I know this is an older post but I assume it's due to the fact that 34 is so easily obtained, that if you are below that you are a noob, therefore have never raided before. Majority of the time this couldn't be farther from the truth. Ran VoG on normal yesterday. I was 34 and one other guy was. There was a 33, 32 and two 30s. There was a 25 as well. I was slightly worried at first. I checked his load out though and saw he had raid gear from VoG. So that relieved my fears. The 30s were by far worse than he was. Too top it all off as well we ran through the confluxes pretty quickly. Then when it was time for oracles. Everyone wanted to wipe. I said why no just try it down here, it isn't hard. No one said anything (25 didn't have a mic.) So the other 34 said lets just wipe and do oracles up top. Everyone said yea that's easier than doing it correctly (isn't hard on HM is a breeze through NM.) The 25 still ran down below with the relic bearer. I only stayed up top due to having a 365 sniper. And so I could get hidden right (I basically covered the whole right side.) For anyone reading this who is a lower lvl and wants to run a HM raid. Slap on some raid gear. It shows you've at least been through it once before.