The Emerald Nightmare Raid Guide: Entrance, Rewards, Bosses

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong mitigation cooldowns (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood Death Knight) to handle Volatile Rot.
• Healers: Classes with strong AoE healing and dispels (e.g., Restoration Druid, Holy Priest) to manage raid-wide damage and dispel Unstable Decay.
• DPS: High-mobility classes (e.g., Demon Hunter, Rogue) to avoid mechanics and burst down Corrupted Vermin.

Tips:

• General:
  • Spread out to avoid stacking Rot damage.
  • Designate areas for dropping Infested Ground and Volatile Rot.
  • Use movement speed abilities to avoid Infested Breath.
• Tanks:
  • Communicate taunt swaps for Volatile Rot.
  • Use cooldowns to survive Volatile Rot explosions.
• DPS:
  • Focus on dodging mechanics while maintaining high damage output.
  • Use cooldowns during Bloodlust/Time Warp at the start.
• Healers:
  • Prioritize healing Rot targets and tanks.
  • Save major cooldowns for the third Volatile Rot explosion and Heart of the Swarm phase.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 (Plagued Dreamer):
  • Rot: Affected players run to the walls to drop Infested Ground.
  • Volatile Rot: Tanks run to a designated area to minimize raid damage.
  • Infested Breath: Move out of the cone and reposition the raid to a clean quadrant.
• Phase 2 (Heart of the Swarm):
  • Avoid Corrupted Vermin explosions.
  • Stay in a clean area of the room to avoid Infested Ground.
• Room Management:
  • Divide the room into quadrants and rotate after each Infested Breath.
  • Keep one half of the room clear for Heart of the Swarm.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At the start of the fight.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong active mitigation (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood Death Knight) to handle Nightmarish Fury and Eye of Fate.
• Healers: Classes with strong AoE healing and dispels (e.g., Restoration Druid, Holy Priest) to manage Touch of Corruption and Cursed Blood.
• Damage Dealers: Classes with strong AoE and single-target burst (e.g., Fire Mage, Demon Hunter) to handle adds and burn Il’gynoth in Phase 2.

Tips:

• Phase 1:
  • Kill adds to spawn Nightmare Ichors, then kite them to the Eye of Il’gynoth and kill them within 15 yards to damage the Eye.
  • Interrupt Mind Flay from Deathglare Tentacles.
  • Tanks must swap on 3 stacks of Eye of Fate from the Nightmare Horror.
  • Players targeted by Spew Corruption should drop Nightmare Corruption pools at the edges of the room.
• Phase 2:
  • Use Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp and major DPS cooldowns to burn Il’gynoth.
  • Spread out when affected by Cursed Blood to avoid damaging other players.
  • Exit the heart chamber before Dark Reconstitution completes to avoid instant death.

Strategy:

Phase 1: The Ruined Ground

• Add Priority:
  • Nightmare Ichors (when in position) > Corruptor Tentacles > Deathglare Tentacles > Dominator Tentacles > Nightmare Horror.
• Key Mechanics:
  • Dominator Tentacles: Tank these and dodge Ground Slam.
  • Deathglare Tentacles: Interrupt Mind Flay.
  • Nightmare Horror: Tank swap on 3 stacks of Eye of Fate and avoid dropping Nightmare Corruption on melee DPS.
  • Corruptor Tentacles: Drop Spew Corruption pools at the edges.
• Nightmare Ichors:
  • Kite them to the Eye of Il’gynoth and kill them within 15 yards to damage the Eye.
  • Use slows, stuns, and knockbacks to control their movement.

Phase 2: The Heart of Corruption

• Burn Il’gynoth:
  • Use Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp and major DPS cooldowns.
  • Tanks and healers should also contribute to DPS.
• Cursed Blood:
  • Spread out to avoid damaging other players when the debuff detonates.
• Exit Before Dark Reconstitution:
  • Leave the heart chamber with 5 seconds remaining on the cast to avoid instant death.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At the start of the first burn phase.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong active mitigation and cooldowns (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood DK).
• Healers: Classes with strong raid-wide healing and cooldowns (e.g., Restoration Druid, Holy Priest).
• DPS: Classes with high mobility and strong AoE/cleave (e.g., Demon Hunter, Mage, Hunter).

Tips:

• Spider Form:
  • Spread out during Necrotic Venom to avoid overlapping Venomous Pools.
  • Move to the opposite side of the platform during Vile Ambush.
  • Tanks should taunt-swap for Dripping Fangs on Spiderlings.
• Roc Form:
  • Use Shimmering Feathers to cross platforms quickly and kill Spiderlings.
  • Avoid Twisting Shadows tornadoes and Venomous Pools.
  • Tanks must taunt-swap during Raking Talons to mitigate damage.
• General:
  • Avoid stepping on Pulsing Egg Sacs to prevent spawning Skittering Spiderlings.
  • Use Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp at the start of the fight for maximum uptime.

Strategy:

• Spider Form:
  • Web of Pain: Linked players (tanks and random DPS/healers) must stay within 20 yards to avoid extra damage.
  • Necrotic Venom: Targeted players should move to the edge of the platform to drop Venomous Pools.
  • Vile Ambush: The raid should move to the opposite side of the platform to avoid heavy damage.
• Roc Form:
  • Twisting Shadows: Targeted players should clear Venomous Pools and drop tornadoes in safe areas.
  • Gathering Clouds: Healers should use cooldowns to mitigate raid-wide damage.
  • Shimmering Feathers: Assign 1 tank, 1 healer, and 7 DPS to use feathers and kill Spiderlings.
  • Raking Talons: Tanks must taunt-swap to avoid taking double damage.
• Platform Transitions:
  • Avoid Venomous Pools and Twisting Shadows while crossing web bridges.
  • Use movement speed boosts carefully to avoid falling or triggering Pulsing Egg Sacs.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At the start of the fight during Spider form.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong active mitigation (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood Death Knight) to handle Overwhelm and Rend Flesh debuffs.
• Healers: Classes with strong AoE healing (e.g., Restoration Druid, Holy Priest) to manage raid-wide damage from Roaring Cacophony and Barreling Impact.
• DPS: High single-target damage dealers (e.g., Fire Mage, Affliction Warlock) to burn Ursoc quickly, especially in Mythic where Nightmare Images must be killed.

Tips:

• Soaking Momentum:
  • Divide the raid into two soak groups to alternate soaking Momentum charges.
  • Never soak Momentum if you have the Momentum debuff (50s duration).
• Focused Gaze:
  • The targeted player should run to a marked spot in the center of the room.
  • Soakers should stand between Ursoc and the Focused Gaze target to reduce Barreling Impact damage.
• Tank Debuffs:
  • Tanks must avoid having both Overwhelm and Rend Flesh simultaneously. Use frequent taunts to manage debuffs.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Save Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp for when Ursoc reaches 30% health to mitigate the increased damage and attack speed.

Strategy:

• Positioning:
  • Tank Ursoc against a wall to minimize movement.
  • The raid should stack loosely within 25 yards of Ursoc to split Roaring Cacophony damage.
• Soaking:
  • Assign two soak groups to alternate soaking Momentum charges.
  • Soakers should stand behind Ursoc, in line with the Focused Gaze target.
• Tank Management:
  • Tanks must taunt swap to manage Overwhelm and Rend Flesh debuffs.
  • Use strong cooldowns during Blood Frenzy to survive increased damage.
• Healing:
  • Healers should use cooldowns after each Barreling Impact and Roaring Cacophony.
  • Save major cooldowns for the Blood Frenzy phase.
• DPS:
  • Focus on maximizing single-target damage.
  • Use personal defensives during Roaring Cacophony and Barreling Impact.

Bloodlust/Drums:

When Ursoc reaches 30% health and enters Blood Frenzy.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong cooldowns for mitigating Corrupted Breath and handling multiple adds (e.g., Paladins, Death Knights).
• Healers: Classes with strong dispels and AoE healing (e.g., Restoration Druids, Holy Paladins)
• DPS: Classes with strong single-target burst for adds and interrupts (e.g., Rogues, Mages, Hunters).

Tips:

• Mark of the Dragon:
  • Players within 45 yards of a dragon gain a stacking debuff. At 10 stacks, they are stunned for 30 seconds.
  • Split the raid into two groups, each handling one dragon. Tanks should swap dragons at 6-8 stacks to avoid Slumbering Nightmare.
• Nightmare Blooms:
  • Soak Nightmare Blooms to prevent Dread Horrors from spawning.
  • Use defensive cooldowns if soaking while taking other damage.
• Adds:
  • Prioritize killing adds like Essence of Corruption, Spirit Shades, and Shades of Taerar.
  • Use crowd control (CC) and interrupts to manage adds effectively.
• Ground Effects:
  • Avoid Gloom, Seeping Fog, and Corrupted Burst by moving out of their areas.
• Dispels:
  • Healers must dispel Defiled Vines and Seeping Fog quickly to prevent raid damage and crowd control effects.

Strategy:

• Raid Composition:
  • Split the raid into two groups, each with a tank, healers, and DPS.
  • Assign each group to one side of the room.
• Tank Responsibilities:
  • Face dragons away from the raid to avoid Corrupted Breath.
  • Swap dragons at 6-8 stacks of the debuff.
  • Pick up adds like Shades of Taerar and Dread Horrors.
• DPS Responsibilities:
  • Focus on adds and interrupts.
  • Soak Nightmare Blooms and avoid ground effects.
• Healer Responsibilities:
  • Dispels are critical for Defiled Vines and Seeping Fog.
  • Prioritize healing players soaking Nightmare Blooms or affected by Volatile Infection.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At the start of the encounter to burn down the dragons quickly and reduce the number of mechanics in the first phase.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: Classes with strong cooldowns for Spear of Nightmares and Nightmare Blast (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood Death Knight).
• Damage Dealers: Classes with strong AoE for Corrupted Wisps and Twisted Sisters (e.g., Fire Mage, Demon Hunter, Affliction Warlock).
• Healers: Classes with strong raid-wide healing and cooldowns for Creeping Nightmares and Desiccating Stomp (e.g., Holy Priest, Restoration Druid).

Tips:

• Creeping Nightmares:
  • Reset stacks at 15-20 by stepping into Cleansed Ground.
  • Avoid dragging Cenarius into Cleansed Ground, as it shrinks the pool.
• Forces of Nightmare:
  • Prioritize killing adds: Corrupted Wisps > Twisted Sister > Rotten Drake > Nightmare Ancient.
  • Use Malfurion’s Cleansed Ground to turn one add into a friendly Ally of Nature.
• Nightmare Brambles:
  • Kite the Bramble Swarm away from the raid.
  • Use immunities (e.g., Divine Shield, Cloak of Shadows) to clear Nightmare Brambles patches.
• Phase Transition:
  • Avoid pushing Cenarius to 35% health if adds are still alive or if Forces of Nightmare is about to spawn.

Strategy:

Phase 1: Forces of Nightmare

• Tanks:
  • Keep Cenarius 20+ yards away from adds to avoid Aura of Dread Thorns.
  • Swap adds tanking to manage Creeping Nightmares stacks.
• Damage Dealers:
  • Focus on adds in priority order.
  • Interrupt Twisted Touch of Life from Twisted Sisters.
  • Kite Corrupted Wisps and kill them quickly.
• Healers:
  • Use raid cooldowns for Desiccating Stomp and Nightmare Buffet.
  • Dispel Nightmare Brambles roots.

Phase 2: Your Nightmare Ends

• Tanks:
  • Swap for Spear of Nightmares and use cooldowns to minimize Nightmares pool size.
  • Move Cenarius along the edge of the platform to conserve space.
• Damage Dealers:
  • Use Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp at the start of Phase 2.
  • Focus on Cenarius while avoiding Nightmares pools.
• Healers:
  • Use raid cooldowns for high Creeping Nightmares stacks.
  • Free Malfurion from Entangling Nightmares quickly.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At the start of Phase 2 (35% health) to burn Cenarius before Nightmares covers the entire platform.

Preferred Classes:

• Tanks: 2-3 tanks recommended. Classes with strong cooldowns and active mitigation (e.g., Protection Paladin, Blood Death Knight) are ideal.
• Healers: Healers with strong raid-wide healing and dispels (e.g., Holy Priest, Restoration Druid) are preferred.
• DPS: Classes with strong single-target and cleave/AoE damage (e.g., Fire Mage, Affliction Warlock, Fury Warrior) are optimal for handling adds and burning Xavius.

Tips:

• Corruption Management:
  • Avoid unnecessary Corruption gains by dodging mechanics like Nightmare Blades and Corruption Meteor.
  • Use Dream Simulacrum players to soak Corruption-heavy mechanics.
  • At 100 Corruption, players gain a 20-second damage buff (Descent into Madness) before being mind-controlled. Use this to burn Xavius in Phase 3.
• Dream Simulacrum:
  • Dreaming players should handle mechanics like Tormenting Infection, Tainted Discharge, and tank debuff dispels.
  • Cooldowns used in the Dream are refunded upon awakening.
• Add Control:
  • Prioritize killing Corruption Horrors (Phase 1) and Inconceivable Horrors (Phase 2) to prevent raid-wide damage and Corruption spikes.
  • Use slows, stuns, and CC to keep adds away from Xavius.
• Phase Transitions:
  • Avoid pushing Xavius into the next phase with adds still alive.
  • Clear Tainted Discharge pools before Phase 3 to prevent add respawns.

Strategy:

Phase 1 (100%-65% Health)

• Key Mechanics:
  • Lurking Terrors: Kite them into Dreaming players to soak Tormenting Infection.
  • Corruption Horror: Tank it away from the raid and burn it quickly.
  • Nightmare Blades: Targeted players must move out of the raid to avoid hitting others.
  • Darkening Soul: Tanks swap at 3-4 stacks and move away for dispels.
• Strategy:
  • Spread out to avoid Lurking Eruption splash damage.
  • Dreaming players handle Tormenting Infection and dispel tank debuffs.
  • Focus DPS on Corruption Horrors when they spawn.

Phase 2 (65%-30% Health)

• Key Mechanics:
  • Inconceivable Horrors: Kill them quickly and soak Tainted Discharge pools to prevent respawns.
  • Corruption Meteor: Dreaming players help split the damage.
  • Bonds of Terror: Linked players must move close together to break the bond.
  • Blackening Soul: Tanks swap at 3-4 stacks and move away for dispels.
• Strategy:
  • Ranged DPS and healers split into two groups to handle Corruption Meteor.
  • Dreaming players soak Tainted Discharge and help with dispels.
  • Use slows and CC to keep Inconceivable Horrors away from Xavius.

Phase 3 (30%-0% Health)

• Key Mechanics:
  • Nightmare Tentacles: Spawn every 20 seconds, casting Nightmare Bolt that increases Corruption.
  • Nightmare Blades and Corruption Meteor continue.
  • Blackening Soul: Tanks swap at 3-4 stacks.
• Strategy:
  • Use Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp at the start of Phase 3.
  • Stack the raid to split Corruption Meteor damage.
  • Focus DPS on Xavius while cleaving nearby Nightmare Tentacles.
  • Players with high Corruption should use Descent into Madness to burn Xavius.

Bloodlust/Drums:

At the start of Phase 3 (30% health).