10HC Thok

[Cantthinkofaname]

My guild has just reached Heroic Thok and I'm looking to see what everyone feels the best way to go about the fight is.

Two main problems are that we have neither a Warlock nor Paladin in our raid team.

Our comp is:

Tanks
Guardian Druid
Prot Warrior

Healers
Resto Shaman
Disc/Holy Priest

DPS
Hunter
Mage
Frost DK
Assassination Rogue
Boomkin
Ele Shaman

For 3 heal fights (Juggernaut, Protectors), our mage has a somewhat lesser geared (~560) Resto druid that is typically enough to cover the 3rd healing spot.
From what I can tell though, the lack of certain abilities, particularly Gateway, Devo, and Hand of Protection is a fairly significant disadvantage in this fight.

We've had a couple attempts at it using the 1 tank, 2 heal, 7 DPS method, but I'm looking to see if any groups have had success in a similar situation without a paladin/warlock and how many healers were used etc.

Thank you in advance.

[Kiea]

Killed it many times without a paladin, and a warlocks gateway is irrelevent because it despawns all the time, having the warlock put it up is a waste of DPS, everyone should be able to easily get away without a portal. I assume you are kiting him up and down the room, because that is by far the easiest way to do it, and make sure DPS hit the boss, not the jailor during transitions, and you should be able to click the cages at 11 stacks every time assuming proper kiting.

If your balance druid cannot go restoration then I suggest 1 tank, 2 heal and 7 DPS, killed it this way a lot because we lacked a 3rd healer for several months, you just need to acknowledge that you have less time in the roar phases, but because you have 2 more DPS than normal, boss health should be about the same at the different points of the fight.
You just really need to organize your cooldowns, there is not really need before the 5th or 6th to have any cooldowns used, even as a shaman or priest, start out with something weaker from your ele shaman, and then use healer cooldowns and maybe smoke bomb. Save the druids tranq for the bats.

[Deja Thoris]

First prize is to get your ele shaman or boomie to get a resto spec.

Nothing is impossible but to 2 heal this on progress will lead to a LOT of deaths imo.

[Deleted]

First prize is to get your ele shaman or boomie to get a resto spec.

Nothing is impossible but to 2 heal this on progress will lead to a LOT of deaths imo.

Pretty much this, not to mention that resto druids and resto shammys are very good on this fight.

[Deleted]

and a warlocks gateway is irrelevent because it despawns all the time, having the warlock put it up is a waste of DPS, everyone should be able to easily get away without a portal.

Your warlock is doing it wrong.

[Dracodraco]

Your warlock is doing it wrong.

+1. Only time the portal should ever despawn is if the warlock is out kiting.

[Captainn]

I'd one tank it at this point for sure. I've done both 10/25 and single tanking (in 10 anyway) seems the best course of action.

[Kiea]

+1. Only time the portal should ever despawn is if the warlock is out kiting.

And if the warlock kites then it is gone, and considering everyone can get away regardless, there is not much point for him to put a portal up that nobody needs, it is just a failsafe for people who are not paying attention.

[Deleted]

And if the warlock kites then it is gone, and considering everyone can get away regardless, there is not much point for him to put a portal up that nobody needs, it is just a failsafe for people who are not paying attention.

That portal was very important for our startegy atleast. Granted we kited to like 15 stacks or something like that.
Not putting up something that is a huge benefit to the raid feels rather idiotic to be completely honest.

[Keosen]

There is no need to use a lock gate.
The stacks/dps you will gain because of the gate it's insignificant if you manage to survive the non-kiting phases.

[Deleted]

There is no need to use a lock gate.
The stacks/dps you will gain because of the gate it's insignificant if you manage to survive the non-kiting phases.

Of course you can do it with a lock gate, but if you have lock it would be silly not to use it.
Its not like our paladins did not use AM or BoP because "You can do it without it"

[Keosen]

OP's setup does not include a warlock or paladin, what's the point of your post?

[Thalur]

From what I can tell though, the lack of certain abilities, particularly Gateway, Devo, and Hand of Protection is a fairly significant disadvantage in this fight.

Having a paladin is nice, but not required. We progressed the boss without a paladin 6 months ago, and didn't have any problems. In 10 man you don't need Hand of Protection for healers, and while the bats can go down a bit faster with Devotion Aura and HoP on an Ele Shamy, it's not that hard without. We hardly ever use the portal either, just let your priest lay down some feathers for the last kiting phases. But it's really more about positioning: You can position yourself in a way that you know exactly who will be kiting next. Use players with speed boosts, and make them move away early so they don't get into trouble in the first place.

My guild always found it easier with 2 tanks. It removes stress from the healers, and makes the bat phase easier. One tank for Thok, the other for the bats positioned in the melee camp. It's much easier to cleave them this way, and it's easier for the tank to keep aggro on all bats.

I never liked the "less stacks" tactics, there is just much more that can go wrong in the later phases. Also, if you go for ~28 stacks, the second P1 starts exactly 3 min after the first one, so all cooldowns will be ready. Disc+Shaman+Druid is IMO the best healing combo for the boss, so you might just let them practice a bit to heal through P1.

Note that the damage does not increase with the length of the phase. It spikes around 10 stacks and stays constant for the rest of the phase. To get to maximum stacks, you need about 1.3 mio sustained HPS for about one minute. This should not be a problem for 3 healers, 2 Tanks and some CDs (your Ele and Boomkin should be enough). Use Bloodlust for the bats.

I'll add a WCL graphics showing the required healing for Thok (and especially P1) from our last 10 man kill:

[announced]

switch the rogue and the frost dk for a lock and pally= win.

seriously melee are so shit on thok its not even funny lmao. but anyway. u can 3heal it if u like. just remember u will probly need to do all 3 phases, sidestep the yeti or have some1 call it out when he charges, mass aoe the bats, and drop a mass stun on them when they enrage (the dk talent might help there) , and u could try using AMS on the fire stack phase if needed. as for kiting, ranged will rarely get picked if they run up to thok and are close to him before he fixates, if they are moderately far away.. they might get picked and that tends to be pretty bad.