All the Shadowlands 5-man dungeon bosses in 5 seconds: your cheat sheet of stuff to not stand in

A brand-new expansion, and with it, a brand-new opportunity for other players to ruin your day! Yes, folks, you’re probably going to see our friend Kevin again.

Oh, you don’t remember Kevin? Did your brain block that out to save what remains of your mental health? Ha ha! Let me refresh your memory. Kevin was the guy who fell off the platform on Maut. Kevin said “Huh?” when Vexiona started dive-bombing the raid. Kevin couldn’t find his extra action button on N’Zoth. And guess what? He’s coming for your Shadowlands groups with a fresh supply of energy drinks and pretzels.

In the interests of limiting the havoc he’ll wreak, we’re going to provide you with quick explanations you can give him for all the new Shadowlands 5-man bosses. As with other entries in our Bosses in 5 Seconds series, this isn’t intended to be an in-depth guide on all the mechanics that may be present on a boss fight, but it’ll give your groups a fighting chance if they’ve never seen an encounter before.

De Other Side (Ardenweald)

• Hakkar the Soulflayer: Spread out and avoid dark red pools on the ground. When he casts Blood Barrier, DPS through it and interrupt.
• The Manastorms: When Millhouse is active: Absorb purple beams. If you get Echo Finger Laser X-treme (red marker over your head), position yourself so that Milhouse is between you and other targeted player. When Millificent is active: Defuse bombs running toward the edge of the room (right-click them), and if you get Shadowfury (blue circle around you), position yourself so Millificent is in it.
• Xy’exa: Stay near the white circles on the ground. If you get a bomb, step into one of the circles before it goes off. When the boss casts Explosive Contrivance, step into a white circle before the cast goes off. Avoid beams.
• Mueh’zala: Avoid where the boss’ arms are charging up attacks. If you get a purple circle over your head, drop it on the edge of the room. On phase two, click a portal, kill the add you find on that platform, and then click the totem there.

Mists of Tirna Scithe (Ardenweald)

• Ingra Maloch: DPS Droman until he goes friendly, then pop your cooldowns on Ingra. Avoid Droman’s frontal cone and stay out of blue stuff on the ground.
• Mistcaller: Dodge where the arrows on the ground are going and kill the fox adds. Tanks need to kick Patty Cake. When the clones are up, kill the one everyone else is killing.
• Tred’ova: Kick as many of the boss’ casts as you can and kill adds. If you get Mind Link (blue line between you and another player), run away to break it. Avoid stuff on the ground. At 70% and 40%, DPS through his shield and interrupt him.

Spires of Ascension (Bastion)

• Kin-Tara: Stay out of the beam between Kin-Tara and Azules. If you get a blue arrow over your head, drop it away from the group. Avoid black orbs.
• Ventunax: Dodge black orbs and his frontal cone. While the boss is Recharging, really dodge black orbs.
• Oryphrion: Stack up when there’s a blue arrow mark on everyone, and then spread out. During Recharge Anima, blow your cooldowns on the boss and have the tank soak the orbs.
• Devos, Paragon of Doubt: Dodge her charge. Get in the blue circle when the black orb comes out. During phase two at 70% and 30%, run through blue orbs and carry them back to the conduit at the center of the room, avoiding dark circles. When all five Anima orbs have been returned, one player needs to click the conduit to get a spear they will need to aim and fire to bring Devos down. Do not let Kevin be the person to do this.

The Necrotic Wake (Bastion)

• Blightbone: Stay out of green stuff. Kill adds. If you’re fixated by one, try not to let it touch you.
• Amarth: Kill adds and avoid the corpses. Dodge the green beam from Bonefang.
• Surgeon Stitchflesh: Avoid green stuff. When you get targeted by Meat Hook (red skull over your head and red circle around your feet), position yourself so it’s aimed at the boss, then move out. Save your cooldowns/trinkets for when the boss himself is active.
• Nalthor the Rimebinder: Get out of the big circle and stay out of white swirlies on the ground (you’ll need to run continuously for this). If you get Dark Exile, run down the hall avoiding swirlies, kill the mob at the end, and click on the Kyrian. When you get back to the platform, sit in the corner until you’ve dropped an ice patch.

Plaguefall (Maldraxxus)

• Globgrog: Kill or CC the adds (prioritize kills on the smaller ones and CCs on the bigger one). Avoid his frontal cone.
• Doctor Ickus: Dodge his jump and the green stuff that comes out afterwards. When he switches platforms, follow him and immediately DPS down the Plague Bomb before it explodes. Kill adds.
• Domina Venomblade: Stack up to avoid getting cocooned. If you get a purple arrow over your head, run away from the group to drop it, then run back. When she summons webs on the ground, run through them to reveal and kill the adds.
• Margrave Stradama: Stay close to the boss. Stay out of the tentacles’ frontal cone (on phase one, the safe spot will be where the Malignant Spawn emerged). The tank should get in the green circle to soak. Kill the slow adds when they come out.
  

Theater of Pain (Maldraxxus)

• An Affront of Challengers: Kill Satchel first, Pacerian second, and Dessia third. When Satchel hits 40%, DPS through his shield and interrupt. When Pacerian hits 40%, avoid green stuff on the ground. When Dessia hits 40%, kite her if you are the fixated player. (Groups with Druids or Hunters should immediately dispel her enrage.) When Xira stuns a player, stun/incapacitate/knock her away to break it.
• Gorechop: When he pulls you in, run away. Dodge the chains. Kill adds on the sides/corners and avoid the AOE they leave behind.
• Xav the Unfallen: Dodge his abilities (he’ll telegraph what he’s doing with green on the ground). Kill the banner. If you’re sent to duel, let the higher-DPS player win.
• Kul’tharok: If he casts Draw Soul on you (green line between you and the boss), run through your soul (it’ll be a bright green image of your character) to get it back. The fastest way to get it is to position yourself behind a green circle on the ground while Draw Soul is being cast, which will snare it for you.
• Mordretha: Dodge the beam. When you get a green circle around you, don’t overlap with other players. Kill the adds that come out after. Run away from the green/black circle on the ground. After 50%, move out of the center of the arena and dodge ghosts/swirlies.

Halls of Atonement (Revendreth)

• Halkias: Stay in the boss’ red circle but avoid Glass Shards on the ground. Tanks need to move the boss to give players safe places to stand. Avoid red beams.
• Echelon: Stay out of red pools on the ground. Interrupt the adds, group them as much as possible, and kill them. If you get a red arrow over your head, run over the adds’ corpses so the boss will jump on them and they can’t resurrect.
• High Adjudicator Aleez: Interrupt the boss whenever possible and stay out of red pools on the ground. If you get fixated by an add, kite it to one of the jars in the corners of the room.
• Lord Chamberlain: Stay out of his frontal cone. When you see a red line between the boss and a statue, stay out of the direction the statue is facing. At 70% and 40%, dodge statues when they’re pulled toward him, and then absorb red beams between them and the boss.

Sanguine Depths (Revendreth)

• Kryxis the Voracious: If he targets you for Juggernaut Rush, stand still and let other players get between you and the boss. Interrupt the Hungering Drain cast. After he knocks you back, pop a defensive and soak the orbs that travel towards him.
• Executor Tarvold: If you get a red circle around you, run it away from the group. Kill the add as quickly as possible and stay out of the AOE it leaves behind.
• Grand Proctor Beryllia: Pick up gold orbs and stay out of swirlies.
• General Kaal: If you get a red arrow over your head, run it away from the group (and the other player who’ll have it). Avoid red beams on the platform. Get in the big yellow circle when she starts casting Gloom Squall. (Another player holding the Essence of Z’rali — the Naaru-looking thing earlier in the dungeon — will cast this ability. Again, do not let Kevin be the person to do this.)