Blackwing Decent :: Nefarian

Nefarian Tactics Basics

The Nefarian tactics combine 2 main factors to overcome.

1. Positioning

This encounter is VERY unforgiving to anyone accidentally standing where they shouldn't be.

2. Add handling

Nefarian will raise from the dead and animate various adds threw this 2 phases fight. In the first phase he will actually resurrect Onyxia, and a bunch of Animated Warrior adds that can not be killed (read below). In the seconds phase we will animate Chromatic Prototype adds, and in the final phase all the warriors will raise again while you DPS Nefarian himself.

Also, since this IS the last encounter of blackwing descent, he does hit like a truck.

Nefarian main abilities

• Tail Swipe
  
  

  Both Nefarian and Onyxia have powerful tail swipe attack that does high damage and stuns enemies behind them for 2 seconds.

• Cleave
  
  

  Both Nefarian and Onyxia have Cleave attack that do damage to the Tank and anyone near him.

• Breath attack
  
  

  Both Nefarian and Onyxia have a cone shape breathe attack in front of them, that also animates the warrior adds for a fixed time (until they run out of energy).

• Children of Deathwing
  
  

  If Nefarian and Onyxia stand closer then 60 yard apart they both gain a 100% damage buff.

• Animated Warrior Adds
  
  

  These adds have very big health pools, so don't bother DPSing them down. They will only live until their "energy" runs out, and will resurrect threw the flame breath of Nefarian of Onyxia, and threw the flames on the floor in phase 3.

  They grow in damage and power when you hit them, so they can't really be tanked.

  They can be CCed though.

• Prototype Adds
  
  

  Simple tank and spank adds. They do nasty novas that can (and should) be interrupted.

Nefarian Tactics step by step

• Nefarian tactics step 1
  
  

  Phase one starts when you jump down into the room. Onyxia will start attacking you right away, so be quick and pull Onyxia ASAP.

  Position her so that she faces the wall. On her left should be a huge pillar, and to her right position the melee. Nefarian will not engage the fight at first, but instead start animating warrior adds one by one.

• Nefarian tactics step 2
  
  

  When an animated warrior add spawns, have a player kite him in the room/ CC him until he's safely runs out of energy in a predetermined spot near one of the walls, so that Onyxia and Nefarian won't hit them with their breath attacks.

  Be careful of her tail swipe attack when you kite!

• Nefarian tactics step 3
  
  

  When the lightning orbs around her overload and animated they are about to blast, have the ranged quickly hide behind a pillar, and the melee get inside her "body" to avoid the damage, then get back to your place.

• Nefarian tactics step 4
  
  

  After Animating 6 warriors Nefarian will land. You should hopefully be done with Onyxia or have her near death.

• Nefarian tactics step 5
  
  

  When Nefarian lands quickly tank him in the opposite side of the room, to make sure Onyxia and him are more then 60 yards apart. Again, his flame breath should target the walls of the room and not the middle, or all the adds will rise again.

• Nefarian tactics step 6
  
  

  Onyxia dies, phase 2 starts.

• Nefarian tactics step 7
  
  

  Nefarian fills the room with Lava. The raid splits into 3 groups and swins inside the lava (OUTCH!) to the pillars, and get up there to fight the Chromatic Prototype adds.

• Nefarian tactics step 8
  
  

  When prototypes start casting nova interrupt them if possible.

• Nefarian tactics step 9
  
  

  Nefarian will occasionally do raid wide damage, healers be prepared for some hard AOE healing.

• Nefarian tactics step 10
  
  

  When all prototypes die or 3 minutes have passes, phase 2 ends.

• Nefarian tactics step 11
  
  

  Phase 3 starts, the Lava goes down, and Nefarian lands.

• Nefarian tactics step 12
  
  

  Position Nefarian again facing the wall, because his flame breath can still resurrect the animated warrior adds you killed in phase 1.

• Nefarian tactics step 13
  
  

  When Shadowy Blaze appears on the floor, player should run away from it and be careful not to touch it.

• Nefarian tactics step 14
  
  

  Eventually the fire will raise the warriors back to life. Assign players to keep kiting them. If you're not quick enough to kill Nefarian, the adds will grow so much in power they will start one shoting players.

• Nefarian tactics step 15
  
  

  Pop all DPS cooldowns and kill him.

World of Warcraft - Cataclysm Guides