The Restless Cabal, Healer Guide
Updated 4 years, 1 month ago for patch 8.1.5 by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers a healer-focused strategy for The Restless Cabal in the Crucible of Storms. 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, logs information, and Dungeon Journal information. I'll continue to update it as-needed.
General Mechanics and Abilities
Normal and Heroic
This is a single stage encounter during which players are fighting against two servants of N'zoth and their relics.
- Zaxasj and Fa'thuul must be killed at the same time to prevent the healing from Pact of the Restless.
- Don't leave the central platform to avoid being affected by Enveloping Darkness, reducing healing and damage dealt for 30-seconds.
Relics of Power
- At 75%, 50%, and 25% health, Zaxasj and Fa'thuul will active the nearest relic.
- If Zaxasj or Fa'thuul activate the same relic twice, they gain Power Overwhelming, significantly increasing their damage dealt.
- Void Stone
- Grants the activating boss Umbral Shell.
- Until the absorption shield is broken, all players are affected by Embrace of the Void, reducing healing received by 100%.
- Grants the activating boss Void Attunement, increasing damage dealt.
- Grants the activating boss Umbral Shell.
- Trident of Deep Ocean
- Creates a large shield dome at the location of the activating boss.
- Enemies inside the dome gain Custody of the Deep, redirecting 75% of all damage taken to a shield.
- Upon expiring, Abyssal Collapse deals damage to all players based on the remaining shield amount.
- Grants the activating boss Oceanic Attunement, increasing damage dealt.
- Creates a large shield dome at the location of the activating boss.
- Tempest Caller
- Upon activation, Storm of Annihilation deals moderate damage to all players for 15-seconds and reduces damage dealt.
- If any player is below 25% health, Annihilate instantly kills them.
- Grants the activating boss Storm Attunement, increasing damage dealt.
- Upon activation, Storm of Annihilation deals moderate damage to all players for 15-seconds and reduces damage dealt.
Zaxasj the Speaker
- Hits the current aggro target with Aphotic Blast, increasing threat generation and dealing damage to nearby players.
- Due to the splash damage, Zaxasj should be tanked by a ranged DPS standing as far away from the boss as possible.
- On Heroic, if this debuff expires the player is then affected by Agent of Demise, becoming hostile to players and taking reduced healing.
- Avoid the Cerebral Assault cone when Zaxasj turns and casts it.
- Any players hit will become Charmed for 4-seconds.
- Affects a random player with Dark Herald.
- Standing within 5-yards of the player grants stacks of Promises of Power (dispel, magic), increasing damage dealt while reducing maximum health.
- This should be dispelled before Storm of Annihilation or if the player is affected by Crushing Doubt.
- The dispeller takes moderate damage from Wrack.
- This should be dispelled before Storm of Annihilation or if the player is affected by Crushing Doubt.
- Standing within 5-yards of the player grants stacks of Promises of Power (dispel, magic), increasing damage dealt while reducing maximum health.
- When Zaxasj activates a relic, a Visage from Beyond joins the encounter for 3-minutes.
- Must continually be brought to 1 hit point to interrupt Terrifying Echo.
- Continually heals over time due to Coalesce Void.
Fa'thuul the Feared
- Tanks will be dealing with stacks of Shear Mind.
- Stand in the impact locations of Void Crash after it has already hit the ground twice and is at its smallest.
- When affected by Crushing Doubt, run as far away from other players as possible to reduce their damage taken.
- When Fa'thuul activates a relic, an Eldritch Abomination joins the encounter.
- Continually tries to cast Witness the End.
- This can be interrupted but should be allowed to finish casting at an opportune time to destroy the Abomination.
- On Heroic, Witness the Void increases damage taken by all players from subsequent Witness the Void casts for 6-seconds.
- Continually tries to cast Witness the End.
Mythic Differences
Relics of Power
- Void Stone
- Regularly emits Void Essence when first activated, this effect stops when activated a second time.
- The Essences pull players towards their center while active.
- Regularly emits Void Essence when first activated, this effect stops when activated a second time.
- Trident of Deep Ocean
- Continuously emits Oceanic Essence (dispel, magic) when first activated, this effect stops when activated a second time.
- Players that come into contact with an Essence are stunned for 6-seconds.
- Continuously emits Oceanic Essence (dispel, magic) when first activated, this effect stops when activated a second time.
- Tempest Caller
- Regularly emits Storm Essence when first activated, this effect stops when activated a second time.
- Deals steadily increasing damage to the nearest player every 20-seconds.
- If a player with less than 25% health is hit, Annihilate instantly kills them.
- Regularly emits Storm Essence when first activated, this effect stops when activated a second time.
Fa'thuul the Feared
- Eldritch Abomination
- Can only be interrupted for 2-minutes, while Incomplete Foam is active.
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 on
- Use Minor Cooldowns
- to top players off before Embrace of the Void
- on Abyssal Collapse if the shield isn't fully depleted
- on Crushing Doubt
- Pre-heal Before (mainly for heal over time classes)
- Storm of Annihilation
- Abyssal Collapse if the shield isn't fully depleted
- Crushing Doubt
- Potion of Replenishment use
- during Embrace of the Void, when players can't be healed
- Other things to watch for
- Players with low health during Embrace of the Void, they may need an external defensive cooldown to survive.
- The DPS player tanking Zaxasj will need to be healed as if they were a tank.
- Players with Promises of Power may need to be quickly dispelled to prevent them from dying.
Debuffs to Track
Major
- Promises of Power (dispel, magic) causes players to be especially weak due to the reduced maximum health and should be dispelled as-needed and as noted above.
- Oceanic Essence (magic) should be dispelled.
Minor
- Storm Essence causes players to need additional healing.
DBM Settings
Below are the DBM settings I'll be using for The Restless Cabal. 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 The Restless Cabal
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