In the World of Warcraft, AKA ninja looter, a loot ninja or simply ninja, is a player who takes loot to which he or she is not entitled. The term predates World of Warcraft and originated with the notion of looting as quickly as possible. The act is referred to as ninja looting or ninjaing. The common synonym for this behavior is greedy, though that term has ironically fairer play connotations specific to WoW.
Players group together within hopes to discover important items. These items typically drop from the ending boss. When these items drop from the boss, players roll dice to see who gets the item. Many times players do not have the time and/or patience to make multiple runs, though an instance for this item. To counter this problem, they simply steal the item in an event which is called Ninja Looting. Gold farmers also try to join instance groups in order to ninja/pirate loot items and sell them.
1. Form a group outside of your favorite World of Warcraft instance. If your character is level 60, look for groups interested in Blackrock Depths (BRD), Molten Core (MC), Scholomance (Scholo), or Zul'Gurub (ZG). These instances are great for Ninja Looting.
2. Once you have started a party or group for the instance, make the players feel comfortable with your character by throwing a joke or two. Get the group laughing.
3. Now that you've built a pact of trust, continue the instance without saying a word. When it comes time to roll on drop, make sure to Greed roll, because the risk of being spotted increases with a Need roll. So if you are thinking about "needing" on that Green item, DON'T.
4. Depending on the instance, you may encounter several Mini-Bosses. These bosses are not to be Ninja Looted because their drops are not worth getting blacklisted over. If you are thinking about Ninja Looting them, simply DON'T.
5. When it comes time for the instance boss, your group will form a huddle. In this huddle a guild will call out strategies and tactics for taking down the boss. These do not always work since WoW success is based on statistics and random occurrences.
6. As explained above, the strategy will probably not work, but you must adhere to it. Straying from the plan is a surefire way of getting yourself heat. This is not what a Ninja Looter wants.
7. Your group has worked hard, and they may be rejoicing. Do not give into the /dance commands or /trains. Make sure that you are focused on the corpse you just downed.
8. IMPORTANT: Spark controversy right before the Ninja Loot. This will serve as your distraction. Ninja Looters most often blame others for Need rolling on Materials right before they go in for the Ninja Loot.
9. THE NINJA LOOT: As the group begins to argue and/or discuss your claim, disband from your group, and hold shift as your right click on the downed boss's corpse. This will ensure that all contents of the corpse are delivered to you in one click. It is important to IMMEDIATELY use Hearthstone and log afterwards.
Tips
Groups - High level instances often require raid groups, which are normally formed through large World of Warcraft Guilds. Joining a popular guild is the best way to ensure a chance at one of these instances.
Need Rolls - Many Ninja Looters would not even consider themselves Ninja Looters. These players typically join instance groups and Need Roll on every item until they are removed from the group. These players know no bounds, but are typically not as looked down upon as Ninja Looters whom perform boss looting with tact. If you are going to Ninja Loot, do it right with rare dropping items.
