WoW Guide: Heroic Halion-25

I just today sat down and wrote this. Perhaps someone will find it useful.
[u]
[i][b]Guide to Heroic Halion-25[/b][/i][/u]
[b][i]
Raid Comp:[/i][/b]
Three tanks
15-16 DPS
6-7 healers

The raid must include at least one hunter and rogue, and at least two classes that possess major external tank cooldowns such as [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=6940]Hand of Sacrifice[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=53530]Divine Guardian[/url], or [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=47788]Guardian Spirit[/url].

A guild attempting heroic [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url]-25 must already have nearly complete gear and experience from heroic ICC-25 to have any chance of success. Heroic [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url]-25 is substantially more difficult than heroic [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=36853]Sindragosa[/url]-25, but not as difficult as heroic [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=36597]Lich King[/url]-25.

[b][i]Differences between normal and heroic[/i]:[/b]
[ol]
[li][url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] hits EXTREMELY hard on 25-man heroic. He will melee a tank in full heroic ICC gear for 30-40k a swing. His [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74524]Cleave[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74528]Flame Breath[/url] also hit hard and will absolutely oneshot anyone who is not a tank. Parry haste is definitely enabled; melee getting parried will probably kill the tank instantly as two 35k swings back to back is unhealable. Tanks should have as much expertise as they can get without sacrificing EH. [/li]
[li][url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75879]Meteor Strike[/url] now spawns one large [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] and eight small [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] in addition to its normal effect. The [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] applies a [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75888]stacking buff[/url] to all [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] within 15 yards that increases their total health and damage done. This buff stacks very rapidly and too many stacks will cause the embers to overwhelm the raid. Therefore, the encounter requires three tanks on heroic - two MTs for [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] himself (one in the Twilight Realm, one outside) and a third tank for the adds. On heroic, [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75879]Meteor Strike[/url] will not oneshot a tank, but it will absolutely oneshot anything else.[/li]
[li]There are not two but four [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40469]Shadow Orbs[/url] on heroic, generating an additional [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=77846]Twilight Cutter[/url]; this divides the interior realm into not two but four quadrants on heroic. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=77846]Twilight Cutters[/url] hit harder - about 30k a tick. To touch a Cutter is instant death.[/li]
[li]On heroic, [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] has an eight-minute [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url] timer. The [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url] will cause him to absolutely oneshot the tank then [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74524]Cleave[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74528]Flame Breath[/url] the entire raid. This [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url] cannot be managed by kiting or chain taunting; if he enrages the raid will be wiped out in no more than a few seconds. The [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url] is tight enough that if more than a couple DPS die and cannot be [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48477]battle-rezzed[/url], it is essentially a wipe.[/li]
[li]As mentioned above, the damage zones created by the dispelling of [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74562]Fiery Combustion[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74792]Soul Consumption[/url] now persist through realms. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74792]Soul Consumption[/url] now [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74799]grips in[/url] anyone within 12 yards of the player when dispelled; conversely [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74562]Fiery Combustion[/url] now [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74607]knocks away[/url] anyone who stands within 12 yards of the player when he is dispelled. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40135]Consumption[/url] now applies a snare while within the radius of the damage zone.[/li]
[/ol]

[b][i]Strategy:[/i][/b]
[i]Phase One:[/i]
Upon pull, the MT should pull [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url], back him up slightly and turn him 45 degrees so the raid can get to his side. The entire raid should stack up as close as possible on his right rear leg. Players move out for [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74562]Fiery Combustion[/url] as on normal. When [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75879]Meteor Strike[/url] is being cast and the animation appears on the ground, all players must immediately move to the other side of the boss.

Because of the tight [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url] it is vital that players not die when moving across the boss. Halion's [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74524]Cleave[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74528]Flame Breath[/url] breath will always oneshot a non-tank if they connect; therefore players should move directly across his lower midsection, through his back legs. Halion's [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74531]Tail Lash[/url] is NOT a oneshot; although it can and should be avoided, being tail swiped is far preferable to being cleaved. Note that [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=10278]BoPs[/url] make the target immune to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74531]Tail Lash[/url].

When adds come, a hunter must immediately misdirect the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] to the MT. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Infernoes[/url] are NOT tauntable, therefore it is extremely difficult for a MT to pick it up unassisted, and an aggro pull will likely be a raid-wiping event. Also note that a rogue's Tricks are not suitable for [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] pickup. Rogues should if possible [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=51723]Fan of Knives[/url]/[url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=57934]Tricks[/url] the eight [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] to the add tank, who should be stacked up directly on the raid.

The [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] do not oneshot DPS, although aggro on many will kill a non-tank. However, if they are too close to the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75888]the increase in their health[/url] will soak up too much DPS. Unlike the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url], they are tauntable, and the add tank must be vigilant to make sure that any that get on the MT due to incidental AoE are quickly taunted back.

[i]Phase Two:[/i]
To make the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url] timer, the boss must be pushed into P2 with no more than two [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75879]Meteor Strikes[/url]. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] will become active inside the Twilight Realm as soon as any individual enters and performs any action. This includes buffing, HoTs, shields, heals, and of course attacking [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] himself. The MT for Twilight side in P3 should enter first, followed by the rest of the raid one second later. As in P1, the tank should on pull adjust [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] positioning slightly, backing him up then turning him so the raid can stack up on his side.

[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] should be held stationary until he is about to activate the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=77846]Twilight Cutters[/url]. A few seconds before he does so, the tank should begin turning him on his center, moving along the edge of his hitbox taking care to keep him stationary, and the raid should follow the tank's concentric motion. It is vital that the tank communicate with the raid as to his beginning and ending the turning movement. Again, due to the sharp enrage, no one can die in P2; getting hit by cutters - ever - is unacceptable.

Outside should remain one or two healers, two tanks, and perhaps a hunter for P3 to ensure smooth pickup. The [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] from P1 do not have a large amount of health nor do they hit particularly hard; therefore the second wave of [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Embers[/url] from P1 should NOT be AoE'd, and instead left for the healers and tanks to finish off while the majority of the raid is inside the Twilight Realm in P2.

It is vital that debuffs be dragged as far out of the raid and as close to the edge of the area as quickly as possible as they affect both realms. A debuff dropped too close to the center, or dispelled too late, will destroy the raid on the other side. Reaction time is key.

[i]Phase Three:[/i]
P3 is substantially the same as on normal: about half the raid returns to the normal realm and together with the twilight realm team, finishes him off. P3 on heroic is characterized mostly by [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] incredible damage output and capacity to take a full BiS tank 100-0 in moments - in P3, the number of healers each tank has to keep him alive through [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] onslaught is halved.

Healers and even offspec healing classes must pre-heal the normal realm MT as soon as the transition begins. The normal realm MT must immediately pick [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] up and position appropriately; the rest of the raid should stand a decent distance away, forming a roughly 60 degree angle around the boss, so the entire raid cannot get hit by [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=58957]Tail Lash[/url], nor obstruct the tank's movement.

Therefore, unnecessary healing must be kept to a minimum. DPS must never stand in fire nor get melee'd by adds as that will overburden healers who must continuously chain-cast heals on the tanks. Tanks must be very aggressive in picking up adds and ensuring the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Embers[/url] are kept away from the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Infernos[/url]. Add tanks that are engineers will find [url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=41119]Saronite Bombs[/url] immensely useful for frontload.

During all periods of mobility - [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=77846]Twilight Cutters[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75879]Meteor Strikes[/url] - cooldowns must be active on the tanks to prevent them from dying while healers are moving. In addition, [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=31821]Aura Mastery[/url] should be activated reactively whenever [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] begins casting a [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74528]Flame Breath[/url] during a period of mobility. Note that [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] breath is [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74528]fire-school[/url] on the normal side and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75956]shadow-school[/url] in the twilight realm, and auras do not extend across realms; therefore both sides should if possible have independent [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48942]Armor [/url]auras and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48947]fire[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48943]shadow[/url] auras should be active in the appropriate realms.

It is not recommended to use the portal after P3 has begun, as lag and mobility make reaching the other side alive an uncertain proposition given [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74524]cleave[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75956]breath[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74531]tail swipe[/url]. In general, never take the portal unless absolutely necessary. If a raid member must take the portal he should be [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=10278]BoP'd[/url] before entering.

P3 is a survival battle, but high DPS must be maintained due to the sharp [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=26662]enrage[/url]. DPS on [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] normal side should focus the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] first, because of its capacity to kill the MT by KO'ing him after a swing and special from [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url], and the adds should be DPS'd only after the add tank has solid aggro, to minimize unnecessary healing.

Although [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74826]Corporeality[/url] is in principle self-correcting, in practice the raid must be balanced properly before P3 begins to ensure it remains as close as possible to baseline on both sides, as the raid cannot afford to stop DPS for more than short peroids, nor can [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74826]Corporeality[/url] be allowed to deviate more than 5-10% on either side lest the tank die during the correction or mobility.

[i][b]Fundamental challenges of the encounter:[/b][/i]
[ul]
[li]The raid must learn to move across [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] in the normal realm and around him in the Twilight realm without ever dying.[/li]
[li]Healers must learn to keep the MTs up through the enormous and often highly sporadic damage they take.[/li]
[li]Tanks must learn to position [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] correctly and pick up adds efficiently.[/li]
[li]DPS must learn to modulate their DPS and switch appropriately between the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url], and the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] - in that order.[/li]
[li]The raid as a whole must be properly divided between the normal and Twilight realms, and individuals must be assigned to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=34477]Misdirect[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=57934]Tricks[/url], and rotate tank cooldowns at the appropriate time. [/li]
[/ul]
[i][b]Class Advice:[/b][/i]
Warrior: Superior add tank due to excellent frontload. As DPS, be sure to hold AoE while adds are spawning, especially during P3; after add tank has aggro, make sure to AoE them while continuing to attack [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url].

Rogue: Be sure to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=57934]Tricks[/url]/[url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=51723]Fan of Knives[/url] [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40683]Living Embers[/url] to the add tank whenever possible. Avoid getting parried at all costs as a parry-hasted swing is very likely to kill the tank as [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] normal melee is about 50% a tank's total health.

Hunter: Manage cooldowns to ensure that an [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=34477]Misdirect[/url] is always available for a [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] spawn. Keybind a macro to target the inferno and misdirect it to the MT, as it will be necessary to do this even when moving out for [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74562]Combustion[/url]/[url=[url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74799]Consumption[/url]Consumption[/url] - failing to MD is not an option and will probably wipe the raid. Remember to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=781]Disengage[/url] away with debuffs.

Shaman: [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=58734]Magma Totem[/url] is excellent for Living Embers and should be used liberally. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=2894]Fire Elemental totem[/url] should be used in P1 in conjunction with [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=32182]Heroism[/url]/[url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=2825]Bloodlust [/url]on pull. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=8177]Grounding Totem[/url] is NO LONGER effective against [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74562]Combustion[/url].

Mage: [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=1953]Blink[/url] should be used liberally to move out with [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74562]Combustion[/url]/[url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74792]Consumption[/url], and to cross [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion's[/url] body and cutters without risk. Remember that CnC are both curses and magic; mages should be able to move easily to the edge of the area and self-decurse, then blink back to the center. Watch AoE when adds have spawned; mages should focus more on [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url] and the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url] than the embers.

Warlock: Drop a [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48018]Demonic Circle[/url] on one side of [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=39863]Halion[/url], and return to it after each [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=75879]Meteor Strike[/url] on the opposing side and after having CnC removed.

Paladin: It is imperative all paladins use every raid cooldown and aura to maximum effect. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=642]DS[/url]/[url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=6940]HSac [/url]and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=31821]AM[/url] cooldowns should be communicated with the healers and other paladins. Seal-weave between [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=20375]SoCom[/url] and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=31801]SoV[/url] as appropriate. Although [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=642]Divine Shield[/url] is effective against [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=77846]Twilight Cutters[/url], it should be saved to use in conjunction with [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=6940]HSac[/url]. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=1044]Hand of Freedom[/url] is effective against the snare effect of [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74792]Soul Consumption[/url]. Paladins can and should self-dispel CnC as appropriate. A prot paladin has by far the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48952]strongest mitigation[/url] of any add tank, and the best sustained threat, but the worst frontload, lacking [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48562]Swipe[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=46968]Shockwave[/url], [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=47502]Thunderclap[/url], or [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=49941]Blood Boil[/url].

Priest: Communicate with paladins regarding raid CDs. Manage AoE carefully and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=586]Fade[/url] as appropriate.

Death Knight: Use [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48707]AMS[/url] wisely. Never use [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=42650]Army of the Dead[/url] as it will cause the adds to become uncontrollable and migrate to the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=40681]Living Inferno[/url]. AoE adds after tank has initial aggro. DPS DKs that use their defensive cooldowns carefully can afford a significantly greater amount of aggro from adds. It is most helpful for DKs to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=49576]Death Grip[/url] adds off the MT to the add tank. A DK is not a strong add tank, as they are unable to block.

Druid: [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=48477]Rebirth[/url] must be used cautiously and effectively. [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=29166]Innervates[/url] must be used to maximum effect on healers during P3. Druids can and should [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=2782]self-decurse[/url] and power-shift out of the snare effect of [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=74799]Consumption[/url]. Also note that since the entire encounter is "outdoors", [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=783]Travel Form[/url] is fully effective. As with DKs, a druid is a relatively strong MT but not recommended as an add tank due to inability to block.