This page covers a healer-focused strategy for Scalecommander Sarkareth 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.

All Stages

• Players gain a stack of Oblivion when hit by several abilities, noted below.
  • At ten stacks, players gain Emptiness Between Stars and are sent by themselves to an astral realm.
    • While in the realm, players must collect fragments of themselves before the effect expires and they're killed.
    • Players can also collect Astral Flares, increasing Haste and movement speed.
  • Abilties that apply stacks of Oblivion when hit:
    • Void Claws / Void Blast
    • Void Slash / Void Blast
    • Void Bomb / Void Surge
    • Embrace of Nothingness
    • Cosmic Ascension
    • Hurtling Barrage
    • Motes of Oblivion (grants five stacks)
    • *This list is somewhat speculative until logs are available.

Stage One - The Legacy of the Dracthyr

• Applies Oppressing Howl to all players, increasing the potency of most other abilities, as noted below.
  • When hit by an increased potency spell, Oppressing Howl is removed and Echoing Howl deals light damage to all players.
• The tanks will be dealing with extra moderate damage and stacking light damage over time from Burning Claws.
  • Upon expiring, Blazing Blast deals light to moderate damage to all players, based on the amount of damage taken by the affected tank.
• Don't stand in front to avoid Searing Breath (dispel, magic). Players hit take light damage and light damage over time.
  • Players affected by Oppressing Howl take additional light damage over time from Seared.
• During Mass Disintegrate, don't stand between the Images and targeted player. Players hit take moderate damage.
  • Players affected by Oppressing Howl take light damage over time and have reduced movement speed from Disintegrated.
• Avoid the locations of Scorching Bombs, targeted at random player's locations.
  • Upon detonation, players in the area take light damage and then light damage over time from Scorching Detonation.
  • Avoid the Burning Ground patch left behind. Players in the area take moderate damage over time.
• On Heroic, avoid the impact locations of Drifting Embers.
• Deals moderate damage over time to all players with Glittering Surge.
  • Players affected by Oppressing Howl are Stunned and take additional moderate damage over time from Dazzled.

Stage Two - A Touch of the Forbidden

• The tanks will be dealing with extra heavy damage from Void Claws and stacks of Void Claws, greatly reducing healing receieved.
  • Upon expiring, deals moderate to heavy damage to all players within 20-yards with Void Blast, increased based on the amount of damage the tank took from Void Claws.
  • Tanks and players hit gain a stack of Oblivion.
• During Abyssal Breath, don't stand in front to avoid the path taken across the area in a straight line. Players hit take moderate damage and are knocked back.
  • This spawns several Null Glimmers.
    • Null Glimmer
      • Interrupt Blasting Scream to prevent the interrupt effect and light damage dealt to all players.
      • On Heroic, tanks can remove the Rescind heal over time effect by bringing the Null Glimmer to a Death Blossom.
• On Heroic, dispel Infinite Duress (magic) in a controlled manner. The affected player takes moderate damage over time.
  • When dispelled, Dread deals light damage to all players and knocks them back.
• Avoid the locations of Void Bombs, targeted at random player's locations. Players hit take light damage and gain a stack of Oblivion.
  • Upon expiring, Void Surge deals moderate damage over time and applies a stack of Oblivion to all players.
  • Players can touch a Void Bomb to gain Void Fracture and a stack of Oblivion.
    • This triggers a Void Surge upon expiring unless the affected player is also affected by Emptiness Between Stars.
• Avoid the locations of Death Blossoms, targeted at random player's locations.
  • Players in the area gain a healing absorption effect and stacks of Oblivion.
  • Null Glimmers in the area have the Rescind heal over time effect removed.
• Applies a stack of Ebon Might to all Null Glimmers each time he casts a spell, increasing damage done and movement speed.
  • At ten stacks, Ebon Might grants immunity to all crowd control and interrupt effects.

Stage Three - The Seas of Infinity

• The tanks will be dealing with extra heavy damage from Void Slash and stacks of Void Slash, dealing stacking moderate damage over time and greatly reducing healing received..
  • Upon expiring, deals moderate to heavy damage to all players within 20-yards with Void Blast, increased based on the amount of damage the tank took from Void Slash.
  • Tanks and players hit gain a stack of Oblivion.
• On Heroic, dispel Infinite Duress (magic) in a controlled manner. The affected player takes moderate damage over time.
  • When dispelled, Dread deals light damage to all players and knocks them back.
• During Embrace of Nothingness:
  • Stack with the player targeted by Embrace of Nothingness to split the damage dealt. Additionally, this destroys any Astral Formation pillars it hits.
    • Five players splitting the damage should be sufficient, with each player taking moderate damage before factoring in any mitigation.
    • All players hit gain a stack of Oblivion.
  • Avoid the subsequent impact of Embrace of Nothingness. Players hit take likely-fatal damage and gain a stack of Oblivion.
• During Cosmic Ascension:
  • Avoid the large impact location of Cosmic Ascension. Players hit take heavy damage, are knocked back, and gain a stack of Oblivion.
  • Avoid the locations of Astral Formations. Players in the area take light damage over time. These leave behind Astral Formation pillars.
  • Spawns several Null Glimmers.
    • Null Glimmer
      • Interrupt Blasting Scream to prevent the interrupt effect and light damage dealt to all players.
      • On Heroic, tanks can remove the Rescind heal over time effect by bringing the Null Glimmer to a Death Blossom.
  • Gains a stack of Void Might, increasing damage dealt.
• During Scouring Eternity, break line of sight on the impact location using an Astral Formation pillar. Players still in line of sight take likely-fatal damage.
  • After impact, Astral Formation pillars are destroyed, dealing light damage to all players and knocking them back with Astral Eruption.
• Avoid the locations of Void Bombs, targeted at random player's locations. Players hit take light damage and gain a stack of Oblivion.
  • Upon expiring, Void Surge deals moderate damage over time and applies a stack of Oblivion to all players.
  • Players can touch a Void Bomb to gain Void Fracture and a stack of Oblivion.
    • This triggers a Void Surge upon expiring unless the affected player is also affected by Emptiness Between Stars.
• Avoid the paths of Hurtling Barrage as they move in a straight line across the area. Players hit take light damage and gain a stack of Oblivion.
• Avoid the impact location of Motes of Oblivion. Players hit take light damage and gain five stacks of Oblivion.

All Stages

• When a player gains Emptiness Between Stars:
  • Avoid the Dimensional Puncture zones left behind. Players who enter the zone are killed.
  • All players gain a stack of Destabilize, dealing stacking light damage over time and reducing movement speed.

Stage One - The Legacy of the Dracthyr

• Scorching Detonations leave behind Dimensional Puncture zones.

Stage Two - A Touch of the Forbidden

• During Abyssal Breath:
  • Spawn an Empty Recollection.
    • Empty Recollection
      • The tanks will be dealing with extra moderate damage from and stacks of Empty Strike, greatly increasing damage taken.
      • Interrupt Cosmic Volley to prevent the moderate damage dealt to all players.
      • Tanks can remove the Rescind heal over time effect by bringing the Empty Recollection to a Death Blossom.
• Void Surges from Void Bombs leave behind Dimensional Puncture zones.

Stage Three - The Seas of Infinity

• Void Surges from Void Bombs leave behind Dimensional Puncture zones.

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 Glittering Surge
  • stage two: on Void Bomb / Void Surge
  • stage three: on Scouring Eternity
• Use Minor Cooldowns
  
  • as-needed on Void Bomb / Void Surge
  • as-needed on Infinite Duress (dispel, magic) / Dread
• Pre-heal Before (mainly for heal over time classes)
  • Mass Disintegrate
  • Void Bomb / Void Surge
  • Scouring Eternity
  • Infinite Duress (dispel, magic) / Dread
• Potion of Frozen Focus use
  • likely following an Abyssal Breath in stage two
• Other things to watch for
  • I'll update this section as-needed once logs are available or I've experienced the encounter myself.

Major

• Infinite Duress (dispel, magic) should be dispelled in a controlled manner, being especially aware of the knock back effect on all players.
• Several abilities cause the tanks to take greatly reduced healing.
  • Void Claws
  • Void Slash
• Several abilities cause players to need additional healing.
  • Empty Strike
  • Death Blossom
  • Dazzled
• (Optional) Oblivion causes players to need additional light to moderate healing over time. However, most players will have stacks of this, so it may clutter raid frames.

Minor

• Searing Breath (dispel, magic) can be dispelled immediately.
• Several abilities cause players to need additional healing.
  • Scorching Detonation
  • Disintegrated
  • Seared