World of Warcraft: The War Within

The ultimate resource for Retail WoW. Updated for Season 1, Delves, and the Nerub-ar Palace raid. This guide focuses on optimization, maximizing DPS/HPS, and mastering the new Hero Talents system.

🏰 Nerub-ar Palace Raid Tactics

1. Ulgrax the Devourer

Mechanic: The "Hunger" meter. Do not feed him players.

  • Tanks: Swap every 2 stacks of [Venomous Lash]. Face boss away.
  • DPS: Kill adds (Spiderlings) immediately before they reach the boss.
  • Intermission: Boss goes to middle. Dodge the "Swallow" zones.

2. The Bloodbound Horror

Mechanic: Split phase and add control.

  • Phase 1: Don't stand in front. Run out with [Crimson Rain].
  • Phase 2 (Shadow Realm): Tank the big add. DPS must kill the focus add to exit.
  • Healers: Dispels are critical on [Gruesome Disgorge].

3. Sikran, Captain of the Sureki

Mechanic: Charge baiting.

  • Charge: Players marked must line up so the boss hits the Ghost adds.
  • Tanks: Huge physical damage. Active mitigation required for [Decapitate].

4. Rasha'nan

Mechanic: Flying phase & acid pools.

  • Webs: Linked players must move apart to break webs.
  • Fly Phase: Ride the wind to the next platform. Don't fall.

5. Broodtwister Ovi'nax

Mechanic: Egg breaking management.

  • Strategy: Don't break too many eggs at once. Small eggs = small adds, Big eggs = big adds.
  • Blood: Players with [Experimental Dosage] must clear eggs tactically.

6. Nexus-Princess Ky'veza

Mechanic: Assassin style combat. Intense healing check.

  • Assassination: Marked players drop a phantom. Do not let phantoms hit the raid.
  • Starless Night: Massive raid-wide damage. Stack for healing.

7. The Silken Court

Mechanic: Council fight (Anub'arash & Takazj).

  • Binding: Bosses must be kept apart (usually).
  • Webs: Clear the webs using the charge mechanic of Anub'arash.
  • Interrupt: Takazj's casts must be interrupted or it's a wipe.

8. Queen Ansurek (Final Boss)

The final encounter. A 3-phase fight requiring high coordination.

Phase 1

Reactive Toxin: Bombs on players. Move to edge. Do not dispel until they are far away. Green circles spawn adds.

Phase 2 (Platform)

Raid splits. Tanks must interrupt [Void Blast]. Knockbacks are lethal. Kill the Gatekeepers to ascend.

Phase 3

Execute Phase: Use Bloodlust/Heroism. Manage the expanding void zones. Tanks must take the [Royal Condemnation] mechanic out.

🔑 Mythic+ Season 1 Routes & Tips

The Stonevault

Tip: Skip double Earthshaper pack with Invisibility. On E.D.N.A, range bait spikes. Do not break spikes until she casts Shield.

Grim Batol

Tip: Use Red Dragons to kill trash. Coordainte bombing. On Umbriss, stop moving when bleed is applied.

Siege of Boralus

Tip: Heavy trash damage. Spotters must be CC'd or focused. Last boss: kill Demolishing Tentacle first.

Ara-Kara, City of Echoes

Tip: Kick every "Black Blood" cast. First boss adds leave pools, stack them tight.

City of Threads

Tip: Follow the spy mechanic correctly or get stunned. Final boss: Rotate cooldowns for the orb phase.

The Dawnbreaker

Tip: Flight mechanics. Don't fly out of bounds. Second boss requires moving the bomb away from the town.

Mists of Tirna Scithe

Tip: Maze navigation is key. Use WeakAuras. Kick "Patty Cake" on Mistcaller.

The Necrotic Wake

Tip: Use weapons (Hammer, Spear, Orb) on bosses. Spear increases damage taken by 20%.

Death Knight

Masters of death and decay. S-tier in TWW due to massive survivability and grip utility.

Blood (Tank) San'layn

The king of self-sustain. San'layn increases your Haste and Vampiric Strike efficiency.

Stat Priority: Item Level Haste Versatility Crit
Rotation Priorities:
  • Marrowrend: Keep [Bone Shield] above 7 stacks.
  • Death and Decay: Stand in it to cleave Heart Strike.
  • Abomination Limb: Use on cooldown to group mobs.
  • Death Strike: Your main heal. Use when RP > 80 or HP < 60%.
Flask: Flask of Alchemical Chaos
Food: Beledar's Bounty
Weapon: Ironclaw Weightstone

Frost (DPS) Rider of the Apocalypse

Mounted combat in dungeons! Summons the Four Horsemen to fight for you.

Stat Priority: Crit (to 30%) Mastery Haste
Breath of Sindragosa Combo:
  • Pool Runic Power to 90+.
  • Pop [Pillar of Frost] + [Empower Rune Weapon] + [Abomination Limb].
  • Cast [Breath of Sindragosa].
  • Spam [Obliterate] to generate RP and extend Breath.

Unholy (DPS) San'layn

Massive AoE burst via diseases and minions.

Key Mechanic: Apply [Festering Wounds] with Festering Strike, burst them with Scourge Strike/Clawing Shadows inside Death & Decay.

Demon Hunter

High mobility and magic damage taken debuff.

Havoc (DPS) Aldrachi Reaver

Fast-paced melee with high leech. Aldrachi Reaver focuses on Glaive usage.

Stat Priority: Crit Mastery Versatility
Rotation:
  • Maintain [Immolation Aura].
  • Use [The Hunt] on cooldown.
  • Spend Fury on [Blade Dance] (First priority) then [Chaos Strike].
  • Use [Eye Beam] to enter Demonic form.

Vengeance (Tank) Fel-Scarred

Kiting tank with sigil utility. Fel-Scarred empowers your demon form significantly.

Survival: Keep [Demon Spikes] rolling. Use [The Hunt] and [Fel Devastation] to heal up.

Druid

The only class with 4 specs. Versatility kings.

Balance (DPS) Keeper of the Grove

Ranged caster focusing on Treants and Astral Power.

  • Keep Moonfire/Sunfire on all targets.
  • Cast 2x Wrath or 2x Starfire to enter Eclipse.
  • Dump AP into [Starsurge] (ST) or [Starfall] (AoE).
  • Force of Nature (Treants) generate AP and taunt mobs.

Feral (DPS) Wildstalker

Complex bleed management.

Snapshotting: Apply Rip and Rake while [Tiger's Fury] is active. The damage stays boosted even after the buff ends.

Guardian (Tank) Elune's Chosen

Arcane Bear. Enhances your lunar spells.

Tip: Spam [Thrash] and [Mangle]. Dump rage into [Ironfur]. [Barkskin] is now an offensive cooldown too with Elune's Chosen.

Restoration (Heal) Wildstalker

HoT (Heal over Time) master. Wildstalker adds offensive vines that heal.

Ramp: Before damage happens, blanket the raid in [Rejuvenation] and use [Wild Growth].

Evoker

Mid-range casters with high mobility.

Augmentation (Support) Chrono Warden

Buffs allies main stats. Essential for high M+ keys.

  • Ebon Might: Keep this active 100% of the time.
  • Prescience: Cast on your best 2 DPS players.
  • Breath of Eons: Sync this with your party's cooldowns.

Devastation (DPS) Scalecommander

Burst magic damage. Scalecommander allows you to steer your Deep Breath.

Tip: Empower spells (Fire Breath / Eternity Surge) to rank 1 usually for faster rotation unless AoE demands Rank 4.

Hunter

Ranged physical damage. Great for soloing and mechanics.

Beast Mastery (DPS) Pack Leader

Fully mobile ranged DPS. Easiest spec to play, hard to master min-maxing.

  • Barbed Shot: Maintain 3 stacks of Frenzy on your pet. This is priority #1.
  • Bestial Wrath: Use on cooldown.
  • Kill Command: Your main filler and focus generator.

Marksmanship (DPS) Sentinel

Sniper style. Long casts, big hits. Sentinel adds lunar damage.

Burst: Trueshot Aura window is critical. Spam Aimed Shot and Rapid Fire.

Survival (DPS) Pack Leader

Melee Hunter using bombs and spears. Very fun, high AoE burst.

Tip: Coordinate your [Coordinated Assault] with [Wildfire Bombs].

Mage

The quintessential wizard.

Arcane (DPS) Sunfury

Mana management and huge burst. Sunfury summons an Arcane Phoenix.

Stat Priority: Crit Versatility Mastery
Burn Phase: Arcane Surge -> Barrage (with stacks) -> Touch of the Magi -> Arcane Blast spam.

Fire (DPS) Sunfury

Crit dependent. Sunfury works here too, adding Phoenix synergy.

Combustion: While in Combustion, every spell crits. Fire Blast guarantees instant Pyroblasts. Chain them together.

Frost (DPS) Spellslinger

Crowd control master. Spellslinger creates Ice Splinters.

Shatter Cap: You only need ~33% Crit chance because [Shatter] passive triples it against frozen targets.

Monk

Martial arts masters using Chi.

Windwalker (DPS) Shado-Pan

Fluid melee combo system. Never press the same button twice (Mastery: Combo Strikes).

  • Build Chi with Tiger Palm.
  • Spend Chi on Fists of Fury and Rising Sun Kick.
  • Use [Touch of Death] on low HP mobs.

Brewmaster (Tank) Master of Harmony

Stagger mechanic delays damage. Very smooth damage intake.

Tip: Drink [Purifying Brew] when your Stagger bar is Red or Yellow. Keep [Shuffle] up by using Keg Smash and Blackout Kick.

Mistweaver (Heal) Conduit of the Celestials

Melee healer (Fistweaving). You heal by doing damage.

Ancient Teachings: Keep this buff up by casting Essence Font or Faeline Stomp, then hit enemies to heal allies.

Paladin

Holy warriors of the Light. High utility.

Retribution (DPS) Templar

Hammer from the sky. Very strong burst and simple rotation.

Stat Priority: Versatility Mastery Crit
Rotation: Build Holy Power (Blade of Justice/Judgment). Spend on [Final Verdict] (ST) or [Divine Storm] (AoE).
Utility: Use [Blessing of Protection] on healers to remove bleeds.

Protection (Tank) Lightsmith

Captain America style shield throwing. Lightsmith creates weapons for allies.

Tip: Stand in your [Consecration]. It reduces damage taken. Keep [Shield of the Righteous] up 100%.

Holy (Heal) Herald of the Sun

Melee range healer. Relies on Glimmer of Light and Holy Shock.

Priest

Masters of shadow and light.

Shadow (DPS) Voidweaver

DoT based damage with Voidform burst. Voidweaver creates a black hole (Void Torrent).

  • Maintain Vampiric Touch and Shadow Word: Pain.
  • Use [Void Eruption] to enter Voidform.
  • Cast [Devouring Plague] to dump Insanity.

Discipline (Heal) Oracle

Heal by dealing damage (Atonement).

Atonement: Apply shields/radiance to allies, then DPS the boss. 40% of damage heals targets with Atonement.

Rogue

Stealth assassins.

Subtlety (DPS) Deathstalker

Shadow Dance burst windows. Very complex.

Opener: Shadowstrike -> Slice and Dice -> Shadow Dance -> Symbols of Death -> Shadowstrike -> Eviscerate.

Outlaw (DPS) Fatebound

Pirate spec. Roll the Bones RNG.

Tip: Keep [Blade Flurry] up for AoE. Re-roll Bones if you don't get 'Broadside' or 'Ruthless Precision'.

Shaman

Elemental masters. Totems provide unique utility.

Enhancement (DPS) Stormbringer

Melee battle mage. Stormbringer summons lightning everywhere.

Stat Priority: Haste Mastery Versatility
Rotation: Maintain [Windfury Totem]. Stormstrike is king. Use [Primordial Wave] for AoE Lightning Bolts.

Elemental (DPS) Farseer

Ranged lava and lightning.

Meatball Build: Focus on [Lava Burst] resets via Flame Shock ticks. Earth Shock is your spender.

Restoration (Heal) Totemic

Water healing. Strongest stacked healing with Healing Rain/Chain Heal.

Totemic: Lets you move your Healing Rain and summons a Healing Stream totem that casts Chain Heals.

Warlock

Demonic summoners.

Demonology (DPS) Diabolist

Summon an army of imps and felguards. Diabolist summons huge Pit Lords.

  • Build Soul Shards with Shadow Bolt / Demonbolt.
  • Spend Shards on [Hand of Gul'dan].
  • Use [Call Dreadstalkers] on cooldown.
  • Tyrant: Summon Demonic Tyrant to extend all your demons' duration.

Destruction (DPS) Hellcaller

Chaos Bolt turret. Hellcaller replaces Immolate with Wither.

Two Target Cleave: Keep Havoc on secondary target to duplicate Chaos Bolts.

Affliction (DPS) Soul Harvester

Damage over time. Malefic Rapture bursts all DoTs.

Warrior

Rage fueled melee.

Fury (DPS) Slayer

Berserker. High APM (Actions Per Minute).

Stat Priority: Haste (30%+) Mastery Crit
Rotation:
  • Rampage: Press whenever available to maintain Enrage.
  • Execute: Priority under 35% HP (Slayer talents buff this).
  • Bloodthirst/Raging Blow: Generators.
  • Odyn's Fury: Big AoE burst.
Heirloom Tip: Use 2x [Bloodied Arcanite Reaper] enchanted with Force Multiplier.

Arms (DPS) Colossus

Tactical strikes. Colossus makes you grow in size and damage.

Deep Wounds: Apply via Mortal Strike/Colossus Smash. Don't let it drop.

Protection (Tank) Mountain Thane

Thunder and lightning tank. Very fun in AoE.

Mountain Thane: Your [Thunder Clap] now has a chance to strike with lightning. Spam it!

⚒️ Professions & Economy

Alchemy

Thaumaturgy: The new transmute system. Convert cheap mats like [Mycobloom] into rare gems. High RNG but huge profit.

Flasks: [Algari Flasks] allow 2 stats. Very expensive early on.

Blacksmithing

Weapons: Focus on [Everforged Longsword] (Agility/Strength). Crafters can charge 10-50k gold for commissions early season.

Alloys: [Ironclaw Alloy] is the base for everything plate.

Gathering

Mining: Bismuth (Common), Ironclaw (Uncommon), Aqirite (Rare). Farm [The Ringing Deeps].

Herbalism: Luredrop is found in caves. Null Lotus is the rare proc.

Jewelcrafting

Blasphemite: The unique gem you can only equip one of. Focus on unlocking this recipe first.

🕯️ Delves & Brann Bronzebeard

New solo/small group content. Tier 8 Delves give Heroic Raid ilvl gear in the Great Vault.

Brann Configuration

Role: Set Brann to Healer for DPS classes, DPS for Healer/Tank classes.

Curios:
- Combat Curio: Porcelain Arrowhead (Crits)
- Utility Curio: Amorphous Relic (Stat buff)