Sartharion, Healer Guide
Updated 8 months ago for patch 3.4.1 by Preston. View the change log.
This page covers a healer-focused strategy for Sartharion in The Obsidian Sanctum 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 with the encounter, combat log information, and Dungeon Journal information. I'll continue to update it as-needed.
General Mechanics and Abilities
Lesser Drake Mini-Bosses
Prior to engaging Sartharion, players can kill up to three mini-bosses located around the outside of the central area to reduce the overall difficultly of the Sartharion encounter.
- Shared Abilities
- Don't stand in front to avoid Shadow Breath.
- Avoid the locations of Shadow Fissures, which deal moderate damage to any players inside them with Void Blast.
- Each Lesser Drake has a different effect to deal with as their Twilight Shift ability, noted below. The following effects are consistent for each Drake.
- Players inside the Twilight Realm deal reduced damage and take moderate damage over time from Twilight Shift.
- Upon leaving the realm, players are temporarily immune to Shadow damage due to Twilight Residue.
- One tank and healer should remain outside the Twilight Realm to continue handling the Drake.
- Tenebron
- During Twilight Shift:
- Occurs about every 30-seconds.
- Players can enter the Twilight Realm to kill Sartharion Twilight Eggs before they're hatched with Hatch Eggs.
- Alternatively, players can wait for the Eggs to hatch and the Sartharion Twilight Whelps to emerge from the Twilight Realm.
- Sartharion Twilight Whelp
- The tanks will be dealing with Fade Armor, reducing Armor.
- Sartharion Twilight Whelp
- During Twilight Shift:
- Shadron
- During Twilight Shift:
- Occurs about every 60-seconds.
- Players must enter the Twilight Realm to kill the Acolyte of Shadron to remove Gift of Twilight from Shadron.
- During Twilight Shift:
- Vesperon
- During Twilight Shift:
- Occurs about every 30-seconds.
- Players must enter the Twilight Realm to kill the Acolyte of Vesperon to remove Twilight Torment from Vesperon.
- While active, Twilight Torment deals light to moderate damage to attacking players.
- During Twilight Shift:
Sartharion
- Don't stand in front to avoid Flame Breath and Cleave.
- Don't stand behind to avoid Tail Lash.
- Avoid the paths of Flame Tsunami. Players hit take moderate damage over time.
- Avoid the impact locations of Lava Strike.
- Lava Blazes frequently join the encounter from the surrounding lava.
- Lava Blaze
- The tanks will be dealing with light melee damage.
- If it's hit by a Flame Tsunami, soothe Molten Fury to remove the greatly increased health and damage dealt effect.
- Lava Blaze
Hardmode Differences
If any of the Lesser Drake mini-bosses are left alive, they will join the Sartharion encounter. In addition to dealing with the Lesser Drake's normal abilities detailed above, the following abilities will be active.
Lesser Drakes
- Shared Abilities
- Upon death, applies a stack of Twilight Revenge to Sartharion, increasing Attack Speed and Physical damage dealt.
- Tenebron
- Joins the encounter after 30-seconds.
- While alive, Power of Tenebron increases Shadow damage taken by all players.
- Shadron
- Joins the encounter after 75-seconds.
- While alive, Power of Shadron increases Fire damage taken by all players.
- Vesperon
- Joins the encounter after 135-seconds.
- While alive, Power of Vesperon reduces the maximum health of all players.
Sartharion
- Increases its maximum health and the maximum health of all Lesser Drakes with Will of Sartharion.
- At 25% health, if any Lesser Drakes are still alive, goes Berserk, greatly increasing Attack Speed and damage dealt.
Healing Notes
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 Cooldowns
- Lesser Drakes: inside the Twilight Realm/on Twilight Shift
- Sartharion: If an excessive number of players are hit by Flame Tsunami
- Pre-heal Before (mainly for heal over time classes)
- Lesser Drakes: entering the Twilight Realm
- Other things to watch for
- There can be periods with a lot of movement, so keeping players near full health and heal over time effects on the tanks can be beneficial.
Debuffs to Track
Major
- Fade Armor can cause the tanks to need additional healing.
- Flame Tsunami causes players to need moderate healing over time.
Comment on Sartharion, Healer Guide