Serpentshrine Cavern Guide — Raid guide · WoW Wrath of the Lich King
- Level
- 70
- Group
- 25 players
- Bosses
- 6
- Difficulty
- Raid
- Location
- Zangarmarsh
- Key
- None needed
How the run goes
Lady Vashj's reservoir under Coilfang. Six bosses on the islands and platforms of the cavern: Hydross the Unstable, The Lurker Below (fished up from his pool), Leotheras the Blind, Fathom-Lord Karathress, Morogrim Tidewalker, and Lady Vashj once the other five are dead.
Group: Twenty-five players with a frost-resistant and a nature-resistant tank for Hydross, a warlock to tank Leotheras's demon, interrupts for Karathress's advisors, and a team to relay cores on Vashj.
Map and route
From the entrance along the walkways to Hydross the Unstable, up past the central platform, where the Lurker Below is fished up, to Leotheras the Blind, Fathom-Lord Karathress and Morogrim Tidewalker, then back and across the bridge to Lady Vashj.
1.Hydross and the Lurker
From the entrance along the walkways to Hydross the Unstable in his pool chamber, then to the central island where The Lurker Below is fished up from the strange pool.
2.Leotheras, Karathress and Morogrim
Up the ramp to Leotheras the Blind (kill his three Greyheart Spellbinders to release him), then across to Fathom-Lord Karathress and his three advisors, and Morogrim Tidewalker's platform.
3.Lady Vashj
With the five dead, the bridge to Vashj's island rises. Cross it to her platform and its four shield generators.
Boss by boss
Hydross and the Lurker
On the way: Underbog colossi, Coilfang beastmasters and serpentguards. The Lurker's platforms have Coilfang Guardians and ambushers.
- Level
- 73 · Boss
- Health
- 2,390,220
- Mana
- 303,520
- Armor
- 7,618
Water TombEncases the target and any of its nearby enemies in a tomb of water, stunning them and dealing 900 Frost damage every 1 sec for 4 sec.
BerserkIncreases the caster's movement speed by 150% and the Physical damage it deals by 500 for 10 min.
Mark of HydrossApplies a mark of power to all nearby enemies, increasing Frost damage taken by 10%.
Summon Water ElementalSummon a Water Elemental to fight for the caster for until cancelled.
Corruption
Hydross changes form when he crosses the line in his room. In his frost form, Mark of Hydross stacks frost damage on the raid and he Water Tombs players; in his corrupted form, Mark of Corruption stacks nature damage. Each change wipes threat and brings four elementals.
- Frost form (his own side): a frost-resistant tank holds him; marks stack frost damage taken.
- Corrupted form (across the line): a nature-resistant tank takes him; marks stack nature damage taken.
- Tanks
- Two tanks, one in frost and one in nature resistance. Pull him across the line when marks get high; the new tank picks him up while others take the four elementals.
- Healers
- Damage grows with each mark stack; heal the raid hard before a form change. Water Tomb traps a player and those near them.
- Damage dealers
- Stop damage for a moment after each form change so the new tank gets threat, then kill the elementals before going back to Hydross.
- Level
- 73 · Boss
- Health
- 2,655,000
- Armor
- 7,618
Geyser
Water BoltHurls a watery bolt at an enemy, inflicting 8750 to 11250 Frost damage.
A giant fish fished up from his pool. Spout sweeps a jet of water around the room: jump into the water to avoid it. Whirl knocks back melee, Geyser throws players, and he shoots Water Bolts if no one is in melee range. Then he submerges and Coilfang Guardians and ambushers rise on the platforms.
- Surfaced: tank him; dive into the water when he starts Spout.
- Submerged: kill the guardians and ambushers on each platform until he resurfaces.
- Tanks
- Hold him from the edge and always keep someone in melee; pick up the guardians when he submerges.
- Healers
- When he starts Spout, jump in the water too and heal from there. The platforms' ambushers shoot healers.
- Damage dealers
- Jump into the water for Spout, then come back. During the submerge, ranged kill ambushers on their own platform.
Leotheras, Karathress and Morogrim
On the way: Greyheart Nether-Mages and tidecallers; Coilfang Fathom-Witches and Underbog Colossi patrol the lower walkways.
- Level
- 73 · Boss
- Health
- 2,655,800
- Armor
- 7,618
Consuming Madness
WhirlwindAttacks nearby enemies in a whirlwind of steel that lasts 12 sec. and inflicts normal damage plus 119.- BerserkIncreases the caster's movement speed by 150% and the Physical damage it deals by 500 for 10 min.
Insidious WhisperThe very sound of insanity.
A blood elf demon hunter released when his three Greyheart Spellbinders die. In elf form he whirlwinds randomly through the raid; in demon form he blasts the demon tank with Chaos Blast and sends Inner Demons after players. At the end he splits into both forms.
- Elf form: tank him; get out of his way during Whirlwind.
- Demon form: a warlock tanks him at range; players with Insidious Whisper kill their own Inner Demon quickly.
- Below 15%: the elf and the demon fight at once; both tanks take one each.
- Tanks
- A warrior or druid on the elf, a warlock on the demon; pick him up after every form change.
- Healers
- Whirlwind hits wherever he spins. Players fighting their demons need heals; if they fail, they're mind-controlled.
- Damage dealers
- Kill your own Inner Demon when you get one; ranged spread out from the demon tank.
- Level
- 73 · Boss
- Health
- 1,274,700
- Mana
- 254,025
- Armor
- 7,604
Power of SharkkisGrants the Beast Within Ability.
Power of TidalvessGrants the Spitfire Totem Ability.
Power of CaribdisGrants the Tidal Surge Ability.
Cataclysmic BoltBlasts an enemy target with shadow, dealing damage equal to half their total health.
Blessing of the TidesIncreases damage dealt by 65% and reduces time between attacks by 65% for 10 min. Stacks up to 3 times.
Sear NovaInflicts Fire damage to nearby enemies.- EnrageIncreases the caster's attack speed by 65% and the Physical damage it deals by 50 for 90 sec.
Karathress and three advisors: Fathom-Guard Sharkkis (a hunter with a pet), Fathom-Guard Tidalvess (a shaman with a Spitfire Totem) and Fathom-Guard Caribdis (a priest who heals and throws cyclones). Each advisor's death empowers Karathress; he casts Cataclysmic Bolt, which halves a caster's health.
- Tanks
- One tank on each advisor and one on Karathress; Caribdis's tank keeps her heals interrupted.
- Healers
- Cataclysmic Bolt halves health: heal its target at once. Heal through the Spitfire Totem's fire.
- Damage dealers
- Follow the advisor order (often Caribdis, Tidalvess, then Sharkkis); kill totems at once; interrupt Caribdis's heals.
- Level
- 73 · Boss
- Health
- 3,983,700
- Armor
- 7,618
Earthquake
Tidal WaveA frozen crest of water splashes over targets in front of the caster, dealing 3938 to 5062 Frost damage and increasing the time between attacks by 400%.- Watery Grave
A giant sea giant. Earthquake brings murloc waves from both sides, Watery Grave teleports four players into bubbles that burst, and Tidal Wave hits the raid. At a quarter health he spawns Water Globules that chase players.
- Tanks
- Hold Morogrim at the back; off-tanks pick up each murloc wave away from the healers.
- Healers
- Watery Grave's four players take damage when the bubbles burst; heal them quickly.
- Damage dealers
- Kill murloc waves with area damage; run from the globules at the end.
Lady Vashj
- Level
- 73 · Boss
- Health
- 3,399,200
- Mana
- 1,693,500
- Armor
- 7,604
EntangleEntangles an enemy in roots, inflicting Nature damage every 2 sec. and immobilizing it for up to 10 sec.
Shock BlastInstantly throws a bolt of lightning at an enemy, inflicting Nature damage.
Magic Barrier
Persuasion
Static ChargeCharges an enemy with energy, inflicting 0 Nature damage over 20 sec. While the target is affected, the static periodically zaps its nearby allies with Nature damage as well.
Multi-ShotFires a volley of missiles at an enemy and its nearby allies, striking up to 5 targets for normal damage plus 6475 to 7525.
Forked LightningInflicts 2313 to 2687 Nature damage to enemies in a cone in front of the caster.
The naga queen. In the first phase she's tanked normally. At 70% she raises a shield powered by four generators: Tainted Elementals drop Tainted Cores that players pass along to the generators, while Coilfang Striders and Elites attack and Enchanted Elementals walk to her. At 50% she fights again, with Toxic Sporebats dropping poison clouds and Persuasion mind-controlling players.
- Phase one: tank her; Shock Blast and Static Charge hit players near her.
- Phase two (shield): kill Tainted Elementals and relay their cores to each generator; kill Enchanted Elementals before they reach her; kite the Striders.
- Phase three: avoid the sporebats' poison clouds, control mind-controlled players and finish her.
- Tanks
- Main tank on Vashj; in phase two, tanks pick up the Coilfang Elites and keep the Striders kited.
- Healers
- Spread across the platform; Static Charge and Multi-Shot hit the raid. In phase three, move out of poison clouds.
- Damage dealers
- Kill elementals fast; the core relay team passes cores without walking far. In phase three, avoid the clouds and burn her.
Before you go
- Prepare frost and nature resistance assignments for Hydross.
- Fish up the Lurker only when the platforms and raid are ready.
- Assign Vashj's platform sectors, strider control, and core relay before the pull.
- The Cudgel of Kar'desh was the original entry attunement; it is removed in later progression. Hydross needs dedicated resistance tanks for the intended strategy.