This page covers a healer-focused strategy for Sylvanas Windrunner in Sanctum of Domination 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 with the encounter, combat log information, and Dungeon Journal information. I'll continue to update it as-needed.

General Mechanics and Abilities

Normal and Heroic

Stage One - A Cycle of Hatred

This stage begins the encounter and ends when Sylvanas reached 84% health.

• The tanks will be dealing with Ranger's Heartseeker, which applies stacks of Banshee's Mark, dealing moderate damage over time.
• During Wailing Arrow, move as far away from the affected tank as possible to lessen the damage taken.
• During Windrunner, Sylvanas vaults around the room, leaving behind a Windrunner copy.
  • The Windrunner copy can still be damaged.
  • Avoid the impact locations of Desecrating Shot.
  • Deals light damage to swaths of players with Withering Fire, then light damage over time with Barbed Arrow.
    
    • Barbed Arrow can be removed by standing near Domination Chains, detailed below.
  • Targets random players with Shadow Dagger, dealing light damage over time.
• Avoid the impact locations of Domination Chains.
  • Stand near the arrow after the impact to be chained to remove Barbed Arrow.
  • A Domination Chains enemy spawns that must be killed to free the chained players.
    • On Heroic, affected players must also stay more than 4-yards away from the Chains to avoid Calamity.
  • Players hit take stacking light damage over time until the Chains are killed.
• Avoid the locations of Veil of Darkness. Players hit gain a healing absorption shield and take moderate damage over time.
  • On Heroic, affected players must stay more than 5-yards away from other players to avoid spreading the effect.

Intermission One - A Monument to Our Suffering

This intermission begins when Sylvanas reaches 84% health and ends once players reach the first platform with enemies.

• Sylvanas is immune to damage due to Banshee Shroud.
• Avoid the impact locations of Domination Chains.
• Avoid the paths of Rive and subsequent impact locations of Riven Debris.
• When affected by Banshee Wail, move more than 5-yards away from other player to avoid chaining the damage and silence effect.

Stage Two - The Banshee Queen

This stage begins following intermission one and ends when the Mawsworn Commanders are killed and players enter the final portal.

• Thrall and Jaina assist players with Call Earth and Channel Ice, allowing players to cross gaps in the chains.
•  Sylvanas
  • Takes to the air with Banshee Form, still immune to damage due to Banshee Shroud.
  • Interrupt Ruin to prevent the fatal damage dealt to all players.
  • Avoid the Haunting Waves. Players hit take moderate damage over time.
  • Continues to use Banshee Wail and Shadow Dagger.
• Forces of the Maw
  • On Heroic, if no player is within 50-yards of a Force of the Mawsworn, Hymn of the End deals moderate damage over time to all players.
  • Mawsworn Vanguard
    • Grants nearby Forces of the Maw stacks of Accursed Might, increasing damage done, maximum health, and movement speed.
    • On Heroic, avoid the impact location of Unstoppable Force.
  • Mawsworn Hopebreaker
    • Targets random players with Destabilize, dealing increasing light damage over time while absorbing healing and reducing movement speed.
    • On Heroic, deals additional damage to the tanks and light damage to all players with Enflame.
  • Mawsworn Souljudge
    • Dispel Crushing Dread (magic) in a controlled manner.
      • When affected, stay more than 5-yards away from other players to avoid chaining the damage dealt.
      • Affected players take stacking light damage over time.
      • When dispelled, this jumps to another player and starts at one stack, unless the Souljudge is dead then it's dispelled as normal.
    • On Heroic, the tanks will be dealing with stacks of Lashing Wound from Lashing Strike, dealing increasing moderate damage over time.
  • Mawforged Summoner
    • Summons Decrepit Orbs.
      • Decrepit Orb
        • Gains stacks of Decrepit Orb, increasing damage dealt.
        • Upon death or upon completing their cast, Detonation deals light to moderate damage to all players. Damage dealt depends on the number of Decrepit Orb stacks.
    • On Heroic, dispel Curse of Lethargy (curse) to prevent the light damage over time.
  • Mawsworn Goliath
    • The tanks will be dealing with stacks of Fury, granting the Goliath increased damage dealt and attack speed.

Stage Three - The Freedom of Choice

This stage begins after all Mawsworn Commanders are killed in stage two and ends when Sylvanas is killed.

• Several abilities can apply Banshee's Bane (dispel, magic) to players.
  • This leaves behind a pool when dispelled, and should be dispelled in a controlled manner to ensure the pools stay out of the way.
  • The tanks will be dealing with Banshee's Heartseeker, which applies Banshee's Bane (dispel, magic).
  • Avoid the impact locations of Bane Arrows and the resulting Banshee's Bane pools. Players who are hit or touch a pool gain Banshee's Bane (dispel, magic).
  • On Heroic, Banshee's Fury deals light damage to all players and additional damage for each Banshee's Bane (dispel, magic) present on players.
• When affected by Banshee Scream, move more than 5-yards away from other player to avoid chaining the damage and silence effect.
• When targeted by Wailing Arrow, use an Invigorating Field to move to a different platform to help lessen the damage dealt.
• Continues to use Shadow Dagger.
• During Raze, use an Invigorating Field to move to a new platform.

Mythic Differences

Stage One - A Cycle of Hatred

• This stage now ends when Sylvanas reaches 80% health.
• There are additional mechanics associated with Domination Chains.
  • All players must stay more than 4-yards away from Domination Chains to avoid Calamity.
  • Players hit multiple times take greatly increased damage from Domination Chains while dealing light damage to all players with Woe.
• Wailing Arrow is replaced by Black Arrow, which functions similarly except for the below.
  • Upon impact, summons three Dark Sentinels.
    • Dark Sentinel
      • Fixates on random players with Rage while gaining increased damage dealt and increased immunity to slow effects.

Stage Two - The Banshee Queen

• Forces of the Maw
  • Mawsworn Souljudge
    • Affects all players with Aura of Contempt, reducing damage dealt based on missing health.
  • Mawsworn Summoner
    • Now also summons one Terror Orb.
      • Terror Orb
        • Interrupt Terror Orb to prevent all players from being feared.
  • Mawsworn Goliath
    • Affects all Forces of the Maw with Aura of Violence, increasing damage dealt by melee attacks.
  • Mawsworn Colossus
    • Don't stand in front to avoid Filth. This will eventually require a tank switch.
    • Stack with the players affected by Expulsion to split the damage dealt.
      • Players hit take moderate damage over time from Misery.

Stage Three - The Freedom of Choice

• For the tanks, Banshee's Heartseeker is replaced by Banshee's Weapons.
• Shadow Dagger is replaced by Death Knives.
  • Upon expiring, avoid the impact locations.
• One player must stand in each impact location of Merciless to prevent the critical damage dealt to all players.

Healing Notes

Quick Notes, All Difficulties

The notes below mostly pertain to progression difficulty, meaning if you out-gear the difficulty you're on or use extra healers they may not apply.

• Use Major Cooldowns
  
  • Shadow Dagger during stage two [occurs about every 3-minutes]
  • Wailing Arrow during stage three [occurs about every 60-seconds]
• Use Minor Cooldowns on
  
  • Wailing Arrow
  • Domination Chains
  • Detonation
  • Enflame
  • Banshee's Fury
• Pre-heal Before (mainly for heal over time classes)
  • Wailing Arrow
  • Detonation
  • Banshee's Fury
• Potion of Spiritual Clarity use
  • following stage two, before stage three mechanics ramp up
• Other things to watch for
  • You regain a fair amount of mana while walking around during stage two, allowing you to heal a little harder in stage one if needed.
  • It can be helpful to gather up stray Banshee's Bane pools and then dispel yourself near the edges of the platform to create more space.

Debuffs to Track

Major

• Crushing Dread (dispel, magic) should be dispelled in a controlled manner, either when stacks get too high or when the originating Souljudge is killed.
• Banshee's Bane (dispel, magic) should be dispelled in a controlled manner to ensure the pool it leaves behind is out of the way.
• Several abilities cause the tanks to need additional healing.
  • Banshee's Mark
  • Lashing Wound
• Several abilities cause players to need additional healing.
  • Veil of Darkness
  • Banshee Wail
  • Destabilize
  • (Optional) Barbed Arrow, most players end up with this debuff, so it can clutter raid frames. However, it can be nice to see players that have high stacks.
• (Mythic) Rage can cause players to need additional healing.

Minor

• Several abilities cause players to need additional healing.
  • Domination Chains
  • Shadow Dagger
  • Haunting Wave
  • (Mythic) Misery
  • (Mythic) Death Knives

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Useful Addons

DBM Settings

Below are the DBM settings I'll be using for Sylvanas Windrunner in Sanctum of Domination. You can set them up however you'd like, but these ones should work well as a starting point. Some settings may be Mythic only.

Healer DBM Settings for Sylvanas Windrunner

Boss Mechanic Practice

While not technically an addon, the browser-based minigame Sanctum of Pineapples is a great way to practice Sanctum of Domination boss mechanics in a low-stress environment.

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