Yor'sahj the Unsleeping Encounter Guide: Strategy, Abilities, Loot

• This fight is all about kill-priority for DPS players. Focus the called ooze as soon as it spawns, kill the Mana Void (if the second one has spawned), AoE any Forgotten Ones as needed, and finally your last priority is the boss.
• Save personal defensive cooldowns when you are spreading out for a green ooze.

• Assign 1 healer to each group for healing during the Deep Corruption (purple ooze) debuff. Almost all direct heals, including AoE spells, will add a stack of this debuff; do not overheal players and trigger this spell as it will cause a wipe.
• Paladin healers can use Beacon of Light on the main-tank and heal a Hunter pet to entirely avoid the Deep Corruption mechanic on the tank.

• Be ready to tank swap every 2‒3 stacks of Void Bolts damage-over-time component.
• Save defensive cooldowns whenever Yor'sahj the Unsleeping absorbs a Glowing Globule (yellow ooze), as this greatly increases the damage dealt to the raid and tanks.

• Void Bolt
• Fusing Vapors
• Call Bloood of Shu'ma
  • Acidic Globule
    • Digestive Acid
  • Crimson Globule
    • Searing Blood
  • Cobalt Globule
  • Mana Void
  • Shadowed Globule
    • Deep Corruption
  • Dark Globule
  • Forgotten One
  • Psychic Slice
• Glowing Globule
  • Glowing Blood of Shu'ma

Yor'sahj the Unsleeping can either be engaged as the second or third boss in Dragon Soul. This fight is heavily add-based, with the raid needing to constantly deal with special ooze enemies that Yor'sahj the Unsleeping will call to his aid. On normal difficulty 3 ooze will spawn, while 4 will spawn on heroic mode; these ooze don't attack, but instead will quickly move towards Yor'sahj the Unsleeping, who should be stationary in the middle of the room. When an ooze reaches Yor'sahj the Unsleeping, he will absorb their energy and gain a temporary buff, which varies depending on which color ooze he absorbed (more on the ooze stuff later). However, one can not simply kill all of the ooze before they reach the boss, as the remaining ooze will become immune to damage as soon as one of them dies. The many combination of oozes as well as the sub-sequential buffs that Yor'sahj the Unsleeping gains make this an extremely exciting encounter where the raid will need to be ready for anything at all times.

We will first start off with an overview of the area and the very few spells that Yor'sahj the Unsleeping himself brings to the fight. On pull the raid will have approximately 20-30 seconds before the first ooze spawn in, giving the raid time to stack up behind the boss. The only mechanic that Yor'sahj the Unsleeping will do is Void Bolt on the main tank, which deals high Shadow damage and applies a stacking Shadow damage-over-time debuff. Tanks will want to perform a tank-swap every 2-3 stacks to prevent the damage-over-time from ramping up too high.

Throughout the outer-edges of the room you will see six colored dirt-mounds, with each of them having a unique color to match one of the six ooze that will spawn during the encounter. These spawn points are fixed for each individual ooze, for example, if a red ooze will spawn it will always spawn on the red dirt-mound (the location shown in the image). Familiarize yourself with the ooze spawns as shown in the image above as the ooze will always spawn in the exact same locations; it is also recommended to have your raid leader pre-place target markets around the room for each ooze spawn for additional visual clarity.

The six uniquely colored ooze (Green, Red, Blue, Purple, Black, and Yellow), are the main mechanic of this fight. Approximately 25 seconds into the fight, and every 1 minute 15 seconds afterwards, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping will use Call Blood of Shu'ma to summon the ooze in to aid him. The summoned ooze does not have an aggro table and does not use any abilities; instead, it will walk directly towards Yor'sahj the Unsleeping, allowing him to absorb the oozes' energy if it is allowed to reach the boss. You can not however, simply kill all of the ooze before they reach the boss; once one ooze has died, the others will become immune to damage. This means you will need to choose which ooze you want to kill to prevent Yor'sahj the Unsleeping from absorbing it and temporarily gaining additional abilities. Knowing what each ooze does is crucial to success in this fight, as you will need to be ready to deal with numerous combinations of different ooze spells going out at once.

Now we will take a look at the individual ooze abilities; remember that there will always be more than 1 ooze active at a time, forcing you to have to deal with multiple of these mechanics at once. The Acidic Globule, or "Green Ooze", will grant Yor'sahj the Unsleeping the Digestive Acid ability. Every 10 seconds Digestive Acid will hit the entire raid, dealing damage to each player and splashing to any allies with 4 yards of the initial target. You must have the entire raid quickly spread out at least 5 yards apart from each other to survive this, making the Green Ooze one of the most dangerous while dealing with other ooze abilities at the same time. The Crimson Globule, or "Red Ooze", will grant Yor'sahj the Unsleeping the Searing Blood ability if absorbed; Searing Blood targets 3 random players and deals Fire damage, dealing more damage based on how far away from the boss the targeted player is. With the Red Ooze active, you really want to stack together as close to the boss as possible to almost entirely negate the Searing Blood damage.

The third ooze is the "Blue Ooze", or Cobalt Globule. If Yor'sahj the Unsleeping absorbs the Blue Ooze he will summon a Mana Void, which quickly drains and stores the mana of the entire raid, and when killed it will return all of the stolen mana back to the raid. After the first Mana Void spawns allow it to drain your raids mana entirely; after it fully drains your raids mana, use all available mana restoring cooldowns such as Mana Tide Totem and Innervate to return as much mana as possible. DPS the first Mana Void down to low health, stopping at around 15% (the Mana Void actually dies at 5% rather than 0%, so be cautious), and leave this one alive until the second Mana Void has spawned. When the second Mana Void spawns in and has finished draining the raids mana, kill the first Void in order to restore all of the raids mana that was stolen the first time around. Simply repeat this process of keeping 1 Mana Void at low health, wait for the next one to spawn and drain the raids mana, then kill the low health one to restore the raids mana back. The Mana Voids will slowly move around the room in a random direction and should be frequently Death Grip'd back on top of the boss.

Next is the Shadowed Globule, or "Purple Ooze", which brings a healer specific mechanic. If absorbed the Purple Ooze will grant Yor'sahj the Unsleeping Deep Corruption, which places a stacking debuff on the player whenever they are healed (including absorption spells such as Power Word: Shield). If the Deep Corruption debuff reaches 5 stacks on a player, they explode for raid-wide Shadow damage, wiping the raid. Assign a healer to single-target heal each party, with a large emphasize on using their strongest heals or powerful healing-over-time spells to keep their group alive without gaining too many stacks of Deep Corruption. After 25 seconds the Deep Corruption stacks will reset, requiring the healers to juggle the raids health on minimum heals again for 25 more seconds. Below you can find most of the important spells for each class, showing how many stacks of Deep Corruption the spell adds, if any (credit for the list goes to jjanchan):

• Death Strike and Blood Shield (Blood DK Mastery) give no stacks;
• Death Pact gives no stacks;
• Anti-Magic Shell gives no stacks;
• Rune Tap gives no stacks, even with Glyph of Rune Tap;
• Using Lichborne followed by Death Coil gives no stacks;
• Blood Parasite gives no stacks.

• Leader of the Pack gives no stacks (Feral Spec);
• Savage Defense gives no stacks;
• Frenzied Regeneration gives no stacks, even with Item - Druid T13 Feral 4P Bonus (Frenzied Regeneration and Stampede);
• Swiftmend gives 1 stack, but Efflorescence gives no stacks;
• Rejuvenation gives 1 stack for the initial cast only, not for ticks;
• Wild Growth gives 1 stack per person healed;
• Lifebloom gives 1 stack per cast, no stacks for Bloom instant heal, no stacks for ticks and no extra stacks when lengthened by Healing Touch / Regrowth / Nourish with Empowered Touch talented (although the heal used to extend it will add a stack);
• Tranquility gives 1 stack per tick (Raid Wiper!).

• Chimera Shot gives no stacks.

• Evocation with Glyph of Evocation gives no stacks;
• Mana Shield gives no stacks;
• Mage Ward gives no stacks;
• Ice Block does not clear stacks.

• Heals received via Beacon of Light give no stacks;
• Absorbs from Illuminated Healing (Holy Paladin Mastery) give no stacks;
• Guardian of Ancient Kings gives no stacks;
• Lay on Hands gives no stacks;
• Word of Glory gives no stacks;
• Divine Storm gives no stacks;
• Divine Shield does not clear stacks, and does not prevent further stacks from being generated;
• Holy Radiance gives 1 stack per person healed, HoT ticks do not add stacks;
• Light of Dawn gives 1 stack per person healed.

• Desperate Prayer gives no stacks;
• Echo of Light gives no stacks (Holy Priest Mastery);
• Guardian Spirit gives no stacks;
• Prayer of Mending gives no stacks;
• Vampiric Embrace gives no stacks (Shadow Spec);
• Power Word: Barrier gives no stacks;
• Divine Aegis gives no stacks;
• Devouring Plague gives no stacks;
• Holy Word: Serenity gives 1 stack;
• Prayer of Healing gives 1 stack;
• Lightwell gives 1 stack per click (not per tick);
• Penance gives 1 stack per channel (not per tick);
• Power Word: Shield gives 1 stack, even without Glyph of Power Word: Shield;
• Binding Heal gives 1 stack to the target and 1 stack to the caster;
• Circle of Healing gives 1 stack per target healed;
• Holy Word: Sanctuary gives 1 stack, and 1 extra stack each time a player leaves and re-enters the AoE heal;
• Renew gives 1 stack for initial cast only, no stacks for ticks and no extra stacks when lengthened by Chakra: Serenity (although the direct heal used to extend it will add a stack);
• Holy Nova gives 1 stack per person healed;
• Atonement gives 1 stack per heal, including 1 stack per tick of Holy Fire (Raid Wiper!);
• Divine Hymn gives 1 stack per tick (Raid Wiper!).

• Recuperate gives no stacks.

• Earth Shield gives no stacks;
• Healing Stream Totem gives no stacks;
• Spirit Link Totem gives no stacks;
• Heals from Feral Spirit give no stacks;
• Stoneclaw Totem with Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem gives no stacks;
• Earthliving Weapon gives no stacks, although Unleash Life will give 1 stack;
• Chain Heal gives 1 stack per person healed;
• Healing Rain gives 1 stack, and 1 extra stack each time a player leaves and re-enters the AoE heal;
• Riptide gives 1 stack for the initial cast, not for ticks.

• Healthstone gives no stacks;
• Haunt gives no stacks;
• Drain Life gives no stacks;
• Fel Armor gives no stacks;
• Death Coil gives no stacks.

• Enraged Regeneration gives no stacks;
• Blood Craze gives no stacks;
• Victory Rush with Impending Victory gives no stacks.

The next ooze up is the Dark Globule, A.K.A. the "Black Ooze". When absorbed, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping will summon a ton of Forgotten Ones; these Forgotten Ones will fixate on a random target and begin to use Psychic Slice, dealing moderate Shadow damage to the target. Since these can not be tanked and attack random targets, it's best if you stack up on top of the boss to AoE these down and help the healers keep the raid alive and healthy.

Last but not least is the "Yellow Ooze", or the Glowing Globule. Unlike other oozes that grant Yor'sahj the Unsleeping a new ability, the Yellow Ooze instead empowers Yor'sahj the Unsleeping, further enhancing the abilities granted to him by other ooze. With the Yellow Ooze absorbed, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping will improve his Void Bolt to deal splash damage to allies near the tank; make sure the tank is standing at maximum melee range here and that no one else is near them. Yor'sahj the Unsleeping will also gain 50% increased attack speed, and reduced cooldown on all of his abilities, essentially doubling the number of spells he will use; this includes all of the other ooze abilities. Both the Green Ooze ( Digestive Acid) and Red Ooze ( Searing Blood) spells will be used twice as often, with damage going out every 5 seconds rather than every 10 seconds. The Blue Ooze (Mana Void) will summon a second Void in shortly after the first, while the Black Ooze (Forgotten Ones) will summon in 2 waves of adds; the Purple Ooze gains no benefits from the Yellow Ooze.

A quick recap of what we know about the Ooze that we know so far:

• Green Ooze – Digestive Acid = Spread out at least 5 yards apart;
• Red Ooze – Searing Blood = Stack together on boss;
• Blue Ooze – Mana Void = Get 1st Void low, wait for 2nd Void to kill 1st;
• Purple Ooze – Deep Corruption = Do not heal targets above 4 stacks;
• Black Ooze – Forgotten One = Stack on boss and AoE adds;
• Yellow Ooze – Glowing Blood of Shu'ma = Empowered boss damage, use defensive cooldowns.

Now for the different combinations of ooze that can spawn. Rather than using all possible combinations for which ooze can spawn (20 on normal difficulty and 15 on heroic), Blizzard kept it simple and only allowed 6 possible combinations of Ooze to be possible. This means you will always know which 3 (4 on heroic) Ooze you are getting and which one is the best kill priority. Below you can find all of the ooze combos and the recommended kill priority for normal difficulty.

For heroic difficulty, four ooze will spawn instead of three, but there are still only six possible combinations of ooze that can appear:

There are two particular combinations on heroic difficulty that require extra attention, the first being the Blue – Green – Purple – Yellow combo. This is the only combo that we recommend not killing the Green Ooze on and instead have the raid spread out to avoid the Digestive Acid splash damage. Personal defensive cooldowns will be needed here as the raid will be spread out and debuffed by Deep Corruption; be sure to check the list above for which spells your class can use freely here!

The other very nasty ooze combo is Black – Green – Red – Yellow. In this setup you have to kill the Green Ooze as you must be able to stack for the Forgotten Ones, as well as the Searing Blood. DPS will need to focus on AoEing the adds down hard here as you will be getting 2 waves of them. This is the hardest ooze combo you can get, be sure to coordinate raid-wide defensive cooldowns and use any and all major DPS abilities here to push through onto the next set of ooze.

As mentioned before, the Ooze will spawn approximately 25 seconds into the pull and every 1 minute 15 seconds afterwards, limiting the amount of time you have to deal with the Ooze, the adds, and get as much damage into Yor'sahj the Unsleeping as possible before the next wave of ooze spawn. DPS players need to know the proper Ooze target before it spawns, and be in the correct position to begin instantly DPSing it down. The fight will repeat from this point until Yor'sahj the Unsleeping enrages after 10-minutes.

4.

Yor'sahj the Unsleeping Loot

Normal Heroic

Below you will find all of the loot available for this boss encounter. Use the different buttons to view the different loot between both Normal and Heroic difficulties.

4.1.

Normal Difficulty Loot

Item
Interrogator's Bloody Footpads
Mindstrainer Treads
Heartblood Wristplates
Insignia of the Corrupted Mind
Soulshifter Vortex
Scalpel of Unrelenting Agony
Experimental Specimen Slicer
Spire of Coagulated Globules
Leggings of the Corrupted Conqueror
Leggings of the Corrupted Protector
Leggings of the Corrupted Vanquisher

Below you will find all of the loot available for this boss encounter. Use the different buttons to view the different loot between both Normal and Heroic difficulties.

4.2.

Heroic Difficulty Loot

Item
Interrogator's Bloody Footpads
Mindstrainer Treads
Heartblood Wristplates
Insignia of the Corrupted Mind
Soulshifter Vortex
Scalpel of Unrelenting Agony
Experimental Specimen Slicer
Spire of Coagulated Globules
Leggings of the Corrupted Conqueror
Leggings of the Corrupted Protector
Leggings of the Corrupted Vanquisher

Achievement	Description
Siege of Wyrmrest Temple	Defeat the bosses laying siege to Wyrmrest Temple in the Dragon Soul raid.
Dragon Soul Guild Run	Defeat the bosses in Dragon Soul while in a guild group.
Heroic: Yor'sahj the Unsleeping	Defeat Yor'sahj the Unsleeping in Dragon Soul on Heroic Difficulty.
Taste the Rainbow!	Experience the following color combinations, and then defeat Yor'sahj the Unsleeping on Normal or Heroic Difficulty.

Yor'sahj the Unsleeping is just one of the eight encounters present in the Dragon Soul raid of Cataclysm. If you would like to learn more about the others, please see our other pages for the raid below.