I am amazed at the numbers of people standing around LFG all the time. Or the people who log in, say LFG, and 10 minutes later, log out because they have no group. Forming a group does not take a genius, I promise. Here is the way I do it. Others may have different strategies, but I always get compliments from the pick-up-groupees.

Step 1- Get an MA. I like Paladins because they can stun to hold agro. Shadowknights can, too, but I don't know any. Warriors are also good here. If you can, this is one of the slots where it is good to pick someone you know or have grouped with before. If not, you just have to be extra careful to help them hold agro.

Step 2- Get a cleric. This is hard because clerics can be scarce. If none are LFG, do a /w all cleric . I go through all the clerics 5 levels below me to 2 levels above me, beginning with those closest in lvl to me. I send tells to any cleric in an area where you know they're not fighting. That's the Nexus, POK, POT, and really lowbie zones. Bazaar is tricky because they're often AFK. This takes time so have patience.

Step 3- Get a slower. This is just like step 2, only you can chose between an Enchanter and a Shaman. It's easier to find a shaman, but sometimes you need a Chanter for mezzes. Consider your planned upon camp. This is one class where you can not skimp on lvl. If slow does not land or the add cannot be mezzed, everyone dies.

Step 4- The Alternate Caster Slot. I'm a druid, so this is my spot. This is where you consider things like debuffs, ports, and back-up healing. A wizard would also work here.

Step 5- Puller. This is a monk or a ranger. Other classes might work but I always have a ranger so I have not experimented much. Chose someone with enough hitpoints to take damage while the MA gets agro.

Step 6- Alternate DPS slot. Any DPS is good. Pet classes are good because the pet is dps and the caster has nukes. The more DPS, the better, regardless of hitpoints.

There you go, how to form a group in a nutshell. If you have suggestions for improvement, I would be glad to hear them. I use this technique every time I group. It takes a while to set up the initial group- finding the right people can be challenging. But if you take the extra care to get a good balance, the group runs smoothly.

One more thing. This is important. Don't Ever assume the people you've just picked up will understand their role in your plan. I always tell everyone what I expect. I tell them who is MA, who pulls, who loots, who slows/hastes/mezzes, who is extra dps, who heals. I tell them what I will do for them. If the MA sends me a tell that the chanter isn't slowing fast enough, I send a tell to the chanter. I am always polite, but I am focused. As long as people are doing things my way, the groups run well.

It may sound harsh, but the people I group with really appreciate it. Especially when we're running like a well oiled machine and the xp is rolling in. I get tells from them, weeks later, to see if I want to group again. The worst kind of group is the one where nobody knows what's going on and nobody wants to make decisions. After I decided that wasn't going to happen to me anymore, things got better.

Bianca