WoW Cataclysm Classic: Throne of the Four Winds Guide

• Lightning Strike – is an ability Al’Akir will cast roughly every 10 seconds, though this does vary sometimes. Lightning Strike will damage everyone standing in a 25 yard cone of a random target for a moderate amount of Nature damage for each affected target. In other words, the more people located in range of the target of Lightning Strike, the more damage the ability will do to them.
• Squall Line – is a wall of 7 cyclones which Al’Akir will spawn repeatedly during this phase, approximately once every 40 seconds. The wall spans from the center of the platform, where Al’Akir is located, to the edge of the platform. It will complete a full lap around the platform before disappearing, and anyone touched by it will be picked up and dragged some distance within the cyclones, also taking large amounts of damage and being incapacitated. Shortly before a Squall Line disappears, a new one spawns, so there is a brief period of time when there are two active. However, the Squall Line that is about to disappear loses consistency and no longer causes its negative effects to players.There is always a gap in the wall, in varying locations, which players must aim to make their way through in order to avoid the aforementioned negative effects. Essentially, the gap can be located in the place of any of the 7 cyclones, and as such it can be anywhere from the edge of the platform to right up close to Al’Akir.There is no fixed spawn location for Squall Lines, although they appear to prefer spawning on either the far right or far left side of where the tank is. Before spawning and dealing damage, there are about 5 seconds when the Squall Line is visible but not yet fully formed, giving players enough time to react accordingly.Wind Burst is an ability that Al’Akir will repeatedly cast during the first phase, roughly every 25 seconds. It has a 5 second cast time, at the end of which Al’Akir will knock everyone on the platform back roughly 30 yards as well as damage them.
• Ice Storm – is an icy rain which Al’Akir will cast regularly, targeting random areas of his platform. The rain leaves frost on the ground, which slows and damages any players standing there.
• Wind Burst – is an ability that Al’Akir will repeatedly cast during the first phase, roughly every 25 seconds. It has a 5 second cast time, at the end of which Al’Akir will knock everyone on the platform back roughly 30 yards as well as damage them.
• Electrocute – is an ability Al’Akir will channel into his main aggro target if this target is not in melee range. The spell will deal increasing Nature damage to the target (generally the tank), who must return to melee range to prevent it from damaging them further.

• Squall Line – is an ability Al’Akir will cast roughly every 10 seconds, though this does vary sometimes. Lightning Strike will damage everyone standing in a 25 yard cone of a random target for a moderate amount of Nature damage for each affected target. In other words, the more people located in range of the target of Lightning Strike, the more damage the ability will do to them.
• Acid Rain
• Stormling adds, which cast Stormling
• Feedback
• Electrocute – is an ability Al’Akir will channel into his main aggro target if this target is not in melee range. The spell will deal increasing Nature damage to the target (generally the tank), who must return to melee range to prevent it from damaging them further.

• Lightning Clouds
• Lightning Rod
• Wind Burst
• Relentless Storm
• Lightning

Al’akir Boss Encounter – Raid Positioning

Proper raid positioning in Phase One of the Al’Akir encounter is crucial, especially considering the mechanics of Lightning Strike. While 10-man difficulty presents fewer positioning challenges compared to 25-man, the general principles remain the same.

In 10-man difficulty, forming groups of players is essential to minimize the impact of Lightning Strike. Utilizing the leaf patterns on the platform can guide positioning effectively.

10-Player positioning

• Opt for 5 groups of players, each consisting of pairs located on 5 consecutive leaves, numbered 1 through 5.
• Ensure that healers are distributed across groups 1, 3, and 5 to spread out healing responsibilities and maintain coverage during Squall Line.
• With healers positioned in alternating groups, players in groups 1, 3, and 5 will be within range of a single healer, while groups 2 and 4 will have access to two healers each.

25-Player positioning

• Utilize the entire platform and form 8 groups of players:
  • 7 groups of 3 players each
  • 1 group of 4 players
• Assign a healer to each group, ensuring that every group is within range of at least one healer.
• Use the leaf patterns on the floor to direct positioning and maximize coverage.

While Lightning Strike will deal more damage in 25-man due to larger group sizes, multiple healers per group mitigate this issue, ensuring sufficient healing coverage.

Strategy 

There are many things to look out for and organize during this encounter.

Phase 1

Phase One of the Al’Akir encounter demands precise coordination and quick reactions from the raid to effectively handle abilities like Ice Storm, Lightning Strike, Squall Line, Wind Burst, and Electrocute. Here’s a detailed strategy for dealing with these mechanics:

Ice Storm

• Adjust your positioning by moving closer or farther away from Al’Akir to avoid being affected.
• Avoid sideways movement to maintain raid positioning for Lightning Strike.

Lightning Strike

• If your raid has followed the recommended positioning, Lightning Strike should be manageable with moderate damage covered by healers.

Squall Line, Wind Burst, and Electrocute

• Wind Burst requires moving close to Al’Akir before the cast finishes to prevent being knocked off the platform.
• Coordinate movement with Squall Line:
  • If Squall Line is far or has passed, move in for Wind Burst and adjust for Squall Line afterward.
  • If Squall Line is approaching, consider three options:
    1. Move towards Al’Akir to align with Squall Line.
    2. Run through Squall Line towards Al’Akir if feasible.
    3. Retreat from Squall Line towards Al’Akir and position after Wind Burst knocks back.
• Tank movement adds complexity due to Electrocute:
  • Tanks should ideally wait for Wind Burst to avoid simultaneous Electrocute.
  • Use defensive cooldowns if necessary when avoiding Squall Line.
• Handle Ice Storm obstacles by enduring damage and using abilities like Hand of Freedom to overcome movement hindrances.

Tips and Tricks

• Utilize class abilities to bypass mechanics or facilitate movement.
• Hunters can disengage back onto the platform after being thrown off by Wind Burst.
• Prioritize being knocked off by Wind Burst over getting caught by Squall Line.

Following these strategies and leveraging class abilities will improve your raid’s efficiency and survivability during Phase One of the Al’Akir encounter.

Phase 2

Phase Two of the Al’Akir encounter introduces new challenges, primarily focused on managing the Acid Rain debuff and handling adds called Stormlings. Here’s a breakdown of the phase’s mechanics and strategies:

Abilities:

• Squall Line: Remains active and must be managed similar to Phase One.
• Acid Rain: Al’Akir applies a stacking DoT to all raid members every 20 seconds, dealing 500 Nature damage per stack. It acts as a soft enrage timer for the phase.
• Stormlings: Adds summoned by Al’Akir that deal Nature damage in an area around them. On death, they apply a stacking debuff called Feedback to Al’Akir, increasing the damage he takes.
• Electrocute: Remains active and unchanged from Phase One.

Strategy:

• Initially, focus on DPSing Al’Akir while avoiding Squall Line and healing through Acid Rain damage.
• To avoid excessive Acid Rain stacks, utilize the Feedback debuff:
  • Stormlings and Feedback: Tank Stormlings away from the raid to minimize damage. Each Stormling death applies Feedback to Al’Akir, increasing his damage taken. Kill a Stormling as Feedback is about to expire to refresh its duration and add another stack, increasing DPS to Al’Akir.

Tips and Tricks:

• Making Healing Easier:
  • Stack the raid in two groups (ranged and melee) to facilitate AoE healing and damage mitigation.
  • Save healing cooldowns for later in the phase when Acid Rain stacks are higher.
  • Certain classes can drop Acid Rain stacks:
    • Death Knights: Use Anti-Magic Shell before Acid Rain expires.
    • Paladins: Use Divine Shield.
    • Rogues: Use Cloak of Shadows.
    • Mages: Use Ice Block.
  • Consider sacrificing and resurrecting raid members to reset their Acid Rain stacks.
• Increasing DPS:
  • Use Bloodlust/Heroism to maximize damage output, especially since the raid will be relatively stationary during this phase.

By effectively managing Acid Rain, handling Stormlings, and utilizing class abilities, your raid can overcome the challenges of Phase Two and progress closer to defeating Al’Akir.

Phase 3

Phase Three of the Al’Akir encounter introduces new mechanics and challenges as the fight transitions to an aerial battle. Here’s a breakdown of the phase’s mechanics and strategies:

Abilities

• Wind Burst: Returns in this phase but is less problematic than in Phase One.
• Lightning Clouds: Al’Akir targets a random raid member and places a large cloud covering the entire horizontal level where that raid member was located. After 5 seconds, the cloud deals massive damage to anyone inside it.
• Lightning Rod: Places a debuff on a random raid member, causing them to deal damage to everyone around them (both vertically and horizontally) until the debuff expires.
• Lightning: Damages random players and is unavoidable.

Strategy

• Begin the phase by having the entire raid fly up to the highest level, at Al’Akir’s head, and designate a person for positioning reference.
• When Lightning Clouds is cast, fly down roughly 15 yards to avoid damage. Repeat this descent for each new Lightning Clouds.
• Utilize the available space to deal with Lightning Clouds; you can manage at least 10 before running out of space.
• If raid DPS is low, an alternative strategy involves moving vertically to manage space as Lightning Clouds despawns over time.
• Players afflicted by Lightning Rod should move horizontally away from the raid until the debuff expires.
• Stay close to Al’Akir’s body to avoid being caught in the Relentless Storm after Wind Burst knocks players back.

Tips and Tricks

• If Heroism or Bloodlust was not used in Phase Two, use it now to maximize DPS.
• Consider keeping one or more Stormlings alive to stack Feedback on Al’Akir, though this may complicate execution without providing significant DPS benefits.

With proper positioning, movement, and coordination, your raid can navigate Phase Three’s aerial combat and secure victory against Al’Akir.

Throne of the Four Winds – Al’akir important encounter strategy notes

Phase One

• In 10-man, use 4 healers spaced evenly around the platform and spread the raid across the 8 leaves, with 6 members standing alone and 4 grouped into pairs.
• When Lightning Strike affects an area, all players within should move out to the sides.
• In 25-man, have one player stay in the Lightning Strike area while others move to the sides to avoid overcrowding adjacent groups.

Phase Two

• The reduced Feedback duration on heroic mode requires a more complex add-killing technique.
• Stormlings should be kept away from the raid more rigorously.
• Assign extra DPS to handle Stormlings, especially in 10-man.
• Tanks and healers need to be cautious due to increased damage taken.
• Assign specific ranged DPS players to handle Stormlings and Feedback, allowing for controlled DPS burns and stops.
• Allow three Stormlings to spawn before killing any to maintain Feedback stacks.

Phase Three

• Start at the top, move down twice, then to the bottom, and repeat.
• Be mindful of Lightning damaging random raid members, requiring additional healing.

Adapting to the Encounter

• Phase One is the most challenging but can be practiced extensively without progressing through other phases.
• Avoid using Heroism or Bloodlust as a quick fix; focus on mastering Phase One mechanics before progressing.

Throne of the Four Winds – Al’akir Guide (Video)