MS>OS+1 Loot System Explained

What is MS>OS+1?

TL;DR each person who wins gets a +1 add to their "items won" count. People with lower values get priority regardless of what their dice roll is.

Here's a short example:

• Item drops, players /roll 100 for Main Spec, or they /roll 99 for offspec.
• MS rolls: Anyone rolling anything out of 100, beats all rolls that were out of 99 (main spec over offspec, we just use the 99 to quickly tell that you mean offspec)
• Off Spec (OS) If no players (/roll 100), then the Offspec (/roll 99) are used.
• +1 System: Each loot win adds +1 to a player's tally. Those with fewer wins have priority on future items.
• Some teams only add +1 to MS rolls, while others may also use them for offspec (rare, but happens, ask your loot master for details)

This system prevents loot hoarding and ensures fair distribution across the raid.

Example of MS>OS+1 in Action

Here’s an example of three players rolling for Main Spec items using the MS>OS+1 system:

Initial State

Player	+1 Count
Alice	0
Bob	0
Charlie	0

First Item Drops - All Roll

• Alice rolls 85, Bob rolls 70, Charlie rolls 60.
• Alice wins and gains +1.

Player	+1 Count
Alice	1
Bob	0
Charlie	0

Second Item Drops - All Roll

• Alice rolls 90, Bob rolls 65, Charlie rolls 75.
• Alice has +1, so her roll is deprioritized. Charlie wins.
• Charlie gains +1.

Player	+1 Count
Alice	1
Bob	0
Charlie	1

Third Item Drops - All Roll

• Alice rolls 80, Bob rolls a 5 (yikes), Charlie rolls 76.
• Alice and Charlie both have +1, while Bob has 0.
• Since Bob has the lowest +1 count, he wins, even with the lowest roll.
• Bob gains +1.

Player	+1 Count
Alice	1
Bob	1
Charlie	1

As players continue winning loot, their +1 count increases, ensuring fair distribution over time.

What is Soft Reserve?

A Soft Reserve system allows players to pre-select an item they want before a raid.

• Each player picks one (or more) items to "reserve" before the raid.
• If an item is on a player's soft reserve list, they get priority over others when it drops.
• If multiple players reserved the same item, they roll against each other.

Soft Reserve helps ensure players get at least one item they really want.

Combining Soft Reserve with MS>OS+1

Using both SR with MS>OS+1 is a great way to ensure players have some input/control over their desired items while ensuring others can get gear too.

Generally speaking, when using SR with MS>OS+1, it's best to not apply the +1's to SR'd gear, otherwise you create a real mess. You basically leave the +1's to things that are not reserved by anyone. Also generally speaking, +1's are rarely if ever applied to OffSpec.

Who really cares if someone wins 5 offspec items? After all, it's their offspec. But, this site is dedicated to explanation, not opinions! So, be very mindful, and be sure to ask your raid leader or loot master the following questions if they do not specify:

• Do the +1's apply to SR's (answer should be No, but if Yes, then you have to pay attention to what you roll on.)
• Do +1's apply to OS (again, should be no, but some teams do this to spread offspec loot as well)

By combining the two: teams typically have the least drama and it feels the most fair. These are also typically more attractive options to pick-up players outside your guild/raid team (PUGS).