October 19th, 2007

WoW – Assaulting The Black Temple

For months the Doomwalker has been a foreboding presence outside the Black Temple walls, but his purpose remained a mystery until recent events. The construct has been disposed of eventually, but before the Illidari acolytes would take up residence in its stead, it managed to break a hole in the outer right wall, just big enough to highly determined creatures to sneak in. Akama and his Ashtongue Deathsworn was the first to go in, swords blazing, and we soon followed. As we entered the Black Temple we discovered Akama’s distraction to be successful, as the dreaded keepers of this fallen shrine didn’t take notice of our trespassing.

Twenty five strong have reached to the other side, anxious to try their steel against the might of Illidan and his minions. This sewer entrance is filled with hydras and their Naga handlers, along with tainted water elementals. It looks like an enclave belonging to Lady Vashj more than anything else, for it bears the mark of the Serpentshire Cavern. As you make your way upwards, there aren’t many challenges to overcome, except maybe to the occasional tainted elemental patrols which will complicate things while already in combat. Their area of effect poison attack is stackable and ticks over eight seconds, which hits roughly half your raid for massive damage. Fast mass heals, cleansing totems and good control is advised, since they can be both stunned and banished. Particularly annoying problems arise when fighting the harpooner pack. Six creatures need to be controlled with either sheep or sleep but be aware that the Generals need to be tanked downstairs, out of line of sight from the others because they can dispel, effectively making your target immune to all new crowd control attempts for the next three seconds. One offtank should always be there to pick up the dispelled targets for that short period.

Behold High Warlord Naj’Entus is all his armored magnificence, for he is Lady Vashj’s Ambassador to the court of The Betrayer. It’s one of the most healer intensive fights in the game, so be sure to have enough random heals available. The fight starts off without incidents, with everyone spread apart for at least 5 yards to avoid taking splash damage from his ranged abilities. Watch out for the spikes he is throwing every thirty seconds. They incapacitate their target and deal additional damage is the closest raid member must walk over and take the spike away. The spike will be received in ones inventory. Every minute or so, Naj’Entus will become immune to all attacks and regenerate hit points at an alarming rate. The raid leader must monitor everyone’s hit points and call for the spike to be thrown back at Naj’Entus to end his invulnerability sphere once every raid member is above 90%. This fight is without a doubt the most healing intensive throughout the game so your healers will have a strong reality check. Be sure to bring them in great numbers. Everyone must have additional hit point gear on, to a total of at least 10000. Whenever you burst the bubble, every raid member receives around 8500 unmitigated damage and another ranged hit from Naj’Entus can be fatal. These two phases alternate until the proud shell is battered down to sea food status and you can move on to the courtyard. You’ll have to get past an eight tainted elemental pack so be sure to stay well spread out and avoid taking AoE damage. Three hits in a short period are always fatal.

Up from the sewers through a huge drain pipe you’ll find yourselves entering The Illidari Training Grounds. It’s a gruesome sight to behold: massive Dragonmaw packs rule the sky, proudly flying their enslaved Netherwing dragon mounts. Fel orcs still tend to the wreckage of the first assault on the Black Temple, when Magtheridon overthrew the Draenei and turned this sacred place to foul magic. You will have to AoE down a couple of fel orc worker packs, some demons patrolling the area and a good number of flying packs. The later have a change to bug and reset if your group members are too close to the catapults on the ground. It’s mainly because the flyers are scripted to land before they die, so that looting is possible. At the end of the courtyard lies the main entrance to the Black Temple guarded the most impressive monolith you have ever seen.

Supremus is the mighty guard, by far the biggest Infernal-type creature in the game, glowing with blue inflexions and crackling lightning out of his own body. The battle will see your guild scattered around Supremus as he is tanked roughly twenty yards in front of the starting position. Dodge the lightning bolts launched on the ground by moving away ahead of time. They switch directions a couple of times, seemingly following you so beware. Such an easy fight resembling the Void Reaver encounter can quickly become your grave in a choir of never ending guildie laughter. It gets a bit more complicated two minutes into the battle, when Supremus changes phases and starts following people around for the kill, not unlike Sanguinar in the Kael’Thas fight. The best way or handling this is for melee to stay back at all times, as ranged dps spreads around, keeping an optimal 30 yard distance. Staying close to Supremus when he changes target can get you a free repair bill. Volcanoes spawn on random locations around the big guy, and they hit very fast. Whenever you see one close by, cancel whatever you were doing and move away. Most of the time you get hit once for 4500, the second hit may get you through from time to time, but a third is definitely deadly. After six or seven switches Supremus punches the ground in anger and resumes phase one. The tank needs to stay in range to pick him up fast, lest more casualties occur. Soon enough, the mighty infernal drops to the ground dead, devoid of energy, and the way is cleared up the stairs ad into the real Black Temple.

Where to begin? This place is huge and it will take a while until you know where every path leads. The Shade of Akama lies at the other end on the hallway, directly in front of you. A sharp left turn leads to the upper sanctum of the Illidari nobility, towards Mother Shahraz, the Illidari Council and the master himself. To the left you can reach the Halls of Anguish, host of both Gurtogg Bloodboil and the Reliquary of Souls. Far back to the left lie the stairs to the corrupt Teron Gorefiend. In the inner platform four Ashtongue offer their help, by selling supplies, reagents and most needed repairs. It is here you will find Seer Kanai and get the quest for the Redemption of the Ashtongue.

Up towards Akama, the trash packs take forever to kill, bundled together one near the other. Six to seven targets need to be picked up by a coordinated effort of tanks, mages sheeping and warlocks banishing. Only three packs and a patrol need to be killed before reaching Akama’s room, but random deaths are common occurrence, unlike the relaxed pulls close to the Shade of Akama. Do you remember the vague threat that Akama mentioned when speaking about Illidan, his price of allegiance? Here lies the dark side of Akama’s spirit, bound by five Ashtongue chanellers; a painful sign of submission for all former Draenei before the great demon hunter ruler of the Black Temple. Salvation lies in confronting one’s darker side and that’s precisely what Akama will do with your help.

The main tank needs to stay below the stairs and get all incoming Ashtongue defenders, while the melee kills chanellers and ranged dps gets split in two. A five man group tanks, controls and kills the Ashtongue rushing from the left, while the other one take the right. The event is started by speaking with the stealthed Akama, once everyone is at the designated position. Akama will now start to loosen the control Illidan has over his brethren, effectively killing the Shade. Melee burns down chanellers, while the twin groups kill the Spirit Binder (healer) first, the Elementalist second and lastly the sheeped Rogue. Defenders need to be ignored by everyone as the main tank keeps them busy. After the fourth pack or so, chanellers and Ashtongue mages will be down, as the Shade makes its way towards Akama. When they meet at the bottom of the stairs, that’s you cue to unload each and every available cooldowns on the Shade, because in approximately 45 seconds Akama will be dead. There’s no time to waste so use bloodlust, trinkets and every bid of energy, rage of mana at your disposal. Don’t worry about using non-mana effective abilities since you’ll barely have time to go out of mana.

Akama is redeemed and with him, the whole of the Ashtongue in the temple. It’s time to witness the role playing event, as he calls forth his brethren and frees them from an unwanted allegiance. The Ashtongue bow before their spiritual leader and a feeling of great justice overwhelms you. The fall of the betrayer is near, and your cause just received reinforcements. From now on, the Ashtongue in the temple won't attack you anylonger. You can return to Kanai and take the final part of the quest line, slaying Illidan. High in his chambers, the Betrayer awaits.