Phase 2 Raid Guides — Always Tired

Serpentshrine Cavern

Trash Guide

Pack-by-pack breakdown — courtesy of Smallish

Pack: Beast-Tamer + Hate-Screamer + Sporebat

BEAST-TAMER

HATE-SCREAMER

SPOREBAT

Mob	Ability	Notes
Beast-Tamer	Cleave	Physical AoE in front — always tank facing away from raid.
	Bestial Wrath	Enrages self and two Sporebats. Kill Beast-Tamer first.
Hate-Screamer	Sonic Scream	5,000–6,000 Arcane damage on a player — heal through it.
	Silence	Huge AoE Silence around it. Stun it or stay at range to avoid.
Sporebat	Charge	Stuns and strikes any target 1–30 yards. Cannot be dead-zoned — can hit anyone in range.
	Spore Burst	1,300–1,600 Nature damage + DoT of 694–806 Nature damage.

Strategy Polymorph or Hibernate Sporebats and Hate-Screamers. MT picks up Beast-Tamers, OT picks up everything else not CC'd. All ranged and healers stay at max distance. Kill order: Beast-Tamers → Sporebats → Hate-Screamers — keep them CC'd as long as possible.

Pack: Underbog Colossi (3 Variants)

Half the battle is identifying which variant you have before the pull. Each one plays differently and the whole raid needs to know which one it is.

Variant	Ability	Notes
A	Initial Infection	Disease dealing heavy nature damage — Cleanse immediately.
	Sporequake	Channeled shake dealing constant nature damage — entire raid move out.
B	Serpentshrine Parasite	Debuff on random target; a Parasite spawns — call it out, ranged kill it fast.
	Acid Geyser	Channeled at random player — target must move to turn the Colossus away from the raid. Ranged/healers stay close during this variant.
C	Frenzy	Enrages; attack speed greatly increases — healers compensate for tank damage spikes.
	Atrophic Blow	Reduces Strength and Stamina on targets hit — tanks be aware of reduced HP pool.
After Death	Toxic Pool / Adds / Refreshing Mist	Colossi trigger effects on death — don't stand in the pool, kill the adds, Refreshing Mist heals (good).

Pack: Vashj'ir Honor Guard + Coilfang Priestess + Shatterer + Technician

HONOR GUARD

PRIESTESS

SHATTERER

TECHNICIAN

Mob	Ability	Notes
Honor Guard	Enrage	Increases attack damage and speed.
	Frightening Shout	Fears all raiders in melee range — Shamans drop Tremor Totem.
	Knockback	Kicks targets back 7–10 yards.
	Mortal Cleave	Mortal Strike to all targets hit — reduces healing received.
Coilfang Priestess	Holy Smite / Holy Fire	3,150–3,850 Holy damage; Holy Fire also applies a magic DoT.
	Priestess Spirit	On death: Spirit Healer spawns and spams Holy Nova — move enemies away from her corpse, get out of Holy Nova.
Coilfang Shatterer	Shatter Armor	Reduces MT armor by 50% and damage dealt by 35% for 15 seconds — healers watch for spike.
Greyheart Technician	Hamstring	66% slow on target.

Strategy MT and OT pull pack together. Move enemies away from Priestess corpses and get out of Holy Nova. Ranged and melee cleave everything down — AoE is very effective. Shamans use Tremor Totem for Frightening Shout fears.

Pack: Greyheart Tidecaller + Nether-Mage + Skulker

TIDECALLER

NETHER-MAGE

SKULKER

Mob	Ability	Notes
Tidecaller	Water Elemental Totem	Summons a water elemental — kill the TOTEM, do NOT target the elemental.
	Poison Shield	Deals heavy nature damage on being struck — PURGE immediately (Shamans/Priests).
	Virulent Poison	Nature DoT — healers dispel.
Nether-Mage	Frostbolt / Fireball / Cone of Cold / Rain of Fire / Arcane Volley	All function like player spells — interrupt and kick channeled casts.
	Destruction Buffs	Frost/Fire/Arcane buff that massively increases damage — Purge or Mage Spellsteal immediately.
Skulker	Kick	Interrupts spellcasting — do not cast while in melee range of a Skulker.

Kill Order Tidecallers → Nether-Mages → Skulkers. Kill Water Elemental Totems the instant they spawn. Purge Poison Shield every time. Dispel all poisons. Kick Nether-Mage channeled spells.

Pack: Coilfang Serpentguard + Fathom-Witch + Serpentshrine Lurker

SERPENTGUARD

FATHOM-WITCH

SSC LURKER

Mob	Ability	Notes
Serpentguard	Spell Reflection	Reflects all spells for a short duration — stop casting when it's up.
	Corrupt Devotion Aura	Reduces armor of all nearby raiders — spread awareness to melee.
Fathom-Witch	Domination	Mind Controls a player for 10 seconds — CC the target immediately. Shamans use Grounding Totem to eat it.
	Shadow Bolt	Instant cast heavy shadow damage.
	Shadow Nova	Damages and knocks back all nearby players — can drop them off the platform. Position tanks carefully.
SSC Lurker	Poison Bolt Volley	Nature damage + DoT on multiple targets.
	Shadow Bolt	Instant cast heavy shadow damage.
	Rancid Mushroom Primer	Summons mushrooms that grow over time — move away from them.

Kill Order SSC Lurkers → Fathom-Witches → Serpentguard. Position so Shadow Nova doesn't knock anyone off the platform. Shamans Grounding Totem for Mind Control. CC any MC'd players immediately.

Pack: Tidewalker Murlocs

These murlocs don't pose a significant threat if pulled correctly. They have several sub-types with different abilities but the strategy is the same regardless.

Sub-type	Ability
Shaman	Chain Lightning
Depth-Seer	Healing Touch — interrupt it
Hydromancer	Frost Nova

Strategy MT and OT pull the murlocs together. Ranged and melee cleave them down — AoE is very effective. Interrupt Healing Touch from Depth-Seers.

Serpentshrine Cavern — Boss 1 of 6

Hydross the Unstable

Duke of Currents — shifts between Frost and Nature form

Frost Form

Nature Form

Resistance Gear Required

Overview

Hydross alternates between two elemental forms — Frost and Nature — based on where he stands relative to the purification beams. Each form stacks a debuff on the entire raid that multiplies elemental damage taken. Raids drag Hydross between forms before the debuff gets critical, triggering a transition that spawns four Water Elemental adds and resets all threat. Two tanks with specialized resistance gear are required.

The One Rule Stop ALL damage the moment a transition is triggered — including pets, DoTs, and Searing Totems. Threat resets completely. Any hit before the new tank has aggro can chain-aggro wipe the raid.

Resistance Requirements

Frost Resistance Tank

Takes the boss on pull and after each Nature-to-Frost transition. Also picks up Pure Spawn of Hydross (Frost Elementals) during transitions.

Nature Resistance Tank

Handles Tainted Water Elementals on the pull. Takes the boss after each Frost-to-Nature transition. Also picks up Tainted Spawn of Hydross (Nature Elementals).

Abilities

Ability	Form	Notes
Mark of Hydross	Frost	Stacking debuff — increases Frost damage taken every 15 sec: 10% → 25% → 50% → 100% → 250% → 500%. Transition at 100%.
Water Tomb	Frost	Targets a random player — stuns and deals Frost damage over time to all players within 8 yards. Spread at least 8 yards during Frost form.
Mark of Corruption	Nature	Same escalation as Mark of Hydross but increases Nature damage taken. Transition at 100%.
Vile Sludge	Nature	Targets a random player — Nature DoT and reduces damage dealt and healing taken by 50%. Does not spread. Far less dangerous than Water Tomb.
Summon Water Elemental	Transition	Spawns four elementals on each form swap. Pure Spawn (Frost) or Tainted Spawn (Nature) depending on the transition. Incoming resistance tank picks them all up.

Debuff Stack Reference — Transition at 100%

10%0:15

25%0:30

50%0:45

100%1:00Swap now

250%1:15Too late

500%1:30Wipe

Phase Breakdown

Pull — Getting the Fight Started

Approach from the right side near the Tainted Water Elementals. The Nature Resistance tank picks up these two adds and kills them while the Frost Resistance tank pulls Hydross. Do not aggro the Purified Elementals on the left — if untouched they despawn on their own. Once engaged, the conveyor belt stops.

Frost Form — Hold until 100% Mark of Hydross

Active when Hydross is on the far (Frost) side of the beams

Hydross deals Frost damage and casts Water Tomb. The whole raid takes the Mark of Hydross debuff every 15 seconds. Hold until it hits 100%, then the Frost tank drags Hydross back through the beams.

Water TombSpread at least 8 yards from every other player. A cluster hit by Water Tomb will chain-stun and can kill multiple people.

Elemental Transition — Stop all damage, kill adds, rebuild threat

All Damage Stops ImmediatelyEveryone stops attacking — melee, ranged, DoTs, pets, Searing Totems. Any damage before the new tank has threat can wipe the raid.

Four Water Elementals spawn. The incoming resistance tank picks up the boss and all four adds. The raid kills the adds before returning to the boss to give the tank time to build threat. Warlocks Banish an add if the tank is struggling. Hunters use Misdirection on the incoming tank.

Nature Form — Hold until 100% Mark of Corruption

Active when Hydross is on the near (Nature) side of the beams

Nature damage and Vile Sludge. Positioning is relaxed here — no spread required. Vile Sludge targets need prompt heals. Hold until Mark of Corruption hits 100%, then transition back to Frost. Repeat until dead.

Vile SludgeOne or two healers can manage this. The 50% healing reduction means the target needs attention, but it is not a raid-wide threat.

Role Notes

Tanks

Two main tanks — full Frost Resist and full Nature Resist
Have backup off-tanks ready for add control during transitions
Call transitions clearly so the raid stops damage
Incoming tank: get into position before the drag so you grab immediately
Warlocks can Banish adds to help if you're overwhelmed

Melee DPS

Stop all damage the instant a transition is called
Kill elemental adds before touching the boss after any transition
Spread 8 yards from others during Frost form

Ranged DPS

Stop all damage on transition calls, including DoTs
Kill adds before the boss after transitions
Hunters: Misdirection on incoming tank during transitions
Warlocks: Banish adds if tank needs help
Spread 8 yards during Frost form

Healers

Save cooldowns for transitions — four adds on the new tank is a damage spike
Spot-heal Water Tomb targets promptly
Spread 8 yards during Frost form
Nature form is easier — focus on Vile Sludge targets

Serpentshrine Cavern — Boss 2 of 6

The Lurker Below

Hidden encounter — must be fished from the waters below the platforms

300 Fishing Required

Jump Mechanic

Boil Water First

Overview

The Lurker Below is a two-phase alternating fight. Phase 1 is a tank-and-spank with a jump mechanic (Spout). Phase 2 is a short add phase while the boss submerges. The fight cycles between these two phases until the boss is dead. The key mechanic is jumping into the water to dodge Spout — but the water deals Scalding Water damage each time you enter it, so do not spam jump.

Boil the Water First Clear all six platforms above the boss spawn before fishing him up. This kills the Coilfang Frenzy piranhas in the water below. Without boiled water, the fish will shred anyone who jumps in during Spout. Do not skip this.

Scalding Water The boiled water deals damage each time you enter it and each time you jump while submerged. Jump in to dodge Spout, then get out. Do not spam jump in the water or you will kill yourself.

Before the Pull

After clearing all six platforms, assign positions:

Hunters, Warlocks, and Mages split across the three small outer platforms — they will handle Coilfang Ambushers during Phase 2 submerge.
Everyone else spreads evenly on the large central platform.
One raid member with 300+ Fishing fishes up the boss from the central water. This triggers the encounter.

Abilities

Ability	Phase	Notes
Geyser	Phase 1	Targets a random player — 10-yard AoE knockback. Spread out across the large platform so Geysers don't hit clusters.
Whirl	Phase 1	Physical damage and knockback to all players in melee range. Tank is the primary target. Melee may get clipped.
Spout	Phase 1	Rotating water beam from the boss's mouth. Deals massive damage. Jump into the water when it turns toward you, get out when it passes. Can be ignored with Ice Block or Divine Shield.
Water Bolt	Phase 1	One-shot damage to a random raid member — only casts if nobody is in melee range. Keep the tank on the boss at all times.
Coilfang Ambusher	Phase 2	Spawn on small outer platforms. CC them immediately. If they aggro a healer they can kill them quickly.
Coilfang Guardian	Phase 2	Spawn on the large platform. Dangerous cleave — off-tanks pick up and face away from the raid. Can be stunned.

Phase Breakdown

Phase 1 — Boss above water (2 minutes)

Lasts 2 minutes, then boss submerges

Tank stands at the edge of the large platform, staying in melee range to prevent Water Bolt. Melee DPS attacks normally. Spread out to reduce Geyser overlap.

When Spout begins, watch which direction the beam is rotating. Continue damaging the boss until Spout turns toward you, then jump into the water. Get out immediately after it passes. Players with Ice Block or Divine Shield can ignore Spout entirely.

Spout TimingDon't jump early — you take Scalding Water damage every entry. Wait until Spout is actually turning toward you, dodge it, and get back up immediately.

Note: Lurker only looks at the melee threat table during Phase 1. Ranged DPS will not pull aggro.

Phase 2 — Boss submerged (1 minute)

Lasts 1 minute, then boss emerges with Whirl + Spout + Whirl

Coilfang Guardians Melee + Off-Tank

Guardians (assist) Ranged on small platforms

CC Ambushers Hunter / Warlock / Mage

Coilfang Ambushers spawn on the small outer platforms. CC them immediately — Hunters trap, Warlocks banish, Mages sheep. Once CC'd, ranged on the small platforms help kill Coilfang Guardians on the large platform. Once Guardians are dead, melee jumps to small platforms to kill the Ambushers.

Emergence SequenceWhen the Lurker comes back up he immediately casts Whirl, then Spout, then Whirl. The large platform gets dangerous fast. Be ready to jump in the water the moment he surfaces. Get back out once the sequence ends and resume Phase 1.

Role Notes

Tanks

Main tank stays at the platform edge in melee range to prevent Water Bolt
Intercept back to the boss immediately if Whirl knocks you back
Off-tanks: pick up Coilfang Guardians during Phase 2 and face them away from the raid
Jump in water to dodge Spout — don't spam jump

Melee DPS

Spread out on the large platform to minimize Geyser overlap
Phase 2: focus Coilfang Guardians first, then jump to small platforms for Ambushers
You can avoid Spout by continuously moving behind the boss during the cast

Ranged DPS

Hunters / Warlocks / Mages: be on small platforms and ready to CC Ambushers the moment Phase 2 starts
After CCing Ambushers, assist in burning Guardians on the large platform
Jump in water to dodge Spout — don't spam jump

Healers

Phase 1 is relatively easy — spot heal Geyser targets
Phase 2 gets very hectic if adds aren't handled quickly — especially at emergence
Jump in water to dodge Spout — don't spam jump
If Ambushers are loose and hit a healer, call it immediately

Serpentshrine Cavern — Boss 3 of 6

Leotheras the Blind

Human form and Demon form — threat resets on every transition

Warlock Tank Required

Inner Demons

Mind Control Risk

Overview

Leotheras alternates between Human form and Demon form throughout the fight. Every transition wipes all threat completely. A Warlock tank in Fire Resistance gear is required to hold the Demon form using Searing Pain. During Demon form, up to five players will have Inner Demons spawned — if a player fails to kill their Inner Demon in time, they become permanently Mind Controlled and must be killed by the raid. At 15%, Leotheras splits into two separate bosses that must be tanked simultaneously.

Inner Demon Priority If you are targeted by Insidious Whisper, drop everything and kill your Inner Demon immediately. It takes priority over all other damage. If you fail, you become permanently Mind Controlled and the raid has to kill you.

Before the Pull

Clear all trash in the room — you need open space to run from Whirlwind. Assign a Warlock tank in Fire Resistance gear to hold Demon form the entire fight using Searing Pain. This Warlock needs dedicated healer support throughout.

Abilities

Ability	Form	Notes
Whirlwind	Human	Leotheras spins and moves toward random players. Everyone runs away from the boss during Whirlwind. Applies a bleed DoT on hit. Ranged can continue attacking if it's not near them. Threat wipes at the end of each Whirlwind.
Chaos Blast	Demon	Fire damage to the highest-threat target. This is why the Warlock tank uses Searing Pain — to stay at the top of the Demon form threat table.
Insidious Whisper	Demon	Targets up to five random players and spawns a copy of them as an Inner Demon. Players must kill their demon immediately or become permanently Mind Controlled. Inner Demons can only be attacked by the player they belong to.
Split / Shadow of Leotheras	Phase 3	At 15% HP, Leotheras splits into Human form and Demon form as two separate bosses. Each needs its own tank. Burn Human form while the Warlock holds Demon form.

Phase Breakdown

Human Form — Run from Whirlwind, stop damage at end

Lasts at least 45 seconds, then swaps to Demon form

The main tank holds Leotheras. When Whirlwind is cast, everyone runs away from the boss — melee and ranged alike. Ranged DPS can keep attacking during Whirlwind as long as the boss isn't spinning toward them. The bleed from a Whirlwind hit needs prompt healing.

Threat Wipe at End of WhirlwindAll threat resets when Whirlwind ends. DPS stops immediately. Give the main tank time to rebuild. Hunters use Misdirection on the tank to speed this up.

After at least 45 seconds, Leotheras transitions to Demon form. Again, all threat wipes on the swap.

Demon Form — Warlock tank, kill Inner Demons immediately

Lasts until Leotheras transitions back to Human form

The Warlock tank takes over, spamming Searing Pain to hold threat on Demon form. All other DPS waits for the Warlock to build a safe threat lead before attacking.

Insidious WhisperWhen Inner Demons spawn, the targeted players must stop attacking the boss and kill their own demon immediately. Failure = permanent Mind Control. Healers and tanks are especially vulnerable since they may not have enough damage output — tanks should swap to two weapons and use offensive cooldowns if targeted.

Threat resets again when Leotheras transitions back to Human form. The cycle repeats until 15%.

Split Phase — Burn Human form, hold Demon form

Triggered at 15% HP — Demon form spawns at full health

Leotheras splits into two bosses. The entire raid focuses Human form and burns it down with all remaining offensive cooldowns. The Warlock tank holds the Demon form with healer support. Kill Human form before the Demon form overwhelms the Warlock tank.

Cooldown TimingSave Bloodlust/Heroism and major offensive cooldowns for this phase. The Demon form spawning at full health creates a hard time pressure — the faster Human form dies, the easier the split phase is.

Role Notes

Tanks

Main tank holds Human form — rebuild threat after every Whirlwind and every form swap
Warlock tank holds Demon form with Searing Pain spam the entire fight
If targeted by Insidious Whisper, swap to two weapons and use offensive cooldowns to kill the Inner Demon
Split phase: Warlock holds Demon form while raid burns Human form

Melee DPS

Run away from Leotheras the instant Whirlwind starts
Stop attacking when Whirlwind ends — wait for the tank to rebuild threat
Be patient after form swaps — threat resets every time
Kill your Inner Demon immediately if targeted — stop all other damage

Ranged DPS

You can attack during Whirlwind if the boss isn't spinning toward you
Be patient after Demon form transitions — let the Warlock build threat
Kill your Inner Demon immediately if targeted
Save major cooldowns for the split phase at 15%

Healers

Spot-heal Whirlwind bleed targets — the DoT stacks up quickly on multiple people
Be careful with big heals during transitions — threat resets can send aggro to a healer instantly
Assign healers to the Warlock tank specifically during the split phase
If a healer gets Insidious Whisper, they may struggle to kill the demon — assign a DPS to assist if possible

Serpentshrine Cavern — Boss 4 of 6

Fathom-Lord Karathress

Council fight — kill the three Fathom-Guards before burning the boss

4 Targets

Interrupt Caribdis

Kill Spitfire Totem Instantly

Overview

Karathress is a council-style fight. He and his three Fathom-Guards engage together, and each guard must be killed before you kill Karathress. Killing each guard grants Karathress a new ability, and if Karathress drops below 75% while any guard is alive, he gains a massive haste and cast speed buff that will almost certainly wipe the raid. Four separate tanks are needed.

Spitfire Totem This totem causes more wipes on this fight than anything else. The instant it spawns, everyone stops what they're doing and kills it. There are no exceptions. Missing a Spitfire Totem is a wipe.

Kill Order

1. Tidalvess Main raid focus

2. Sharkkis Cleave after Tidalvess

3. Caribdis Whole raid finishes her

4. Karathress Main tank burn

Blessing of the TidesIf Karathress reaches 75% HP while any Fathom-Guard is alive, he gains a massive attack and cast speed buff. This is effectively a wipe mechanic. Do not let it happen — the guards must die first.

Fathom-Guard Abilities

Fathom-Guard Tidalvess (Kill First)

Ability	Notes
Spitfire Totem	Kill immediately. Lasts 1 minute. Deals significant fire damage to 5 random players. Every time it spawns — during Tidalvess and after he dies when Karathress inherits the ability — the entire raid swaps and kills it.
Frost Shock	Frost damage and movement slow on the tank.
Earthbind Totem	Slows all nearby players. Destroy it when possible.
Poison Cleansing Totem	Removes a poison effect from Tidalvess periodically. Destroy it to stop it cleansing.

Fathom-Guard Sharkkis (Kill Second)

Ability	Notes
The Beast Within	Increases all damage by 30% and pet damage by 50%. Save tank defensive cooldowns for this.
Summon Fathom Lurker	Elemental pet — deals melee damage and casts Knock Away (threat wipe). Explodes for ~4,000 Nature AoE damage on death. Do NOT kill it near the raid — tank it away and let it die out of range, or make sure people spread before it dies.
Summon Fathom Sporebat	Beast pet — melee damage and Knock Away. Cannot be CC'd. Tank it with the guard.
Multi-Toss	Targets a random player and up to three nearby, dealing Physical damage.
Leeching Throw	Drains health and mana from a random target for 12 seconds. Cannot be dispelled.

Fathom-Guard Caribdis (Isolated — Kill Third)

Ability	Notes
Healing Wave	Heals a random boss/guard for a large amount every 15 seconds. Interrupt every cast. Fast cast time — have multiple interrupters assigned. Curse of Tongues and Mind-numbing Poison slow the cast to make it easier to kick.
Tidal Surge	Freezes a random player and all within 10 yards for 3 seconds. Spread out to avoid chaining. Becomes Karathress's ability after Caribdis dies.
Summon Cyclone	Spawns roaming blue whirlwinds. They lift players and apply a cast speed debuff. Move away from them.
Water Bolt Volley	Instant cast — Frost damage to all nearby players.

Fathom-Lord Karathress

Ability	Notes
Cataclysmic Bolt	Targets a random player — deals 50% of their max health and briefly stuns. Healers need to be ready to top this player immediately.
Sear Nova	Fire damage to all players in melee range. Ranged stay out. Tank takes this.
Blessing of the Tides	Gained at 75% if any guard is alive — massive attack and cast speed buff. Wipe mechanic.
Inherited Powers	Gains Spitfire Totem from Tidalvess, The Beast Within from Sharkkis, and Tidal Surge from Caribdis as each guard dies.
Enrage	10-minute hard enrage — increases attack speed and damage. Kill the fight before this.

Encounter

Setup — Four tanks, Caribdis isolated

Assign four tanks before pulling: Main Tank on Karathress (building threat throughout), a Druid or Paladin tank on Sharkkis and his pets, an Off-Tank on Tidalvess, and a Warrior tank with a healer and interrupt team dragging Caribdis far away from the rest of the raid.

The Caribdis group's job is simple: keep her separated so her Healing Wave doesn't heal other targets easily, and interrupt every single Healing Wave cast. Assign multiple interrupters — it has a fast cast time. Curse of Tongues or Mind-numbing Poison on Caribdis makes it significantly easier to catch.

Kill Tidalvess — Spitfire Totem discipline

The main raid focuses Tidalvess while the Main Tank holds Karathress. Every time a Spitfire Totem spawns, every DPS in the raid swaps to it and kills it immediately — then returns to Tidalvess. No exceptions.

Spitfire TotemCall it out on voice. Every DPS swaps immediately. If it's allowed to pulse even a few times it will kill people and create a healing crisis. Kill it the second it appears.

Destroy Tidalvess's Poison Cleansing Totem when it spawns to prevent it from cleansing him.

Cleave Sharkkis — Watch the Fathom Lurker

After Tidalvess dies, the raid cleaves down Sharkkis. Karathress now has Spitfire Totem — keep killing it the instant it spawns. The Sharkkis tank picks up his summoned pets. Spore Explosion on the Fathom Lurker's death deals ~4,000 Nature AoE to nearby players — make sure the Lurker is positioned away from the raid before it dies, or everyone spreads before the kill shot.

Fathom Lurker ExplosionDo not kill the Fathom Lurker while the raid is stacked on it. Call it out before the kill shot and spread.

Save tank defensive cooldowns for when Sharkkis or Karathress uses The Beast Within — their damage jumps significantly.

Kill Caribdis — Spread for Tidal Surge

Once Tidalvess and Sharkkis are dead, the whole raid converges on Caribdis. Keep spreading out — Tidal Surge freezes everyone within 10 yards of the target. Continue interrupting Healing Wave until she dies. Karathress now also has Tidal Surge after she dies.

Burn Karathress

All guards are dead. The Main Tank has had the entire fight to build threat on Karathress. Pop offensive cooldowns and burn. Continue killing Spitfire Totems whenever they spawn. Stay spread for Tidal Surge. Healers watch for Cataclysmic Bolt targets — the 50% max health hit needs immediate attention.

Role Notes

Tanks

Main Tank: hold Karathress the entire fight, building threat throughout
Druid/Paladin: hold Sharkkis and pick up his summoned pets
Off-Tank: hold Tidalvess
Warrior: drag Caribdis far away from the raid with a dedicated healer
Save defensive cooldowns for The Beast Within on Sharkkis and Karathress

Melee DPS

Always swap to Spitfire Totem immediately when it spawns
If assigned to interrupt Caribdis, stay alert — the cast is fast
Spread out when converging on Caribdis to avoid Tidal Surge chains
Don't kill the Fathom Lurker near the raid — call out before kill shot

Ranged DPS

Always swap to Spitfire Totem immediately when it spawns
Caribdis interrupt team: use Curse of Tongues to slow her cast speed
Stay out of melee range of Karathress (Sear Nova)
Spread out for Tidal Surge during Caribdis and Karathress phases

Healers

Three or four tanks taking simultaneous damage — assign healers clearly
Dedicated healer on the Caribdis tank (Warrior isolated far away)
Spread out with the Caribdis group for Tidal Surge
Immediately top Cataclysmic Bolt targets (50% max HP hit)

Serpentshrine Cavern — Boss 5 of 6

Morogrim Tidewalker

Murloc waves on a timer — AoE tanks and threat discipline win this fight

Murloc Waves

Watery Grave

AoE Tank Coordination

Overview

Tidewalker is a three-phase fight that cycles between burning the boss, surviving Murloc waves, and a final burn race at 25%. The Murloc waves are the hardest part — they rush in fast, and if AoE tanks can't hold threat, the Murlocs beeline for healers and kill them. Threat discipline during Murloc waves is the difference between a clean kill and a wipe.

Murloc Threat Discipline Do not AoE the Murloc waves until the AoE tanks have had time to generate solid threat. If a Murloc tank gets Watery Graved mid-wave, the Murlocs will chase the nearest player with threat — which is often a healer. Give the tanks time.

Before the Pull

Position Murloc tanks and crowd controllers in the hallways and near the waterfalls before the pull — the Murlocs rush in fast from both entrances and a head start matters. Hunters pre-place Frost Traps in the entrance paths. Have Super Sapper Charges ready for snap AoE threat on Murloc groups. Position the raid behind Tidewalker near one of the pillars so Tidal Wave only hits the main tank.

Abilities

Ability	Notes
Tidal Wave	Frost damage cone in front of Tidewalker plus a 15-second melee attack speed debuff. Keep Tidewalker always facing away from the raid — only the main tank should ever be in front of him.
Watery Grave	Teleports 4 random players to the waterfall locations, stuns briefly, and drops them from above for fall damage. Assign 1-2 Druid healers to instantly throw HoTs on Watery Grave targets. The stun and fall damage together can kill an unhealed player quickly.
Earthquake	Deals damage to everyone within 50 yards and triggers a Murloc wave — two packs of six Tidewalker Lurkers rush in through both room entrances. Use bandages on yourself after Earthquake, but wait to heal others until Murloc threat is established.
Summon Water Globule	Triggered at 25% HP. Spawns slow-moving water bubbles at each waterfall that fixate on random players and explode for heavy damage on contact. Move Tidewalker into a corner away from the Globules and burn the boss before they reach the raid.

Phase Breakdown

Phase 1 — Tank and spank between Murloc waves

Continues until Earthquake spawns a Murloc wave

Move Tidewalker to a pillar, facing away from the raid. The entire raid positions behind the boss to both damage him and be in position to AoE Murloc waves when they arrive. The main tank is the only player who should ever be in front of Tidewalker.

Watery GraveWhen four players are teleported to the waterfalls, assigned Druid healers immediately throw Rejuvenation and Regrowth on each one. They take fall damage on landing and need fast heals. Do not let them die while the rest of the raid is busy on the boss.

Between waves, this phase is straightforward. The challenge is managing Watery Grave without pulling healer attention away from the tank for too long.

Murloc Waves — Hold DPS, let tanks establish threat

Triggered by Earthquake — two packs of 6 rush in from both entrances

When Earthquake hits, Murloc Lurkers charge in from both room entrances simultaneously. AoE tanks rush to intercept. Hunters fire Frost Traps in their path. Mages cast Rank 1 Blizzard to slow them without generating much threat. Everyone else waits.

Wait for ThreatDo not AoE the Murloc packs until the tanks have had time to generate solid threat. If you AoE before threat is established, Murlocs scatter to healers. Once the tanks have threat, Warlocks use Seed of Corruption and the raid burns the packs down quickly.

If a Murloc tank gets Watery Graved mid-wave, those Murlocs will follow them to the waterfall — which is better than them running loose on healers, as long as enough threat was built before the teleport. This is exactly why threat discipline early in the wave matters.

Once the wave is cleared, return to Phase 1 and resume burning the boss.

25% — Water Globules, move boss to corner and burn

Triggered when Tidewalker reaches 25% HP

Water Globules spawn at each waterfall and slowly drift toward random raid members. The main tank moves Tidewalker into a far corner of the room, away from the Globule spawn points. The raid stacks on the boss and pops Bloodlust/Heroism plus all remaining offensive cooldowns. Kill Tidewalker before the Globules drift into the raid.

Burn WindowThis is the time to use everything. Bloodlust, potions, trinkets, all of it. The Globules move slowly enough that if the raid burns hard immediately, Tidewalker dies before they become a real threat. Stalling here is how wipes happen.

Role Notes

Tanks

Main tank: Tidewalker always faces away from the raid — never let Tidal Wave clip anyone
AoE Murloc tanks: use Super Sapper Charges for snap threat on wave arrival
Move Tidewalker to a corner at 25% to keep the raid away from Globules
If Watery Graved mid-wave, hope threat is high enough that Murlocs chase you to the waterfall instead of healers

Melee DPS

Do not attack Murlocs until the AoE tanks clearly have threat
Use Heavy Netherweave Bandage on yourself after Earthquake — do not waste healer mana
Stay behind Tidewalker at all times
Pop all cooldowns at 25% for the Globule burn

Ranged DPS

Hunters: pre-place Frost Traps in Murloc entrance paths before Earthquake
Mages: Rank 1 Blizzard to slow Murlocs without threatening healers
Warlocks: Seed of Corruption once AoE tanks have established threat
Use bandages after Earthquake before healing is distributed
All cooldowns at 25% for the burn phase

Healers

Assign 1-2 Druids specifically to Watery Grave targets — HoTs work perfectly for the fall damage
Do not spam-heal the raid immediately after Earthquake — wait until Murloc threat is established or you become the Murlocs' target
Raid damage after Earthquake is heavy but manageable; prioritize tanks first, then wait for AoE tank threat
Be ready to move away from Globules in Phase 3

Serpentshrine Cavern — Boss 6 of 6 — Final Boss

Lady Vashj

Three-phase encounter — Phase 2 coordination is the make-or-break moment

High Difficulty

Tainted Core Chain

Overview

Vashj is a three-phase fight. Phase 1 and Phase 3 are pure execution. Phase 2 is a coordinated add-control phase where the raid must pass Tainted Cores between players to disable four Shield Generators. Once all generators are down, Phase 3 is a burn race against an ever-expanding poison carpet.

The One Thing That Wipes RaidsPhase 2 Tainted Core handoffs. If your core chain breaks, a generator stays up, adds keep spawning, and healers run out of mana. Assign and practice the chain before pulling.

Before the Pull

Spread the raid evenly around the platform before pulling. Hunters spread to the corners and outer ring for Enchanted Elemental intercept. Assign the entire Tainted Core chain now — who loots, who relays, who stands at each generator. Healers assign one per tank plus raid healers for the core group.

Abilities

Ability	Notes
Shoot	Physical damage to highest-threat target when no one is in melee range. Tank stays in melee.
Multi-Shot	Hits a random player and nearby targets. Spread out to reduce splash.
Shock Blast	Nature damage plus 5-second stun on highest-threat target. Shaman Grounding Totem can absorb this.
Entangle	Roots and damages all players within 15 yards. Cannot be dispelled. Removed by Blessing of Freedom, Cloak of Shadows, Druid shapeshifting, or PvP trinket.
Static Charge	Debuff on a random player — deals 2,000 Nature damage to everyone within 5 yards. Move away immediately if you get it.
Forked Lightning P2	Frontal cone Nature damage during Phase 2. Position accordingly.
Persuasion P2	Mind controls a random player for 20 seconds at 999% damage. Cannot be CC'd but can be taunted. Tanks watch for this constantly.

Phase 2 Adds

Add	Priority	Notes
Enchanted Elemental	Kill on sight	Runs to Vashj and gives her a permanent +5% damage stack per reach. Hunters handle these.
Tainted Elemental	Kill quickly	Despawns after 15 seconds. Drops the Tainted Core. Focus fire and loot immediately.
Coilfang Elite	Melee target	Cleave — tanks must face away from raid and melee.
Coilfang Strider	Ranged/kite	Fears all players in melee range every 2 seconds. Melee ignores entirely. Kite with Warlock (Searing Pain) and Shaman (Frost Shock).
Toxic Sporebat P3	Burn fast	Drops poison clouds. More clouds = faster platform coverage = enrage timer. Hunters and Warlocks prioritize.

Phase Breakdown

100% to 70% HP — Burn and spread

Ends when Vashj reaches 70% HP

Straightforward tank-and-spank. Manage Static Charge by running out of the group immediately when you get it. Save major offensive cooldowns for Phase 3. Healers use mana consumables now — the fight is long.

Shield Phase — Add control and core handoffs

Triggered at 70% HP — ends when all 4 Shield Generators are disabled

Enchanted ElementalsDo NOT let them reach Vashj. Even 3-4 stacks of the buff makes Phase 3 unmanageable.

Enchanted Elementals Hunters

Coilfang Striders Ranged DPS

Coilfang Elites Melee DPS

Kite + Slow Warlock + Shaman

Tainted Core Chain

Tainted Elemental dies

›

Player A loots core

›

Throws to relay player

›

Reaches generator player

›

Generator disabled

If the Core Holder DiesThe core disappears. You wait for another Tainted Elemental. Core holders must be kept alive — healers prioritize them.

Tanks must taunt off Mind Controlled (Persuasion) players immediately. A healer one-shotted by a MC'd player can collapse the raid.

Burn Phase — Race against the poison carpet

All 4 generators disabled — Vashj emerges and wipes threat

Vashj drops her shield. Do NOT immediately attack her — burn the remaining Phase 2 adds first so the main tank can build threat. Hunters and Warlocks burn Toxic Sporebats to slow cloud spread. Pop Bloodlust/Heroism and all remaining offensive cooldowns immediately.

Main tank should be near Vashj when the 4th generator drops for proximity threat.
Hunters: Misdirection on the main tank to help establish threat fast.
Have a designated direction for the raid to slowly move as poison clouds accumulate.

Role Notes

Tanks

Use Misdirection on pull to front-load threat
Off-tanks: Coilfang Elites faced away from melee in Phase 2
Taunt off Persuasion targets immediately
Main tank near Vashj when 4th generator drops

Melee DPS

Stay behind Coilfang Elites — Cleave kills you
Never go near Coilfang Striders
Move out on Static Charge immediately
Kill adds at Phase 3 start before hitting Vashj

Ranged DPS

Phase 2: Coilfang Striders are your target
Move out on Static Charge immediately
Save cooldowns for Phase 3
Burn Sporebats in Phase 3 to slow cloud spread

Healers

Spread evenly across the platform
Assign healers to tanks and core group
Use mana consumables early and often
Prioritize core holders in Phase 2

Tempest Keep: The Eye

Trash Mobs

Know what you're pulling before you pull it

Astromancer + Star Scryer Packs

Kill OrderAstromancer and Star Scryer die first — every time. The Astromancer deals fire AoE and the Star Scryer will Mind Control a raid member if left up. CC the MC'd player immediately and kill these two before anything else in the pack.

Mob	Ability	Notes
Astromancer	Molten Armor	Deals fire damage to anyone who attacks. Purge it immediately.
	Blast Wave	Fire AoE with a slow. Spread out or move through it.
	Fireball Volley	Instant cast fire AoE to all nearby. Kill this mob fast.
Star Scryer	Domination	Mind Controls a raid member. CC the target immediately. Kill the Star Scryer first.
	Arcane Blast	Arcane damage and knockback on the tank. Keep back against a wall.
	Starfall	Instant cast arcane AoE to all nearby.

Bloodwarder Marshal Patrol

One Bloodwarder Marshal with two Bloodwarder Squires nearby. The Squires cast Cleanse and Heal — interrupt both. Keep the Marshal facing a wall to prevent Uppercut knockback from being an issue for the tank.

Mob	Ability	Notes
Marshal	Whirlwind	Physical AoE to nearby players. Step out during spin.
	Bloodthirst	Heals the Marshal slightly. Not a major concern.
	Uppercut	Knocks tank back. Keep Marshal against a wall.
Squire	Cleanse / Heal	Interrupt both constantly. Do not let them heal the Marshal.

Al'ar's Room — Phoenix-Hawk Packs

Pull these into the hallway before entering Al'ar's room. Each pack has Tempest Falconers and Phoenix-Hawk Hatchlings. Phoenix-Hawks should be tanked in a hallway corner to contain Wing Buffet knockback. The AoE Silence from Hatchlings affects spellcasters — casters stay back.

Mob	Ability	Notes
Hatchling	Silence	6-second AoE Silence. Spellcasters stay at range.
	Wing Buffet	Knockback. Tank in a corner.
Phoenix-Hawk	Dive	Charges the furthest player and knocks back nearby players. Stack up so no one is far away and isolated.
	Mana Burn	AoE mana steal and damage to all players with mana in range. Pull only one or two at a time. The mana loss is manageable in small pulls.

Crystalcore Packs

Crystalcore MechanicThese are Demons — Warlocks Banish them. Kill them last in any pack. Their Recharge channel heals nearby Crystalcore Golems, so kill Golems first and then let the Mechanic out of Banish.

Mob	Ability	Notes
Devastator	Countercharge	Adds Arcane damage to auto attacks and silences nearby. Melee stays behind. Raid at max range.
	Knock Away	Knocks the tank back and resets threat. Tank faces a corner.
Sentinel	Charged Arcane Explosion / Trample	AoE damage to melee range targets. Melee stays behind. Ranged stays at max range.
	Overcharge	Massive burst Arcane damage on the highest-threat tank. Second tank taunts immediately or healers burst-heal the tank.
Mechanic	Saw Blade	Physical damage and bleed to random players.
	Recharge	Channels a heal to a nearby Golem. Banish Mechanics until Golems are dead.

Tempest-Smith

Tempest-Smiths can be Mind Controlled by a Priest and used against the enemy. Mind Control them and keep them CC'd until any nearby Crystalcore Golems are dead. Their Power Up ability increases a Golem's damage by 50% while channeled — never let this go off.

Ability	Notes
Power Up	Channels +50% damage buff onto a Crystalcore Golem. Mind Control or CC the Tempest-Smith to prevent this.
Golem Repair	Heals a nearby Golem. Kill Golems first.
Fragmentation Bomb	Fire damage plus armor reduction debuff on targets hit.
Shell Shock	Fire damage and stun AoE.

Crimson Hand Packs

Main Tank faces all mobs against the wall and holds threat on the entire group. Once threat is established, AoE them down. Healers dispel Hammer of Justice from the Blood Knight. The Frostbolt Volley, Blizzard, and Arcane Flurry from the Battle Mage and Centurion cannot be interrupted normally — Polymorph or Gouge can stop the cast before it goes off.

Mob	Ability	Notes
Blood Knight	Flash of Light	Uninterruptable heal. Burn this mob down quickly.
	Hammer of Justice	Stun on a target. Healers dispel it.
	Renew	HoT on a target. Purge it.
Battle Mage	Frostbolt Volley	Frost AoE to all raid members. Polymorph or Gouge to stop the cast.
	Blizzard	Move out of it.
	Cone of Cold	Frost cone — tank keeps Battle Mage facing a wall.
Centurion	Arcane Flurry	Massive damage to a random target. Polymorph or Gouge to stop the cast.

Tempest Keep: The Eye — Boss 1 of 4

Void Reaver

Also known as Loot Reaver — single phase, all about threat and orb dodging

Knock Away

Arcane Orb Dodge

10 Min Enrage

Overview

Void Reaver is a single-phase fight with no new mechanics introduced at any point. The entire fight revolves around multiple tanks building as much threat as possible because Knock Away periodically punts the current tank and wipes a significant portion of their aggro. Melee takes constant AoE damage from Pounding. Ranged spreads out in small groups to manage Arcane Orb. That's the whole fight.

Abilities

Ability	Notes
Arcane Orb	Shoots toward a random player outside of melee range. Slow travel speed — plenty of time to move. Deals Arcane damage and silences for 6 seconds on impact. The targeted player runs away from their group so the orb doesn't hit anyone else.
Pounding	Channeled AoE Arcane damage to all players near Void Reaver. Short cooldown — goes off many times throughout the fight. This is why melee healers need to be on top of the melee group constantly.
Knock Away	Punts the player with the most threat backward and reduces their aggro significantly. The next highest-threat player immediately takes over. Three to four tanks are recommended so there is always someone with enough threat to pick up when a Knock Away hits.
Enrage	10-minute timer. Kill the boss before it expires.

Strategy

Tank Void Reaver in the very center of the room to give ranged players maximum space around the edges. Assign positions around the room for ranged groups of two or three — this limits how many people get caught when an Arcane Orb comes toward a group.

Three or four tanks are needed. All of them build threat simultaneously throughout the fight. Warrior tanks swap to dual wield when they are not the active tank to generate threat faster, then swap back to shield when Knock Away hits someone else and it's their turn to hold the boss. Hunters keep a Misdirection rotation on the tanks to help re-establish threat after each Knock Away.

Pounding on MeleeMelee takes significant damage every time Pounding goes off, and it goes off constantly. Shaman Chain Heal keeps melee alive here. Healthstones are a backup. Melee should use Heavy Netherweave Bandages whenever they get a free moment.

DPS players need to watch threat carefully and not overtake multiple tanks at once. If two tanks both just got Knock Away'd and are rebuilding threat, a DPS pulling aggro at that moment is a wipe.

Role Notes

Tanks

3-4 tanks all building threat simultaneously throughout the fight
Warriors: dual wield when not actively tanking, swap to shield when you pick up
Tank boss in center of room
Call for Misdirection after Knock Away to re-establish threat quickly

Melee DPS

Watch threat — do not overtake multiple tanks at once
Expect constant Pounding damage — stay on top of Healthstones and bandages
If targeted by Arcane Orb, run away from the melee cluster

Ranged DPS

Spread into assigned groups of 2-3 around the room perimeter
If Arcane Orb comes toward your group, run away — do not let it hit your group
Hunters: Misdirection rotation on tanks throughout, especially after Knock Away
Watch threat — tanks lose aggro periodically and need time to rebuild

Healers

Shaman Chain Heal on the melee group for Pounding — it goes off very frequently
Spread with ranged groups and be ready to dodge Arcane Orbs
Shift tank healing when a new tank picks up after Knock Away
Spot heal Arcane Orb targets if they take a hit before dodging

Tempest Keep: The Eye — Boss 2 of 4

Al'ar

Two-phase Phoenix encounter — platform positioning in Phase 1, tank swaps in Phase 2

Platform Positioning

Melt Armor Swap

10 Min Berserk

Overview

Al'ar is a two-phase fight. Phase 1 is a positioning and movement fight across six platforms — tanks must be pre-positioned at each landing spot and jump down during Flame Quills. Phase 2 brings Al'ar to the center of the room for a tank-swap fight with Ember adds, Flame Patches to avoid, and a hard 10-minute Berserk timer. The fight ends when Al'ar dies in Phase 2.

Abilities

Phase 1

Ability	Notes
Ember of Al'ar	Each time Al'ar moves to a non-adjacent platform, a Phoenix add spawns. Off-tank grabs it immediately and drags it away from the raid — melee kill it away from the group because it explodes on death. Does not spawn on adjacent platform moves.
Flame Buffet	Only triggers if nobody is in melee range while Al'ar is on a platform. Deals fire damage and stacks a debuff increasing fire damage taken. If this goes off multiple times the raid will wipe. Always have a tank on the platform Al'ar lands on.
Flame Quills	Instead of flying to a new platform, Al'ar flies to the center and shoots Flame Quills at anyone on a platform. All players on platforms must jump off immediately. Tanks head to the ramps and get back into position for the next landing.
Ember Blast	Al'ar dies at the end of Phase 1 and casts Ember Blast — fire damage and knockback. This is the transition into Phase 2.

Phase 2

Ability	Notes
Rebirth	Al'ar respawns in the center of the room at the start of Phase 2 — fire damage and knockback on the whole raid.
Melt Armor	Reduces the main tank's armor by 80%. The tank will die very quickly while holding aggro with this debuff. Al'ar is tauntable — swap immediately when this goes out.
Dive Bomb	Al'ar flies into the air and crashes down on a random player — massive fire damage split among all players in a small radius. Stack up when this happens so the damage is spread across the whole raid. Two Ember of Al'ar adds also spawn after each Dive Bomb — tank them away from the boss.
Flame Patch	Spawns a persistent fire patch on the ground. Don't stand in it. It applies a debuff increasing fire damage taken.
Charge	Al'ar charges a random player and immediately casts Flame Buffet. Raid healers cover this damage.
Berserk	10 minutes after Phase 2 begins. Kills the raid. Kill Al'ar before the timer expires.

Phase Breakdown

Phase 1 — Platform rotation, kill Embers, jump for Quills

Ends when Al'ar reaches 0% HP and casts Ember Blast

Three tanks spread across the six platform locations before the pull. Al'ar lands on one platform and moves in a clockwise rotation — have a tank pre-positioned at the next platform before he lands. If no tank is in melee range when he lands, Flame Buffet begins and will quickly wipe the raid.

Flame QuillsWhen Al'ar flies to the center instead of a platform, everyone on a platform jumps down immediately. Tanks head to the ramps to reposition for the next landing.

Ranged DPS stands in the center of the room and damages the boss continuously through Phase 1 — threat is not an issue while Al'ar is on a platform. Melee positions near the ramps and bottom of each platform to intercept Ember adds.

When an Ember spawns, an off-tank grabs it and drags it away. Melee kills it away from the raid. Move away from the Ember when it's low on health — it explodes on death.

Phase 2 — Center tank fight, Melt Armor swaps, Dive Bomb stacking

Begins when Al'ar casts Rebirth after dying in Phase 1

Al'ar respawns in the center of the room. Multiple tanks stay on the boss. Avoid Flame Patches on the ground at all times. When Melt Armor goes out, the off-tank taunts immediately — a tank holding Al'ar with Melt Armor will die very quickly.

Dive BombWhen Al'ar goes into the air, the whole raid stacks up. The damage is split among all players in the landing radius — with a full raid alive, nobody dies. Two Ember adds spawn after landing. An off-tank grabs them and drags them away while melee kills them clear of the main group.

Melee's primary job in Phase 2 is killing Ember adds from Dive Bomb. Get them away from the boss before they die so their explosion doesn't hit the raid. Ranged keeps pumping damage on Al'ar while avoiding Flame Patches and staying in position for Dive Bomb stacking.

10-Minute BerserkThe clock starts when Phase 2 begins. Pop Bloodlust/Heroism early in Phase 2 and use offensive cooldowns aggressively. Do not stall.

Role Notes

Tanks

Phase 1: three tanks cover six platform spots — be pre-positioned before Al'ar lands
Jump off platforms immediately during Flame Quills, reposition via ramps
Off-tank: grab Ember adds and drag them away from the raid
Phase 2: taunt immediately when Melt Armor goes out on the main tank
Tank Dive Bomb Embers away from the boss

Melee DPS

Phase 1: position near ramps and bottom of platforms to intercept Ember adds
Move away from Embers before killing them — they explode on death
Phase 2: same job — kill Ember adds away from the raid
Don't stand in Flame Patch

Ranged DPS

Phase 1: stand in center, damage boss freely — no threat issues on platforms
Stack up for Dive Bomb in Phase 2
Don't stand in Flame Patch
Keep damage on Al'ar in Phase 2 while avoiding mechanics

Healers

Phase 1: heal platform tanks and spot heal Ember explosion hits
Conserve mana in Phase 1 — Phase 2 is more intense
Phase 2: cover Charge hits and Dive Bomb raid damage
Be ready to burst-heal the incoming tank immediately after a Melt Armor swap
Don't stand in Flame Patch

Tempest Keep: The Eye — Boss 3 of 4

High Astromancer Solarian

Three phases — Wrath soakers, portal adds, then burn her as a Voidwalker

Arcane Damage

Wrath Soakers

Voidwalker at 20%

Overview

Solarian alternates between two phases every 50 seconds — Phase 1 where she is active and casting, and Phase 2 where she disappears and portal adds spawn. At 20% she transforms into a large Voidwalker with a fear ability. The main mechanic throughout is Wrath of the Astromancer, a debuff that jumps to the nearest player after 6 seconds and dramatically increases Arcane damage taken. Raids designate two Arcane Soakers positioned away from the group to catch the bounce.

Before the Pull

Designate two Arcane Soakers — players wearing as much Arcane Resistance as possible, positioned far away from the rest of the raid. Anyone who gets Wrath of the Astromancer runs to the soakers and lets the debuff jump to them. Soakers then run away from each other so it bounces between them instead of the main group. Some raids also use Violet Badge during progression to offset stacks of the Mark of Solarian debuff if raid members are dying to Blinding Light.

Abilities

Ability	Phase	Notes
Arcane Missiles	Phase 1	Channels on a random player. Cannot be interrupted. No threat table during Phase 1 — everyone goes all out.
Wrath of the Astromancer	Phase 1	Debuff on a random player — after 6 seconds it bounces to the nearest player and deals Arcane damage plus increased Arcane damage taken. Player runs to the designated soakers immediately. Soakers pass it between each other away from the group.
Blinding Light	Phase 1	Arcane damage to the entire raid every 20 seconds. Stacks of Mark of Solarian (reduces Arcane Resistance 15 per stack) make this increasingly dangerous over time.
Mark of Solarian	Phase 1	Stacking debuff reducing Arcane Resistance by 15 per stack. Accumulates throughout the fight, making Blinding Light increasingly punishing.
Solarian Portals	Phase 2	Every 50 seconds Solarian vanishes and portals spawn dozens of non-elite Solarium Agents. A tank picks them up and the raid AoEs them down. When Solarian respawns she brings two Solarium Priests — interrupt and stun them immediately.
Solarian Transform	Phase 3	At 20%, Solarian transforms into a large Voidwalker. She only casts Arcane Bolt (heavy single-target on the tank) and Psychic Scream (fears all nearby players). Get Tremor Totems and a Fear Ward rotation on the tank before she transforms.

Phase Breakdown

Phase 1 — Active (50 seconds)

Repeats every 50 seconds until Phase 2 triggers

No threat table during Phase 1 — everyone deals maximum damage. Tanks drop shields and DPS freely. Ranged stacks together to make it easy to identify when someone needs to run to the soakers. The moment Wrath of the Astromancer appears on a player, that player sprints to the soaker position immediately. Do not wait — 6 seconds goes fast.

Wrath of the AstromancerStack ranged in a tight group so there is a clear "inside the raid" and "outside the raid." The debuffed player runs out to the soakers. The soakers bounce it between themselves. The debuffed player returns to the group once it's off them.

Phase 2 — Portals (adds)

Solarian disappears and Solarium Agents flood in from beams of light. A tank picks them all up and the raid AoEs them down as fast as possible. When Solarian respawns she brings two Solarium Priests — these can be interrupted and stunned. Melee and Rogues get on the Priests immediately to kick and Kidney Shot. Once the Priests are handled it's back to Phase 1 for another 50 seconds.

Phase 3 — Voidwalker (20%)

Triggered at 20% HP

Solarian transforms into a large armored Voidwalker. She stops all previous casts and only uses Arcane Bolt (heavy tank damage) and Psychic Scream (fears everyone in melee range). This is essentially a tank-and-spank burn phase — the only challenge is the fear. Get Fear Ward on the main tank and Tremor Totems down before she hits 20%. Priests rotate Fear Ward on the tank throughout this phase.

Role Notes

Tanks

Phase 1: drop your shield and DPS — no threat table, everyone goes all out
Phase 2: pick up all Solarium Agents immediately when they spawn
Paladin tanks are ideal for Phase 2 AoE pickup
Phase 3: hold the Voidwalker — get Fear Ward and Tremor Totem before 20%

Melee DPS

Phase 1: go crazy — no threat table, boss can't dodge while channeling
Phase 2: Rogues kick and Kidney Shot the Solarium Priests immediately
Phase 3: stay near Tremor Totem to break fear quickly

Ranged DPS

Stack together in Phase 1 so Wrath runners have a clear path out
If you get Wrath of the Astromancer, run to the soakers immediately
Phase 2: AoE Solarium Agents down fast
Phase 3: burn the boss

Healers

Stack with ranged in Phase 1 — same Wrath of the Astromancer rules apply to you
Blinding Light damage goes out every 20 seconds — keep the raid topped
Priests: rotate Fear Ward on the main tank during Phase 3
Phase 3 is a straightforward burn — heavy tank healing from Arcane Bolt

Tempest Keep: The Eye — Boss 4 of 4 — Final Boss

Kael'thas Sunstrider

Five phases — advisors, weapons, advisors again, Kael, then Gravity Lapse at 50%

5 Phases

High Complexity

Mind Control

Legendary Weapons

Overview

Kael'thas is the most complex fight in TBC Classic. Five phases, four named advisors, seven legendary weapons, Mind Controls, a Phoenix that respawns from an egg, a Shock Barrier and Pyroblast sequence that can wipe a raid, and a Gravity Lapse at 50% that throws everyone into the air. Read this before you pull.

Kill Position Matters in Phase 1 Each advisor dies in a specific location. They respawn in exactly that spot in Phase 3. Bad Phase 1 positioning makes Phase 3 a nightmare. Thaladred: wherever he falls (hard to control). Sanguinar: against a side wall. Capernian: back of the room near the entrance. Telonicus: opposite wall from Sanguinar.

Advisor Abilities

Advisor	Ability	Notes
Thaladred	Fixate	No threat table. Fixates on a random player and slowly moves toward them. Fixated player must run. 30-yard range on Psychic Blow — stay far. Melee should not attack him at all.
	Silence	Interrupts spellcasting for all within 8 yards. Do not stand near him.
Sanguinar	Bellowing Roar	AoE fear with a cast time — cannot be interrupted. Fear Ward on tanks, Tremor Totems down before engaging.
Capernian	Conflagration	Targets a random player within 30 yards — Fire DoT and disorientation to the target and nearby players. Entire raid stays at max range. Warlock tanks with Searing Pain only.
	Arcane Burst	AoE knockback to all in melee range. Nobody in melee range except the Warlock tank.
Telonicus	Remote Toy	Stuns a random player for 4 seconds periodically. Can be removed by the Staff of Disintegration on-use.
	Bomb	Short cast, not interruptible. AoE fire damage — spread out if near him.

Weapon Reference

Weapon	As Enemy	When Equipped
Netherstrand Longbow	Multi-shot — Hunter tanks it facing away from the raid. Has a blink ability and drops threat on melee-range players.	Chance on hit to increase Physical damage dealt to target, stacks up to 5.
Devastation	Massive Whirlwind — can one-shot players. Warrior or Druid tank holds it away from the raid.	Chance on hit to increase movement and attack speed.
Staff of Disintegration	Frostbolt and Frost Nova — after Nova it tries to run and cast Frostbolts.	On-use AoE that removes stuns, including Remote Toy from Telonicus.
Infinity Blade	Thrash (extra auto attacks).	100% chance to dispel Mind Control when hitting with a weapon ability. Every melee should grab this.
Phaseshift Bulwark	Shield Spike (reflects damage).	On-use: 100,000 HP absorb shield plus immunity to fear and snare for 4 seconds. Main Tank must have this for Phase 4 Pyroblast.
Cosmic Infuser	Heal ability — interrupt it.	All heals from this wielder give a buff reducing Fire and Shadow damage taken by 50%. Healers prioritize this.
Warp Slicer	Stacking Rend bleed.	Chance on hit to increase movement and attack speed.

Phaseshift Bulwark must be in the Main Tank's hands before Phase 4 begins.Kill the Shield before Phase 3 ends. Without it, the Main Tank cannot absorb the first Pyroblast and will likely die.

Phase Breakdown

Phase 1 — Kill advisors one at a time, in order, in position

Advisors activate one at a time. Kill them in this order and in the locations described above.

Thaladred: Fixated player runs. Ranged kills. Melee stays away entirely. Kill wherever he falls.

Sanguinar: Tank against a side wall. Fear Ward on tank, Tremor Totems down. Kill against the wall.

Capernian: Warlock tanks with Searing Pain at the back of the room. Hunter Misdirection helps threat. Entire raid stays at max range. Ranged kills. Melee watches. Kill at the back near the entrance.

Telonicus: Tank on the opposite wall from Sanguinar. Staff of Disintegration removes his Remote Toy stun debuff. Kill on the opposite wall.

When all four are dead, weapons spawn. Phase 2 begins.

Phase 2 — Seven legendary weapons spawn as enemies

Stack all weapons together except Devastation. Hunter tanks the Longbow and faces it away from the raid. A Warrior or Druid holds Devastation separate. Paladin AoE tank holds the rest. AoE everything down.

Typical kill priority: Staff or Bow first, then the rest. Kill the Shield last — the Main Tank absolutely needs Phaseshift Bulwark equipped before Phase 4. Once a weapon dies it's lootable for 60 seconds. Every player picks up the best weapon for their role. Every melee also grabs Infinity Blade.

Two minutes after the weapons spawn, all four advisors respawn. Phase 3 begins.

Phase 3 — All four advisors at once — 3-minute window

Use Bloodlust HereIf you save Bloodlust for Phase 4, a Shaman may get Mind Controlled and cast it on Kael — wasting it or making things significantly harder. Use it in Phase 3 to blow through this chaotic phase.

Sanguinar Melee + main tank

Telonicus Melee cleave

Thaladred Ranged only

Capernian Ranged + Warlock tank

Thaladred fixates random players — whoever gets it runs, no exceptions. The Warlock tank holds Capernian at the back. Main tank on Sanguinar, off-tank on Telonicus. Melee stays away from Thaladred and Capernian entirely. Ranged kills Thaladred first then Capernian. Staff of Disintegration removes Telonicus's stun. Cosmic Infuser makes healing the Warlock tank much more manageable. Kael'thas becomes active three minutes after Phase 3 starts.

Phase 4 — Kael'thas active

Kael'thas activates three minutes into Phase 3 (whether advisors are dead or not — kill them). Ranged stack up. Interrupt Fireball every cast.

Ability	Notes
Fireball	Interrupt every time it is cast. Set up a kick rotation if needed.
Flamestrike	Fire AoE on the ground — move out immediately. Can intentionally step into it to break Arcane Disruption disorientation.
Mind Control	Multiple raid members get MC'd. Stop DPS, crowd control the targets, and have Infinity Blade melee run over and hit them with a weapon-based ability (not auto attacks) to break it. CC first, Infinity Blade second.
Summon Phoenix	An off-tank picks up the Phoenix and kites it. It kills itself via Hellfire over time — DPS don't need to attack it. Off-tank runs away before it dies (it explodes). Phoenix drops an egg — all DPS kill the egg within 15 seconds or it fully respawns. If there is an egg AND a Shock Barrier incoming, prioritize Pyroblast over the egg.
Shock Barrier + Pyroblast	Kael casts a shield preventing interrupts, then three consecutive Pyroblasts (~50,000 fire damage each), then Arcane Disruption. Main tank uses Phaseshift Bulwark to absorb the first Pyroblast. Entire raid burns through the Shock Barrier and kicks the second Pyroblast. If a Pyroblast is ever interrupted, Kael skips the remaining Pyroblasts and goes straight to Arcane Disruption.
Arcane Disruption	Disorients the entire raid. Follows up after three Pyroblasts or an interrupted Pyroblast. Stepping into a Flamestrike breaks the disorientation.

Shock Barrier PriorityIf there is a Phoenix Egg and a Shock Barrier at the same time, the Pyroblast takes priority. The Main Tank dying ends the fight. Two Phoenixes is chaos but survivable — a dead main tank is not.

Phase 5 — Gravity Lapse at 50% HP

Triggered at 50% HP — Kael stops Pyroblast and Mind Control

Kael teleports the entire raid to him and gives everyone the ability to fly for 30 seconds. Phoenixes evade during Gravity Lapse — ignore them. Do not touch the ground or you take damage and get launched back up.

Spread out immediately in the air.Right after Gravity Lapse, Kael casts Netherbeam — it deals Arcane damage and bounces to nearby players, doubling in damage each bounce (like C'thun's Eye Beam). If the raid is clustered, it chains and kills people. Spread wide.

Also avoid black Nether Vapor clouds in the air — touching them applies a stacking debuff reducing your max health. After 30 seconds everyone falls. Do not fly too high before the end or fall damage will kill you.

After the first Gravity Lapse, Kael returns to Phase 4 abilities. The cycle repeats until he dies.

Role Notes

Tanks

Phase 1 and 3: assign tanks to each advisor — main tank on Sanguinar, off-tank on Telonicus, Warlock on Capernian
Fear Ward and Tremor Totem for Sanguinar in both Phase 1 and Phase 3
Main tank: equip Phaseshift Bulwark before Phase 4 — use it to absorb the first Pyroblast
Off-tank: kite the Phoenix in Phase 4, run away before it dies

Melee DPS

Do not go near Thaladred or Capernian in Phase 1 and 3 — they will kill you
Every melee equips Infinity Blade in Phase 2 alongside their desired weapon
Break Mind Controls with weapon-based abilities, not auto attacks
Interrupt Fireball and burn through Shock Barrier
Kill Phoenix eggs within 15 seconds
Spread out during Gravity Lapse, avoid Nether Vapor, land low

Ranged DPS

Phase 1 and 3: Thaladred and Capernian are ranged-only kills
Hunter tanks the Longbow in Phase 2, faces it away from the raid
Interrupt Fireball, burn Shock Barrier, kill Phoenix eggs
Spread immediately during Gravity Lapse — Netherbeam chains and kills clustered players
Avoid Nether Vapor clouds in the air, land low before the 30-second drop

Healers

Fear Ward rotation on the main tank for Phase 3 Sanguinar and Phase 4 onward
Equip Cosmic Infuser in Phase 2 — it makes healing the Warlock tank in Phase 3 significantly easier
Phase 4: heavy sustained healing through Phoenix AoE, Fireball, and Arcane Disruption
Stay at max range from Thaladred and Capernian in all advisor phases
Spread during Gravity Lapse, avoid Nether Vapor, watch health on landing

Weapon	Tank
Sunflare Longbow	Hunter (face away)
Infinity Blade / Devastation	Warrior / Druid
Remaining 4	Paladin AoE