This strategy is written for World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (TBC 2.4.3), the Karazhan raid for 10 players. Mechanics and numbers match the fight on the Moonwell server.
The first boss of Karazhan, 10-player raid, needs two tanks. Three forms: the horse Midnight, then Attumen the Huntsman on foot next to her, and at 25% they merge into a mounted boss. Main danger: there is no taunt, and in both transitions the boss kills a cloth wearer before the tank builds threat.
Phase 1: Midnight, 100% to 95%
Midnight does not attack on her own: the first hit starts the fight, and the whole raid is in combat at once. The second tank holds her. Knockdown from 6–9 sec, then every 15–20 sec: 1,500 damage and a 3-sec stun. Below 95% she calls her master.
Phase 2: Midnight and Attumen, 95% to 25%
Attumen goes for Midnight's tank. The main tank picks him up at once and turns him away from the raid; everyone else leaves him alone for a few seconds. Shadow Cleave every 10–16 sec deals Shadow damage to up to 3 targets in front of him. Uppercut every 22–30 sec knocks the tank back. Intangible Presence every 30 sec: everyone within 10 yd of Attumen gets −50% chance to hit for 12 sec. It is a curse, remove it: Remove Lesser Curse, Remove Curse.
Mounting at 25%
When either of the two drops to 25%, Midnight stops attacking and runs to Attumen at about 8 yd/sec. Neither of them can die anymore. With no stable wall between them, mounting takes a couple of seconds; around the stables it takes about 10 sec. The mounted boss gets the higher health of the two: the more evenly both drop, the shorter phase 3 is.
Phase 3: mounted Attumen, to the end
Mounted Attumen the Huntsman stands still for 2 sec, then attacks the nearest player with threat reset to zero. The main tank waits right next to him, everyone else holds back damage. Shadow Cleave and the curse as before, Knockdown every 22–30 sec. Charge from 20 sec, then every 12–20 sec, hits a random player other than the tank 8–25 yd from the boss: a normal hit plus 75, up to 7,000 before armor. The raid stands within 8 yd behind the boss, and one sturdy DPS stands further out to take the Charge.
Tanks
Taunt does not work on any form. Disarm halves the hits of Attumen both on foot and mounted. After the merge, the former Midnight tank keeps his threat below the main tank.
Healers
Right after Attumen appears and after the merge, do not heal unless needed: healing also generates threat.
Common mistakes
- DPS attack right after Attumen appears or after the merge: the boss turns on a cloth wearer.
- The curse stays on the tank: half of his hits miss.
- The tanks stand behind the stable wall: mounting takes about 10 sec, and Attumen keeps hitting all that time.
Abilities, loot and map: boss card