Sepulcher of the First Ones Adjustments Coming in 9.2.5

[Lumy]

Sepulcher of the First Ones Adjustments Coming in 9.2.5

As Patch 9.2.5 unlocks cross-server Mythic Sepulcher, and as we move into the later months of the tier, the team wants to continue to smooth out pain points for both progression and repeat kills on several bosses in the zone. Including this round of changes, we’ve made quite a few adjustments to Sepulcher in recent weeks, so we wanted to share a bit more context around our goals.

We’ve heard extensive feedback from players running Sepulcher on all difficulties that a number of mechanics in Sepulcher feel too unforgiving, and that there are just too many places where a single error by a single player can cause an unrecoverable wipe. We agree, and several of our recent changes have been aimed at reducing those penalties. This is a major topic of discussion within the team as we plan Dragonflight raid encounters and focus on delivering satisfying progression experiences for players on all raid difficulties.

Below are the changes that will be included in 9.2.5 next week during maintenance, and you’ll see them in the 9.2.5 patch notes:

Sepulcher of the First Ones

• Artificer Xy’mox
  
  • Decipher Relic cast time increased to 30 seconds on Mythic difficulty (was 25 seconds).
• Prototype Pantheon
  
  • Imprinted Safeguards reduce damage and healing taken by 35% on Mythic difficulty (was 50%).
• Lihuvim, Principal Architect
  
  • Lihuvim’s health reduced by 10% on all difficulties.
  • Protoform Schematics health reduced by 10% on all difficulties.
• Halondrus the Reclaimer
  
  • Ephemeral Eruption initial damage reduced significantly on Mythic difficulty.
  • Lightshatter Beam increases the damage taken from Lightshatter Beam by 300% on Heroic difficulty (was 500%).
• Anduin Wrynn
  
  • Anduin Wrynn’s health reduced by 5% on all difficulties.
  • Monstrous Souls health reduced by 5% on all difficulties.
  • Anduin’s Despair health reduced by 10% on all difficulties.
  • Anduin’s Hope movement speed reduced on Heroic and Mythic difficulty.
  • Remorseless Winter damage reduced by 10% on all difficulties.
  • Hopebreaker damage over time reduced by 15% on all difficulties.
  • Fiendish Soul’s Necrotic Claws cooldown increased by 50% on all difficulties.
• Lords of Dread
  
  • Mal’Ganis and Kin’tessa health reduced by 5% on all difficulties.
  • Swarm of Decay and Swarm of Darkness damage reduced by 7.5% on all difficulties.
  • Ravenous Hunger now heals the Inchoate Shadow for 13% on Mythic difficulty (was 10%).
  • Cloud of Carrion no longer disorients when jumping between players on Heroic and Mythic difficulty.
  • Infiltration of Dread duration increased by 10 seconds on Heroic and Mythic difficulty.
• Rygelon
  
  • Collapsing Quasar Field duration increased by 50% on Mythic difficulty.
• The Jailer
  
  • Rune of Compulsion’s absorb reduced by 33% on Normal and Heroic difficulty, and 10% on Mythic difficulty.
  • Misery no longer knocksback on Raid Finder, Normal, and Heroic difficulty.
  • Decimator no longer knocksback on Raid Finder and Normal difficulty.
  • Diverted Life Shield no longer heals on Mythic difficulty.
  • World Crusher produces 2 less Bloods of Azeroth on Mythic difficulty.
  • World Shatterer produces 1 less Blood of Azeroth on Mythic difficulty.
  • Phase 4 is now triggered at 15% Health on Mythic difficulty.

[enigma77]

Step 1: Release the most disgustingly overtuned, needlessly difficult raid ever.
Step 2: Spend the next few months nerfing virtually every boss repeatedly.
Step 3: Admit you are a pack of incompetent clowns.

[Derpules]

Step 1: Release the most disgustingly overtuned, needlessly difficult raid ever.
Step 2: Spend the next few months nerfing virtually every boss repeatedly.
Step 3: Admit you are a pack of incompetent clowns.

You left out the 'collect underwear' and 'profit' steps

[TobiasAmaranth]

"Infiltration of Dread duration increased by 10 seconds on Heroic and Mythic difficulty."

I had just mentioned this in an earlier topic. Glad to see it.

[Alayea]

Unfortunate that Rygelon will only receive a single nerf, and Mythic-only at that.

[BossManRoth]

Unfortunate that Rygelon will only receive a single nerf, and Mythic-only at that.

The just did a bunch of hotfixes on him, so that's where his nerfs are

[Relapses]

To the ground, Blizzard says.

[deenman]

Step 1: Release the most disgustingly overtuned, needlessly difficult raid ever.
Step 2: Spend the next few months nerfing virtually every boss repeatedly.
Step 3: Admit you are a pack of incompetent clowns.

huh?why would you think this is down to incompetence?they been doing this since tbc,release content on the harder side,and nerf it over time so more people can complete it,the issue people seem to have is that recent raids seem to be getting harder,and wile for mythic thats fine,even normal has been affected by it

[enigma77]

huh?why would you think this is down to incompetence?they been doing this since tbc,release content on the harder side,and nerf it over time so more people can complete it,the issue people seem to have is that recent raids seem to be getting harder,and wile for mythic thats fine,even normal has been affected by it

This has nothing to do with content simply being hard at the beginning. The content is too hard and unplayable without computer programmers making cheat programs so you can actually play the bosses as Blizzard intended (WITH the cheat programs).

It is no longer possible to play the game without third party cheat programs and boss fights have become hard for the sake of being hard. Blizzard is creatively bankrupt and raiding has become a degenerate, joyless exercise. The amount of effort and preparation required to beat bosses like Mythic Anduin or Jailer is simply unacceptable. It's unpaid work, not a hobby at this point.

Blizzard needs to take a chill pill and go back to designing fun bosses where you don't need 10 weakauras and a 15 page spreadsheet to kill them. This is the worst raid they have ever released, it's an abomination and they should hang their heads in shame.

[exochaft]

Waiting for the obligatory "The raid is tuned fine, 4pc + double leggo will fix it!" ...it was obvious from the start that this raid was way overtuned. Sure, Blizz has been increasing difficulty over time, but we're reaching the point where it's absurd for most players. Furthermore, they seem to embrace that difficulty equates to fun, and even for those that strive for a challenge have a breaking point.

One of the reasons I still have misgivings about Dragonflight at this stage is because their raid design philosophy shows no sign of changing. In fact, Ion said as much in interviews. It's possible for things to change over time, and considering that we only have 22 Alliance guilds clearing the mythic raid and Blizz is already allowing cross-realm reading next reset, Blizz has the potential to finally learn that they've taken things too far. Do I think they'll learn? Likely not.

Despite having been an avid hardcore mythic raider, looking back on things I feel that mythic raiding was a mistake. The old model worked fine, and it could allow systems (like hard modes) where you could avoid gatekeeping of gear while providing optional challenge to those who want it with way less negative side effects and issues that the current system has. There's a huge fallacy that the way Blizz is currently doing this can only be the best way, but Blizz has a long history of having the solutions or answers to their problems in the game's past. The first thing that needs to change is Blizz's stubbornness and arrogance, as it keeps them from accepting feedback and realizing that they've made some huge mistakes in the way they design raiding content. Only then can we see real change in the game.

[deenman]

This has nothing to do with content simply being hard at the beginning. The content is too hard and unplayable without computer programmers making cheat programs so you can actually play the bosses as Blizzard intended (WITH the cheat programs).

It is no longer possible to play the game without third party cheat programs and boss fights have become hard for the sake of being hard. Blizzard is creatively bankrupt and raiding has become a degenerate, joyless exercise. The amount of effort and preparation required to beat bosses like Mythic Anduin or Jailer is simply unacceptable. It's unpaid work, not a hobby at this point.

Blizzard needs to take a chill pill and go back to designing fun bosses where you don't need 10 weakauras and a 15 page spreadsheet to kill them. This is the worst raid they have ever released, it's an abomination and they should hang their heads in shame.

well,unless they ban those addons what do you expect?raids will be far to easy,wod had a bunch of op addons and they were changed after a bit

[conkrete]

I commend Blizzard for this, these were needed.

[MrLachyG]

huh?why would you think this is down to incompetence?they been doing this since tbc,release content on the harder side,and nerf it over time so more people can complete it,the issue people seem to have is that recent raids seem to be getting harder,and wile for mythic thats fine,even normal has been affected by it

it's also been affected by the massive power gain we got in 9.2 and so the raid was tuned around it. CN and SoD were tuned around having a single legendary and those stupid gems. this raid was tuned around having double legendary and 4 set - something we usually get in patch .0 but got in .2 instead

[deenman]

it's also been affected by the massive power gain we got in 9.2 and so the raid was tuned around it. CN and SoD were tuned around having a single legendary and those stupid gems. this raid was tuned around having double legendary and 4 set - something we usually get in patch .0 but got in .2 instead

yeah,but its the last patch,insane power creep is normal,like wtih wod ring or corruption....i guess they didnt want a legion emerald situation

[Argorwal]

The raid should be renamed to “Faint echo of the Selpucher of the First Ones” at this point after the bludgeoning it’s taken with the nerf bat.

Has a raid every been nerfed this hard and often in recent times?

[Ange]

Waiting for the obligatory "The raid is tuned fine, 4pc + double leggo will fix it!" ...it was obvious from the start that this raid was way overtuned. Sure, Blizz has been increasing difficulty over time, but we're reaching the point where it's absurd for most players. Furthermore, they seem to embrace that difficulty equates to fun, and even for those that strive for a challenge have a breaking point.

Having every raid tier with heroic pug killer bosses is just stupid, this tier we have 2 of them.

If heroic is painfull with PUGs, because some bosses require communication AND individual fails cant be compensated in heroic difficulty - WHY SHOULD CASUAL PLAYERS EVEN PARTICIPATE?

Its just a painfull experience, not fun for everyone involved and the half done raids at the end of the tier - in HEROIC - are a total failure in raid and boss tuning.

If a group of full 3000 R.IO / 280 ilvl players dont even expect a clear in HEROIC, whats the point of casual raiding at this point?

M+ and PVP patchnotes are all there is, raiding at this point outside of mythic raiding makes no sense at all and its as far from beeing fun as it can be.

[cparle87]

Having every raid tier with heroic pug killer bosses is just stupid, this tier we have 2 of them.

If heroic is painfull with PUGs, because some bosses require communication AND individual fails cant be compensated in heroic difficulty - WHY SHOULD CASUAL PLAYERS EVEN PARTICIPATE?

Its just a painfull experience, not fun for everyone involved and the half done raids at the end of the tier - in HEROIC - are a total failure in raid and boss tuning.

If a group of full 3000 R.IO / 280 ilvl players dont even expect a clear in HEROIC, whats the point of casual raiding at this point?

M+ and PVP patchnotes are all there is, raiding at this point outside of mythic raiding makes no sense at all and its as far from beeing fun as it can be.

Did you consider that pugs aren't the target audience for the second highest difficulty?

The point of casual raiding is normal. Heroic raiding is not casual.

[LordVargK]

The raid should be renamed to “Faint echo of the Selpucher of the First Ones” at this point after the bludgeoning it’s taken with the nerf bat.

Has a raid every been nerfed this hard and often in recent times?

Define recent times.

Icecrown, Dragon Soul and SoO all were nerfed by giving the player a stacking buff, that increased their damage, healing and HP by up to 30%. Legion had Titanforging as a way to nerf their raids. BfA had corrupted gear as a quasi nerf.

SL is the first expansion in a while that does not have a way to significantly outgear or outbuff the raid, hence why their final raid gets so many nerfs. But Sepulcher is not treated differently than any other final raid before.

[rogoth]

Step 1: Release the most disgustingly overtuned, needlessly difficult raid ever.
Step 2: Spend the next few months nerfing virtually every boss repeatedly.
Step 3: Admit you are a pack of incompetent clowns.

it's not though, it's only hard for the miniscule population left playing the retail version of the game, and the miniscule population of that, that is still raiding on mythic difficulty, from what i have seen this isn't the hardest raid ever made, it's just that the people who are currently making up the raiding population are for the most part not skilled enough anymore to clear content at this level anymore.

[HansOlo]

it's not though, it's only hard for the miniscule population left playing the retail version of the game, and the miniscule population of that, that is still raiding on mythic difficulty, from what i have seen this isn't the hardest raid ever made, it's just that the people who are currently making up the raiding population are for the most part not skilled enough anymore to clear content at this level anymore.

Minuscule population?

Why don't you just say that only 1 realm is alive and out that realm 1 guild is raiding Mythic?

You know - do a proper mislead if you are trying to. It's also nice that you are sharing insights, despite that you have no experience in the raid.

10/10 post.