Utgarde Pinnacle, Healer Guide
Updated 8 months ago for patch 3.4.1 by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers healer-focused strategies for the Utgarde Pinnacle 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.
Bosses
Below are guides for the bosses in Utgarde Pinnacle, including their abilities, healer notes, and addon settings.
Svala Sorrowgrave
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage from Sinister Strike.
- About every 20-seconds, Ritual of the Sword places a player on the altar near where Svala starts the encounter.
- The affected player is incapacitated by Paralyze from the three Ritual Channelers.
- Ritual Channeler
- Purge Shadows in the Dark to prevent attacking players from taking stacking light to moderate damage over time from Shadows in the Dark.
- Ritual Channeler
- Players have about 10-seconds to kill the three Ritual Channelers to free the player before Ritual Strike deals likely fatal damage.
- The affected player is incapacitated by Paralyze from the three Ritual Channelers.
- Deals light damage to random players with Call Flames.
Healing Notes
- When possible, help deal damage to the Ritual Channelers to ensure they die before the Paralyzed player is killed.
- Use cooldowns as-needed if Shadows in the Dark cannot be purged.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Ritual Strike
- Minor: Shadows in the Dark
- Buffs to Purge: Shadows in the Dark
Addons
Gortok Palehoof
Stage One - Hunting Trophies
During this stage, players will be fighting against four mini-bosses in succession before entering stage two.
- Ferocious Rhino
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage and moderate damage over time from Gore.
- Stay more than 20-yards away to avoid Stomp.
- Targets random players with Grievous Wound, dealing moderate damage over time until they're healed to full health.
- Frenzied Worgen
- The tank will be dealing with extra damage and the reduced healing received effect from Mortal Wound.
- Soothe Enrage/Enrage to remove the increased attack speed effect.
- Massive Jormungar
- The tank will be dealing with stacks of Acid Spit, reducing Armor.
- Don't stand in front to avoid Poison Breath (dispel, poison).
- Avoid the impact locations of Acid Splatter. This spawns six Jormungar Worms.
- Jormungar Worms
- The tank will be dealing with light melee damage.
- Jormungar Worms
- Ravenous Furbolg
- Stay more than 10-yards away to avoid Terrifying Roar.
- During Crazed, deals light to moderate damage to random players and has greatly increased movement speed.
- Deals light damage to up to three random players with Chain Lightning.
Stage Two - Gortok Palehoof
During this stage, players will be fighting directly against Gortok.
- Don't stand in front to avoid Arcing Smash.
- Deals light damage and light damage over time to random players with Impale.
- Gradually reduces all players maximum health with Withering Roar.
Healing Notes
- It may eventually become impossible to keep players alive if the encounter goes on too long, due to the health reduction from Withering Roar.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Grievous Wound, Gore, Mortal Wound, Acid Spit, (48144/)
- Minor: Poison Breath (dispel, poison), Impale
- Enrages to Soothe: Enrage, Enrage
Addons
Skadi the Ruthless
Stage One - Grauf
This stage begins the encounter and ends once Grauf has been hit by three Harpoons, detailed below. During this stage, players will be fighting against waves of enemies while avoiding Grauf's attacks.
- Grauf
- Avoid the side of the balcony covered with Freezing Cloud.
- When Grauf is in range of the Harpoon Launchers at the end of the balcony (denoted by the "Skadi the Ruthless is in range of the Harpoon Launchers" message), players with Harpoons in their inventory can right-click the Harpoon Launchers to fire them at Grauf.
- Ymirjar Harpooner
- Ymirjar Warrior
- Ymirjar Witch Doctor
- Interrupt or dispel Shrink (curse) to prevent the reduced Stamina and Strength effect.
- When possible, interrupt Shadow Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to the tank.
Stage Two - Skadi the Ruthless
This stage begins after Grauf is hit by three Harpoons and ends when Skadi is killed.
- The tank will be dealing with the extra damage and Stun effect from Crush.
- Stay more than 5-yards away to avoid Whirlwind.
- Deals light damage and light damage over time to random players with Poisoned Spear.
Healing Notes
- Keep the tank and melee players near full health to ensure they survive running out of Whirlwind.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Shrink (dispel, curse), Crush
- Minor: Poisoned Spear
- Root Effects: Net
Addons
King Ymiron
- The tank will be dealing with Dark Slash.
- Dispel Fetid Rot (disease) to remove the reduced healing received and light damage dealt over time effect.
- Purge Bane to prevent the damage dealt to attacking players.
- At 66% and 33% health (or 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20% health on Heroic), Screams of the Dead incapacitates all players.
- During this time, a fallen vrykul grants Ymiron a new ability for the remainder of the encounter.
- Ranulf grants Spirit Burst, which deals light damage to all players.
- Bjorn grants the ability to summon Spirit Founts.
- Spirit Fount
- Stay more than 7-yards away to avoid the light damage from Spirit Burst.
- Spirit Fount
- Haldor grants Spirit Strike, which the tank will be dealing with extra damage and the stacking increased physical damage taken effect from.
- Tor grants the ability to summon Avenging Spirits.
- Avenging Spirit
- Dispel Wither (curse) to remove the stacking reduction to all stats effects.
- Avenging Spirit
- During this time, a fallen vrykul grants Ymiron a new ability for the remainder of the encounter.
Healing Notes
- Healing required during the encounter will increase as it progresses and Ymiron gains more abilities.
- Use cooldowns on Spirit Burst, as it's likely to overlap with other unavoidable damage.
Debuffs to Track
- Major: Wither (dispel, curse) Fetid Rot (dispel, disease), Spirit Strike
- Buffs to Purge: Bane
Addons
Trash Mobs
Below are notes for the trash mobs in Utgarde Pinnacle. Utgarde Pinnacle has a relatively linear layout. Bosses are ordered as if you're completing them in the order they're listed above.
Entrance thru Svala Sorrowgrave
- Mindless Servant
- The tank will be dealing with light melee damage.
- Dragonflayer Seer
- Interrupt Healing Wave to prevent the healing.
- When possible, interrupt Lightning Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to the tank.
- Deals light damage to up to three random players with Chain Lightning.
- Dragonflayer Deathseeker
- Don't stand in front to avoid Cleave.
- Dispel Grave Strike (magic) to prevent the moderate damage dealt to other players within 5-yards.
- If no magic dispel is available, stay more than 5-yards away from other players when affected.
- Scourge Hulk
- The tank will be dealing with the extra damage and knock back effect from Mighty Blow.
- Dispel Volatile Infection (disease) to prevent the light damage over time dealt to players within 10-yards.
- If no disease dispel is available, stay more than 10-yards away from other players when affected.
- Dragonflayer Fanatic
- Soothe Fervor to remove the greatly increased damage dealt and movement speed effect.
Svala Sorrowgrave thru Gortok Palehoof
- This area includes Scourge Hulks, detailed above.
- Ymirjar Flesh Hunter
- The tank will be dealing with the extra damage and decreased healing received effect from Aimed Shot.
- Deals light damage to swaths of players with Multi-Shot.
- Deals light damage to random players with Shoot.
- Bloodthirsty Tundra Wolf
- Fixate on random players, dealing light to moderate melee damage.
- Ymirjar Savage
- The tank will be dealing with the light damage over time from Rend.
- Dispel Beast's Mark (magic) to remove the extra damage from Beasts effect.
Gortok Palehoof thru Skadi the Ruthless
- There are no trash mobs between these two bosses.
Skadi the Ruthless thru King Ymiron
- This area includes Scourge Hulks, detailed above.
- Ymirjar Necromancer
- Interrupt Shadow Bolt Volley to prevent the moderate damage dealt to all players.
- When possible, interrupt Shadow Bolt to prevent the light damage dealt to the tank.
- Ymirjar Berserker
- Ymirjar Dusk Shaman
- Interrupt Dark Mending to prevent the healing.
- Purge Lycanthropy to prevent the transformation into a Wolf Spirit.
- If a purge isn't available, be prepared for the greatly increased damage dealt to the tank while Wolf Spirit is active.
Trash Debuffs to Track
- Major:
- Magic Dispel: Grave Strike (dispel, magic), Beast's Mark (dispel, magic), Terrify (dispel, magic)
- Poison Dispel:
- Disease Dispel: Volatile Infection (dispel, disease)
- Damaging: Fixate, Aimed Shot, Shred
- Minor:
- Damaging: Rend
- Enrages to Soothe: Fervor
- Buffs to Purge: Lycanthropy
- Root Effects: None
Comment on Utgarde Pinnacle, Healer Guide