Grimrail Depot, Healer Guide
Updated 7 months, 3 weeks ago for patch 6.2.4 and Timewalking by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers healer-focused strategies for the Grimrail Depot dungeon in Warlords of Draenor. 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 as well as Dungeon Journal and combat log information. I'll continue to update it as-needed.
Bosses
Below are guides for the bosses in Grimrail Depot, including their abilities, healer notes, and addon settings.
Rocketspark and Borka
Railmaster Rocketspark
- Avoid the impact locations of VX18-B Target Eliminator.
- During X21-01A Missile Barrage:
- Cannot be attacked or interrupted due to Missile Smoke.
- Steadily gains stacks of Locking On!, increasing damage dealt.
- Deals incre6asing moderate to heavy damage over time to all players.
- This must be interrupted using Borka's Mad Dash, detailed below.
- Once interrupted, takes greatly increased damage due to Recovering.
- Moves to different areas in the room with Better Position.
- When Borka the Brute is killed, gains New Plan!, dealing increasing light to moderate damage to all players.
Borka the Brute
- The tank will be dealing with Mad Dash, and should point Bokra towards Rocketspark to interrupt X21-01A Missile Barrage with the charge effect.
- Stop casting during Slam to avoid the interrupt effect. This deals moderate damage to all players.
- When Railmaster Rocketspark is killed, gains Unmanaged Aggression, greatly increasing attack speed and damage dealt.
Healing Notes
- Use cooldowns during X21-01A Missile Barrage.
- If the bosses aren't killed at the same time, use cooldowns as-needed to deal with New Plan! or Unmanaged Aggression.
Debuffs to Track
- There are no particular debuffs to track.
Mythic+ Notes
Keep players near full health to ensure they survive Slam and the initial damage from X21-01A Missile Barrage.
Players will frequently be missing health, making catching up on stacks difficult.
Addons
Nitrogg Thundertower
Stage One - Nitrogg
This stage begins the encounter and ends when he reaches 60% health.
- Avoid the impact locations of Blackrock Mortar.
- When possible, stay more than 4-yards away from other players to avoid chaining the damage from Blackrock Grenade.
Stage Two - Reinforcements
This stage begins when Nitrogg reaches 60% health and ends when the Assault Cannon is killed.
- Nitrogg is no longer attackable and instead his Assault Cannon must be killed.
- While the Assault Cannon can be attacked directly, the best method for killing it is to use the Blackrock Turret Munition's Homing Shell, detailed below.
- Immediatelly following Reloading, if targeted by Suppressive Fire, break line of sight to avoid the moderate damage over time.
- Avoid the sections of the train car covered in Slag Blast fire.
- Players on the outer train car platforms are slowly pushed backwards. It is possible to fall off the side of the train car.
- Blackrock Reinforcements steadily join the encounter.
- Specialist reinforcements drop a Munition that players can pick up before getting into a Blackrock Turret.
- While inside the Blackrock Turret, use the Vehicle Hotbar to cast the corresponding ability.
- Shrapnel Cannon (1) - Deals damage over time to enemies in front of the cannon.
- Homing Shell (2) - Deals damage to the Assault Cannon.
- While inside the Blackrock Turret, use the Vehicle Hotbar to cast the corresponding ability.
- Iron Infantry
- Deal light melee damage.
- Grom'kar Boomer
- Avoid the impact locations of Blackrock Mortar.
- Upon death, drops a Blackrock Mortar Munition, allowing the use of Homing Shell while inside a Blackrock Turret.
- Grom'kar Gunner
- Stun to interrupt Shrapnel Blast to prevent the moderate damage over time effect and application of Ignite stacks.
- Upon death, drops a Blackrock Shrapnel Munition, allowing the use of Shrapnel Cannon while inside a Blackrock Turret.
- Grom'kar Grenadier
- Avoid the impact locations of Blackrock Grenade.
- Upon death, drops a Blackrock Grenade Munition, allowing the use of Blackrock Grenade while inside a Blackrock Turret.
- Blackrock Grenade deals light damage in the targeted area and knocks them back.
- Specialist reinforcements drop a Munition that players can pick up before getting into a Blackrock Turret.
Stage Three - The Final Stand
This stage begins when the Assault Cannon is killed and ends when Nitrogg is killed.
- Nitrogg becomes attackable again and continues to use Blackrock Mortar and Blackrock Grenade.
- Blackrock Reinforcements continue to spawn.
Healing Notes
- Cooldowns are most likely to be needed while Blackrock Reinforcements are active during stages two and three.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Suppressive Fire
- Minor: Ignite
Mythic+ Notes
Use external defensive cooldowns on players targeted by Suppressive Fire if they can't immediately break line of sight.
Additional orbs can spawn from Blackrock Reinforcements.
The tank may quickly gain stacks while Blackrock Reinforcements are active.
Be careful to not get knocked off the train during stages two and three.
Addons
Skylord Tovra
- Avoid the path of Spinning Spear, targeted at a random player and traveling in a straight line from Tovra. Players hit are Stunned.
- Avoid the locations of Freezing Snare. Players who trigger a snare are Rooted.
- Avoid the locations of Diffused Energy lightning patches. The number of patches increases steadily throughout the encounter.
Healing Notes
- Players rooted by Freezing Snare may need extra healing if they are stuck in a Diffused Energy patch.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Spinning Spear, Diffused Energy
- Root Effects: Freezing Snare
Mythic+ Notes
It becomes increasingly likely players will hit each other as the encounter progresses and the number of Diffused Energy patches increases.
Be careful to not get knocked off the train.
Addons
Trash Mobs
Below are notes for the trash mobs in Grimrail Depot. Grimrail Depot has a relatively linear layout. The trash below is listed as if you're completing the bosses in the order they're listed above. Mythic+ affix notes are denoted by their respective icons under each enemy.
Entrance thru Rocketspark and Borka
- Grimrail Overseer
- The tank will be dealing with Dash and should point the charge effect away from players.
- Don't stand in front to avoid Hewing Swipe.
Will not move while casting Dash.
- Grimrail Technician
- Interrupt Activating to prevent the nearby Iron Star from dealing heavy damage to all players with Iron Star Mk. III.
- Interrupt or dispel 50,000 Volts (magic) to prevent the light damage and Stun effect on a random player.
- Grimrail Laborer
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage from Haymaker.
- Grimrail Bombardier
- Don't stand in front to avoid Double Slash.
- Players hit take light damage over time and increased damage from subsequent Double Slashes due to Hemorrhaging Wounds.
- Avoid the impact locations of Blackrock Bomb.
- Don't stand in front to avoid Double Slash.
Rocketspark and Borka thru Nitrogg Thundertower
- Iron Infantry
- Deals light melee damage.
- Grom'kar Gunner
- Stun to interrupt or don't stand in front to avoid Shrapnel Blast.
Soothe immediately.
Will not move while channeling Shrapnel Blast.
- Grom'kar Boomer
- Don't stand in front to avoid Cannon Barrage.
- Avoid the impact locations of Blackrock Mortar.
Soothe immediately.
- Grom'kar Grenadier
- Avoid the impact locations of Blackrock Grenade.
- Grom'kar Hulk
- Soothe Getting Angry as frequently as possible to prevent the increased damage dealt effect from stacking too high.
Soothe immediately.
- Grom'kar Cinderseer
- Avoid the locations of Flametongue fire patches.
- Addtionally, enemies in the patches deal additional Fire damage with their melee attacks.
- Avoid the locations of Flametongue fire patches.
Nitrogg Thundertower thru Skylord Tovra
- To begin this section, one or both of the paths across the train car will periodically be covered in Slag Tanker fire, dealing heavy damage over time to any players hit.
- Grom'kar Far Seer
- Interrupt Healing Rain to prevent the healing over time effect.
- Avoid the Thunder Zone lightning patches.
- Purge Storm Shield to remove the damage absorption effect and prevent attacking players from taking additional damage.
Soothe immediately.
- Grom'kar Captain
- Avoid the impact location of Reckless Slash.
- Grom'kar Far Loader
- Deals light melee damage.
- Grimrail Scout
- Avoid the locations of Arcane Blitz.
Trash Debuffs to Track
- Major:
- Magic Dispel: 50,000 Volts (dispel, magic)
- Damaging: Lava Wreath, Slag Tanker
- Minor:
- Damaging: Double Slash
- Enrages to Soothe: Getting Angry
- Buffs to Purge: Storm Shield
Trash Mythic+ Notes
Below are general Mythic+ notes that don't necessarily pertain to specific enemies.
Entrance thru Rocketspark and Borka
Rocketspark and Borka thru Nitrogg Thundertower
Narrow corridors and enemy density make several affixes difficult to deal with.
Enemy density can lead to excessive stacks if not careful.
Enemy density can lead to excessive orbs being active at once.
Be careful to not get knocked off the train.
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