Gul'dan (tactics)

Gul'dan is the final boss of the Nighthold. The mastermind behind the Third invasion of the Burning Legion, Gul'dan stands atop the Font of Night and attempts to use the time-space warping powers of the Eye of Aman'thul and the Nightwell to bring his master Sargeras into Azeroth within Illidan Stormrage's crystallized body.

The battle with Gul'dan is a long Battle for survival, the first phase deals with killing his demonic minions, followed by the mad warlock using fel-power to leap into the fray personally. For the first two phases, the players wield powers granted to them by the Eye of Aman'thul depending on their spec/role, similar to the Ultraxion fight in Dragon Soul. Gul'dan gets rid of these powers at 40%.

On mythic, Gul'dan will skip phase 1 and have an additional phase at 10%, with the players fighting The Demon Within, Sargeras' demonic soul within Illidan's body.

Adventure Guide
''The chain of events set in motion when Garrosh escaped to Draenor has continued, unbroken for all its twists and turns, leading to this very moment. Thwarted in Draenor, Gul'dan now stands on the precipice of achieving ultimate victory on behalf of his Legion masters. Standing atop the Nighthold, as the vortex of fel energy swirls in the skies overhead, the outcast orc warlock awaits his destiny.''

Overview
Gul'dan begins a ritual to bring his master into Azeroth, locking himself inside the active Eye of Aman'Thul and summoning his demonic lieutenants. However, proximity to the active Eye of Aman'Thul bestows equally powerful abilities to players, based on their role. After his lieutenants fall, Gul'dan leaps into the fray himself, harnessing the power of the Fel to bolster his frail frame. At 85%, 70%, and 55% health, Gul'dan again taps into the active Eye of Aman'Thul, empowering his abilities. As his health dwindles further, Gul'dan beseeches his Legion masters for additional power, unleashing his ultimate strength while disrupting the aid that players receive from the Eye.

Damage Dealers

 * Use Time Dilation to increase damage at opportune moments or cover distances quickly.
 * Assist Bonds of Fel-afflicted allies in order to reduce the damage to manageable levels.
 * Move away from others when afflicted with Eye of Gul'dan or Empowered Eye of Gul'dan.
 * Absorb Soul Corrosion inside the Well of Souls in order to reduce raidwide damage taken from Black Harvest.
 * Interrupt Carrion Wave.

Healers

 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal's Shatter Essence inflicts high damage. Coordinate use of damage-reduction abilities to help tanks.
 * Assist Bonds of Fel-afflicted allies in order to reduce the damage to manageable levels.
 * Black Harvest inflicts high raidwide damage.
 * Use Scattering Field to absorb nearby allies' Fire damage taken at opportune moments.
 * Dispel Inquisitor Vethriz's Drain.

Tanks

 * Use Resonant Barrier to survive moments in the encounter that may otherwise kill you.
 * While fighting Fel Lord Kuraz'mal, be prepared for Shatter Essence.
 * D'zorykx the Trapper will throw Soul Vortex at his current target, drastically increasing their damage taken.

Quotes

 * Intro
 * yell


 * yell
 * yell


 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell


 * Aggro
 * yell


 * Aggro on Mythic
 * yell


 * Hand of Gul'dan
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell


 * Locks himself within the Eye of Aman'Thul
 * yell


 * Fel Efflux and Flames of Sargeras
 * yell


 * Liquid Hellfire
 * yell


 * Stage Two : The Ritual of Aman'thul
 * yell
 * yell


 * Eye of Gul'dan
 * yell


 * Bonds of Fel
 * yell


 * Empowered Bonds of Fel
 * yell


 * Empowered Liquid Hellfire
 * yell


 * Empowered Eye of Gul'dan
 * yell


 * Stage Three : The Master's Power
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell


 * Black Harvest
 * yell


 * Storm of the Destroyer
 * yell
 * yell


 * 20% Health
 * yell


 * 10% Health
 * yell


 * Killing a player
 * yell
 * yell


 * Wipe
 * yell
 * yell


 * Mythic Phase
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell


 * Death (Mythic)
 * yell


 * Parasitic Wound
 * yell


 * Manifest Azzinoth
 * yell


 * Visions of the Dark Titan
 * yell


 * Killed a player
 * yell
 * yell


 * Wipe
 * yell


 * Death
 * yell
 * yell


 * Unused quotes
 * Archmage Khadgar: They will come no further!
 * Archmage Khadgar: Fight for Azeroth, for all you hold dear!
 * Fel Lord Kurazmal: For Gul'dan!
 * Fel Lord Kurazmal: The Legion claims you!
 * Fel Lord Kurazmal: Your soul belongs to the Legion!
 * Fel Lord Kurazmal: Our power will crush you!
 * Fel Lord Kurazmal: Die mortal scum!
 * Fel Lord Kurazmal: You can't... beat us all...
 * Gul'dan: Come forth and serve me!
 * The Demon Within: Become a vessel of darkness!

Closing cinematic

 * Gul'dan is knocked to his knees, a scar over his right eye, as the portal into the Nether begins to destabilize. A shockwave of energy blasts Illidan's crystal prison backwards, smashing into one of the statues.
 * Gul'dan: bossemote
 * Gul'dan reaches out, as if to stop the portal from closing.
 * Gul'dan: bossemote
 * The portal finally closes, leaving Gul'dan alone...as a pair of shadowed wings unfurls in the felfire. Looking despairingly behind him, Gul'dan is lifted off the ground by Illidan himself, who begins to channel fel energy into Gul'dan's body. Gul'dan screams as his body explodes in a bright flash of light. After the light fades, Illidan stands triumphant, holding Gul'dan's smoking skull in his hand.
 * Illidan Stormrage: bossemote
 * Illidan crushes Gul'dan's skull into fragments and dust.
 * Illidan Stormrage: bossemote

Stage One: The Council of Elders
Gul'dan locks himself inside the active Eye of Aman'Thul, summoning his demonic lieutenants. However, proximity to the active Eye of Aman'thul bestows equally powerful abilities to players, based on their role.
 * Essence of Aman'Thul
 * Gul'dan
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper

Stage Two: The Ritual of Aman'Thul
Gul'dan leaps into the fray himself, harnessing the power of the Fel to bolster his frail frame. At 85%, 70%, and 55% health, Gul'dan again taps into the active Eye of Aman'Thul, expanding the potency of his abilities.
 * Essence of Aman'Thul
 * Gul'dan
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Gul'dan
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether
 * Dreadlords of the Twisting Nether

Stage Three: The Master's Power
At 40% health Gul'dan harnesses the Eye of Aman'Thul to gain new and empowered abilities, also disrupting the powers that players received from the Eye.

Stage One: The Ritual of Aman'Thul
Gul'dan, taking no chances, leaps into the fray, harnessing the power of the Fel to bolster his frail frame, periodically summoning his demonic lieutenants and utilizing the active Eye of Aman'Thul, expanding the potency of his abilities.
 * Essence of Aman'Thul
 * Gul'dan
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Fel Lord Kuraz'mal
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * Inquisitor Vethriz
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper
 * D'zorykx the Trapper

Stage Two: The Master's Power
At 50% health Gul'dan harnesses the Eye of Aman'Thul to gain new and empowered abilities, also disrupting the powers that players received from the Eye.

Stage Three: The Demon Within
When Gul'dan reaches 10% health remaining. Archmage Khadgar attempts to return Illidan's soul to his dormant body,. Unbeknownst to Khadgar a dark, outworldly presence was filling Illidan's mortal shell, and the consequences of Khadgar's actions incite deadly consequences...
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.
 * Additional adds that spawn are Soul Fragment of Azzinoth, Demonic Essence, Purified Essence. The Purified Essences can cast Purified Essence, becomes Purified at upon reaching full health, instantly killing all players and applying Demonbane to all enemies.

Achievements

 * Betrayer's Rise
 * I've Got My Eyes On You
 * Mythic: Gul'dan
 * Ahead of the Curve: Gul'dan
 * Cutting Edge: Gul'dan
 * The Nighthold Guild Run
 * Mythic: Gul'dan Guild Run
 * Realm First! Gul'dan

Strategy
For this fight, the group should have two tanks, a mixed DPS composition, and 3-4 healers. Due to the amount of damage going out during the last two phases, groups killing Gul'dan for their first time should consider taking 4 healers if damage from Empowered of Eye Gul'dan proves too much. Bloodlust should also be saved for the last phase. In the first phase, the raid should be positioned on a single half of the arena, so as not to lose line of sight of healers, but spread out enough to dodge the boss's abilites. In the second half, the tanks and melee dps will be at the center of the room (on the Eye of Aman'thul) while the ranged players are 10-15 yards away in a group to allow the healers to shield them from Liquid Hellfire. In the last phase, Gul'dan will be tanked near the edge so that players can easily drop their lava near the edge instead of in the group.

Role-specific
Tanks: Gul'dan's energy bar will slowly build. When it hits 100%, he will one-shot the tank. Having the two tanks in-front of him will cause him to use Fel Scythe for lower damage and keep his energy low. However, if the tanks cause Fel Scythe to cast too often, Gul'dan will gain a stacking haste buff which will cause his energy to climb faster, eventually overwhelming the tanks. To counter this, a single tank should stand in-front of Gul'dan and the other tank should quickly move in next to their fellow tank to soak the Fel Scythe when he reaches 20-30% energy. This will keep the energy down and the deny the stacking buff. In a pinch, tanks can use their extra action button to activate the Eye of Aman'thul's shield, making them temporarily impervious to damage.

Healers: The Eye grants the ability to create a 10-yard shield around the player that absorbs all damage for 6 seconds. This ability is vital to the group taking minimum damage from Gul'dan's deadly Liquid Hellfire attack. However, the cast is instant and lasts for 6 seconds while the healer is still, while Gul'dan's Liquid Hellfire has an 8 second cast. Timing is key to prevent the group from taking massive damage.

DPS: Damage-dealing classes gain the ability to warp time, like a miniature, more powerful Bloodlust effect. Relative time increases by 30%, increasing casting, movement, and attack speed by 30% as well as decreasing cooldowns by 30% and periodic effects occur 30% faster. This unique effect benefits all DPS classes, even those who focus on damage-over-time effects. DPS must be careful as this effect can be taken off by several of Gul'dan's spells. Fel Efflux in phase 1, Empowered Eye of Gul'dan, and Liquid Hellfire in phases 2 and 3, as well as the lava it lays down. The healer's damage shield will not keep players from losing their buff, so they must be careful and gauge ability-timers in DBM to maximize the amount of time they keep their haste buff.

Phase 1
DPS will only have about 10 seconds to hurt Gul'dan before he shuts himself within the Eye of Aman'thul and begins summoning 3 demonic lieutenants to battle the raid: a fel-lord, an inquisitor, and a trapper. While in the eye, he will cast Fel Efflux, a large beam of fel-fire that will rapidly kill players standing within it, just move away. Once they are summoned, all DPS should switch to the inquisitor. After a period of time, it will start summoning eyes that shoot spinning laser beams that both hurt and knock-back players. After too long, the eyes will fill up the arena and make it very hard to dodge Gul'dan's Fel Efflux attack, potentially even knocking players off the platform to their deaths. Kill the inquisitor, then the fel-lord, as their powerful attacks may force tanks to use cooldowns early on. The trapper is not as much of a threat. He will throw a cage down on the floor and hurt anyone caught inside the vortex pulling. Simply move away and kill the trapper. Movement speed increases like Stampeding Roar trivialize this ability.

Phase 2
Gul'dan exits the Eye and confronts the party directly. This phase is split into 3 mini-phases, where he taps into the Eye to empower one of his abilities at 85%, 70%, and 55%. After the last of these, all his abilities will be empowered and do Fire-damage, cancelling the Eye's DPS affect if they are hit by any of them.

He will begin summoning Eyes of Gul'dan, small Eye of Kilrogg that fire beams at random players. He initially summons 3 at a time, but if not killed fast enough, they will duplicate and create more. These duplicated eyes have the exact same amount of health that the original had when it finished the cast. Hence, an eye that duplicates at 10% health will create a duplicate with 10% health. The eyes will also move around at high speed when not casting, so high-mobility DPS with good burst are great at taking down these eyes, such as demon hunters. The eyes must always be prioritized, as too many up at once may cause a wipe. After becoming empowered, he will instead summon one large eye that does a massive amount of channeled fire damage to multiple targets. The other abilities of the eye remain the same.

Bonds of Gul'dan binds 3-4 players to the floor and creates a small circle around them. After moving a certain distance from that spot, the chains will break and cause high damage to anyone within 5 yards of the freed player, split evenly. If no one shares the bonded player's space when the chain is broken and they are not a tank, they will most likely be one-shot. If one cannot immunity their way out of the bonds, ideally 2-3 players should be positioned on the player when they break their chains, making the damage relatively minor. When empowered, the bonds will force a player back away from Gul'dan. If stood near the edge, this has a very real chance of knocking the player off the edge with no way to recover. Thus, Gul'dan should be placed at the center of the arena and the ranged players standing about 10 feet away, so that they can be safe from empowered bonds and can quickly run inside of the healer's shield to protect from Liquid Hellfire. Empowered Liquid Hellfire will also leave lava on the ground, simply move away.

Phase 3
At 40%, Gul'dan will teleport back inside of the Eye and become invincible, giving the party a brief respite while Khadgar uses the Pillars of Creation to return Illidan's soul to his body. All raid members should hug the Eye to prevent falling off because Gul'dan will knock everyone back a ways when he finishes empowering himself. As this last phase begins, all players will lose their Eye abilities. Keep to the center to keep the 5-second winds from knocking players off the edge and then move towards the edge of the arena once it is safe. Instead of Liquid Hellfire, Gul'dan will instead affect several players with Flames of Sargeras, causing them to take damage and leave large spots of lava along the ground. Try to drop them close to the edge and away from people. He will stop casting Bonds, but continue creating Empowered eyes which need to be focused down.

His next big ability is Well of Souls. He will conjure the well at the center of the arena, where white souls will begin swirhling around inside. If any souls are within the well when Gul'dan casts Black Harvest, the raid will be taking additional shadow damage. More than 1 soul within the well during Black Harvest will cause a wipe. Ranged players need to stand within the well for 3 seconds to absorb a soul, taking damage in the process, but denying Black Harvest bonus damage. Different players must absorb the souls each time until the previous players' debuff (Soul Corrosion) wears off.

Finally, Gul'dan will use Storm of the Destroyer. This massive 1-hit-KO ability covers about 60% of the arena in shadow, killing anyone caught inside. Khadgar will give everyone a speed buff to get to the other side of the platform and avoid it. The first time Gul'dan casts this, he will teleport to the other side and immedietly attack the tanks. The second, he will run across the arena and cast Eye of Gul'dan in the center of the arena. If he is not dead by then, then he will cast a third Storm of the Destroyer, teleport to the tanks, and berserk soon after.