Siege of Orgrimmar Fight-Specific Tips (Part 3/4)

So, remember what I said last time about the second wing not being strategically complex? Say good bye to that, because here in wing 3, the fights are entirely about their unique mechanics. This section will test your raid's ability to preform under seriously unusual conditions.

[Updated: Added Heroic section and a note about Spectral Guise to Thok.]

• Malkorok
• Spoils of Pandaria
• Thok the Bloodthirsty

Siege of Orgrimmar Fight-Specific Tips (Part 2/4)

Welcome to the second wing. Here's where Blizzard starts to turn up the heat. These fights aren't strategically complex, (except maybe H Shamans,) but they do demand a decent level of raid awareness and output.

• Galakras
• Iron Juggernaut
• Kor'kron Dark Shamans
• General Nazgrim

Siege of Orgrimmar Fight-Specific Tips (Part 1/4)

Hey, everybody. Since my fight-specific tips series was so popular in Throne of Thunder, I thought I'd do it again for Siege. I'll be breaking these down along the Flex/LFR groupings, but all my tips are primarily for normal-mode, with some heroic notes on the fights I have done.

• Immerseus
• Fallen Protectors
• Norushen
• Sha of Pride

Throne of Thunder Fight-Specific Tips (Part 3 of 4)

Eye sea how you died there?

Welcome to the "experimental stuff" wing, where most fights are no longer about everyone independently doing their own thing correctly, and increasingly about coordinating as a group to handle mechanics that no single person can deal with alone. Don't worry, that's actually a good thing; get the mechanics right and it's hard to miss the output checks.

Throne of Thunder Fight-Specific Tips (Part 2 of 4)

Hit 5 koopas with one
shell to get a 1-up!

Whoops! This was meant to be up last week, but it looks like I failed to hit the Publish button. I guess it's convenient though; I should probably give my guild time to clear Iron Qon-Lei Shen before I go advising about them. I'm just gonna push back parts 2 though 4 by a week.

Throne of Thunder Fight-Specific Tips (Part 1 of 4)

This fight is fun for Atonement.

So, a short warning before we begin. I have not been Shadow since two weeks before 5.2. So while I claim to know some things about DPS, I may be missing the shadowy elephant in the room on some or all fights. My Atonement DPS advice should be pretty sound though.

Fight-Specific Tricks (Dragon Soul part 2 of 2)

Read part 1 here: Fight-Specific Tricks (Dragon Soul part 1 of 2).

Two weeks ago, I began a two-part series on fight-specific things you can do to help your DPS and your raid in Dragon Soul. This week, I'm picking up where I left off. As before, this post is not written with LFR in mind, but some of the tips may apply there. Likewise, while I would like to give Heroic-specific tips, I simply don't know many of the fights.

Ultraxion
Ultraxion is the Patchwerk of Dragon Soul; he's a raw DPS and HPS check, with very few gimmicks and no movement.

After the first Hour of Twilight, DPS may be subject to Fading Light up to twice per hour. If you're using the MSp/MB rotation with 4pc t13, try to begin it immediately after the first set of Fading Lights for the hour, so you won't be interrupted.

Other than that, this fight is all about raw output. Be sure to pre-pot, and consider checking out my advanced shadow priest DPS guide, if you're not up to snuff.

Heroic: You'll likely be called upon to help soak one or more of the Hours of Twilight. Use Dispersion, and make a /cancelaura macro so you can get back to DPSing as quickly as possible. Here's mine:

#showtooltip Dispersion /cancelaura [mod] Dispersion /cast [nomod] Dispersion

This macro casts Dispersion if you don't hold a modifier key, and removes it if you do. (By default, the modifier keys are Ctrl, Alt and Shift, but you can change which keys count as modifier keys in the WoW options.)

Warmaster Blackhorn
Blackhorn is the gunship fight in Dragon Soul, and a perfect place to master multi-DoTing, and to show off your monstrous DPS numbers once you do master it.

Drakes: The drakes spend the first ~20 seconds of their life out of attack range, and if DPS is low, fly away again later. You can and should load these up with DoTs as they fly overhead to drop off each set of melee adds. Beware that Shadowfiend has difficulty meleeing them, even when they're harpooned.

Twilight Sappers: You can hit them with an instant cast DoT right as they land. DP is a good choice. After they reappear, Mind Flay spam will help your melee catch up to them. They're immune to our fears.

Twilight Onslaught: Use Dispersion on these to help your healers out.

Phase 2 (Goriona/Blackhorn): Groups progressing Blackhorn will want you to focus all DPS on Goriona, and specifically to NOT multi-DoT them both. If you're in a farm run though, feel free to do so. If you foresee yourself failing to avoid a Shockwave, you can cheese the damage with Dispersion, but the stun will still hit you.

Spine of Deathwing
The Spine of Deathwing fight is all about precise damage and healing, rather than large raw output. Think of it as the antithesis to Ultraxion.

Burning Tendons: I wrote a detailed analysis of this portion of the fight over on ShadowPriest.com. It's as relevant today as it was last Christmas. Check out my guide here. Seriously, do it. It'll almost triple your output on the Tendons.

Fiery Grip: As a shadow priest, you can turn this fight from healer hell into just another raid boss. After your group is done cleaning up the initial Corruptions, focus the final one and pay loose attention to its cast bar. It will cast Searing Plasma x4, then it will begin channeling Fiery Grip. As the 4th Searing Plasma cast nears completion, pre-cast a Mind Spike, cast a second Mind Spike, and cast an instant Mind Blast. This will interrupt the Fiery Grip after ~1.5 seconds, long before it would deal any damage to anyone. If the grip is on you, use Dispersion to soak the damage and call for help. Your raid will love you.

Late fight (many Corrupted Bloods, handle it!): As the fight draws to a close, you're likely to see Corrupted Bloods spawning faster than the raid can make use of their residues. 1-2 DPS should devote themselves to AoE; the bloods deal far less damage as they explode than they do if left alive to melee the healers. Your raid may also call upon you to help heal. Divine Hymn, as always is quite helpful, then I recommend Flash Heal spam on players with the debuff.

Madness of Deathwing
Madness of Deathwing is the final boss of Cataclysm, and in my opinion, the best-designed raid endboss since Ulduar. This fight taxes every aspect of your raid, from healing to raw DPS, to burst DPS, single-target, AoE, defensive cooldown use, multi-DoTing and more.

Mutated Corruption: If your group isn't depending on killing it before a second Impale, or if you'll manage that regardless, you can multi-DoT the limb tentacle while this is up. Also, Shadowfiend had been known to have problems meleeing this. Take care not to push the limb tentacle to 75% during this phase though; you'll spawn Blistering Tentacles.

Elementium Bolt: If the time zone is active, MSp/MB will likely kill it before it lands. If not, MSp/MB is still the most effective way to kill it, just make sure to be far away from the impact site.

Blistering Tentacles: Multi-DoTing or MSp/MB are both good options here. Tailor your choice to your raid group.

Regenerative Blood: Make sure you have a fresh Empowered Shadow as these spawn, and center Mind Sear off of your tank.

Cataclysm: For the love of the Light, don't use Shadow Word: Death here without 2pc t13! Once it's over run with your raid to the next platform. As mana can be tight on this fight, consider using Dispersion for the mana while running.

Phase 2 (Elementium Fragments): DoT up any loners, then center a Mind Sear on the biggest grouping of the buggers you can find.

Phase 2 (Elementium Terrors): MSp/MB + cooldowns on the first kill target. After that, de-form and begin blasting the tank with Flash Heal. I don't care if you weren't asked to; he's going to be taking upwards of 100k every second. Keep blasting him until his HP bar stops resembling a tennis rally.

Closing
Thus concludes my 2-part series on Dragon Soul bosses. Next Friday, I'll either write an analysis of shadow priest trinkets, or do something else. Aren't I specific? Feel free to suggest desired topics in the comments.

Fight-Specific Tricks (Dragon Soul part 1 of 2)

Read part 2 here: Fight-Specific Tricks (Dragon Soul part 2 of 2).

The last few weeks, I wrote about the basics of shadow priest DPS, and advanced shadow priest DPS tactics. This week, I'll be writing about things you can do on each fight in Dragon Soul to help your raid out. This post will not be written with LFR in mind, but some of these tricks may apply there. Similarly, while I intend to point out Heroic-specific things you can do, I simply don't know all of them. I'm only familiar with 3/8 Heroic.

Morchok
Morchok is by far the easiest encounter in Dragon Soul on both difficulties. The fight consists of a stand-and-burn phase and survival phase.

During the burn phase, DPS will need to move to handle certain AoE damage mechanics. Use good movement DPS tactics to minimize damage lost, and position yourself so that the Resonating Crystal will push you towards where you want to be when it explodes.

When Black Blood of the Earth is cast, try to head for a place with two shards of Earth's Vengeance close to each-other. Once behind, you can shoot through the gap between them to continue DPSing through this phase. Failing that, it is sometimes possible to shoot past the edge or over the top of a single shard, if you stand back to max range.

Heroic: There are two Morchoks. And what do we do to two targets? That's right, we multi-DoT! Try to load up both right after the split, and when you need to run for Black Blood, try to get between them to DoT up both. (Beware, you need to LoS both sets of Blood.)

You may be called upon to help your tank soak the Double Stomp. Shadow priests glyphed with Inner Fire can survive a Double Stomp without any extra protection on 10man, but as this fight is primarily about healing, you should use PW:S and Dispersion to help take the edge off. As always, you can support the healers with your Hymns.

Warlord Zon'ozz
Warlord is often a stumbling block for PuGs and low-end guilds. The fight involves bouncing a ball around, dispels, and intense tank and AoE healing demands, at least compared to other early normal-mode fights.

During the ball phase, DPS is pretty simple, and there's not a lot you can do to increase DPS. Most wipes happen because a tank dies towards the end of this phase, or the DoTs go undispelled. Mass Dispel (possibly glyphed) goes a long way towards easing the healing burden. I would say "you can use Dispersion in case your HP gets too low to safely dispel," but really, that shouldn't happen; you have your own dispels and powerful passive heals.

At the start of the AoE healing phase, the boss gains stacks of a 5% damage taken increase debuff. There's no need to re-cast your DoTs; they update automatically with damage taken effects on the target. You should however try to pop any cooldowns that became available in the preceding ~30sec right at the start of this phase. You may be called upon to give a Divine Hymn during this phase. Try to anticipate this and not hold Dark Archangel only to waste it on healing.

Heroic: For the love of god, don't Mass Dispel on heroic. During the AoE healing phase, you'll have adds like the ones from the trash. Use cooldowns on them and prioritize the eye stalks. Multi-DoTing is your friend.

Yor'sahj the Unsleeping
Affectionately referred to as "Skittles" by my raid group, Yor'sahj's central mechanic is about choosing which of his 15 (Heroic: 20) modes you wish to fight from a selection of 3 (Heroic: 4) options presented to you at each time.

Blue skittles: You may be called upon to give a mana Hymn right after the drain finishes. Try to anticipate this and refresh DoTs immediately before. If not, Shadowfiend or SW:D immediately before the end of the drain, or Dark Archangel immediately after can ensure you have mana to work with.

Black skittles: The adds for this phase initially spawn spread out. Try to hit each with DoTs as they spawn. Switch to Mind Sear centered off of Yor'sahj once at least 3 cluster up. Cast a Mind Blast to refresh your Empowered Shadow if it falls off and you have orbs; it effects Mind Sear.

Heroic:
Yellow/Black skittles: You'll have two sets of adds, one of which will come simultaneously with the next set of oozes. Roll SW:P on the lot while you get into position to kill the new oozes.

Yellow/Red or Yellow/Green skittles: You'll probably be called upon to heal during this phase. Divine Hymn into Prayer of Healing alternating on each group with Prayer of Mending on cooldown. Glyphed Prayer of Mending is worth the glyph slot, as it's only a major glyph; glyphed Prayer of Healing is not.

Black/Purple skittles: Many wipes occur on this phase due to individual raid members dying from focused damage. As a shadow priest, you're quite unlikely to be the one to bite the dust, so if your raid is single-targeting adds, burn someone else's first. I contend that the best thing you can do to help raid survival is to just blast your AoE and kill them all ASAP though. If your HP drops into the sub-20% range, Dispersion to save your bacon. Do not, under any circumstances PW:S anyone.

Black/Green skittles: Unlike most black phases, the adds will be spread out. Multi-DoT is, as always, your friend.

Hagara the Stormbinder
Hagara is really easy on normal. Not so much on heroic. The fight consists of a main phase alternating with one of two elemental phases, either ice or lightning. You can see which elemental phase she plans to use next by the enchant on her weapons.

Main phase: As a shadow priest, you're pretty much ideal to soak ice lances. Mare your paladins give Concentration aura so your DPS is unaffected. At the beginning of the second and later main phases, Hagara will suffer a 15sec 100% increased damage taken debuff. This is prime time for cooldowns. In later main phases, two raiders will be ice-blocked, a la Sindragosa. Their HP is too low for multi-DoT; Mind Sear if the boss is close to both, Mind Spike/Mind Blast otherwise.

Ice Phase: At the start of the phase, position yourself between two crystals, DoT both up. Position yourself 10% counter-clockwise from the midpoint so the initial Ice Wave misses you. Once you have to move, DoT up the crystals as you pass them, and keep up mobile DPS. You can use Dispersion to let an Ice Wave wash over you if desired.

Lightning Phase: The add always spawns to the north, so get up there and start DPS. Once you start chaining the lightning, regen with Dispersion, or help heal with instant heals.

Closing
There you have it, fight-specific tactics for the first four bosses in Dragon Soul. Next week, I have an in-depth analysis of the tier-13 4-piece bonus for you. The week after that, I'll give the final four bosses of Dragon Soul the same treatment as this week's four.

...and my apologies to anyone that may have seen the original version of this page. I had some major HTML errors that made it more than a little bit hideous.