My guild is struggling with Phase 1 of this boss, which is irritating, being as half of us have done it in PUGs.

 

I think we a missing a mechanic, otherwise we suck which would be depressing as we blasted through the first two bosses, I presume our DPS is ok as we've not had an enrage on those.

 

What we are experiencing is on the purple or especially yellow phases (ie the shortest timers) is proving a struggle for time.

 

So we get a rectifier, but the timer has instantly reset and is ticking away whilst we deal with the rectifier and potentially a regulator too, so by the time we get back onto the data core, a chunk of time is used up with the rectifier, so we get another one and so on.

 

So we are getting punished for failing the timer with the extra add. Ok, but then doubly punished because dealing with the add(s) uses up the timer again.

 

I think we are doing something wrong in the way we are dealing with the adds and/or missing something about how the timer works.

 

For information, we've split into colour pairs of a tank/healer + DPS. Tank/Healer stays in the middle, whilst DPS presses the button. Tanks pick up the adds as they spawn and the rest of DPS are on the datacores. We only stop on datacores if/when we get a champion add, rectifier or regulator.

 

Advice appreciated

I assume you're doing this on Hard Mode?

 

If a Regulator spawns, (ie orange or yellow phase, two of them will spawn) DPS should ignore them and focus on the cores, as failing will cause them to respawn plus an additional rectifier. The DPS can then take them out more leisurely afterwards, when they only have to deal with the strong adds or the boss showing up. If you have to fail a phase to take care of adds, it should be purple, not orange or yellow.

Nope this is story mode.

 

If we fail a phase, the timer starts counting again instantly, so stopping to take care of adds eats the timer up and then we fail again as we haven't enough time left to take down the data cores. Even in story mode, we've had regulators spawning in on top of rectifiers.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Tromador

You should never fail a phase in story mode... each phase is the same length (70 or 60s, cant remember). If you're having problems keeping the shield up the entire time - prioritize taunting the second add that comes out, as the second add has a high threat disposition to the person channeling.

If you've split your group into tank/heal x2 + dps/dps x2 then I think it's the two dps not on the cores which cause the lack of dps.

Split into: Tank/dps and Healer/dps. Have dps stand in middle and tank/healer on the buttons. Spawned adds will go to the person pushing the button and the person in the middle, have tanks taunt the add going for the button person. On storymode the Rectifiers have more health than 2 cores combined so it's very unforgiving to miss timers.

You're not supposed to kill the big adds (rectificer? I forget the name) in the middle of the phase. Tanks are supposed to keep them busy while the cores are being killed. When that is done, everyone goes on the adds and the remaining tank picks up the main boss.

 

If you are still failing, I think you might just be lacking DPS. Parsing a few logs over at torparse would probably be helpful in finding out for sure.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Asavrede

If you are still failing, I think you might just be lacking DPS. Parsing a few logs over at torparse would probably be helpful in finding out for sure.

or someone is shooting the wrong thing, once say someone shoot the hologram in the middle the entire time they were suppose to be shooting the adds on the tank and healer.

 

We kill the big add, in SM or HM, but I can see Asavrde suggestion working, just make sure they are interrupting end of the line.

 

Here is how we do it. First off tell the healers to get out of the mindset they are only there to heal. Phase 1 of this fight is about healers and tanks dpsing adds, while real dps concentrates on cores. We have also found it easier to have Sage focus more on heals, and sawbones focus more on dps, even when the sage is a better player, because sawbones have an easier time maintaining energy where dps just kills the sage’s energy.

 

We put healers in middle on their assigned color, tanks click, range dps gets middle. Tanks need to get adds within range of middle and keep the adds away from clicker and dps on cores. Healers can help with this when they see an unattacked add heading for clicker or dps, hit them and run towards middle. I hate putting mdps in the middle, but when we do, the tank needs to pull at least the big adds to melee range of the middle. Beyond that make sure “end of the line” is being interrupted. Healers, tanks and dps in the middle should be able to manage the adds. Our dps will throw out damage to adds as they run from core to core, but only stuff they can do on the run and stuff that will not kill their energy or cause them to pull aggro.

 

When the final core goes down, then dps will finish off the add while the tank gets the boss. As a healer I quit dps when real dps shows up and start concentrating on getting my energy back up and topping everyone off for phase 2.

 

Was looking at dulfy while writing this, we usually have mdps & heals on channeling on blue phase. Small strongs die fast with sawbonescharged burst and then can use diagnosis scan to get energy back up easily before next add. I will save cool head for the big boy. I like the healer in the middle for purple and blue, but it is really what your group is comfortable with and what way plays into your groups strengths and mask any weakness your group may have.

 

Other thing I tell my group, if you make a mistake and are on the wrong side from the rest of the group, who cares, don’t waste time running across, kill the core right there. Then get with the group on the next set of cores.

Reading this I don't think we are short on DPS per se, assuming jasonthelamb is correct when he says all timers are the same length. We should be as able to kill the cores in yellow as we are in blue.

 

Perhaps it's more a lack of coordination in the colour changes, or problems keeping the switch pressed. I think we must be losing time somewhere, if DPS can kill a data core in the time on one colour, why not another colour - something must be different. It could be DPS not being where they need to be quickly enough, I guess, or tanks not keeping the adds entertained.

 

Stuff to think about - thanks all.

Yeah SM they are the same...

 

Just did it after I wrote the post above. I have been messing up on this too, well we kill it, but easier to have range dps in the center on yellow. The add was dead before the cores so dps went straight to boss after last core. I was the dps too, so I know the dps doesn't have to be great to do this, just very average.

 

Also have the next color group peel off and get into position when the cores are at 5 or less percent and have someone call out core percentages for the rest of the group. Does not really have to be done, but it gets people aware and moving in the right direction.

 

If the person channeling is getting interrupted, then yeah they need to keep the adds off them, but I will not put that all on tank, healers need to be helping the tank make sure that doesn't happen. Just throw a DoT on one and he will leave the person channeling alone.

Edited July 28, 2013 by mikebevo