Heroic Trial of the Crusader Encounters

Ok. You can gather what most of the heroic abilities will be by reading the individual normal boss strats. However, I will consolidate it here.

I will not list abilities that are just an increase in damage. We all know the bosses will hit harder.

Northrend Beasts

*UPDATE* THE BEASTS COME ON A TIMER... REGARDLESS IF YOU HAVE THE PREVIOUS BOSS(es) UP!

Besides bigger HP and more damage, Gormok is the only dude with a change to strategy:
Gormok the Impaler

Impale
Inflicts 150% of weapon damage to an enemy and causes it to bleed for 3938 to 5062 damage per application every 2 sec. for 45 sec.
Basically 4.5k/2sec per application (which happens every 10sec) for 45sec.

That stacks up pretty damn quickly. If you two tank this do it this way:

(X) Switch every 39 seconds. This will leave a x3stack on tank #1 for 36 seconds. 13.5k/2sec should be easy enough to heal through.

however IF NOT... I suggest a three tank rotation. at that point, you can go back to a 2stack switch.
*UPDATE* IMMUNE TO DISARM


Icehowl
*UPDATE*: Players no longer receive a speed buff to avoid his charge.



LORD JARAXXUS

Touch of Jaraxxus
The Touch of Jaraxxus inflicts 3900 to 4100 Shadow damage for 12 sec and causes nearby players to be effected by...
Curse of the Nether
Inflicts 4388 to 4612 Shadow damage every 1 sec for 15 sec.
I'm assuming "nearby" is 10yards. I am also assuming that this can be de-cursed. It should have little impact on the ranged. However, the Melee must be set up in a KT style 4point to minimize spread. Use max melee range and all times.

Mistress' Kiss
Next spell with a cast time interrupts that school for 8 sec and causes 8288 to 8712 Shadow damage.Cast, of course, by the Mistress of Pain. If you have multiple schools, get rid of this by casting a spell from an off school (ie-- Holy priests casting MB to get back to healing).

Mistress' Portal and Infernal Volcano
*UPDATE* These now have HP and must be "killed" to prevent excessive spawns. Should be #1 priority as soon has they come up.



FACTION CHAMPIONS

I got nothing on this. Extra champions? Extra abilities? Might just be more HP and damage.

*UPDATE* FCs are now equipped with PvP trinkets, which they will use to break CC. They are also completely immune to "taunt" effects.



TWIN VAL'KYRS

Touch of Darkness
The Val'kyr's Dark touch has affected you, inflicting 7313 to 7687 Dark damage to players under the effect of Light Essence every 1 sec. The Touch of Darkness will not harm targets with the same attributes as it.
50000 yd range, Instant, 15 sec cooldown

*UPDATE* This is placed on a player with opposite attunement. It must be removed immediately by switching attunement. It is still unconfirmed whether this ability has a maximum radius.
I'm still conflicted on how to deal with this ability. The description is a little confusing, as it says every 1 sec., but has no duration nor radius listed. If casted amongst the "Light Attuned" group (ie-attacking Dark Valkyr), it could be devastating. Here are the permeations:

(1) If it can be dispelled, dispel it ASAP.
(2) If its a small radius (ie-8-15yards) and has a duration, have that person run out of the group.
(3) If its a large radius and a short duration, (ie- 30yards, 5sec) it must be brute healed, while that person runs out.
(4) If its a large radius (ie-60yards-zonewide) and a long duration(10+sec), its best that everyone click the "Dark Portal" until the end of the duration, while that person runs away from the group.

It's my guess that its either (1) or (2), though I'm leaning towards (2). I'm also guessing it can be bubbled and ice blocked away.



ANUB'ARAK

Nerubian Ice Darter
New add. Unknown abilities.

Leaching Swarm
Increased to 20% of health rather than 10% health. Just means people drop down faster. More frequent heals needed to keep people around 30-40% at all times.

Adds in Phase 3
*UPDATE* Adds will continue to spawn in Phase3. This makes the final phase an even stronger DPS burn.

Limited Frost Spheres
*UPDATE* There are only 6 total Frost Spheres available to the raid in 10MAN. There are certainty a limited number in 25s, but it is unconfirmed as to how many.


NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list.

There was a suggestion in the Northrend beasts thread that timing a disarm to land just before impale was due would make handling him a lot easier. There was even a little picture, so it must be true! ;) If I understood correctly, a disarm timed to land just before both the first and second impales would allow you to have a 2 tank rotation with the debuff only stacking to two. All credit to Mookey if that turns out to be true.

glad you're starting this with heroic modes tonight... but i'm confused - are you only listing new abilities? if so, why do you have impale on the list?

we already swap at 3 stacks on normal...

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Originally Posted by marklar

glad you're starting this with heroic modes tonight... but i'm confused - are you only listing new abilities? if so, why do you have impale on the list?

we already swap at 3 stacks on normal...

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Impale also increases its duration along with its damage, which could cause some groups to change their strategy.

Because it hits much harder and lasts for 45sec. Before, the minimum number of stacks for switching was 2 with 2 tanks. Now the minimum is 3 with 2.

Even if you were switching with 3 before, you may find that the new 3 is too much, requiring you to change to a 3tank rotation.


@swelt: Yes, you can indeed time a disarm to happen just before an impale will occur, essentially allowing you to use a 2stack/2tank rotation. Assuming 1min disarm CD, you will need a min of 2 disarmers(3 is better) to work this. You disarm right before every 3rd Impale. A'la:

0sec: Tank1 Impale1
10sec: Tank1 Impale2
18sec: Disarm
20sec: Tank2 switch (Tank1: 35sec left on Impale)
30sec: Tank2 Impale1 (Tank1:25sec left on Impale)
40sec: Tank2 Impale2 (Tank1:15sec left on Impale)
48sec: Disarm
54sec: (Tank1: 1sec left on Impale)
55sec: Tank1 switch
60sec: Tank1 Impale1

REPEAT

immune to disarm, 10man heroic.

Yeah disarm isn't working in 10m heroic version. We are using Hand of Protection from Retpally and tankadin bubbling to remove stacks whenever possible, but still a pain.

25 man heroic mode. immune to disarm.

You have complete graph of that disarm strategy in first Northrend Beast encounter topic, however if he's really immune... Bring more paladins. Bubble from prot paladin (when not tanking) or hand of protection (again on non tanking tank) will remove impale, however keep in mind Forbearance on 2 min cooldown.

Something has to be done with Ferocious Butt too, since we've seen from logs that his 3 strikes streak is doing in normal around 50K damage.

Lord Jaraxus seams like walkover with just bit more dispelling then usual, and finding out way to lock different school then you need.

Champions, well only fight that I'm scared off - imagine immune to crowd control :D
PredictA: AoE damage reduced by 90%, increased health by 20% and damage by 20%
PredictB: 12 targets in 25man 8 targets in 10man
Just have in mind that from logs we've seen damage scales very little between 10 man and 25 man while healing scales on large numbers, killing fast 1 healer in 25 and killing fast 1 dps in 10 man will give you needed advantage.

Twins:
Saphiron like aura? My money on it...
About 2nd ability I'm leaning toward that they want us to be more moveable during the fight... so if dps gets that debuf he actualy have to join other group, which will ask one person of other group to switch side and so on...

Anub
Have yet to try it on normal too. However I strongly belive Frenzy is stacking mechanic (auriaya style - Strength of the Pack - Spell - World of Warcraft) which doesn't let you just ignore adds and burn him down, more then 2 adds at same time should overrun you.
There is darter mob in his burrow phase on 5 man too Anub'ar Darter - NPC - World of Warcraft however it have only direct damage ability. You can also check other abilities (most of them are poison like thingies) of other mobs sharing same model, I realy think Blizz wont go far away from that too.

taunting with 2-4 seconds left on your duration of bleed will allow each tank to not reach 3 stacks - 10man heroic. We're an all 10man guild. 7 hard modes in Uld, but a good mix of hardmode loot and ToC normal+badges. We've only gotten to the worms once so far. Ouch.

Just did our first attempt on gormok, apparantly he's immune to disarm, the fire leaves a DoT on you dealing damage for however long you're in there, and the events are timed. After around 2.5mins the worms come out automatically, even if he's alive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Narois

Just did our first attempt on gormok, apparantly he's immune to disarm, the fire leaves a DoT on you dealing damage for however long you're in there, and the events are timed. After around 2.5mins the worms come out automatically, even if he's alive.

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Same with Icehowl, we get Dreadscale down to about 7% while Icehowl is pathing in (10m). Have got him down to 26% a couple times but enrage timers comes on.

Have lost a DPS every time though, need to keep them around whole time or its a wipe.

Also in the beasts they come out quicker. Seemed like at 2:30 the worms joined in and at 5:00 Icehowl? Anyone have any solid times on those?

Also is there some way to handle the stacking damage buff Gormok gets in phase 1? We were ok with it but if it can be stolen / purged that would be awesome.

Wall O' Text updated.

10 man was such a joke, im glad the heroic version is much harder. well, sorta glad...

The dps requirement for Heroic Northrend Beasts seems pretty steep. Even with everyone alive we came pretty close to the enrage. We used 2 tanks and if you used 3 I would think you would be hurting on dps even more.

Heroic Lord Jaxxus was easy.

Heroic Faction champions was basically the same just completely immune to taunt, like they wont switch to you for a couple of seconds anymore. Also each one seemed to have a "trinket" ability to get out of CC. They hit harder and seem to assist train better.

Heroic Twins is where we stopped tonight. The opposite color orbs hit for around 16kish w/ no resist, there is a ticking aura (like saph) for each type of magic. We only did one attempt but I'm excited about this encounter since you will actually have to use the mechanics of the fight on heroic.

Out of the first 3 Northrend Beasts is by far the hardest encounter.

The timer is 2:30 for each of the sections.


How are people handling positioning in phase two? Stacking up in groups of 2/3 or spreading out? Which wurm gets the melee?

Jaraxus has more stuff to worry about in heroic. Volcanoes and Portals are now target able mobs with ~189k each in 10m. Until they are dead they will continue to spawn Mistress' and Infernals infinitely it seems. We had about 4 Mistress' out at one point because we didn't know about this.

I actually don't think the timer for the next wave of NR beasts is the only thing that causes the next boss to come out. This could be a mere coincidence but Acidmaw/Dreadscale always appeared to come out at 15% of Gormock's health remaining, and we had many people in the raid maintaining stopwatches to test the times.

Aside from that phase 3, Icehowl, is much hard without the speed buff but a Holy Priest is amazingly advantageous to have in the raid due to Body and Soul.

Quote:

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The dps requirement for Heroic Northrend Beasts seems pretty steep. Even with everyone alive we came pretty close to the enrage. We used 2 tanks and if you used 3 I would think you would be hurting on dps even more.

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I agree with this 100%, we have yet to down this on 10man because of this enrage, but we have yet to haev any ideal attempts and were 3 healing it :eek:

And lastly I would like to say that these hard modes are amazingly tuned for how faceroll the normal modes were.

Is it certain that with 3 tanks in gormok,taunting every 20 secs you will not hit DR on taunts?

Taunts are on 18-20 sec DR, however switching tanks on 20 seconds is wasting resources, go for 2 stacks of impale and switch 2 seconds before third impale if you are playing with 3 tanks.