Yes its true people Duke is all most back! 3 of May is the big day but only time will tell!
Check it out for your self!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Bastion of Twilight a quick Raid Guide Cho'gall
General Boss Information
Cho'gall is a two phase boss, the second phase beginning at 25% and lasting until he's dead.
Throughout the fight you have a corruption bar, at specific points your corruption bar is filled you will gain a potentially raid damaging ability so It's important to keep you're corruption bar low by dodging the multitude of attacks Cho'gall uses to increase it.
The Corruption Bar!
A pretty annoying bar that made me move my grid to see it, if you have a really custom UI there are plenty of addons out there that allow you to move the bar (also the sound meter from the Atramedes encounter)
As I mentioned this bar, depending on the % filled of it gives you different abilities.
For every point of corruption old god damage against you is increased by 3%
At 25% you gain a magic debuff that causes you to gain 2 stacks of corrupted blood per second, this must be dispelled
At 50% corruption you begin to channell Corruption: Sickness which deals damage in a frontal cone from you, if you get this make sure to stay away/turn you back against raid members
At 75% you gain Corruption: Malformation which makes a creature on your back cast shadow bolts to nearby raid members, so just move away unless you're a melee dps/tank.
At 100% you become fully corrupted receiving 100% less healing however 100% increased damage and all spells become instant cast
Phase One (100%-25%)
This phase is pretty simple once you understand the incredible amount of abilities going on in the fight.
One of the things that should become fairly evident as soon you engage Cho'gall is his Conversion ability. This ability will "convert" 2 people (5 in 25 man) that begin to channel a spell to Cho'gall. This spell MUST be stopped, they can be interrupted just about any way imaginable, normal interrupts, fears ect. If this isn't interrupted fast Cho'gall gains Twisted Devotion which increases damage dealt by him by 10% each stack, lasting 20 seconds.
Periodically throughout this phase Cho'gall will summon a Corrupting Adherent, they need to be killed fast and away from the raid: They spawn at the portals either side of the room, the first spawning at the left, then right, then left. They need to be killed fast because if they are left alive too long they gain Festering Blood which is a nasty AoE. They must be killed, preferably far away from Cho'gall. The adherents only major ability is their Corrupting Crash which is the same as Vezax's shadow crash ability and is noted by black lines rising out of the ground. Make sure to move from them as they cause corruption!
In this phase Cho'gall will sometimes use two spells that do different things:
-Flame's Orders (seen by Cho'gall absorbing a fire elemental)
Cho'gall deals an extra ~20,000 damage per swing so make sure the tank is topped. He will also spawn fire patches on the ground similar to the fire patches from the Dragon boss in Stonecore, or that the adds on the Beauty encounter in Blackrock Caverns do. These are easy to dodge and should be avoided to prevent raid damage and corruption.
-Shadow's Orders (Seen by Cho'gall absorbing a shadow elemental)
All this does is add a shadow AoE to each of Cho'galls strikes, it deals about ~15-20k damage and during our kill it only ticked about 3 times each time he used Shadow's Orders.
Throughout phase one and two Cho'gall will cast Fury of Cho'gall which will put a debuff on the tank that lasts 45 seconds which increase damage done against the tank, so be sure to tank swap
The most challenging thing during phase one is the adds that spawn from the blood of the adherents. When Cho'gall casts Festering Blood, he spawns five Congealed Blood of the Old God with 75,000 hp (300,000 in 25 man). These will add coruption to whoever they attack so they should be kited, preferably they should be killed/frozen/slowed on the spot and nuked down by DPS as fast as possible. How long phase one lasts increases the amount of Adherents spawned and therefore the amount of blood spawned, so this acts as the soft enrage to the fight.
Phase Two (25%-100%)
In this phase Cho'gall becomes fully corrupted by the Old Gods and goes a bit mental. He fills the room a black AoE that increases corruption and deals damage every 2 seconds to everyone in the room.
He will also spawn four Darkened Creations that are tentacles, 4 in 10 man (10 in 25 man). These should be killed ASAP as they channel Debilitating Beam which reduces healing and damage done by 75% and do alot of damage.
Heroism and all other cooldowns should be saved until this phase as the longer it goes on the more damage you take and I'm sure the healers won't be happy about that
Video:
Cho'gall is a two phase boss, the second phase beginning at 25% and lasting until he's dead.
Throughout the fight you have a corruption bar, at specific points your corruption bar is filled you will gain a potentially raid damaging ability so It's important to keep you're corruption bar low by dodging the multitude of attacks Cho'gall uses to increase it.
The Corruption Bar!
A pretty annoying bar that made me move my grid to see it, if you have a really custom UI there are plenty of addons out there that allow you to move the bar (also the sound meter from the Atramedes encounter)
As I mentioned this bar, depending on the % filled of it gives you different abilities.
For every point of corruption old god damage against you is increased by 3%
At 25% you gain a magic debuff that causes you to gain 2 stacks of corrupted blood per second, this must be dispelled
At 50% corruption you begin to channell Corruption: Sickness which deals damage in a frontal cone from you, if you get this make sure to stay away/turn you back against raid members
At 75% you gain Corruption: Malformation which makes a creature on your back cast shadow bolts to nearby raid members, so just move away unless you're a melee dps/tank.
At 100% you become fully corrupted receiving 100% less healing however 100% increased damage and all spells become instant cast
Phase One (100%-25%)
This phase is pretty simple once you understand the incredible amount of abilities going on in the fight.
One of the things that should become fairly evident as soon you engage Cho'gall is his Conversion ability. This ability will "convert" 2 people (5 in 25 man) that begin to channel a spell to Cho'gall. This spell MUST be stopped, they can be interrupted just about any way imaginable, normal interrupts, fears ect. If this isn't interrupted fast Cho'gall gains Twisted Devotion which increases damage dealt by him by 10% each stack, lasting 20 seconds.
Periodically throughout this phase Cho'gall will summon a Corrupting Adherent, they need to be killed fast and away from the raid: They spawn at the portals either side of the room, the first spawning at the left, then right, then left. They need to be killed fast because if they are left alive too long they gain Festering Blood which is a nasty AoE. They must be killed, preferably far away from Cho'gall. The adherents only major ability is their Corrupting Crash which is the same as Vezax's shadow crash ability and is noted by black lines rising out of the ground. Make sure to move from them as they cause corruption!
In this phase Cho'gall will sometimes use two spells that do different things:
-Flame's Orders (seen by Cho'gall absorbing a fire elemental)
Cho'gall deals an extra ~20,000 damage per swing so make sure the tank is topped. He will also spawn fire patches on the ground similar to the fire patches from the Dragon boss in Stonecore, or that the adds on the Beauty encounter in Blackrock Caverns do. These are easy to dodge and should be avoided to prevent raid damage and corruption.
-Shadow's Orders (Seen by Cho'gall absorbing a shadow elemental)
All this does is add a shadow AoE to each of Cho'galls strikes, it deals about ~15-20k damage and during our kill it only ticked about 3 times each time he used Shadow's Orders.
Throughout phase one and two Cho'gall will cast Fury of Cho'gall which will put a debuff on the tank that lasts 45 seconds which increase damage done against the tank, so be sure to tank swap
The most challenging thing during phase one is the adds that spawn from the blood of the adherents. When Cho'gall casts Festering Blood, he spawns five Congealed Blood of the Old God with 75,000 hp (300,000 in 25 man). These will add coruption to whoever they attack so they should be kited, preferably they should be killed/frozen/slowed on the spot and nuked down by DPS as fast as possible. How long phase one lasts increases the amount of Adherents spawned and therefore the amount of blood spawned, so this acts as the soft enrage to the fight.
Phase Two (25%-100%)
In this phase Cho'gall becomes fully corrupted by the Old Gods and goes a bit mental. He fills the room a black AoE that increases corruption and deals damage every 2 seconds to everyone in the room.
He will also spawn four Darkened Creations that are tentacles, 4 in 10 man (10 in 25 man). These should be killed ASAP as they channel Debilitating Beam which reduces healing and damage done by 75% and do alot of damage.
Heroism and all other cooldowns should be saved until this phase as the longer it goes on the more damage you take and I'm sure the healers won't be happy about that
Video:
The Bastion of Twilight a quick Raid Guide Twilight Ascendant Council
Strategy Guide:
Group:
Tanks - 2
Healers - 3
DPS - 5
General Boss Information:
This boss encounter involves 4 elementals: Feludius (Water), Ignacious (Fire), Arion (Air/Lightning), Terrestra (Earth), and 1 Elementium Monstrosity (Combination of the four).
Boss Abilities:
---Phase 1---
~Feludius
His single target ability is Hydro Lance, which is cast at a random raid member and hits for ~85k damage. This spell can and needs to be interrupted. Having a designated interrupter is optimal for this.
Next is Water Bomb, which is a fountain-like ability that spews out towards the raid. If hit by these bubble-like bombs, you will become Waterlogged, reducing movement speed by 25%. To dispel this, you must move your character through Ignacious’ flame trail. (Described below)
Alongside these two abilities, Feludius will also cast Glaciate, which is a small nova-like spell cast at his current location that will freeze anyone that is still waterlogged. This is the reason you will want your ranged on Feludius. Have the tank run out when he starts casting this, because it does more damage the closer you are.
Finally, the last ability Feludius will cast is Heart of Ice. This ability is like the Storm Cloud on Hodir. It buffs anyone that comes into contact with it, and you can spread it to nearby allies. You want to have heart of ice spread amongst anyone attacking Ignacious because it will increase damage done on him.
~Ignacious
Ignacious’s single target ability is Flame Torrent. It is a frontal cone attack that deals ~40k damage per second over 3 seconds. It is always cast on his target, so have your tank face him away from the raid.
In addition to this, Ignacious will cast Inferno Leap and jump towards a random ranged raid member. When he lands he will knock back anyone within a small radius and proceed to charge back to the tank, leaving a trial of fire in his wake. This is what you use to remove Waterlogged.
His next ability is Aegis of Flame. This ability places a shield on Ignacious, at which point he will start casting Rising Flames. Rising flames is a stacking, channeled ability that increases his fire damage done. You need to burn through the Aegis in order to interrupt this ability. Have every DPS (except your Hydro Lance interrupter) switch to break this shield.
His last ability is Burning Blood, a mirror of Hear of Ice. When you have this debuff cast on a member, have that person run through the DPS on Feludius.
When EITHER one of these guys hits 25% HP, they will teleport to the balcony above triggering Phase 2.
---Phase 2---
~Arion
Arion’s first ability is called Lightning Blast, which is a giant lightning shock cast on a random raid member. This can and should be interrupted.
Along with that, he will also Disperse to a random location in the room. He will cast a Lightning Blast immediately after dispersing, so be ready to interrupt.
In addition to those two, he will place a Lightning Rod on a random raid member. After 5 seconds of having this on you, you will conduct chain lightning to EVERYONE 20yds around you. Run to the wall ASAP if you get this. This will wipe you.
Finally, Arion’s last ability is Call Winds. This creates a tornado in the room. There will be ~2 active at all times. By running into this you gain Swirling Winds. The benefit of this is to avoid Terrestra’s Quake ability, which deals ~60k damage if hit by this.
~Terrestra
Terrestra’s first ability is called Eruption, which is a group of spikes that emerge after a few seconds, from Terrestra’s current location. This deals damage and knocks players into the air. Just have your tank kite him out of this.
Along with that, he will also cast Hardened Skin on himself. This ability is a shield-like ability that will absorb 50% of all damage done up to 500,000. When the shield is broken, Terrestra will take an additional 10% off of his health.
Finally, Terrestra’s last ability is Gravity Well. This creates a small well of gravity that sucks you in and gives you the Grounded debuff. The benefit of this is to avoid Arion’s Thundershock ability. Deals ~80k damage to anyone not grounded.
When EITHER one of these guys hits 25% HP, they will halt the encounter, triggering Phase 3.
---Phase 3---
~Elementium Monstrosity
This is 100% a burn phase. Involves some kiting and major healing.
When you enter this phase, you will want your ranged to be spread out as much as possible. This is due his ability Electric Instability, which chains to nearby targets.
He will also cast Lava Seed. This sprays seeds out into the room and will detonate after a short period of time.
Additionally, he will randomly Gravity Crush a member of your raid, lifting him into the air, causing major damage, and take fall damage upon landing.
Finally, his ability Cryogenic Aura will cause puddles of frost to appear on the ground. They will expand the longer he remains in them… Kite him around the room for this. This, along with his other abilities act as a soft enrage timer.
Group:
Tanks - 2
Healers - 3
DPS - 5
General Boss Information:
This boss encounter involves 4 elementals: Feludius (Water), Ignacious (Fire), Arion (Air/Lightning), Terrestra (Earth), and 1 Elementium Monstrosity (Combination of the four).
Boss Abilities:
---Phase 1---
~Feludius
His single target ability is Hydro Lance, which is cast at a random raid member and hits for ~85k damage. This spell can and needs to be interrupted. Having a designated interrupter is optimal for this.
Next is Water Bomb, which is a fountain-like ability that spews out towards the raid. If hit by these bubble-like bombs, you will become Waterlogged, reducing movement speed by 25%. To dispel this, you must move your character through Ignacious’ flame trail. (Described below)
Alongside these two abilities, Feludius will also cast Glaciate, which is a small nova-like spell cast at his current location that will freeze anyone that is still waterlogged. This is the reason you will want your ranged on Feludius. Have the tank run out when he starts casting this, because it does more damage the closer you are.
Finally, the last ability Feludius will cast is Heart of Ice. This ability is like the Storm Cloud on Hodir. It buffs anyone that comes into contact with it, and you can spread it to nearby allies. You want to have heart of ice spread amongst anyone attacking Ignacious because it will increase damage done on him.
~Ignacious
Ignacious’s single target ability is Flame Torrent. It is a frontal cone attack that deals ~40k damage per second over 3 seconds. It is always cast on his target, so have your tank face him away from the raid.
In addition to this, Ignacious will cast Inferno Leap and jump towards a random ranged raid member. When he lands he will knock back anyone within a small radius and proceed to charge back to the tank, leaving a trial of fire in his wake. This is what you use to remove Waterlogged.
His next ability is Aegis of Flame. This ability places a shield on Ignacious, at which point he will start casting Rising Flames. Rising flames is a stacking, channeled ability that increases his fire damage done. You need to burn through the Aegis in order to interrupt this ability. Have every DPS (except your Hydro Lance interrupter) switch to break this shield.
His last ability is Burning Blood, a mirror of Hear of Ice. When you have this debuff cast on a member, have that person run through the DPS on Feludius.
When EITHER one of these guys hits 25% HP, they will teleport to the balcony above triggering Phase 2.
---Phase 2---
~Arion
Arion’s first ability is called Lightning Blast, which is a giant lightning shock cast on a random raid member. This can and should be interrupted.
Along with that, he will also Disperse to a random location in the room. He will cast a Lightning Blast immediately after dispersing, so be ready to interrupt.
In addition to those two, he will place a Lightning Rod on a random raid member. After 5 seconds of having this on you, you will conduct chain lightning to EVERYONE 20yds around you. Run to the wall ASAP if you get this. This will wipe you.
Finally, Arion’s last ability is Call Winds. This creates a tornado in the room. There will be ~2 active at all times. By running into this you gain Swirling Winds. The benefit of this is to avoid Terrestra’s Quake ability, which deals ~60k damage if hit by this.
~Terrestra
Terrestra’s first ability is called Eruption, which is a group of spikes that emerge after a few seconds, from Terrestra’s current location. This deals damage and knocks players into the air. Just have your tank kite him out of this.
Along with that, he will also cast Hardened Skin on himself. This ability is a shield-like ability that will absorb 50% of all damage done up to 500,000. When the shield is broken, Terrestra will take an additional 10% off of his health.
Finally, Terrestra’s last ability is Gravity Well. This creates a small well of gravity that sucks you in and gives you the Grounded debuff. The benefit of this is to avoid Arion’s Thundershock ability. Deals ~80k damage to anyone not grounded.
When EITHER one of these guys hits 25% HP, they will halt the encounter, triggering Phase 3.
---Phase 3---
~Elementium Monstrosity
This is 100% a burn phase. Involves some kiting and major healing.
When you enter this phase, you will want your ranged to be spread out as much as possible. This is due his ability Electric Instability, which chains to nearby targets.
He will also cast Lava Seed. This sprays seeds out into the room and will detonate after a short period of time.
Additionally, he will randomly Gravity Crush a member of your raid, lifting him into the air, causing major damage, and take fall damage upon landing.
Finally, his ability Cryogenic Aura will cause puddles of frost to appear on the ground. They will expand the longer he remains in them… Kite him around the room for this. This, along with his other abilities act as a soft enrage timer.
The Bastion of Twilight a quick Raid Guide Valiona & Theralion
Strategy Guide: Valiona & Theralion
Group:
Tanks - 1
Healers - 3
DPS - 6
General Boss Information:
This boss encounter involves 2 dragons, Valiona & Theralion.
Only one will be engaged at a time. The other one will be in the air harassing the raid until they switch.
They each do unique abilities and have pretty much the opposite mechanics. (Described below)
Boss Abilities:
Valiona: (On the ground)
While on the ground, Valiona will periodically cast Devouring Flames.
During this time, Theralion is in the air and while he is there, he will periodically cast Blackout on a random player and when dispelled, will deal ~300,000 split amongst players within 6-8 yards.
He will also cast Twilight Blast on a random raid member and splashes to other players within 6-8 yards, including melee.
Right before the phase change, Theralion will cast Dazzling Destruction which is indicated by gigantic galaxy looking swirls on the ground. If you get hit by these you get sent into the Twilight Realm.
Theralion: (On the ground)
While on the ground, Theralion will cast Engulfing Magic on a random raid member which increases damage and healing done by 100%, but also deals that damage or healing to nearby allies.
During this time, Valiona is in the air and will constantly be casting Twilight Meteorite on a random raid member, indicated by a big arrow above their head. It splits its damage amongst nearby allies.
The last thing Valiona will do right before the phase change is cast Deep Breath which deals ~15k damage and sends the player into the Twilight Realm. She will cast this in one of 3 rows in the room and is predictable.
Strategy:
Engage Valiona first and have everyone spread out as much as possible due to Twilight Blast.
When someone gets Blackout cast on them everyone needs to converge to split the damage it doeas.
Rinse and repeat these until Dazzling Destruction is cast. 6 of these will be cast and after they are done Theralion will land and Valiona will fly away.
At this time, everyone needs to stack. Melee on the tanks and Ranged on a designated player. This is due to Twilight Meteorite. In order to keep you moving, Theralion will place void zones on random players, so you will have to rotate around the outside of him as a group.
When someone gets Engulfing Magic is cast on a member, just have that person move out for the duration, then back in. If that person is targeted by a Meteorite, then have that person stop casting and stack.
At the end of this phase, Valiona will cast Deep Breath. It will engulf 1/3 of the room and will phase anyone hit by it into the Twilight Realm. It is very easy to predict this and just move out of it when it happens. The zones are selected at random.
Overall this is a pretty easy fight.
Video:
Group:
Tanks - 1
Healers - 3
DPS - 6
General Boss Information:
This boss encounter involves 2 dragons, Valiona & Theralion.
Only one will be engaged at a time. The other one will be in the air harassing the raid until they switch.
They each do unique abilities and have pretty much the opposite mechanics. (Described below)
Boss Abilities:
Valiona: (On the ground)
While on the ground, Valiona will periodically cast Devouring Flames.
During this time, Theralion is in the air and while he is there, he will periodically cast Blackout on a random player and when dispelled, will deal ~300,000 split amongst players within 6-8 yards.
He will also cast Twilight Blast on a random raid member and splashes to other players within 6-8 yards, including melee.
Right before the phase change, Theralion will cast Dazzling Destruction which is indicated by gigantic galaxy looking swirls on the ground. If you get hit by these you get sent into the Twilight Realm.
Theralion: (On the ground)
While on the ground, Theralion will cast Engulfing Magic on a random raid member which increases damage and healing done by 100%, but also deals that damage or healing to nearby allies.
During this time, Valiona is in the air and will constantly be casting Twilight Meteorite on a random raid member, indicated by a big arrow above their head. It splits its damage amongst nearby allies.
The last thing Valiona will do right before the phase change is cast Deep Breath which deals ~15k damage and sends the player into the Twilight Realm. She will cast this in one of 3 rows in the room and is predictable.
Strategy:
Engage Valiona first and have everyone spread out as much as possible due to Twilight Blast.
When someone gets Blackout cast on them everyone needs to converge to split the damage it doeas.
Rinse and repeat these until Dazzling Destruction is cast. 6 of these will be cast and after they are done Theralion will land and Valiona will fly away.
At this time, everyone needs to stack. Melee on the tanks and Ranged on a designated player. This is due to Twilight Meteorite. In order to keep you moving, Theralion will place void zones on random players, so you will have to rotate around the outside of him as a group.
When someone gets Engulfing Magic is cast on a member, just have that person move out for the duration, then back in. If that person is targeted by a Meteorite, then have that person stop casting and stack.
At the end of this phase, Valiona will cast Deep Breath. It will engulf 1/3 of the room and will phase anyone hit by it into the Twilight Realm. It is very easy to predict this and just move out of it when it happens. The zones are selected at random.
Overall this is a pretty easy fight.
Video:
WoW Cataclysm The Bastion of Twilight a quick Raid Guide Halfus Wyrmbreaker
This is a work in progress!
First Fight: Halfus Wyrmbreaker
Below, is a guide on the abilities and one way to defeated this boss.
Tanks -2
Healers -3
DPS - 5
General Boss Information:
This boss is a tank and spank. The challenge comes from the 3 “drakes” in the encounter.
There are a total of 5 possible choices of drakes and only 3 will be available each week. (More on them below)
Each drake has a passive buff that it applies to Halfus throughout the duration of the fight, no matter whether it is active, inactive, or dead.
Once released, each drake will apply a debuff that will last for the remaining duration of the fight.
There is also a Proto-Behemoth flying off to the side. This cannot be killed and will remain throughout the fight. His whole purpose is to do constant raid damage.
Should you decide to take down any of the 3 drakes for the week, Halfus will gain Dragon's Vengeance and take increased damage, stacking for each one that is released.
Boss Abilities:
Slate Dragon: (Confirmed)
Passive – Gives Halfus his Malevolent Strike ability. This is a mortal strike debuff that reduces effectiveness of healing by 8% and stacks. It has a 30 second duration.
Active – Once released, the dragon will cast Stone Touch which stuns Halfus and NOT the raid for 12 seconds periodically.
Nether Scion: (Confirmed)
Passive - Gives Halfus his Frenzy ability which increases attack speed by 100%.
Active – Once released, the dragon will activate Nether Blindness which reduces Halfus’ chance to hit, attack speed, and damage done by 25%.
Time Warden: (Speculation – Will confirm when we encounter)
Passive - Buffs the Proto-Behemoth with Dancing Flames which allows him to cast his Fireball Barrage ability which needs to be moved out of.
Active – Once released, the dragon will activate Time Dilation which slows the speed of time which increases the time to avoid the fireballs.
Storm Rider: (Confirmed)
Passive - Buffs Halfus with Shadow Wrapped which allows him to cast his Shadow Nova ability which needs to be interrupted.
Active – Once released, the dragon will cast Cyclone Winds which increases the cast time of Shadow Nova by 500%. Up from .25 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
Orphaned Emerald Whelps: (Confirmed)
Passive - Buffs the Proto-behemoth with Superheated Breath his Scorching Breath ability which hits the raid for ~9k damage every second for 10 seconds.
Active – Once released, the whelps will cast Atrophic Poison reduces all damage taken by raid members by ~6000 since there are 8 of them.
Strategy:
Slate + Scion + Whelps:
When we engaged, engage both dragons. We blew Bloodlust on the start and tried to get the Slate down ASAP.
Once he was dead, have the MT free the whelps in order to reduce raid damage. Otherwise your healers will be OOM very fast. Burn the second drake. BoP the MS debuff off of the MT and keep tank targets until Scion is dead.
Once both dragons are dead... everyone go on the boss. Have the whelps tanked close to the boss and just have incidental damage kill them (They don't hit hard). Have the tanks taunt each time Halfus gets stunned to drop the debuff, and BOOM you have your kill.
Slate + Storm + Whelps
When we engaged, we released the whelps with the MT and had the OT tank Storm.
You MUST release Storm in order to interrupt the Shadow Nova.
AoE down the whelps and then get on Storm. Top everyone off after this and continue however you want to.
We released Slate in order to get the stun. It gives a lot of extra time to compose yourselves/lose the debuff when he's released. Kill it.
Burn the boss.
Video:
Video 2:
First Fight: Halfus Wyrmbreaker
Below, is a guide on the abilities and one way to defeated this boss.
Tanks -2
Healers -3
DPS - 5
General Boss Information:
This boss is a tank and spank. The challenge comes from the 3 “drakes” in the encounter.
There are a total of 5 possible choices of drakes and only 3 will be available each week. (More on them below)
Each drake has a passive buff that it applies to Halfus throughout the duration of the fight, no matter whether it is active, inactive, or dead.
Once released, each drake will apply a debuff that will last for the remaining duration of the fight.
There is also a Proto-Behemoth flying off to the side. This cannot be killed and will remain throughout the fight. His whole purpose is to do constant raid damage.
Should you decide to take down any of the 3 drakes for the week, Halfus will gain Dragon's Vengeance and take increased damage, stacking for each one that is released.
Boss Abilities:
Slate Dragon: (Confirmed)
Passive – Gives Halfus his Malevolent Strike ability. This is a mortal strike debuff that reduces effectiveness of healing by 8% and stacks. It has a 30 second duration.
Active – Once released, the dragon will cast Stone Touch which stuns Halfus and NOT the raid for 12 seconds periodically.
Nether Scion: (Confirmed)
Passive - Gives Halfus his Frenzy ability which increases attack speed by 100%.
Active – Once released, the dragon will activate Nether Blindness which reduces Halfus’ chance to hit, attack speed, and damage done by 25%.
Time Warden: (Speculation – Will confirm when we encounter)
Passive - Buffs the Proto-Behemoth with Dancing Flames which allows him to cast his Fireball Barrage ability which needs to be moved out of.
Active – Once released, the dragon will activate Time Dilation which slows the speed of time which increases the time to avoid the fireballs.
Storm Rider: (Confirmed)
Passive - Buffs Halfus with Shadow Wrapped which allows him to cast his Shadow Nova ability which needs to be interrupted.
Active – Once released, the dragon will cast Cyclone Winds which increases the cast time of Shadow Nova by 500%. Up from .25 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
Orphaned Emerald Whelps: (Confirmed)
Passive - Buffs the Proto-behemoth with Superheated Breath his Scorching Breath ability which hits the raid for ~9k damage every second for 10 seconds.
Active – Once released, the whelps will cast Atrophic Poison reduces all damage taken by raid members by ~6000 since there are 8 of them.
Strategy:
Slate + Scion + Whelps:
When we engaged, engage both dragons. We blew Bloodlust on the start and tried to get the Slate down ASAP.
Once he was dead, have the MT free the whelps in order to reduce raid damage. Otherwise your healers will be OOM very fast. Burn the second drake. BoP the MS debuff off of the MT and keep tank targets until Scion is dead.
Once both dragons are dead... everyone go on the boss. Have the whelps tanked close to the boss and just have incidental damage kill them (They don't hit hard). Have the tanks taunt each time Halfus gets stunned to drop the debuff, and BOOM you have your kill.
Slate + Storm + Whelps
When we engaged, we released the whelps with the MT and had the OT tank Storm.
You MUST release Storm in order to interrupt the Shadow Nova.
AoE down the whelps and then get on Storm. Top everyone off after this and continue however you want to.
We released Slate in order to get the stun. It gives a lot of extra time to compose yourselves/lose the debuff when he's released. Kill it.
Burn the boss.
Video:
Video 2:
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The perfect mobile way to Play WOW! Razer Switchblade
Some time ago I did 2 YouTube Videos showing World of Warcraft running on a 6" PC the OQO you can see part 1 here and part 2 here . I'm at CES this week and I stopped in to have a chat to the guys at Razer. Sanjeev from Razer gave the the run down on there new Switchblade a new 9" Mini Note book made for PC gamers! When I first looked at the OQO Running wow the big letdown was the interface Razer have fixed all that with a keyboard that changes depending on what game u play! and let me tell you the WoW interface was sweet it was set up for a hunter (the class I play most) and let me yell you its going to change the way we play PC games! Razer hired the guys that developed that first OQO that I showed in my video to develop the Switchblade, With a teem of hardcore gamers and the guys that made the OQO working on this baby we are in for a treat!
From Razer:
Today, Razer made history and changed the world forever at CES Vegas by launching the Razer Switchblade. The Razer SwitchBlade is a portable PC gaming device that will be the first concept under our new Systems Category and is a landmark in the history of Razer. We are no long just a peripheral brand.
With its innovative tactile keyboard and a multitouch screen, the Razer Switchblade brings the full keyboard and mouse experience to a portable form factor. Check out the attached image for what's to come, although to get a better idea of what this is all about, check out this video about the Razer SwitchBlade.
We never stop looking for ways to get the edge and we never stop innovating. Where others seen problems and barriers, we see challenges our engineers have yet to be unleashed upon. PC gaming has always been locked to a desktop environment. Never has anyone been able to replicate the usability of a mouse and keyboard interface on the go. It wasn’t that it was impossible anyway.
Success is in our blood. The Razer Switchblade Concept carries that tradition forward.
Our Razer designers and engineers built the Razer Switchblade concept focusing on enhancing PC gaming on a handheld device. The dynamic keyboard and the multi touch interface are the linchpins that give this portable gaming device the ability to play on the go without sacrificing precision and control. We’ve changed the game, and this is only the beginning. You can see more at www.razerzone.com/switchblade
From Razer:
Today, Razer made history and changed the world forever at CES Vegas by launching the Razer Switchblade. The Razer SwitchBlade is a portable PC gaming device that will be the first concept under our new Systems Category and is a landmark in the history of Razer. We are no long just a peripheral brand.
With its innovative tactile keyboard and a multitouch screen, the Razer Switchblade brings the full keyboard and mouse experience to a portable form factor. Check out the attached image for what's to come, although to get a better idea of what this is all about, check out this video about the Razer SwitchBlade.
We never stop looking for ways to get the edge and we never stop innovating. Where others seen problems and barriers, we see challenges our engineers have yet to be unleashed upon. PC gaming has always been locked to a desktop environment. Never has anyone been able to replicate the usability of a mouse and keyboard interface on the go. It wasn’t that it was impossible anyway.
Success is in our blood. The Razer Switchblade Concept carries that tradition forward.
Our Razer designers and engineers built the Razer Switchblade concept focusing on enhancing PC gaming on a handheld device. The dynamic keyboard and the multi touch interface are the linchpins that give this portable gaming device the ability to play on the go without sacrificing precision and control. We’ve changed the game, and this is only the beginning. You can see more at www.razerzone.com/switchblade
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Cataclysm and YOU - What you need to know
Alot of questions have arised about the release of tonights Expansion pack: World of Warcraft - Cataclysm.
The meaning of this topic is to prevent people creating new threads, and to direct their attention here for all questions they require answered.
Will the servers be restarted tonight at 00:00?
No, the servers will not be restarted tonight due to the reason of changing to Cataclysm.
Does this mean I will be able to start leveling RIGHT away at 00:00 with no need to relog?
Yes, and no. The way blizzard have mentioned the game switch-over to expansions tonight is what they call ''The Flick of a Switch'' meaning that as soon as it hits 00:00 everyone who ordered the Digital Download will be able to commence leveling and using Cataclysm right away without the need to relog.
This is best used in the term of ''Phasing'' Kind of how like when you go into a Dungon you get phased into it, the same thing will happen for Cataclysm, you will be phased into the new Expansion world.
For people who did NOT get the digital download, you will need to close you game client, and then re-open it at 00:00. This is due to a main reason.
At 00:00 your client will be sent small packets, adjusting it and allowing it to show EXP bars at level 80, allowing interactions with certain NPC's aswell as exploring new content. Similar to installing a new addon from Curse or WowInterface, a relog of the game client is needed to reflect changes.
Do you mean we will have to download more stuff at 00:00 for our clients to adjust (Non digital Downloaders)?
No, the information that is sent to adjust your client at 00:00 is extreamly small and only consists of a few KB's of data, there is a 99% chance that when it hits 00:00 and you look at the clock, it will of already been done and you didn't notice it. Then just close your game client and re-open it.
Where can I train flying in Azeroth?
For the horde, you can gain a Flight Masters licence from Maztha in Orgrimmar. Her location is here. http://www.wowhead.com/npc=44919
For the Alliance, you may get a Flight Masters licence from Bralla Cloudwing. Her locations is http://www.wowhead.com/npc=43769
These both require level 60, and will cost you 250 Gold.
I have just transfered to a new realm, am I still eligable for realm first(s)?
Killing mobs when at the highest level of the expansion block gives 90% reduced experience.
That means, killing a level 72 mob in outland at level 70 will give you 1/10th of the exp it would have before friday the 3rd Dec, while killing a level 68 mob in wotlk would give you full exp (around 20 times more than the 72 from outland)
Also, it means killing wotlk mobs at level 80 will also give 90% reduced exp. This applies to world, 5man, and raid mobs.
Anyone planning to grind any kind of mobs or instances in wotlk needs to change their leveling plans right away.
This issue is being reported as a "bug" and often thought of hunter pets getting reduced exp, but it is the fact that the hunter pets are receiving exp from their level 80 owners who are now getting 90% less experience. Since this applies to all expansion brackets, 60 and old world, 70 and BC, 80 and wotlk, I personally find it too systematic for it to be a coincidental bug -- and even if it is, the chance of it getting fixed/changed by Tuesday is right around 0%.
several threads on this topic can be found here:
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...-Pet-XP-broken
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1208031008
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1207991344
This change effects all players leveling a new character, and many players trying to level up in Cata.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Blizzard Product Slate Leaked WoW X4 WoW Movie and Titan info!
Battle.net 2.0
BNET2 - We got it right on time!!
BNET2MapMarket - Map update time?
BNET2 3rd Parties - other Activision games?
Starcraft 2
lots of new content coming for Starcraft2!
Diablo 3 q4 12 :( Nooo still a year!! but ooo Expansions!
World of Warcraft
WoWMobile -Yep we have that ..
Cataclysm - what’s that Q4 11 No Way.. Hang on ...
WoW Brazil - Portuguese translation ?
WoW X4 - 4th WoW xpack q2 12 if we get it then Nice!
WoW TCG - TCG Game card game ... Meh...
WoW Movie - If we get it then I will be surprised.. but we can hope!
WoW X5 - 5th Lets just see..
Titan Blizzard's new MMO looking forward to seeing more on this! Some sites are saying its a MMOFPS.... tabula rasa?? lets see if Blizzard can pull it off..
Is it real? it looks real and I can see someone getting there ass kicked!
Monday, November 29, 2010
What Wrath players need to know to not suck at Cata!
When I find a great post like this I just have to share it! in full! Thanks Daetur! where is this guys Blog?
Daetur’s pretentious how-to-better-yourself after learning to play in Wrath post, incoming! Dare ye read it and take its words to heart? Or dare ye troll instead? One will fill me with warm joy and hope for the future, and the other will simply amuse me, so let’s get crackin’!
This is my own comprehensive take on tips and tricks you should get used to before Cataclysm hits, for tanks, dps, and healers. Some of you may very well know these things, even if you have only played during Wrath. However, some of you may have never needed to use or think about them. Everyone has the potential to improve. I have things I need to improve on too, some of which are things I discuss here! I don’t think you suck personally, but I do think that we’ve ALL gotten complacent and rusty with Wrath of the Lich King. Players who started playing in Wrath never got the experience of Classic and BC where we once had to learn many of the lessons that will be invaluable come December 7th. It’s not their fault, but it needs to be addressed.
Daetur’s credentials: Regular WoW player and raider since Classic; Has tanked, healed, melee and ranged dpsed all current content. 11/12 Hardmode experience. Cataclysm Beta tester.
I play a hunter, a death knight dps, a druid tank/dps, a paladin healer/dps, and a shaman healer/dps.
EVERYONE:
1.) Be mindful of your positioning. Do these mobs have a knockback? Will you get thrown into other mobs? Is the tank facing the mob away from the group in case it has a conal or cleave? When trying to dodge that fire on the ground, are you running towards another group of mobs? These are things that you will need to be more mindful of in Cata. Extra pulls can and likely will mean wipes, and any damage that can be avoided will make your healer’s life that much easier, and make their mana last that much longer.
------> 1.a) If you do get aggro, run the offending mob TO your tank, not AWAY from him. Root or snare the mob that is aggroed on to you, and then move TO your tank so that the mob will run closer to them as well. This makes it much easier for your tank to peel the mob off of you, and will get you back into safety quicker.
2.) Communicate with your group. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen these people before in your life. Ask who you should CC. Ask the tank to pop his CDs because you know you have trouble healing this pull. Ask if you have questions about an encounter (please, for god’s sake). Ask for a mana break. Don’t sit there like a deaf mute along for the ride and pray everyone else knows what they’re doing. Much of the Cataclysm content WILL take some organization.
------>2.a.) Take and give constructive criticism. If you wipe, try to figure out what went wrong and fix it without liberal use of “suck,” “noob,” “fail,” “ragequit,” etc. That will not get you any closer to downing the boss or the trash. It will only destroy any cohesion your group had, and angry players tend to perform worse than calm or happy players. Also, if someone else offers you criticism, don’t take it too personally. “Hey, hunter, can you step up the dps?,” is NOT a personal attack. Take responsibility for your actions! I’ve raided ICC hardmodes and played since Classic, and I still screw up. But, I have the balls to say “Sorry guys, bad tab target, completely my fault. I’ll be more careful,” or “Oh man, I just wasn’t paying attention, my bad. I know what the (fire)(acid)(defile) looks like now, I’ll watch more carefully next time.” And you should too! It keeps groups more cohesive, and makes errors clearer to everyone in the party so that no one has to play the blame game.
3.) Keep your group’s best interests in mind. Pay attention to what is happening to your group members. Is a mob running for your healer or clothies? Root it, slow it, or stun it. Did you get an extra add? Try to help control them- slow, CC, etc.
4.) Be patient! This is all new content, and your group is in leveling gear, not top-tier epics. These fights are not generally easy, and have some new mechanics to learn. If someone in the group needs to have the fight explained to them, don’t complain. If your groups wipes, run back in and try again. I’m sure you had to learn the fight at some point too. If the healer needs to stop for a mana break, don’t keep pulling or get impatient. Trust me, they are working hard to keep your group alive. DON’T expect 15-20 minute runs!
5.) Be observant. Check out new buffs, debuffs, and spell effects. The more you know about what is around you and what mobs can do, the more effective you can be. Mages in particular, watch for TASTY Spellsteal fodder. You’ll be amazed at the buffs you can give yourself and take off of a foe.
6.) Consumables!! Yes, that’s right! Health potions, mana potions, potions of speed! Well, mostly health and mana. Have them! Use them liberally if you have access to them! Mana potions in particular can give healers the extra mileage they need on a tough fight.
================================================== =====
DAMAGE DEALERS (DPS):
1.) If your target is casting and it can be interrupted, do it! Interrupts- not just for bosses! Interrupting spells being cast by your enemy will often go a long way towards reducing incoming damage. Try to watch casting mobs as you do the dungeon (over and over again, most likely), and try to see what spells are particularly nasty. AoEs are often good candidates for interrupts. This will also save your healer mana!
------> 1.a.) Bind your interrupt/stun/silence to an easy-to-reach key. If you only ever use ONE keybind, this should be it. I typically have mine bound to my scrollwheel or Shift+leftclick so that I can hit it as fast as possible. Your mileage may vary.
------> 1.b.) You can use a ranged interrupt or silence to help your tank gather spaced out caster mobs. The tank will, 9 times out of 10, greatly appreciate this, and it really helps with add control.
2.) A dead DPS does NO dps! Remember, if you recklessly frontload all of your damage and aren’t careful, you can end up pulling off the tank. If you can frontload 12k burst dps, but only live for 4 seconds, that’s only 48k damage. Compare that to the careful dps who pulls 6k sustained and lives through the entire 60-second fight—that’s a whopping 360k overall damage to your 48k! Please be aware that many tanks have to “relearn” the new tanking style of Cataclysm, and most of us have had our AoE threat capabilities nerfed. Please stay on our target, or the marked target.
------>2.a.) This rule also applies to standing in ‘stuff.’ The faster you move out of it, the easier you make your healer’s life. Since mana will be more of an issue for healers in Cataclysm, the more mana you can save your healer, the better your group’s chances of survival.
------>2.b.) Use of defensive cooldowns, even as a dps, can really save your healer a lot of trouble. If you can anticipate incoming damage (un-interruptible AoE, or you got aggro somehow), pop a CD like Barkskin, Icebound Fortitude, etc. Also, with a bit more freedom in speccing in Cata, talents that increase healing done to you or reduce damage that you take can be very good candidates for your spec.
3.) Be patient! Let your healer drink, let your tank mark and set up their pull, and let someone explain the fight if necessary.[/b] Remember, this content will be NEW to nearly everyone from 80-85. It is more difficult that WotLK content, and we will not be in top-end gear. We will be in leveling blues and greens. These fights will take preparation, caution, and learning. Once you know a dungeon by heart, remember that everyone starts somewhere, and that there was a point where you didn’t know the fight. Have patience with the others in your group, and help them learn.
4.) Learn about your classes’ Crowd Control (CC) abilities. Before stepping into a Cataclysm dungeon, please note that some trash packs NEED to be Crowd Controlled (CCed). Familiarize yourself with the CC options available to your class, and the limitations of it. Does it only work on certain mob types? How long does it last? Does it break on damage? Use these abilities liberally to take dangerous mobs out of the fight while you deal with others. This is also a good technique to reduce tank and healer strain, and gives your group a better chance of success. Practice on your own—pull two or three mobs solo, out in the world, and try to keep one CCed the entire time you are killing the other(s).
------>4.a.) Don’t break the sheep! Be careful of cleaves and AoE abilities if there is a CCed mob nearby. Damage often breaks enemies out of CC, and they will then run rampant through your group. One of the WORST things you can do is place a DoT on a CCed target (I’m looking at you, Dks glyphed for increased Pestilence and Blood Boil range—for the record, I am one of you), since it will CONTINUALLY break the CC even if it is reapplied.
5.) Learn to kite! Kiting involves slowing a mob and making it chase you away from or around your group while not hitting you. Mages and hunters in particular are known as great kiters. Death Knights can be quite good at it too, as they have both a taunt and Chains of Ice. This technique can be extremely helpful in situations where there are multiple powerful melee adds that cannot be CCed. If they are too much for your tank to handle together, a dps can often kite one until the other is dead, at which point the tank will take over. Rumor has it that a Heroic boss in a Cata dungeon requires that an add be kited for the ENTIRE fight! Are you up to the challenge?
6.) Follow marks and kill orders! Focusing fire will be very important in Cata. We won’t be able to just AoE down every pull anymore. Usually, Skull will be first and X will be second. Crowd Control targets may also be marked. As a general rule, HEALER type mobs die first, followed by damaging casters, then melee.
[b[7.) You are more than just “big numbers!”[/b] Simply because your role or spec is “dps” doesn’t mean you can’t throw out a heal, a dispel, or a cleanse, or even pick up a stray add. Did the healer just die? Does your class have some healing spells? Well, you’d BETTER have those on your bar, because it’s time to show what you’re made of. Pick up the healing and save your group! You can do so much more than just damage and occasional CC. Paladins, use Hand of Salvation on a party member that’s getting close to pulling aggro, or even Hand of Protection the mage! Remember, casters can continute to cast while HoPed, but melee can’t continue to use physical strikes. Misdirect or trap that accidental add pull! Throw out a cleanse to someone, innervate the healer if they’re low on mana! You have these great utility spells, but no one expects you to use them Time to prove them wrong and show that there’s a reason you’re like Wolverine. The best at what you do.
HEALERS:
1.) Cleanse! Many healers in WotLK are more used to healing through debuffs instead of removing them. With mana being more of an issue in Cata, it will often be more efficient to remove damaging or heal-reducing debuffs as soon as possible, rather than try to heal through all the damage. Which debuffs are more expensive to heal through than cleanse will be something you have to learn on your own, but it will be important to keep cleansing in mind in Cataclysm content!
2.) Conserve your mana! Mana is not going to last you anywhere near as long in Cata as it does now. Learn which heals are the most efficient, and get a feel for how much each one heals for. Knowing which heal to use when will be essential. AoE heal spam will not cut it anymore.
------>2.a.) Part of mana conservation is triage. Triage is deciding the priority of you ‘patients.’ As a general rule, if SOMEONE has to die, it should be the dps first, the tank second, and the healer last. This means, if you have to choose between saving a dps and yourself, save yourself. Between the tank and the healer does get more fuzzy, but remember that it’s possible for dps to burn something down with heals backing them up if the tank does die.
3.) Predict incoming damage. Watch who the mob(s) is(are) targeting. Having an addon that shows who has threat is quite handy here, or just activate this feature in the standard WoW raid/arty interface. If you see an add turn to a dps, you know that that’s the one that will need heals. You shouldn’t be mindlessly spamming everyone in CASE they take damage anymore. You know the tank will be taking damage. But the key to be a great, efficient healer, is to be able to anticipate who ELSE in your group is going to get hurt.
4.) Be ready for anything. Assume the worst. If you are about to start a pull that you have never healed before, it is safer to assume high spike damage than wait and see. Many healers get a nasty surprise when a new type of trash mobs hits like a freight train and they just weren’t ready for that kind of damage.
TANKS:
1.) Don’t break CC! Pull mobs BACK and away from CCed adds. This will reduce the risk that CC will be broken by your own AoE tanking abilities and dps’ cleaves. It will help you hold threat because you do not need to watch your AoE and cleaves, and it will help your dps for the same reason.
2.) Mark adds! You should know the drill—Skull on the first target to die, X on the second, mark CC targets with Square, Moon, etc. Focusing fire will be more important in Cataclysm. Packs cannot simply be AoEed down across the board. Typically, you’ll want to have your dps target enemy HEALERS first, then damage-dealing casters, and finally, melee.
3.) Be liberal with your shorter cooldown CDs. Mitigating incoming damage will be essential in Cata. It will help conserve your healer’s mana. A particularly good time to hit your shorter defensive cooldowns (anything under 2 minutes) will be close to the start of a pull, when the most adds are alive, unless there is something special about the adds that makes them more dangerous later.
4.) Use your stuns! Stuns are a great way to mitigate incoming damage, don’t forget it! They can also buy you time to get stable threat at the start of a pull, or stop a mob from running after a healer or dps when your taunt isn’t up.
5.) CONTROL your pulls. Pull with restraint. Most tanks in WotLK (myself included) have gotten very, very accustomed to charging into a dungeon, foaming at the mouth, and pulling the first three groups all together. This is NOT going to fly in Cata, guys. You will get you furry/plate-wearing ass kicked. We will need to relearn how to pull with restraint. When you pull a group, range pull and drag them BACK instead of charging right into them. You can also have CCers pull from range and pick up the mobs as they head towards your group. Try not to aggro any extra mobs.
6.) You are NOT the master of the group. Many tanks in WotLK have become rude and overconfident due largely to their short queue times. I can be guilty of this as well. Many have a tendency to treat the other members of their groups with the expectation that whatever THEY says goes, because the group cannon function without them. Please, I beg of you, if you are one of these tanks, remember that you cannot solo this content. You need your group as much as they need you.
================================================== ===============
Wow, are you guys still here, or did you just skip to the end?
If, as I suspect, this was WAY too long and you didn’t care, here’s a brief summary.
Be patient. Be observant. Communicate with your group. Own up to your mistakes. Learn as much about your class as you possibly can, and use all of your tricks. Learn to kite and Crowd Control. Learn to mitigate as much incoming damage as possible, even as a dps. Manage your mana. Think on your toes!
This is my own comprehensive take on tips and tricks you should get used to before Cataclysm hits, for tanks, dps, and healers. Some of you may very well know these things, even if you have only played during Wrath. However, some of you may have never needed to use or think about them. Everyone has the potential to improve. I have things I need to improve on too, some of which are things I discuss here! I don’t think you suck personally, but I do think that we’ve ALL gotten complacent and rusty with Wrath of the Lich King. Players who started playing in Wrath never got the experience of Classic and BC where we once had to learn many of the lessons that will be invaluable come December 7th. It’s not their fault, but it needs to be addressed.
Daetur’s credentials: Regular WoW player and raider since Classic; Has tanked, healed, melee and ranged dpsed all current content. 11/12 Hardmode experience. Cataclysm Beta tester.
I play a hunter, a death knight dps, a druid tank/dps, a paladin healer/dps, and a shaman healer/dps.
EVERYONE:
1.) Be mindful of your positioning. Do these mobs have a knockback? Will you get thrown into other mobs? Is the tank facing the mob away from the group in case it has a conal or cleave? When trying to dodge that fire on the ground, are you running towards another group of mobs? These are things that you will need to be more mindful of in Cata. Extra pulls can and likely will mean wipes, and any damage that can be avoided will make your healer’s life that much easier, and make their mana last that much longer.
------> 1.a) If you do get aggro, run the offending mob TO your tank, not AWAY from him. Root or snare the mob that is aggroed on to you, and then move TO your tank so that the mob will run closer to them as well. This makes it much easier for your tank to peel the mob off of you, and will get you back into safety quicker.
2.) Communicate with your group. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen these people before in your life. Ask who you should CC. Ask the tank to pop his CDs because you know you have trouble healing this pull. Ask if you have questions about an encounter (please, for god’s sake). Ask for a mana break. Don’t sit there like a deaf mute along for the ride and pray everyone else knows what they’re doing. Much of the Cataclysm content WILL take some organization.
------>2.a.) Take and give constructive criticism. If you wipe, try to figure out what went wrong and fix it without liberal use of “suck,” “noob,” “fail,” “ragequit,” etc. That will not get you any closer to downing the boss or the trash. It will only destroy any cohesion your group had, and angry players tend to perform worse than calm or happy players. Also, if someone else offers you criticism, don’t take it too personally. “Hey, hunter, can you step up the dps?,” is NOT a personal attack. Take responsibility for your actions! I’ve raided ICC hardmodes and played since Classic, and I still screw up. But, I have the balls to say “Sorry guys, bad tab target, completely my fault. I’ll be more careful,” or “Oh man, I just wasn’t paying attention, my bad. I know what the (fire)(acid)(defile) looks like now, I’ll watch more carefully next time.” And you should too! It keeps groups more cohesive, and makes errors clearer to everyone in the party so that no one has to play the blame game.
3.) Keep your group’s best interests in mind. Pay attention to what is happening to your group members. Is a mob running for your healer or clothies? Root it, slow it, or stun it. Did you get an extra add? Try to help control them- slow, CC, etc.
4.) Be patient! This is all new content, and your group is in leveling gear, not top-tier epics. These fights are not generally easy, and have some new mechanics to learn. If someone in the group needs to have the fight explained to them, don’t complain. If your groups wipes, run back in and try again. I’m sure you had to learn the fight at some point too. If the healer needs to stop for a mana break, don’t keep pulling or get impatient. Trust me, they are working hard to keep your group alive. DON’T expect 15-20 minute runs!
5.) Be observant. Check out new buffs, debuffs, and spell effects. The more you know about what is around you and what mobs can do, the more effective you can be. Mages in particular, watch for TASTY Spellsteal fodder. You’ll be amazed at the buffs you can give yourself and take off of a foe.
6.) Consumables!! Yes, that’s right! Health potions, mana potions, potions of speed! Well, mostly health and mana. Have them! Use them liberally if you have access to them! Mana potions in particular can give healers the extra mileage they need on a tough fight.
================================================== =====
DAMAGE DEALERS (DPS):
1.) If your target is casting and it can be interrupted, do it! Interrupts- not just for bosses! Interrupting spells being cast by your enemy will often go a long way towards reducing incoming damage. Try to watch casting mobs as you do the dungeon (over and over again, most likely), and try to see what spells are particularly nasty. AoEs are often good candidates for interrupts. This will also save your healer mana!
------> 1.a.) Bind your interrupt/stun/silence to an easy-to-reach key. If you only ever use ONE keybind, this should be it. I typically have mine bound to my scrollwheel or Shift+leftclick so that I can hit it as fast as possible. Your mileage may vary.
------> 1.b.) You can use a ranged interrupt or silence to help your tank gather spaced out caster mobs. The tank will, 9 times out of 10, greatly appreciate this, and it really helps with add control.
2.) A dead DPS does NO dps! Remember, if you recklessly frontload all of your damage and aren’t careful, you can end up pulling off the tank. If you can frontload 12k burst dps, but only live for 4 seconds, that’s only 48k damage. Compare that to the careful dps who pulls 6k sustained and lives through the entire 60-second fight—that’s a whopping 360k overall damage to your 48k! Please be aware that many tanks have to “relearn” the new tanking style of Cataclysm, and most of us have had our AoE threat capabilities nerfed. Please stay on our target, or the marked target.
------>2.a.) This rule also applies to standing in ‘stuff.’ The faster you move out of it, the easier you make your healer’s life. Since mana will be more of an issue for healers in Cataclysm, the more mana you can save your healer, the better your group’s chances of survival.
------>2.b.) Use of defensive cooldowns, even as a dps, can really save your healer a lot of trouble. If you can anticipate incoming damage (un-interruptible AoE, or you got aggro somehow), pop a CD like Barkskin, Icebound Fortitude, etc. Also, with a bit more freedom in speccing in Cata, talents that increase healing done to you or reduce damage that you take can be very good candidates for your spec.
3.) Be patient! Let your healer drink, let your tank mark and set up their pull, and let someone explain the fight if necessary.[/b] Remember, this content will be NEW to nearly everyone from 80-85. It is more difficult that WotLK content, and we will not be in top-end gear. We will be in leveling blues and greens. These fights will take preparation, caution, and learning. Once you know a dungeon by heart, remember that everyone starts somewhere, and that there was a point where you didn’t know the fight. Have patience with the others in your group, and help them learn.
4.) Learn about your classes’ Crowd Control (CC) abilities. Before stepping into a Cataclysm dungeon, please note that some trash packs NEED to be Crowd Controlled (CCed). Familiarize yourself with the CC options available to your class, and the limitations of it. Does it only work on certain mob types? How long does it last? Does it break on damage? Use these abilities liberally to take dangerous mobs out of the fight while you deal with others. This is also a good technique to reduce tank and healer strain, and gives your group a better chance of success. Practice on your own—pull two or three mobs solo, out in the world, and try to keep one CCed the entire time you are killing the other(s).
------>4.a.) Don’t break the sheep! Be careful of cleaves and AoE abilities if there is a CCed mob nearby. Damage often breaks enemies out of CC, and they will then run rampant through your group. One of the WORST things you can do is place a DoT on a CCed target (I’m looking at you, Dks glyphed for increased Pestilence and Blood Boil range—for the record, I am one of you), since it will CONTINUALLY break the CC even if it is reapplied.
5.) Learn to kite! Kiting involves slowing a mob and making it chase you away from or around your group while not hitting you. Mages and hunters in particular are known as great kiters. Death Knights can be quite good at it too, as they have both a taunt and Chains of Ice. This technique can be extremely helpful in situations where there are multiple powerful melee adds that cannot be CCed. If they are too much for your tank to handle together, a dps can often kite one until the other is dead, at which point the tank will take over. Rumor has it that a Heroic boss in a Cata dungeon requires that an add be kited for the ENTIRE fight! Are you up to the challenge?
6.) Follow marks and kill orders! Focusing fire will be very important in Cata. We won’t be able to just AoE down every pull anymore. Usually, Skull will be first and X will be second. Crowd Control targets may also be marked. As a general rule, HEALER type mobs die first, followed by damaging casters, then melee.
[b[7.) You are more than just “big numbers!”[/b] Simply because your role or spec is “dps” doesn’t mean you can’t throw out a heal, a dispel, or a cleanse, or even pick up a stray add. Did the healer just die? Does your class have some healing spells? Well, you’d BETTER have those on your bar, because it’s time to show what you’re made of. Pick up the healing and save your group! You can do so much more than just damage and occasional CC. Paladins, use Hand of Salvation on a party member that’s getting close to pulling aggro, or even Hand of Protection the mage! Remember, casters can continute to cast while HoPed, but melee can’t continue to use physical strikes. Misdirect or trap that accidental add pull! Throw out a cleanse to someone, innervate the healer if they’re low on mana! You have these great utility spells, but no one expects you to use them Time to prove them wrong and show that there’s a reason you’re like Wolverine. The best at what you do.
HEALERS:
1.) Cleanse! Many healers in WotLK are more used to healing through debuffs instead of removing them. With mana being more of an issue in Cata, it will often be more efficient to remove damaging or heal-reducing debuffs as soon as possible, rather than try to heal through all the damage. Which debuffs are more expensive to heal through than cleanse will be something you have to learn on your own, but it will be important to keep cleansing in mind in Cataclysm content!
2.) Conserve your mana! Mana is not going to last you anywhere near as long in Cata as it does now. Learn which heals are the most efficient, and get a feel for how much each one heals for. Knowing which heal to use when will be essential. AoE heal spam will not cut it anymore.
------>2.a.) Part of mana conservation is triage. Triage is deciding the priority of you ‘patients.’ As a general rule, if SOMEONE has to die, it should be the dps first, the tank second, and the healer last. This means, if you have to choose between saving a dps and yourself, save yourself. Between the tank and the healer does get more fuzzy, but remember that it’s possible for dps to burn something down with heals backing them up if the tank does die.
3.) Predict incoming damage. Watch who the mob(s) is(are) targeting. Having an addon that shows who has threat is quite handy here, or just activate this feature in the standard WoW raid/arty interface. If you see an add turn to a dps, you know that that’s the one that will need heals. You shouldn’t be mindlessly spamming everyone in CASE they take damage anymore. You know the tank will be taking damage. But the key to be a great, efficient healer, is to be able to anticipate who ELSE in your group is going to get hurt.
4.) Be ready for anything. Assume the worst. If you are about to start a pull that you have never healed before, it is safer to assume high spike damage than wait and see. Many healers get a nasty surprise when a new type of trash mobs hits like a freight train and they just weren’t ready for that kind of damage.
TANKS:
1.) Don’t break CC! Pull mobs BACK and away from CCed adds. This will reduce the risk that CC will be broken by your own AoE tanking abilities and dps’ cleaves. It will help you hold threat because you do not need to watch your AoE and cleaves, and it will help your dps for the same reason.
2.) Mark adds! You should know the drill—Skull on the first target to die, X on the second, mark CC targets with Square, Moon, etc. Focusing fire will be more important in Cataclysm. Packs cannot simply be AoEed down across the board. Typically, you’ll want to have your dps target enemy HEALERS first, then damage-dealing casters, and finally, melee.
3.) Be liberal with your shorter cooldown CDs. Mitigating incoming damage will be essential in Cata. It will help conserve your healer’s mana. A particularly good time to hit your shorter defensive cooldowns (anything under 2 minutes) will be close to the start of a pull, when the most adds are alive, unless there is something special about the adds that makes them more dangerous later.
4.) Use your stuns! Stuns are a great way to mitigate incoming damage, don’t forget it! They can also buy you time to get stable threat at the start of a pull, or stop a mob from running after a healer or dps when your taunt isn’t up.
5.) CONTROL your pulls. Pull with restraint. Most tanks in WotLK (myself included) have gotten very, very accustomed to charging into a dungeon, foaming at the mouth, and pulling the first three groups all together. This is NOT going to fly in Cata, guys. You will get you furry/plate-wearing ass kicked. We will need to relearn how to pull with restraint. When you pull a group, range pull and drag them BACK instead of charging right into them. You can also have CCers pull from range and pick up the mobs as they head towards your group. Try not to aggro any extra mobs.
6.) You are NOT the master of the group. Many tanks in WotLK have become rude and overconfident due largely to their short queue times. I can be guilty of this as well. Many have a tendency to treat the other members of their groups with the expectation that whatever THEY says goes, because the group cannon function without them. Please, I beg of you, if you are one of these tanks, remember that you cannot solo this content. You need your group as much as they need you.
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Wow, are you guys still here, or did you just skip to the end?
If, as I suspect, this was WAY too long and you didn’t care, here’s a brief summary.
Be patient. Be observant. Communicate with your group. Own up to your mistakes. Learn as much about your class as you possibly can, and use all of your tricks. Learn to kite and Crowd Control. Learn to mitigate as much incoming damage as possible, even as a dps. Manage your mana. Think on your toes!
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