World of Warcraft

This page covers a DPS-focused strategy for Xavius in The Emerald Nightmare. While it's tailored for DPS, other roles may also find the information useful. If you have any suggestions or feedback, you can leave a comment below or tweet @SquidWonder.

This guide will be updated as needed.

Normal and Heroic

The information below pertains to Normal and Heroic difficulty. Heroic-only mechanics will be noted.

General mechanics to know about

This fight has several stages as well as some unique mechanics. I've done my best to order them in an intuitive manner.

Nightmare Corruption Mechanic

During the entire fight, you will be contending with Corruption, which players gain from various mechanics. Some are avoidable, others are not.

• At 33 points of Corruption, colossal Nightmare creatures will manifest from the player's mind.
• These cast Corruption: Crushing Shadows and you should try to move far away from the impact area.
• At 66 points of Corruption, the player will be affected by Corruption: Unfathomable Reality
• At 100 points of Corruption, the player will gain a damage and healing buff called Corruption: Descent into Madness. When this buff expires, they will turn into a Creature of Madness and become hostile.
• Track Corruption via the additional resource bar that shows up during the fight.

The Dream Mechanic

When Xavius reaches 95% and 60% health, the Dream of Ysera will put half of the group into a dream state and Dream Simulacrum copies are created of the affected players.

• Any Corruption the affected players would gain is instead applied to the Dream Simulacrum copy.
• When a Copy reaches 100 Corruption, the player will awaken after Corruption: Descent into Madness expires.
• Any cooldowns used in the Dream will reset upon exiting. However, any Exhaustion debuffs from Heroism/Timewarp/Bloodlust will persist.
• Mages with Shard of the Exodar will not suffer Temporal Displacement. Exiting the Dream will reset your  Time Warp, allowing you multiple uses.
• The Dream lasts for 3 minutes or until death, at which point the player will automatically exit the Dream state.

Stage 1 - The Descent Into Madness

• Xavius will summon adds every time he reaches 100 energy (every 20 seconds)
• There are two abilities that can spawn adds: Lurking Eruption and Manifest Corruption
• Spread out a least 6 yards to avoid splash damage from Lurking Eruption
• Lurking Terrors spawn instantly from the eruption but take 4 seconds to activate
• Lurking Terrors are immune to damage and fixates on the target player
• Players currently in the dream should move to intercept the Lurking Terror and soak Tormenting Infection before it reaches its target
• Manifest Corruption spawns Corruption Horror adds - these adds must be DPS'd down quickly before their damage becomes overwhelming. Stay behind the Corruption Horror to avoid Tormenting Swipe
• If needed, save DPS cooldowns to burst the Corruption Horrors down
• Xavius will use Nightmare Blades on two targets. After a slight delay, a wall of blades cuts through the two targets in a straight line. If targeted, step away from the group and let the blades hit run through, then step back in.

Stage 2 - From the Shadows

Stage 2 starts at 65%

• At 100 energy (every 40 seconds), Xavius summons Inconceivable Horrors with Call of Nightmares
• Inconceivable Horrors shamble towards Xavius, channeling Dark Ruination if they get close enough
• DPS should switch to these and get them down before they reach Xavius - melee run to nearby adds while ranged should focus down the ones further away
• When a Horror dies, it leaves behind a pool of Tainted Discharge that will reform into a Horror after 15 seconds - players in the Dream should soak these pools
• Xavius will periodically cast Corruption Meteor on one player - that player should run to a group of Dream players to split the damage and Corruption gains
• Two players will be targeted with Bonds of Terror - quickly move on top of your partner to remove the debuff

Stage 3 - World of Darkness

Stage 3 starts at 30%

• There is no Dream Simulacrum, making this stage a race to beat the Corruption bar
• Xavius will keep using Nightmare Blades and Corruption Meteor
• Nightmare Tentacles will spawn all over as a source of unavoidable damage and corruption
• Mutli-DOT or cleave them, but there is no need to focus the tentacles

DPS Strategy

• Stay slightly spread out in Stage 1 to avoid Lurking Eruption splash damage
• Players in the Dream should intercept Lurking Terrors
• Kill Corruption Horrors quickly
• Use DPS cooldowns (except Heroism/Bloodlust) while in the Dream, as the cooldowns reset when you leave
• Dream players should soak Tainted Discharge. puddles and Corruption Meteor damage
• Prioritize Inconceivable Horrors
• Focus Xavius and burn during Stage 3
• Xavius has many soft enrage-like mechanics during each phase, so use Heroism/Bloodlust/Time Warp when you need to phase him quickly; otherwise try to save it for 30%
• It is likely that several players will reach 100 Corruption while in the Dream or even in Stage 3, so make good use of the damage increase

DBM Settings

Make sure you are warned for Lurking Eruption, Nightmare Blades, Corruption Meteor, and Bonds of Terror.

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