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Drak'Tharon Keep, Healer Guide

Updated 9 months, 3 weeks ago for patch 3.4.1 by Preston. View the change log.

This page covers healer-focused strategies for the Drak'Tharon Keep dungeon in Wrath of the Lich King. 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.

 

Healer ModelBosses

Below are guides for the bosses in Drak'Tharon Keep, including their abilities, healer notes, and addon settings.

Trollgore Dungeon Journal ModelTrollgore

  • The tank will be dealing with extra damage from Crush
  • Dispel Infected Wound (disease) to remove the increased physical damage taken effect.
  • During Corpse Explode, stay more than 5-yards away from enemy corpses to avoid the heavy damage.
  • Drakkari Invaders periodically join the encounter.
    • Drakkari Invader
      • The tank will be dealing with light melee damage.
  • Deals light damage to all players and enemies with Consume, gaining a stacking increased damage dealt effect for each entity hit.

Healer ModelHealing Notes

  • Use cooldowns as-needed, especially if (49380) increased damage dealt stacks get too high or if Drakkari Invaders aren't kept under control.
Healer ModelDebuffs to Track
Healer ModelAddons

Wrath of the Lich King Dungeons DBM Import Code for Healers - +

To use this import code, install the Deadly Boss Mods addon, type /dbm in your chat, expand the Wrath of the Lich King header in the left-hand panel, click on the Dungeons (WotLK) heading, click on the Load AddOn button in the right-hand panel if necessary, click on the Import Profile button, paste the code into the box and click Import. Note that importing this code will replace all of your current settings for all Warlords of Draenor dungeons.

Novos the Summoner Dungeon Journal ModelNovos the Summoner

Stage One - Army of the Dead

This stage begins the encounter and ends when four Crystal Handlers are killed.

  • Novos the Summoner
  • Lesser enemies stream in from the nearby stairway, with Crystal Handlers periodically running in from the doorways players came in from.
    •  Crystal Handler
    • Risen Shadowcaster
      • Interrupt Shadow Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to the tank.
    • Hulking Corpse
      • Stay more than 6-yards away to avoid Thunderclap (dispel, magic).
    • Fetid Troll Corpse
      • Deals light melee damage to random players.

Stage Two - Wrath of the Summoner

This stage begins after four Crystal Handlers are killed in stage one and ends when Novos is killed.

  • Lesser enemies continue to spawn from the stairway.
  • Dispel Wrath of Misery (curse) to remove the light damage over time effect.
  • Summons several Rotted Troll Corpses with Summon Minions.
    • Rotted Troll Corpse
      • Deals light melee damage to random players.
  • Deals light damage to random players with Frostbolt (dispel, magic).
  • Avoid the location of Blizzard.

Healer ModelHealing Notes

  • Use cooldowns as-needed if lesser enemies in stage one get out of control.
  • Be prepared to heal players affected by Wrath of Misery (dispel, curse) if no Curse dispel is available.
Healer ModelDebuffs to Track
Healer ModelAddons

Wrath of the Lich King Dungeons DBM Import Code for Healers - +

To use this import code, install the Deadly Boss Mods addon, type /dbm in your chat, expand the Wrath of the Lich King header in the left-hand panel, click on the Dungeons (WotLK) heading, click on the Load AddOn button in the right-hand panel if necessary, click on the Import Profile button, paste the code into the box and click Import. Note that importing this code will replace all of your current settings for all Warlords of Draenor dungeons.

King Dred Dungeon Journal ModelKing Dred

  • The tank will be dealing with several abilities, all of which deal extra damage in addition to the effects noted below.
  • When possible, stay more than 35-yards away to avoid Bellowing Roar.
  • On Heroic, summons lesser enemies with Raptor Call.
    • Drakkari Gutripper
      • The tank will be dealing with Gut Rip, reducing stamina.
    • Drakkari Scytheclaw
      • The tank will be dealing with light to moderate damage over time from Rend.
  • Reduces damage dealt by all players with Fearsome Roar.

Healer ModelHealing Notes

  • Use cooldowns as-needed to keep the tank alive, they'll be taking heavy damage for most of the encounter.
  • Keep the tank near full health to ensure they survive the extra damage dealt by most abilities.
Healer ModelDebuffs to Track
Healer ModelAddons

Wrath of the Lich King Dungeons DBM Import Code for Healers - +

To use this import code, install the Deadly Boss Mods addon, type /dbm in your chat, expand the Wrath of the Lich King header in the left-hand panel, click on the Dungeons (WotLK) heading, click on the Load AddOn button in the right-hand panel if necessary, click on the Import Profile button, paste the code into the box and click Import. Note that importing this code will replace all of your current settings for all Warlords of Draenor dungeons.

The Prophet Tharon'ja Dungeon Journal ModelThe Prophet Tharon'ja

Stage One - The Prophet

This stage begins then encounter and ends when Tharon'ja reaches 55% health. It begins again following 25-seconds in stage two and ends for the final time when Tharon'ja is killed.

  • Avoid the location of Rain of Fire.
  • Dispel Curse of Life (curse) to remove the moderate damage over time effect.
    • If no Curse dispel is available, the effect is also removed when the affected player falls below 50% health.
  • Deals moderate damage to all players with Shadow Volley.

Stage Two - The Curse of Flesh

This stage begins when Tharon'ja reaches 55% health and ends after 25-seconds, at which point stage one begins again.

  • To begin this stage, Decay Flesh stuns all players before transforming them into skeletons, replacing their hotkeys/action bars with the following abilities.
    • Skeletal Abilities 
      • Slaying Strike (1) - deals damage to the targeted enemy, must be in melee range.
      • Taunt (2) - taunts the targeted enemy, forcing it to attack you.
      • Bone Armor (3) - aborbs damage taken.
      • Touch of Life (4) - deals damage to the targeted enemy, healing the caster.
    • In general, all players should keep Bone Armor active, use Touch of Life when it's off cooldown, and use Slaying Strike in between.
    • The tank should keep threat on Tharon'ja with Taunt.
  • The tank will be dealing with Lightning Breath.
  • Deals light damage over time to random players with Eye Beam.
  • Avoid the locations of Poison Clouds.
  • Return Flesh ends the stage, returning players to their normal forms and restoring their hotkeys/action bars.

Healer ModelHealing Notes

  • If no Curse dispel is available, lets players affected by Curse of Life (dispel, curse) fall to 50% health to remove the effect.
  • There's no way to heal other players during stage two, so focus on dealing damage to Tharon'ja and keeping yourself alive.
Healer ModelDebuffs to Track
Healer ModelAddons

Wrath of the Lich King Dungeons DBM Import Code for Healers - +

To use this import code, install the Deadly Boss Mods addon, type /dbm in your chat, expand the Wrath of the Lich King header in the left-hand panel, click on the Dungeons (WotLK) heading, click on the Load AddOn button in the right-hand panel if necessary, click on the Import Profile button, paste the code into the box and click Import. Note that importing this code will replace all of your current settings for all Warlords of Draenor dungeons.

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Healer ModelTrash Mobs

Below are notes for the trash mobs in Dark'Tharon Keep. Dark'Tharon Keep has a relatively linear layout. The trash below is listed as if you're completing the bosses in the order they're listed above.

Entrance thru Trollgore

  • Risen Drakkari Warrior
    • The tank will be dealing with the following abilities.
    • Interrupt Heal to prevent the healing.
  • Risen Drakkari Soulmage
    • The tank will be dealing with the Stun effect from Knockdown.
    • Don't stand in front to avoid Blood Siphon.
    • Interrupt Heal to prevent the healing.
    • When possible, interrupt Shadow Blast to prevent the light damage dealt and Knock Back effect on random players.
    • Avoid the locations of Shadow Voids.
  • Scourge Reanimator
    • Interrupt or dispel Cripple (magic) to prevent the greatly reduced Strength and increased time between attacks effect.
    • When possible, interrupt Frostbolt (dispel, magic) to prevent the light damage dealt to the tank.
    • Purge Unholy Frenzy to remove the increased attack speed effect.
      • This also deals damage over time the affected enemy, so it could be left along if the increased attack speed is manageable.
  • Flesheating Ghoul
    • The tank will be dealing with Pierce Armor, greatly reducing Armor.
    • Gains greatly increase attack speed and physical damage dealt while Frenzy is active.
  • Ghoul Tormentor
    • The tank will be dealing with light damage over time from Flesh Rot.
    • Don't stand in front to avoid Cleave.
  • Wretched Belcher
    • Don't stand in front to avoid Cleave and Bile Vomit (dispel, disease).
    • Stay more than 5-yards away to avoid the ligh damage over time from Disease Cloud.

Trollgore thru Novos the Summoner

  • Darkweb Recluse
    • Stun to interrupt Encasing Webs to prevent the immobilizing and reduced damage dealt effect on random players.
    • Interrupt or dispel Poison Spit (poison) to prevent the light damage over time effect.
    • At 40% health, attempts to flee to a nearby den, where it spawns additional Darkweb Hatchlings.
  • Darkweb Hatchling
    •  The tank will be dealing with light melee damage.
  • Darkweb Victim
    • Can contain additional enemies when killed, in addition to being a quest objective.

Novos the Summoner thru King Dred

  • Risen Drakkari Bat Rider
    • Interrupt, dispel, or stay more than 10-yards away to avoid Curse of Blood (dispel, curse).
    • Deals moderate damage over time to random players with Impale.
  • Drakkari Bat
    •  The tank will be dealing with light melee damage.
  • Risen Drakkari Handler
    • The tank will be dealing with the Stun effect from Backhand.
    • Immobilized and deals light damage over time to random players with Hooked Net.
    • Deals light damage to random players with Shoot.
    • When engaged, spawns a Drakkari Raptor Mount.
      • Drakkari Raptor Mount
        • The tank will be dealing with light melee damage.
  • Drakkari Gutripper
    • The tank will be dealing with Gut Rip, reducing stamina.
  • Drakkari Scytheclaw
    • The tank will be dealing with light to moderate damage over time from Rend.

King Dread thru The Prophet Tharon'ja

  • Drakkari Guardian
    • The tank will be dealing with the reduced movement speed from Hamstring.
    • Interrupt Heal to prevent the healing.
    • Stay more than 5-yards away to avoid the interrupt from Shield Bash.
  • Scourge Brute
    • The tank will be dealing with several abilities.
    • The Stun effect from Knockdown.
    • The reduced healing taken effect from Mortal Strike.
    • Interrupt Heal to prevent the healing.
  • Risen Drakkari Death Knight
    • Interrupt or dispel Fear (magic) to prevent the Fear effect on a random player.
    • Dispel Icy Touch (magic) to remove the reduced attack speed effect.
    • Stay more than 10-yards away to avoid the Silence effect from Deafening Roar.
  • Drakkari Shaman
    • The tank will be dealing with extra damage from Lightning Bolt.
    • Interrupt Chain Heal to prevent the healing on nearby enemies.
    • Interrupt Heal to prevent the healing.
  • Drakkari Commander
    • Stay more than 8-yards away to avoid Whirlwind.
    • Increases melee attack power of enemies within 30-yards with Battle Shout.
    • Gains greatly increased attack speed while Frenzy is active.

Healer ModelTrash Debuffs to Track

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