Enhancement Shaman DPS Amirdrassil Raid Guide — Season 4

Due to Season 4 using the Amirdrassil set bonus, we still stay firmly locked into Elementalist on all encounters due to the flexibility and damage profile it comes with. This is largely due to the fact that we have to make no compromises on the thing we are best at within Amirdrassil - boss damage - while still providing meaningful burst cleave. Our main role in the majority of compositions is to do as much boss damage as possible, and leverage our free cleave tools whenever we can without sacrificing that. As such, many encounters with adds still have us primarily focused on killing the boss and leaving them to the rest of the more efficient AoE specs in the raid.

• Gnarlroot*
• Igira the Cruel
• Volcoross
• Larodar
• Nymue
• Smolderon
• Tindral*
• Fyrakk, the Blazing

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Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the build directly into your game!

Much like in the previous season, Season 4 still uses a build that brings most of its cleave tools for free in single target builds. Any talents we can pick up for more tends to cost us a lot of boss damage without much worthwhile payoff. Pair this with many of the adds being low-priority fodder enemies, it means we tend to stick to what we are good at. On a handful of bosses however, it is useful to make a single swap, dropping out Swirling Maelstrom in favor of Crash Lightning as it covers the resource loss while bringing extra AoE damage.

• Gnarlroot*
• Council of Dreams
• Tindral*

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Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the build directly into your game!

Despite being the first encounter in the raid, Gnarlroot has a lot of things going on and ways to optimize. Due to the large number of adds throughout the encounter alongside an important burn window in Uprooted Agony, Elementalist is recommended but it can focus on either full single-target, or add in Crash Lightning for extra Cleave and funnel if necessary.

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• Elementalist has some extra build options available to tailor your damage if you are looking to get the most out of it, but mostly single-target focus with light cleave works. Considerations are:
  • Legacy of the Frost Witch can be a niche option if you really, really want to do extra AoE to the Tainted Lasher spawns by focusing on Hailstorm and funneled Elemental Blast casts.
  • Lashing Flames is the ideal boss damage pick, but is not worth applying to any Lashers due to how quickly even the larger adds die.
  • Crashing Storms can be taken as a greed option to deal extra AoE, but is generally weaker to deal with the overall encounter unless your group is lacking it and tends to fall behind once the damage expose phase starts.
• We pick up Crash Lightning for additional funnel and generation, allowing us to do chip AoE to the add spawns while also bringing extra resources in for funnel.
• A full single-target loadout does still work if you want to focus entirely on the boss, and can pull ahead with a well-executed expose phase.
• Primordial Wave casts are a bit more complicated here. Boss timers are not comfortable for the 21-second cycle, so it can mean you need to hold a little if you want to get a spread onto Tainted Lasher spawns. It is generally best to watch timers and potentially hold the Lightning Bolt spend until they arrive, rather than sit on the cooldown too long.
• You can stand directly under the boss during Flaming Pestilence and take no damage as a safe zone.
• Use Astral Shift as the intermission begins, especially if multiple Tainted Lashers are active. Doom Cultivation deals a large amount of damage alongside Tainted Bloom.
• Drop Wind Rush Totem at a Splintering Charcoal soak so players can quickly clear Doom Roots, also use Spirit Walk here.
• The intermission begins at 1m40s, and takes 20-30 seconds to complete, meaning you want any cooldowns, regardless of build, to be ready for the Uprooted Agony burn.

For more information, please refer to our Gnarlroot guide.

Igira the Cruel is mostly a single-target encounter, and while there are adds that need to be dealt with, it is much better to make use of burst cleave tools rather than opt into extra AoE focused options. Elementalist shines here with a focus on making use of the set bonus cooldown reduction on Primordial Wave to trigger Splintered Elements from Blistering Spear spawns.

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• Throughout the encounter, Blistering Spear will spawn multiple enemies that need to be burned down quickly. These spawn in waves roughly 20 seconds apart (delayed sometimes by other boss abilities), starting at the beginning of the encounter and after each Weapon Phase completes.
• You always want to try to have Primordial Wave ready for this burst, and depending on how well the group stacks, this will dictate how you approach it. If they end up spread, manually apply a Flame Shock quickly to get value, but do not chase them for AoE.
  • Using the Season 3 set, it is possible with some good timing to Primordial Wave every set if you pre-cast it on the boss and spend it early, which you should aim to do.
  • This means you need to watch the timer on upcoming spears, and cast it as it comes off cooldown but hold the Lightning Bolt until after you have set up a spread.
• Watch your position to avoid Vicious Swing, as if you get too close to the tank, this will split onto you and get you killed.
• The only major point for Astral Shift is during Umbral Destruction soaks, especially if the group is unstable. Alternatively if players are not spreading comfortably during Heart Stopper this can keep you alive if an orb hits you.
• During Heart Stopper, get to somewhere safe and stay still while healing off your debuff using Healthstones or Maelstrom Weapon. You can run into your own orb, which deals a lot of damage, so let them pass.
• Spirit Walk and Wind Rush Totem should be used liberally during high movement points, especially during Devastation leaps.

For more information, please refer to our Igira guide.

Volcoross is one of the two purely single-target encounters in Amirdrassil to test your raid's output. While Storm can work here, it is still recommended to play Elementalist single-target.

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• When playing Primordial Wave bear in mind there is a short travel time slightly longer than the global cooldown. This means it is usually better to weave in a follow-up spell to allow it to land before sending Lightning Bolt.
• The boss arena is extremely large, and the raid will be split in two, so try to organize your group so that all melee are together to take advantage of Windfury Totem.
• You can consider Stoneskin Totem to help tanks if they are struggling with the Cataclysm Jaws tank buster, as its low cooldown makes it easy to cover most of them.
• Astral Shift should be used for the Flood of the Firelands soaks. Stand to the side of the circle your group will be moving to avoid being knocked off the platform, as it knocks you from the center. Try to time it just before it lands so it also covers the follow-up Serpent's Fury channel as well.
• Spirit Walk is mostly to cover emergencies, especially if you get caught in a bad spot during Scorchtail Crash or need to move back to the soak point after being pushed away by Hellboil pools.
• Wind Rush Totem is helpful to buff your chosen group just before Flood of the Firelands in case any are caught off guard and are not knocked correctly.

For more information, please refer to our Volcoross guide.

Council of Dreams is a boss with 3 enemies, but due to their heavy movement you will often be limited to only two together. Due to their time spent apart, Elementalist is much more capable of getting value from the extra targets, and Primordial Wave is much easier to execute.

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• The only boss that can really be moved around is Urctos, so this will be your anchor target. You will be relying on your tank to try and move it onto Aerwynn as she leaps around the room. Pip lastly will teleport around, so you will only get sporadic uptime on them.
  • Lashing Flames should be applied only when convenient as you pass by bosses to get extra value from Flame Shock. Try to maintain the debuff from ranged whenever you get the chance. If you have Spirit Walk and they are close, you can squeeze it in and go back to Urctos after.
  • You should be manually applying the third Flame Shock on targets out of range, either with Primordial Wave or mouseover casts when it falls off to fuel Ashen Catalyst.
  • Primordial Wave should be cast on council members without Flame Shock active whenever possible to help the above, aiming to get triple Lightning Bolt throughout. Be aware when Urctos charges, as this can move him out of range and fizzle one of your bolts.
  • Crash Lightning is a recommended option here, but only if your tanks can consistently keep two bosses together. If this is not happening, consider dropping it.
• Poison Cleansing Totem can be used to remove Poisonous Javelin, and should be dropped on cooldown to help healers. Be careful if melee are stacked in melee, as double dispelling can get people killed.
• Spirit Walk alongside Go with the Flow are strongly recommended here due to the heavy movement. Use it aggressively to squeeze out extra Lava Lash casts in passing.
• Astral Shift should be used when soaking Barreling Charge, especially if there are not many raid members soaking.
• Wind Rush Totem is best used during Emerald Winds, so melee can stick to targets without being pushed to the edge of the room.

For more information, please refer to our Council of Dreams guide.

Larodar has a number of key adds that need to be dealt with throughout the encounter, but they are often burned down so quickly that a pure single-target loadout still works best. Therefore, the higher flexibility and more frequent cooldowns of Elementalist suits better, relying on Hailstorm and Primordial Wave to deal with them.

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• Larodar has two separate adds that need to be dealt with, both of which Primordial Wave is suited well to:
  • Fiery Treants are spawned by Fiery Force of Nature that come in groups of 3. These spawn out of range of the boss, so consider holding Primordial Wave to make sure you get full value on them after spreading from the boss. These spawn roughly 7 seconds into the encounter and briefly after each Raging Inferno.
  • Scorching Roots is a single add that needs to be burned down as quickly as possible. These will generally be activated 40 seconds after Treants by the team of players dealing with the fire, meaning that Primordial Wave can cover both.
• Furious Charge will often force the boss out of range, meaning you should bank some Maelstrom Weapon and ranged cooldowns to make sure you can keep uptime during this.
• Blazing Coalescence provides a 20% Critical Strike buff when soaked, which you should ideally grab during cooldowns if possible. Use Astral Shift after soaking due to the DoT, especially in Mythic if you ever get hit by a second.
• Ancestral Guidance is best saved for the Consuming Flame cast during the Phase 2 transition to help the healers deal with the heavy raid-wide damage.
• You should hold onto Spirit Walk in case you are hit by Scorching Bramblethorn in a bad spot to clear the root.
• Enhancement is a good option to carry the Dream Blossom and clear out fire. Spirit Walk, Wind Rush Totem, and Ghost Wolf lets us cover a lot of ground; just try not to snap the chain.
• In the final phase you can use the Ashen Treants spawned by Ashen Call to gain extra funnel. This requires you to manually Flame Shock and Primordial Wave, as they will spend their time out of range. Thunderstorm (without Thundershock) can also be taken to knock them back out when they reach melee range.

For more information, please refer to our Larodar guide.

Nymue does have add phases in the intermission, but these are spawned so far out of range that there is no real opportunity to funnel correctly. The recommendation here is Elementalist due to the ability to line up short cooldown burns and resource dumping for add phases without sacrificing any boss damage in the process.

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• Most of your time in this encounter as melee will be spent right in front of the boss dodging Impending Loom patterns, so be aware of these so you can keep uptime without being stunned. Sometimes you will be forced out of range by these while soaking (especially if targeted by Weaver's Burden) so try to use ranged abilities efficiently here.
• Verdant Matrix patterns will draw lines that apply a DoT if you pass through, so try to coordinate with your other melee so players are always covering the area to soak Surging Growth.
• Every 90 seconds, Nymue will enter the Full Bloom intermission, that will spawn a Cycle Warden on opposite ends of the room that the raid has to split up to deal with:
  • As soon as this begins drop Wind Rush Totem to help the tank rush to their side and create an Inflorescence trail.
  • Ideally you should have Primordial Wave ready, or about to be, as the phase begins rotationally. Aim to use this and Feral Spirit once and have them ready for when you return to the boss after.
• You can interrupt the Cycle Warden with Wind Shear as soon as you are in range to remove the damage shield, so long as the tank knows this is going to happen and can pick it up.
• Nymue will immediately cast Continuum following each intermission, that shifts the Verdant Matrix. Make sure to be in the correct spot by the boss when this happens to avoid getting DoT stacks, and be in the raid cooldown stack.
• The encounter damage ramps up over time, so use Astral Shift liberally but have Earth Elemental saved for the final burn following the third intermission when things are at their most intense.
• In Mythic Difficulty: Save both Ancestral Guidance and Wind Rush Totem totem for the intermission where you are assigned to the Manifested Dream add. This phase will usually have limited healing, and damage intake is higher, so be careful.

For more information, please refer to our Nymue guide.

Smolderon is the second single-target check in Amirdrassil, and is much higher intensity. This fight has extremely high damage intake for the raid, and also has the gimmick of an intermission with 100% increased player damage intermittently throughout the encounter. Elementalist has far more flexible cooldowns here to take advantage of that alongside better access to damage when forced out of range, so is recommended.

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• In each main phase, Smolderon will have two Brand of Damnation casts of which you need to soak one of them. The one you soak will be the cast that overlaps with you not being Overheated, and make sure to use Astral Shift when doing so.
• Cauterizing Wound is a massive healing absorb, so if healers are struggling, commit healthstones, healing potions and Maelstrom Weapon to get rid of it quickly.
• There is a lot of movement and dodging throughout the main phase, but try to not commit any movement cooldowns if you do not have to so you have them ready for the intermission.
• The first intermission begins 70 seconds in and lasts for 30 seconds. This repeats on a 100-second cycle after this, so plan cooldowns accordingly.
  • Storm should hold its first Doom Winds for this, but then use it on cooldown for every one after.
  • Elementalist should cast Primordial Wave and Feral Spirit on cooldown, unless the intermission is about to begin, at which point it holds until orbs are collected. The amount of cooldown reduction generally means you get a guaranteed set during the orb duration so just play normally.
• Wind Rush Totem should be dropped at the intermission start to help dodge World In Flames rings while collecting your Devour Essence orbs. Totemic Recall can be taken to cover multiple waves here.
• Spirit Walk is best used in emergencies while dodging Flame Waves, or as the intermission begins to collect your Devour Essence orbs.
• Ancestral Guidance should be used once you get back to the boss after collecting your Devour Essence buffs. This healing is amplified by the damage buff and can help the healers stabilize more comfortably.

For more information, please refer to our Smolderon guide.

Tindral is the penultimate encounter in Amirdrassil that has both AoE and burst requirements to deal with a variety of key mechanics. Elementalist is suited best to deal with all of these, alongside having much more flexible cooldown timings, especially after acquiring Tier 31.

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• Due to the nature of the encounter Elementalist is suited so well to it that there are not really any other considerations.
  • If your raid is struggling to deal with root spawns, grab Crash Lightning and potentially also Crashing Storms to help, though we are very inefficient at dealing with them every little helps and it also brings in some extra funnel. This should not be considered in Mythic however, as there are much better ways to solve this problem.
  • Alternatively, you can pick up Sundering for burst AoE which provides higher value, but can only deal with every other wave. This is a better consideration than the above in Mythic as it helps with the Burning Treant wave.
  • Primordial Wave and Hailstorm provides free cleave and funnel from the Mass Entanglement roots, and should be aligned with these casts. This can be done on every wave using the set bonus cooldown reduction.
  • Similarly, Primordial Wave plus Feral Spirit and double Elemental Blast casts should be committed to break the Supernova shield.
• In the main phase you can use Wind Rush Totem to help the tank position for Blazing Mushroom, allies get out of the group with Fiery Growth and also escape the Fire Beam spawns.
• In Phase 2 onward it should instead be saved for the Seed of Flame cast to help the raid quickly spread out and gather them to prevent trees spawning.
• Mass Entanglement can be removed with Spirit Walk, which you should actively do to reduce the damage requirements. Do not do this in Mythic outside of assigned clears, however.
• Shift into Ghost Wolf during the Typhoon cast to stay on the platform and get into a good position to pick up an Empowered Feather.
• If you intend to soak a large number of Seed of Flame, commit Astral Shift as the damage intake ramps up very quickly. In Mythic, instead use this for the Falling Star into Mass Entanglement combos.
• Ancestral Guidance should be used following dangerous Mass Entanglement casts to leverage the extra AoE to help stabilize the group.
  • In Mythic, this should be planned around the full clear Burning Treant spawn in Phase 1 (second Mass Entanglement), and the full stack in Phase 2 (second Mass Entanglement) where there are extra roots present.

For more information, please refer to our Tindral guide.

The final encounter, Fyrakk, the Blazing, has a number of important adds that need to be killed but above all else boss damage is king. It is a long encounter with a lot of points of failure, so the more you can focus on single-target the better. Due to this, Elementalist is heavily recommended due to its ability to deal with every aspect of the fight well, and is arguably one of the best builds in the game on this specific encounter.

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• The big point of power for Enhancement on Fyrakk is Primordial Wave, which is made even more powerful using the set bonus. Using the cooldown reduction efficiently allows us to deal with a number of key parts of the fight:
  • In intermission 1 the Corrupt shield is important to break, and with the cooldown being so low it should be ready as you enter and again during the cast.
  • In Phase 2 you can pre-apply Primordial Wave to Fyrakk, spread with Lava Lash and immediately hit the Burning Colossus spawns. Using the cooldown reduction, it should come up again as the Screaming Soul wave spawns to get another big hit before the intermission ends.
• Due to Primordial Wave's short cooldown as well, we never have to hold cooldowns to plan for intermission timers, it will naturally align with rotational play.
• Astral Shift should be used on any Blaze casts that are uncomfortable, or if your Aflame stacks get dangerously high. It should also be used in the first intermission when soaking orbs.
  • In Mythic, this should be saved for overlaps of Blaze at the same time as Darkflame Shades, as if you ever get hit by both at once you will die to the follow up Wildfire.
• Capacitor Totem and Thundershock should be taken to interrupt the casts from Screaming Souls during Phase 2.
  • In Mythic you can take regular Thunderstorm to help stack the adds up, but it is very hard to aim without causing problems so only do this if your comp has no other option.
• Ancestral Guidance has a lot of places to be used. Ideally it works best on the Blaze set in Phase 1 that follows Dream Rend, and on the Burning Colossus sets after new healing adds spawn to assist both the raid and the healers.
• Wind Rush Totem is ideal for helping the raid soak orbs during Corrupt intermissions, and also for adjusting during the intermission following the breath that spawns Screaming Souls. Finally, in Phase 3 it should be used during the Eternal Firestorm casts to help those targeted get to the edge of the platform.
  • In Mythic, this is best used on Dream Rend, Firestorm and Blaze spreads. Organize your group movement tools to cover these in Phase 1 and 2, while in Phase 3, use it to help players run to the edge with Eternal Firestorm.

For more information, please refer to our Fyrakk guide.