Deathbringer Saurfang, formerly known as Dranosh Saurfang, takes his place as the fourth boss within Icecrown Citadel. Raised into undeath by the Lich King after his fall to Frostmourne during the Battle of Angrathar at the Wrathgate, he now wields the Scourge’s power and stands as a formidable guardian, obstructing the path to the Upper Spire of the Citadel.
ABILITIES:
Blood Link: Saurfang accumulates Blood Power from damage dealt through abilities and summoned creatures, simultaneously increasing his Energy by 1 each time Blood Link activates.
Blood Nova: Blood erupts from a randomly selected enemy target, inflicting 10,000 Physical damage to nearby adversaries.
Boiling Blood: Initiates the boiling of an enemy’s blood, causing 9,500 Physical damage every 3 seconds over 24 seconds.
Call Blood Beast: Saurfang beckons blood beasts, summoning two in 10-player mode and five in 25-player mode.
Frenzy: Saurfang enters a frenzied state, elevating his attack speed by 30%.
Mark of the Fallen Champion: Imprints Deathbringer Saurfang’s melee strikes onto this target, dealing additional Physical damage. Should the target perish while under this effect, Saurfang is healed for 5% of his total health. This effect remains unalterable, even through death.
Rune of Blood: Saurfang siphons health when executing melee attacks on targets marked with the Rune of Blood. This leeching effect absorbs health from an enemy target and restores Saurfang’s health by 10 times that amount. It persists for 20 seconds.
Resistant Skin: Alleviates damage from area-of-effect attacks by 95% and reduces damage from diseases by 70%.
Scent of Blood: Saurfang’s Blood Beasts are drawn to the scent of blood, diminishing the movement speed of all nearby enemies by 80% and augmenting their damage by 300% for 10 seconds.
STRATEGY:
General: The battle primarily hinges on managing Saurfang’s Blood Power. He commences with 0 Blood Power and can amass up to 100 in his Energy bar. He garners Blood Power each time one of his special attacks connects or inflicts damage over time. Upon reaching 100 Blood Power, he casts Mark of the Fallen Champion on a random raid member.
Saurfang should be positioned where he initially appears. While his melee damage is not exceedingly high, it’s vital for tanks to ensure that Saurfang does not accumulate Blood Power through Rune of Blood. If a tank receives this debuff, another tank should promptly taunt and take control.
Positioning: Melee fighters should engage Saurfang directly. Ranged damage dealers can stand closer to the boss, while healers should maintain a distance.
Healers must be spaced apart to ensure all raid members remain within the reach of multiple healers. It’s imperative for all non-melee raid members to maintain a minimum distance of 12 yards from one another to avoid triggering Blood Nova, which would grant Saurfang extra Blood Power.
Blood Beasts: Saurfang periodically summons Blood Beasts, which should be slowed, kited, and eliminated by ranged DPS. These creatures exhibit resistance to area-of-effect attacks, making single-target abilities more effective.
While Blood Beasts are immune to crowd control, they can be rooted, snared, slowed, or stunned. Keeping them away from raid members is essential to prevent them from inflicting melee damage, which would, in turn, bestow Saurfang with additional Blood Power.
Mark of the Fallen Champion: This debuff inflicts substantial damage and awards considerable Blood Power to the boss. When a player with Mark perishes, it results in a heal for Saurfang. Notably, the Mark persists even through death, necessitating that players who succumb to it should not be combat resurrected.
TIPS:
- Maintaining Saurfang’s Blood Power at 60% or lower before the first Mark is cast is crucial.
- Ranged DPS should prioritize the swift and efficient elimination of the Blood Beasts.
- Healers should give priority to players bearing the Mark of the Fallen Champion debuff, as it inflicts significant damage.