Enhancement Shaman DPS Vault of the Incarnates Raid Guide — Dragonflight 10.0.5

Below, you can find class and spec-specific advice for every fight in Vault of the Incarnates. If you are looking for a general overview of the Raid that is not spec-specific, check out our dedicated Vault of the Incarnates guides.

On this page, you will find Enhancement Shaman specific information to deal with each boss in the Vault of the Incarnates raid. These are not complete encounter guides but specific tips for doing the bosses as a Enhancement Shaman.

This page assumes that you already understand most of the mechanics of each encounter. These can be found on the full raid guide, so what is contained here are details specifically tailored toward Enhancement Shaman and how you can deal with each fight as best as possible.

All recommendations are progression tips and aim to defeat the encounter as comfortably as possible, so they may not necessarily be the best strategy for the highest overall DPS.

There are currently three builds that are generally seen within the raid: a Physical pure single-target build, an Elementalist single-target/cleave build, and an Elementalist build. These all have encounters where they are used depending on what is needed, but for most cases we recommend the Elementalist single-target/hybrid build.

Below are quick import codes that can be used for 3 sample builds, but each boss will also have a bespoke link tailored to the boss below based on recommendations. You can also use our Talent page to find out more about some of the builds being suggested here and why.

• Elementalist Single Target: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJgkEikkQJhAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIBFBkUSSSJAEJJA
• Elementalist AoE: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJISSISCUSkAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIBFBkUSSSJAEJJA
• Physical Pure Single Target: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJHAkcARSSSQSiECAAAAAAAAAAAAAlIEhEUEQSJJJlAQkkgC

We have opted to recommend the Elementalist build as a basic go to because it is less sensitive to random elements and specific timers, while having well-built-in cleave options. However, both this or the Physical builds should work, and We recommend looking at the Talents page for more details:

While there are adds on this encounter, they tend to die so quickly that you will rarely get a good chance at doing real AoE to them. They can, however, be used for a small amount of additional funnel via Splintered Elements, and the burst provided by Elementalist builds makes it the recommendation.

While Physical builds can work here just purely to focus on boss damage, the flexibility of Elementalist opens up much more room to deal with the encounter mechanics should your group struggle.

• BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJgkEikkQJhAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIBNBkUSSSJAEJJA

• Ideally, hold Lava Lash when adds are about to spawn to spread Flame Shock quickly and get a quick Primordial Wave cast off to get more value out of Splintered Elements.
• Spirit Walk is best saved for getting out when dropping Flamerift. Wind Rush Totem can also help the raid get to a good position during Army of Flame.
• Try to use high burst tools such as Primordial Wave and pool some Maelstrom Weapon stacks to deal with your chosen Primal Flame target quickly and pass through the ring.
• Use Astral Shift if you are forced to move over any leftover Lava Flow pools if space gets tight.

• While adds will still die extremely quickly, the newly added Flamescale Captain will usually last long enough to get value out of Lashing Flames.
• Try to apply Flame Shock to both adds you intend to kill during Army of Flame to create a path.

For more information, please refer to our Eranog guide.

Terros is the raid's only pure single-target damage encounter. As such is the only encounter, we strongly recommend using a Physical build due to its high potential.

While Elementalist single-target builds work just fine here, there is no reason not to play Physical as it is a 100% uptime pure single-target fight.

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• Wind Rush Totem is useful for helping your raid get clear of the Resonating Annihilation cone.
• Gust of Wind is worth taking here for your movement tool, as instant displacement is usually enough to get you where you need to be.
• Totemic Recall can be considered to reset Wind Rush Totem for even more movement, as we have one talent point to spare here.

• Due to the most common strategies stacking up for the Infused Fallout, minimal changes in this encounter on Mythic difficulty.
• There is an increased focus on damage taken here, so using Astral Shift and Planes Traveler for more frequent, higher uptime defense on Rock Blast soaks is ideal
• Mana Spring gets a lot of value for your healers here and is recommended.

For more information, please refer to our Terros guide.

This is a relatively simple, pure AoE encounter at 4 targets. Both builds can work with the right talents, and your gameplay will be a full AoE rotation from start to finish.

As this is a 4-target encounter with sustained damage and uptime, both Physical and Elementalist builds take their AoE variants to deal as much boss damage as possible here:

• Physical: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpAIJJJikIJtEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAlIEhEUEQSJJJlAQkkA
• Elementalist: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJISSISCUSkAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIBFBkUSSSJAEJJA

Each boss must die within a few seconds of the others or else risk a complete wipe. Because of the naturally high amount of funnel of Enhancement due to its damage delivery being focused on an "anchor" target, it is wise to cycle between targets to manually do even damage. This is most natural due to the playstyle Lashing Flames leans into.

• Due to this being entirely AoE, we opt out of Elemental Blast because all of our Maelstrom Weapon stacks should be spent on Chain Lightning. The Hailstorm package also works ideally here.
• Maintain Lashing Flames on all targets as much as possible, as they should be stacked.
• Focus target either Kadros or Dathea and interrupt their repeat casts on cooldown to keep them in melee.
• Wind Rush Totem can be used to get the group into a good position during Meteor Axes to remove Earthen Pillars.
• Spirit Walk should be used to get into a good soak position for Meteor Axes, or when you need to clear out Primal Blizzard with fire patches.
• Position yourself to the side of the clump, ideally to avoid Slashing Blaze and keep a good angle for Crash Lightning.

This encounter remains largely the same on Mythic compared to Heroic. In some cases, it is even less hectic due to the reduced number of fire patches, so it plays the same.

For more information, please refer to our The Primal Council guide.

While there are a lot of adds present here that provide opportunities to activate Crash Lightning, the priority is boss and add burst damage. We are excellent at both of these, and the AoE does not matter, so using an Elementalist build we can leverage some of our funnel.

We recommend Elementalist builds here to make use of Splintered Elements and Ashen Catalyst to funnel into important targets. Some movement talents are also helpful here in dealing with the encounter.

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• Try to apply Flame Shock to excess Caustic Spiderlings if possible, just before each Primordial Wave for additional Haste and funnel.
• Gust of Wind works very well here, as you can jump just before each Gossamer Burst when facing away from the boss and stand mostly still, and also counteract the Repelling Burst. Just be aware you retain momentum and slide on Icy Ground.
• Both Thunderous Paws and Spirit Walk can be used to remove any stacks of Sticky Webbing, so long as you are not stunned.

• Due to the ice on the pathway leading up to each new platform, it can be awkward to move here. Using Ghost Wolf to get ahead is ideal.
• Astral Shift is handy for dealing with the Chilling Blast casts that overlap with these transitions when positioning is more chaotic.
• The Frostbreath Arachnid needs to die quickly on Mythic, so having Primordial Wave ready to switch to it quickly and burn it down is ideal. These spawn roughly 10 seconds after the boss settles at a new platform.
• Gust of Wind can be used to readjust if you are knocked in a terrible direction by Gusting Rime.

Dathea is predominantly single-target focused but has add waves that are extremely important to deal with. So, some AoE is necessary for both Heroic and Mythic difficulty. Thankfully, Enhancement can take enough AoE while still maintaining a primarily single-target profile to deal with the fight and does not necessarily need to invest in our sustained AoE tools due to how short the add portions are. Some movement and control tools, however, are great pickups.

Due to the fight rewarding versatile damage profiles, we strongly recommend using an Elementalist build here, as it can opt into a mostly single-target build and still do more than enough AoE to deal with the platforms with its free cleave tools.

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• Wind Rush Totem is best used during Cyclone to make sure you and your allies can stay out of the center.
• Gust of Wind is preferable here as it allows you to adjust if you are ever knocked, during Blowback and when coming back from the platform
• Be very careful if using the above, though, as if targeted by Conductive Mark you may spread it if you aim wrong and land on an ally.

• On Mythic, you ideally want to ensure you have cooldowns ready when you reach the platform. These are at either 90 seconds or 3 minutes depending on which group you are in, so as long as you do not sit on Primordial Wave, this should always be ready.
• Volatile Infuser spawns should also roughly allow you to cast one Primordial Wave on it during the main phase before the platform and then have it ready for when you land.
• Having Capacitor Totem stun the platform and using Ancestral Guidance to assist your healer is especially useful here as damage intake is high.
• We are also good for interrupting the Volatile Infuser on the way over to the platform, thanks to Wind Shear being ranged.

For more information, please refer to our Dathea, Ascended guide.

The primary focus for Kurog is boss damage, and thus single-target is at a premium. Still, regardless of difficulty (though it increases significantly on Mythic), there are windows of cleave and AoE meaning that points can get tight to fit everything in here. Thankfully, Enhancement has access to some good options that allow it to keep access to key tools to contribute to the pressure points.

Due to the fight changing target counts quite significantly in Mythic, we have provided separate builds depending on your difficulty. We recommend using Elementalist builds as they are better at dynamically switching between target counts.

• Normal/Heroic: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJgkEikkQJhAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIBFBkUSSSJAEJJA
• Mythic: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJAJhIJJUSkAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIBFBkUSSSJAEJJA

• Be sure to interrupt the Frozen Destroyer's Frost Binds cast with Wind Shear when this add is active.
• Maintain Lashing Flames on both adds as much as possible as they efficient damage is most useful in the intermission.
• Wind Rush Totem is helpful for the raid to weave in and out of the rings caused by Erupting Bedrock.
• Quick self-healing with Healing Surge can be useful to help healers if you are targeted by the Enveloping Earth Heal absorb.

• Due to the main phases spending extended periods at 2 targets dealing with the associated elemental spawned, your build should try to find room to fit in Crash Lightning. We recommend dropping either Windfury Weapon (and replacing it with a Howling Rune), or Swirling Maelstrom.
• Make sure to maintain Lashing Flames on both the boss and adds, and keep Crash Lightning active at all times during the main phase.
• Making sure Primordial Wave is ready for the Earth Breaker add spawns is especially important here and should be paired with Ancestral Guidance to assist the healers with removing the Enveloping Earth absorbs.

For more information, please refer to our Kurog Grimtotem guide.

The Encounter will have two separate roles dictated to the DPS: either pure boss damage or dealing with the frequent add waves. We are extremely good at both of these, and there are builds to support both. Regardless though, there will always be a portion of the fight in which you deal with just the boss alone (especially in Mythic), so a hybrid approach is suited.

Two different builds are an option here, depending on your assigned role: a Physical one if you are focused entirely on boss damage, or an Elementalist option if you are dealing with adds. The latter is generally much more flexible, and we are good candidates for add damage, so it is recommended.

• Physical Boss Duty: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJHAkcARSSSQSiECAAAAAAAAAAAAAlIEhE0EQSJJJlAQkkgC
• Elementalist Add Duty: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJAJhIJJUSkAAAAAAAAAAAAAQJCRIh0EgUSSSJAEJJA

• To fit in Crash Lightning in the standard single-target build to serve as a more hybrid single-target/AoE option, you need to drop one damage talent. We recommend either Windfury Weapon (replacing it with a Howling Rune), or Swirling Maelstrom.
• The first adds wave spawns roughly 40 seconds into the encounter, so getting Primordial Wave on cooldown early and using it on the first wave is ideal.
• During add waves only maintain Lashing Flames on the priority adds (usually Juvenile Frost Proto-Dragon), and funnel your damage into this target as it is the most dangerous due to Chilling Tantrum.
• During these Chilling Tantrum casts, use Ancestral Guidance to assist the healers.
• Use Capacitor Totem and Wind Shear to help lockdown the Primalist Mages.
• Purge is an option to deal with the Cauterizing Flashflames, but this is better dealt with using AoE dispel tools. If your group is struggling, consider this.
• Movement tools are at a premium here, so Wind Rush Totem, Spirit Walk and Go With the Flow are highly recommended if assigned to adds.
• Both Thunderous Paws and Spirit Walk can break the Frozen Shroud.
• On add waves with Drakonid Stormbringer present save Wind Shear to interrupt Static Jolt.

• Frozen Shroud is significantly more dangerous in Mythic as it often overlaps with Empowered Greatstaff of the Broodkeeper, so taking both Thunderous Paws and Spirit Walk is recommended.
• Movement is much more hectic here, so having Totemic Projection is a consideration to keep Windfury Totem with you and carry Wind Rush Totem between packs.
• Use Astral Shift if targeted by Empowered Greatstaff of the Broodkeeper, especially those that overlap with Wildfire casts.

For more information, please refer to our Broodkeeper Diurna guide.

Raszageth has many desirable damage profiles depending on your group and what it is struggling with. We have a wealth of options that can be taken depending on what you need. On Mythic, however, some extra wrinkles require a more specific build.

Generally, on this encounter, we recommend Elementalist builds due to it having significantly more flexibility throughout the encounter and its different phases and the room to switch on the fly and contribute to each mechanic. Below is a link to a build for Normal/Heroic and a more bespoke Mythic build that takes additional utility options required to deal with the encounter.

• Normal/Heroic: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpEJgkEikkQJhAAAAAAAAAAAAAQLCRIhUEFIlkk0AIRSCA
• Mythic: BcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIJJpkkASCikkQJhAAAAAAAAAAAAAQLCRIhQUgUSSSLASkEA

• Wind Shear, Purge, Sundering, Thunderstorm and Capacitor Totem can all deal with the Volatile Current adds, and many are at a premium due to being AoE.
• Both Spirit Walk and Gust of Wind are useful here, with the former having more general applications and the latter allowing you to move quickly out of dangerous Lightning Breath and Lightning Devastation casts. Go With the Flow can be considered to make sure you have it ready for every breath in the first intermission.
• Astral Shift is best saved for situations where you are targeted by Static Charge
• Wind Rush Totem has applications throughout the encounter and should be used regularly. Discuss with your raid to cover important movement events.
• Primordial Wave has several uses throughout the encounter and plays a large role in what makes Elementalist builds so good here:
  • In the first intermission, this can be used on the first and third sets of adds after spreading Flame Shock from the Surging Ruiner, helping to clean them up quickly.
  • Can be used for every Stormsurge shield, which are cast roughly 80 seconds apart, so in some cases, you can get an extra cast in between.
  • In the second intermission, you can make use of the Colossal Stormfiend to spread and burst the small adds down while funneling into the large add with the Splintered Elements buff.

• The encounter requires a significantly higher amount of movement tools to deal with Hurricane Wing, and is the only encounter currently that requires you to take Feral Lunge to stay on the platform. This is also useful for crossing the Tempest Wing rings in Phase 2.
• Because Feral Lunge is required, you need to drop a damage talent to fit it in. We recommend either Windfury Weapon (and replace it with a Howling Rune, or Swirling Maelstrom.
• Gust of Wind is also taken here for some extra distance and instant displacement, useful both for these phases and to avoid Lightning Devastation in the intermissions.
• Earthgrab Totem is an option to deal with Seeking Stormlings if needed, but Wind Rush Totem is equally valuable.
• A suite of crowd-control tools to deal with the Volatile Spark adds is necessary here. Capacitor Totem (and potentially Static Charge which allows you to do every wave), Thunderstorm, and Purge are all useful. Thundershock is also a consideration to interrupt Stormseeker Acolytes in the first intermission.
• Astral Bulwark is a good idea here due to the sheer damage that Static Charge deals if you are targeted.
• If assigned to the Red side with Flamesworn Herald shields, you should hold Primordial Wave for the first and third shield, and if you have access to a Manic Grieftorch use it on the second to break it. Discuss these assignments with your raid.
• If assigned to the Blue side with Frostforged Zealot, use Ancestral Guidance in tandem with your cooldowns to help get rid of the Shattering Shroud debuff.
• Both Thunderous Paws and Spirit Walk can be taken to remove the Fulminating Charge root and can be taken if needed.

For more information, please refer to our Raszageth the Storm-Eater guide.