Boss Stats:
5.3 million health
Lasher
Melee Water damange
Encounter Warnings:
Has Cleave
Has AoE
Requires Interrupts
Requires Cleansing
Suggested Raid Makeup:
2 Tanks
12 DPS
4 Heals
2 Support
The Inwar Darktide fight has several phases that results in a long and somewhat challenging encounter, although patches have reduced it.
Brief Synopsis:
Surge – Must kite him until it wears off
Spawned Adds
Aqualix (1.0m HP) – Stay in melee range, death needs to be timed with Denizar
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Stay in melee range
Rot Jaw (1.4m HP) – Move out for Bilge Slime if health dips too low
Denizar (1.0m HP) – Stay at range, death needs to be timed with Aqualix
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Stay in melee range
Undertow (1.1m HP) – Kite during Surge
Mana Ravagers (76k HP) – Will heal the boss if active too long, will drain mana from nearby healers
Abilities &/or Adds:
Dark Tide – Raid-wide damage applying a debuff which causes additional damage from future Dark Tides
Surge – Buff which snares, must kite him until it wears off
Storm Lash – Crowd control which lifts a random player in the air, can be LoS’d
Spawned Adds:
Aqualix (1.0m HP) – Casts Rolling Thunder, requiring group to be in melee range, death needs to be timed with Denizar, when it dies, blue ground effects begin to spawn
Scuttle Claw Wranglers (155k HP) – Spawn in group of 3, along with several Scuttle Claws
Scuttle Claws (51k HP) – Charge players, should be pulled with a pet
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Will become active when Scuttle Claw adds die, spawns fatal red circles on ranged players
Rot Jaw (1.4m HP) –Casts Bilge Slime, a significant AoE around the boss
Denizar (1.0m HP) – Casts Freezing Wave, requiring group to move out of melee range, and Rip Tide debuff on tank, death needs to be timed with Aqualix, when it dies, blue ground effects begin to spawn
Fetid Slime (138k HP) – Spawn in group of 3, will spawn several smaller Slime adds, at 10% casts Bile Wave damage and knockback
Smaller Fetid Slime (81k HP) – at 10% casts Bile Wave damage and knockback
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Will become active when Scuttle Claw adds die, spawns fatal red circles on ranged players
Undertow (1.1m HP) – Casts Flash Freeze which damages a random player and anyone nearby for 120% of their maximum health over 3 seconds, and Surge where he becomes snared and must be kited
Mana Ravagers (76k HP) – Will heal the boss if active too long, will drain mana from nearby healers
Strategy:
Before the fight, split your raid group into 2 groups of 10 players each. Each side needs 1 tank, 1 single target healer, 1 AoE healer, an archon or bard, and 6 DPS. The Left Side Group will be primarily physical damage and melee based (including all warriors). The Right Side Group will be magical damage and range based (including all mages). You also need 1 AoE cleanser in each group. It is helpful to organize your raid frames to match the groups.
At the start of the fight, there are two mobs: Aqualix and Denizar. The tank in the Left Side Group should pull Aqualix from the right side to the left. The tank in the Right Side Group should pull Denizar from the left side to the right. Pull them all the way down the ramps, and have the raid move accordingly to avoid their cleave attacks while being positioned.
Left Side Group (Melee)
Starting 15 seconds after the pull (and about every minute after that), Aqualix will cast Rolling Thunder. It is accompanied by a blue circle surrounded by a pulsing red bubble. This spell damages anyone standing too far away, so keep the entire group in melee range (while avoiding the cleave).
Aqualix must be killed within a few seconds of Denizar, otherwise he will gain Denizar’s ability that forces everyone out of melee range, while still casting Rolling Thunder. Simply call out when one of the mobs is at 10% and stop DPS as needed to coordinate the kills.
When Aqualix dies, a number of blue circles will spawn on the ground (he can be tanked on one of the triangular ledges so that the group is not standing in a circle as he dies). Anyone touching the circles will be killed or knocked back (potentially off the ledge). These circles spawn in a predictable pattern, changing every 10 seconds. Start by hugging edge until you know where it is safe to stand.
Three Scuttle Claw Wrangle (crocodile) adds will spawn, accompanied by several Scuttle Claw adds which charge players and could potentially kill players during the pull. Ideally a pet will be used to pull these adds, with the Left Side Group at a distance and the tank in front.
As the last add is killed, the entire group should move into melee range of the Tide Warden (Phase 1 of the Gathering Storm Rift). Once the Tide Warden is active, anyone outside of melee range risks a red circle spawning on them, which is usually fatal. The killing of the Tide Warden on the left side needs to correspond with the killing of the one in the right group, although the killing of the Scuttle Claw adds does not need to be simultaneous. The Left Side Group will usually be faster on the Tide Warden, so be prepared to slow or stop DPS as needed.
The Tide Warden will cast Dead Water, an 8-second channel that does damage to 5 random players. It also applies a debuff that needs to be AoE cleansed.
After each cast, there is a chance of Warden’s Gaze being cast. This is a very fast cast (1 second) that needs to be interrupted. If not interrupted, it stuns and deals damage to 8 random players for 6 seconds. In order to avoid a healer or cleanser getting stunned, it is prudent to assign two interrupters to this cast, and have them alternate. When it is their turn, each interrupter should automatically interrupt after the cast just in case Warden’s Gaze is being cast.
Again, the Tide Wardens need to be killed at the same time, so when one of them gets to 10%, they should slow or stop DPS until the other side catches up. As the Tide Warden nears death, look around to study where the blue circles are and where it is safe to stand.
When the Tide Warden dies, about 10 seconds later Rot Jaw will spawn (Phase 2 of the Rift). He should be tanked where the Tide Warden was, with the raid behind him (toward the back wall) and the healers at range. Periodically he will cast Bilge Slime, a significant AoE damage around the boss. Melee DPS will need to pay attention to their health and back out if needed, making sure not to back out into a blue circle. Rot Jaw summons Mana Pincher adds, which should be killed as quickly as possible so they do not reach any healers and drain their mana.
The Left Side Group (Melee) will probably finish first (Rot Jaw’s death does not need to be timed). When Rot Jaw is dead, the group should slowly and carefully make their way to the main platform without touching any blue circles. Do not attempt to aid the other side until Undertow is dead, or else players may get killed by one of his AoE spells. As soon as Undertow dies, jump down and join the other group.
Right Side Group (Ranged)
Denizar takes reduced physical damage, but it won’t be a significant loss with one or two rogues in the group. Starting 15 seconds after the pull (and about every minute after that), he will cast Freezing Wave. This ability has a 4-second cast and displays a red bubble as a visible warning. Anyone within the bubble at the end of the cast will be stunned and receive a significant amount of damage. All melee DPS as well as the tank should move out of range.
Denizar will also apply a stacking debuff to the tank called Rip Tide, which increases damage taken. The debuff can drop off with dodges/parries, but if it reaches 3 or more stacks, the tank will be taking a significant amount of damage. You should have backup heals and defensive cooldowns ready, and kite Denizar after Freezing Wave if needed to prevent more stacks from accumulating.
Denizar must be killed within a few seconds of Aqualix, otherwise he will gain Aqualix’ ability that forces everyone into melee range, while still casting Freezing Wave. Simply call out when one of the mobs is at 10% and stop DPS as needed to coordinate the kills.
When Denizar dies, the Right Side Group (Ranged) has 20 seconds to get into position for the next phase when a number of blue circles will spawn on the ground. Anyone touching the circles will be killed or knocked back (potentially off the ledge). These circles spawn in a predictable pattern, changing every 10 seconds. Start by hugging edge until you know where it is safe to stand.
Three Fetid Slime adds will spawn, which as they are lose health will spawn 4 smaller Slime adds. When any of these adds reaches 10%, it will begin casting Bile Wave. After a 3-second cast, it will damage and knockback anyone in its radius if the Slime is not killed before that point.
For the first two big adds, use single-target damage only to kill them. Then AoE the 4 smaller adds together. When the third big add dies the next phase will begin, so single-target it down to about 50%, then single-target the smaller adds one at a time. Then single-target the third big add down to 25%, and again, single-target the smaller adds one at a time. As you enter the next phase, you should only have one small add active.
While the third big add is being killed, the entire group should move into melee range of the Tide Warden (Phase 1 of the Gathering Storm Rift). Once the Tide Warden is active, anyone outside of melee range risks a red circle spawning on them, which is usually fatal. The killing of the Tide Warden on the left side needs to correspond with the killing of the one in the right group, although the killing of the Scuttle Claw adds does not need to be simultaneous. The Left Side Group will usually be faster on the Tide Warden, but be prepared to slow or stop DPS as needed.
The Tide Warden will cast Dead Water, an 8-second channel that does damage to 5 random players. It also applies a debuff that needs to be AoE cleansed.
After each cast, there is a chance of Warden’s Gaze being cast. This is a very fast cast (1 second) that needs to be interrupted. If not interrupted, it stuns and deals damage to 8 random players for 6 seconds. In order to avoid a healer or cleanser getting stunned, it is prudent to assign two interrupters to this cast, and have them alternate. When it is their turn, each interrupter should automatically interrupt after the cast just in case Warden’s Gaze is being cast.
Again, the Tide Wardens need to be killed at the same time, so when one of them gets to 10%, they should slow or stop DPS until the other side catches up. As the Tide Warden nears death, look around to study where the blue circles are and where it is safe to stand.
When the Tide Warden dies, about 10 seconds later Undertow will spawn (Phase 2 of the Rift). He should be tanked where the Tide Warden was, with the group spread out and the healers toward the center. Periodically he will cast Flash Freeze on a random player, which will damage them and anyone nearby (in the player’s bubble) for about 120% of their maximum health over 3 seconds. As long as the player receives some AoE healing, they should be able to live but it is important everyone remain spread out to avoid multiple players being hit, even if that means some players are unable to hit Undertow. He will also cast Surge, when he becomes snared and must be kited. The tank should kite him in a circle around the sea shell with a healer towards the center to reach all the targets of Flash Freeze.
The Left Side Group (Melee) will probably finish first (Undertow’s death does not need to be timed). When Undertow is dead, the group should be joined by the rest of the raid to battle Inwar Darktide.
Full Raid
When both Rot Jaw and Undertow are dead, Inwar Darktide will become active and aggro the nearest player. Have a tank ready to pick him up to drag him down the ramp and to the left (near the edge), or you may choose to keep him on the main platform. The rest of the raid should position themselves to avoid the cleave. Ranged can be grouped on the other side of the ramp to leave room for kiting when needed.
A designated player should remain at the top of the ramp to absorb the red circles that spawn on the furthest target within range. These circles create a lightning storm and deal a heavy amount of damage to anyone left standing in it (even if the circle actually disappears). If a red circle spawns anywhere else in the raid, everyone should be sure to move out of that spot and stay out of it.
Once a minute, the boss will cast Dark Tide, a raid-wide damage which leaves a debuff increasing the damage of future Dark Tides. This is the soft enrage mechanic and will require a good amount of DPS and AoE healing. Water resistance does help, and healers should save their cooldowns for this ability. At around 5 stacks, it will become unhealable unless multiple players begin using consumables (Heroic Healing Philters).
Starting at 70%, the boss will begin casting Surge. Like with Undertow, Inwar Darktide will be snared and will need to be kited around until the buff wears off. Melee should back out during this phase. Be careful of the cleave when repositioning him.
Starting at 45%, the boss will begin casting Storm Lash. This ability lifts a random player into the air, but can be line of sighted. As long as the designated player is absorbing the red circles, there is no danger in being lifted, and you can still cast during it.
At 40%, Inwar Darktide will begin summoning Mana Ravager adds. The tank that is not on the boss should pick them up. All DPS should take them down as quickly as possible to avoid them healing the boss. In addition, if they hit a healer, all their mana will be drained, so have back-up healers or extra mana potions ready.
References
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]
[Only admins are allowed to see this image]
5.3 million health
Lasher
Melee Water damange
Encounter Warnings:
Has Cleave
Has AoE
Requires Interrupts
Requires Cleansing
Suggested Raid Makeup:
2 Tanks
12 DPS
4 Heals
2 Support
The Inwar Darktide fight has several phases that results in a long and somewhat challenging encounter, although patches have reduced it.
Brief Synopsis:
Surge – Must kite him until it wears off
Spawned Adds
Aqualix (1.0m HP) – Stay in melee range, death needs to be timed with Denizar
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Stay in melee range
Rot Jaw (1.4m HP) – Move out for Bilge Slime if health dips too low
Denizar (1.0m HP) – Stay at range, death needs to be timed with Aqualix
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Stay in melee range
Undertow (1.1m HP) – Kite during Surge
Mana Ravagers (76k HP) – Will heal the boss if active too long, will drain mana from nearby healers
Abilities &/or Adds:
Dark Tide – Raid-wide damage applying a debuff which causes additional damage from future Dark Tides
Surge – Buff which snares, must kite him until it wears off
Storm Lash – Crowd control which lifts a random player in the air, can be LoS’d
Spawned Adds:
Aqualix (1.0m HP) – Casts Rolling Thunder, requiring group to be in melee range, death needs to be timed with Denizar, when it dies, blue ground effects begin to spawn
Scuttle Claw Wranglers (155k HP) – Spawn in group of 3, along with several Scuttle Claws
Scuttle Claws (51k HP) – Charge players, should be pulled with a pet
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Will become active when Scuttle Claw adds die, spawns fatal red circles on ranged players
Rot Jaw (1.4m HP) –Casts Bilge Slime, a significant AoE around the boss
Denizar (1.0m HP) – Casts Freezing Wave, requiring group to move out of melee range, and Rip Tide debuff on tank, death needs to be timed with Aqualix, when it dies, blue ground effects begin to spawn
Fetid Slime (138k HP) – Spawn in group of 3, will spawn several smaller Slime adds, at 10% casts Bile Wave damage and knockback
Smaller Fetid Slime (81k HP) – at 10% casts Bile Wave damage and knockback
Tide Warden (864k HP) – Will become active when Scuttle Claw adds die, spawns fatal red circles on ranged players
Undertow (1.1m HP) – Casts Flash Freeze which damages a random player and anyone nearby for 120% of their maximum health over 3 seconds, and Surge where he becomes snared and must be kited
Mana Ravagers (76k HP) – Will heal the boss if active too long, will drain mana from nearby healers
Strategy:
Before the fight, split your raid group into 2 groups of 10 players each. Each side needs 1 tank, 1 single target healer, 1 AoE healer, an archon or bard, and 6 DPS. The Left Side Group will be primarily physical damage and melee based (including all warriors). The Right Side Group will be magical damage and range based (including all mages). You also need 1 AoE cleanser in each group. It is helpful to organize your raid frames to match the groups.
At the start of the fight, there are two mobs: Aqualix and Denizar. The tank in the Left Side Group should pull Aqualix from the right side to the left. The tank in the Right Side Group should pull Denizar from the left side to the right. Pull them all the way down the ramps, and have the raid move accordingly to avoid their cleave attacks while being positioned.
Left Side Group (Melee)
Starting 15 seconds after the pull (and about every minute after that), Aqualix will cast Rolling Thunder. It is accompanied by a blue circle surrounded by a pulsing red bubble. This spell damages anyone standing too far away, so keep the entire group in melee range (while avoiding the cleave).
Aqualix must be killed within a few seconds of Denizar, otherwise he will gain Denizar’s ability that forces everyone out of melee range, while still casting Rolling Thunder. Simply call out when one of the mobs is at 10% and stop DPS as needed to coordinate the kills.
When Aqualix dies, a number of blue circles will spawn on the ground (he can be tanked on one of the triangular ledges so that the group is not standing in a circle as he dies). Anyone touching the circles will be killed or knocked back (potentially off the ledge). These circles spawn in a predictable pattern, changing every 10 seconds. Start by hugging edge until you know where it is safe to stand.
Three Scuttle Claw Wrangle (crocodile) adds will spawn, accompanied by several Scuttle Claw adds which charge players and could potentially kill players during the pull. Ideally a pet will be used to pull these adds, with the Left Side Group at a distance and the tank in front.
As the last add is killed, the entire group should move into melee range of the Tide Warden (Phase 1 of the Gathering Storm Rift). Once the Tide Warden is active, anyone outside of melee range risks a red circle spawning on them, which is usually fatal. The killing of the Tide Warden on the left side needs to correspond with the killing of the one in the right group, although the killing of the Scuttle Claw adds does not need to be simultaneous. The Left Side Group will usually be faster on the Tide Warden, so be prepared to slow or stop DPS as needed.
The Tide Warden will cast Dead Water, an 8-second channel that does damage to 5 random players. It also applies a debuff that needs to be AoE cleansed.
After each cast, there is a chance of Warden’s Gaze being cast. This is a very fast cast (1 second) that needs to be interrupted. If not interrupted, it stuns and deals damage to 8 random players for 6 seconds. In order to avoid a healer or cleanser getting stunned, it is prudent to assign two interrupters to this cast, and have them alternate. When it is their turn, each interrupter should automatically interrupt after the cast just in case Warden’s Gaze is being cast.
Again, the Tide Wardens need to be killed at the same time, so when one of them gets to 10%, they should slow or stop DPS until the other side catches up. As the Tide Warden nears death, look around to study where the blue circles are and where it is safe to stand.
When the Tide Warden dies, about 10 seconds later Rot Jaw will spawn (Phase 2 of the Rift). He should be tanked where the Tide Warden was, with the raid behind him (toward the back wall) and the healers at range. Periodically he will cast Bilge Slime, a significant AoE damage around the boss. Melee DPS will need to pay attention to their health and back out if needed, making sure not to back out into a blue circle. Rot Jaw summons Mana Pincher adds, which should be killed as quickly as possible so they do not reach any healers and drain their mana.
The Left Side Group (Melee) will probably finish first (Rot Jaw’s death does not need to be timed). When Rot Jaw is dead, the group should slowly and carefully make their way to the main platform without touching any blue circles. Do not attempt to aid the other side until Undertow is dead, or else players may get killed by one of his AoE spells. As soon as Undertow dies, jump down and join the other group.
Right Side Group (Ranged)
Denizar takes reduced physical damage, but it won’t be a significant loss with one or two rogues in the group. Starting 15 seconds after the pull (and about every minute after that), he will cast Freezing Wave. This ability has a 4-second cast and displays a red bubble as a visible warning. Anyone within the bubble at the end of the cast will be stunned and receive a significant amount of damage. All melee DPS as well as the tank should move out of range.
Denizar will also apply a stacking debuff to the tank called Rip Tide, which increases damage taken. The debuff can drop off with dodges/parries, but if it reaches 3 or more stacks, the tank will be taking a significant amount of damage. You should have backup heals and defensive cooldowns ready, and kite Denizar after Freezing Wave if needed to prevent more stacks from accumulating.
Denizar must be killed within a few seconds of Aqualix, otherwise he will gain Aqualix’ ability that forces everyone into melee range, while still casting Freezing Wave. Simply call out when one of the mobs is at 10% and stop DPS as needed to coordinate the kills.
When Denizar dies, the Right Side Group (Ranged) has 20 seconds to get into position for the next phase when a number of blue circles will spawn on the ground. Anyone touching the circles will be killed or knocked back (potentially off the ledge). These circles spawn in a predictable pattern, changing every 10 seconds. Start by hugging edge until you know where it is safe to stand.
Three Fetid Slime adds will spawn, which as they are lose health will spawn 4 smaller Slime adds. When any of these adds reaches 10%, it will begin casting Bile Wave. After a 3-second cast, it will damage and knockback anyone in its radius if the Slime is not killed before that point.
For the first two big adds, use single-target damage only to kill them. Then AoE the 4 smaller adds together. When the third big add dies the next phase will begin, so single-target it down to about 50%, then single-target the smaller adds one at a time. Then single-target the third big add down to 25%, and again, single-target the smaller adds one at a time. As you enter the next phase, you should only have one small add active.
While the third big add is being killed, the entire group should move into melee range of the Tide Warden (Phase 1 of the Gathering Storm Rift). Once the Tide Warden is active, anyone outside of melee range risks a red circle spawning on them, which is usually fatal. The killing of the Tide Warden on the left side needs to correspond with the killing of the one in the right group, although the killing of the Scuttle Claw adds does not need to be simultaneous. The Left Side Group will usually be faster on the Tide Warden, but be prepared to slow or stop DPS as needed.
The Tide Warden will cast Dead Water, an 8-second channel that does damage to 5 random players. It also applies a debuff that needs to be AoE cleansed.
After each cast, there is a chance of Warden’s Gaze being cast. This is a very fast cast (1 second) that needs to be interrupted. If not interrupted, it stuns and deals damage to 8 random players for 6 seconds. In order to avoid a healer or cleanser getting stunned, it is prudent to assign two interrupters to this cast, and have them alternate. When it is their turn, each interrupter should automatically interrupt after the cast just in case Warden’s Gaze is being cast.
Again, the Tide Wardens need to be killed at the same time, so when one of them gets to 10%, they should slow or stop DPS until the other side catches up. As the Tide Warden nears death, look around to study where the blue circles are and where it is safe to stand.
When the Tide Warden dies, about 10 seconds later Undertow will spawn (Phase 2 of the Rift). He should be tanked where the Tide Warden was, with the group spread out and the healers toward the center. Periodically he will cast Flash Freeze on a random player, which will damage them and anyone nearby (in the player’s bubble) for about 120% of their maximum health over 3 seconds. As long as the player receives some AoE healing, they should be able to live but it is important everyone remain spread out to avoid multiple players being hit, even if that means some players are unable to hit Undertow. He will also cast Surge, when he becomes snared and must be kited. The tank should kite him in a circle around the sea shell with a healer towards the center to reach all the targets of Flash Freeze.
The Left Side Group (Melee) will probably finish first (Undertow’s death does not need to be timed). When Undertow is dead, the group should be joined by the rest of the raid to battle Inwar Darktide.
Full Raid
When both Rot Jaw and Undertow are dead, Inwar Darktide will become active and aggro the nearest player. Have a tank ready to pick him up to drag him down the ramp and to the left (near the edge), or you may choose to keep him on the main platform. The rest of the raid should position themselves to avoid the cleave. Ranged can be grouped on the other side of the ramp to leave room for kiting when needed.
A designated player should remain at the top of the ramp to absorb the red circles that spawn on the furthest target within range. These circles create a lightning storm and deal a heavy amount of damage to anyone left standing in it (even if the circle actually disappears). If a red circle spawns anywhere else in the raid, everyone should be sure to move out of that spot and stay out of it.
Once a minute, the boss will cast Dark Tide, a raid-wide damage which leaves a debuff increasing the damage of future Dark Tides. This is the soft enrage mechanic and will require a good amount of DPS and AoE healing. Water resistance does help, and healers should save their cooldowns for this ability. At around 5 stacks, it will become unhealable unless multiple players begin using consumables (Heroic Healing Philters).
Starting at 70%, the boss will begin casting Surge. Like with Undertow, Inwar Darktide will be snared and will need to be kited around until the buff wears off. Melee should back out during this phase. Be careful of the cleave when repositioning him.
Starting at 45%, the boss will begin casting Storm Lash. This ability lifts a random player into the air, but can be line of sighted. As long as the designated player is absorbing the red circles, there is no danger in being lifted, and you can still cast during it.
At 40%, Inwar Darktide will begin summoning Mana Ravager adds. The tank that is not on the boss should pick them up. All DPS should take them down as quickly as possible to avoid them healing the boss. In addition, if they hit a healer, all their mana will be drained, so have back-up healers or extra mana potions ready.
References
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]
[Only admins are allowed to see this image]
