Strategy Obsidian Sanctum Sartharion

**Ciderhelm** · #1 11-24-2008, 04:27 AM

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Encounter Details
This is the first of the TankSpot raid guides. Sartharion is the recommended starter instance for 10-man groups. This video is made with all three drakes killed; leaving drakes alive prior to engaging Sartharion will make him more difficult but will increase the number and quality of loot (culminating in a drake mount with all three left alive).

Achievement Note
I am incorrect about the Achievement listed in the video. It is based on avoiding the flames falling from the sky, not the flame walls.

**Ciderhelm** · #2 11-24-2008, 04:40 AM

Download High Resolution

//edit: Swapped these. YouTube has better embed resolution than I expected, so I'll keep it as the primary source.

Krashtork · #3 11-24-2008, 05:52 AM

Seriously, I love this video format. It's a great no bullshit here's what you need to do to get the job done way of doing it. I also like that it wasn't sped up faster than it would be in game. I hate videos that do that because It's hard to get a realistic feel for what to expect. I really hope you do this for all the WoTLK encounters.

Couple comments:

1) "...make him more difficult but will increase the number and quality of drakes..." I think you meant loot.

2) I don't think you mentioned that if the adds are hit by the lava wave they will grow and become more difficult to manage via increased health and damage output.

Roarc · #4 11-24-2008, 06:16 AM

Very easy going video, good style imo! Have yet to try this encounter but will probably do so tonight!

Finnit · #5 11-24-2008, 10:42 AM

Very nice video, thank you.

Two questions, what unit frame addon are you using for the 3d view, and what are your specs and video settings. That seemed extremely smooth for having fraps or whatever video capture you were using.

Paramount · #6 11-24-2008, 10:58 AM

So I assume this raid is possible to complete shortly after hitting level 80 then?

**Ciderhelm** · #7 11-24-2008, 11:02 AM

Source: Paramount
So I assume this raid is possible to complete shortly after hitting level 80 then?

Correct.

**Ion** · #8 11-24-2008, 11:02 AM

I've been wondering, and I haven't seen anywhere, if you leave the three drakes up (which we're going to do, since the fight was super trivial w/them down...we even 8-manned it our first attempt) if it's just the more HP, more fire and more shadow damage or if you have to in some way actually deal with the mini-bosses as well.

I'm GUESSING that you don't have to deal with them because it'd be almost impossible to deal with in a 10 man...too much tanking required.

**Ciderhelm** · #9 11-24-2008, 11:03 AM

Ion, I have no idea. Have only had one kill on him so far, and I think it'll be another week after this one before we start trying out the no-drake strategy.

Paramount · #10 11-24-2008, 11:12 AM

From what I've read on wowwiki, it seems that you engage Sartharion AS WELL AS all three drakes.

This also makes sense because the buffs that Sartharion get are auras. So the drakes have to be close enough to him so that he can get the auras.

This means you have to do the portal phases on each drake on top of avoiding lava waves on top of dealing with elemental spawns.

If this is true...well it sounds pretty dang hard.

The kill order for the drakes would probably be: Shadron first to eliminate the bulk of the increased damage then either Tenebron for more decreased damage or Vesperon for less health (these auras apply to the elemental spawns too).

You'd also need to have a designated OT/DPS/Healer to go into each portal as they spawn. Which would hurt a lot in terms of raid survivability.

Those are my thoughts on the raid...but to be honest I have no idea how the fight works aside from just reading haha.

Paramount · #11 11-24-2008, 11:14 AM

Oh and one more question, how was the clear time in that pug?

I was thinking of starting out raids with the vault of Archavon (I'm going to call it VoA) as well as Obsidian Sanctum.

Just wondering if it would be realistic to clear them back to back.

**Ion** · #12 11-24-2008, 12:01 PM

Source: Paramount
From what I've read on wowwiki, it seems that you engage Sartharion AS WELL AS all three drakes.

This also makes sense because the buffs that Sartharion get are auras. So the drakes have to be close enough to him so that he can get the auras.

This means you have to do the portal phases on each drake on top of avoiding lava waves on top of dealing with elemental spawns.

If this is true...well it sounds pretty dang hard.

The kill order for the drakes would probably be: Shadron first to eliminate the bulk of the increased damage then either Tenebron for more decreased damage or Vesperon for less health (these auras apply to the elemental spawns too).

You'd also need to have a designated OT/DPS/Healer to go into each portal as they spawn. Which would hurt a lot in terms of raid survivability.

Those are my thoughts on the raid...but to be honest I have no idea how the fight works aside from just reading haha.

I really have a hard time believing that. It does have a (verify?) after that statement on the wiki...so I'm guessing that it's pure speculation.

Unless the drakes themselves don't attack the raid, but simply just channel an aura into Sartharion, I can't imagine it being doable w/10 people...there's just too much going on to be handled by 10 people.

I'm going to have to give it a try on the next reset...I'm too curious to know how it works...it's worth a few wipes to figure it out.

**Xav** · #13 11-24-2008, 01:17 PM

The 10 man version of Sartharion with all of the drakes up is more difficult than the 25 man version of the same, due to the fact that you still need several tanks and they take up a huge percentage of your raid compared to the 25 man version. It takes a significantly stacked raid to stand a chance in the 10 man version with all 3 drakes up.

Pramm · #14 11-24-2008, 01:19 PM

Cool Video!

With this though I'm confused... What is the order of 10 man and 25 man... Is it The Obsidian Sanctum first or was it Naxx?

Best of regards,

**veneretio** · #15 11-24-2008, 01:21 PM

Source: Xav
The 10 man version of Sartharion with all of the drakes up is more difficult than the 25 man version of the same, due to the fact that you still need several tanks and they take up a huge percentage of your raid compared to the 25 man version. It takes a significantly stacked raid to stand a chance in the 10 man version with all 3 drakes up.

Have you done the 10 man version, yet Xav?

Recommendation of 2, 3 or even 4 tanks for it in the 10 man?

**Xav** · #16 11-24-2008, 01:25 PM

Source: veneretio
Have you done the 10 man version, yet Xav?

Recommendation of 2, 3 or even 4 tanks for it in the 10 man?

No, but we did do it twice in beta. We used 3 tanks in the 10 man in beta, not sure if that's still possible, but i'm guessing it is. However, we aren't going to be trying it for a while because to stack the raid in the way we'd want to, would prevent some other groups from running their 10 man sartharion that week and getting more loot.

I'll see about doing it soon though, because the title "of the Nightfall" is by far the best currently attainable imo!

**Ion** · #17 11-24-2008, 02:19 PM

Jeezus you DO have to tank all 3 drakes, the adds AND the boss in the 10 man? That's absurd. It DOES make that title the best one in the game though...way better than the 25 man one.

Hmm...how do the portals work? Are they at a percentage of the drake's health? Or is it possible to have all 3 drakes spawning portals at once?