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Operator IX / Kephess The Undying tactics 8man HM


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First off, I'd like to say, these tactics are based on Dulfy's tactics posted in this thread. I'd like to start by saying "thank you" to her as it was her guides (awesome as always :) ) we used when killing those bosses.

 

I edited the tactics with some adjustments my guild made, added some tanking tips and decided I'll post them - maybe you will find some useful information here in addition to what Dulfy posted.

 

The tactics are for 8man Hard Mode.

 

Terror From Beyond Boss 3: Operator IX

Terror From Beyond Boss 4: Kephess the Undying

Edited by vandana_
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OPERATOR IX

 

Phase 1

 

There are 4 color phases in phase 1 of the fight (indicated by the color of a circle in the center of the room). Your goal is to kill 2 datacores in each phase which will trigger the next phase. The order of phases is always the same: Blue -> Orange -> Purple -> Yellow.

 

There are 2 people assigned to each color. 1 person of the color of the current color phase activates the channeling console (on one of the 4 pillars around the center of the room) by standing in the circle in the center of the room. The other person channels the console throughout the duration of the phase which removes shields from the data cores. The duration of the channel (time to kill the cores) is shorter in each consecutive color phase (exact values below). Everyone should set Master Control as focus target which will allow you to see his cast bar - phase duration.

 

Consequences of not killing datacores on time:

 

1) Master Control will repeat the color phase including spawning any adds that spawn during that color phase (they will spawn again).

 

2) Additional Rectifier add spawns (you will get the following message on screen: Failed to Achieve Red Obtuse. Activating Green Bisector). Rectifier has 90k HP and a conal attack so he should be tanked faced away from other players.

 

On Purple phase you fail the timer on purpose to clean up the Regulator adds (explained below).

 

Timers and role assignments:

Blue: 70 seconds RANGED DPS + DPS (channeling)

Orange: 60 seconds TANK 1 (channeling) + HEALER

Purple: 55 seconds RANGED DPS + DPS (channeling) + additional 55 seconds

Yellow: 50 seconds. TANK 2 (channeling) + HEALER.

 

Adds

During the color phases the following adds will spawn:

 

Blue: Recognizers

Orange: Regulators

1st Purple: Recognizers

2nd Purple: Recognizers, Rectifier

Yellow: Regulators

 

As you can see Blue and Purple phases only spawn Recognizer adds - these are silver, low HP (15K) mobs and can killed off by tanks picking them, healers and DPS passing by.

 

Orange and Yellow phases spawn 2 x Regulator adds. These are champion mobs with 70k HP and cast a knockback (End of Line) followed by a stun. For this reason, they should be tanked facing away from the central color circle (so they don't knock the person stending there out of it) and the person channeling on the console. Optimal position to tank them is with your back against a pillar (other than the one with the active console). The second Regulator will spawn about 10 seconds after the first. The tank who picks it up must make sure he has his cc breaker / interrupt ready so he can pick it up asap. As soon as Orange phase ends TANK 1 (that was channeling) should pick up the new (Recognizers) so they don't break the channeling and try not to AOE taunt so that the Regulators stay on their target (TANK 2).

 

Regulators and Rectifier always spawn in the eastern "entrance" to the room.

 

Repeating the Purple phase

You repeat the Purple phase on purpose to clean up the Regulator adds from the Orange phase. It is the Purple phase you should repeat because only Recognizer adds spawn in that phase.

 

Colored spheres

During each color phase, two color spheres of the corresponding color will spawn. Each person of the same colored pair will need to grab one and kill it to receive a buff.* (*The buff is used to protect people affected with "deletion protocol in phase 2 - explained later). Players not of that color will need to avoid damaging these spheres and accidentally killing them (they only have 5K HP).

 

Channelers will be leaving color spheres until the cores are down. That means no AOE near them. The player in the center circle can kill his sphere when it comes by. On Yellow phase the channeling tank needs to very quickly kill his sphere before he starts channeling so he doesn't have to worry about it when he picks up the boss at the end of phase 1. You will loose some dps time of the Yellow phase but we found it easier to use all DPS as channelers on more relaxed phases Blue and Purple and free tham up for phases Orange and Yellow. A DPS can help the tank casting 1-2 shots on the spheres. The spheres always spawn in the northern and southern part of the room and are neutral (yellow, not targettable as enemy with Tab - you need to click it to target it). Color spheres do not despawn.

 

KILL PRIORITY

 

All phases:

- Spheres - for the player in the center at any time and for channeler once cores are down (with the exception of the Yellow phase channeling tank ).

- Recognizers killed by tanks and finished off by DPS and healers as we go.

 

Blue phase:

1) One of the initial adds - the other one is killed by a tank and DPS in the center.

2) Data Cores

 

Orange phase

1) Data Cores

 

1st Purple phase:

1) Regulators

2) Data Core 1

3) Data Core 2

 

2nd Purple phase:

1) Rectifier

2) Data Core 2

 

Yellow phase:

1) Data Cores

2) Regulators

 

It doesn't really matter if you split your DPS on the cores as long as you can apply all debuffs and buffs on them to maximize dps.

 

Phase 2

 

Black Obtuse

During this phase the Master Control mob in the center of the room is replaced with Operator IX. When this phase begins the Regulators from Yellow phase need to be killed as 1st priority. A tank that was channeling needs to pick up the boss.

 

Operator IX will cast Black Obtuse. He puts on a reflective shield on himself and places color circles in the spots around him. Each player has to pick 1 color circle of their color. On hardmode you have 8 seconds to do that. This means that all the players should stack in the middle with Operator IX as that offers the shortest travel time to their circles during Black Obtuse.

 

If you run into the wrong circle, you will cause one random member of your raid to get hit with Disinfection once Operator IX finished channeling Black Obtuse (hits for 19k and will most likely one shot them). In the event that one player of a specific color pair dies, the remaining player of that color will need to run to both circles during this stage.

 

Operator IX will aggro a random player around 5 seconds after the Black Obtuse so tanks need to make sure to taunt him when he ends his channel.

 

Adds

Operator IX will occasionally spawn 2 low hp adds with a knockback just before the Black Obtuse. One of the tanks needs to mass taunt and the other tank needs to single taunt the boss off. Ranged DPS should kill the ADDS during Black Obtuse.

 

Color Deletion Protocol

Color Deletion Protocol comes after Operator IX finishes channeling Black Obtuse. One random member of the raid will be targeted for deletion by a specific color and a circle of that color will be placed underneath that player. The boss wil target that player and start channeling the protocol with the color name in the name of the ability so you can quickly see who is targeted with which color by looking at target of target and the boss castbar.

 

One person with the color buff corresponding to the color of the circle will need to run to the person marked for "deletion". Doing so will protect the person from the "deletion" aka death. You have 5 seconds to do this.

 

Since there are two players with the buff for each color, make sure you sort out who does the “protect” first as to not waste both buffs. (For example we do it using the following rule: HEALERS for Orange and Yellow first and RANGED DPS for Blue and Purple first). If both players run in to protect, both of their buffs will be used up and whoever gets marked for deletion with the same color afterwards will die.

 

Make sure that all players stand still after the Black Obtuse until someone gets marked and the player targeted for deletion stands still until the person that's supposed to run in does so. Also those without the corresponding color buff to protect should stay away.

 

We use Bloodthirst in the beginning of Phase 2 and on the last 30%. You need to time it after the Black Obtuse when the boss drops his shield.

Edited by vandana_
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KEPHESS THE UNDYING

 

The fight is based around 8 pillars which get destroyed and when they collapse they knock Kephess down so you can deal increased damage to him. There are 2 phases and in each of those phases there is a different mechanic to get those pillars on Kephess.

 

The positioning on this fight: Everyone stacked behind the boss except 2 ranged DPS dealing with the Energy Distortions (explained below).

 

Phase 1

 

Tank swap

One of the tanks tanking Kephess will receive a debuff - 2 small white glowing lights will attach to him and then he will start glowing himself. When this happens, the other tank needs to taunt Kephess so that the tank with the debuff can run to the glowing pool around the center of the room which will cleanse him. The glowing pool will spawn from a blue circle - other players than a tank with the debuff should avoid the circle and the pool.

 

Laser Blast

Kephess will have a white electricity beam attached to him periodically throughout the fight. The tanks need to locate the pillar it is attached to and move Kephess to that pillar. Kephes at one point will stop and a red text message will be displayed on the screen: Kephess Charges a Focused Laser Blast at Player X!

 

This is when the targeted player should run to between Kephess and the pillar. Kephess will channel a 9 second Laser Blast (the player will take damage - need heals) from it. The tank should move to Kephess' side to avoid the damage from the laser as Kephess will not be attacking/targetting anyone but the person affected with the Laser at this point. At the end of the 9 second cast the laser beam will destroy the pillar and Kephess will be knocked down to the ground for a few seconds - you can do increased damage to him while he is in that state.

 

Due to the strict enrage timer on Kephess, it is recommended that you do not miss a single pillar in phase 1. You do not have to stand next to the pillar, as long you are between Kephess and the pillar. Make sure that the person being targeted by Laser Blast runs to their position ASAP so that Kephess gets 4 stacks of the damage increase debuff for maximize DPS as the stacks increase with the amount of time the laser affects the targeted person.

 

Energy Distortions

Energy Distortions are two white orbs that spawn in the middle of the room. They each have 10k HP and will attach onto the nearest person. When they spawn, they have a white circle underneath them for a couple of seconds. Those who run into the white circle will get the energy distortions attached onto them. If no one runs into the white circle, they will pick the person closest to them and place the white circle underneath them.

 

Each energy distortion has about 10k HP but it cannot be damaged by other players once they are attached onto someone. For that reason, 2 assigned DPS will pick them up ASAP as their main priority in the fight and kill them. If you have 2 ranged DPS they should be staying closer to the center of the room so they can get to their distortions quickly. If you make a mistake, and the orbs attach to the main tank keep in mind that the Kephess’ ability that cause tanks to glow will kill these energy distortions.

 

The distortions will do a pulsating AoE damage that increases in damage overtime. Keep them away from the raid and kill them ASAP.

 

Rinse and repeat this all until Kephess is ~ 50%, which triggers phase 2.

 

Phase 1 to Phase 2 transition

 

There will be a big red circle in the middle of the room to which Kephess make will a landing from the air. The landing will cause walls going out from the floor towards the corners of the room. The walls move slowly that they are easy to avoid. Keep nuking the boss in that phase.

 

Phase 2

 

Dread Bomb

Unlike in storymode, the pulsating blue circle that marks where Kephess took off no longer exists. Instead, the red circle that Kephess places on a random raid member to indicate the position he will land is no longer avoidable. It deals ~19k damage to the targeted player. If the person is not topped off, they will most likely get one shot. Sorcs/sages should place shield that person to mitigate some of the damage. The targeted person should use a defensive cooldown and a medpack to top themselves up before/after the strike.

 

Needless to say, the person with the red circle should move away from the rest of the raid so they don’t take any unnecessary raid damage.

 

Radioactive Barrage

Radioactive Barrage is a lava trail that follows the targeted person (you will see a red text on screen). Whoever being targeted needs to run away from the raid and basically do a circular lap on an empty area before returning to the raid. This will drop the lava trail well away from the raid.

 

Corrupted Nanites

In phase 2 Corrupted Nanites is the the mechanic which will break the remaining pillars. Corrupted Nanites is a DoT casted on a random player. You will see a red text on screen: Corrupted Nanites on YOU! as well as a circle icon above your head.

 

You will run to one of the clickable pillars ready to click it to channel a skill called Hypergate Tower to remove the Corrupted Nanites. Click on the pillar will immediately cleanse you of Nanites and the pillar will break when everyone on it either cancels the channel or let the channel finish. On hardmode this channel is 6 seconds but might be shorter if you have alacrity. If Kephess is near the pillar when it is destroyed, Kephess will be knocked down temporarily again, allowing you to do increased damage to him for a couple seconds. You will need to break the pillars when Kephess is next to it to knock Kephess down. Breaking the pillars when Kephess jumps away will basically “waste” that pillar. That means that when Kephess performs his Dread Bomb you need to wait with collapsing the pillar until he lands.

 

Corrupted Nanites on hardmode do not fall off and will keep increasing in stacks (at 4 stacks it deals over 7k damage a tick) until it is cleansed with a pillar. do not wait longer than necessary to break the pillars

 

You cannot miss a single pillar here as doing so will most likely cause trouble with enrage!

 

The way we manage the pillars is as follows:

 

- Once two players get the corrupted Nanites debuff, we click on the first pillar and break it immediately if Kephess is nearby (we don’t wait for the 3rd person as it takes too long and the first person may get too many stacks of Corrupted Nanites and die from it). We do one 3-2-1 countdown for click and another 3-2-1 countdown for release channeling.

 

- For the next two pillars, we wait until 3 players get the Corrupted Nanites debuff. All three players stack on the pillar and we do the cancel countdown as soon as Kephess returns from his jump .

 

- For the last pillar, we use it when Kephess is at 11-12% so we can break it and push Kephess into Phase 3 with maximized knockdown/nuking time below 10% which is soft enrage treshold. We wait for 3 people to get on the pillar. Pop all DPS cooldowns on the last knockdown.

 

Phase 3

 

Phase 3 is basically a burn phase but Kephess also has two nasty abilities. We bubble shield all raid members before going into P3 and everyone pop medpacks etc to help survival. If you use the last pillar at 11-12%, you should get Kephess ~7% before he gets up and start phase 3.

 

Fury of the Masters

Deals 1.6k damage every second until Kephess is dead. Soft enrage mechanic.

 

Volatile Emissions

Circles on the ground that will target raid members and deals 5k damage to them if they don’t move out of it immediately.

Edited by vandana_
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I'm having a really hard time understanding why people are repeating this purple phase. Honestly it makes no sense to me what so ever. If you fail that phase you get the small 15k hp mobs plus another 70k hp champion mob. So kill 3 champs instead of 2? During the orange phase there is more than enough time for a dps to peal off the cores at the start, DPS the first big champ down to 10-15% Hp then move onto the cores again. Doing this we had the first champ add killed as the second one came out. Leaving both tanks and heals to burn the second one down.(the second add was normally dieing about the time purple phase started)

 

Am i missing something here? All the mobs from the blue phase should be killed before entering the orange phase. So how hard is it for a dps to take 8-10 second to dps this **** out of the first champ. I dont know... just dont get why ppl want a 3rd champion add to kill when they dont need to.

 

P.S. the way you had it set up for color pairing is different we went with heal-dps and tanks-dps

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Nice guides overall, but i thought i would add some additional information that seems to work well for the raid groups i participate.

 

On Operator IX, we have always stuck with 1 dps per color phase, allowing us to make sure we always have 3 dps on the cores, this makes it where we dont have to fail, unless we actually want to (no benefit to failing if you have decent/good dps).

 

We have a range dps in the center for the orange/yellow phases, which allows them to constantly dps the regulators down. The healers should be dpsing the regulators while healing as well. Also after the 1st core is taken down, we have 1 additional dps to help make sure the 1st regulator is dead by the time the second one spawn (shouldnt take more then 2 to 3 GCDs). If done right the second regulator should be about 20% life when purple begins and can be finished off easy enough by the tanks/healers.

 

The other big thing we do is to have the person in the center tag the sphere for the channeler by using an auto attack or shock (both are range dps are madness sorcs). This allows for aoes to be used freely outside of the circle in the center of the room, as well as making it easier for channeler to target and kill their sphere. Also the tank is able to kill his with aoe's while building initial agro on the boss.

 

The only big difference between how we do kephess and your guild, is the fact that we try to keep kephess sorta in the middle during phase 1, less movement the better for everyone. Then in phase 2, after the 1st tower been broken, we channel and break the towers after the second dread bomb. This gives us a greater uptime on the debuff on him, and hence more dps raid wide, as well and causing less stress on the healers since no one should be getting over 3 stacks of nanites, and usually curing it right as they get their 3rd stack.

 

Also on the final phase of Kephess have you tanks kitting the orange circles, while majority of everyone else stacked on him. The majority of the circles will drop on the tanks, and allow people to blow him up rather quickly.

 

On a final side note you can kill kephess still if you fail to have the debuff apply from a tower in phase 2, it is just a bit more trickier and requires more dps. Also you can loose half of your raid in phase for Operator IX and still win.

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I'm having a really hard time understanding why people are repeating this purple phase.

 

1) It works

2) Why struggle and take risks if you can easily do it with the repeated purple. If that is not good enough explanation for you see point 1 :)

Edited by vandana_
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Nice guides overall, but i thought i would add some additional information that seems to work well for the raid groups i participate.

 

On Operator IX, we have always stuck with 1 dps per color phase, allowing us to make sure we always have 3 dps on the cores, this makes it where we dont have to fail, unless we actually want to (no benefit to failing if you have decent/good dps).

 

We have a range dps in the center for the orange/yellow phases, which allows them to constantly dps the regulators down. The healers should be dpsing the regulators while healing as well. Also after the 1st core is taken down, we have 1 additional dps to help make sure the 1st regulator is dead by the time the second one spawn (shouldnt take more then 2 to 3 GCDs). If done right the second regulator should be about 20% life when purple begins and can be finished off easy enough by the tanks/healers.

 

The other big thing we do is to have the person in the center tag the sphere for the channeler by using an auto attack or shock (both are range dps are madness sorcs). This allows for aoes to be used freely outside of the circle in the center of the room, as well as making it easier for channeler to target and kill their sphere. Also the tank is able to kill his with aoe's while building initial agro on the boss.

 

The only big difference between how we do kephess and your guild, is the fact that we try to keep kephess sorta in the middle during phase 1, less movement the better for everyone. Then in phase 2, after the 1st tower been broken, we channel and break the towers after the second dread bomb. This gives us a greater uptime on the debuff on him, and hence more dps raid wide, as well and causing less stress on the healers since no one should be getting over 3 stacks of nanites, and usually curing it right as they get their 3rd stack.

 

Also on the final phase of Kephess have you tanks kitting the orange circles, while majority of everyone else stacked on him. The majority of the circles will drop on the tanks, and allow people to blow him up rather quickly.

 

On a final side note you can kill kephess still if you fail to have the debuff apply from a tower in phase 2, it is just a bit more trickier and requires more dps. Also you can loose half of your raid in phase for Operator IX and still win.

 

Some nice alternatives and tips, thanks :) We will certainly use the one with tanks kiting circles on final Kephess phase.

Edited by vandana_
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