This page covers a healer-focused strategy for Kurog Grimtotem in Vault of the Incarnates 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 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.

During this encounter, players alternate between stage one and stage two twice, before entering stage three.

Stage One - Elemental Dominance

This stage begins the encounter and ends when Kurog reaches 100% Energy, after about 2-minutes. It begins again after killed the two Elemental Creations in stage two for the first time.

• The room is divided into four Elemental Sections: Flame, Frost, Earth, and Storm, with a large circle in the center.
• The Elemental Section Kurog is in dictates which element he has access to, detailed below. If Kurog is in the center circle during this stage, he gains access to all elements, which should be avoided.
• Always Active Abilities
  • Don't stand in front to avoid Sundering Strike.
    • The tanks will be dealing with extra moderate damage, and the stacking light damage over time effect.
  • While in the circle in the center of the room, Elemental Surge deals increasing moderate to heavy damage over time to all players.
  • On Heroic, when moved from one Elemental Section to another, Primal Shift deals light damage and applies a stack of Primal Break to all players, greatly increasing damage taken from subsequent Primal Shifts while the effect persists.
• Flame Section
  • During Searing Carnage, avoid the frequent impact locations targeted at most player's locations.
  • Avoid the impact locations of Magma Burst, targeted at random player's locations, and the Magma Pools left behind.
  • On Heroic, avoid the lines of impact locations from Molten Rupture. Players hit take moderate damage.
  • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Flame Dominance.
• Frost Section
  • During Absolute Zero, stack with one of the two players targeted by Absolute Zero to split the damage dealt.
    • On Heroic, being hit by both Absolute Zero circles applies Frozen Solid due to Frost Bite, Stunning the affected player and dealing heavy damage over time.
  • Every 20-seconds, deals light damage over time to all players with Biting Chill.
  • On Heroic, during Frigid Torrent, avoid the path of ice orbs moving out from Kurog. Players hit take heavy damage and are Stunned by Frigid Torrent (dispel, magic).
  • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Frost Dominance.
• Earth Section
  • During Erupting Bedrock, avoid the three concentric earthen circles as they impact outward from Kurog. Players hit take heavy damage.
  • Avoid the impact locations of Seismic Rupture. Players hit take moderate damage and gain a stack of Skeletal Fractures, increasing Physical damage taken.
  • On Heroic, applies Enveloping Earth to several players, absorbing a large amount of healing.
  • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Earth Dominance.
• Storm Section
  • When targeted by Shocking Burst, stay more than 12-yards away from other players to avoid chaining the damage dealt.
  • During Thunder Strike, one player must stand in each of the three impact locations. Players in an impact location take light damage. Failing to intercept an impact deals moderate damage to all players.
  • On Heroic, when targeted by Lightning Crash:
    • Move so you're not the closest player to any of the other players targeted by Lightning Crash.
    • You, or the players around you, must change position so no single player remains closest for the entire duration and takes all stacks of Lightning Crash.
  • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Storm Dominance.

Stage Two - Elemental Creations

This stage begins when Kurog reaches 100% Energy in stage one. It ends when both Elemental Creations are killed.

• Kurog
  • Immune to damage due to Primal Barrier.
• Elemental Creations
  
  • Two Elemental Creations spawn to begin this stage each time.
  • The first time in this stage, the two that spawn are dictated by which two Dominance stacks Kurog has the most of. 
  • The second time in this stage, the remaining two spawn.
  • Blazing Fiend
    • Avoid the impact locations of Magma Flow and the Magma Pools left behind.
      • On Heroic, this spawns a Smoldering Hellion.
        • Smoldering Hellion
          • Interrupt Flame Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to a random player.
    • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Blistering Presence.
  • Frozen Destroyer
    • Interrupt Frost Binds to prevent the light damage over time and reduced movement speed effect on all players.
    • During Freezing Tempest, stay within 10-yards to reduce damage taken. Players within 10-yards take light damage over time, players further than 10-yards away take heavy damage over time.
    • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Chilling Presence.
  • Tectonic Crusher
    • The tanks will be dealing with stacks of Breaking Gavel on the Tectonic Crusher, increasing Physical damage dealt. Switching tanks resets the effect.
    • When targeted by Ground Shatter, move more than 10-yards away from other players, ideally to the edge of the room, to drop the resulting Ground Shatter patch and avoid chaining the moderate damage dealt.
      • These can be placed on existing Ground Shatter patches, which don't deal damage on their own.
    • During Violent Upheaval, avoid standing in any Ground Shatter patches. Players in them take heavy damage.
    • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Shattering Presence.
  • Thundering Ravager
    • Teleports to random players with Storm Break.
    • When targeted by Lethal Current, stay more than 8-yards away from other players to avoid chaining the damage dealt.
    • Deals increasing damage over time to all players with stacks of Thundering Presence.

Stage Three - The Primal End

This stage begins after killing the Elemental Creations in stage two for the second time. It ends when Kurog is killed.

• All abilities from stage one are active, regardless of which Elemental Section Kurog is in.
• Deals increasing moderate to heavy damage over time to all players with stacks of Primal Attunement.

Stage One - Elemental Dominance

• Flame Section
  • Spawns a Flamewrought Eradicator each time Kurog enters this section.
    • Flamewrought Eradicator
      • Don't stand in front to avoid Flame Smite. Players hit take heavy damage.
      • Turns Magma Pools into Raging Infernos, increasing their size.
        • Players can stand inside Raging Infernos to reduce their size, while taking light damage over time.
        • Each Raging Inferno spawns a Smoldering Hellion.
          • Smoldering Hellion
            • Interrupt Flame Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to a random player.
• Frost Section
  • Spawns a Frostwrought Dominator each time Kurog enters this section.
    • Frostwrought Dominator
      • Don't stand in front to avoid Frost Smite. Players hit take heavy damage and have their movement speed reduced.
      • During Icy Tempest, stay within 10-yards of at least two other players to avoid Freezing and the eventual Stun and moderate damage over time effect from Frozen Solid.
      • During Frigid Torrent, avoid the path of ice orbs moving out from the Frostwrought Dominator. Players hit take heavy damage and are Stunned by Frigid Torrent (dispel, magic).
• Earth Section
  • Spawns an Earthwrought Smasher each time Kurog enters this section.
    • Earthwrought Smasher
      • Don't stand in front to avoid Earth Smite. Players hit take heavy damage and have a large amount of healing absorbed by Enveloping Earth.
      • Avoid the lines of impact locations of Erupting Bedrock.
• Storm Section
  • Spawns a Stormwrought Despoiler each time Kurog enters this section.
    • Stormwrought Despoiler
      • Don't stand in front to avoid Storm Smite. Players hit take heavy damage and then deal heavy damage to all players within 12-yards when the effect expires.
      • During Orb Lightning, one player must run into each of the Lightning Orbs before they explode, dealing heavy damage to all players, after 10-seconds.
        • Touching a Lightning Orb applies a stack of Orb Lightning, dealing light damage over time.

Stage Two - Elemental Creations

• Blazing Fiend
  • During Searing Carnage, avoid the frequent impact locations targeted at most player's locations.
• Frozen Destroyer
  • During Absolute Zero, stack with one of the two players targeted by Absolute Zero to split the damage dealt.
    • On Heroic, being hit by both Absolute Zero circles applies Frozen Solid due to Frost Bite, Stunning the affected player and dealing heavy damage over time.
• Tectonic Crusher
  • Avoid the impact locations of Seismic Rupture. Players hit take moderate damage and gain a stack of Skeletal Fractures, increasing Physical damage taken.
• Thundering Ravager
  • During Thunder Strike, one player must stand in each of the three impact locations. Players in an impact location take light damage. Failing to intercept an impact deals moderate damage to all players.

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
    • Flame Section: as-needed after Searing Carnage
    • Frost Section: during Absolute Zero
  • Stage Two
    • Frozen Destroyer: during Freezing Tempest
  • Stage Three
    • as-needed to deal with the increasing damage over time
• Use Minor Cooldowns
  
  • as-needed to deal with the increasing damage over time in each stage
• Pre-heal Before (mainly for heal over time classes)
  • Absolute Zero
  • Freezing Tempest
  • or, keep heal over time effects active due to the persistent damage dealt throughout the encounter
• Potion of Frozen Focus use
  • just before or after stage two
• Other things to watch for
  • Healing required is persistent throughout the encounter but starts out low each time a stage starts, ramping higher the longer players are in the stage. Stage three can be particularly dangerous because nothing resets the stacking damage over time.

Major

• Frigid Torrent (dispel, magic) should be dispelled immediately.
• Sundering Strike can cause the tanks to need additional healing.
• Several abilities cause players to need additional healing.
  • Enveloping Earth / Enveloping Earth
  • Skeletal Fractures
  • Absolute Zero
  • Shocking Burst
  • Frozen Solid / Frozen Solid

Minor

• Several abilities cause players to need additional healing.
  • Lethal Current
  • Raging Inferno
  • Orb Lightning