Counterspell: Help me understand

[Oncedark]

How does Counterspell work on bosses?

Specifically:
Will counterspell prevent a RAID boss from casting that spell/school for 8 seconds? I've always understood no. I was told differently last night. I can't find anything definitive.

[Deleted]

How does Counterspell work on bosses?

Specifically:
Will counterspell prevent a RAID boss from casting that spell/school for 8 seconds? I've always understood no. I was told differently last night. I can't find anything definitive.

On most bosses it doesn't. It's probably that most bosses are immune to silence but not immune to interrupt. So you can interrupt the spell but the school lockout won't occur.

[boseguy22]

Interesting question. My impression is it has always stopped an interrupt-able cast but the school lock out was for pvp.

[Managarm_4]

Interesting question. My impression is it has always stopped an interrupt-able cast but the school lock out was for pvp.

Exactly. as you stated above, thats how it works.

[Kpoof]

Basically what people just said.

Get to remember when i FAESED LORD JARAKSUS, when a holy pala would get completely locked out of the holy school as a healer. So bosses can't get locked out of schools, but we can! and we killed the Lich King!

[bleedthesky]

Basically what people just said.

Get to remember when i FAESED LORD JARAKSUS, when a holy pala would get completely locked out of the holy school as a healer. So bosses can't get locked out of schools, but we can! and we killed the Lich King!

Brings back memories of getting yelled at by other healers for getting locked out on my holy pally . . . "Just cast a spell from a different spell school you fucking noob pally!!"

[Deleted]

What the others said - This is also why improved counterspell couldn't be used to prevent a soon-to-be-cast ability from being cast on bosses.

[Oncedark]

Thank you for all the replies.

[MaltoreseFalcon]

Counterspell doesn't lock out entire schools for non player characters, but it DOES lock out the spell that it interrupted. Good example was reliquary of souls in black temple, could be locked out of casting spirit shock by 3 mages, if you didn't have enough/good enough rogues.

[Swizzle]

Actually, the lock out works on SOME rare occasions. If I recall correctly, Vezax AoE fire could be locked out, which is why you had classes with longer lock outs interrupt it and not shamans.

[MaltoreseFalcon]

Ah, a better example is interrupting Jaraxxus's fireball (pure fire ability) - this did not prevent him casting incinerate flesh (another pure fire ability).

It does prevent him casting fireball for the duration of the lockout.

[Tassir]

Ah, a better example is interrupting Jaraxxus's fireball (pure fire ability) - this did not prevent him casting incinerate flesh (another pure fire ability).

It does prevent him casting fireball for the duration of the lockout.

Arcanotron would like a word with you on your ideas of how counterspell works.

Counterspell only interrupts bosses, No lockout, no silence.

[Deleted]

Arcanotron would like a word with you on your ideas of how counterspell works.

Counterspell only interrupts bosses, No lockout, no silence.

Depends on the boss like Swizzle said.
You couldn't use shamans to interrupt on vezax because he would instantly recast his spell, so you needed to lock out his spell.