The Nighthold - Spellblade Aluriel Raid Strategy Guide

Background and Initial Positioning

• Auriel is a patrolling guard of the Nighthold gardens.
• The fight requires a fair amount of movement and some add management. It rotates through 3 time-limited phases.
• Tank the boss away from raid and in an area where ranged DPS have plenty of space.

Abilities and Mechanics
Persistent Abilities

• Annihilate
  
  • This is a tank-swap mechanic that is a 4 second channel. It splits heavy damage between two targets in front of the boss.
  • The current target will additionally gain the Annihilate stack, causing them the take more damage. Swap at 2 stacks.

Phase 1: Icy Enchantment

• Mark of Frost
  
  • This is a debuff that Auriel will cast on 2 players.
  • After a short warning duration, the players will pulse damage every 1.5 seconds in an 8 yard AoE for 60 seconds.
  • Each pulse affects the target with Frostbitten.
  • Once stacks of Frostbitten get too high to sustain, the two targets affected must run together to cause the marks to explode. This causes raid-wide damage and transfers the debuff to 2 nearby players. The debuff retains its duration when transferred.
• Replicate: Mark of Frost
  
  • Auriel will cast this shortly into this phase, casting two more (shorter duration) marks.
  • It’s important to mark an area away from tanks and DPS for people with marks to run to, soak damage, and explode before moving back.
• Detonate: Mark of Frost
  
  • 30 seconds after replicating marks, Auriel will cause her marks to explode, dealing damage in a 10 yard AoE and creating a Pool of Frost.
  • Players affected with marks should spread out in the previously marked area to prevent excess damage, then move out of pools.
  • These pools don’t go away, so you may need to kite Auriel.
• Animate: Mark of Frost
  
  • Auriel will summon Frost Enchantments from the frost pools. These deal raid-wide damage.
  • Have the off-tank group them up and AoE them down quickly.

Phase 2: Fiery Enchantment

• Searing Brand
  
  • Auriel will cast this ability on a non-tank target, drawing a line between herself and them.
  • After a short warning, the targeted player will be stunned. Auriel will charge at them, doing damage and applying a DoT to the target and anyone caught in the charge.
• Replicate: Searing Brand
  
  • After the charge, she will summon four more copies of herself, which will in turn cast Searing Brand with the same mechanics.
  • These targeted players should all move away from the group, being careful to not catch any allies in the charge line.
• Detonate: Searing Brand
  
  • All players affected by the DoT from Searing Brand will explode, dealing damage in a 10 yard AoE and dropping Burning Ground.
  • Make certain to spread out after taking charges to limit damage.
• Animate: Searing Brand
  
  • Auriel will cast this last in the phase, consuming Burning Ground and summoning a Fiery Enchantment, which will deal raid-wide damage.
  • Have the off-tank group them up and AoE them down quickly.

Phase 3: Magic Enchantment

• Arcane Orb
  
  • Auriel will cast this ability to summon an orb near a player that deals fairly strong damage in an 8 yard AoE.
• Replicate: Arcane Orb
  
  • The original Arcane Orb will fire 7 projectiles at players. The projectiles will spawn more Orbs when they land.
  • Players should move away from the Orbs and stack up.
• Detonate: Arcane Orb
  
  • Auriel will lift the Orbs into the air, target a player’s location with a rune, and fire the Orbs at the location, causing damage and leaving behind Arcane Fog. Stacking up the raid allows for concerted movements to avoid detonations.
  • The travel time on the orbs is slow, so the raid may only need to move a couple times.
• Animate: Arcane Orb
  
  • Similar to the other summons, Arcane Enchantments will consume Arcane Fog and deal raid-wide damage. They will need to be AoE’d down quickly.

Aluriel always had an affinity for magic. She rose through the ranks of the Nightguard effortlessly, having a natural talent with the sword. But no matter how strong she became, she wanted more. She studied with the mages at the University of Suramar, spending her days in combat training and her evenings in the artificery. She forged her weapons and armor in the Nightwell, weaving magic spells into the precious metals. She is the first Spellblade, adept in the schools of Fire, Frost and Arcane.

• Overview - Spellblade Aluriel cycles between three enchantments: Frost, Fire, and Arcane. Each enchantment grants her an ability that she can only use while she's under the effect of that enchantment. She will then manipulate that magic with a few commands: replicate, detonate, and animate.
  
  • Tanks -
    • When Aluriel performs Annihilate, gather together to share the damage.
    • Transfer Mark of Frost to an ally when its damage becomes excessive, but be mindful that each transfer triggers an explosion.
    • Quickly move away from the target of Detonate: Arcane Orb, which deals more damage the closer players are to the impact point.
  • Tanks -
    • When Aluriel performs Annihilate, gather together to share the damage.
    • Transfer Mark of Frost to an ally when its damage becomes excessive, but be mindful that each transfer triggers an explosion.
    • Quickly move away from the target of Detonate: Arcane Orb, which deals more damage the closer players are to the impact point.
    • Interrupt Fiery Enchantments when they cast Pyroblast, which deals critical damage to a target.
  • Healers -
    • Transfer Mark of Frost to an ally when its damage becomes excessive, but be mindful that each transfer triggers an explosion.
    • Quickly move away from the target of Detonate: Arcane Orb, which deals more damage the closer players are to the impact point.
  • Damage Dealers -
    • Kill Arcane Enchantments quickly to prevent them from triggering Armageddon.
    • Transfer Mark of Frost to an ally when its damage becomes excessive, but be mindful that each transfer triggers an explosion.
    • Quickly move away from the target of Detonate: Arcane Orb, which deals more damage the closer players are to the impact point.
  • Damage Dealers -
    • Kill Arcane Enchantments quickly to prevent them from triggering Armageddon.
    • Transfer Mark of Frost to an ally when its damage becomes excessive, but be mindful that each transfer triggers an explosion.
    • Quickly move away from the target of Detonate: Arcane Orb, which deals more damage the closer players are to the impact point.
    • Interrupt Fiery Enchantments when they cast Pyroblast, which deals critical damage to a target.
• Champion of Blades -
  
  • Annihilate - Aluriel unleashes a barrage of attacks, annihilating up to 2 frontal enemies for 563,125 Physical damage each round, split evenly between the two.
    Her primary target will take 75% additional damage from Spellblade Aluriel's physical attacks for 1.5 min.
• Master of Frost -
  
  • Mark of Frost - Aluriel brands people with the Mark of Frost. Each marked player inflicts 40,814 Frost damage to allies within 8 yards. Damage taken inflicts the Frostbitten status ailment, increasing damage from Mark of Frost by 30% per application.
    If two marked players come into contact with another, they will cause an explosion for 74,520 Frost damage and Mark of Frost will bounce to the closest ally. This effect prefers targets who are not Frostbitten.
    
    • Frostbitten - Damage taken by Mark of Frost increased by 30% per application.
  • Replicate: Mark of Frost - Additional targets are affected by Mark of Frost.
  • Detonate: Mark of Frost - Aluriel detonates enemies afflicted by Mark of Frost. Each afflicted unit will leave a Pool of Frost on the ground at their location.
    
    • Pool of Frost - Pools of Frost inflict 200,000 Frost damage to enemies caught within, slowing their movement speed by 25%.
  • Animate: Mark of Frost - From the Pools of Frost, the remnants of magic stir. Aluriel commands Icy Enchantments to rise.
    
    • Frozen Tempest - Icy Enchantments teleport to a random enemy and channel a Frozen Tempest, increasing their vulnerability to attacks by 100%.
      The tempest creates a dome of frost, inflicting 157,500 Frost damage to units inside and pushing them towards the outer edge of the dome. Players who cross this threshold will be stunned in place, creating a block of ice that must be destroyed before the stun is removed.
  • Animate: Mark of Frost - From the Pools of Ice, the remnants of magic stir. Aluriel commands Icy Enchantments to rise.
    
    • Burst of Ice - Icy Enchantments periodically burst with icy energy, inflicting 16,848 Frost damage to all enemies.
• Master of Fire -
  
  • Searing Brand - Aluriel marks random targets with a Searing Brand. She will then ignite her armor and charge to those marked targets. Any enemy in her way will be knocked back and burn for 600,000 Fire damage. This effect stacks.
    Players who die under the effects of Searing Brand will automatically detonate.
  • Replicate: Searing Brand - Additional targets are affected by Searing Brand.
  • Detonate: Searing Brand - Aluriel detonates enemies afflicted by Searing Brand. Each afflicted unit will leave Burning Ground at their location.
    
    • Burning Ground - 200,000 Fire damage inflicted every second while standing within the area of effect.
  • Animate: Searing Brand - From the Burning Ground, the remnants of magic stir. Aluriel commands Fiery Enchantments to rise.
    
    • Pyroblast - Fiery Enchantments blast a random enemy for 2,812,500 Fire damage. This effect is interruptible.
    • Bound in Flame - Damage dealt is increased by 100% and casting speed is increased by 100% for every ally within 8 yards.
  • Animate: Searing Brand - From the Burning Ground, the remnants of magic stir. Aluriel commands Fiery Enchantments to rise.
    
    • Burst of Flame - Fiery Enchantments periodically burst with fiery energy, inflicting 36,270 Fire damage to all enemies.
• Master of the Arcane -
  
  • Arcane Orb - Aluriel summons Arcane Orbs around random enemies. These Arcane Orbs inflict 225,000 Arcane damage to all enemies within 8 yards.
  • Replicate: Arcane Orb - Additional Arcane Orbs manifest.
  • Detonate: Arcane Orb - Aluriel commands Arcane Orbs to pursue a target, detonating at their location for 962,500 Arcane damage. This damage is decreased based on distance from the explosion. Orbs will leave Arcane Fog at the location.
    
    • Arcane Fog - Silences enemies standing within the area of effect, inflicting 200,000 Arcane damage per second.
  • Animate: Arcane Orb - From the Arcane Fog, the remnants of magic stir. Aluriel commands Arcane Enchantments to rise.
    
    • Armageddon - Arcane Enchantments channel Armageddon. Upon completion of the channel, they inflict 450,000 Arcane damage to all enemies and knock them back.
  • Animate: Arcane Orb - From the Arcane Fog, the remnants of magic stir. Aluriel commands Arcane Enchantments to rise.
    
    • Burst of Magic - Arcane Enchantments periodically burst with magical energy, inflicting 32,854 Arcane damage to all enemies.
• Fel Soul -
  
  • Fel Soul - Spellblade Aluriel's fragmented Fel Soul escapes her body and wreaks havoc on her enemies.
    
    • Severed Soul - If Aluriel's Fel Soul is greater than 45 yards away from her, they will both gain increased damage dealt and haste.
    • Decimate - Aluriel's Fel Soul Strikes her enemy for 3,000,000 Physical damage, knocking them back significantly.
    • Whirling Barrage - Aluriel's Fel Soul slashes wildly in the direction of random distant enemies, inflicting 1,500,000 Fire damage to those within range of her and knocking them back.
      She will use this during Aluriel's Frost Phase.
    • Fel Stomp - Aluriel's Fel Soul targets a random enemy and leaps vengefully at their location, inflicting 500,000 Fire damage per second to those caught within the effect.
      She will use this during Aluriel's Fire Phase.
    • Fel Lash - Aluriel's Fel Soul slashes magnificently, inflicting 12,000,000 Fire damage split evenly amongst all frontal enemies within 8 yards.
      She will use this during Aluriel's Arcane phase.