Controlling the druid - Horde Champions 25HC

[Fannyd]

I wrote this guide for my guild and I know that 3.3 is just around the corner but with the raid lock outs etc I think that we will still be farming TOTGC a fair bit.

This guide is intended for warlocks who struggle in the Horde Champions fight. I've written it specifically on how to lock down the druid but the tips about gearing etc can be applied if you're part of the nuke team. A dead DPS doesn't DPS



Ok first off, you need to understand how the aggro works from these guys - [url http://maintankadin.failsafedesign.c...rb_v=viewtopic [/url]- if you want to know the full story, but essentially for us the aggro is based one three things:

HP level
Armour
Proximity



So with this in mind I set my gear accordingly. Basically our job is to control the druid, at no point (until the raid focuses her, which should be last or second last) will we DPS and so using PVE gear is pointless. HOWEVER you need to remember that hit is still really really important as 1 missed banish or fear + a CC on you can let the druid get out some heals.

Therefore what I do is I switch out all my PVE gear that has 0 hit on it and replace it with PVP gear. Remember that all we need to do is make sure that our HP/armour levels are above other casters like priests and mages, whilst maintaining our raiding level of hit. I spec into the PVP Destro spec - http://eu.wowarmory.com/talent-calc....31351035031051 - and roll with Demon Armour (for the improved armour).

Basically if you do all that and make sure that you stay out of range of the melle classes you should be able to go through most of the fight unhindered. Set up demonic portal before the pull in case you get a bladestorm, rogue jumping on you or DK grip.

Use Felhunter on passive in this fight for the main reason that if you get CC'd you have an extra spell lock for the druid. Also as the spell lock has a relatively short cooldown you can use it as part of your CC cycles to but some time between your banishes and fears (which makes sure that either one is off diminishing returns).


The actual CCing of the druid is fairly straight forward. Start of by casting Banish 3 times (you need need need a decent spell timer for this so that you can recast just as it is about to break, Banish has always been the hardest CC to recast instantly). Follow that with a Shadowfury and then three Fears. Be careful with fears however as they are very likely to break and the druid will run all over the screen, sometimes through the big melles. Just follow it at a safe distance ready to recast if needed. If all three break really early then use your Felhunter to spell lock the Druid and by the end of that Banish should be back off Diminishing returns. Save Death Coil in case you get targeted by a mob, try to save Shadowfury as well actually in case you get zerged....The more you do this fight the more you get a feel of when you're going to need to save shadowfury and when to use it.

Just repeat the above process for the whole thing and by the end of the fight you'll feel quite attached to the druid. If you do it right she should never get out a big heal and only one HoT from when a fear breaks early (which can be easily purged).

[~Thalia~]

I've found out that speccing Meta is quite helpful when fighting against faction champions, especialy in HM. Use it at an emergency cooldown when the DK deathgrips you or when the rogue just pops out of nowhere to show you how well his daggers fit into your throat.
Demon charge and felguard interception make two more CCs to be used with DC in the time between the banish-fear immunity. Counterspell does the job too I guess.

Your biggest foe here is the fear-breaking totem, and hunter pets stuck on your target (but they are dwarves or nightelves, they surely can't be blamed for being retards do they?). Just make sure your melee buddies understand that they have to insta-gib any Grounding totem they pass by, and make yourself a totem-stomping macro for your Felguard.

Use focus macros for both fear and banish, it will help you both with range and target issues.

[boredat2am]

Great post, it's always good to have a druid locked down!

[gherkin]

I always found that dps classes should kill things, instead of worry about npc's that can be easily shut down by a shaman or priest or two. Regrowth hits for 40k, HOTs can be dispelled. My raid does 80k rDPS, so regrowth isn't anything special.

Plus since Banish and Fear can be dispelled by one of the two Paladins, two Priests, and the warlocks pet, it seems kind of pointless.

[Bakis]

I just eat them

but essentially for us the aggro is based one three things:

HP level
Armour
Proximity

Sidenote, those 3 are actually in a priority order, Armor, HP, Prox, where highest priority value is Armor, then HP, last Prox

[Gerian]

I always found that dps classes should kill things, instead of worry about npc's that can be easily shut down by a shaman or priest or two. Regrowth hits for 40k, HOTs can be dispelled. My raid does 80k rDPS, so regrowth isn't anything special.

Plus since Banish and Fear can be dispelled by one of the two Paladins, two Priests, and the warlocks pet, it seems kind of pointless.

We still give CC assignments to any caster capable of doing so but still expect everyone to dps. The only people we keep permanently on CC duty are druids for root/cyclone/bash on the melee (mainly the warrior, fuck Bladestorm).

[Bakis]

well warlocks are THE worst damage dealers in Champs, movement is our bane and this fight is movement. Personally i like locks and druids do much of the cc, locks cos their damage suck due to having to move pretty often, druids cos their cc own, cyclone, roots, infected wounds, bash (being generally anal maddafakkes).

[gherkin]

I hold my own on dps on this fight while remaining alive most of the time.

My guild has rolled FC ever since we said "Fuck CC." We use CC as defensive means only, we chain-disarm the dps target to prevent things like Bladestorm, and our tanks keep the Warrior and Death Knight away from the raid with a dk on the warrior (counter charge/intercept, apply slows) and anything else on the Death Knight, but usually a paladin (cleanse to reduce +damage per disease)

The ~only~ important thing on the fight with this strategy is offensive dispels - purge, devour magic, and dispel magic. If you can't remove that shield or hot, the strat fails.


However we have some pretty genius players who do some pretty amazing things (Fury Warr disarming the rogue behind him while maintaining pressure on the dps target, all while not delaying his swing timer) while maintaining 5k+ dps on this fight, so there's that.

[Bakis]

If a warlock should dps, which i dont think is the best pick in a 25man raid, then he should not cc right after the pull. He should have his lolportal up to one sinde and have a designated cc target on the other side. Sharind cc with a druid or mage is pref. I know I will get trained by at least 2 pets permanently and 1-2 melee on and off so I rather stay in the cc slot, popping a fear or banish while being on the move

[gherkin]

I've seen a few warlocks do 6500+ dps as Affliction on this fight. Tab Dot UA/Corruption with an Unholy DK providing Elements, and win.

[Bakis]

affliction?? sissies....

Gherkin, shape up!