The Violet Hold, Healer Guide
Updated 9 months ago for patch 3.4.1 by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers healer-focused strategies for The Violet Hold 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.
Players must talk to Lieutenant Sinclari near the main entrance to begin the dungeon, at which points portals will continually spawn around the room. There are 18 portals total, with portals 6, 12, and 18 spawning bosses, and the rest spawning trash mobs. After each boss, there is a short break before the next round of portals begins.
Finally, all enemies try to reach the main door of the hold in order to destroy it. They are stopped by a player attacking them to gain threat. If the main door is destroyed, the dungeon will need to be restarted.
Bosses
Below are guides for the bosses in The Violet Hold, including their abilities, healer notes, and addon settings.
The Prisoners
The first two bosses of The Violet Hold are chosen randomly from the six bosses listed below. The bosses will spawn on portals 6 and 12.
Erekem
- Accompanied by two Erekem Guards.
- Erekem Guard
- Susceptible to crowd control, but can be broken out by Break Bonds, noted below.
- The tank will be dealing with several abilities.
- Extra damage from Strike.
- The tank will be dealing with light damage over time from Gushing Wound until they receieve healing.
- Stay more than 10-yards away to avoid Howling Screech (dispel, magic).
- Erekem Guard
- Interrupt Chain Heal to prevent the healing on nearby enemies.
- When possible, interrupt Lightning Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to the tank.
- Purge Earth Shield to remove the healing effect.
- Purge Bloodlust to remove the increased attack and casting speed effect.
- Removes crowd control effects from all enemies within 20-yards with Break Bonds.
- If both Erekem Guards are killed, gains additional abilities.
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage from Windfury and Stormstrike (dispel, magic).
- Interrupts and deals light damage to random players with Earth Shock.
Ichoron
- This encounter cycles through several mini-stages in the order below.
- While Protective Bubble is active, damage taken is greatly reduced.
- After being hit by 35 attacks or spells, the Protective Bubble Bursts, dealing moderate damage to all players and knocking them back.
- Ichoron becomes Drained, losing 10% of its health while being Stunned and immune to damage.
- Ten Ichor Globules spawn.
- After all Ichor Gobules are killed or reach Ichoron, the cycle begins again with Protective Bubble.
- At 25% health, goes into a Frenzy, greatly increasing Physical damage dealt, attack speed, and casting speed.
- No longer gains Protective Bubble or spawns Ichor Globules.
- Interrupt Water Bolt Volley to prevent the moderate damage dealt to all players.
- Deals moderate damage to and knocks back random players with Water Blast.
Lavanthor
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage from Firebolt.
- Don't stand infront to avoid Flame Breath.
- Interrupt Lava Burn to prevent the moderate damage dealt to random players.
- Dispel Lava Burn (magic) to remove the light damage over time effect.
- Deals moderate damage to all players, and increases Fire damage taken, with Cauterizing Flames.
Moragg
- The tank will be dealing with stacks of Corrosive Saliva, reducing Armor.
- Deals heavy damage over time to random players with Ray of Suffering.
- Deals light damage to and reduces healing received by random players with Ray of Pain.
- Deals increasing light to moderate damage over time to random players with Optic Link.
Xevozz
- The tank should keep Xevozz away from Ethereal Spheres, detailed below.
- Dispel Arcane Buffet (magic) to remove the increased Arcane damage taken effect.
- Periodically spawns three Ethereal Spheres.
- Ethereal Sphere
- Not directly attackable, but discipate after a set time.
- Attempts to reach Xevozz, and if it does, greatly increases his damage dealt and cast speed with Arcane Power.
- Stay more than 10-yards away to avoid Arcane Explosion.
- On Heroic, periodically pulls all players to itself with Summon Players.
- Ethereal Sphere
- Deals moderate damage to all players with Arcane Barrage Volley.
Zuramat the Obliterator
- Players affected by Void Shifted take light damage over time and are able to see and kill Void Sentries.
- Void Sentry
- Deals light damage over time to all players.
- Void Sentry
- Purge Shroud of Darkness to prevent players from gaining the reduced healing received effect when attacking Zuramat.
Healing Notes
- Erekem
- If both Erekem Guards are killed, the tank will take significant damage for the rest of the encounter.
- Ichoron
- If mana permits, cast damaging spells on Ichoron to help deplete Protective Bubble.
- Lavanthor
- Keep players near full health to ensure they survive Cauterizing Flames.
- Moragg
- Players affected by Ray of Pain and another debuff may need external defensive cooldowns to survive.
- Xevozz
- Keep players near full health to ensure they survive Arcane Barrage Volley.
- Zuramat
- If not Purge is available, be prepared for most players to be taking reduced healing while Shroud of Darkness is active.
Debuffs to Track
- Major:
- Magic Dispel: Howling Screech (dispel, magic), Stormstrike (dispel, magic), Arcane Buffet (dispel, magic), Shroud of Darkness (dispel, magic)
- Damaging: Corrosive Saliva, Ray of Pain
- Minor:
- Magic Dispel: Lava Burn (dispel, magic)
- Damaging: Gushing Wound, Ray of Suffering, Optic Link, Void Shifted
- Buffs to Purge: Earth Shield, Bloodlust, Shroud of Darkness
Addons
Cyanigosa
This boss spawns from portal 18.
- Don't stand in front to avoid Uncontrollable Energy (dispel, magic).
- Don't stand behind to avoid Tail Sweep.
- On Heroic, dispel Mana Destruction (magic) to remove the light damage over time and mana drain effect.
- Avoid the location of Blizzard.
- Pulls all players into melee range with Arcane Vacuum, and resets all threat.
Healing Notes
- Non-tank players may be hit by the boss immediately after Arcane Vacuum.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Uncontrollable Energy (dispel, magic), Mana Destruction (dispel, magic)
Addons
Trash Mobs
Below are notes for the trash mobs in The Violet Hold. The Violet Hold is a singular, large room, with trash mobs spawning from portals.
- Players fight through 18 portals worth or enemies, with portals 6, 12, and 18 spawning a boss. The trash mobs from the other portals will be either a group of enemies or a portal keeper that spawns lesser enemies.
- Portal Keeper/Portal Guardian
- Portal Guardian
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage from and the increased damage taken effect from Agonizing Strike.
- Dispel Magic Impedence (magic) to remove the reduced casting speed effect.
- Deals light damage to random players in melee range with Side Swipe.
- Portal Keeper
- Can spawn in two different variants.
- Variant One
- Interrupt Arcane Volley to prevent the moderate damage dealt to all players.
- Interrupt or dispel Polymorph (magic) to prevent the incapacitating effect.
- When possible, interrupt Frostbolt to prevent the moderate damage dealt to the tank.
- Variant Two
- Interrupt Frostbolt Volley to prevent the light damage dealt to all players.
- When possible, interrupt Arcane Missiles to prevent the moderate damage over time dealt to the tank.
- Variant One
- Can spawn in two different variants.
- Lesser enemies that can spawn from the portal while the Keeper or Guardian is alive.
- Azure Invader
- The tank will be dealing several abilities.
- Extra damage from Brutal Strike
- Sunder Armor, reducing Armor.
- The tank will be dealing several abilities.
- Azure Mage Slayer
- Purge Arcane Empowerment to remove the increased attack, casting, and movement speed effect.
- Azure Invader
- Portal Guardian
- Dragonkin Squad
- The Dragonkin Squads can consist of the following enemies.
- Azure Binder
- The tank will be dealing with Arcane Barrage.
- Stay more than 10-yards away to avoid Arcane Explosion.
- Azure Captain
- The tank will be dealing with Mortal Strike, reducing healing received.
- Stay more than 8-yards away to avoid Whirlwind.
- Azure Raider
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage and the Stun effect from Concussion Blow.
- Dispel Frost Fever (disease) to remove the light damage over time and reduced attack speed effect.
- Players may take additional damage if they don't stop attacking while Magic Reflection.
- Azure Sorceror
- Interrupt Arcane Stream to prevent the moderate damage over time dealt to a random player.
- Dispel Slow (magic) to remove the reduced attack, casting, and movement speed effect.
- Stay more than 10-yards away to avoid Mana Detonation.
- Azure Spellbreaker
- Interrupt Arcane Blast to prevent the light to moderate damage dealt to the tank.
- Dispel Slow (magic) to remove the reduced attack, casting, and movement speed effect.
- Azure Stalker
- The tank will be dealing with Tactical Blink and Backstab.
- Azure Binder
- The Dragonkin Squads can consist of the following enemies.
Trash Debuffs to Track
- Major:
- Magic Dispel: Magic Impedence (dispel, magic), Polymorph (dispel, magic), Slow (dispel, magic)
- Disease Dispel: Frost Fever (dispel, disease)
- Damaging: Agonizing Strike, Mortal Strike, Sunder Armor, Arcane Stream
- Incapacitating: Concussion Blow
- Enrages to Soothe: None
- Buffs to Purge: Arcane Empowerment
- Root Effects: None
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