Void Reaver is one of the 3 early bosses in the 25 man wing of Tempest Keep that need to be killed in order for raids to gain access to Kael'thas Sunstrider. Compared to Al'ar and High Astromancer Solarian, Void Reaver is a fairly simple encounter that should be attempted as soon as enough raid members are keyed for Tempest Keep, especially considering the high quality of the loot that he drops (tier 5 shoulders and a second random epic).
Overview & Preparation
The trash pulls in his room are fairly challenging and time consuming to kill, and they respawn in 1 hour. They do not assist the boss when he is aggroed, but, especially for learning attempts, it is recommended that they are all cleared before engaging the boss.
With a good raid setup consumables are not necessary, but if you find your raid failing to kill Void Reaver before the enrage timer, the DPS classes can compensate with flasks and elixirs.
Group Composition
The encounter relies on good tanking and high DPS. When properly executed, it is not very healing intensive.
4 tanks are recommended, and they must spec protection / feral instinct in order to generate as much threat as possible. 6 healers are also sufficient, especially in a raid where shadow priests are contributing towards healing the DPS classes. Unfortunately for melee classes, Void Reaver is yet another melee-unfriendly encounter due to his 360 degree melee range abilities. Bringing melee DPS classes increases the strain on healers and decreases raid DPS. However, since the enrage timer isn't particularly challenging, raids can easily bring 2 melee DPS class members. Shaman totems bring a lot of versatility to this encounter, bringing at least 2 shamans is recommended.
Buffs
All standard buffs should be used: Improved Fortitude, Mark of the Wild, warlock imp and Improved Commanding Shout should be used to help those with a smaller HP pool, particularly melee classes that are susceptible to taking damage from the Pounding ability. Using Dampen Magic will slightly reduce the damage taken from Arcane Orb by ranged classes. Pairing shamans with the tanks is particularly beneficial for this encounter as Windfury Totem will help a great deal with aggro generation. Conversely, a Tranquil Air Totem for the highest threat generating classes (usually shadow priests) will also help a lot. When short on paladins, prioritize Salvation / Wisdom for the ranged DPS and Kings / Might for the melee classes.
Abilities
Void Reaver has a 10 minute enrage timer, and about 4.5 Million HP.
"Pounding"
Pounding is a point blank range area of effect attack that is channeled for 3 seconds, inflicting 1350-2250 arcane damage every second to targets in an 18 yard range. The cooldown on this ability is 12 seconds.
"Arcane Orb"
Arcane Orb is a random secondary target attack. Void Reaver will target a player and launch an Arcane Orb towards them. The orb has a long travel time and players can run out of the area that will be affected. Upon landing, it does 4675-6325 arcane damage in a 20 yard radius, and also silences all targets in that area for 6 seconds. Targets in melee range or close proximity of Void Reaver cannot be targeted by Arcane Orb. An Orb is fired around every 3 seconds. They do not "track" players, but instead will land at the position where the targetted player was standing when the bolt was launched.
"Knockback"
Knockback is a single target attack that is only performed on the target that currently has aggro (the MT). It punts the target back a small distance, but reduces threat by a large amount. The cooldown on knockback is about 30 seconds.
Strategy
The Pull
Void Reaver stands close to the western edge of his room, on the opposite side to the entrance. Engage him from the center of the room, with a hunter using Misdirection on the MT. Let Void Reaver come to the middle of the room while everyone else spreads out around him in a circle.
Positioning
Positioning is very basic, with the tanks always keeping Void Reaver positioned in the middle of the raid, while the 5 groups spread out in a circle around him. Everyone should stand at the maximum range of their abilities, in order to maximize available space and travel time for the Arcane Orbs.
Fight Progression
The encounter does not have different stages and is exactly the same from 100% to 0%. With Void Reaver tanked in the middle of the raid all players must be kept at full HP or as close to full as possible, in order for them to survive a 6300+ maximum damage Arcane Orb (for ranged classes) or a 6750+ maximum damage Pounding. Remember, however, that the objective is to minimize the damage done by these 2 attacks, both of which can be easily avoided by running away. Due to the aggro reduction by his Knockback ability, the main tank will lose aggro eventually, to one of the offtanks, who will in turn lose aggro when he is Knockback-ed. With 4 tanks, the first tank should have enough time to rebuild aggro before the 4th tank is punted and loses aggro. This tank rotation will continue until Void Reaver dies. Note that Void Reaver is not Taunt-able.
Class Comments
Tank Comments
All warrior tanks should keep Commanding Shout and Demoralizing Shout refreshed for the duration of the fight. While off-tanking, try to build the maximum threat possible in a limited rage situation. Always stay in and take damage from Pounding as this will give you a healthy amount of rage that can be turned into threat.
Healer Comments
Keep everyone's HP as close to full as possible. If a ranged class is hit by an Arcane Orb, or a melee class takes Pounding damage, bring their HP to full as soon as possible so that they can survive the next Orb/Pounding. Keep a close eye on the MT and the offtanks. While Void Reaver's melee damage is not too high, all tanks will take significant damage from Pounding, and must be healed within the 10 second window before the next Pounding. Also watch for aggro switching from one tank to another and readjust the healing effort to the new main tank as soon as that happens.
Avoid getting hit by Arcane Orb by moving as soon as possible. Not only will you lose most of your HP, but you will also be unable to heal for 6 seconds, putting the tanks at risk. Void Reaver will always target the players that will be selected for Arcane Orb a few seconds before the Orb is fired. Watch his target of target and move if you see your name. Due to their slow speed there is plenty of time to avoid them, especially if you stand at your maximum heal range.
Paladins should be ready to use Blessing of Protection if a ranged DPS class pulls aggro.
DPS Comments
As a melee DPS class you must avoid taking Pounding damage, especially in a raid with several melee classes. You always have a 10 second damage window between Poundings. Pounding is spaced out every 12-15 seconds, giving you 2-5 seconds to run out of its 18 yard area of effect. When Pounding stops, run back in for 10 seconds of DPS.
As a ranged DPS class, run away when targeted by Arcane Orb. Not only will you lose a significant amount of HP if hit, but you will also be silenced and unable to do damage for 6 seconds. Consider bandaging to regain your HP quicker, unless you get healed immediately. Void Reaver will always target the players that will be selected for Arcane Orb a few seconds before the orb is fired. Watch his target of target and move if you see your name. Due to their slow speed there is plenty of time to avoid them, especially if you stand at the maximum range of your abilities.
Threat is an issue for high-threat generating classes, particularly shadow priests, so be careful: your threat will also be increased by healing your group members that get hit by Arcane Orbs. If you do pull aggro, remember Void Reaver cannot be Taunt-ed, so just run towards the middle of the room as soon as possible, and hope for a Blessing of Protection or for a tank to pull aggro off you. Aggro reduction abilities should be used whenever possible; hunters should Feign Death, warlocks should Soulshatter and mages should use Invisibility as soon as the cooldown is up.
As far as pets are concerned, they should not be used as they will take damage and immediately die when the first Pounding hits.
Edited by calmdur on 13-09-2007 14:36
Dont worry be happy!!
[img]src='http://sigs.guildlaunch.net/sig.php/738004lVStT.png' border='0'>[/img]
I forgot were it came from xD
So i pulled it of the my old guildies site
They had every tactic there even archimonde & illidan( they hadnt even cleared SSC )
Dont worry be happy!!
[img]src='http://sigs.guildlaunch.net/sig.php/738004lVStT.png' border='0'>[/img]
From personal experience of this fight, it stands and falls not on the tanks. Their job is consistant.
The fight comes down to two things. DPS classes must learn to open their eyes, and get moving when a brightly glowing orb is coming straight for their face. Sure, getting hit once or twice is going to happen, but playing catch with orbs is going to serious nuke your possible dps for 6 seconds, 1% of the fight (except hunters).
Every orb you eat means you are losing valuable dps, and the 500 dps increases. Some players will be superstars in this fight, their talent spec and gear means they can do an awesome amount of damage, certainly, but this counts for nothing if they cannot move to avoid the orbs.
The second important point is healing. Do you take an extra healer or two and allow your melee dps pack to stay in for poundings, or not. All of the healers need to be aware of the orbs and the silence effect. Chances are the healers are going to be the ones silenced. Every person needs to be alive and awake to see what is going on and who is getting hit.
My recommendations would require a couple of shamans for chain heal duties, a couple of power houses (druids/paladins) on direct tank healing, and priests for flash and offtank duties, anyone of the tanks damaged by the pounding effects. I'm not a great raid healer, i have little experience in 25 mans, but I believe that the healing is not exceptionally random for this fight, the orbs shouldn't be a factor, its a personal duty to dodge them and should not be healed until a 10 minute enrage wipe has been seen. The real problem comes when people die. Orbs are fired constantly, and randomly. If people die, The fewer people get targeted by the same orbs, ie each person will have to move a hell of a lot more. Dying is not good as you make it harder for the healers by making them more of a target! Pots, healthstones bandages, whipperroot tubers whatever, get them eaten!
Certain dps specs will not work, frozen target wont apply, poisons wont work etc, there will be information for your class on how to best dps, so look it up and find your most comfortable way to dps (Beast hunters with avoidance ARE viable here, Muti rogues probably aren't)
I played Classic until I was nearly level 60. It needs The Burning Crusade really for me though. I am lurking around Daggerspine again for a while, trying to get used to the changes lol
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