
Upper Blackrock Spire, Healer Guide
Updated 8 months, 3 weeks ago for patch 1.13 by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers healer-focused strategies for the Upper Blackrock Spire dungeon. While it's tailored for healers, other roles may also find the information useful. If you have any suggestions or feedback, you can leave a comment below or tweet @PrestonDvorak.
This guide has been updated and maintained based on my own experiences as well as Dungeon Journal information. I'll continue to update it as-needed.
Best for players level 55-60.
To enter the dungeon, at least one player will need the Seal of Ascension from the quest line that begins with Seal of Ascension.
Bosses
Below are guides for the bosses in Upper Blackrock Spire, including their abilities, healer notes, and addon settings.
Pyroguard Emberseer
To begin the encounter, all players must channel the altar at the bottom of Emberseer's platform.
- Dispel
Flame Buffet (magic) to remove the increased fire damage taken effect.
- Stay at least 10-yards away if possible to avoid
Fire Nova.
Healing Notes
- Due to the layout of the room, it's likely all players will be taking damage from
Fire Nova.
Debuffs to Track
- Major:
Flame Buffet (dispel, magic)
Solakar Flamewreath
To begin the encounter, a player must loot the pillar at the far end of the room. This starts a six wave event that ends with Solakar Flamewreath.
- Waves 1 thru 5 include Rookery Guardians and Rookery Hatchers.
- Rookery Hatcher
- Will attempt to hatch eggs, spawning Rookery Whelps.
- Applies
Sunder Armor to the tank, reducing armor.
- Rookery Guardian
- Applies
Sunder Armor to the tank, reducing armor.
- Applies
- Rookery Hatcher
- Solakar Flamewreath
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
War Stomp.
- If staying away isn't possible, position yourself to avoid being knocked into rookery eggs.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Healing Notes
- Avoiding the eggs scattered around the room is the most difficult part of this encounter. DPS should prioritize killing any Rookery Whelps that spawn.
Debuffs to Track
- Major:
Sunder Armor
Goraluk Anvilcrack
- The tank will be dealing with
Backhand.
- Applies
Head Crack to the tank, reducing armor.
Healing Notes
- Be aware of nearby enemies and patrols if you haven't cleared the room.
Debuffs to Track
- Major:
Head Crack
Jed Runewatcher
This is a rare enemy, and may not always be present.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid the interrupt from
Shield Bash.
- Position with your back against the wall to lessen the knock back from
Shield Charge.
Healing Notes
- Be aware of nearby enemies and patrols if you haven't cleared the room.
- Be prepared to heal players hit by
Shield Charge.
Debuffs to Track
- There are no particular debuffs to track.
Blackrock Stadium/Warchief Rend Blackhand
The stadium event consists of several waves of enemies, ending with Rend and Gyth.
Stage One - Gauntlet Waves
- Blackhand Veteran
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid the interrupt from
Shield Bash.
- Targets random players with
Shield Charge.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid the interrupt from
- Blackhand Dreadweaver
- Dispel
Veil of Shadow (curse) to remove the reduced healing taken effect.
- Dispel
Curse of Thorns (curse) to remove the chance of taking damage on hit.
- Dispel
- Blackhand Summoner
- Interrupt
Summon Blackhand Dreadweaver and
Summon Blackhand Veteran to prevent additional enemies from being spawned.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Frost Nova.
- Interrupt
- Blackhand Elite
- The tank will be dealing with
Backhand.
- Applies
Head Crack to the tank, reducing armor.
- The tank will be dealing with
- Blackhand Assassin
- Targets random players with
Gouge, stunning them for 10-seconds.
- Targets random players with
- Blackhand Dragon Handler
- Interrupt
Mend Dragon to prevent the healing.
- Interrupt
- Blackhand Iron Guard
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid
Shield Slam.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid
- Rage Talon Dragonspawn
Fixates on random players.
- Deals extra damage to their current target with
Thrash.
- Applies
Sunder Armor to its current target, reducing armor.
- Dispel
- Rage Talon Flamescale
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Fire Nova.
- Avoid the impact location of
Flamestrike (dispel, magic).
- Deals moderate damage to all players with
Fireball Volley.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
- Rage Talon Dragon Guard
- Applies
Sunder Armor to the tank, reducing armor.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid
Shield Slam.
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
Cleave.
- Applies
- Rage Talon Fire Tongue
- Dispel
Flame Buffet (magic) to remove the increased fire damage taken effect.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Fire Nova.
- Dispel
- Chromatic Dragonspawn
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
Cleave.
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
- Chromatic Whelp
- Deals moderate damage to all players with
Fireball Volley.
- Deals moderate damage to all players with
Stage Two - Rend
- Gyth
- Targets random players with
Freeze (dispel, magic).
- Don't stand in front of the boss to avoid
Corrosive Acid Breath, which reduces armor, and
Flame Breath.
- Targets random players with
- Warchief Rend Blackhand
- When Gyth reaches 20% health, Rend will hop off his back.
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
Cleave.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Whirlwind and
Thunderclap (dispel, magic).
Healing Notes
- Keep an eye on your mana as you may not have time to drink between the waves of enemies.
- All players will be taking regular damage from abilities like
Fireball Volley.
- Be prepared to heal the non-tank player hit by
Cleave, likely a melee DPS.
Debuffs to Track
- Major:
Curse of Thorns (dispel, curse),
Veil of Shadow (dispel, curse),
Head Crack,
Gouge,
Fixate,
Sunder Armor,
Freeze (dispel, magic),
Corrosive Acid Breath,
Flame Buffet (dispel, magic)
- Minor:
Flamestrike (dispel, magic),
Thunderclap (dispel, magic)
- Enrages to Dispel:
The Beast
- Dispel
Immolate (magic) to prevent the damage over time.
- Stay at least 20-yards away to avoid
Fear (dispel, magic).
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Flamebreak.
- Targets random players with
Berserker Charge, dealing heavy damage and knocking back a significant distance.
Healing Notes
- The tank should have priority dispel on
Fear (dispel, magic).
- Be aware of where players are as they may get pushed out of range by the various knock backs.
Debuffs to Track
Lord Valthalak
This boss is summoned after defeating The Beast using the Brazier of Beckoning/
Brazier of Invocation as part of the Dungeon Set quest line.
- Stay at least 15-yards away from other players to prevent chaining the damage from
Shadow Wrath.
- Periodically summons two Spectral Assassins with
Summon Spectral Assassin.
- Spectral Assassin
- Stun or disorient these to interrupt the
Defile channel to prevent the stun targeted on a random player.
- Stun or disorient these to interrupt the
- Spectral Assassin
- At 40% health,
Enrages, increasing attack speed and physical damage dealt.
- At 15% health, deals moderate damage to all players with
Shadow Bolt Volley.
Healing Notes
- The tank will be taking significant damage for most of the encounter, especially once the boss
Enrages.
- Use cooldowns when the boss begins rapidly casting
Shadow Bolt Volley.
Debuffs to Track
- Major:
Defile
General Drakkisath
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
Cleave.
- Don't stand in front of the boss to avoid
Flame Breath.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Thunderclap (dispel, magic).
- Targets random players with
Healing Notes
- Be prepared to heal the non-tank player hit by
Cleave, likely a melee DPS.
Debuffs to Track
Trash Mobs
Below are notes for the trash mobs in Upper Blackrock Spire. Upper Blackrock Spire has a relatively linear layout. The trash below is ordered as if you're completing the bosses in the order they're listed above.
- Throughout the dungeon, Humanoid enemies will attempt to run away in fear when at low health. Be prepared to slow and snare them.
Entrance thru Pyroguard Emberseer
- To progress passed the first room, each alcove must be cleared to douse a rune on the floor.
- Blackhand Dreadweaver
- Dispel
Veil of Shadow (curse) to remove the reduced healing taken effect.
- Dispel
Curse of Thorns (curse) to remove the chance of taking damage on hit.
- Dispel
- Blackhand Summoner
- Interrupt
Summon Blackhand Dreadweaver and
Summon Blackhand Veteran to prevent additional enemies from being spawned.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Frost Nova.
- Interrupt
- Blackhand Veteran
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid the interrupt from
Shield Bash.
- Targets random players with
Shield Charge.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid the interrupt from
- Rage Talon Dragonspawn
Fixates on random players.
- Deals extra damage to their current target with
Thrash.
- Applies
Sunder Armor to its current target, reducing armor.
- Dispel
- Blackhand Incarcerator
- Interrupt
Encage to prevent the stun effect.
- Interrupt
Pyroguard Emberseer thru Solakar Flamewreath
- This area includes Rage Talon Dragonspawn, detailed above.
- Rookery Hatcher
- Will attempt to hatch eggs, spawning Rookery Whelps.
- Applies
Sunder Armor to the tank, reducing armor.
- Rookery Guardian
- Applies
Sunder Armor to the tank, reducing armor.
- Applies
- Rage Talon Flamescale
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Fire Nova.
- Avoid the impact location of
Flamestrike (dispel, magic).
- Deals moderate damage to all players with
Fireball Volley.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Solakar Flamewreath thru Goraluk Anvilcrack
- This area includes Blackhand Dreadweavers, Blackhand Summoners, Blackhand Veterans, Rage Talon Dragonspawn, and Rage Talon Flamescale, detailed above.
- Blackhand Elite
- The tank will be dealing with
Backhand.
- Applies
Head Crack to the tank, reducing armor.
- The tank will be dealing with
Goraluk Anvilcrack thru Warchief Rend Blackhand
- This area includes Blackhand Dreadweavers, Blackhand Summoners, Blackhand Veterans, Rage Talon Dragonspawn, Blackhand Elite, and Rage Talon Flamescale, detailed above.
- Blackhand Assassin
- Targets random players with
Gouge, stunning them for 10-seconds.
- Targets random players with
- Blackhand Dragon Handler
- Interrupt
Mend Dragon to prevent the healing.
- Interrupt
- Blackhand Iron Guard
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid
Shield Slam.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid
- Chromatic Dragonspawn
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
Cleave.
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
- Chromatic Whelp
- Deals moderate damage to all players with
Fireball Volley.
- Deals moderate damage to all players with
- Rage Talon Dragon Guard
- Applies
Sunder Armor to the tank, reducing armor.
- Stay at least 5-yards away to avoid
Shield Slam.
- Hits the tank and the closest player to the tank with
Cleave.
- Applies
- Rage Talon Fire Tongue
- Dispel
Flame Buffet (magic) to remove the increased fire damage taken effect.
- Stay at least 10-yards away to avoid
Fire Nova.
- Dispel
Warchief Rend Blackhand thru The Beast
- This area includes Blackhand Assassins, Blackhand Elites, Blackhand Iron Guards, Rage Talon Dragon Guards, and Rage Talon Fire Tongues, detailed above.
The Beast thru General Drakkisath
- This area includes Blackhand Assassins, Blackhand Elites, Blackhand Iron Guards, Rage Talon Dragon Guards, and Rage Talon Fire Tongues detailed above.
- Chromatic Elite Guard
- The tank will be dealing with
Knockdown.
- Applies
Mortal Strike to the tank, reducing healing received.
- The tank will be dealing with
- Rage Talon Captain
- The tank will be dealing with
Knock Away.
- Applies
Mortal Strike to the tank, reducing healing received.
- Don't stand in front of these to avoid
Arcing Smash.
- The tank will be dealing with
Trash Debuffs to Track
- Major:
Knockdown,
Mortal Strike,
Veil of Shadow (dispel, curse),
Curse of Thorns (dispel, curse),
Fixate,
Sunder Armor,
Head Crack,
Gouge,
Sunder Armor,
Flame Buffet (dispel, magic)
- Minor:
Flamestrike (dispel, magic)
- Enrages to Dispel:
- Buffs to Purge: None
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