The Nighthold - Tichondrius Raid Strategy Guide

Background and Initial Positioning

• The once-mightiest dreadlord has been given a new duty after licking his wounds in the Twisting Nether. He now watches over Gul’dan and ensures his machinations come to pass.
• This is a pretty complicated fight with a high DPS requirement.
• Tank Tichondrius where he is. The raid should be decently spread and grouped to one side of the boss. This side of the boss will be called the “safe zone” for the guide.

Abilities and Mechanics
Phase 1 - Activates at :00, 2:00, and 4:00. It lasts for 1:30 during the first 2 activations and is indefinitely long during the last.

• Vampiric Aura
  
  • Tichondrius will summon several adds throughout this encounter.
  • Any of his allies that are within 30 yards of him will gain a massive lifesteal effect on their attacks.
  • It is imperative that all adds are kited away from the boss immediately by the off-tank.
• Feast of Blood
  
  • Tichondrius will cast this debuff on the current tank, causing him to take increased physical damage and summoning Tainted Bloods.
  • The tanks should swap, and the debuffed tank should kite the Bloods away from Tichondrius while staying inside the safe zone.
  • Players should DPS the adds down immediately, using CCs to simplify the kiting process if able.
  • This process gets more complicated when the phase repeats, as the off-tank will have the additional duty of managing new adds.
• Carrion Plague
  
  • Tichondrius will target 2 non-tank players with this strong DoT debuff.
  • After 10 seconds, Tichondrius will cast Seeker Swarm at debuffed players.
    
    • Any player between the debuffed player and Tichondrius will take damage and be affected by the Plague.
  • Players affected by the Plague should run to the other side of the room away from the safe zone to avoid hitting other players (as well as the other target) with Seeker Swarm.
• Echoes of the Void
  
  • 4 Fel Spires will rise at set locations at the beginning of this ability’s channel.
  • Tichondrius will channel this ability for 8 seconds, dealing heavy raid damage. This damage can be avoided by hiding behind a Fel Spire.
  • The ability damages the spires themselves however, so the raid must split evenly amongst the spires.
  • Dynamically divide into four groups based on whether you are melee or ranged and currently within the safe zone.
    • For example, ranged players affected by Carrion Plague and outside of the safe zone should share a spire.
    • Tanks should share a spire with melee plague carriers, as it will almost certainly be smaller than the safe melee group.
• Felsworn Spellguards
  
  • These adds will spawn the second and third time this phase is entered. Three sets will be summoned each phase.
  • These adds buff themselves with Rapid Pursuit and debuff others with Volatile Wound, which in turn summons a Nether Zone when expiring.
    • Players affected by Volatile Wound should aim to avoid areas where players congregate when dropping pools, such as the Fel Spire locations or the Plague zone.
• Sightless Watcher
  
  • These adds will spawn the third time this phase is entered. Three sets will be summoned each phase.
  • The adds cast Burning Soul on a random healer, dealing a DoT and draining mana until it is dispelled.
  • Dispelling the debuff causes AoE damage, so healers should pre-emptively spread out during the phase.
  • Because of their healer-centric debuffs, these adds should become priority.

Phase 2 - Activates at 1:30 and 3:30. Lasts 30 seconds.

• Illusory Night
  
  • After Phase 1 ends, Tichondrius pulls the raid into a nightmare.
• Carrion Nightmare
  
  • This is a stunning beam attack that is clearly telegraphed on the floor during this phase. Avoid it quickly.
• Phantasmal Bloodfang
  
  • These are trivial bat adds that spawn throughout this phase.
  • Killing them drops Essence of Night, and moving into the area applies the buff.
  • Kill as many bats and collect as many buffs as possible during this phase. There should be plenty to go around.

The dreadlord Tichondrius, once leader of the nathrezim, was once slain by the newly-awakened power of none other than Illidan Stormrage. Reconstituted in the Twisting Nether, Tichondrius returns to watch over Gul'dan on behalf of the Legion, ensuring that the orc warlock does not once again fail his masters.

• Overview - Tichondrius wields foul carrion magic, unleashing waves of chaos and pestilence to assault the raid. As the fight progresses, Tichondrius periodically uses Illusionary Night to trap all players in an illusion, within which they may find some respite if they can endure his Carrion Nightmare assault for 30 sec.
  
  • Damage Dealers -
    • Carefully position to avoid spreading Carrion Plague.
    • Quickly kill Phantasmal Bloodfangs and obtain Essence of Night while trapped in the Illusionary Night.
    • Coordinate Brand of Argus detonations to avoid lethal raidwide damage.
  • Damage Dealers -
    • Carefully position to avoid spreading Carrion Plague.
    • Quickly kill Phantasmal Bloodfangs and obtain Essence of Night while trapped in the Illusionary Night.
  • Healers -
    • Players with Carrion Plague take sustained damage until the debuff can fade during Illusionary Night.
    • Position for and quickly dispel Burning Soul.
    • Tanks suffer significant damage from Tichondrius' nightborne allies.
  • Tanks -
    • Position nightborne and Legion minions outside of Vampiric Aura.
    • Avoid taking multiple stacks of Feast of Blood.
• Stage One: Lord of the Nathrezim -
  
  • Carrion Plague - Tichondrius corrupts several random players, inflicting 103,000 Shadow damage every second for 40 sec.
  • Seeker Swarm - Tichondrius unleashes a wave of chaotic magic at all players afflicted with Carrion Plague. This effect inflicts 321,000 Shadow damage to all players in a line towards each target. In addition, this effect applies Carrion Plague to all players hit.
  • Brand of Argus - Tichondrius marks several players with a deadly brand for the remainder of the fight. If a marked player is ever within 6 yards of a clump of their allies, the brand is removed, causing a violent explosion. This effect inflicts 823,000 Fire damage to all players within 200 yards. The damage of Brand of Argus is reduced the further players are away from the source of the explosion.
    
    • Flames of Argus - The Flames of Argus erupt from the ground under all players that trigger Brand of Argus for 60 sec. This effect inflicts 150,000 Fire damage every 0.5 sec to all players within the targeted area.
  • Vampiric Aura - Tichondrius' allies within 30 yards are healed for 400% of their damage dealt by melee attacks.
  • Feast of Blood - Tichondrius marks a player, increasing their Physical damage taken by 15% and summoning 3 Tainted Bloods that fixate the target. In addition, this effect increases the effects of Vampiric Aura by 100%.
    
    • Tainted Blood - Tainted Blood fixates the target of Feast of Blood until it is killed.
  • Echoes of the Void - Tichondrius calls on the void, inflicting 87,588 Shadow damage every 0.5 sec for 8 sec. The damage of this effect increases with each tick.
    As the void is torn open, 4 Fel Spires form throughout the room. Each spire absorbs the damage from Echoes of the Void for each player behind it until it is destroyed.
• Stage Two: Shadow of Terror -
  
  • Illusionary Night - Tichondrius dissolves into bats, trapping all players in a horrific illusion for 30 sec.
    
    • Carrion Nightmare - Tichondrius forms in the illusion, inflicting 1,300,600 Shadow damage in a line, stunning all players hit for 3 sec.
    • Phantasmal Bloodfang - Phantasmal Bloodfangs continuously form in the illusion at an increasing rate.
      
      • Essence of Night - As Phantasmal Bloodfangs die, an Essence of Night is created. This effect increases all damage and healing by 30% as long as players are within the Illusionary Night. In addition, mana regeneration is increased by 2%.
        This effect persists for 30 sec after exiting the illusion.
• The Nightborne - When Tichondrius exits the Illusionary Night for the first time, he begins to call the Nightborne to aid him.
  
  • Felsworn Spellguard -
    
    • Rapid Pursuit - Movement speed increased by 15% for the remainder of the fight. This effect stacks.
    • Volatile Wound - Strikes an enemy with Arcane energy, inflicting 428,500 Arcane damage and increasing all damage taken by 5% for 8 sec. This effect stacks.
      When Volatile Wound expires, a Nether Zone is created.
      
      • Nether Zone - A chaotic void of Arcane magic that inflicts 393,000 Arcane damage every second to all players within the targeted area.
  • Nightborne Wizard -
    
    • Temporal Orb - Summons an orb of chaotic magic that moves out from the caster. As the orb travels it inflicts 250,000 Arcane damage every 0.25 sec to all players it passes through.
    • Blast Nova - Unleashes a wave of energy that inflicts 803,250 Arcane damage to all players within 12 yards.
• The Legion - When Tichondrius exits the Illusionary Night for the second time, he begins to call the Legion to aid him.
  
  • Wrathguard Dreadblade -
    
    • Blade Rush - Charges to a random player's location and casts Fel Storm.
      
      • Fel Storm - Instantly attacks all players within 8 yards for 8 sec, inflicting 325,000 Fire damage.
  • Sightless Watcher -
    
    • Burning Soul - Burns a random healer's soul, inflicting 350,000 Fire damage every second for 30 sec. In addition, this effect drains 77,000 Mana every second.
      When this effect is removed, it explodes inflicting 589,000 Fire damage to allies within 8 yards.
    • Ring of Shadows - Encircles the caster in a ring of souls that inflicts 89,300 Shadow damage to all players within 10-20 yards every 0.5 sec.