Encounter Journal Preview
The Encounter Journal is finally on the test realms and even if it isn't finished we finally know how much information we will get from it: a lot. The Firelands raid encounters are already there and it looks like Blizzard really wants you to know where you're going before you enter a raid, see the screenshots below.

I also added a small video preview from OMFGCata because every time I forget to post a video from Jesse, a puppy gets sad.






If you're still wondering how much info you can get for a single fight, check the preview of the Ragnaros encounter below. Everything in the preview (except for the picture, I guess) is from the Encounter Journal and not a single bit of it is from extra datamining.


Ragnaros - Encounter Journal Preview (Heroic Version)
Ragnaros, lord of the Firelands, embodies the fury and destruction of the promordial infernos that forged Azeroth itself. Promised the chance to set Azeroth aflame without interference from Neptulon and Therazane, Ragnaros seeks to appease the Old Gods by incinerating the World Tree of Nordrassil.

He has legs now. Who knew?


Stage 1: By Fire be Purged!
IconNameDescription
Sulfuras SmashRagnaros faces a random player and prepares to smash Sulfuras on the platform. The impact creates several Lava Waves which move out in several directions from the point of impact.
Lava WaveA Lava Wave inflicts 70000 Fire damage and knocks back all players it passes through. Targets who are knocked back suffer an additional 20000 Fire damage every 1 sec for 5 sec.
Wrath of RagnarosRagnaros targets a player, inflicting 60000 Fire damage to all players within 6 yards and knocking them back.

In 25 players raids, Ragnaros targets three players.
Hand of RagnarosRagnaros inflicts 30000 Fire damage to all enemies within 50 yards, knocking them back.
Magma TrapRagnaros periodically forms a Magma Trap at a random player's location. The Magma Trap persists for the duration of the battle and will trigger when stepped on, causing a Magma Trap Eruption.
Magma Trap EruptionWhen triggered, a Magma Trap erupts for 60000 Fire damage to all enemies within the Firelands and violently knocks the player who stripped the Magma Trap into the air.

An enemy that triggers a Magma Trap will take 50 additional damage from the Magma Trap Eruption for 30 sec. Stacks.



Intermission: Minions of Fire!
At 70% health, Ragnaros will cast Splitting Blow, wedging Sulfuras into the platform and creating Sons of Flame across the platform. Ragnaros will stay submerged for 45 seconds or until all of the Sons of Flame are destroyed.
IconNameDescription
Splitting BlowRagnaros buries Sulfuras within the platform, creating Sons of Flame that attempt to reach the mighty hammer.
Sons of Flame
Sons of Flame will cross the platform and attempt to re-form with Sulfuras, causing a Supernova if they are able to reach the mighty hammer.
IconNameDescription
Burning SpeedSons of Flame move faster as their blaze burns hotter. Their movement speed is increased by an amount equal to every 1% health they have above 50% health.
SupernovaIf a Son of Flame reaches Sulfuras, the elemental will explode in a Supernova, inflicting 90000 Fire damage to all players within the Firelands.



Stage 2: Sulfuras will be Your End!
IconNameDescription
Sulfuras SmashRagnaros faces a random player and prepares to smash Sulfuras on the platform. The impact creates several Lava Waves which move out in several directions from the point of impact.
Lava WaveA Lava Wave inflicts 70000 Fire damage and knocks back all players it passes through. Targets who are knocked back suffer an additional 20000 Fire damage every 1 sec for 5 sec.
World In FlamesRagnaros periodically engulfs one third of the platform in flame every 2.6 sec for 13 sec. Inflicting 70000 Fire damage to players caught in the conflagration.
Molten SeedRagnaros forms a Molten Seed at the location of 10 random players, inflicting 55000 Fire damage to all players within 6 yards. After 10 sec the Molten Seed will burst in a Molten Inferno.

In 25 player raids, Ragnaros targets 20 players.
Molten InfernoWhen Molten Seeds burst, they cause a Molten Inferno that inflicts 100000 Fire damage to all players who are near the Molten Seed. The damage decreases the farther away the target is.

Following the Molten Inferno, a Molten Elemental is created at the location of the Seed.
Molten ElementalThe Molten Elemental is spawned from a Molten Inferno. It will attack and fixate on a random player.
Molten PowerThe Molten Elemental is empowered by nearby Molten Elementals, increasing its damage done by 25% and causing it to be immune to Snare effects.



Intermission: Denizens of Flame!
At 40% health, Ragnaros will cast Splitting Blow, wedging Sulfuras into the platform and creating Sons of Flame. Ragnaros will stay submerged for 45 seconds or until all of the Sons of Flame are destroyed.
IconNameDescription
Splitting BlowRagnaros buries Sulfuras within the platform, creating Sons of Flame that attempt to reach the mighty hammer.
Sons of Flame
Sons of Flame will cross the platform and attempt to re-form with Sulfuras, causing a Supernova if they are able to reach the mighty hammer.
IconNameDescription
Burning SpeedSons of Flame move faster as their blaze burns hotter. Their movement speed is increased by an amount equal to every 1% health they have above 50% health.
SupernovaIf a Son of Flame reaches Sulfuras, the elemental will explode in a Supernova, inflicting 90000 Fire damage to all players within the Firelands.
Lava Scion
One Lava Scion will form on each side of the platform.
IconNameDescription
Blazing HeatThe Lava Scion inflicts a random target with Blazing Heat, causing them to create a trail of Blazing Heat in their wake. Blazing Heat inflicts 50000 Fire damage every 1 sec and heals Sons of Flame and Lava Scions for 10% every 1 sec.



Stage 3: Begone From my Realm!
IconNameDescription
Sulfuras SmashRagnaros faces a random player and prepares to smash Sulfuras on the platform. The impact creates several Lava Waves which move out in several directions from the point of impact.
Lava WaveA Lava Wave inflicts 70000 Fire damage and knocks back all players it passes through. Targets who are knocked back suffer an additional 20000 Fire damage every 1 sec for 5 sec.
World In FlamesRagnaros periodically engulfs one third of the platform in flame every 2.6 sec for 13 sec. Inflicting 70000 Fire damage to players caught in the conflagration.
Summon Living MeteorRagnaros calls down an increasing number of Living Meteors over time, inflicting 65000 Fire damage to players within 5 yards of the location.
Living MeteorThe Living Meteor will fixate on a random target and chase them. A player that gets within 4 yards of the Living Meteor will trigger a Meteor Impact, inflicting 500000 Fire damage to enemies within 8 yards.
Meteor ImpactA player that gets within 4 yards of the Living Meteor will trigger a Meteor Impact, inflicting 500000 Fire damage to enemies within 8 yards.
CombustibleThe Living Meteor is highly Combustible. When attacked, it will cause Combustion, knocking it back several yards away from the enemy that hit it. Combustible is removed for several seconds after Combustion is triggered.
CombustionWhen Combustible is active, the Living Meteor is knocked back several yards from the enemy that hit it.



Stage 4: The True Power of the Fire Lord
The Fire Lord unleashes his full power and is able to move freely around the platform. Players have the aid of powerful heroes of Azeroth to support them.
IconNameDescription
SuperheatedRagnaros is at his full power and is now Superheated, inflicting 2000 Fire damage every 1 sec, increasing damage taken from Superheated by 10%. Stacks.
Empower SulfurasRagnaros begins to Empower Sulfuras. After 5 sec, Sulfuras becomes Empowered and attacks made by Ragnaros cause Flames of Sulfuras, influcting 500000 Fire damage to all enemies within the Firelands.
Flames of SulfurasWhen Sulfuras is Empowered, attacks made by Ragnaros cause Flames of Sulfuras, inflicting 500000 Fire damage to all enemies within the Firelands.
DreadflameSulfuras creates a Dreadflame at two nearby Locations. The Dreadflame multiplies rapidly and spreads across the platform. Dreadflame inflicts 35000 Fire damage and an additional 3500 Fire damage every 1 sec for 30 sec.

In 25 players raids, Dreadflame will strike five locations at once.
Magma GeyserRagnaros will target a Magma Geyser whenever he notices four players in a cluster together. The Magma Geyser inflicts 55000 Fire damage every 1 sec and destroys any nearby Breadth of Frost.
Cenarius
Cenarius is a demigod, the son of Malorne and Elune, and the patron of all of Azeroth's druids. Cenarius will support the raid by freezing Living Meteors and reducing the damage caused by Superheated.
IconNameDescription
Breadth of FrostCenarius forms a Breadth of Frost at a nearby location. Any Living Meteors that enter the Breadth of Frost are frozen and take 15000% additional damage. Additionally, players who stand within the Breadth of Frost are immune to Superheated damage and have the Superheated debuff removed from them.
Hamuul Runetotem
Hamuul Runetotem is a tauren druid and leads the druids of Thunder Bluff. In Mount Hyjal, he assists Ysera in protecting Nordrassil from Ragnaros. The arch druid will support the raid by entrapping Ragnaros.
IconNameDescription
Entrapping RootsArch Druid Hamuul Runetotem forms Entrapping Roots at a nearby location. If Ragnaros enters the area of the Entrapping Roots, he will become stunned for 10 sec and take 50% additional damage while stunned.
Malfurion Stormrage
Malfurion Stormrage is an ancient and powerful night elf druid. He leads the army of Cenarius in the Defense of Mount Hyjal against the forces of Ragnaros.

Malfurion will support the raid by protecting players from Dreadflame.
IconNameDescription
CloudburstMalfurion forms a Cloudburst. The players who interacts with the Cloudburst will be surrounded with a Deluge. Deluge makes the player immune to Dreadflame damage, and also allows the player to extinguish any nearby Dreadflame.

In 25 player raids, up to three player can use a single Cloudburst.
DelugeMakes the player immune to Dreadflame damage, and also allows the player to extinguish any nearby Dreadflame.
This article was originally published in forum thread: Encounter Journal Preview started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 179 Comments
  1. Marston's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Rioo View Post
    10 random players, out of 10 possible targets. Hmm, that's gonna be pretty random indeed.
    Maybe multiple can hit the same target. So, if 8 are thrown to the same target, that guy will be really fucked if he doesn't move away. I mean, like, really, really fucked.
  1. mmoc9361e67deb's Avatar
    I bet if you don't use Malfurion and Cenarius etc, you'll get an Alone in the Darkness type of achievement....

    "Azeroths final hope!" <- - :P
  1. MasterHamster's Avatar
    That is a lot of Fire damage.
  1. Sammonoske's Avatar
    Knock back knock back knock back. Glad I am a warrior with the power to run on air (charge..).
  1. MasterHamster's Avatar
    Blizzard implements wowhead and atlasloot, information that is available for anyone who knows where to look. Now it'll be available ingame to help players, without actually being some kind of baby-walk help. And yet there's some whining about it. Please, for the sake of the community as a whole, leave the game. It's not good players I'm speaking off, but 10m normal Cho'gall "elites" who think they own the game with a Kingslayer title from the 4.0 faceroll.
  1. Dart Matsuraki's Avatar
    Am I the only one who saw the return of FLAME WREATH!?

    When triggered, a Magma Trap erupts for 60000 Fire damage to all enemies within the Firelands and violently knocks the player who stripped the Magma Trap into the air.
    Sure, the trigger is slightly different but the effect is the same. Time to bust out the old flame wreath chant.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=717CoVJ687M
  1. Weightless's Avatar
    So 40% phase 3 starts to 0, so then the heroic only phase begins at 0? Or maybe they add it in at 20% or something I don't know. Maybe he gets pissed off makes a speech at 0%, bursts back to 40% HP and says: STOP! HAMMER TIME! Comes out and uses his legs on the dancefloor.

    I'm more inclined to saying the 0% option, so there's a little speech and the NPCs burst in and he regains some hp.
    ...No... did you even read it? 40% to 0% he stands up and starts walking around, that's the heroic phase.
  1. riexau's Avatar
    While not exactly the same, this -kind of- sounds like the April fools preview posted by paragon. Ha...
  1. XeliosX's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Crazia View Post
    Thanks for ruining another fun aspect of the game Blizzard.... good job
    You mean... your 'fun aspect' came from wiping a million times on a boss in order to see his next ability?
    I don't think that's fun.

    Oh wait, you mean your 'fun aspect' was "/rw Okay everyone take 5 and go youtube the fight."

    Oh! No no no! Your 'fun aspect' was "WTF JUST HIT ME?!"

    =\
    I love the encounter Journal. It gives you a list of the boss's attacks. People typically do that with wowhead or something anyway.
    It's not like the information on what he does wouldn't become immediately available as soon as someone killed it.
    These are attacks, however, not strats.

    I think the encounter journal will be a nice deterrent from "youtube it."
    It makes more sense, honestly.
    The 'fun factor' doesn't come in figuring out what the boss does - it comes from figuring out how to work around it.
    It will give people like me an easier-to-access database of what the boss does, without the added temptation of looking at fight breakdowns via youtube or wowhead.

    It'll allow me and my guild full creative control when designing our strats. We won't feel 'limited' to do what's "proven" to work by paragon and others.

    The fun part is formulating a strategy, and executing it. if it works, great! If not, work on it!
    Wiping is just tedious clicky-runny work.
    That's just my opinion though.
  1. Alasdair's Avatar
    Dunno why everyone is so up in arms about the Encounter Journal. Any raid ive been in 1st thing asked was "You know the fight? Read up on bosskillers/wowhead/watch the tank spot video first."
  1. Yunru's Avatar
    Oh god--so much fire damage. BRB farming fire resistance gear. (like in old times)
  1. Castia's Avatar
    Wow that journal looks great,awesome looking layout and tons of information I cant wait for that.

    bb Atlas loot!
  1. Kalsam's Avatar
    Am I the only one to have caught this faux paus: "Cenarius is a demigod, the son of Malorne and Elune, and the patron of all of Azeroth's druids."

    Cenarius, according to the stories, is the son of Malorne and YSERA. Hence why the Aspect when berserk in the Ancients trilogy when she saw Malorne slaughtered by the demons, and Cenarius wounded. =\
  1. Primernova's Avatar
    This game is going in an insane direction. Blizzard seems so worried they will lose the 1% of top 100 raid guilds that they will just let the 99% of the playerbase dwindle away.

    Does anyone think, in a six year old game that people are willing to go back to the only 1% of guilds killing an end boss thing (heroic is end boss apparently now)?

    Maybe we should just all app top 3 server guilds, right?

    Seems very risky, time consuming and annoying to me. I want to stay loyal to this game after all these years and the friends I have met in it but damn... this is geting hard to do.
  1. Gouky's Avatar
    do I have to read that stuff? they understand all of this is voiced and shiny on YouTube?
    blizzard you are bunch of cheap bastards.
  1. KarmaBad's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Radul View Post
    Have you read anything blizzard said? they have been planning to make the Heroic Ragnaros fight as hard and as epic as they could.. I think they said they wanted it almost unbeatable..

    Its a "GOOD THING", your basing a tier of raiding on a heroic fight that like you said, most people wont even get to do until its nerfed by gear and blizzard.
    You clearly don't read as well either, because he's not complaining that it won't be easy. He's saying that WoW doesn't need harder raid encounter because of the lack of content for non-raiders or casual raiders. Yes, I am talking about those people, and only tools complain about it.
  1. Swizzle's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Dart Matsuraki View Post
    Am I the only one who saw the return of FLAME WREATH!?



    Sure, the trigger is slightly different but the effect is the same. Time to bust out the old flame wreath chant.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=717CoVJ687M
    It's a lot closer to shadow traps from H LK than Flame Wreath.
  1. lightgil's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kalsam View Post
    Am I the only one to have caught this faux paus: "Cenarius is a demigod, the son of Malorne and Elune, and the patron of all of Azeroth's druids."

    Cenarius, according to the stories, is the son of Malorne and YSERA. Hence why the Aspect when berserk in the Ancients trilogy when she saw Malorne slaughtered by the demons, and Cenarius wounded. =\
    Incorrect Cenarius is the son of Malorne and Elune, but later Malorne ended up with Ysera. Cenarius is like a son to her also but isn't really her son. :P
  1. mmoc057e44dc56's Avatar
    This sucks.

    No more fun on new encounters where you do not know the spells. I would have nothing against the loottable or the story. But this is nearly a guide for everybody and it destroys the hardmode race....
  1. epec's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by KarmaBad View Post
    You clearly don't read as well either, because he's not complaining that it won't be easy. He's saying that WoW doesn't need harder raid encounter because of the lack of content for non-raiders or casual raiders. Yes, I am talking about those people, and only tools complain about it.
    Well, it's not even casual raiders or non-raiders, just stuff to do in the game outside of raiding. Even hardcore guilds clear the content pretty fast, no matter how complex or difficult it is. There's only 7 bosses in the new instance and a phased hub for dailies. Most of the dailies are repetitive and kind of boring (I've been on the ptr even though my wow sub isn't active and watched the ptr streams.) Majority of the content on the ptr just seems rather bland and boring. It's not really a casual verses hardcore debate (As I've always been a fairly hardcore player, having been in both Deus Vox before it died and a few other hardcore guilds.), I just wish they would spend the time they put into making this "super awesome extreme boss fight" giving players something to do outside raiding. I'm just saying I wish they would put more effort into designing more content in a whole rather than tunnel-visioning on this one fight and using it as "the super awesome selling point that will make this raid so amazing!"

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