Varimathras Guide for Antorus, the Burning Throne

Table of Contents

• ×Introduction
  • 1. Contents
  • 2. Lore
  • 3. Outline
  • 4. TL;DR
    • 4.1. Tanks
    • 4.2. Healers
    • 4.3. Everyone
    • 4.4. Positioning
  • 5. Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp
  • 6. Changelog
• +Abilities
  • 1. Overview
  • 2. Varimathras' Cell
    • 2.1. Torment of Flames
    • 2.2. Torment of Frost (Heroic+ Only)
    • 2.3. Torment of Fel (Heroic+ Only)
    • 2.4. Torment of Shadows
  • 3. Varimathras' Abilities
    • 3.1. Misery
    • 3.2. Alone in the Darkness
    • 3.3. Shadow Strike
    • 3.4. Dark Fissure
    • 3.5. Marked Prey
    • 3.6. Necrotic Embrace (Heroic+ Only)
• +Normal/Heroic Strategy/Tactics
  • 1. Positioning and Strategy
  • 2. The Prison of Varimathras
  • 3. Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp
• +Mythic Strategy
  • 1. Mythic Mode Abilities
  • 2. Strategy
  • 3. Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp
  • 4. Changelog

General Information

Welcome to our World of Warcraft encounter guide for Varimathras in Antorus, the Burning Throne. We will teach you everything you need to know to defeat the boss in every difficulty.

On this particular page, we will give you a short overview of the fight as well as a list of things to watch out for (include LFR tips when applicable).

The other pages of our Varimathras guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

To make it easy to navigate the guide, we have split it into 3 pages:

• Abilities: read about the encounter abilities;
• Normal/Heroic Strategy/Tactics: find out how to defeat the encounter in Normal and Heroic modes;
• Mythic Strategy: learn how to handle the new mechanics and increased difficulty of Mythic mode.

Varimathras must be defeated before the final three encounters in Antorus, the Burning Throne can be accessed.

As one of the dreadlords overseeing the Legion's forces during the Third War, Varimathras failed to stop the rebellious Lich King. He submitted to an ill-fated alliance with Sylvanas Windrunner, then made one last bid for power before facing a humiliating defeat.

In payment for his blunders, Varimathras has been tortured by the Coven of Shivarra. The vindictive sisters stripped away both flesh and sanity, leaving only a singular desire to inflict suffering upon the mortals who cost him everything.

Varimathras is a single phase encounter, however, the room cycles between several elemental states that have varying effects on the raid. The fight itself differs enormously between each tier of difficulty, and can be very challenging on higher difficulties. Varimathras is a straightforward encounter, but it can be extremely punishing and has the potential to quickly spiral out of control.

Anyone who takes Shadow damage suffers Misery, preventing all healing taken for 7 seconds as well as increasing Physical damage taken by 200%. All of Varimathras' abilities deal Shadow damage with the exception of the state changes his cell undergoes throughout the encounter.

• Perform a taunt swap after each Shadow Strike. The inactive tank should move behind Varimathras after the taunt swap has taken place.
• Ensure you are fully topped off and have cooldowns available before Torment of Shadows occurs.

• Ensure the Misery debuffs are easily visible on your raid frames lest you avoid wasting Mana.
• Quickly top players when their Misery debuffs expire, as it is likely it will be reapplied shortly.
• Have throughput cooldowns and strong healing available for the final portion of Torment of Fel, as the ticking damage will become quite dangerous (Heroic+ only).

• Always stay within 8 yards of another player or you will suffer damage from Alone in the Darkness.
• Avoid Dark Fissures, as they deal high damage.
• Ensure whoever is hit by Marked Prey has nearby players to protect them from Alone in the Darkness when they are knocked back.
• Move out of the group with Necrotic Embrace (Heroic+ only); an allied player must accompany the afflicted player. One of the two players must be able to immune the debuff off. If you have strong personal cooldowns you may be able to survive alone, however, be aware you will not be able to receive healing for some time.

• Only one tank should be in front of Varimathras at a time due to his frontal ability, Shadow Strike.
• Ranged and Healers should stack together, outside of the melee stack, baiting out the Dark Fissures. They should always move together as a group except when concerning Necrotic Embrace.
• The ranged and healers should form a small line, from the back of the boss into ranged, during Marked Prey. This ensures that whichever melee is knocked back is not struck by Alone in the Darkness.

We advise you to use Bloodlust/ Heroism/ Time Warp as the encounter commences. This ensures as little time as possible is spent in the Torment of Shadows pseudo-phase, which functions as a soft enrage of sorts.

• 31 Dec. 2017 (mythic page): Added Mythic strategy.
• 18 Nov. 2017 (this page): Page added.

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