Chromie Completion Guide - NH Heroic Level Gear

[Adornus]

Hello all,

EDIT - Disregard gear - scales to 1000 ilvl.

EDIT2 - This is what worked well for me, and what would work for you. If you want to change anything in a route to get an extra chest, by all means. Part of the fun is finding out the best way for you.


I figured I'd write up a quick guide on Chromie so everyone else can learn from some of the things that I had to find out. I'll simply go through the steps I took in order to complete the Chromie scenario 8/8 under the 15 minutes. Note - I'm lazy, so this could be a lot more in-depth but should get the jist across.

First, I'm not insanely geared - I'm a super-casual 904 WW with poorly itemized stats. We all know how bad WW is, so this should be easier for other classes, especially melee.




0 - Sands of Time
Sands of Time rewards should be taken as a priority. Ultimately, I went through the following priority:
1.) Time-Lost Keepsake Box
2.) Bronze Dragon
3.) 30 Second Time
4.) Damage Increase
5.) 10 Second Time
5.) Damage Taken Decrease
6.) Speed
7.) All Else


1 - Clear all Bosses/Portals
In order to unlock everything, you need to clear all dragonshire bosses and portals. I found I couldn't get a clear item for each individual boss/scenario unless I had beat it prior. Rather than give a ton of info here, I think it's important for everyone to learn each scenario as it will make your decision making for speed much easier later on. I'd suggest doing the following:

Dragonshire
1.) Obsidian - Run to the end of the tunnel, kill boss. Collect Item. Kill boss when you come back outside of the caves immediately to your left.
2.) Ruby - Kill the 3 lich bosses on the edges of the crater. Once you've killed them, you can then kill the final Lich Boss in the bottom of the tree.
3.) Purple - I'm calling it purple. Go around and kill mobs below, collecting 50 of the item. Once you've done that, you can kill the boss on the platform above
4.) Emerald - Go around and kill all mobs. Each time you get the numbers required, you can kill mobs near each tree giant (there are 3). Once you've done this, you can kill the boss by the dragon palm.

Also, once you have killed each of these and turned in the quests - you can just directly kill each boss instead of doing the entire collection process.

Portals
5.) Hyjal - When you go through the portal, run immediately to your ahead and left. There will be a series of mobs that spawn near the wall - ending in the Molten Giant.
6.) Well of Eternity - Chromie sucks here. You're supposed to "follow" her but she follows you. Chromie will aggro from behind so make sure you kill anything behind you otherwise Chromie wont follow. I go immediately forward to the well, then hug the right wall the entire way following the path to the portal. Once through the portal, take an immediate left. It's fairly linear from here. Kill the end boss and continue up the stairs and down the path to find the portal.
7.) Stratholme - Do the quests - follow the paths. This one is a pain, and long. The one suggestion I have - learn where all the vendors are so when you're out doing your first quest you can buy ALL of the items required for all of the quests. This will save some time running back and forth.
8.) Andorhal - This one is probably the most gear dependent as the bosses hit pretty hard. When you get the quest from Chromie - go beyond the cannon and kill the mini bosses from right to left. You need 3 green quest items in order to do any significant damage to the cannon. Once you get the 3, you can proceed to the cannon.

2 - Pathing Strategy
Ultimately, I found out there are 2 different paths to take to kill the 4 dragonshrine. There's an easy way I found in order to tell which path you should take.

Go to the platform at this location. If there is a chest here.. you're taking route 1. If there isn't a chest here, you're taking route 2.



There is also a rare I suggest killing. He's quick, easy, and drops generally 2x Sands of Time.




Anyways, the paths. If there is the chest shown above, you take the following path.
1st Route


If there ISN'T a chest described above, you take the 2nd route. This one means that there are 3 chests inside the Obsidian cave. It takes about a minute to get in and clear them (after you have killed the Obsidian boss), and you generally get 6x Sands of Time. Certainly worth the time investment.




2nd Route


3 - Portal Routes
These are pretty self explanatory. However, I'd use the following order.

1.) Hyjal - Fastest and Easiest
2.) Well of Eternity - Second Fastest, and Easy
3.) Stratholme - Takes time but low DPS requirement
4.) Andorhal - Needs the most DPS and damage reduction boosts.



Honestly, 3 and 4 are interchangeable as you really need a skip item from at least one of them.

4 - RNG
You need to hopefully get some Time-Lost Keepsake Box in order to complete on time with current gear levels. Ultimately from this you need a couple of things.
1.) Stratholme Key - this is almost mandatory to complete on time, unless you're an extremely fast class (thinking druid possibly). This allows you to skip and go through the gate immediately on the left instead of doing all the quests. This saves you at least 5 minutes.
2.) Andorhal Documents - this is almost as mandatory to complete on time. The combination of this and they key is the only sure fire way to finish on time. You can finish on time by just getting the key, but you need to have a significant amount of DPS.
3.) Well of Etenrity Skip - Tyrande's Moonstone helps you skip all of Hyjal to the last boss. This is nice to have, but not mandatory.
4.) Hyjal Beacon - This one allows you to get directly to the last boss at Hyjal. Honestly the least effective as if you have decent DPS you can do this one in 2 minutes anyways.

The biggest thing is - Stratholme Key is nearly mandatory - and the combination of Key + Andorhal Documents is needed for most. If you dont get these by the time you're to portals, I would just reset.


One thing I'll add about Sands of Time. NEVER open one if you're in a portal and you just completed a portal boss. You can get the same one. For example, I had Well of Eternity. I killed the final boss, open sands of time, and got Tyrande's Moonstone. Wait until you're back to Wyrmrest before you open it. Same goes with Sands of Time before you kill the boss at that location. You could get the three obsidian chests, open them, and get a Bronze Dragon to wipe out Obsidian boss - when you're already there. Wait to use them until after you've kill the boss at that Dragonshrine location.

In conclusion - if you follow these VERY broad steps, and be willing to reset off RNG, you'll complete Chromie in current NH Heroic gear levels fairly easily. Don't get frustrated if you dont get RNG, just reset and go to the next attempt. Any questions, feel free to ask.

All Images: http://imgur.com/a/IFfq8

[Zoibert the Bear]

Doesn't gear scale to 1000? How is ilvl relevant?

Now, that said, this comes very handy, thanks for the work you put into it <3

[Deleted]

gear doesnt matter right? Dont u get scaled up to 1000 ilvl?

[Adornus]

gear doesnt matter right? Dont u get scaled up to 1000 ilvl?

Shit you're right.. guess it doesnt matter!

[Daetur]

There's something not quite right about this guide. I just did my normal route, Emerald -> Azure -> Ruby -> Obsidian, and, as usual, there was one chest up at each Shrine, with three up in the cave at Obsidian. The Azure chest that was up was the one south of the boss, guarded by the two elementals, not the one on the platform. I don't think there's any correlation between the chest spawns in the other shrines and the three in Obsidian being up down that righthand path from the cave entrance.

[Yamuri]

Noice, I believe one of the talents you get points out chests by chromie too so you could prioritize that a bit better when we get those.

[Adornus]

There's something not quite right about this guide. I just did my normal route, Emerald -> Azure -> Ruby -> Obsidian, and, as usual, there was one chest up at each Shrine, with three up in the cave at Obsidian. The Azure chest that was up was the one south of the boss, guarded by the two elementals, not the one on the platform. I don't think there's any correlation between the chest spawns in the other shrines and the three in Obsidian being up down that righthand path from the cave entrance.

For me it was always either the one at platform or the three in the cave. Maybe there are more - but those ones always seemed to be the best time sink vs. reward rather than going for any other single chest that is guarded.

Again, these are what worked for me. Choose to follow if you wish.

[Deleted]

bad guide cuz bad route.

you start obsidian first and if there are 3 chests go on. if there arent. leave scenario.

[Daetur]

For me it was always either the one at platform or the three in the cave. Maybe there are more - but those ones always seemed to be the best time sink vs. reward rather than going for any other single chest that is guarded.

There is always one chest up at each of the following Shrines: Emerald, Ruby, and Azure.
Emerald: Unguarded, in the water in front of the statue (directly behind boss), or unguarded directly east of boss (in a clear area near the Ancient). A quick flyover is the only investment you need, and one of the two is always up.
Ruby: Both are guarded by a small group of three nonelites- Either inside the palm of the front claw of the dragon skeleton curled around the tree, or to the northwest, by the unguarded exit to the Shrine.
Azure: It will either spawn on the ground, south of the boss's platform, guarded by two arcane elementals, or on the Northwestern platform, unguarded.
All are extremely low time sink compared to the Obsidian cave.

I can 100% confirm that the 3 chests in the Obsidian cave can be up when the Azure chest on the platform is not up, as that is the run I just did. I will experiment more with the cave to find where the second spawn location is, if there is one.

[Captain Douchebag]

There's something not quite right about this guide. I just did my normal route, Emerald -> Azure -> Ruby -> Obsidian, and, as usual, there was one chest up at each Shrine, with three up in the cave at Obsidian. The Azure chest that was up was the one south of the boss, guarded by the two elementals, not the one on the platform. I don't think there's any correlation between the chest spawns in the other shrines and the three in Obsidian being up down that righthand path from the cave entrance.

I can 100% confirm that the 3 chests in the Obsidian cave can be up when the Azure chest on the platform is not up, as that is the run I just did. I will experiment more with the cave to find where the second spawn location is, if there is one.

None of this really disproves the OP though. The guide specifically claims that if the chest on the platform is NOT up, then there will be three in the cave.

After 10 runs, this has also been my experience.

[Thelxi]

What about the other 4 rares? 3 in front of the other shrines and another one at the bottom of the temple. Also I think there is always a chest spawned at each shrine, I see no reason not to pick up the chest that spawns in the water right next to the emerald boss.

[Adornus]

I can 100% confirm that the 3 chests in the Obsidian cave can be up when the Azure chest on the platform is not up, as that is the run I just did. I will experiment more with the cave to find where the second spawn location is, if there is one.

And this is why I just chose to either go one on platform at Azure or 3 in Obsidian cave. The rest didn't seem like a big enough benefit to go after them.

Either way, I think we're arguing over something pretty small - in the grand scheme of things people can just find what works best for them.. this is what worked well for me, and I completed it without issue (once I got the right RNG with Portal Skips).

What about the other 4 rares? 3 in front of the other shrines and another one at the bottom of the temple. Also I think there is always a chest spawned at each shrine, I see no reason not to pick up the chest that spawns in the water right next to the emerald boss.

If it's up and it makes sense, go for it.

[Captain Douchebag]

What about the other 4 rares? 3 in front of the other shrines and another one at the bottom of the temple. Also I think there is always a chest spawned at each shrine, I see no reason not to pick up the chest that spawns in the water right next to the emerald boss.

Fully agree. If you know where the chests can spawn, it doesn't really waste much time getting them, and the rares can pretty much be killed when flying between the different shrines.

[flepser]

bad guide cuz bad route.

you start obsidian first and if there are 3 chests go on. if there arent. leave scenario.

Thanks for making a better guide.

[Daetur]

And this is why I just chose to either go one on platform at Azure or 3 in Obsidian cave. The rest didn't seem like a big enough benefit to go after them.

Either way, I think we're arguing over something pretty small - in the grand scheme of things people can just find what works best for them.. this is what worked well for me, and I completed it without issue (once I got the right RNG with Portal Skips).


If it's up and it makes sense, go for it.

My apologies, I've been misreading- for some reason thinking that if the Platform chest IS NOT up, then the Cave chests will ALSO not be up. That's my mistake- hopping back and forth between my runs and this thread has really cost me my reading comprehension! You may be, and likely are, totally right about that- I haven't had a run within my last handful that has had the Platform chest active for me to confirm or deny, so I'm sorry for jumping on that due to my own misunderstanding.

However, I think, because the runs right now rely almost entirely on maximizing Sands of Time to maximize your chances of getting those portal skips- because Stratholme+Andorhol skip is insta-win- it's going to more consistently produce positive results when you collect the chests in each Shrine, and kill all four rares, which can also drop on average, 1-2 Sands, and die very quickly. I think this is my big problem with your guide, honestly- it is what worked for you, but it worked because you got the right RNG, and it's not the strategy that maximizes the chance of getting that RNG.

It's no more than a quick flyover to check the two locations that it's possible for the chests to spawn at in the other shrines- and there is always one up at each of the other shrines. It's not a matter of "if." The rares, as well, are always up, and always in the same location outside each shrine.

The chests in the other shrines each take 10-15 seconds, tops, to collect, and all give 1-3 Sands, just like the three obsidian chests (which take about a minute for three, so about 20 seconds per chest- the same or slightly more investment than the ones I'm describing at the other shrines. I completely, 100% disagree with a guide that omits them or says they're 'not a big enough benefit').

[Adornus]

My apologies, I've been misreading- for some reason thinking that if the Platform chest IS NOT up, then the Cave chests will ALSO not be up. That's my mistake- hopping back and forth between my runs and this thread has really cost me my reading comprehension! You may be, and likely are, totally right about that- I haven't had a run within my last handful that has had the Platform chest active for me to confirm or deny, so I'm sorry for jumping on that due to my own misunderstanding.

However, I think, because the runs right now rely almost entirely on maximizing Sands of Time to maximize your chances of getting those portal skips- because Stratholme+Andorhol skip is insta-win- it's going to more consistently produce positive results when you collect the chests in each Shrine, and kill all four rares, which can also drop on average, 1-2 Sands, and die very quickly. I think this is my big problem with your guide, honestly- it is what worked for you, but it worked because you got the right RNG, and it's not the strategy that maximizes the chance of getting that RNG.

It's no more than a quick flyover to check the two locations that it's possible for the chests to spawn at in the other shrines- and there is always one up at each of the other shrines. It's not a matter of "if." The rares, as well, are always up, and always in the same location outside each shrine.

The chests in the other shrines each take 10-15 seconds, tops, to collect, and all give 1-3 Sands, just like the three obsidian chests (which take about a minute for three, so about 20 seconds per chest- the same or slightly more investment than the ones I'm describing at the other shrines. I completely, 100% disagree with a guide that omits them or says they're 'not a big enough benefit').

And that's a very good point. I guess for the time investment trying to get the insta-win combo it can be worth it. I think if that's the goal, then your idea is likely most optimal. If you want to try and hedge with saving time and only getting one of either Strath or Andorhal, then maybe skip. I think it can work for either.

[Captain Douchebag]

Just completed it in a somewhat different way.

I got extremely tired of always getting either the Well of Eternity or Hyjal skip whenever I actually got the skip box (out of 15 attempts I never saw the CoS or Andorhal skip), so I decided to get rid of the WoE and Hyjal portals first.

After that I went with OPs' first route of the shrines (green - blue - red - black), except I killed all five magnataur rares and looted every chest I could find on the way, and got the CoS skip while doing this. After the obsidian shrine I killed myself for faster return to the temple.

Then I went in and got rid of CoS with the skip (for the small chance of an Andorhal skip from the boss. Didn't get it though), and took Andorhal the normal way last with about 5 minutes to spare in the end.

Getting either the CoS or Andorhal skip (or both if you're lucky), does indeed make this scenario way easier, while the WoE and Hyjal skips are pretty meaningless in comparison.

As a side note, I can confirm that it isn't true that the three chests in the obsidian cave will 100% be up if the blue platform chest isn't. None of them were up on the two runs I did before I completed the scenario.

[Adornus]

Just completed it in a somewhat different way.

I got extremely tired of always getting either the Well of Eternity or Hyjal skip whenever I actually got the skip box (out of 15 attempts I never saw the CoS or Andorhal skip), so I decided to get rid of the WoE and Hyjal portals first.

After that I went with OPs' first route of the shrines (green - blue - red - black), except I killed all five magnataur rares and looted every chest I could find on the way, and got the CoS skip while doing this. After the obsidian shrine I killed myself for faster return to the temple.

Then I went in and got rid of CoS with the skip (for the small chance of an Andorhal skip from the boss. Didn't get it though), and took Andorhal the normal way last with about 5 minutes to spare in the end.

As a side note, I can confirm that it isn't true that the three chests in the obsidian cave will 100% be up if the blue platform chest isn't. None of them were up on the two runs I did before I completed the scenario.

Good to know, and nice job! Surprised that none of the chests were up on the two runs you talked about - I hadn't seen that yet.

[Captain Douchebag]

Good to know, and nice job! Surprised that none of the chests were up on the two runs you talked about - I hadn't seen that yet.

I was surprised by that aswell, because in every run before that, the theory proved true. Might be there is a high chance for the three chests to be up if the platform one isn't, but it isn't 100% chance.

[Adornus]

I will say I really liked the anti-RNG idea of Hyjal and Well first. You lose some damage for sure which slows it down, but feel like that's a good way to hedge against getting one of those as the skips.