Raid boss Guide: Skorpyron (Nighthold)

As usually, these tactics are my own and does not mean they are the most optimal.

Background Story

Deep within the foundations of the Nighthold, beneath the sea, lie long forgotten vaults that give access to Nightwell itself. This monstrous armored scorpid has made its home in one of these vaults. Infused with the power of the Nightwell, and surrounded by teeming brood, Skorpyron presents a serious complication to an otherwise promising back entry to the Nighthold.

 

Overview

In this encounter, you will fight a big scorpion (the boss) and smaller scorpion adds that spawns from time to time.

This fight is about controlling the boss positon and the adds that spawns all the time.
Healers and dps stacks together and moves as one all the time.
Entire raid will be behind boss and only moves away when boss does Focused Blast or AoE called Shockwave

There are 3 types off scorpion adds that spawns from time to time. Each scorpion has its own ability and need to be tanked on specific positions.

The boss is protected by a skeleton and when it is destroyed, the boss takes more damage until the skeleton is grown back on the boss. This lasts for 15 sec and you will focus all dmg on boss during this gap (use cooldowns and timewarp/bloodlust/Heroism)

Big Shards from the boss falls on random positions which the raid needs to use as protection when boss does shockwave.

Alternative tact with 3 tanks

If you go with 3 tanks, then 1 tank will be on boss and 2 tanks on adds.
This is a good tact because there is one type of scorpion add that increase haste on nearby scorpion adds. Having a 3rd tank that tanks those scorpions away from other scorpions makes it easier (instead of main tank handling that add)
Also, adds do a lot of damage on tank, so having an extra tank on adds will make it easier for tanks and healers.

 

Positioning

1 tank (Main tank) on in front of boss.
1 or 2 tanks (Off-tank(s)) behind boss
Dps and healers behind boss

Move to the left side (star) when boss does Focused Blast.
Move behind a Broken Shard when boss does Shockwave.

Off-tank on right side (green) when adds spawn and tank small adds there.
Main tank tanks red adds (if 3 tanks, the 3rd tank will tank red adds behind raid).

 

Abilities and tactics 

This boss has 5 abilities:

  • Shockwave
  • Chitinous Exoskeleton
  • Call of the Scorpid
  • Arcanolash
  • Focused Blast

Call of the Scorpid (Scorpion adds)

The boss spawns several scorpion adds that spawns from the outer area.
There are 3 types of scorpion adds (Crystalline, Volatile and Acidmaw)
Volatile are red
Crystalline are blue
Acidmaw are green
Each type of scorpion has its own ability but all types have 2 shared abilities as well.

Crystalline Scorpid (blue)
Does Energy Surge
Sends a shock of arcane magic at a target doing arcane damage and a stacking debuff that lasts for 3 seconds (doing dmg every half-second).

Volatile Scorpid (red)
Does Scorpid Swarm
Increases haste by 100% on nearby scorpion adds.

Acidmaw Scorpid (green)
Does Toxic Chitin
Creates pools on the ground periodically and also after death.

Shared Abilites

  • Boon of the Scorpid
    After some time, the adds increase damage by 5% and it stacks.
  • Shrouded
    The adds are immune to AoE spells until entering combat.

 

Tactic: Scorpion adds

Main tank
In front of boss, make sure he is facing away from raid.
If you go with 2 tanks, the main tank needs to tank the red scorpions as well (Volatile scorpions)

Off-tank(s)
Tank small scorpions (Crystalline and Acidmaw) on the right side of raid (so the acid pool doesn’t come under them).
Face the scorpions away from raid (so the shock of arcane doesn’t hit them)
If you go with 3 tanks, then the 3rd tank will be behind the raid tanking the red scorpions.

Range Dps
Behind boss.
Nuke small adds first (Crystalline and Acidmaw), then go for the red ones (Volatile scorpions).

Melee Dps
On right side where off tank is.
Nuke the small scorpions first.
Then nuke the red one.
Make sure that you are not in front (180 degrees) of boss.
Move back behind boss when adds are dead.

Healers
Behind boss.
If you have 2 tanks, beware off main tank getting extra damage because of red scorpion adds.
In general, tanks will take a lot of damage from adds.

 

 

Chitinous Exoskeleton

The boss has a skeleton of crystals that covers him, protecting him from damage.
This skeleton cover decreases damage taken by 25%.
When skeleton cover is destroyed, the boss is stunned for 15 sec and takes 100% more damage.

When the skeleton cover breaks off, a Crystalline Fragment breaks off, called Broken Shard.
This broken shards lands on random positions, and does Arcane damage on impact.

Broken Shard protects players from Shockwave

The exoskeleton regrows on the boss and increases damage done by 10%, and stacks.

Tactic Chitinous Exoskeleton

When boss has skeleton on
As usual, focus adds when they spawn.
Attack boss when/if there are no adds.
Make sure to cleave damage/aoe adds so boss gets hit as well.

When the skeleton is broken from boss
Use cooldowns and burn the boss only.
If there are adds still, you need to focus boss anyway (if you wipe because you didn’t kill adds, then kill them first then go for boss)
This lasts for 15 sec.
Timewarp/Bloodlust should be used here.
When 15 sec passed and boss got his skeleton cover back on, then go back to adds again.

 

Shockwave

The boss has an energy bar, and after certain amount of energy, he smashes the ground, creating a shockwave, which inflicts Nature damage and knocks players back.
This knockback also destroys Broken Shards.

Tactic: Shockwave

Shards are randomly spawning on the platform.
Run behind a broken Shard to avoid dmg.
Remember that the shards will be destroyed after each shockwave.

The boss has a 3-4 sec cast time on shockwave. This means that you have to plan where to run before this happens, and if you are too far away, then you need to move before boss even casts it.

Main tank must look where the Shards are landing and tank the boss accordingly so that the shards are not in front of boss.  

Main tank also runs behind a Broken Shard.

 

Arcanoslash

Slashes all targets in a frontal 18 yard hemisphere doing high Arcane damage.
Tanks gets a debuff called Arcane Tether that does dmg every second if they stand within 10 yards to each other.

Tactic: Arcanoslash

Only main tank stands in front of boss.
Boss does the slash 3 times in a row, use defensive spell.

No one else stands in front of boss, not even on the side in front either.

 

Focused blast

Faces a targeted direction, doing high Arcane dmg and stuns targets it hits for 3 seconds.
The more players that are hit, the longer the stun lasts.

Tactic: Focused blast

Entire raid (except main tank) moves away from the blast, then moves back to position again.
The cast time is 3 seconds, so you need to pay attention and move away.
Always keep in mind when boss will cast this, because you will be busy killing adds at the same time.

 

 

 

4 Jan 2017