Welcome to Metro’s 25 man Heroic Healing guides for the Siege of Orgrimmar! It is important to understand that these guides are first aimed at helping healers understand their role, and then helping them maximize their play. Each will feature a general overview of the mechanics that matter to the healers, and conclude with a class-specific discussion. Let’s begin!
Understanding the encounter –
Congratz on making it to the final fight of the expansion. Being here IS understanding the encounter. Recognize the fact that this is the final progression target of Mists of Pandaria, and you will have a healthy respect for the ways this fight can crush your spirit and your body.
Luckily, as a healer your job is short and sweet. It may vary depending on the group you choose to venture with, so let’s first lay out the multiple ways we have attempted this encounter.
1 boss tank, 1 kite tank, 4 healers.
2 boss tanks, 1 kite tank, 4 healers.
1 boss tank, 1 kite tank, 5 healers.
2 boss tank, 5 healers.
These are all viable options, but we ultimately stick to having 1 boss tank, and 4 or 5 healers, depending on the group each week.
Regardless of which you chose, you need to understand that this is a potentially 15 minute encounter with many breaks in between, and a LOT of damage that needs to be healed in short bursts.
Once again, your utility will be your biggest benefit, so without further wasted breath, let’s begin the final guide for MoP!
*This is a very long fight, and there for a very long guide. Feel free to use CONTROL + F (Find feature) to explore the different segments you may have interest in reading.
Understanding the Healer’s Role –
For your benefit, I will break down each major demarcation of the encounter and explain the pitfalls of each from the healing position, as well as how you can maximize your raid’s ability to succeed.
Phase 1: The True Horde:
As soon as the encounter begins, the tank will already be in danger. Even with full BIS this boss is still the hardest hitting of any melee swings in the video game. Be ready for this.
The next damage to expect comes with the packs of adds. They will fixate on random players and do melee swings infused with shadow damage constantly. This will do a LOT of damage, and get even worse when he uses “Hellscream’s Warsong.” There should likely only be two sets, and the first one will die very quickly with everyone’s potion and CDs rolling.
When the second set comes in, you need specific people to chain lock downs, as if it were Challenge Mode. Our specific set is as follows:
Leg Sweep -> Shockwave -> Knockback 1 into Ring of Frost and Hunter Traps, Knock back 2, Gorefiend’s Grasp to Ox Statue -> They are killed by iron star.
If this is executed flawlessly, zero damage goes out. If it is not, 5-6 people will come VERY close to dying. Its honestly a fun mechanic to include in the last boss, so don’t expect to heal through it. Just contribute in what ways you can to their control.
The predictable damage of the phase comes in the form of the Iron Star hitting. Garrosh is still perfecting this technology, so after they go rolling through the room killing his “true horde” it will crash into the wall and do a LOT of shadow damage. This is a time for controlled CDs. Two are all there should ever be, so plan for it accordingly.
We use 1 Devo Aura, 1 Smoke Bomb, and 1 Anti Magic Zone for each. This is sufficient, but be sure to warn your wayward melee that leaving the zone+bubble is very risky.
The phase ends with little incident, and the 2nd hardest part of the encounter begins swiftly.
Transition 1: Temple of the Corrupted Serpent.
Things really escalate quickly in this phase, and it will require a portion of your cunn… no. ALL of your cunning as a guild to reliably perform the tasks you are asked in this phase.
This isn’t a general strategy guide, so it’s up to your group to organize how they want this done, but for completion’s sake understand you need 3 solid AOE interrupts or stuns.
There are a few ways healers can make a BIG impact on this, so let’s go through each option.
Holy Paladins can glyph the stun on Blinding Light. It must be glyphed, as the mobs can’t be knocked down or disoriented. If you are blood elf (which you should be,) you can rush up there, cast Blinding Light, and then AOE silence them with Arcane Torrent. From there, you can use Fist of Justice and Rebuke to interrupt two more individually, making possible for a Blood Elf Holy Paladin to handle all three adds for the entire duration. Any blood elf healer should volunteer for this. Taurens can do the same, but just be sure Warstomp is happening at the end of any stun chain, as it’s the shortest in the game. It will still work though.
Mistweaver Monks can function the same way, especially if you are Tauren or Bloodelf. Run up there, Leg sweep, and Arcane Torrent. You can even single interrupt one as well afterwards to get big value out of your slot.
Shaman should expect a glyphed cap to be needed, and if tauren offer Warstomp immediately after it. It may be difficult to get the stormlash down in time, even with the glyph so if you can’t get there quick enough make sure you can be the second in the chain. It may be possible to project the totem in time, but this is a big risk.
ANNIHILATE:
Once the adds are handled, your raid should make all 25 players getting the buff simultaneously of paramount importance. This phase does a LOT of damage even with the buff, so any player without it will be near 1 shot from the damage, even with the 800k health we have at 585~.
If there is only one or two people with the debuff, you can give them things like sac or iron bark. If there are 5+ you should consider using things like Devotion Aura or Healing Tide totem here. Anything that hits everyone will work, but make sure you can still move otherwise it will have to be cut short.
I can’t impress enough how much healing this actually requires even with 25 buffed, so don’t take it lightly. Make sure everyone is stacked near the boss and in AOE heals. Move slightly to avoid each hit, and spam your lives to full!
Phase 2: Power of Y’shaarj
Imagine if he ate the Heart…
Once you land back in the original room and get to your designated position, immediately consider preparing for the Whirling Corruption. This mechanic should happen three times before another transition, and each time it’s incredibly lethal if you are aiming to maximize DPS and stand through it.
If for some reason you are ranging it, then go ahead and skip this entire segment, as the phase would literally be damage-free.
Assuming you stayed, let’s talk about the best way to handle this phase as well as planning towards the next. As we learned from the previous phase, controlled burst is the name of the game. I would recommend 1-2 reduction CDs, and 1 strong aoe heal cd each time. It depends on your group of course, but this is our group’s set up:
Whirl 1: 1 Minute Priest and Paladin CDs, Anti Magic Zone. Least dangerous, with so long to prepare.
Whirl 2: Complicated by weapon CD, so be careful of the weapon team’s health.
Guardian of Ancient Kings from 2 paladins, Smoke bomb and second AMZ
Most dangerous because of weapon team.
Whirl 3: 1 minute Priest and Paladin CDs, Smoke Bomb.
Dangerous, but only use CDs you won’t need for the next phase.
This is all about preparation, so make sure you have your Healing Rains and Effloresces placed, pre shielding from priests and paladins, and spam your best AOE heal for 4-5 globals. Even with the health we have now, this is still very dangerous, but needed for the strategy to work properly.
Transition 2: Uhh where did they go!?
SKIP THIS PHASE MY FRIENDS! Why?
Here is why:
– As we saw in Transition 1, the damage from Annihilate is insane, even when all 25 people have the buff. In this phase, there is 0 percent chance of all 25 having the buff. This means you will need designated healing assignments and cd rotation. With only 4 healers, this won’t be possible.
– On top of this, the whole goal of doing these transitions is stopping him from empowering the next phase. If it were possible to skip the adds, I would be all for it, but no matter how fast you are he still makes it. Why bother, when all he does is gain some health back then?
– Final point is that this 1 minute downtime allows for a full regen of any healer mana, and gives times for 5 minute CDs to be assured for the most important phase.
Honestly, you need to 4-5 heal this. If you are in a guild that isn’t trying this strategy, tell them of these three benefits. Assure them that the DPS requirement can EASILY be met with this amount of health gained. The only other option is pushing to skip this whole thing entirely, which is very doable. If he ever enters it, you should not engage.
Phase 2 Finale: Who’s world?
This is a very crucial part of the encounter, and as a healer, it’s the first time you’ll start seeing the tank need constant attention. The whirls can no longer be CDed through, so make sure everyone is at range and avoiding the add damage as they hit. The damage her is the red herring to distract you from the tank. DO NO FALTER. If you do, and you are solo tanking the boss, it’s a wipe. He will die every time you miss globals on him to heal elsewhere. Always have at least 1-2 people dedicated to this job.
At this point, you should have your kite tank employed. If you choose to kill the adds, then use whatever your class can offer to help facilitate this. It’s much easier to kite them, provided you have a brewmaster who is a valued player. Any player with a high mechanic IQ can do it, even if they have mediocre gear. They should never take damage.
This is a short phase, but if you don’t focus on healing the tank and the raid enough at the right times it will be even shorter with a long run back and next pull. Get it right. It’s the most important part of the healing fight.
Phase 3: MY WORLD!
It’s his world, you can’t have it. The tank tries to take it from him, and he is very very unhappy about this. He will use his fists to make sure the tank does not take it. You will use your heals to make sure the tank does.
Plain and simple. If you didn’t get the message before, let me say it again. The tank WILL die if you don’t have 100 percent dedication to him at the right times. If you let the Empowered Whirl become more of a threat then it should be, it’s a wipe. Just light AOE heals, use devos, and stay focused.
Between the end of phase 2 and the entire phase three, we rotate every external we have. 4 sacs, Pain Suppression, Guardian Angel, and Iron Bark or whatever else we have if we have extra healers. If at any point, one of us missed this, its nearly a wipe. Also make sure to save Lay on Hands and Life Swap.
This entire phase is a flat out BURN. As healers, you need to know when to dps and when to heal. There is a great opportunity for this as he is transitioning. He is still in execute range, and not actually doing damage. Get 5-6 globals in of DPS to make the cushion that much easier. If you don’t meet the dps here, your entire strategy must change, so be prepared.
The other complication is a mechanic called Gripping Despair. This is what makes 1 tanking difficult, but easy at the same time. Essentially, the stack builds and builds and eventually explodes. With two tanks, it means this explosion is small, but often. With 1 tank, it means it likely happens only a few times. If you are unlucky (because of incredibly high DPS) it may never fall off until the end. Unfortunately, I doubt this is survivable. We had it happen to us once, and it killed everyone including the tank. Typically though, you should just be prepared for this AOE damage at the end of the phase while preparing for Stormwind Harbor. Have the tank call it out, and prepare with placement CDs like Smoke Bombs or Power Word Barrier.
And now, if you make it this far… Take a deep breath. This part is vital. The end is near, my friends. Just keep your heads level and get through it.
The grand finale! Phase Four: Stormwind Harbor!
Stay Calm!
I personally LOVE the added phases in Heroic modes, and this one doesn’t disappoint. There is time to take in the sights afterwards though…
So immediately, you’ll need to run to the boss’s tanking location and get stacked up in melee. I’ll assume you know how to handle the mechanics here, so just be ready for spot healing on players who get unlucky rolls on the damage from malice.
Tank damage is also very high, especially while moving the boss. Make sure you use the CDs you have left as they return, like Sac and Iron Bark, especially when moving from the Bombardment.
Speaking of, this is one of two things that can wipe you. It does a lot of damage even when not being hit, so make sure you plan around CDs. Use anything that doesn’t require people to stand in it, or the healer to channel it stood still. Should be obvious at this point.
Finally, the last true challenge. When the iron star hits Garrosh to interrupt him, you need to be very careful. This will happen as Malice is going out, so layer strong CDs on top of each other, preferably placement CDs like at the end of phase three. Smokebomb, AMZ, Spirit Link, and Power Word Barrier. Use them all, honestly. There is no reason not to. The damage this thing does is intense. Just keep an eye on the tank, who won’t be in any of these.
Expect one more Bombardment, which will be even more dangerous. Use Devo auras if you have them, and Rallying Cry or Demo Banner. Get back to the other side and quietly prepare celebration. Don’t vocalize it until after the third bombardment, but by the time this happens, the boss should be dead.
Congratulations. See my closing statement below.
TLDR Recap –
Bring as few healers as possible. NEVER forget the tank in the second half of the encounter. He will die if you do.
Stay calm when aoe healing, and rely on the preparation you have in place. Esepcially in phase three and four, use CDs to keep people alive from the AOE damage, and heal the tank over aoe spam. It’s easy to fall in that lull, and if you do you risk a wipe.
Without question, this is my favorite fight of the expansion. It’s extremely long, which is its one true downfall, making wipes absolutely heart wrenching. If you can see past that, you realize it’s truly a complete encounter. Every phase presents a different challenge, and I am a huge fan of the Challenge mode type mechanics in Phase 1 as well as the Heroic Nef mechanics in Transition 1, this time minus the lava and glitchy pillars!
Anyway, that’s if for these obviously. The next time you see a healing guide it will be on WoD Bosses. I for one cannot wait. MoP was the best expansion for raiding thus far, and anticipate WoD Being even better!
If you would like to see logs of a representative kill, you can find ours here. Currently set to the My World phase. Only phase that DPS matters. Feel free to browse though!
If you would like to see a video of our kill to better understand the strategy, you can do so here:
