TBC raid execution / DPS field guide

Hyjal &
Black Temple

A practical DPS guide for raid groups. Keep uptime high, respect mechanics, use cooldowns around the real fight length, and make every target swap deliberate.

Any DPSRaid firstHyjal + BT
DPS
01 / Core rules

How to deal damage

The clean kill is usually the high parse. Do the mechanic early, then return to damage immediately.

Keep uptime

Pre-position before movement, use instant casts while moving, and stop attacking only when the mechanic requires it.

Spend cooldowns

Use major cooldowns on the boss or the assigned priority target. Do not hold them for a perfect moment that never arrives.

Stay alive

A dead DPS contributes zero. Move from fire, respect range rules, and use defensives before the damage lands.

Target priority

  • Kill interruptible casters before they create raid damage.
  • Switch to adds only when the raid call requires it.
  • Return to the boss immediately after the priority target dies.

Consumables and gear

  • Use the setup that wins in your actual kill time, not the highest item level.
  • Bring the required resistance, mobility item and interrupt tools for your role.
  • Compare short and long fight results before changing a whole gear set.
02 / Mount Hyjal

Hyjal, waves first

Hyjal DPS is defined by clean trash control and fast reactions before the boss fights even begin.

Trash waves

  • Interrupt Shadowy Necromancers and kill them first.
  • Decurse Banshee Curse and do not waste interrupts while a Necromancer is casting.
  • Let tanks establish Infernal and Frost Wyrm threat before committing AoE.
  • Interrupt or banish Fel Hounds when Mana Burn threatens the group.

AoE discipline

  • Use AoE only after the pack is positioned and controlled.
  • On Arcane Flurry packs, wait for the assigned Sheep target to cast before using point-blank AoE.
  • Use major AoE cooldowns on large waves, but keep enough resources for the next boss.

Mana check

Kaz'rogal is not the place to discover that your resource plan is wrong. Track mana, save a recovery button and move away if Mark will make you explode.

Rage Winterchillmove / break stun
  • Stay in the circle around the boss.
  • Use a stun break or PvP trinket on Icebolt when assigned or necessary.
  • Leave Death & Decay immediately. Do not trade your life for one more cast.
Anetheronspread / Infernal
  • Spread so Carrion Swarm does not hit multiple healers.
  • If targeted by an Infernal, move away from players and let the tank pick it up.
  • Ranged DPS the Infernal unless the raid leader calls a boss burn.
Kaz'rogalmana / positioning
  • Spread around the boss and stay outside War Stomp range.
  • Track your mana during Mark of Kazrogal. Use recovery before reaching zero.
  • Never stand in front of the boss. Keep attacking from a safe angle.
AzgalorDoom / Rain of Fire
  • Move out of Rain of Fire immediately.
  • Doom target runs to the assigned NPC position. Everyone else ignores the Doomguard and burns Azgalor.
  • Plan around the five-second Howl silence and do not start a major cast just before it.
Archimondesurvival check
  • Stay within Tremor Totem range and decurse Grip of the Legion immediately if assigned.
  • Use Tears of the Goddess near the end of the fall, just before you hit the ground.
  • Track Doomfire and never stand in it. Every death creates a raid-wide problem through Soul Charge.
03 / Black Temple

Black Temple, phase by phase

Every encounter rewards correct positioning, clean target swaps and fast response to the assigned job.

Trash route

  • Use line of sight and wall pulls to avoid extra packs.
  • Interrupt Chain Heal, Spirit Mend and dangerous caster abilities.
  • Respect crowd control on Mages and other assigned targets.
  • Before Reliquary, finish the gauntlet, take the buff and reset resources.

Mother preparation

  • The preparation sheet uses 174 unbuffed Shadow Resistance as the standard first-kill target.
  • Prioritize low-loss sources such as the quest neck, cloak and head enchants, kits and Mage Armor where applicable.
  • Experienced groups can use mobility to reduce the gear cost, but only when the chain mechanic is already reliable.
Naj'entusTidal Shield
  • Stay six yards apart for Needle Spine.
  • Pick up the Impaling Spine and wait for the raid call.
  • Pop Tidal Shield only after the raid is above 8,501 HP. Use Bloodlust on pull if assigned.
Supremusrange / fire
  • Phase 1: stay spread and keep the off-tank in melee for Hateful Strike.
  • Stop before the transition if your raid needs threat stabilized.
  • Phase 2: stay between 5 and 40 yards, run from Fixate and avoid Molten Flame and Volcanic Geyser.
Shade of AkamaChannelers / burst
  • Phase 1: kill the six Channelers and control the spawning adds.
  • Use a correctly positioned add as an AoE target when the raid strategy calls for it.
  • Phase 2 is a 60-second burn. Save cooldowns for the call and finish the boss quickly.
Teron GorefiendVengeful Spirit
  • Prepare the assigned control bar before the pull.
  • If turned into a Vengeful Spirit, kill Constructs using the assigned sequence and help nearby Spirits.
  • Dispel Incinerate immediately. The ghost mechanic is more important than boss uptime.
Gurtogg BloodboilBloodboil / Fel Rage
  • Rotate the three groups of five every 10 seconds for Bloodboil.
  • Stay below the tanks on threat and keep the melee groups organized.
  • Spread during Fel Rage and use defensives if targeted. Do not immune or drop threat unless your raid call specifically says so.
Reliquary of Soulsthree phases
  • Phase 1: no healing is possible, so avoid all unnecessary damage and spend your resources.
  • Phase 2: damage is reflected. Stop attacking when required and remove Rune Shield with the assigned spellsteal or dispel.
  • Interrupt Spirit Shock every time. Phase 3 starts with an OT engage, then the raid burns after the MT has threat.
Mother Shahrazchains / beams
  • Keep the required resistance set equipped for your raid plan.
  • Fatal Attraction: run away from the other linked players immediately. Never run through the raid.
  • Respect the 18-yard silence range and adapt your damage school to Prismatic Shield.
Illidari Councilinterrupt / ground effects
  • Ranged DPS stay out of Zerevor's Arcane Explosion range and interrupt Arcane Bolt.
  • Move immediately from Blizzard, Flamestrike and Consecration.
  • Interrupt Malande's Circle of Healing. Swap to Veras after Vanish only when the off-tank has control.
Illidan Stormragefive phases
  • Phase 1: avoid Flame Crash and Draw Soul; never stand in front of the boss without an assignment.
  • Phase 2: use the ranged groups, dodge Eye Blast and focus one Flame of Azzinoth at a time.
  • Phase 3: spread five yards for Agonizing Flames and move Parasitic Shadowfiends away before killing them.
  • Phase 4: spread, kill Shadow Demons immediately and follow the assigned tank. Phase 5: save cooldowns for Enrage and help the tank reach Maiev's traps.

Boss order

Naj'entus: health before shield. Supremus: range and fire. Akama: Channelers. Teron: ghost control. Bloodboil: rotation. Reliquary: reflected damage. Mother: chains. Council: interrupts. Illidan: phase discipline.

Final DPS rule: do the mechanic before it becomes an emergency, then return to damage. A clean raid kill gives every DPS more uptime than a risky personal parse attempt.