Shadow-Lord Iskar (Hellfire Citadel) Strategy Guide

By Wowhead Updated: 2018/05/12

Shadow-Lord IskarHellfire CitadelEye of AnzuHellfire CitadelShadow-Lord IskarClass GuidesWarcraft LogsMelee DPSRanged DPSHealersTanksLoot and RewardsSeal of Inevitable Fate Bonus RollsShadow-Lord Iskar

LFR (675)

Cloth: Phantasmal Cummerbund
Leather: Bracers of Supreme Despair, Chakram-Gripping Gloves
Mail: Beaked Hood of Betrayal
Plate: Corrupted Talonguard Chestplate, Feather-Embellished Wristclamps
Neck: none
Cape: Cursefeather Cloak
Ring: Flickering Nightstone Band, Soul Prison Solitaire, Talon-Link Loop
Trinket: Ensnared Orb of the Sky
Weapons: Demonspine Wand

Normal, Heroic, Mythic (695, 710, 725)

Cloth: Amice of Phantasmal Power, Raiment of Divine Clarity
Leather: Belt of Misconceived Loyalty, Helm of Imagined Horrors
Mail: Coif of Untrue Sight, Surefooted Chain Treads, Vestment of Illusory Might
Plate: Chestguard of Ill Fate, Wristplate of the Wretched
Neck: Corrupted Talonguard Pendant
Cape: Cloak of Desperate Temerity
Ring: Band of Enthralling Delusion, Filigreed Loop of Zealotry, Ring of Foul Temptation
Trinket: Anzu's Cursed Plume, Unblinking Gaze of Sethe
Weapons: Shadowrend Talonblade, Deceiver's Felbeak Wand

Tome of Chaoslegendary questlineWe Don't Need No Library CardCorrupted Nest GuardianShadow-Lord IskarGemcutter Module: Critical StrikeImmaculate Critical Strike TaladiteHellfire CitadelGlory of the Hellfire RaiderInfernal DirewolfShadow-Lord IskarPro TossReturn to Table of ContentsNotable Trash MobsEye of AnzuDelusional ZealotSolar Chakram

Each Zealot will occasionally choose a random player to throw their Solar Chakram at

The Chakram will deal moderate damage and disorients any player it passes through for 6 seconds

The targeted player(s) will have a Solar Chakram debuff and have four seconds to move so that the Chakram will not pass through other players on its way to the target

The disorient effect cannot be avoided by turning your back to the Zealot

Solar Chakram is a 5-second cast, and can be interrupted by stuns, incapacitates, and other CC effects

Fel RavenPhantasmal Corruption

This debuff deals Phantasmal Nova damage to nearby players every second

Tanks should swap the Fel Raven whenever the current tank is affected by Phantasmal Corruption

The debuffed tank should run out of the group to avoid damaging allies

Corrupted TalonpriestPhantasmal Fel Bomb

After five seconds, the Phantasmal Fel Bomb will detonate, dealing very high damage to all nearby players

Players affected by Phantasmal Fel Bomb have a bomb timer displayed over their heads

These players must spread out away from the raid in order to avoid splashing the Fel Detonation damage

Shadowfel WardenFel Conduit

While buffed by Fel Conduit, the Warden will continuously cast Fel Chain Lightning

This spell targets a random player and jumps to up to four other targets, inflicting very heavy damage

The Shadowfel Warden is immobile while empowered by Fel Conduit

Fel Chain Lightning can be LOSed using the staircase down to the Nexus of Souls, when the Warden is on Iskar's platform, or by going around the corner onto Iskar's platform if the Warden is on the stairs

The raid can move back and forth between these spots each time the Warden casts Fel Conduit

Neither Fel Conduit nor Fel Chain Lightning are interruptible, and the Warden is immune to all forms of CC

Return to Table of ContentsShadow-Lord Iskar Encounter MechanicsEye of AnzuEye of AnzuEye of Anzu

While the Eye of Anzu is not currently possessed by a player, it will damage the entire raid with Uncontrolled Radiance

A player holding the Eye of Anzu has an ExtraActionButton available to them, and their screen will be tinted green

Holding the Eye of Anzu gives the player stacks of Radiance of Anzu, which will eventually become too powerful to heal through

Players can throw the Eye of Anzu to another player by using the ExtraActionButton

This action is off the GCD and does not interrupt spellcasting

Once a player has thrown the Eye of Anzu, stacks of Radiance of Anzu will fall off over 20 seconds

Eye of AnzuEye of AnzuReturn to Table of ContentsPhase 1: GroundedPhantasmal WindsPhantasmal WoundsEye of AnzuPhantasmal Winds

The winds grow more forceful the longer the player is affected by the Phantasmal Winds debuff, and may eventually push players off the edge of the platform

Players may cast while being pushed back, but running against the winds counts as movement and will interrupt any spells that cannot be cast while moving

If a player with Phantasmal Winds receives the Eye of Anzu, the Phantasmal Winds are dispelled and the player will no longer be forced to move

The raid must quickly throw the Eye of Anzu to each player with the Phantasmal Winds debuff

Prioritize tanks, then healers, then melee DPS, then ranged DPS

While waiting for the Eye of Anzu to be passed to you, run against the wind, and use movement speed-increasing effects when the winds get stronger

Phantasmal Wounds

Phantasmal Wounds can be removed by healing the player above 90% health

Or, Phantasmal Wounds can be removed by throwing the Eye of Anzu to the affected player

Whether to throw the Eye or to heal through the Phantasmal Wounds debuff depends on factors like the healers' mana pool and whether the affected player is heavily damaged

Phantasmal WoundsPhantasmal WoundsPhantasmal WoundsEye of Anzu

If healer mana is low, use the Eye of Anzu to clear Phantasmal Wounds

If a player with Phantasmal Wounds is targeted for Fel Chakram, use the Eye of Anzu to clear Phantasmal Wounds

If the raid has just suffered heavy raid damage from a bungled Fel Chakram cast, use the Eye of Anzu to clear Phantasmal Wounds

Eye of AnzuFel ChakramFel IncinerationFel Chakram

Any player struck by the Fel Chakram - whether they were marked or not - will take heavy damage

Being struck by the Fel Chakram also causes an explosion centered on the player, dealing damage to the entire raid based upon each player's distance from the struck player

The Chakram will seek out the ranged DPS/healer target first, then the melee target, then the tank target, before returning to Iskar

Before beginning the encounter, set out three world raid markers along one side of the room, at least 20 yards apart

Assign the tanks to one marker, the melee DPS to the second, and the ranged/healers to the third marker

Players affected by Fel Chakram should run to the marker that matches their role, and stay there until all Chakram damage has been dealt

The rest of the raid should position themselves so they will not be in the path of the Fel Chakram

For example, if the markers are set up to the right of the boss, the raid should be loosely clumped to the left of the boss

Fel ChakramFel IncinerationFel Beam FixateFel Fire

Targeted players must quickly move out of the raid to avoid dropping Fel Fire on top of other players

Kite the Fel Incineration beam in the opposite direction of the Fel Chakram locations

This will ensure that players running out to deal with Fel Chakram will not take excessive Fel Fire damage

If Fel Fire spawns too near the raid, the raid should reposition so they are standing in a clear area

Phase 2: Shadow EscapeShadow Escape

While Iskar is airborne, he will channel a very powerful Focused Blast spell

At the end of the cast, he will face the player currently holding the Eye of Anzu and cast the Focused Blast in their direction

Damage from Focused Blast is split amongst all players standing in the Focused Blast's path

The raid should stack up near the Eye of Anzu holder as the Focused Blast cast is finishing

Damage-reduction cooldowns like Spirit Link Totem or Power Word: Barrier should be used to mitigate the Focused Blast damage

Iskar will cast this spell twice during the phase

Illusionary Outcast

The Corrupted Talonpriest casts Phantasmal Obliteration, debuffing five players with Phantasmal Fel Bomb

These Bombs will detonate after 5 seconds, dealing very heavy damage to players within 8 yards

If a healer is holding the Eye of Anzu, they can see that one of these five players also has a Fel Bomb debuff

The healer holding the Eye of Anzu can dispel the player with Fel Bomb, and this will remove ALL Phantasmal Fel Bomb effects

Healers should take turns dispelling Fel Bomb since holding the Eye of Anzu will debuff them with Radiance of Anzu

Illusionary Outcasts have no abilities other than melee attacks

Eye of AnzuPhantasmal ObliterationEye of AnzuPhantasmal WindsPhantasmal ObliterationEye of AnzuFel BombEye of AnzuPhantasmal WindsFel BombShadow Escape

Shadowfel Warden will frequently cast Fel Conduit

If this cast is successful, the Warden will continually cast Fel Chain Lightning until the Fel Conduit effect expires

Fel Chain Lightning deals very high, random raid damage, and is likely to be fatal

Fel Conduit can only be interrupted by a player holding the Eye of Anzu

Fel ConduitEye of AnzuFel ConduitFel BombShadow Escape

Fel Raven will debuff a tank with Phantasmal Corruption

The affected tank will pulse Phantasmal Nova damage to players within 10 yards every 2 seconds

Each time a player is damaged by Phantasmal Nova, they gain a stack of Phantasmal Cremation, increasing the damage they take from subsequent Phantasmal Novas

Holding the Eye of Anzu prevents the Fel Raven from applying the Phantasmal Corruption debuff to that target

The Fel Raven casts Phantasmal Corruption at the same time that the Shadowfel Warden casts Fel Conduit

Therefore, the Fel Raven tank should be given the task of interrupting the Fel Conduit cast, and while doing so, will naturally be immune to Phantasmal Corruption

If a Phantasmal Corruption is successfully applied, the tank must run away from the raid and use a survivability cooldown when the Phantasmal Nova damage is high

Eye of AnzuPhantasmal CorruptionFel Beam FixateFel IncinerationFel FireReturn to Table of ContentsShadow-Lord Iskar Strategy Summary

Eye of Anzu - Adds Phases

Throw to:

Action required:

Tank

Interrupt Fel Conduit

Healer A

Dispel Fel Bomb

Tank

Interrupt Fel Conduit

Healer B

Dispel Fel Bomb

Start over from the top, repeat until all adds are dead

Note:Fel ConduitEye of AnzuRadiance of Anzu

Before beginning the encounter, set up three world markers for Fel Chakram (tank, melee, and ranged) positions

Tank Anzu near the middle of the room to minimize risk of Phantasmal Winds pushing players off the platform

Kite the Fel Incineration beams to the opposite side of the room from the Fel Chakram positions

Throw the Eye of Anzu to players affected by Phantasmal Winds; prioritize tanks, then healers, then melee DPS, then ranged DPS

If necessary, throw the Eye of Anzu to players affected by Phantasmal Wounds

Adds phases occur when Shadow-Lord Iskar reaches 80%, 55%, and 30% health

During adds phases, prioritize DPS on the Corrupted Talonpriest, then the Shadowfel Warden (if present), then the Fel Raven (if present), then any Illusionary Outcasts

Tanks must have the Eye of Anzu to interrupt the Shadowfel Warden's Fel Conduit and avoid the Fel Raven's Phantasmal Corruption

Healers must have the Eye of Anzu to dispel Fel Bomb after the Corrupted Talonpriest casts Phantasmal Obliteration

See the table, right, for the Eye of Anzu movement during adds phases

The raid should loosely stack for healing as Iskar casts Focused Blast

Return to Table of ContentsTank Responsibilities

Ensure you can see your raid frames, including important debuffs like Phantasmal Winds, and that you can see, or have a keybind for, your ExtraActionButton

Taunt Shadow-Lord Iskar when your co-tank is affected by Fel Chakram

Run Fel Chakram to the designated location

If you are targeted with Phantasmal Winds, and receive the Eye of Anzu, be sure to throw it to another player with Phantasmal Winds immediately

When Iskar flies away, pick up the adds

During the second and third adds phases, interrupt the Shadowfel Warden's Fel Conduit while holding the Eye of Anzu

After interrupting, throw the Eye of Anzu to a healer

During the third adds phase, the tank who is tanking the Fel Raven must be the one to interrupt the Shadowfel Warden's Fel Conduit

Damage-Dealer Responsibilities

Ensure you can see your raid frames, including important debuffs like Phantasmal Winds, and that you can see, or have a keybind for, your ExtraActionButton

When targeted by Fel Chakram, run to the designated location until the debuff wears off and the Chakram has struck you

If you are targeted with Phantasmal Winds, and receive the Eye of Anzu, be sure to throw it to another player with Phantasmal Winds immediately

If you are targeted by Fel Beam Fixate, kite the Fel Incineration beam away from the raid

During adds phases, prioritize the Corrupted Talonpriest add above all others, and allow passive cleave/AoE to kill the Illusionary Outcasts

Healer Responsibilities

Ensure you can see your raid frames, including important debuffs like Phantasmal Winds, and that you can see, or have a keybind for, your ExtraActionButton

Players with Fel Chakram, Phantasmal Wounds, and Fel Incineration/Fel Fire debuffs need healer attention

If you are targeted with Phantasmal Winds, and receive the Eye of Anzu, be sure to throw it to another player with Phantasmal Winds immediately

When targeted by Fel Chakram, run to the designated location until the debuff wears off and the Chakram has struck you

If you are targeted by Fel Beam Fixate, kite the Fel Incineration beam away from the raid

During the adds phases, if you have the Eye of Anzu, dispel the player with the Fel Bomb debuff

After dispelling, throw the Eye of Anzu back to the tank

Use raid CDs for Focused Blasts during the adds phases, and for clean-up of raid damage from Fel Chakram during the Iskar phases

Return to Table of ContentsWhen to use Bloodlust/Heroism/Time WarpBloodlustHeroismTime WarpEye of AnzuEye of AnzuWhen to use Legendary Ring EffectsFocused BlastFel BombFel IncinerationFocused BlastFel BombFel ChakramLooking For Raid DifficultyEye of AnzuUncontrolled RadianceEye of AnzuEye of AnzuRadiance of AnzuEye of AnzuReturn to Table of ContentsMythic Difficulty

Eye of Anzu - Adds Phases - Mythic Difficulty

Throw to:

Action required:

Tank

Interrupt Fel Conduit

Healer A

Dispel Fel Bomb

Tank

Interrupt Fel Conduit

Healer B

Dispel Fel Bomb

Player withDark Bindings

Find your partner, clear debuff

Another player withDark Bindings

Find your partner, clear debuff

Remaining Dark Bindings canclear debuff without Eye

Healer C

Dispel Fel Bomb

Start over from the top, repeat until all adds are dead

Note:Fel ConduitEye of AnzuRadiance of AnzuShadow RiposteEye of Anzu

Shadow Riposte occurs approximately every 30 seconds

Shadow Riposte also deals heavy damage to the affected player

The Eye of Anzu will reappear near the player who was originally holding it

The Eye of Anzu will immediately begin to channel Uncontrolled Radiance

Another player must pick up the Eye of Anzu to continue using its power

Uncontrolled RadiancePhantasmal Resonance

The Phantasmal Resonance will cast Chains of Despair, afflicting six players in the raid with Dark Bindings

This ability creates three sets of "partners", but players cannot see who their Chains of Despair partner is unless they are holding the Eye of Anzu

To clear the Dark Bindings, players must run to their partner, and overlap their Dark Bindings circles

If two non-partnered players overlap their Dark Bindings circles, they will trigger Abandoned Hope and likely will die

If either player in the partnership dies before clearing Dark Bindings, the surviving partner will take Abandoned Hope damage

Finally, if Dark Bindings expires naturally, the affected player takes Abandoned Hope damage

spread outChains of DespairAbandoned HopeDark BindingsEye of AnzuDark BindingsEye of AnzuDark BindingsEye of AnzuEye of AnzuFel Bomb

Phantasmal Resonance

Corrupted Talonpriest

Shadowfel Warden

Fel Raven

Illusionary Outcast

Chains of DespairChains of DespairPhantasmal WoundsEye of AnzuPhantasmal WindsPhantasmal WoundsMethod's Mythic Shadow-Lord Iskar GuideReturn to Table of ContentsAbout the Author:Restoration Shaman@healiocentrichealiocentric ... a blog that revolves around healing

Comments

Comment by yzq85

@Dayani: Does the Eye have a minimum/maximum range?

Comment by Horsekebab

If Eye of Anzu only suppresses Phantasmal Nova, the tank should run out of the raid if there are other more important mechanics that require the Eye to be handled.

If Eye of Anzu removes the debuff entirely, the tank can fairly safely stay put, assuming the raid is able to hand the Eye to him/her in less than 4 seconds (before third tick). Surviving two ticks is fine, even three if people are prepared for it.

I am more inclined to believe that the Eye does in fact remove the debuff. Firstly, it has been described to prevent the application of the debuff altogether (which would be the case if the Eye cancels it), and secondly, spell effect #11 of Eye of Anzu is "Cancel Aura: Phantasmal Corruption".

Comment by Dayani

6/26 - Updated the health thresholds for phase changes. Iskar now casts Shadow Escape and summons adds at 70%, 45%, and 20% health.

Comment by 1439555

In case anyone is having problems with phase 2 on normal difficulty, like the healers dispelling the debuff and then passing back to the melee in time to interrupt fel conduit, a much easier way to do it is to have ALL of the fel bomb targets run to the edges of the room away from everyone else and spread out, let the debuff drop, and go back in. This requires no dispelling at all and does minimal damage if they are spread out correctly. this way the melee can hold the eye and pass between each other to interrupt the conduit when necessary.

Did this on normal and was so insanely easy. I have no idea if this strategy will continue to work for heroic.

Comment by GeckoKid

Having done HC and normal so far, I'm inclined to believe that the Phantasmal Winds' speed ramp up a lot quicker on heroic, as we had a few more incidents where members of the raid falling off the platform when executing the same tactic we did on normal. Just something to note I guess, to be a lot quicker on throwing the Eye in HC.

Comment by Guyon

Just nuke the Phantasmal Resonance and skip the whole hard part :-)

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oWePEYGVnY

Shadow-Lord Iskar (Hellfire Citadel) Strategy Guide

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