1. PVE ICC Guide

    Where can I find and updated and exhaustive PVE guide for Icecrown server? Mainly for ICC and RS, bosses mechanics, differences between nm and hc, etc... video or written it's the same.

    Also for addons I'm currently using DBM, is it enough or am I lacking something else important?

    Thanks in advance

  2. Well, I can write you the things I know and more experienced people can correct me if they spot some discrepancies. Be warned that my main is a feral druid dps, so I don't know much about the other classes and roles.

    RS 25 NM

    1) Baltharus (usually the first mini boss):
    - due to the cleave effect, all players must avoid standing in his melee range (= just attack him from behind);
    - at 66% and 33% health the boss splits into two. All DPS attack the original copy and try to avoid getting hit by the others;
    - there's also a tactic regarding a debuff; normally players have to gtfo from the raid if they have it, but we ignore that part in warmane.


    2) Saviana Ragefire (usually the second mini boss and the easiest one):
    - DPS should attack her from behind;
    - when the dragon flies in the air, she will mark some players with a debuff. Those have to gtfo from the raid, else they will harm others in their range.
    - there's also an enrage mechanic, but that's for hunters to dispel.


    3) General Zarithrian (usually the third mini boss):
    Tbh I kinda forgot the original tactics there. In wowhead people suggest killing the adds, but here in warmane we just do the following:
    - we kill the boss before he kills us. Two offtanks handle the adds, however once those become 4+, players will have difficulties staying alive. So consider it as a race.
    - there's also a fear mechanic, but it's unavoidable for us, melees. Casters have to stand at max range, and Tremor Totems need to be placed down.


    4) Halion (last boss):
    The fight consists of three phases, which may have different mechanics but are kinda similar to one another. Once you get the hang of it, you will undestand that the whole instance is not hard on nm. Halion, as every dragon out there, has two general mechanics - fire breath, whose range starts from the front legs, and a tail swipe that can stun ppl for a period of time. For that reason, people stay in the following marked area:

    Spoiler: Show


    Now let's talk about the tactics for the three phases:

    I. Phase features two specific mechanics:
    - meteor. This lands on a player's location and spawns flames. It's important to gtfo to the other side of the dragon, in order to avoid getting hit by the fire ball, AND to stand at max melee range, so that the flames don't reach us when we switch places. Be careful not to go in the frontal legs because otherwise you would get hit by the flame breath!
    - a debuff that stacks and deals increasing damage to the player with every stack. So it's important to dispel that thing ASAP. However, there's a catch. When the debuff gets dispelled, it leaves a big puddle on the ground that deals AoE damage. So, knowing this, it's important to go to the edge of the fire wall and be dispelled there. And this is another reason why standing at max melee is so vital - you will waste less time reaching the edge of the battlefield. I don't know if you have engineering, but as a cat I have to Dash or use Nitro Boots and dispel myself. And that's the other thing - healers will be busy keeping the tank alive, so it's important to save them a GCD and dispel ourselves.

    >At 75% the dragon enters the shadow realm and it leaves a portal behind himself. Wait for the tank to go inside, else you will die.<

    II. Phase features three specific mechanics:
    - the same debuff I mentioned above but called with a different name. Now, I won't repeat the tactics for this one because they are the same as above. The difference with the two debuffs lies in the effect of the puddles. They don't only deal damage, but the fire puddle also does a pushback while the shadow one pulls people in its center. It's not that important to know this in that fight, I'm telling you this for informative reasons. You have to avoid them either way.
    - a cutter that is formed from the two orbs. Every X seconds a line appears from those orbs that deals fatal damage to people standing in it. That's why we stand on the dragon's tummy at max melee and get ready to rotate with the boss (the tank is rotating him).
    - an aura effect that deals damage to all players, but that's a healer's thing to consider.

    >At 50% the dragon "splits" himself into two. If I have to be accurate, he becomes present in both realms - the physical (aka first phase) and the shadow realm (aka second phase). When this happens, the raid splits into two as well, and melees stay in the shadow realm while ranged go to the physical one. When a portal appears, stop damage for a bit. I will explain why later.<

    So, depending on where you are, you have to acknowledge the mechanics either in the first or in the second phase. The III. Phase features only one single unique mechanic:
    - Corporeality, and I would advise you to check wowwiki, in order to get a better understanding of it. As I said, the boss is present in two realms. When we deal a lot of damage to the boss in one realm, he slowly transcends into the other one. I am going to give you an example. Imagine how players in the shadow realm outdps the ones in the physical one. If you look at the top of your screen, you will see a percentage there. From 50% it will become 40%, so Halion will start doing less damage in the twilight realm, but he will also start receiving less as well. In the physical realm the number will be 60%. He will take and do more damage. If we push him to 70%, the tank may not outstand the boss's attacks, and he will die. Then the whole raid in that realm will die too, and the dragon will start healing himself. That's why it's important to keep the corporeality mechanic at 50%. And that's the other reason why we stop damage in the shadow realm when Phase 3 starts. We want the rdps to catch up with us, so that we can continue to dps the boss freely.

    HC tactics

    Halion:
    1st Phase - When meteors fall, they spawn mobs. RDPS must attack the big one, melees cleave the small ones. You need a third tank for the small adds while the MT needs to deal with the big one. You need a rogue with the FoK glyph to ToT the critters onto the OT while a hunter MDs the big add onto the MT.
    2nd Phase - 2 cutters instead of one. Be extra careful where you stand, as everything can kill you. The pools have a slowing effect, so a pool + a cutter is the deadliest combo in that realm. When cutters are present, you chase the cutter near the tail.
    Spoiler: Show

    When they are absent - go behind the raid and wait for a dispel/dispel yourself there. Also, before the 2nd transition the leader will tell you to stop dps. This is because the portal will be blocked by the cutters (I think), and the healers won't be able to go outside => outside tank will die.
    3rd Phase - if the corporeality in your realm is equal to 40%, you STOP dmg. @ 30% the tank in the other realm will die. Also, pools persist through both realm, so if you have to be dispelled, and there's another pool already, you have to go near its edge and be dispelled there => you save space this way.
    Spoiler: Show


    Fun fact: Using a Feral Charge or Intercept in the Shadow Realm while the cutters are present will end up badly for those players. Though, a warrior can charge to a fellow raid member.

    Videos:
    HPala's PoV (Shadow Realm) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxhwkacN-EI
    SPriest's PoV (Physical Realm) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQNbnYYQXaY [Rip headphone users @ 7:23 & 8:02]

    TLDR:
    Spoiler: Show
    Halion nm
    General
    - melees stay at max melee range near the back legs;
    - ranged can be behind them or on top of them.
    1st Phase
    - MT tanks the boss in the centre;
    - VVhen a meteor falls down, dps and healers move to the other side of the dragon;
    - Do you have a debuff?
    -> No. You stay in your original position and attack the boss.
    -> Yes. Go directly behind the raid by using speed boosts and stay on the edge of the platform. Then, if you can dispel yourself, do it otherwise wait for a healer to dispel you.
    1st Transition Phase
    - The 2nd tank needs to be the first one to enter. So, healers and dps, wait for him!
    - The inside tank can stay out and afk.
    2nd Phase
    - The inside tank needs to rotate the boss clockwise on one spot like a spinning top. VVhen does he do that?
    -> A few seconds before the cutters appear (watch DBM).
    -> VVhen the cutters are present.
    - the cutters shouldn't be hard to dodge if the tank does his job properly, but still - dps and healers, avoid the beams!
    - Do you have a debuff?
    -> No. You stay in your original position and attack the boss.
    -> Yes. Go directly behind the raid by using speed boosts and stay on the edge of the platform. Then, if you can dispel yourself, do it otherwise wait for a healer to dispel you.
    2nd Transition Phase
    - Ranged go out! However, if someone has the debuff, they should go to the edge of the platform ASAP, cleanse themselves and only then should they head towards the portal.
    - Melees, stay inside, but stop dps-ing for 5-10 seconds!
    - Usually this is the perfect time for a BL, but some guilds might prefer to use it at a different time.
    3rd Phase
    - outside mechanics and tactics stay the same;
    - inside mechanics and tactics stay the same;
    - Corporeality is at X%. VVhen may you attack the boss and when you may not?
    -> If corporeality is at 50%, this means that everyone may attack the boss;
    -> If corporeality is at 40%, this means that the affected group should slow down on dps;
    -> If corporeality is at 60%, this means that the affected group should push more dps;
    -> If corporeality is at 30%, this means that the tank will take a lot of damage and might not survive. You stop damage completely and try to keep him alive.

    Halion 25 hc
    1st Phase
    - when adds appear:
    -> a rogue (with the "Fan of Knives" glyph) should ToT the small critters onto the third tank;
    -> a hunter should MD the big add onto the MT;
    -> melee dps need to swich to the small adds, while ranged - to the big elemental.
    - healers, when meteors fall down and you move to the other side of the boss, make sure to use instant healing abilities, so that the tank won't die randomly.
    2nd Phase
    - inside tank, make sure you keep everyone alive. A few seconds before the cutters appear, you need to move with the orb that stays on your right.
    - healers and dps, you have to watch out not to get hit by the beams;
    - Do you have a debuff?
    -> No. You stay in your original position and attack the boss.
    -> Yes. Are the cutters present?
    * No. Go directly behind the raid by using speed boosts and stay on the edge of the platform. Then, if you can dispel yourself, do it otherwise wait for a healer to dispel you.
    * Yes. Follow the orb on your left and dispel yourself/wait for a dispel at the edge of the platform. (check the 1st spoiler to see how it should be done)
    3rd Phase
    - if someone has the debuff, and another puddle is behind them, that person should go near it, in order to save some room. (check the 2nd spoiler to see how it should be done)
    - if corporeality is at 40%, the affected group should stop dps. At 30% the tank might die, which would lead to a wipe.
    Edited: August 8, 2021

  3. Icecrown Citadel

    For a better visualisation, I would recommend you to watch Tarou's guides on youtube. They are kinda outdated and might not explain the current tactics (or bugs) in warmane, but I consider them to be quite helpful.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/RyutaroAkaTarou/videos

    LM
    Pop BL at start.
    All players except hunters and tanks should stack under the boss. By doing this, you not only gather the spikes on one place and make them susceptible to cleave, but you also dodge the initial patches of flame. During Bonestorm, flames will appear underneath the boss. For this reason, you need take some steps backwards and attack LM while still being stacked. Rinse and repeat.

    During Bonestorm, LM goes to the allies who are furthest away from the others. If you have hunters in the group, he will usually go to them, and then he will go back to the tanks. The safest zone during that phase is being between those two groups. I might be mistaken, but if you don't have any hunters in the group, you can use totems to bait the boss. Shamans just need to place them near the wall while making sure that the raid benefits from their buffs. If you are stacked, the healers can use their AoE spells on you. If you are attempting HC, then bone spikes will continue to appear. Again, if you are all stacked, you can easily deal with the spikes by cleaving them down.


    LDW

    Optional Initial Positioning
    Some melees like to stand behind the big pillars on the stairs, in order to jump on the boss quickly. If you plan to do it, make sure that you avoid falling in the boss's LoS before the fight starts. You don't want to be that guy, who ninja pulls.
    Spoiler: Show


    First phase consists of killing (i.e. cleaving) adds and attacking the boss, in order to destroy her mana shield. Tanks, please gather the on one spot, so that dps can AoE everything at once. There's also a green void zone, but dunno whether it's bugged or not - it doesn't do much damage, and my previous guild just ignored it. Second phase - kill the boss! There are also some spirits that deal damage to a player upon impact, but unless you are very undergeared, or you want to practise the 25 hc tactics, you can ignore them.

    10hc, 25nm, 25hc
    Mind control during those phases. If you can CC the MCd player, do it. Don't cleave the adds if there's a risk to kill your teammate. Wait for someone to cyclone him or w/e and then continue to dps them.

    10 and 25 hc - the boss is immune to taunt, so be careful with your threat. I don't know how much damage the spirits deal in the 2nd phase on 10 hc, but in 25hc it's utterly important to run away from the raid if they are chasing you because they do splash damage and can kill your teammates. Also, in order to minimise the damage from the MC players, we watch the DBM timers and unequip our weapons a few seconds before the boss MCs someone. Then we immediately equip them.


    Funship
    Cannons - get around 80 energy at start! Then your rotation is 1-1-2. Try aiming at the mobs!
    Healers - they keep tanks alive.
    DPS - when the mage comes, we jump and kill it, and then we go back. Once you come back, you can cleave the adds on our ship before the next wave appears.
    RDPS - if the mage doesn't spawn, target the mobs on the enemy ship.


    DBS
    Before the fight starts, hunters need to have "Trap Mastery" and put a Frost Trap under the stairs, in order to slow down the blood beasts. They also need to place down that trap whenever it's off cooldown for each and every future wave of adds. Boomkins need to have an unglyphed Typhoon to push the adds back on the ice patch. When the blood beasts appear, RDPS must kill them asap. Melees need wait for the RDPS to get threat before they approach the adds. Don't let them touch you! Kiting is also an option if you can't kill them fast enough (though, this isn't possible on hc due to their raidwide slowing ability). Cleave doesn't do anything here, so don't use it!

    Casters, make sure that no one is in your /range 12! If you have many players affected by Boiling Blood, the boss will cast his Marks of the Fallen Champion often, which will put a lot of pressure on your healers. If a person with that debuff dies, the boss will heal for A LOT, and this decreases the chances for success.

    In my previous guild, we used BL at start because everyone could use their major CDs, and we had the needed damage to jump right into the 2nd phase.

    Note: As a feral druid, SOMETIMES the RL told me to concentrate on dps-ing the boss. I'm telling you this, in order not to be surprised if you see ferals, rogues, and ??? tunnel vision Saurfang. This is possible in some balanced or caster-heavy comps.


    Rotface
    What I have heard from my previous GM is that heroic guilds didn't bother merging the small oozes. The OT just needed to pick up the big oozes whenever those formed in the melee group. However, in my previous guild we stood true to the retail tactics. Tarou explained them well, so here's a short video of the encounter:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0O9...EE09E&index=18

    Here's sth, I'd like to point out:
    - on heroic mode, the /range command is actually 12. You don't want to vile gas anyone from the raid.
    - be careful with the pipes near the walls. 1/4 of the room gets filled with deadly liquid every few seconds that slows down, stunts (at 10 stacks, I believe), and deals AoE damage. Watch where you stand when you hear PP shouting "Good news, everyone. I fixed the poison slime pipes"!
    - BL at start.


    Festergut

    There's nothing important for me to write here. The tactics are the same as on retail, so just follow them!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziBk...AEE09E&index=5

    Still, here are some things I'd like to mention:
    - if your class has a way to avoid spike damage (e.g. Ice Block, Dispersion), then /ignore the spores and concentrate on dps-ing the boss. Once he casts Pungent Blight, use the aforementioned abilities! Druids have Barkskin, which acts as a single spore, and because of it trees and boomkins can skip gathering with other casters once.
    - Melees and tanks should stack either on a leg or in the middle of the boss. Melees shouldn't go in front of the boss and stack there because that's a dps loss. Just think about the poor ferals and rogues in your group. :C
    - Ranged, type /range 12! Vile Gas is still a thing.
    - Pop BL at start if possible.

    HC!
    There are malleable goos being thrown by PP, which increase the attack/casting speed of all player in their splash zone by a lot. You could avoid them by spotting a green puddle on the ground, and moving out. Be warned that the splash range is bigger than the animation!
    Melees: You should all stack on one leg and dps there. If you spot a malleable goo under your feet, go to the other leg asap!
    Ranged: Normally, you form 2 caster groups, and you either stay on the left side of the room or on the right one. If you see a malleable goo, and you need to stack for a spore, you should either move a bit to the right or to the left (depending on where your group was standing at start). Check the following pic for a better visualisation:
    Spoiler: Show




    PP NM
    General - EVERYONE should be near the table. MT, try to keep the boss near puddles, so that the abo can drink and autoattack the boss at the same time. The damage of the abo is rly important, and people should give it some buffs at start (i.e. GotVV, small bok, small bom).
    1st Phase - some players can afford to push the boss to the 2nd phase, but you need to wait for the RL's call. If he says push, then you do that. If he says stop, stop and kill the green ooze! If it's going to hit someone, melee dps should stack on that person, in order to minimise the damage taken. Healers, time your healing spells accordingly! Hunters can use Snake trap when green oozes are about to reach their targets.
    2nd Phase - Watch the timers!!! Melees should go in front of the boss 2 seconds before the choking gas appears. Ranged should see where the malleable goo is being thrown at and avoid it. Kill oozes (melees should wait till they target someone) and kite the red one near the boss to ensure that some classes can do a passive cleave! Again, pay attention to the timers! You don't want to kite the red ooze near the boss when he puts down the choking gas. This is how you should do it:
    Spoiler: Show

    3rd Phase - Same **** as above, but no more adds (hopefully). Kill the boss ASAP. Tanks should watch their buffs and switch.

    If you control the abomination, here's the priority list: Slow down the oozes > drink puddles > attack the boss!

    HC
    Plague mechanic - just pass it to others every few seconds. It shouldn't worry you here.
    1st Phase - SOME guilds can afford to push the boss in the next phase. My previous one, however, preferred to play it safely. At 84% we stoppped dmg on the boss and moved to the green pipe, where we STACKED IN FRONT of the ooze.
    Spoiler: Show

    Afterwards, we tried to kill it ASAP.
    1st Transition - Attack the boss before oozes spawn! Once they spawn, check your debuff if you are doing 25 hc (otherwise ignore this tip) and kill the thing you are supposed to kill! Remember to kite the red ooze near the boss! As a DPS, use your BIG CDs here!
    2nd Phase - Nothing new in comparison to the normal version. Just be careful!
    2nd Transition - As a DPS, use your BIG CDs here and kill the things you have to kill! Pop BL!
    3rd Phase - Nothing new in comparison to the normal version. Just be careful and nuke the boss!

    There are specific Abo tactics here, especialy for players with the SM quest. Ask more experienced ppl!

    Author's Note: Since I was in a guild with a relatively high GS, we didn't employ any new tactics for this encounter. However, I am aware that not all guilds can afford to /ignore crucial mechanics (especially if they play on Lorde/Frostmourne w/o the 30% buff). For that reason, I'd like to share a video I found on youtube, which explains the fight in full detail, so make sure to check it out:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXqE4aOhCMg


    BPC
    Middle circle is for healers ONLY. If you are playing something else than a healer, don't go there! Also, ALL players must type /range 12 and make sure no that one is in that range. Don't cleave the dark nuclei! The Keleseth tank NEEDS them.

    Valanar is empowered? - if you see Glittering Sparks on the top of your screen, it's time to prespread.
    Taldaram is empowered? - Pop BL! Ranged dps need to go as far away from that boss as possible. VVhen he hurls his orbs, melees can follow it for a bit, so that they absorb some of its damage. Also, make sure you avoid the small vortexes, if they spawn near you. Their blast range is roughly 13, so be careful!
    Keleseth is empowered? - whatever. Just avoid the small vortexes, if they spawn near you. Their blast range is roughly 13, so be careful!

    PROBLEM with the kinetics - they explode before they reach the ground. In my previous guild hunters didn't attack the bosses, but instead they just focused all of their damage on those orbs.

    HC mode - A debuff, that can deal more damage with each stack (you get that stack when you move - walk or fly). Just don't move needlessly and avoid the blast from the small/empowered vortexes!


    BQL - I will talk about hc because the only difference is the increased AoE damage with each vampire.
    1) Clear the center. People who are marked with PACT OF THE DARKFALLEN should stack there.
    2) Melees split into two. They go to one of the boss's thicc legs, in order to minimize the damage from her abilities.
    3) You have flames? Run to the nearest wall and walk towards the exit (if you are a melee) or to the boss (if you are a caster). Some classes can remove the flame debuff, e.g. rogues with their cloak, but I can't give you any tips there.
    4) Bite mechanic - people in retail just bite the player with the highest dps. In my previous guild this didn't matter, it was more important not to fail it. So, if you have "Essence of the Blood Queen", look at the timer and pick a player to bite. I use grid2 to tell me who doesn't have the debuff, so that I know whom to bite next. 10 seconds before the duration finishes, you can go to that target and bite them right after the debuff occurs.
    5) Flight mechanic - SPREAD OUT! if you are a melee, pop defensive cooldowns and wait for the boss to come down! If you are a caster, you should continue attacking the boss. All Shamans need to put down Tremor Totems before this phase occurs.
    6) Pop Bl after the 2nd flight phase. On10 man it's also possible to do it after the first one, but it depends on the dps.

    Some mistakes can occur when a person needs to bite someone while being targeted by the flame debuff. Don't panic! Drop the flames near the walls and use speed boosts to get to your target asap! Nitro Boots are very useful in that scenario.


    VDW
    Skeletons (interrupt their cast) > Suppresors (AoE them)>Archmages/Zombies (Melees on mages; RDPS on Zombies, Hunters have to kite them) > Abo (Worms spawn - AoE them fast)

    NM: healers go through only 1 portal. Follow the marked player! Don't let your stacks drop!
    HC: healers can go through any portal. Follow the marked player (the path is usually left, left, right)! Heal yourselves inside and don't let your stacks drop!
    Pop BL after the 3rd wave of portals. If the boss is under 75% HP or a healer did a mistake, expect a fourth wave of portals.


    Sindy
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYXsg4_IZFc

    We attack her on the balcony. Position yourself a few yards away from her tummy!

    1st Phase: Watch the debuffs! Melees should avoid getting more than 8 stacks of "chilled to the bone". Casters should stop casting spells 6 seconds before the debuff expires. If the dragon pulls you, check your debuffs! If they are low, as a melee you can afford to attack a bit more, since the cast timer of her AoE is slow. Otherwise go to a safe distance and let them expire!
    Flight phase - Watch whether you get marked! If you do, check your name in the DBM message and position yourself accordingly:
    10 nm:....1 player on the left side .................................................. ...........................................1 player on the right side
    25nm:.....2 players on the left side...........................1 player in the middle............................2 players on the right side
    25 hc:.....2 players on the left side...........................2 players in the middle...........................2 players on the right side
    Avoid being in LoS of the bombs. Bring the tombs to 20% before the 4th bomb explodes.

    Important! On this fight we had 3 flight phases. We dps-d the boss normally on the first two ground phases, but on the third one we stopped at 38-37%. We did it because we didn't want to push the boss just yet. We wanted to clear all of our stacks and dps her with all of our CDs being off cooldown. So, in the third ground phase, we just waited for the timer to finish, and 5 seconds before that moment we continued to dps her. Her health reached 35% while she was up in the air, which ensured a clean phase 2.

    2nd Phase - People in retail used to smash the tombs and to stack behind them, in order to drop their Mystic Buffet stacks. In my previous guild, we just tunnel visioned the boss 24/7. If a player got marked, they had to go to the right or to the left and made sure that no one was near them. If it was an important player (good healer or dps), then the RL told us to detroy the tombs. Otherwise, we ignored them. Because we treated the second phase as a burst one, we used BL the moment it began.

    HC: Unstable Magic stacks deal AOE damage.
    RDPS go to the left. Healers - to the right. Don't heal, unless someone has less than 40% HP! I am not rly sure, but I think RDPS mustn't get more than 5 stacks.
    2nd Phase - RDPS, just expect to die! If you have the debuff, don't stop casting spells! In my previous guild the way our casters didn't kill the rest of their teammates was by moving slowly towards the boss before the Blistering Cold. Once Sindy pulled us, the RDPS that had the debuff went to the other side of the dragon, cast some more spells and committed suicide.


    LK
    Too many things to explain, but they remain the same as in retail. Tarou explained them perfectly, so make sure you watch his video.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ybTns292Qk

    LoD
    Paragon's first LoD
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QcuB8zCpu4

    Warmane's version
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Eif2PSrWc
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5DVhCyhwNI

    Both strategies are very similiar with the exception of 1st phase and the preparation for the 3rd defile (2nd phase). I think it's better if I describe the entire fight, so that people can get a better understanding of it. Here it goes:

    First phase

    Spoiler: Show


    The raid is divided in three groups - melees+MT, OT, and healers+rdps. The OT takes the Shambling Horrors and hauls them in the middle of the platform. Both the melee dps and the MT take the boss to the left side while the casters stay at max distance (as depicted in the picture). Whenever a Shadow Bomb spawns in a certain group, its members need to move forward, in order to avoid the blast radius. However, if the OT is targeted by it, the other groups should follow him, in order to be close to the Shambling Horror for when a person with the Necrotic Plague needs to be dispelled. The goal is to bring the LK near the edge of the platform when his health reaches 70%. The boss will then run to the center of the platform, but your ranged dps can continue inflicting damage to him before the transition phase begins.

    1st transition phase - same as on nm. Healers usually use their mana cooldowns during that time. Spriests need to dispel the MT when he gets silenced by the Raging Spirit.

    2nd phase

    The MT takes the boss while the OT brings the add close to him. Check the following picture:
    Spoiler: Show

    DPS need to be stacked behind the boss and finish off the add asap. After that's done, they can continue dps-ing the boss for a bit, but everyone should be ready to spread out for Defile. If there are 2-3 seconds left on its timer, people should spread in the INNER CIRCLE. When the LK targets a player with Defile, that person goes away from the raid while the others stack again. Here's where that player is allowed to drop the void zone:
    Spoiler: Show

    The path between the center, the teleporter, and the closest edge of the platform needs to be defile-free. You will need an area, where you can CC and AoE the valks w/o worrying about stepping on any void zones. That's why when someone is targeted for Defile, that person must go either to the left or the right side of the teleporter. The first two are somewhat easy to deal with because they spawn a few seconds after the val'kyries swoop down. The third defile is different, though. It appears RIGHT BEFORE the valk wave, and you can't spread out prematurely because then the valkyries wouldn't be stacked, and you wouldn't be able to *kill* all of them on time. So here's what you do:

    Third Defile

    When the third Defile is about to happen, the person, who gets marked, pops Nitro Boots, runs behind the main tank and drops it there. The rest of the raid stays as it's depicted on the second picture. Now, I must tell you something - my previous GM told me, that if a person didn't have Engineering, then they could use a Swiftness Potion or Dash/Sprint if they play as a feral druid or a rogue. I can neither confirm nor deny whether that statement is true, but I wanted to write it here. Another user said the following:

    How you actually deal with it is stack really nicely, decide to which side will Defile go and to which side rest of the group. Then everyone targets LK and right before Defile he will target player who will get Defile. That player activates any speed right as LK targets him and runs to designated side while rest moves a little to other side[without any speeds] while keeping a good stack.
    If you watch Paragon's video, that guild did exactly that. The MT and the melees were standing in a specific area of the platform. When a player got targeted for Defile, that person moved away from the raid while the tank brought the boss to the opposite direction, and everybody were stacked.

    Anyway, those are the two popular strategies concerning the third void zone. Once you deal with that, the others are the same as the first two, i.e. valk wave followed by a Defile. The next transition phase begins when the LK's health is dropped to 40%. I just want to mention sth very quickly - in my previous guild, when we decided to push the boss in the 2nd transition phase, we slowed and stunned the valks, and we continued to nuke down the LK. That's because the valks will drop the players on the extra patch of ice and not off the platform if done correctly.

    *Speaking of Val'kyries*

    Since their health is higher than on nm, and dealing with them takes a while, you want to minimise the damage loss on them as much as possible. You really need a group of dedicated players that would be ready to CC the adds the moment they appear and manage their CC abilities, in order to keep the adds stacked at all times. If this phase is hard on nm, it's even worse on heroic because it tests the ability of your raid members to work as a team and to inflict a lot of burst damage to the valks before the next set appears. However, there's another thing you should know. The val'kyries don't die on LoD. Instead, they fly up and damage a player on whom they have a lot of threat. Normally, the OT is responsible to taunt them and to take care of them, but if you delay the second phase too much, the damage from the valks might become fatal to the OT. In other words, you have a soft enrage timer.

    2nd transition phase - same things I wrote above.

    3rd phase

    The OT brings the remaining spirits near the boss. As always, the dps must kill them quickly. After a while, the boss will pull everyone in Frostmourne's chamber. Inside you hug the wall, and you need to move as a single entity. RDPS must kill the flying adds, so boomies need to save their Starfall for that event. After you go out, SPREAD OUT IMMEDIATELY! A player will be targeted with Defile, and that will continue to happen after every other visit in the chamber as well, so keep that in mind! After you do that, everyone needs to stack behind the boss while the OT soaks the flying adds. I might be mistaken, but the rdps must ignore them and concentrate on killing the boss. When the LK summons a new wave of adds, the MT must bring him to the opposite side of the platform, in order to ensure max distance between the raid group and the adds. During this repositioning, the boss will pull players in his runeblade, and the cycle continues. Bring him down to 10%, and the hardest part is over.

    An interesting tip: If a hunter gets marked with Defile, they can jump off the platform and use Disengage at the last second. That way they don't lose time to move out and keep the area clean. Experienced warriors can charge to a player. I think, mages can also use Blink.
    Spoiler: Show


    4th phase

    Pray to RNGesus that warmane doesn't crash!

    5th phase

    KILL and LOOT the boss as quickly as possible before warmane crashes!
    Edited: August 8, 2021 Reason: correcting some spelling mistakes

  4. And one more thing - I think it would be best if you could specify your class & role, so that people could give you more specific tips. For example, I know, that ret paladins have a very important role during the LK encounter, because they can stun the valks.

  5. Thank you! Very detailed. I play Fire Mage/Shadow Priest.
    Edited: March 27, 2020

  6. Thank you! Very detailed. I play Fire Mage/Shadow Priest.
    Well, in that case I would warmly advise you to continue asking people for tips, since I am more knowledgeable with the ones concerning melee dps (esp. feral druids). I don't know much about the rdps, yet alone the classes you mentioned. As a mage you can use iceblock on Festergut, maybe on PP too (???); I think, on LK, if you get marked for a defile, you can blink, but I can't give you any tips regarding the correct timing. I also can't say what your target priority is during the transition phases on LK - sometimes you can afford to assault him with spells, in other cases you will be forced to help out your guildies with killing the raging spirits. And as a Shadow Priest you will also have some specific tasks, so again, I would advise you to ask others for more specific tips regarding those classes.


    [edit] Also, on PP - as a rdps you can start attacking the oozes the moment they spawn. Only melees should wait, till those adds choose a target.
    Edited: December 25, 2020

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