World of Warcraft at Ten Ton Hammer

The raids in Mists of Pandaria make up the pinnacle of PVE content, yet with the LFR system in place, pretty much anyone can get in to see it.  This more open form of raiding has drawn a lot of players into raids, and the second raid to open up in Mists of Pandaria through the LFR tool is the Heart of Fear.

This guide covers all the basics that you will need to know in the LFR version of the fights in the Heart of Fear.  It is important to note that while many of the mechanics stay the same between all of the different versions (LFR, Normal, and Heroic) of the raid, each of the more difficult versions tune the abilities differently and add more complicated elements.  Therefore do not try to complete the fights on Normal more or Heroic mode with just these LFR notes.

Tanks are covered briefly and it is possible to get through with what is here, but really if you are a tank you should do some more research and know the fights in more depth.

As an added bonus each boss also has a really short version of the essentials that can simply be pasted into raid chat to ensure that everyone knows the 25 words or less version of the fight.

Getting Ready for the LFR version of the Heart of Fear

To enter the Heart of Fear you will need to meet an average ilevel of 470. There are a few things that you will need to do to reach that item level. The first is to do some basic gearing up in Mists of Pandaria, the second is to go through the Mogu'shan Vaults raid at least a time or two. You can find guides on how to do both right here:

• Gearing up for LFR in Mists of Pandaria
• LFR Mogu'Shan Vaults Guide

Imperial Vizier Zor’lok

This is a two phase fight that requires a lot of movement and paying attention.  The first phase is split into three parts as Zor’lok moves to one of the three platforms around the room every time he loses 20% health.  The platform selection is random so the ability order will change each fight. Once at 40% health the second phase starts.

Phase 1

• Get out of the centre quickly and onto the platform that the boss moves to.
• Tanks must engage quickly as he does extreme damage to the raid whenever there is no one in melee range.
• Tanks need to intercept the Exhale ability by getting between the target player and Zor’lok.
• Platform A: Avoid damage from the rings when Attenuation is cast
• Platform B: Get into the shield zones when Force and Verve is cast.
• Platform C: DPS players that are affected by Convert to 50% health to free them.

Phase 2

• In this phase Zor’lok moves to the middle of the room and has the abilities from all three platforms.
• Players need to watch carefully for all the abilities and react appropriately.

Imperial Vizier Zor’lok Macro
/raid Get out of the centre in phase 1, avoid rings, get in shields, DPS MC’ed players.  Phase 2, same as phase 1 but all in the center.

Blade Lord Ta’yak

This is a two phase fight that requires a lot of coordination in the first phase and movement in the second phase.

Phase 1

• Players need to stay spread out so that Wind Step does not hit everyone.
• Group up on whoever is targeted by Unseen Strike as it does huge damage, but is split between everyone within 15 yards, an arrow marks the player affected.
• Avoid the whirlwinds that spawn around him, tanks move him around once there are too many in one spot.
• At 20% health the fight enters phase 2.

Phase 2

• You are all thrown to one end of the hallway.
• You must make your way against the winds to the far side and DPS the boss, we will switch sides again ½ way through the phase.
• Warlock Gates can really help with movement here.

  Blade Lord Ta'yak Macro
  /raid Stack for unseen strike, avoid whirl winds, in phase two avoid winds and DPS boss.

Garalon

This fight is interesting in that you really do not need to damage the main part of the boss at all.  It is a single phase DPS fight with a soft enrage effect.

• Everyone must stay away from the centre area of the boss, including the tanks.  Anytime someone enters the area beneath Garalon he will do a Crush attack that does huge AOE damage to the raid.
• DPS focuses on Garalon’s legs, each time one is destroyed he loses 3% health.  He will regenerate them constantly so just keep switching.
• DPS must avoid the pheromone pools, the tanks use these to maintain agro,.  Two tanks must be in front of Garalon at all times to be hit by his Furious Swipe, otherwise he will gain a stacking buff for 30 seconds that grants 10% extra movement and damage.

Garalon Macro
/raid Focus on Legs at all times, avoid pheromone pools, and stay away from the front of the boss.