[25] Arthas - Valkyr

[dewkstraykr]

Where in DXE are the marking settings I can't find it

DXE > Encounters > Advanced > Citadel > Lich King > Raid Icons > Summon Val'kyr

Make sure its enabled, and note by default it uses Icons 5 to 7.

(To view raid icon numbers go to Alerts > Raid Icons and it tells you which icon is which #)

[Ulrik]

DBM ALPHA version 3624 (Wed Feb 17) puts marks on Valks. Triangle, Circle, and I think Diamond. If your group uses DBM make sure everyone has a new alpha, not whatever is on Curse. There's a nice option to have players targeted with Defile to /s 'Defile on me'. If you then also have speech bubbles turned on then it's stupid easy to see who it's on and which direction they're going.

In order to force the direction of the Valk egress we have the tank point the LK towards an existing Defile and the raid stacks very tightly behind. When the valks spawn they go from LK to the target, then keep going in that direction. This way they all stick together making slows an switching faster.

[Defile]..[Tank].[LK].[Raid] ---> Valk direction

[Grimsworth]

In order to force the direction of the Valk egress we have the tank point the LK towards an existing Defile and the raid stacks very tightly behind. When the valks spawn they go from LK to the target, then keep going in that direction. This way they all stick together making slows an switching faster.

[Defile]..[Tank].[LK].[Raid] ---> Valk direction

I'm pretty sure this isn't true and they in fact head to the closest edge. IF you tell people to stack up right behind the boss you can effectively control this as you are suggesting but the reason is wrong.

If it was the way you say, you would see people standing on the edge of the platform and then using the entire diameter of the room to kill the Valks.

[Belloc]

I think he was just describing the path that the Val'kyr takes with their positioning, not that the Val'kyr take that path because of their position relative to The Lich King.

[Ziggi]

if you're still having a problems getting them down, you might need to alter your dps strat.

we ran with assigned groups for awhile with little to no progression. Eventually changed it to an all dps on one method where me and the two holy paladins were assigned a target to HoJ, and all dps started in on the one furthest out and switched as needed to kill the one closest to the edge. As the HoJ wore off, i would holy wrath the targets to stop them yet again to make sure crip poison, piercing howl, chains, frost trap, earth bind or whatever snare was on them.

I altered my tanking spec for the fight to give me 30 sec HoJ's though i guess you really only need 1 point. I sacraficed 3/3 crusade for 2/2 Imp HoJ and the second point in spiritual attunement. I know it's not the best use of a talent point, but it's making my life easier in heroics and 10 mans when it comes to many, and i don't have any threat problems.

[Anthia]

I know this is more than a month after the last post but I couldn't find the direct answer I'm looking for. My guild is having a few issues with Valks + Defile Syncs on two separate fronts; The first being when a defile is going to hit right before a Valkyr phase, I assume most guilds did the same thing we did in having everyone group up and then spread asap? Should we maybe assign a specific direction for each group to run to?

Secondly, it's when Defile lines up a few seconds after Valks show up, we had 3(!) wipes last night where melee didn't move out quick enough when we called it and things spread way too fast. I told them to get a slow/stun on the Valks and move out ~1 second before defile, the person who gets it keeps on moving out and the others run back in. I've been thinking about a more graceful solution but haven't come up with much atm, any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.

[dewkstraykr]

If defile is coming within 0.1-2 seconds before valkyr on your timers, spread out first and then bunch up once defile has been cast. We assign our two ranged groups to run west/east and melee to just fan out basically.

As for defile coming right after valkyr - our first stun is a ret paladin with holy wrath, which should hit all 3 at its max range, every other melee should be aiming to gtfo the moment the third valkyr dives down to pick up its target (not in the direction valkyr are flying too, go left/right!) Depending on who you have assigned to stun valkyr after that, they shouldnt need to be *in* melee range to do it.

Make sure you have a hunter trap/earthbind totem down in melee range of the bunch up spot so that you can afford to have the holy wrath stun last its duration. Once that wears off, the traps/totem should keep the valkyrs slowed for the time it takes your melee to re-bunch up on top of them, and perform their individual stuns after the defile, not before. Dont expect the individual stuns before then try to make it out - it wont work and it will lower the effective dps on them by a lot.

[Belloc]

It also helps to have everyone not targeted by defile running the opposite direction.

We instruct defile targets to run toward the teleporter and everyone else to run toward the throne. All 25 players are running one way or another when the defile/valk timers sync.

If a player can't focus the Lich King, watch the defile timer, and consistently move when they see the cast... they probably need to be replaced. Either that, or pray that defile doesn't target them.

[Anthia]

Thanks for the replies, we didn't think to do the HW-> Slow thing as we were doing our big stuns first. I'll get myself on that duty as the prot paladin during next weeks attempts. It should make the second and fourth/fifth valk phase a bit easier. With how my guild is we'll probably have to do set directions, but it shouldn't be too bad.

If a player can't focus the Lich King, watch the defile timer, and consistently move when they see the cast... they probably need to be replaced. Either that, or pray that defile doesn't target them.

We're a fairly casual guild and recruits are hard to come by sometimes....I'll have to get to praying ...Or if it's possible to get Power Auras to show when LK is targeting people I may force certain people install it.

Thanks again folks!

[Belloc]

Yeah, we can't really afford to sit slacking players either =/

[fuzzygeek]

We're a fairly casual guild and recruits are hard to come by sometimes....I'll have to get to praying ...Or if it's possible to get Power Auras to show when LK is targeting people I may force certain people install it.

DBM will make the defile target /yell Defile on me!
Which is useful for everyone around them to know that they need to GTFO.

I don't understand why a couple of our raiders still refuse to install it. It's not so much for them as it is everyone around them. Stupid.

[pakurbagsuk]

Afternoon all.

Long time browser - first time poster.

I raid Lead a pretty samll guild, that has been around for a number of years, and have managed to take down every boss in the game with these guys...bar 1 at the mo.

I have taken Arthas 10 man down, which tbh was pretty simple - down to only 1 valkyr i beleive...anyhow, am in some desperate need of help, in simple terms of what to do on 25 man arthas fight, specifically defiles, and defile number 2 at that.

My team normally consists of 8 melee and 8 ranged. On the defile number 2, I have the guys stack behind arthas, slightly off center in order to lead the valks in that direction, but without fail, defile will come sometimes before or just after valk spawns, and 99% time the defile target person will not move of to the other side quick enuff, and we end up with a whole bunch of peeps triggering the defile and wiping.

Now the other defiles i handle by getting raid to spread out, and then collapse on me b4 next valk spawn, but this defile number 2 is killing me...am now at a loss....is it simply that my peeps just are not good enuff...or is my strategy for this defile just not any good...?

I know for lots of you guys out there that have done this fight, its probably dead simple, but am asking my fellow tankadins out there, pls help a fellow pala tank lead his raid through this critical part of teh fight.

I am now after spending 12hrs + on this part of teh fight open to all suggestions.

Thanks all

Pak

[dewkstraykr]

am in some desperate need of help, in simple terms of what to do on 25 man arthas fight, specifically defiles, and defile number 2 at that.

My team normally consists of 8 melee and 8 ranged. On the defile number 2, I have the guys stack behind arthas, slightly off center in order to lead the valks in that direction, but without fail, defile will come sometimes before or just after valk spawns, and 99% time the defile target person will not move of to the other side quick enuff, and we end up with a whole bunch of peeps triggering the defile and wiping.

Now the other defiles i handle by getting raid to spread out, and then collapse on me b4 next valk spawn, but this defile number 2 is killing me...am now at a loss....is it simply that my peeps just are not good enuff...or is my strategy for this defile just not any good...?

One question first. 8 + 8 = 16. + 2 tanks = 7 healers? Might want to drop back down to 6 depending on composition. We run roughly 10 ranged 7 melee most nights.

My earlier post should be simple enough to follow:

If defile is coming within 1-2 seconds before valkyr on your timers, spread out first and then bunch up once defile has been cast. We assign our two ranged groups to run west/east and melee to just fan out basically.

Generally just have them spreading out first. We have loosely set positions for "defile first" turns as quoted above. If the valkyr/defile timers are within 1-2 seconds of each other at any point we do a "half" spread. Everyone spreads out over one half of the inner cirle of the room, as far from centre the dark circle on the floor and no further. If the boss begins to cast defile, everyone runs outwards towards the proper spreading for defile position. If we see the valkyr emote, we quickly collapse right on top of the boss (which I tank 2 yards off centre so people dont need to judge how far back to stand.. just "on" him). See how that works and you may find you need to do a "half spread" for defile #2 and #6 or so.

[inthedrops]

That's the tricky defile. Instead of just relying on the person with it to move out. Try the following.

1. Ensure the center is completely cleared of people (I move LK in-between the center and the iceblock).
2. The person with defile runs in the direction TOWARDS the iceblock/throne.
3. Everyone else runs towards the center, away from the iceblock/throne.

This still gives plenty of time to stun the Valks and helps avoid growing defile.

Sometimes the defile drops before the valks, it's happened a couple of times. This positioning works for both cases. Either way, do as the person above me said and collapse again in the center.

To be perfectly honest, what I'm describing may as well be called a "loose" collapse like the poster above said. The difference is that people know the defile should be near the throne.

[Belloc]

For Valk/Defile #2, I suggest simply spreading out all over the inner circle (around the halfway point between the center and the rim) and not collapse at all. When the valk's land, hit heroism and rely on that to kill them. Using heroism here should allow you to beat the #6 valk/defile.

Defiles still have to run out as best as possible, but now they're more spread to begin with.


You obviously won't have heroism up for the next ledge phase, but who cares? That's not the hard part of the fight.