Assault of the Zaqali, Healer Guide
Updated 2 weeks, 6 days ago for patch 10.1 by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers a healer-focused strategy for Assault of the Zaqali in Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible in Dragonflight. 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 contact me.
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
All Stages
- Any time the Elder's Door is hit by Zaqali Forces, all players take light damage and gain a stack of Barrier Backfire, which deals stacking light damage over time.
- On Heroic, stacks of Barrier Backfire remain for the entire encounter.
Stage One - Storming the Battlements
This stage begins the encounter and ends when Warlord Kagni reaches 35% health.
- Players will be split into two groups that correspond to the two battlements.
- Avoid the impact locations of Arbalest Fire. Players hit take light damage.
- Warlord Kagni
- Don't stand in front to avoid Heavy Cudgel, targeted at the current tank. Players hit take heavy damage and gain a stack of Heavy Cudgel, increasing Physical damage taken while the effect persists.
- Avoid the impact locations of Cave Rubble, targeted at random player's locations.
- Players can interact with the Cave Rubble left behind to gain Cave Rubble and the Cave Rubble Toss Extra Action Button.
- Standing near the edge of the battlement, where a Zaqali Wallclimber is climbing up, and using the Extra Action Button will knock the Wallclimber down.
- Players can interact with the Cave Rubble left behind to gain Cave Rubble and the Cave Rubble Toss Extra Action Button.
- Avoid the impact locations of Cave Rubble, targeted at random player's locations.
- At 100% Energy, starting 1-minute 40-seconds into the encounter and every 30-seconds after that, avoid the impact location of Devastating Leap targeted at a random location on the other battlement. Players hit take light damage and are knocked back.
- Don't stand in front to avoid Heavy Cudgel, targeted at the current tank. Players hit take heavy damage and gain a stack of Heavy Cudgel, increasing Physical damage taken while the effect persists.
- Zaqali Forces
- About every 45-seconds, groups of Zaqali Forces spawn to attack the the battlements.
- Zaqali Forces are susceptible to most Stuns, Snares, and other crowd control effects.
- Flamebound Huntsman
- When targeted by Blazing Spear, move as far away from other players as possible to drop the Blazing Spear location and avoid chaining the light damage from Blazing Spear.
- Magma Mystic
- Interrupt Lava Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to random players.
- Deals light damage and then light damage over time to random players with Magma Flow (dispel, magic).
- About every 50-seconds, gains Molten Barrier, a large damage absorption shield.
- While the shield persists:
- Frequently gains stacks of Molten Empowerment, greatly increasing Fire damage dealt.
- Deals light to moderate damage over time to all players with Molten Barrier.
- While the shield persists:
- Obsidian Guard
- Stay more than 25-yards away to avoid Scorching Roar.
- On Heroic, don't stand between the Obsidian Guard and the player targeted by Volcanic Shield to avoid the moderate damage from Volcanic Shield.
- Zaqali Wallclimber
- Attempts to attack the Elder's Door. Each successful attack deals light damage and stacking light damage over time to all players with Barrier Backfire.
Stage Two - Warlord's Will
- Zaqali Forces no longer spawn.
- Warlord Kagni
- Begins the stage by healing for 10% of his health while channeling Desperate Immolation.
- Gains Ignara's Fury for the remainder of the encounter, dealing light damage over time to all players.
- At 100% Energy, about every 35-seconds, during Catastrophic Slam:
- Players must stand in the impact location at the Elder's Door to intercept and split the damage that's otherwise dealt to the Elder's Door.
- On Heroic, players hit gain Weakened Vitality, greatly increasing the damage taken from subsequent Catastrophic Slams while the effect persists.
- If the Elder's Door is damaged, Barrier Backfire deals light damage and stacking light damage over time to all players.
- Players must stand in the impact location at the Elder's Door to intercept and split the damage that's otherwise dealt to the Elder's Door.
- About every 35-seconds, in between Catastrophic Slams, during Flaming Cudgel:
- Don't stand in front to avoid Flaming Cudgel. Players hit take heavy damage and gain a stack of Flaming Cudgel, increasing Physical damage taken.
- Avoid the impact loctions of Flaming Cudgel, targeted at each player's location.
- Begins the stage by healing for 10% of his health while channeling Desperate Immolation.
Mythic Differences
Stage One - Storming the Battlements
- Ignara assaults players from the air during stage one.
- Ignara
- Switches between the two battlements, casting each of the following abilities once:
- Avoid the impact locations of Phoenix Rush. Each impact leaves behind an Ignited Plume, which spawns a Renewed Hatchling when its From the Ashes cast finishes.
- Renewed Hatchling
- Fixates on a random player with Blazing Focus.
- Stay more than 12-yards away to avoid Blazing Focus. Players in the effect take light damage over time.
- Upon death, leaves behind a new Ignited Plume, spawning another Renewed Hatchling when its From the Ashes cast finishes.
- Renewed Hatchling
- Deals moderate damage over time to all players, pushing them away with Vigorous Gale.
- Avoid being pushed off the edge of the battlement.
- Avoid the impact locations of Phoenix Rush. Each impact leaves behind an Ignited Plume, which spawns a Renewed Hatchling when its From the Ashes cast finishes.
- Switches between the two battlements, casting each of the following abilities once:
- Ignara
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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
- stage one: on Molten Barrier [occurs every 50-seconds]
- stage two: on Catastrophic Slam [occurs every 35-seconds]
- Use Minor Cooldowns
- stage one: as-needed on Scorching Roar
- stage two: as-needed to deal with the damage from Ignara's Fury
- Pre-heal Before (mainly for heal over time classes)
- Molten Barrier
- Catastrophic Slam
- Or, keep heal over time effects active due to the relatively persistent damage throughout the encounter.
- Potion of Frozen Focus use
- after a Molten Barrier on your battlement.
- Other things to watch for
- Help crowd control Zaqlai Forces whenever possible to prevent them reaching the Elder's Door.
Debuffs to Track
Major
- Volcanic Shield causes players to need additional moderate healing.
- Several abilities can cause players to need additional healing.
- Heavy Cudgel
- Flaming Cudgel
- (Mythic) Blazing Focus
Minor
- Magma Flow (dispel, magic) can be dispelled immediately.
- (Optional) Barrier Backfire causes players to need additional light healing over time, however, all players will be affected by this at the same time, so it may clutter raid frames.
Useful Addons
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