Spires of Ascension, Healer Guide
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago for patch 9.0 by Preston.
This page covers healer-focused strategies for the Spires of Ascension dungeon in Shadowlands. 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 and combat log information. I'll continue to update it as-needed.
Bosses
Below are guides for the bosses in Spires of Ascension, including their abilities, healer notes, and addon settings.
Kin-Tara
- When Kin-Tara or Azules is killed, the other
Enrages, increasing damage dealt and granting access to other abilities, detailed below. - On Mythic, avoid the
Deep Connection beam between the two bosses. - Kin'Tara
- Don't stand in front of the boss to avoid
Overhead Slash. - Interrupt Dark Lance (dispel, magic) to prevent the light damage over time dealt to a random player.
- While Kin-Tara is in the air, when targeted by
Charged Spear, move at least 5-yards away from other players to drop the resulting Ionized Plasma pool.
- If Enraged, Charged Spear is used even while Kin-Tara is on the ground.
- If
- Don't stand in front of the boss to avoid
- Azules
- Avoid the path of
Attenuated Barrage orbs. - If Enraged:
- Avoid the impact path of
Maw-Touched Venom and the resulting pools. - Targets random players with
Insidious Venom (dispel, magic), dealing light damage over time.
- Avoid the impact path of
- Avoid the path of
Healing Notes
- If either boss is killed long before the other, be prepared for the increased damage dealt to all players overall. Both due to the enrage effect and the additional abilities.
Debuffs to Track
- Minor: Dark Lance (dispel, magic), Insidious Venom (dispel, magic), Deep Connection
Addons
Ventunax
- Avoid
Shadowhirls left behind when Ventunax uses the abilities noted below, as well as the resulting 
Dark Bolts they emit. - Targets random players with
Dark Stride, dealing light damage over time and leaving behind a Shadowhirl. - Don't stand in front of the boss when he turns to cast
Blinding Flash. - During
Recharge, Shadowhirls emit additional Dark Bolts.
Healing Notes
- The longer the encounter lasts the harder healing will get as Dark Bolts get harder to avoid.
Debuffs to Track
- Minor: Dark Stride
Addons
Oryphrion
- Stay at least 8-yards away from the tank to avoid Charged Stomp and the light damage over time from Charged Anima (dispel, magic).
- Don't stand between the boss and the player targeted by
Purifying Blast. - When
Empyreal Ordnance is cast, move at least 10-yards away from other players and as far away from Oryphrion as possible to drop the resulting 
Anima Field. - Upon reaching 0% Anima,
Drained increases Oryphrion's damage taken and prevents the use of abilities.
- Channels
Recharge Anima, gaining Anima over time and turning all Anima Fields into Coalesced Anima
- Coalesced Anima is pulled towards Oryphrion.
- Players must intercept the Coalesced Anima, which triggers Anima Surge, dealing light damage to all players within 5-yards.
- On Mythic, this also deals increasing damage over time.
- Any Coalesced Anima that reaches Oryphrion triggers Overcharge Anima, granting 5 Anima and dealing light damage to all players.
- Channels
Healing Notes
- Use cooldowns as-needed during Recharge Anima while players are intercepting Coalesced Anima orbs.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Purifying Blast, Charged Anima (dispel, magic)
- Minor: Anima Surge
Addons
Devos, Paragon of Doubt
During this encounter, players will be alternating between the two stages.
Stage One - Head On
This stage begins the encounter and ends when Devos reaches 70% and 30% health. It begins again when Devos is hit by the 
Archon's Spear.
- Avoid the locations of
Abyssal Detonation.
- On Mythic, this hits all players no matter where they are. Move to the
Archon's Bastion shield to avoid the damage.
- On Mythic, this hits all players no matter where they are. Move to the
- When affected by
Lost Confidence (dispel, magic), move away from other players to drop the resulting 
Lingering Doubt pool. - Avoid the path of
Run Through.
Stage Two - To the Skies
This stage begins when Devos reaches 70% and 30% health and ends when Devos is hit by the Archon's Spear.
- Devos takes to the skies, throwing the
Archon's Spear into an Anima Conduit, dealing moderate damage to all players with Unleashed Anima. - Run against the force of
Slipstream and 
Backdraft to avoid falling off the platform.
- While these are active, all players gradually gain stacks of Lingering Doubt, dealing increasing light damage over time.
- While these are active, all players gradually gain stacks of
- Run over
Raw Anima orbs to pick them up, then return them to the Anima Conduit to unlock the Archon's Spear.
- Hitting Devos with the Archon's Spear deals heavy damage and forces her back to the ground.
- Hitting Devos with the
Healing Notes
- Dispel Lost Confidence (magic) in a controlled manner.
- Use cooldowns as-needed during stage two.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Lost Confidence (dispel, magic)
- Minor: (Optional) Lingering Doubt
Addons
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Trash Mobs
Below are notes for the trash mobs in Spires of Ascension. Spires of Ascension is a relatively linear dungeon. The trash below is ordered as if you're completing the bosses in the order they're listed above.
Entrance thru Kin-Tara
- Forsworn Vanguard
- Don't stand in front to avoid
Sweeping Blow.
- Don't stand in front to avoid
- Forsworn Mender
- Interrupt or Purge
Forsworn Doctrine to prevent the healing over time. - Purge
Imbue Weapon to remove the additional damage dealt effect.
- Interrupt or Purge
- Forsworn Castigator
- Interrupt or Dispel
Burden of Knowledge (magic) to remove the moderate damage over time effect.
- Interrupt or Dispel
- Forsworn Goliath
- Interrupt
Rebellious Fist to prevent the moderate damage dealt to all players. - Break the damage absorption shield while Recharge Anima is being channeled to interrupt the cast.
- Interrupt
Kin-Tara thru Ventunax
- This area also includes Forsworn Goliaths, detailed above.
- Forsworn Stealthclaw
- The tank will be dealing with light damage over time from
Rake.
- The tank will be dealing with light damage over time from
- Kyrian Dark-Praetor
- Don't stand in front during
Swift Slice.
- Don't stand in front during
- Etherdiver
- Dispel Insidious Venom (magic) to remove the stacking light damage over time effect..
- Avoid the impact locations of Maw-Touched Spittle and the pools left behind.
- Dispel
- Forsworn Skirmisher
- Deals light damage to random players with
Hurl.
- Deals light damage to random players with
- Forsworn Champion
- Interrupt or Purge Forsworn Doctrine to prevent the healing over time.
- Purge
Infuse Weapon to remove the additional damage dealt effect.
- Interrupt or Purge
- Forsworn Inquisitor
- Interrupt or Dispel
Internal Strife (magic) to prevent the damage dealt to nearby players.
- Interrupt or Dispel
- Forsworn Squad-Leader
- Avoid the impact location of
Impact and the 
Residual Impact pool left behind. - Don't stand in front when
Crashing Strike is cast.
- Avoid the impact location of
Ventunax thru Oryphrion
- This area also includes Forsworn Goliaths, detailed above.
- Forsworn Helion
- Avoid the impact location of Impact and the pool left behind.
- Avoid the path of Crescendo when it's cast, which flies out from the front, back, and either side.
- Deals light damage over time to all players with
Menacing Presence.
- Avoid the impact location of
- Forsworn Warden
- Interrupt
Greater Mending to prevent the healing done to all enemies. - Purge
Bless Weapon to remove the additional damage dealt and healing effect.
- Interrupt
- Forsworn Justicar
- Interrupt or Dispel Forced Confession (magic) to prevent the damage dealt to nearby players.
- Interrupt or Dispel
- Forsworn Usurper
- Deals light damage to random players with Hurl.
- Deals light damage to random players with
Oryphrion thru Devos, Paragon of Doubt
- Lakesis / Klotos / Astronos
- When each of these dies, they pass their abilities on to any that remain alive due to
Fates Intertwined.
- When each of these dies, they pass their abilities on to any that remain alive due to
- Lakesis
- Don't stand in front when Diminuendo is cast.
- Gradually increases the damage taken by all players with
Oppression.
- Don't stand in front when
- Klotos
- Avoid the impact location and the subsequent cone effect of Diminuendo.
- Deals stacking light damage over time to all players with Aura of Intimidation.
- Avoid the impact location and the subsequent cone effect of
- Astronos
- Avoid the impact location of
Charged Spear and the Ionized Plasma pool left behind.
- Additionally, avoid the orbs periodically emitted by the Ionized Plasma pool.
- Additionally, avoid the orbs periodically emitted by the
- Avoid the impact location of
Trash Debuffs to Track
- Major:
- Magic Dispel: Burden of Knowledge (dispel, magic), Internal Strife (dispel, magic), Forced Confession (dispel, magic)
- Magic Dispel:
- Minor:
- Magic Dispel: Insidious Venom (dispel, magic)
- Damaging: Rake
- Magic Dispel:
- Enrages to Soothe: None
- Buffs to Purge: Imbue Weapon, Forsworn Doctrine, Infuse Weapon, Bless Weapon
Trash Addons
- Useful addons will be added as they're available.
Mythic+ Notes
Below are notes that pertain to high mythic+ levels and certain affixes. What constitutes a high mythic+ level will depend on your gear and group, so if you out-gear a particular mythic+ level these notes may not apply. The notes are grouped by affix but are in no particular order.
Tyrannical
- No exceptional interactions noted yet!
Fortified
- Forsworn Goliath
- Interrupting Rebellious Fist will be mandatory to avoid the heavy damage.
- Interrupting
- Forsworn Goliath
Sanguine
- The following enemies can be difficult to move due to their preference for casting spells. Be ready with knock backs and interrupts.
- Kyrian Dark-Praetor
- Forsworn Inquisitor
- Forsworn Justicar
- The following enemies can be difficult to move due to their preference for casting spells. Be ready with knock backs and interrupts.
Bolstering
- Forsworn Goliath
- Should probably be killed first, or carefully killed at the same time as other enemies.
- Forsworn Goliath
Grievous
- No exceptional interactions noted yet!
Raging
- Several enemies should be soothed quickly due to their persistent damage over time effects.
- Forsworn Helion
- Lakesis
- Klotos
- Astronos
- Several enemies should be soothed quickly due to their persistent damage over time effects.
Videos
Mythic 0 Clear, Restoration Druid PoV
Below is a video of me clearing Spires of Ascension on Mythic 0 difficulty.
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