Archimonde Guide: Strategy, Abilities, Loot

Archimonde is the fifth and final boss you will encounter in the Hyjal Summit 25-player raid instance. Unlike the other bosses in Hyjal, Archimonde is not tied to any specific amount of trash but will be standing near the World Tree at the easternmost point of the zone. Archimonde is not a DPS check; putting survivability over DPS on this boss is crucial as the encounter only becomes more difficult if Archimonde is casting one of his Soul Charge abilities which will only occur if someone dies. Archimonde only requires one tank but it is a good idea to bring a second one as he deals heavy damage to not only the tank but the entire raid if mechanics are not handled properly. Consider bringing an additional healer as well.

Make sure to be spread around the boss but always in range of either a Mage or Druid so they can decurse Grip of the Legion.

If your party has a Shaman in it, make sure you are always within range of their Tremor Totem.

Make sure to be spread around the boss but always in range of either a Mage or Druid so they can decurse Grip of the Legion.

If your party has a Shaman in it, make sure you are always within range of their Tremor Totem.

Be aware of where Doomfire Strike is at all times and reposition the boss accordingly to allow for your melee to safely hit the boss without the risk of being feared into Doomfire.

If your party has a Shaman in it, make sure you are always within range of their Tremor Totem.

• Air Burst — Archimonde will knock random players high into the air. The fall will kill them if Tears of the Goddess or a similar slowfall effect is not used.
• Doomfire Strike — Archimonde will spawn trails of Doomfire beneath him that will slowly work outwards from himself.
• Fear — Archimonde will occasionally cast Fear, causing players to run uncontrollably for 8 seconds if not dispelled. This fear cannot be dispelled by Magic, but Fear-specific effects such as a Shaman's Tremor Totem or a Priest's Fear Ward can preemptively stop the spell from affecting the target.
• Grip of the Legion — Archimonde will target random members of the raid with this DoT effect. This will last for five minutes or until decursed.
• Soul Charge/Soul Charge/Soul Charge — If a player dies Archimonde will deal massive damage to the entire raid and an additional effect will trigger depending on what class was killed. If a Warrior, Rogue, or Paladin is killed 4,500 Physical damage will be dealt to the raid and everyone will have an increased 50% damage taken debuff. If a Druid, Shaman, or Hunter is killed it will deal 4,500 Nature damage over 8 seconds, and drain 2,250 Mana. If a Priest, Mage, Or Warlock is killed it will deal 4,500 Fire damage and silence the entire raid for four seconds.
• Finger of Death — Archimonde will cast this if there are no players in melee range, instantly killing its victim, their children, and their children's children.
• Hand of Death — Archimonde will cast this if not defeated within 10 minutes of being pulled, instantly wiping the raid.

Archimonde remains stationary near the World Tree until you pull him. There is a considerable amount of room to fight him but you will likely utilize a lot of it thanks to his Doomfire Strike ability. Once the tank has a healthy threat lead established Archimonde should be moved to a central point where the raid can spread evenly around him. Archimonde has no cleave effect so members of the raid should take advantage of the area in front of Archimonde as well.

Like all other bosses in Hyjal Archimonde only has one phase and his abilities are the same throughout the entire encounter; Archimonde dies at 10% so Execute effects are not quite as effective against him. A Shaman should be placed in every group if possible, as Archimonde will regularly cast Fear that can be almost completely mitigated by a Shaman's Tremor Totem. Members of the raid need to be fully aware of where the Tremor totem is at all times to ensure they are benefiting from its effects. Doomfire Strike will occasionally spawn from beneath Archimonde and work its way slowly outwards away from him. this deals a massive amount of Fire damage and must be avoided at all costs. If you are not able to have a Shaman to stop the fears in each of your groups, members of your raid must position themselves to avoid the possibility of being feared into the Doomfire that can quickly kill them. Grip of the Legion will be cast on random members of the raid and it needs to be decursed as quickly as possible. Druids and Mages should try to spread evenly throughout the raid so that every member of the raid is in range of at least one class that is able to decurse them. Air Burst is the most deadly of Archimonde's mechanics; if not handled correctly it will kill the player every time from the massive fall damage taken from the knockup. Players must speak to Tyrande Whisperwind at the Night Elf base camp before the encounter begins to receive Tears of the Goddess. Using the Tears of the Goddess will give the player a brief slowfall effect that will counteract the knockup. This must be used reactively and not proactively; only use the Tear when you are starting to fall back down and make sure it is in a comfortable spot where you will be able to hit it quickly enough should you be hit with Air Burst. Survival is the most important part of this encounter for every member of the raid. If anyone dies the entire raid will be hit by one of Archimonde's Soul Charge abilities, which changes based on what class it is that dies during the encounter.

Item	Item Type	Slot
Helm of the Forgotten Vanquisher	Tier Token	Helmet
Helm of the Forgotten Protector	Tier Token	Helmet
Helm of the Forgotten Conqueror	Tier Token	Helmet
Bristleblitz Striker	Weapon	Bow
Mail of Fevered Pursuit	Mail	Chest
Robes of Rhonin	Cloth	Chest
Savior's Grasp	Plate	Chest
Tempest of Chaos	Weapon	Main-Hand Sword
Scepter of Purification	Accessory	Off-hand
Apostle of Argus	Weapon	Staff
Leggings of Eternity	Cloth	Pants
Midnight Chestguard	Leather	Chest
Legguards of Endless Rage	Plate	Legs
Cataclysm's Edge	Weapon	Two-Handed Sword
Antonidas's Aegis of Rapt Concentration	Accessory	Shield
Design: Great Lionseye	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Flashing Crimson Spinel	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Inscribed Pyrestone	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Sovereign Shadowsong Amethyst	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Stormy Empyrean Sapphire	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Veiled Pyrestone	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Mystic Lionseye	Pattern	Jewelcrafting
Design: Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst	Pattern	Jewelcrafting

If you were looking for a full guide for the Hyjal Summit raid, or would like to know what specializations the loot from Archimonde should be prioritized to, see the links below.