This strategy is written for World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (TBC 2.4.3), the Black Temple raid for 25 players. Mechanics and numbers match the fight on the Moonwell server.
A 25-player fight against three essences in turn, with 41 sec of fighting souls between them. The first disables healing, the second sends half of your damage back to you, the third hits the raid harder with every tick. The main danger: running out of mana on the second and losing threat on the third.
Start
The fight starts within 21 yd of the reliquary. After 4 sec the first essence comes out; each essence doesn't attack for the first 3.5 sec.
Essence of Suffering
Essence of Suffering, 2.28 million HP. Aura of Suffering removes healing, health regeneration and armor from everyone. Every 5 sec Fixate turns the boss to the nearest player, hitting for 1,400–2,600 every 1.5 sec. At 50% health, the next player becomes the nearest. Enrage every 45 sec: for 15 sec its hits are almost twice as strong, attack +50%, can't be dispelled. Put a rogue with Evasion there. Soul Drain at 30 sec, then every 22 sec: three random players, 2,625–3,375 damage and as much mana every 3 sec. Dispel it at once: Dispel Magic, Mass Dispel.
Souls
After the first and the second essence, 21 Enslaved Souls rise, three every 2.4 sec, 9,780 HP each. When a soul dies, it gives Soul Release: +30% health and mana to everyone within 10 yd. Stand near dying souls. After 41 sec the next essence comes out, or within 4 sec if all souls are dead: don't finish off the last ones until the raid has recovered.
Essence of Desire
Essence of Desire. Aura of Desire: half of your damage comes back to you, healing +100%, maximum mana −5% every 8 sec. After 160 sec nobody has any mana. Rune Shield every 15 sec: absorbs 50,000, attacks and casts twice as fast, interrupts don't land. Remove it at once: Purge, Dispel Magic, Spellsteal. Spirit Shock every 2 sec: 1 sec cast, 9,250–10,750 to the tank and a 5 sec disorient. Interrupt in rotation. Deaden every 30 sec: the tank takes double damage for 10 sec. Curse of Tongues and Mind-numbing Poison III slow its casts.
Essence of Anger
Essence of Anger: this is the only one that dies. Aura of Anger: Shadow damage to everyone every 3 sec, each tick 100 stronger, and your damage +5% per tick. After a minute it is about 2,000 per tick. Immunity doesn't help, and you can't drag it out. Soul Scream every 10 sec, a 10 yd cone in front of the boss: 2,625–3,375 Shadow damage, burns 4,375–5,625 mana and deals as much damage. A warrior loses all rage and takes 100 damage per point. Spite every 20 sec: three random players other than the tank take no damage for 6 sec, then Spite hits for 7,444–7,556 Nature damage: heal them up in advance. Seethe on any target change: attacks twice as fast for 10 sec, and all players get +200% threat. Tranquilizing Shot removes only the speed.
Tanks
Taunt doesn't work on the first two essences. It works on the third but triggers Seethe.
Healers
On Suffering, put up Power Word: Shield and attack the boss.
DPS
On Suffering, stay farther away than the tank; on Anger, stand behind the boss and don't overtake the tank on threat.
Common mistakes
- Rune Shield is not removed: Spirit Shock can't be interrupted, and the tank goes down.
- On Anger, a DPS pulls threat: Seethe and +200% threat cause another target change.
Abilities, loot and map: boss card