Highmaul Raid Guide: Entrance, Rewards, Bosses

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong mitigation for Impale (e.g., Paladin, Warrior).
• Healers: Strong single-target healers (e.g., Holy Paladin) for tank damage.
• DPS
  • Stands Team: AoE specialists (e.g., Frost Mage, Affliction Warlock).
  • Kiting Berserker Rush: Mobile ranged (e.g., Hunter, Mage).
  • Mythic: Classes with immunities/speed boosts (e.g., Paladin’s BoP, Mage’s Blink).

Tips:

• Chain Hurl Team:
  • Pre-assign 1 tank (lowest Open Wounds stacks), 1 healer, 3 AoE DPS.
  • Focus Iron Bombers and Drunken Bileslingers in stands.
• Berserker Rush:
  • Kite Kargath through Flame Jet (active pillars marked by skulls).
  • Avoid tiger pits during kiting.
• Tanks:
  • Swap after Impale to manage Open Wounds.
  • Keep Kargath centered to preserve pillars.
• General:
  • Spread out to avoid Blade Dance splash.
  • Dodge Mauling Brew (green circles) and Iron Bomb explosions.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (Coliseum):
  • Tanks hold boss mid-platform.
  • Ranged/healers stay spread; melee stay behind boss.
  • Assign pillars for Berserker Rush kiting paths.
• Phase 2 (Stands):
  • Chain Hurl team kills adds quickly to reduce raid damage.
  • Avoid Fire Bomb (Iron Bomber death explosion).
• Mythic-Specific:
  • Maximize Roar of the Crowd by kiting Berserker Rush longer and killing adds efficiently.
  • Use Bloodlust during high Favor buffs (50+).
  • Kite Ravenous Bloodmaw tigers through Flame Jets for extra Favor.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Open with Bloodlust for maximum uptime.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: High-mitigation classes (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood DK) for The Tenderizer stacks.
  DPS:
• Melee: Classes with cleave (e.g., Warrior, Ret Paladin) for consistent damage.
• Ranged: Mobile classes (e.g., Hunter, Mage) to bait Bounding Cleave.
• Healers: Strong AoE healers (e.g., Resto Druid, Holy Priest) for Gushing Wounds.

Tips:

• Cleave Soaking:
  • Assign 2 groups of 3–4 players (left/right legs) to rotate stacks.
  • A “trigger” player steps in to draw 3 Cleaves (3 stacks), then swaps.
• Bounding Cleave: Ranged/healers stack post-knockback to bait safely.
• Tanks: Swap at 3–4 stacks of The Cleaver/Tenderizer; use CDs for high stacks.
• Frenzy Phase (30% HP): Pop Bloodlust and personal/raid CDs.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (100–30% HP):
  • Tanks stack to split Heavy Handed damage.
  • Rotate Cleave groups (3 stacks → swap).
  • Bait Bounding Cleave with ranged clumps.
• Phase 2 (Frenzy):
  • Lust + CDs: Burn boss while managing increased damage.
  • Adjust Cleave groups to 2 stacks each if healing is strained.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At 30% HP (Frenzy phase) to shorten the most dangerous part.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Strong active mitigation (e.g., Protection Paladin for stuns).
• DPS: High burst/AoE (e.g., Fire Mage, Demonology Warlock, Unholy DK).
• Healers: Strong raid-cooldowns (e.g., Resto Druid, Holy Paladin).

Tips:

• Pillar Placement: Ranged/healers should stay near edges to avoid blocking LoS.
• Barrage Handling: Move counter-clockwise to avoid cluttering pillar paths.
• Adds: Stun-lock Earthwarpers to prevent Gift of Earth.
• Kill Order:
  • Tectus → 1st Shard → 4 Motes → 2nd Shard → 4 Motes.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (Tectus):
  • Stack ranged/healers at edges.
  • Tanks swap on Accretion stacks.
  • Dodge Earthen Pillar/Fracture.
• Phase 2 (Shards):
  • Each tank takes 1 Shard. Burn one Shard during Tectonic Upheaval.
• Phase 3 (Motes):
  • Split Motes between tanks (or have one tank hold all 4).
  • Use Bloodlust here (see below).

Bloodlust/Drums:

During Mote phase (4 Motes + 1 Shard active) for quick burns.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong interrupts (e.g., DKs, Warriors) for Decay.
• DPS:
  • Ranged: Hunters, Mages (for Spore Shooters and Moss control).
  • Melee: Rogues (interrupts), classes with cleave (for adds).
  • Flamethrower Duty: Mobile ranged DPS (e.g., Hunters, Balance Druids).
• Healers: Classes with strong AoE heals (e.g., Resto Druids, Holy Priests) for mushrooms.

Tips:

• Mushrooms:
  • Living Mushroom: Heal to full before Infesting Spores for raid-wide healing.
  • Rejuvenating Mushroom: Keep alive for mana/HP regeneration.
  • Add Priority: Fungal Flesh-Eater > Spore Shooters > Mind Fungus.
• Movement:
  • Avoid Creeping Moss (slows + damage).
  • Ranged intercept Spore Shot away from melee.
  • Stay out of Mind Fungus AoE (debuffs casters).

Strategy:

• Tanks:
  • Swap Brackenspore at 4 stacks of Rot.
  • Face boss away for Necrotic Breath.
  • Kite adds away from moss and into mushroom buffs.
• DPS:
  • Focus Flesh-Eaters first (interrupt Decay).
  • Assign 2 players to Flamethrowers for moss control.
• Healers:
  • Pre-heal mushrooms before Infesting Spores.
  • Use raid CDs if no Living Mushroom is active.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Start of fight (minimal movement, max DPS on boss/adds).

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: High-mobility tanks (e.g., Warriors, Monks) to handle boss repositioning.
• DPS: Classes with strong cleave/AoE (e.g., Warlocks, Frost DKs) and multidotting (e.g., Shadow Priests).
• Healers: Strong raid healers (e.g., Resto Druids, Holy Priests) for handling Enfeebling Roar and Blaze stacks.

Tips:

• Quake/Blaze (Phemos): Hide behind one weapon to minimize fire walls.
• Enfeebling Roar: Entire raid must stack to split damage/debuff duration.
• Pulverize (Pol): Spread slightly and dodge ground effects.
• Tank Note: Keep bosses together to avoid their enrage (increased attack speed when separated).

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (Quake/Blaze):
  • Phemos throws weapons → raid moves behind one weapon.
  • Dodge fire walls and avoid Blaze stacks (3+ can be lethal).
• Phase 2 (Ability Rotation):
  • Phemos: Tank drags him away for Whirlwind (33 Energy).
  • Pol: Dodge Shield Charge (33 Energy) and stop casting during Interrupting Shout (66 Energy).
  • Overlap Handling: If Enfeebling Roar (66 Energy) and Pulverize (100 Energy) overlap, stack and dodge together.
  • Repeat: Cycle mechanics while maintaining cleave damage.

Bloodlust/Drums:

Opening 20-30 seconds (least movement, maximum DPS).

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: High-mobility classes (e.g., Warrior, Druid) to handle Expel Magic: Arcane and kite adds.
• Healers: Strong single-target healers (e.g., Disc Priest, Holy Pally) for Caustic Energy damage.
• DPS:
  • Physical DPS (e.g., Rogue, Hunter) to bypass Nullification Barrier.
  • Ranged DPS prioritized for orb-soaking due to mobility.

Tips:

• Orb Soaking: Assign 3–5 ranged players to rotate Rune of Nullification entries.
• Expel Magic: Fire: Spread before detonation/dispel.
• Expel Magic: Frost: Move away from orbs; use speed boosts.
• Volatile Anomalies: Tanks must drag them into Suppression Fields before they die.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (Barrier Active):
  • Magical DPS deplete the barrier; physical DPS focus boss HP.
  • Tanks swap on Expel Magic: Arcane (affected tank runs away).
• Rune of Nullification:
  • 1–2 players enter, soak Caustic Energy to gain a barrier, then exit if low.
  • Soak Overflowing Energy orbs to prevent raid damage.
• Adds: Kill Volatile Anomalies only inside Suppression Fields.
• Healing CDs: Use for Expel Magic: Shadow (raid-wide heal absorb).

Bloodlust/Drums:

Start of fight (least movement, max DPS to break first barrier quickly).

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: High-mobility classes (e.g., Warrior, DK) to handle Mark of Chaos positioning.
• DPS: Strong AoE (for adds like Arcane Aberrations) and interrupts (for Warmages).
• Healers: Strong raid cooldowns (e.g., Druid’s Tranquility, Priest’s Hymn) for Force Nova and Destabilize.

Tips:

• Branded:
  • ≥5 stacks: Run away from the raid to expire the debuff.
  • In Phase 2 (Displacement), stand at the edge of your ring while others move opposite.
• Destructive Resonance: Mines persist 1–2 minutes—drop them at the room’s edges.
• Intermissions: Focus Warmages first, then Anomalies (stagger their deaths to reduce Destabilize damage).

Strategy:

• Phase 1:
  • Tanks swap on Mark of Chaos and drag boss clockwise.
  • Kill Arcane Aberrations immediately.
• Phase 2 (Displacement):
  • Force Nova: Run forward to avoid knockback.
  • Mark of Chaos: Tank gets teleported—adjust positioning.
• Intermission 1:
  • Kill Warmages first; tanks kite Anomalies away from Dominance Aura.
• Phase 3 (Fortification):
  • Mark of Chaos: Tank is rooted—pre-move or use mobility skills.
  • Force Nova: Three waves—use raid CDs.
• Phase 4 (Replication):
  • Orbs of Chaos: Dodge the 8 spreading orbs after Mark detonates.
  • Arcane Remnants: Tank and cleave down after Aberration dies.

Bloodlust/Drums:

During Intermission 2 (at 25%) to burn Gorian Reaver and Anomalies before Phase 4.