A raid guild is one known for frequently taking on the largest and most difficult raid encounters in the game : Naxxramas, Eye of Eternity, Obsidian Sanctum (also pre-WotLK : Serpentshrine Cavern, The Eye, Mount Hyjal, Black Temple and pre-BC : Molten Core, Onyxia, Blackwing Lair, Ahn'Qiraj, Naxxramas) and outdoor bosses.

Characteristics of raid guilds

• Typically contain at least 50 to 100 members, most of whom are at the current level cap, and ranging from moderate to high in skill level.
• Founders and core members tend to be hardcore players and casual players are rarely allowed, but some of the very large (200+) raiding guilds accommodate players of all types.
• They tend to be strict in their recruitment practices, having limited periods of time in which they search for more of certain classes (usually to replace members who have left).
• They also tend to have detailed systems for distributing loot acquired from raids, often some variant of Dragon kill points. Sometimes this leads to "loot drama".
• They often have insensitive attitudes towards members who don't participate in raids frequently enough.