Heart of Fear Raid Guide: Entrance, Rewards, Bosses

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: High-mobility classes (e.g., Druids, Monks) to intercept Exhale and handle echoes.
• Healers: Strong AoE healers ( Holy Priests, Resto Druids) for Force and Verve.
• DPS:
  • Ranged: Hunters/ Mages for kiting echoes and avoiding Attenuation.
  • Melee: Rogues/ Warriors for burst to break Convert quickly.
• Utility: Warlocks (Demonic Gateway) and Druids (Stampeding Roar) help with platform transitions.

Tips:

• Phase 1:
  • Force and Verve: Assign groups to shields (melee+tank under closest, ranged split).
  • Attenuation: Move in a spiral pattern to dodge disks.
  • Convert: Focus mind-controlled players to 50% HP.
• Phase 2:
  • Stack in center, spread for Attenuation, and group for Force and Verve shields.
• Heroic Mode:
  • Assign tanks/healers to handle echoes left on platforms.
  • Use immunities (Ice Block, Divine Shield) to survive unshielded Force and Verve.

Strategy:

• Phase 1:
  • SW Platform: Assign 3 groups to shields (4 players/shield in 10-man).
  • NE Platform: Dodge disks by circling the boss.
  • SE Platform: Burst mind-controlled players fast.
• Phase 2:
  • Lust at 40% during center phase.
  • Prioritize boss DPS; ignore the final Echo of Attenuation (tank it away).

Bloodlust/Drums:

Best Timing: Phase 2 (40% HP) when the boss is stationary and mechanics intensify.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Two tanks required to swap due to Overwhelming Assault debuff.
• Healers: Strong AoE healers (e.g., Resto Druid, Holy Priest) for Unseen Strike and Wind Step bleeds.
• DPS:
  • High single-target damage (e.g., Affliction Warlock, Fire Mage) to push phases quickly.
  • Mobile classes (e.g., Hunters, Frost DKs) excel in Phase 2 tornado dodging.

Tips:

• Phase 1:
  • Stack tightly for Unseen Strike (mark a melee player for consistency).
  • Spread 8+ yards to minimize Wind Step targets.
  • Ranged/healers should position near walls to control tornado spawns.
• Phase 2:
  • Use movement abilities (e.g., Dash, Blink) to dodge tornadoes in the corridor.
  • Pre-place HoTs before the phase transition to mitigate raid-wide damage.
  • At 10% HP, preemptively move to the opposite end to avoid backtracking.
• General:
  • Personal cooldowns (Anti-Magic Shell, Dispersion) can save players knocked into tornadoes.

Strategy:

• Phase 1:
  • Tanks: Swap after each Overwhelming Assault.
  • Raid: Designate a stacking spot (e.g., marked tank) for Unseen Strike.
  • Positioning: Pull boss to new alcoves as tornadoes clutter the room.
• Phase 2:
  • Movement: Stick to one lane, switch only when tornadoes approach.
  • DPS: Prioritize DoTs on the boss while moving.
  • Healers: Use instant casts (e.g., Renew, Riptide) during movement.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Phase 1: Use after an Unseen Strike when the raid is spread out.

Preferred Classes:

• Kiting Pheromones:
  • Hunters (high mobility, ranged DPS).
  • Tanks (durable, can handle movement).
  • Healers (if needed, but movement may hinder casting).
• DPS:
  • Combat Rogues (Blade Flurry cleave).
  • Arms Warriors (Sweeping Strikes).
  • Fire Mages (Inferno Blast cleave).

Tips:

• Pheromone Management:
  • Pass the debuff at ~20 stacks to minimize raid damage.
  • Avoid accidental passes (players standing too close).
    In LFR, one player can hold Pheromones indefinitely.
• Kiting:
  • Move along the edges of the room to conserve space.
  • Overlap Pheromone Trail void zones to minimize obstruction.
• Legs:
  • Always kill all four legs ASAP for the slow + damage.
  • Melee DPS must stand near legs for Weak Points (+100% damage).
  • Avoid standing under Garalon (triggers Crush).
• Tanks:
  • Always stay in front to soak Furious Swipe.
  • Adjust position as Garalon turns toward the kiter.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (100%-33% HP):
  • Engage: Assign initial Pheromone carrier (preferably Hunter/tank).
  • Kite: Pheromone carrier moves Garalon along the room’s edge.
  • Leg Duty: DPS focus legs (prioritize Weak Points buff).
  • Debuff Rotation: Pre-assign 3-4 (10-man) or 6-8 (25-man) players to pass Pheromones.
  • Crush Timing: Coordinate Pheromone passes to avoid overlapping with high raid damage.
• Phase 2 (<33% HP) (Heroic Only):
  • Garalon stops kiting and melees the tank.
  • Tanks must keep boss positioned while raid continues DPS.
  • Optional: Pre-weaken legs before 33% and kill them after transition for burst damage.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At pull (maximize cooldowns, full raid alive).

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: At least two tanks are preferred, with one tanking Mel’jarak and the other tanking the remaining adds.
• Healers: Multiple healers are necessary due to the high damage output from Mel’jarak and the adds.
• DPS: Classes with strong AoE damage and crowd-control abilities are beneficial. Interrupts and dispels are crucial for handling the Battle-Menders and Blademasters.

Tips:

• Crowd Control: Use crowd-control abilities effectively to manage the adds. Prioritize crowd-controlling the Battle-Menders and Blademasters.
• Positioning: Spread out in a circle around the boss to minimize damage from Whirling Blade and avoid multiple players being caught in Amber Prison.
• Communication: Clear communication is essential for handling add abilities and crowd control.
• Cooldowns: Use defensive cooldowns during high-damage phases, such as Rain of Blades and Kor’thik Strike.

Strategy:

• Tanking: One tank should pick up Mel’jarak and one or two adds, while the other tank handles the remaining adds.
• Crowd Control: Crowd-control as many adds as the limit allows. Prioritize crowd-controlling the Battle-Menders and Blademasters.
• Add Management: Kill the adds in a specific order based on your raid’s strengths and weaknesses. Aim to kill the Battle-Menders first, followed by the Blademasters, and finally the Amber-Trappers.
• Handling Add Abilities:
  • Interrupt Mending cast by the Battle-Menders.
  • Dispel Quickening from the adds.
  • Free players from Amber Prison.
  • Move away from Wind Bombs and avoid triggering them after they arm.
• DPS Priority: Focus on killing the adds before damaging Mel’jarak. Use DoTs and cleaving attacks to deal damage to Mel’jarak while killing the adds.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Add Burn Phase: Use Bloodlust/Drums when burning down a specific type of add, especially if you are trying to kill them before they cast a crucial ability.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Must handle Construct mechanics in Phase 1.
• Ranged DPS: Prioritize killing Living Ambers and Mutated Constructs.
• Healers: Strong single-target healers (e.g., Paladins) for Parasitic Growth debuff.
• Utility: Classes with immunities (Ice Block, Divine Shield) to clear Parasitic Growth.

Tips:

• Mutated Construct:
  • Use Struggle for Control to interrupt Amber Explosion.
  • Apply Amber Strike to stack Destabilize on boss/add.
  • Exit with Break Free before Willpower depletes (requires Construct <20% HP).
  • Avoid consuming Burning Amber (void zones) unless necessary (increases Construct HP).
• Living Ambers:
  • Kill them one by one (AoE heals nearby adds).
  • Position deaths to cluster void zones for later Consume Amber.
• Phase 2:
  • Mutated Construct must interrupt Amber Monstrosity’s Amber Explosion.
  • Ranged stay >15yds to avoid Massive Stomp.
• Phase 3:
  • Burn boss aggressively; ignore Constructs if needed.
  • Use Bloodlust/Time Warp here (or Phase 2 if struggling).

Strategy:

• Phase 1:
  • Tanks: Maximize Destabilize stacks on boss by delaying Construct exit.
  • DPS: Prioritize Constructs > Living Ambers > boss.
  • Healers: Minimize healing on Parasitic Growth targets (use absorbs).
• Phase 2:
  • Focus Amber Monstrosity.
  • Assign one player to stay in Construct long-term (consuming void zones for Willpower).
• Phase 3:
  • Stack Destabilize and burn boss.
  • Kite Amber Globules (Heroic only) into each other to despawn.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Optimal: Phase 3 (boss enrage) for fastest kill.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Two tanks are required to alternate tanking Shek’zeer due to the Eyes of the Empress debuff.
• Healers: Up to 4 healers in 10-man and up to 9 in 25-man are suggested due to the brutal raid damage in Phases One and Three.
• DPS: Ranged DPS are preferred for handling the Dissonance Fields and interrupting Dispatch. Melee DPS should focus on the adds during Phase Two.

Tips:

• Positioning: Spread out at least 5 yards apart to avoid unnecessary damage from Dread Screech and Visions of Demise.
• Communication: Clear communication is crucial for handling the Dissonance Fields and coordinating the creation of Amber Traps.
• Cooldowns: Use raid cooldowns like Rallying Cry and Tranquility to mitigate the damage from the Dissonance Field explosions and other high-damage abilities.

Strategy:

• Phase One:
  • Tanks should switch at 4 stacks of Eyes of the Empress.
  • Designate a Dissonance Field to kill first and have the player affected by Cry of Terror move inside it.
  • Use raid cooldowns to mitigate the damage from the Dissonance Field explosions.
• Phase Two:
  • Kill the Windblades before the Reavers and aim to trap the Reavers in Amber Traps.
  • Interrupt Dispatch and kite Windblades that fixate on players.
  • Create Amber Traps by merging Sticky Resin void zones.
• Phase Three:
  • Remain spread out to minimize the impact of Visions of Demise.
  • Tanks should alternate tanking the boss and face her away from the raid.
  • Dispel Visions of Demise as soon as possible.
  • Use all raid cooldowns to stay alive and increase DPS on the boss.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Phase Three, as it is the most intense phase and coincides with the execute phase for many DPS classes.