Star Augur Nutshell Guide
#1
Star Augur Etraeus is a 4 phase fight that emphasizes coordination.  Most of the fight is a single-gtarget encounter, though he will occasionally summon powerful adds to assist him.

Each phase has an anti-tank attack, a comet attack, a sphere attack, and a raid-wide damaging attack.  These come in frost, fel, and arcane flavors.

PHASE ONE

Starburst (anti-tank attack).

Coronal Ejection:  spawns a pair of energy sphere that detonate after a short delay, dealing moderate fire damage to 4 nearby players then pelting them with more damage for 8 seconds.

STRATEGY:  stack for the extra healing during Coronal Ejection, or position early for the next phase.  We may get only one Coronal Ejection.  It's the only raid damage during this phase and it lasts 8 seconds.  Healers should have no trouble keeping these players alive -- no need for personal cooldowns.  No tank swaps are necessary during this phase, though it is recommended that whichever tank is sturdier take the boss during this phase.


PHASE TWO (90% health): Frost phase

Iceburst (anti-tank attack). deals moderate frost damage that also hits anyone within a 6 yard radius.

Gravitational Pull (anti-tank attack): cast on the current tank every 30 seconds.  Applies a 10-sec debuff, when it expires a Comet Impact will occur, striking the tank and anyone within 5 yards for significant damage.  Also applies the Absolute Zero debuff to anyone hit, and re-apply the Gravitational Pull debuff until this cycle has occurred 3 times.

Absolute Zero looks like a blue circle surrounding affected players.  It deals heavy ticking damage, and can be removed by stacking in a group of 3+ players.  Players who assist in the removal of Absolute Zero will be afflicted by Chilled, which causes them to be Frozen Solid if they come into contact with Absolute Zero in the next 12 seconds.

Icy Ejection:  icy sphere that spawns near a random player before detonating.  This applies a debuff to 3 nearby players that does periodic damage and progressively slowing the affected players until they are frozen in place.  At this point, all affected players will Shatter, dealing heavy frost damage to themselves and any players within 8 yards.

[Heroic only:  Frigid Nova deals high raid-wide Frost damage that is reduced for each player standing within 5 yards, up to a maximum of 4 additional players.]

STRATEGY:  Ranged and healers spread out across the room.  Keep the area behind the boss clear, as melee and tanks will need this space to deal with the Absolute Zero debuff.

Anyone affected by Icy Ejection should get at least 8 yards away from other players before stopping and waiting for Shatter.  Ranged and healers avoid crowding melee so melee only has to step out a few yards.

Melee and main tank should form an equilateral triangle, with two groups of melee on either side and behind the boss.  Nobody, including current off-tank, should be within 6 yards of the main tank, due to the splash damage of Iceburst.  When Etraeus applies Gravitational Pull, tanks should swap.

Gravitational Pull and Comet Impact:  The tank with Gravitational Pull should stand behind the 2 melee stacks, ensuring they are not within a 5 yard radius of any other players.  Once the comet hits, the tank will get Gravitational Pull re-applied along with Absolute Zero.  Tank should quickly dip into one of the melee stacks, which will clear the Absolute Zero debuff.  Then step out of the melee group and wait for the next comet.  Clear the next debuff in the other melee stack.  Continue to alternate between the melee stacks for the 3 cycles of Gravitational Pull.

[Heroic only: The raid should collapse on the melee for Frigid Nova.]


PHASE THREE (60% health): Fel phase

Felburst (anti-tank attack): periodically applied to the current tank.  Deals moderate fel damage and leaves a stacking periodic effect.

Gravitational Pull (anti-tank attack):  similar to Phase One, except that it summons a Fel Impact comet instead of an icy one.  It will also destroy any pools of Felflame it comes into contact with.  Fel Impact also re-applies Gravitational Pull until this cycle has occurred three times.

Fel Ejection:  sphere of fel that spawns near a random player and detonates after a short delay, applying a debuff to 3 nearby players which does periodic damage and drops a void zone every tick, for a total of 4 void zones per player.  The pools can overlap.

[Heroic Only:  Fel Nova deals significant raid-wide Fire damage that is reduced based on distance from the boss.]

STRATEGY:  The melee don't have to be in separate stacks for the phase.  Tanks should swap at every 4 stacks of Felburst.

We'll still get Gravitational Pull, however, which summons a comet on the debuffed tank.  Use Fel Impact to clear patches of Felflame dropped by the rest of the raid.  Keep the area around the melee clear in particular.

The boss will cast Fel Ejection more and more frequently through this phase.  Players with Fel Ejection should drop their puddles to cover as small an area as possivle.  Can take micro steps in a square pattern to leave all 4 patches close together, which makes them easy to clear by the tanks.

[Heroic Only: When the boss cases Fel Nova, players get to the edge of the room to avoid taking fatal damage.]

Toward the end of this phase space in the room will get really tight.  Take special care to tile void zones on top of each other.

PHASE FOUR (39% health)

Voidburst (anti-tank attack):  stacking DoT that deals Shadow damage.  When it expires, the stack splits and leaps to 2 new targets (each new target receives half the total stacks).  It will gradually proliferate through the raid.

Gravitational Pull (anti-tank attack): Every 65 seconds applies a 10 second debuff.  When it expires a Void Impact will land and deal heavy shadow damage to the tank and any players within 5 yards.  The impact will also spawn a Thing that Should Not Be add at the impact point.

The Thing that Should Not Be will envelope itself and the boss with a Void Shift shield if it is too close to the boss.  It will also periodically cast Witness the Void, which fill fear any players facing the add.

Void Ejection is a sphere of shadow that spawns near a random player then detonates after a short delay.  The debuff will be applied to 2 nearby players, dealing moderate damage immediately and more when it expires.  When it expires it will also spawn 2-3 Voidlings, which apply a stack of Voidburst upon their melee targets via Bursting Void.  When Bursting Void expires, it will jump to two more players

[Heroic only: Void Nova deals raid-wide Shadow damage and applies a stack of Voidburst to all players.]

Strategy:  This is a race to the finish.  Void burst will start to proliferate through the raid.  Eventually the entire raid will be afflicted and the stacks will continue to increase over time.  At a certain point the damage will become overwhelming.  Enter this phase with all cooldowns available.

When no other mechanics (like Gravitational Pull) impair taunt swaps, tanks should swap at around 5-7 stacks of Void burst.  If you raid stacks at lower numbers the debuff will propagate faster, but at higher number of stacks the damage might be dangerous to non-tanks.

Void Ejection will cause Voidlings to spawn regularly.  These are trivial.  Cleave them down with incidental damage.  They can be picked up by the tanks (and their melee swings apply stacks of Voidburst).

Taunt at Gravitational Pull.  The tank with the debuff should get to the edge of the room to spawn the Thing that Should Not Be, otherwise it will shield itself and the boss with Void Shift.  This add is the highest priority.  Use Bloodlust on the first add, then switch back to the boss.

Raid should turn its back to the add during Witness the Void or get feared for 8 seconds.  We should have only 2 or 3 of these things.  If the boss is at 5% or less health when a fresh Thing spawns, ignore it and kill the boss.
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#2
Here's the Line of Sight video for Star Augur Etraeus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDWuuL9hpIU

During this encounter Etraeus will transport the platform to different parts of the universe.  He will augment his four core abilities with the energy of the nearby planet.  This basically means that he has four abilities, which come in different flavors.

At 90%, the Frost Phase starts.  Tanks stand at least 6 yards apart.  Raid should stack on three stack points behind the boss.  He'll attack his current target with Ice Burst, which does splash damage, but this is not a problem if the tanks are 6 yards apart.

When the tank gets targeted with Gravitational Pull, tanks should swap.  After an ice comet hits, the tank will be affected with Absolute Zero.  The tank should run to one of the stacks of raid members to remove the debuff.  This will cause three players in the stack to be Chilled.  If they absorb another Absolute Zero, they will freeze, so after the next comet the tank should run to a different group to remove the debuff.  Icy Ejection will cause players to explode after Chilled wears off, so simply move away (to the edge of the platform) when it's about to fall off.

At 60% the Fel Phase will begin.  Fel Burst will apply a stacking DoT to the tank.  Swap when the stacks get too high.  Players stack up behind the boss, and when players get Fel Ejection they should run toward the door of the platform.  Each pulse of damage will spawn a PUDDLE on the ground.  Drop all puddles by the door as close together as possible, then return to the group once the debuff fades.  

Gravitational Pull in this phase will cause a series of comets to bombard a tank.  The comet impacts will dry up any fell puddles they hit, so the tank should run to the door, where the puddles are, and use the comet to dry up puddles.

At 30% the Void Phase begins.  Void Burst is a stacking debuff applied to his main target.  When the debuff fades, the number of stacks will be split between two other raid members.  Tanks should keep these stacks low.  Try to get stacks to fall off before re-enganging the boss.  

Void Ejection will apply a DoT to random void members and spawn some adds when it falls off.  These adds will also apply the Void Burst debuff.  Raid should stack as soon as they spawn so they can be stunned and killed quickly.  The current Etraeus tank should pick these adds up to ensure that the current off-tank's stacks fall off.  

The comet from Gravitational Pull will also spawn an add this phase.  The targeted tank should run to the edge of the room when targeted to ensure that the add, when it spawns, is far from the boss.  If they are too close to each other they will both be immune to damage. Focus down the big add, and turn away each time it casts Witness the Void to avoid being feared.

As this phase progresses, stacks of Void Burst will spread through the raid and grow in number.  Use Bloodlust and burn him down before the stacks get out of control.

IN SUM

Phase 1:  Tanks stand 6 yards apart, raid stacks on three points behind the boss.  Tanks swap after Gravitational Pull.  The affected tank will get hit by a comet, then the affected tank should run into one of the groups of raid members to remove the debuff.  After the next comet, run into a different group etc.  Players in the removal group will get the Chilled debuff, run this out as it explodes when it wears off.

Phase 2:  Players stack up behind the boss.  Tanks swap when stacks of Fel Burst get too high.  When players get Fel Ejection, run toward the door.  Each pulse of damage will drop a void zone, drop these by the door as close together as possible, then return to group.  The Gravitational Pull comet impacts on the tank will dry up the void zones, tank should run to the door and use it to dry up the puddles.

Phase 3:  Tanks will get Void Burst, a stacking debuff, which when it fades will be split between two other raid members.  Tanks swap to keep these stacks low.  Get the stacks to fall off before re-engaging the boss.  When the little adds spawn, the current Etraues tank should pick them up (to ensure that the off-tank's stacks fall off).  Raid should stack on the little adds when they spawn so they can be stunned and killed quickly. 

The Gravitational Pull comet will spawn a big add.  The tank should run to the edge of the room when targeted to ensure that the add, when it spawns, is far from the boss to avoid the add and the boss becoming immune to damage.  Focus down the big add, and turn away each time it casts Witness the Void.
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#3
This fight is fun for the first few phases. The last phase is by far the most difficult. This fight basically boils down to the last phase and killing the adds as fast as possible and tanking the big add as far away from the boss as possible. The adds are the priority over the boss. I tried this fight in LFR, and we should use Bloodlust as soon as the big add spawns. The big add casts a fear that lasts for 5 seconds which is super annoying. You can dodge that by turning away from him before he finishes his cast.

The big add has quite a bit of health, too.
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#4
We did a great job getting Etraeus into Phase 3 last night!  I'm writing down some of the stuff we learned that wasn't always apparent from the guides:

* The platform is VERY small, and the boss doesn't move from the center.  The three groups of players in the Frost Phase basically need to stack right on top of each other, with just a couple yards between one stack and the next and the tank. It's tight, so we need to stack close.

* Icy Ejection (Frost Phase) looks like a light blue circle on targeted players.  Players can just walk out of the group a little ways, there's no need to go all the way to the edge, then come back in after it falls off, no big deal.


* Fel Ejection (Fel Phase) is an 8-second debuff that does damage and drops a void zone every 2 seconds.  The Fel Ejection debuff icon looks like a little green comet with dark spots on it and a curled wispy tail against a smoky green background.  This debuff ticks down.  If you have it, you need to MOVE FAST to the door to drop your void zones there.  You have 2 seconds before the first void zone drops.  Once you're there, take little steps to overlap your four green void zones on top of each other.  No need to run, tile them on top of each other.

NOTE: if you are standing in a felflame void zone you will get a different debuff, called "FelFlame," indicating that you are taking damage from a void zone.  The Fel Flame debuff looks like a bright solid-green comet impacting a green surface, and it doesn't tick down -- it stays on you as long as you're standing in a void zone.

These two debuffs look VERY similar to each other, and I know I got confused between them last night.  I thought the Felflame debuff was the Fel Ejection debuff so I spent too much time by the door trying to drop void zones when in fact my Fel Ejection debuff had already fallen off.  DBM hates both debuffs so it's just yelling constantly and is not much help.  So, for next time:

- You've got a swirly green comet with dark spots debuff on it that counts down?  Get to the door FAST, where you drop your four void zones overlapping each other.  When THIS debuff expires get back to the group.
- You have a bright solid green comet debuff that doesn't count down?  You're standing in a void zone, step out of it.


* We learned what the comets look like.  The comets in the Frost and Fel Phases come in sets of three, separated by about 5-10 seconds.  They fall on the tank affected with Gravitational Pull, wherever the tank happens to be.  The "impending-impact" circle on the tank looks like a dark bluish-purple circle marbled with white.

--> During the Frost phase, the tank with Gravitational Pull must wait until the comet hits him (which means stay out if he has the dark blue circle) until he gets hit by the white comet, THEN run into a stacked group to remove the Absolute Zero debuff.  Then he runs out to wait for the second comet, after which he runs into a different group to remove the debuff.  Then repeat this one more time: run out, wait for the impact, then run into the third group.

--> During the Fel phase, the tank with Gravitational Pull must take his dark blue-purple "impending impact" circle to a patch of green void zones.  The comet will erase these.  The tank repeats this two more times.

--> During the Void phase, the tank with Gravitational Pull must run to the edge of the platform because the comet's impact spawns a big add, the Thing that Should Not Be, which shields itself and the boss if they are within 30 yards of each other.  It appears that only ONE comet falls per Gravitational Pull, spawning just ONE add, during this phase.


* Adds during the Void Phase:  I think we may want to leave one or two heavy-hitting AoE-ers on the boss to help kill the little adds on the Etraeus tank, while everyone else focuses down the big add.  The Etraeus tank was getting badly chewed up by those little adds, but I didn't get the impression they had a lot of health so a couple AoE-ers may be able to take them down.
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#5
(02-10-2017, 08:46 AM)Moregil Wrote: This fight is fun for the first few phases.  The last phase is by far the most difficult.  This fight basically boils down to the last phase and killing the adds as fast as possible and tanking the big add as far away from the boss as possible.  The adds are the priority over the boss.  I tried this fight in LFR, and we should use Bloodlust as soon as the big add spawns.  The big add casts a fear that lasts for 5 seconds which is super annoying.  You can dodge that by turning away from him before he finishes his cast.  

The big add has quite a bit of health, too.
 
Yes, I agree about Bloodlusting at the first add.  We Bloodlusted right as we hit Phase 3 last night, we'll wait to use it on the add next time.

-Z
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#6
Okay, here's a new summary incorporating what we learned last week!

Phase 1:  Tanks stand 6 yards apart, raid stacks on three points behind the boss.  Stack RIGHT ON TOP of each other because the platform is really small.  If you get Icy Ejection, which looks like a light blue circle around you, just walk out of the group a little ways.  Just a couple steps is fine.

Tanks swap after Gravitational Pull.  The affected tank is about to be hit by a comet.  The impending-impact graphic looks like a dark bluish-purple circle marbled with white centered on the tank.  The tank must WAIT until the comet hits, then then run into one of the groups of raid members to remove the debuff, then run out to wait for the NEXT comet, which will hit in a few seconds.  Then lather, rinse, repeat:  Get hit by the second comet, run into a second group of raid members, run out, get hit by the third comet, and run into the third group.  Players in the removal group will get the Chilled debuff --  run this out of the group as it explodes when it wears off.

Phase 2:  Players stack up behind the boss.  When players get the Fel Ejection debuff, run toward the door.  The Fel Ejection debuff looks like a comet with dark spots on it and the debuff COUNTS DOWN.  You have 2 seconds to get to the door to drop 4 void zones. Drop these by the door as close together as possible, then return to group.

Note:  there's a second green debuff, called FelFlame, which just means that you're standing in a void zone. Just step out to remove it.  Don't confuse the two debuffs.

Tanks swap when stacks of Fel Burst get too high (around 4 stacks).   The Gravitational Pull comet impacts on the tank will dry up the void zones, tank should run to void zones and use the comet impact to dry up the puddles.

Phase 3:  Tanks will get Void Burst, a stacking debuff, which when it fades will be split between two other raid members.  Tanks swap to keep these stacks LOW so the stacks don't kill raid members when they jump.  Get the stacks to fall off before re-engaging the boss.  When the little adds spawn, the current Etraues tank should pick them up (to ensure that the off-tank's stacks fall off).  Raid should stack on the little adds when they spawn so they can be stunned and killed quickly. 

There will be only ONE Gravitational Pull comet in this phase (instead of three) and it will spawn a big add, called The Thing That Should Not Be.  The tank should run to the edge of the room when targeted by the comet to ensure that the add, when it spawns, is far from the boss, because if they're close to each other they become immune to damage.  Focus down the big add, and turn away each time it casts Witness the Void.

We will keep a few heavy-hitting AoErs on the boss to kill the little adds, and we'll bloodlust on the first add to get it down FAST.  If we are close enough to killing the boss when the second add spawns (maybe <10% health), we will ignore the second add and burn down the boss.
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#7
It may help to have everyone move to the big add during P3, that way the add-tank can keep them all by the Thing That Should Not Be and folks can easily cleave/AoE to keep them killed much easier while also still focusing damage on the Big Add.
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#8
(02-23-2017, 11:10 AM)Kretol Wrote: It may help to have everyone move to the big add during P3, that way the add-tank can keep them all by the Thing That Should Not Be and folks can easily cleave/AoE to keep them killed much easier while also still focusing damage on the Big Add.

Hiya Kret -- thanks for the input!  Which tank has the little adds in your scenario?  We were doing it with the little adds on the boss' tank (as they also apply the debuff to their tank).  The second tank has the Thing That Should Not Be Named at the edge of the platform by itself -- not having the little adds on him means that his stacking debuff has time to fall off.  However, I note that having the little adds on the boss tank inflicted a LOT of damage on that tank.

Is it better to have the little adds on the tank with the boss, or on the tank with the big add?

-Z
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#9
The tank that currently has agro on Star Augur should have the adds. However, having everyone standing clumped on the big add will help to ensure all the little adds make their way over there, also making it easier for the boss/little add tank to get agro.
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