Lady Vashj (Flex Heroic)

## Overview

Lady Vashj is the sixth and final boss of Serpentshrine Cavern, consisting of 3 phases, where you'll be challenged on positioning, add control, communication and movement. There is also a Hydra.

She has 8,5M health at a raid size of 10, which is the minimum health scaling, increasing with 10% per player above 10 up to 25 players.

This Boss has a 15 minute enrage timer.

## Phase 1

#### **Fierce Blow**

This is a special melee ability that has a chance to trigger every 3 seconds.

#### **Envenom**

Envenom is one of the fundamental tanking mechanics in this fight. She applies Envenom to her target, which deals 30% weapon damage as Nature and gives a debuff that lasts for **35 seconds**, on a 30 seconds cooldown. That means the debuff is longer than the cooldown, and if you ever gain a **second stack** of Envenom, you die. This is effectively a tank swap mechanic, but can be solo tanked, **if you have a pet turtle with taunt**, as the Envenom itself deals very little damage.

#### **Entangle / Static Charge / Static Blast**

Entangle will root the entire raid, while at the same time a minimum of 3 players will be affected with Static Charge. Both of these effects lasts for 8 seconds, which after, the players affected by Static Charge will be inflicted with Static Blast. Static Blast deals 3900 to 5200 Nature damage and jumps to nearby targets within 10 yards, dealing 50% increased damage each jump. You can Blink and Shapeshift out of this Root, and it is dispellable. This is the mechanic most likely to wipe you, so play accordingly. Handling this mechanic properly is more important than any damage increase. This combination of abilities will first happen after 10 seconds, and then be on a 30 seconds cooldown.

#### **Multi-Shot**

Multi-Shot is a conal attack designed to punish groups for stacking, instead of spreading evenly around Lady Vashj. It is negligible compared to the other abilities and it is still advised to stack during Phase 1.

#### **Shock Blast / Matron's Mark /Aimed Shot**

Shock Blast will knock 1 player away from Vashj, by roughly 15 yards. She will then Mark that player for Death, creating a red scoping trajectory from her to her marked target, which will trigger an Aimed Shot after 6 seconds. The Aimed Shot deals 63000 - 72000 physical damage, **and can be spread among all players standing in the red line trajectory**. This means you want everyone to stack within the trajectory. You can also use Dispersion to avoid death. This special ability will first happen after 25 seconds, and has a 30 seconds cooldown.

#### **Tactics for Phase 1**

First of all, have your raid separate into a melee group and a ranged group, with both groups being in the same direction facing Vashj's position, as shown on the illustration to the right. This will make it extremely easy to 1. spread out with Static Charge, and 2. soak Aimed Shots.

Second, it's important to plan ahead when it comes to the Entangle / Static Charge combination. Make sure either everyone picks up Cleanse or a Magic Dispel, or that you have dedicated players who can dispel players affected with Static Charge out of the root as fast as possible. You can also use Blink, but as the ability is on a 30 seconds cooldown, you won't have Blink for all of them (if you're unlucky), unless you invest into it, which is not really worth the talent points. In general I would suggest the entire raid finds the AE for both Blink and Disengage/Charge for this encounter.

#### Summary

Then rinse and repeat! Tank swap for Envenom (or use Turtle), Cleanse/Blink out of roots to spread with Static Charge and stack back up to effectively deal with Aimed Shot.

## Phase 2 (60%)

During the 2nd Phase, Lady Vashj will be encapsuled in her Protective Shield, while Enchanted Elementals, Coilfang High-Priestesses, Coilfang Elites and Coilfang Hydras come to her aid. You need to reliably deal with these adds while looking for **Tainted Elementals**. They are unique adds that spawn at the bottom of the stairs, and deal a significant amount of damage. When they are killed, they will drop a **Tainted Core** that will root you in place, but you can **throw it** to a teammate within 30 yards, by clicking it in your bag, or simply making a macro for it. Taking this Tainted Core to any one of the 4 functioning Shield Generators surrounding Lady Vashj will enable you to overload the Shield Generator, creating a Protective Shield around the Generator and incurring a Shield Generator Discharge, dealing massive damage to everyone and giving a substantial amount of threat to the player who overloaded the Shield Generator. When all 4 Shield Generators have been overloaded, you will be finished with the phase.

#### **Forked Lightning**

Forked Lightning is a conal attack that deals 3900 - 5200 Nature damage. Spread out evenly around Lady Vashj to reduce the amount of players hit by this ability.

#### **Coilfang Elites**

The Coilfang Elites are warrior type adds who have a decent amount of health, can perform Fierce Blow and needs to be tanked. They spawn in pairs and they spawn from the West and East stairs (Entrance & opposite) separately and needs to be picked up early, or they will naturally aggro towards the healers. They will Frenzy after 1 minute, increasing their Attack Speed by 50% and their Physical Damage by 100%. This Frenzy is survivable within the Protective Shield that forms from overloading the Shield Generators, but you **need** to kill the first pair of Elites. They will spawn every 50 seconds. This add can be killed by the Shield Generator Discharge.

#### **Coilfang High-Priestess**

The Coilfang High Priestess will channel Healing Stream, which will recover 1% of Lady Vashj total health every 5 seconds. This channel is interruptible, and the High-Priestesses are stunnable. Controlling and killing this add is a high priority. It will only spawn one at a time, and can either spawn West (entrance) or South. This add will spawn every 47 seconds and can be killed by the Shield Generator Discharge.

#### **Coilfang Hydra**

The Coilfang Hydra has more health than the boss, and is by no means killable. It has a Frost Breath slowing anyone in a cone infront of it by 50% for 10 seconds. This Add can be slowed, dazed and is affected by totems and traps. It has an unreasonable large hitbox and will one-shot all non-tank characters. This add will spawn every 95 seconds, and can be killed by the Shield Generator Discharge.

#### **Enchanted Elemental**

Enchanted Elementals are Elementals with a symbolic amount of health, which will spawn at the bottom of the unonbstructed stairs surrounding Vashj, and will move directly towards Vashj. If they reach Vashj, Vashj will absorb them and deal 1% more damage with her abilities. Ensuring you don't allow more than 5-8 Elementals reach Vashj is extremely important. These adds can be slowed, dazed and is affected by totems and traps. These adds can be killed by the Shield Generator Discharge.

#### **Tainted Elemental / Tainted Core**

Tainted Elementals are flawed Elementals that will spawn at the same spawn points as Enchanted Elementals, but instead of moving towards Vashj, they will stay put and cast Poison Bolt at any nearby enemies, dealing 3900 - 5200 Nature damage. This cast can be interrupted. They will drop a **Tainted Core**, which has a 1 minute duration, counting down from the moment the Tainted Elemental is killed (and not when looted). This add will first spawn 65 seconds into Phase 2, where the rest of the Tainted Elementals will spawn 65 seconds after the previous one has been killed. Meaning 2nd will spawn 65 seconds after 1st is killed, 3rd will spawn 65 seconds after 2nd is killed etc.

Tainted Core is an item that will disable your movement and blurr your vision as long as it is in your posession. You can toss this item to a nearby player within 30 yards, it has a 1 minute duration and it enables you to activate Shield Generators.

#### **Shield Generator / Shield Generator Discharge**

The Shield Generator, when activated with a Tainted Core, will create a Protective Shield with a 5 yard radius around the Generator. This shield has a slight delay before applying it's damage reducing effects, but it reduces all damage taken by 75%, and negates the Shield Generator Discharge. It lasts for 9 seconds. The Shield Generator Discharge will happen 8 seconds after you activate the Generator, and with the 1 second delay, you have **7 seconds to move into the protective shield**. The Shield Generator Discharge deals 1000000 - 1200000 Nature damage, and deals 5% of Vashj total health, where the threat generated will be applied to the player who activated the Shield Generator. **Always have your tank activate the Shield Generator.**

#### **Tactics for Phase 2**

Assign your tanks which Coilfang Elites they are picking up, and assign hunters to use Misdirection if you have that available. **Kill the first set of Elites.** Assign damage dealers around the room to each cover a 90 degrees of the platform to deal with Enchanted Elementals (relocate and help out if no one spawns in your sector), and assign a "Tainted Team" consisting of 1-3 players that will find and kill the Tainted Elemental (You need a healer to keep an eye on these). Healers should be at the outer edge of the inner platform to have everyone in reach. Have 2 players with interrupt / stuns near the West & South stairway to control the Coilfang High-Priestesses whenever they spawn. Lastly, have 1 player (preferably Hunter) who can kite the Hydra, equipped with Cleanse, Frost Trap or Earthbind Totem. (Tips, when you know the Generator Shield is incoming, kite the Hydra away so you can freely run into the Shield without being attacked by the Hydra, as it can be lethal even with the 75% damage reduction.)

When the Tainted Elemental spawns it's the "Tainted Team's" job transporting (transferring) the Tainted Core to the closest Shield Generator (remember you can't activate the same Generator twice in a fight!), and deliver it to the Tank, who should be ready and within 5 yards of the Generator.

Generator tactic 1: The Shield Generator Discharge will happen 8 seconds after activating, and will kill all adds, regardless of range, so planning it correctly, you can kill all Hydras directly as they spawn, if you prefer to not kite more than the first. This will enable you to have one extra dps on the Elementals, and no one being randomly slowed by Hydras Frost Breath. However, if you hold it for that long, the Elites you currently hold will pass their 1 minute Frenzy time, and enrage. If you solo tank or have a poorly geared tank, this tactic is not advised.

Generator tactic 2: The Shield Generator Discharge will happen 8 seconds after activating, and will kill all adds, regardless of range, so planning it correctly, you can kill all Elites directly as they spawn, if you'd rather kite Hydra than tank 2 enraged Elites for a few seconds inside a shield granting 75% damage reduction, then activate it as soon as your 2nd set of Elites spawn. If you solo tank then this tactic is advised.

#### Summary

Kill first set of Elites, focus High-Priestesses, kill Enchanted Elementals before they reach Vashj, kite Hydra and kill the Tainted Elemental, before tossing the Core from player to player all the way to the Tank at the **closest Shield Generator**.

## Phase 3

After you have overloaded all 4 Shield Generators, Vashj will be free again, hopefully at 40% health if you properly dealth with the High-Priestesses in Phase 2. In this phase she will use abilities from both Phase 1 and 2, and will additionally summon Sporebats that will drop pools of Poison. To avoid these, simply kill the Sporebats until Vashj is about to die.

#### **Shield Generator / Shield Generator Discharge**

The Generator will overload every 25 seconds.

#### **Static Charge / Static Shock**

There will be no Entangle, so you're free to move as you wish. The Static Charge will be applied to a minimum of 3 targets, first after 15 seconds, then every 20 seconds. After 8 seconds you will be inflicted with Static Shock.

#### **Serpentshrine Sporebat**

Will first spawn after 24 seconds, and then 23, 22, 21...

#### **Forked Lightning**

She will be casting Forked Lightning, so if you struggle with healing, do spread out evenly around the boss.

#### **Multi-Shot**

She will be using Multi-Shot, so if you struggle with healing, do spread out evenly around the boss.

#### **Tactics for Phase 3**

The tactics for Phase 3 is very simple. Stack in on Lady Vashj and run out if afflicted with Static Shock. Run back in when it's over. As long as you stay close to the center of the platform you will always have time to get into the Generator Shields before the Shield Generator Discharge happens, which will happen every 25 seconds. Kill Sporebats if you have low dps. Stop killing them and focus on Vashj around 10%, at that point they're not worth attacking anymore.

## Tactical considerations

#### **Line up**

You can solo tank this encounter, but it would require a Turtle pet and a reliable hunter with Misdirection. 1 Hunter for kiting Hydra is adviced, if not take someone who isn't as hindered by movement. 2 Healers is required, 3 if you need some extra stability. If running 1 more healer means you'll let a few more Elementals through, then it's still worth it. Having 1 of them be Power Word: Shield for the Body and Soul talent effect is very good for speeding up those who position themselves poorly before Generator shields. You can run a very melee heavy composition, but it will hinder your damage dealers from having a lot of time on the Enhanced Elementals, as you'd be running out of healing range if you go down the stairs.

####  **Utility required**

Interrupts for the High-Priestesses.

Cleanse to get rid of Entangle.

Blink / Disengage / Charge for easy mobility.

Aspect of the Wild (or Nature Resistance Totem) will give you an initial 70 Nature Resistance, granting a 16,6% reduced Nature damage taken if you previously had 0. (40 yards) (For more information, click here)

Misdirection if running 1 tank.

#### **Tips & Tricks**

You can use Divine Sacrifice (with 2/2 Divine Guardian talent) with a Cancelaura macro to simply give your entire raid team a 20% damage reduction for 6 seconds
Using this direectly after a Shield Generator Discharge, when you're about to get hit with Forked Lightning is a very good idea. It will allow the raid to stabilize before taking more damage.

```
#showtooltip
/cast Divine Sacrifice
/cancelaura Divine Sacrifice

```

*Written by Barsk*