8th november 2015 - The end of a tier – Facing Nefarian (part 3)

[Part 1] [Part 2] As we stood on the terrace an officer started explaining the strategy : We would separate in two groups with an equal amount of melee dps on each one and casters would go to the side they are most useful once the drakonid's resistances would be known. Then those without an Onyxia cloak would have to hide behind the throne until Nefarian has breathed, warlocks would stand out from the raid, casters would have to outrange the fears, melee would focus on occasionnal totems and hunters had to fix their weapon-switch macros. Meanwhile a different officer proposed to give out Onyxia cloaks to those that didn't have any. From what I could understand those cloaks had been stored for this very precise occasion and some had been recently bought from other guilds on the server as team effort. I didn't have one and I felt healers and tanks should have priority (especially because I didn't participate much in making them), but even with all my pleading I ended up with one. Damn, my guildmates are way too good with me, I'm not sure I deserve all of this. The raid was now prepared.

1st try

Drakonids start appearing, melee adjust their placement, the ranged dps go to each side they are best on. I notice a couple mind-controlled mates running from one side to another only to then get sheeped in place. Then a warlock standing in the middle of a ranged group gets mind-controlled. Hellfire follows hellfire and hellfire, it is too late when he gets stunned, most healers on our side and some dps are already gone. The drakonids aren't killed fast enough, tanks die, the raid wipes.

I am not dead, I am studying the strategy

I have to say it is incredible to have warlock soulstones and shamans in a raid, it saves such a huge amount of running back time. Still, Nefarian is on a 15 minute timer so we make a pause. ... And wait. ... And wait some more. The mood is good, people are motivated. Rebuffing.

2nd try

Reminding warlocks to stay somewhat farther from other players and mages to sheep faster. Drakonids spawn, the raid dps is not good enough and they overwhelm us, wipe again. 15 minutes to wait, rebuffing etc.

3rd try

Slight changes with the dps on each side. The drakonids spawn, they get killed on time, mind-controlled players are quickly taken care of. The first phase is set. Nefarian lands and breathes fire, killing an unlucky priest. Rovlin attracts him to the pre-set location (where Schnittel's imp is standing still) and gets some aggro while we move to our spots. Damage starts. I stand too much on the side of Nefarian, close to the bones and get hit twice with Tail Swipes which makes me move a little to my right. Doubtful about the infernals damage when they spawn I don't dare go closer to healers or other players. Leaders keep announcing future fears and class calls, reminding everyone about what to do. Infernals spawn twice (that's a lot of infernals with 4 warlocks), dealing weak damage and cause no problems. I do end up having some issues with mana but it gets fixed when a shaman asks me to stand closer to another warlock and benefit from chain heals. Totems get killed on time, polymorphs are dispelled, things go fine.

Dangerous place to stay at, don't do that

... That is, until the skeletons spawn at 20%. While tanks try to stack, slow and get aggro on them, they spread out, hit players standing too close when hit with frost nova, burst me and the mages trying to kite them with Blizzards and wreak havoc on the raid. All our Stratholme holy water unfortunately don't change the outcome, we wipe. There is some talk about the skeletons having spawned twice while rebuffing, but no one is too sure. Officers suggest getting the Onyxia buff to make it through this phase, others want to try again. 15 minute sure is long when you have not much to do.

Skeletons zerg aftermath

4th try

Drakonids spawn, a tank gets mind-controlled, a couple melee dps in his group die due to aggro, it is decided to wipe the try. And wait 15 minutes a-gain. See [Part 4 - Finale]