Resto Shaman Vs. Illidan Stormrage (patch 2.4.3)

Last boss in Black Temple

This fight has 5 phases

Phase 1

Pay attention to a debuff called Parasitic Shadowfiend. Your raid will and should have a designated area to deal with anyone who has Parasitic Shadowfiend debuff. Parasitic Shadowfiend is a debuff that deals 3k shadow damage per 2 seconds for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, two parasitic shadowfiends will spawn out of the person, and will go after anyone who has the highest global threat, which is usually you or other healers nearby. If the shadowfiends attack anyone, that person will receive the Parasitic Shadowfiend debuff and repeats everything mentioned above. Generally, these fiends will be dealt with by AoE and slow traps, but if any reason they are not dealt with and are following you, quickly put down an earthbind totem and frost shock one, and run away while others help you kill them.

Phase 2

Phase 2 starts when Illidan is at 65%. All healers/range dps will all stand inside the center where the metal crates are. My guild forms 3 groups inside the center circle, and everyone in each group stands on top of each other. Illidan will constantly cast fireballs into the group that has a 10 yard radius so that is why my guild forms 3 groups instead of having one giant group of people grouped up together. Assuming you are a raid healer (which you should be), your #1 task here is to chain heal everyone who is taking hits from the fireballs. Some strategy guides tell you not to use totems during this phase because of bugs, but I haven't experienced any bugs so most likely it has been patched. Fire totems are useless during this phase.

Save your nature swiftness until you see Illidan casts Dark Barrage on somebody. Dark Barrage deals 3000 shadow damage per second for 10 seconds. Nature Swiftness + Healing Wave = Win!

Make sure your group isn't too close to the outer edge of the metal crates because Illidan has a nasty eye-beam that will one shot you. The closer your group is to the center of the circle the better, while making sure each groups are about 10 yards away so you don't get AoE from the fireball that's hitting another group. This phase ends as soon as the two huge fire elementals are eliminated.

Phase 3

Same as phase 1 except that he now also casts Agonizing Flames. Make sure to spread out. Agonizing Flames is a debuff that deals 4000 fire damage on initial cast, and then it ticks every 5 seconds that deals 3000 fire damage and increases slightly overtime per tick. If anyone is within 5 yards from you, that person will also receive a fresh Agonizing Flames debuff. The debuff is not dispellable, and it lasts for one minute.

Also, remember to watch out for Parasitic Shadowfiends. You can get the Parasitic Shadowfiends debuff even if Agonizing Flames is on you.

Phase 3 lasts 60 seconds.

Phase 4

Phase 4 lasts 30 seconds after he does his transformation. There is plenty of time between Phase 3 and Phase 4 transition, and this is the time to run far back against the walls opposite side of Illidan. Becareful of aggro here until the warlock tank in your raid holds aggro on Illidan during this stage because its an aggro wipe. A good warlock tank would have plenty of DoTs on the boss before Illidan even starts to do anything.

Illidan will randomly paralyze four players (including the warlock tank) with purple beams, and four shadow demons will slowly creep up towards that player. If the shadow demons reach any of the four players, that person will die instantly so this is very important that you run far away from Illidan during the phase change from 3 to 4. Players who are not chosen to be paralyzed will have to help kill the shadow demons before they reach their targets. If everyone's health around your area seems to be topped off, you can help others kill the shadow demons (shocks and lightning).

Illidan also casts Flame Burst during phase 4 every 10 seconds to everyone. It deals about 3500 fire damage, and you will take more damage if someone is within 5 yards from you so spread out! Flame Burst looks like fireworks shooting everywhere.

Agonizing Flames from phase 3 can be carried into phase 4.

After 30 seconds, Illidan goes back to phase 3.

Illidan alternates between phase 3 and phase 4 until he reaches 30% health. Remember to spread out!

Phase 5

At the start of phase 5, every player gets locked up by Shadow Prison for 30 seconds.

It is phase 3 and 4 all over again except that Illidan will enrage. Before he gets to 30%, it is best that the raid stops all DPS around 32-33% if he is still in phase 4 demon form. Starting phase 5 while Illidan is in phase 4 demon form can be very difficult and messy. Blow all your cooldowns here in phase 5. Spread out!

Things to remember:

Phase 1: There should be a designated area for people who have Parasitic Shadowfiend debuff. Pay attention to who has it because the debuff deals DoT, and pay attention to that person's location so you know you are not too close when shadowfiends spawn on the ground. If shadowfiends are coming close to you, quickly use earthbind totem and run away. Healing during this phase is easy.

Phase 2: Stand on top of your designated group to the point when you don't really know which character is you. Save your Nature's Swiftness for someone who receives the Dark Barrage debuff. You can use Bloodlust here because by the time it is phase 5, you will be able to use it again. There is a lot of chain healing to do here.

Phase 3: SPREAD OUT. Remember the designated area for people who have Parasitic Shadowfiend. Anyone who is within 5 yards from anyone who has the Agonizing Flames debuff will receive a fresh debuff on that other person too. Agaonizing Flames can be carried into phase 4. Need lots of heals on the person with the debuff, but doesn't hurt as fast as the Dark Barrage debuff in phase 2.

Between Phase 3 and 4: You will see Illidan kneel on the ground. Run far away from Illidan. Pay attention to who has the Agonizing Flames debuff so don't run into them.

Phase 4: SPREAD OUT. People are so spread out here that most of the heals are single target heals. Illidan will casts Flame Bursts every 10 seconds. While waiting for Illidan to paralyze 4 random players, good players who are doing nothing while waiting would bandage themselves at this time. If you are not paralyzed, and if the players around you are in good health, you might want to help out the dps on the Shadow Demons.

Phase 5: SPREAD OUT. Blow your cooldowns. Win.

Note: Your mana shouldn't be a problem here. Your water shield orbs are constantly used from AoEs and debuffs that you get so much mana back. You can use fire resistance totems from phase 2 and on instead of mana spring.

Resto Shaman Vs. Kalecgos (patch 2.4.3)

1st Boss in Sunwell

There are two realms to this fight which will be discussed later on. There is the Dragon Realm and the Demon Realm. When you first walk in to fight Kalecgos, you are in the Dragon Realm.

Dragon Realm

Kalecgos' Abilities:

Arcane Buffet - Everyone in the Dragon Realm will get hit by this debuff periodically, and it will stack indefinitely as long as you are in the Dragon Realm. The debuff will hit you for about 500 arcane damage, but will increase about 500 arcane damage per stack. The only way to remove this debuff as a resto shaman is to go in the portal to Demon Realm which will be discussed in the next boss' ability. You can wear some arcane resistance gear, but as a healer, you can heal yourself through it so you don't gimp your healing bonus.

Spectral Blast - About every half a minute, Kalecgos will cast this ability on a random player except the main tank and players with Spectral Exhaustion debuff (will explain later). The person that gets targeted will get teleported to the Demon Realm, and a portal will open up right where the person just got teleported at so others can go inside the demon realm too (only go in the demon realm according to your guild's strategy and orders that will be discussed later on). If players were within 8 yards of the person getting teleported, they will get a knockback that deals about 6k arcane damage (arcane buffet debuff increases this damage!). So the number one rule in the Dragon Realm is to SPREAD OUT.

Frost Breath - The tank will take care of this by having Kalecgos facing away from the raid. You should not stand near or in front of the tank.

Tail Lash - Never stand behind a dragon...

Wild Magic - Gives a random debuff to a random player (including tank) in the dragon realm. Does not seem like Kalecgos has a set time for casting Wild Magic. The debuff can be good or bad. Just remember the purple dragonscale icon is a debuff that increases your casting time by 100% and the black dragonscale icon is a debuff that increases your threat generated by 100%. The other colors are either beneficial or is irrelevant to healing. Since it is hard to remember everything, just remember the black and the purple dragonscale icon debuffs are bad!


Demon Realm

The guild I'm in makes every non-tanks in the Demon Realm stack up behind Sathrovarr, the boss inside the Demon Realm. Use a strategy according to your guild, but the positions my guild uses work just fine and successful.

Very intensive chain healing here, and make sure the tank has earth shield on. Use drums of battle if you are a leatherworker, and use your bloodlust too.

Remember to place your totems here too.

You are in the Demon Realm for one minute.

As soon as you leave the Demon Realm, you will receive a debuff called Spectral Exhaustion that prevents you from going inside the Demon Realm for one minute.

*note* - Both Kalecgos and Sathrovarr will enrage when Sathrovarr is at 10% health. Just be aware that healing becomes even more intensive at that point.


When To Go Inside Demon Phase

This varies according to what your raid leader wants to do. Generally, you as a healer will be grouped up with a person who can decurse, a tank, another healer, and 2-3 dps. I'm not talking about group as like a party group; I am talking about a group that is assigned to go inside the portal to the demon phase when someone in that assigned group gets hit with the Spectral Blast. You generally will stand near a decurser that is assigned to your portal group, but not too close because of the 8 yards Spectral Blast AoE.

The raid leader will call which group to go inside the portal. Generally, the decursers are marked with a mark (ex. Diamond, Triangle, X, etc.). So if you are in the Diamond group, and someone in the diamond group gets hit with the Spectral Blast, you go in the portal with the diamond group. This is just a general idea, but like I said before, do this according to your guild's strategy. A messed up rotation of who or when to go in the portal can easily cause a wipe. I believe the portal is bugged as it is very hard to click sometimes. You might have to move or move a bit closer and rapidly click the portal till you can go inside. I think the portal will be up for about 15-20 seconds before it vanishes.


Things to remember:

-Don't stand within 8 yards of anyone during the Dragon Phase

-If you get a black dragonscale icon debuff, slow down your heals because your threat is increased by 100%

-If you get a purple dragonscale icon debuff, you might want to spam lesser healing wave because your casting speed is increased by 100%

-Keep your water shield up and refreshed often because the orbs are often used due to arcane buffet.

-Don't stand in front of the dragon or right behind the dragon.

-For whatever reason that your arcane buffet debuff is up to about 10, you are at risk of getting two-shotted. Use healthstones and major arcane protection potions if you have it.

-Stand near a decurser that is assigned to your portal group, but not too close to get AoE by Spectral Blast in the Dragon Realm.

-In the Demon Realm, blow your cooldowns, and earth shield the tank. Your standing position varies according to your raid leader, but whatever it is, don't stand in front of the boss. Very intensive heals here!

-Remember to place your totems in Dragon Realm and Demon Realm

-The portal is kind of buggy and hard to go inside. Rapidly click the portal and move around till you get inside the portal.

Gem Choices for Resto Shaman(patch 2.4.3)

These are the only gems you should use:

Red Sockets - Teardrop Crimson Spinel: +22 Healing and +8 Spell Damage

Blue Sockets - Royal Shadowsong Amethyst or Royal Tanzanite: They are both +11 Healing +4 Spell Damage and 2 mana per 5 seconds

Yellow Sockets - Luminous Pyrestone: +11 Healing +4 Spell Damage and +5 Intellect // If you are in Hyjal, Black Temple, or even Sunwell, you should socket Quick Lionseye: +10 Spell Haste Rating

If you care about your guild's progression, it is strongly recommended that all your gems should be epic quality even if the gear you are gemming is about to be replaced by something better soon.

Tome of Diabolic Remedy Trinket (patch 2.4.3)

Tome of Diabolic Remedy - If you are not an alchemist, or if you don't have access to Illidan, then this is the best healing trinket for you. It has a passive 18 mp5, and when big heals are needed, you can always use the trinket's ability to give yourself an extra 396 healing bonus for 20 seconds (2 minute cooldown).

This trinket drops off Hexlord from Zul'Aman, and you can do ZA twice a week.