Heroic Madness of Deathwing

[Theotherone]

multiple CDs, both personal and external, are a must. we used to delay DPS on some platforms so that tank CDs could be available on the next one. however, arranging CDs in advance will help a lot.

We had to do this so our DK's IBF would come back up on platforms 3 and 4; our priest just couldn't get Guardian Spirit off on time (don't get me started). We did find that if I put Hand of Sac on our Warrior tank (Divine Protection on myself so I didn't commit suicide) along with Shield Wall and Rallying Cry, that that worked just fine for him. He came close to dying, but i usually had a Word of Glory to hit him with immediately. Our DK was fine with Vamp Blood and IBF.

If you have a Shadow Priest you can do the Shadow Priest trick and force the second impale to hit the Shadow Priest who's popped Dispersion, that will let you let your tank that can handle the impales easier take the first one.

[tawnos]

what's your raidcomp?

No idea, varies from week to week. Just trying to get a list of what options work at the current nerf level.

[reasonyousmile]

alright well, you'll want to rely on both:
- damage reduction COOLDOWNS (not procs, that's bad thinking)
- health increases (i.e. Rallying Cry, Last Stand)

this is fundamental. yeah, maybe your healers can game some procs and shields for the tanks, but that's a function of your players just being good which isn't exactly strategy. put that out of your mind. set up a cooldown rotation strategy; you'll be able to eschew all other buffs/debuffs (save the tank stance).

about the impale: it's not a melee hit - rather, it's caused by a debuff placed on the target. when the debuff expires, the target takes a bunch of physical damage. the debuff circumvents 'save-from-death' effects, so you can't BOP, GS, Evasion, Cauterize, etc. no matter what, the target IS GOING TO TAKE SOME DAMAGE.


here is a list of more cooldowns that you can build a CD rotation with.


tank/personal cooldowns: (effect, CD length)

Prot Warrior
- Shield Wall (-40% dmg, 2min)
- Last Stand (+30% health, 3min)

Blood Death Knight
- Icebound Fortitude (-20% dmg (-50% talented), 3min)
- Vampiric Blood (+15% health, 1min)

Prot Paladin
- Guardian of Ancient Kings (-50% dmg, 5min (3min talented))
- Ardent Defender (-20% dmg, 3min)

Bear Druid
- Barkskin (-20% dmg, 1min)
- Survival Instincts (-50% dmg, 3min)
- Frenzied Regeneration (+30% health, 3min)

Shadow Priest
- Dispersion (-90% dmg, 2min (1:15min glyphed))

Hunter
- Deterrence (-30% dmg, 2min)

(note: to game the tentacle Impaling a non-tank, *i believe* the strategy is to have everyone but that person run out of range of the tentacle before the Impale goes out. i've never had to use this strategy since we've always 2-tanked it. someone else correct me if i'm wrong.)


Trinket CD
- Stay of Execution (absorbs up to 56k dmg and then DOTs the user for 40% of dmg absorbed over 20s, 2min)

(this trinket is bought from the vendors in front of the Firelands raid portal (and just inside it) for 400 gold. it requires Revered standing with the Avengers of Hyjal faction.)


external cooldowns:
- Prot Warrior: Intervene w/ Safeguard (2/2) talented (-30% dmg taken by Intervene target, 30sec)
- Disc Priest: Pain Suppression (-40% dmg taken, 3min)
- Disc Priest: Power Word: Barrier (-25% dmg taken, 3min (is positional, has no effect if not physically placed over the target(s)))
- Paladin: Hand of Sacrifice (30% damage transfer up to 100% of caster's health, 2min, 1:30min talented)

raid cooldowns:
- Warrior (all specs): Rallying Cry (+20% health to all raid members, 3min CD)

general personals (everyone can use):
- Dream (-50% dmg, 30sec (only usable while you have Ysera's buff during Madness of Deathwing)




this is likely not an exhaustive list, but it'll help i'm sure. good luck!