team work with her aforementioned boyfriend. • [b]Sylence777X[/b]: our admirable sword bearer, whose ironic name belies his inexhaustible knowledge and cheery propensity to accord it graciously. • [b]Damien Saint[/b]: an unsung hero who rose to the call and was exalted in combat (when he should know better having played with me before). • [b]PyroStriker213[/b]: the warrior, who was neither called nor conscripted but rode forth into the breach to fill a gap in the team at a critical moment. • [b]Abbster12[/b]: my long standing best friend, and the first raid volunteer, whose perseverance and enthusiasm more than compensated for his inability to jump. I must admit, it all went rather well. I descended rapidly into the Vault, armed only with a team, a microphone and an abundance of ignorance, to find out that just because you've seen the videos doesn't mean you know which end of the gun to point at the enemy. I could narrate for you, blow by the blow, the events of the next 2 and a half hours (1:30 VoG, 1 hour Crota) but ask yourself, who likes to be blown repeatedly? Instead, I shall iterate for your entertainment, or entire indifference, the highlights of my first end game extravaganza... • A fair amount of confusion over whose left is left. • Much joking, none of which I now remember with early onset dementia. It will happen to you too kids. • Some rather sneaky Gorgons who can't possibly have seen us. CCTV has apparently now been installed in the labyrinth. • Rebranding of Ascendent Energy as Red Bull but failing to get any wings. • Abbster getting stuck jumping up to the chest. • Abbster getting stuck on the jumping puzzle and Alph4 having to go back and fetch him (stupid Red Bull). • Me volunteering to take one relic while summoning Atheon and being told to stand outside the portal and kill anything that comes out to attack the Conflux. Weirdly nothing actually came out... "Oh, you mean the other side of the portal!!?!" • Me being blind and then dead as the team finished Atheon off, so having no idea we had actually finished the VoG. • Much Chatterwhite • 5 jumped down into the Hellmouth. 4 arrived. 0 deaths. ???!?!?! • 4 then puzzled over whether the daft fireteam leader had selected Hard instead of Normal. Cue Damien's watery suicide to check. • Alph4 doing the whole labyrinth on his own because, as I now understand, it's easier than reviving the entire team at the second lamp. • The entire team looking puzzled as we try to do the Crota bridge for the first time legitimately. Turns out cheesing was the only strategy anyone had been taught. • Me being dead on the wrong side of the bridge and sitting out the Ogres. • Me standing next to the sword, staring are the sword, asking "do I need to pick up the sword?". No response. Wipe. Apparently you do need to pickup the sword. • Me somehow completely missing the Deathsinger while running around. • Me missing the apparently cool Crota summoning animation because I was busy staring at the Acolytes through the glass. • Me getting the most kills in both raids, while having no clue what's happening. (Shooting stuff is definitely and defiantly the best strategy when you are running around confused!) • And of course, the fireteam leader (yep, me again) embarrassingly needing to be told at the end of both raids that we are done and it's time to go back to orbit, to the amusement of the entire team. Is there a moral to this story? Probably not, but now you're pushing me for one I'll make it up. [u][b]It's never too late for a filthy casual to pop his raid cherry.[/b][/u] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want to join me in my next raid? Generally a likeable sort of chap or lady? Send me a friend request :) (name = GT, xbox 360 only sorry)