| Heigan the Unclean | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Race | Human (Undead) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level | ?? Boss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Plague Quarter, Naxxramas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Killable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Heigan the Unclean is the second boss of the Plague Quarter in Naxxramas. This is the famous dance boss that is well-renowned all over the game. If you master the dance then you master the fight. Some may view this as an easy feat, while many players struggle to master the concept.
Commander Eligor Dawnbringer: "Observe, Heigan the Unclean. The mastermind behind the plague cauldrons that turned the wilderness of Azeroth into the Plaguelands. It is said that Heigan has rigged the very walls and floors of Naxxramas itself with a vast array of traps, which he can trigger at will." Template:Raiding2 Sponsor
25-man Abilities
Overview of the room, group eruption areas, and Eye Stalk tunnel.
Updated safe spots for WotLK (based on video recording from platform view).
How to do the Heigan Dance.
Heigan the Unclean has approximately 9,270,000 hit points. Note that unlike 40-man Naxxramas the tunnel before Heigan is no longer a gauntlet.
Phase One
- This is a 30-yard aura around Heigan the Unclean. It will increase cast times by 300%. (This was increased from 20 yards in 3.08)
- This is a disease applied to a random player which will do 4,500 Nature damage every 3 seconds and reduce the maximum hit points of every player within 20 yards by 50%.
Phase Two
After 90 seconds Heigan will teleport to the middle of the raised platform and begin channelling.
- Deals 7,500 Nature damage a second to any player remaining on the raised platform during Phase Two.
- Three quarters of the remaining area of the room will be hit by eruption every few seconds during Phase Two. Does 6650 to 7350 Nature damage on a hit. Near the edge of a safe spot players will only be hit once. In the middle of unsafe spots they will be hit multiple times which is generally fatal.
10-man Abilities
Heigan the Unclean has approximately 3,060,000 hit points. Note that unlike 40-man Naxxramas the tunnel before Heigan is no longer a gauntlet.
Phase One
- This is a 20-yard aura around Heigan the Unclean. It will increase cast times by 300%.
- This is a disease applied to a random player which will do 3,000 Nature damage every 3 seconds and reduce the maximum hit points of every player within 20 yards by 50%.
Phase Two
After 90 seconds Heigan will teleport to the middle of the raised platform and begin channeling.
- Deals 7,500 Nature damage a second to any player remaining on the raised platform during Phase Two.
- Three quarters of the remaining area of the room will be hit by eruption every few seconds during Phase Two. Does 6650 to 7350 Nature damage on a hit. Near the edge of a safe spot players will only be hit once. In the middle of unsafe spots they will be hit multiple times which is generally fatal.
Strategy
Note: The 'safe spot' exploit on Heigan the Unclean is fixed as of Patch 3.0.8
- The RED square is safe from Eruption. During phase 1, all ranged DPS and healers stand here. During phase 2, a heavy damage disease DoT is placed on the platform.
- The BLUE dots and lines are where the boss is tanked and moved between every lava burst.
- The GREEN line is an approximate of where the lava bursts are split.
- The PURPLE dots represent the gauntlet from the old 40 man Naxx, and the YELLOW dot and line was where you were teleported and how you had to run back to the boss. The new 10/25 version does not involve that area in the encounter.
The fight goes as a 135 second cycle:
- Phase 1: Heigan is in the field for 90 seconds. Ground Eruptions move slowly, the tank has to move Heigan through the positions shown in the graphic.
- Phase 2: Heigan teleports on the platform for 45 seconds. Ground Eruptions speed up, the entire raid needs to move through the safe zones (see Heigan Dancing Lesson for detailed video tutorial). The platform has to be empty. Heigan will not use Spell Disruption, Teleport and Decrepit Fever during phase 2.
Alternate Strategy
For those groups that have trouble dancing, are heavy on melee dps, and which have a druid healer, there is an alternate strategy (the "Lockard Maneuver") which can make this fight much easier.
This approach hinges on the fact that Heigan's Spell Disruption ability only affects abilities with a cast time. Due to this fact, there is no need to dance at all in Phase 1 as long as your druid(s) (and other healers) can keep the tank up with HoTs and instant heals and you have sufficient melee dps to make good progress on the boss.
To execute the strategy, simply tank Heigan on the platform during the entirety of Phase 1. Make sure to tank him far enough on the platform that your melee dps won't be hanging off the edge, otherwise they'll take eruption hits.
When he teleports to begin Phase 2, quickly get off the platform to avoid the platform AoE and to prepare for the fast dance. Run the dance through to completion, and when he transitions back to Phase 1, once again rush the platform to take him down. A well-geared group that is heavy on melee dps should be able to take him down in two platform phases, three at the outside.
Although you will still be dancing in Phase 2, the major advantage of this approach is that you don't need to worry about moving Heigan around during Phase 1. The Phase 2 dance is faster, but you only have to concentrate on moving yourself, not trying to dps or position a boss as well.
TheMagnificent Maneuver
Regardless of the strategy you use during this fight, the key to taking Heigan down is learning the dance. If you are able to do the dance, then the following strategy will optimize your DPS and make this fight go much faster, thus reducing the potential for wipes. Unless your group is mostly ranged casters, then the above Alternate Strategy would be best. However, we find that our tanks are doing about 10% of group damage each, so having your tanks run with Heigan doing nothing more then keeping agro reduces the total group DPS output by about 20%. The same will go for each melee class that is required to run, reducing your damage output for that party member by about 80%, so something to consider when trying an alternate strategy that has your melee running with Heigan.
You want to start the fight by having your tank rush Heigan on the platform and have all melee DPS go to the platform as well. It is a good idea to have him tanked as far back on the platform as possible so you avoid anyone on the platform from getting hit by the eruptions. This will allow your tank and all melee to concentrate on doing the most damage to Heigan during Phase 1.
All of the healers and caster ranged classes should be out on the floor and working through the dance required for Phase 1. The advantage here is that both ranged and healers will be able to cast spells with worrying about the effects of Spell Disruption. With the tank stationary, they will also be able to manage the distance better individually rather then having to worry about the tank getting Heigan too close to the caster group. This will give them more then sufficient time to be able to cast spells for healing and DPS while allowing the tank and melee to maximize their DPS. It is important to note that loosing a healer during this stage will have less of an impact then loosing a tank out on the floor during eruptions.
As Heigan approaches Phase 2, their will be 5-10 seconds between the last eruption and his teleportation and quickened eruptions, during which everyone will need to get to the starting zone for the Phase 2 dance. You should be able to start running towards the starting zone just a few seconds prior to teleportation so you are not caught out on the floor during the first eruption in Phase 2.
Tips
- Whenever a phase change occurs, the safe zone is reset to zone 1.
- Safe zones move in the following order: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 2 - ...
- Aggro does NOT reset between phases.
- Due to latency, other players may or may not appear in the correct position for you. Move at your own pace, do not try to follow other players.
- One of the most common reasons for death is running too far on either side of the room. If you are running from section 3 to section 4, you only need to take a few steps (between other pieces, you need to cross the entire next section, something not necessary for their sections one or four). It is possible to cast in the time this buys.
- Safe zone cycle is, for phase one: 1-2-3-4-3-2-1-2~3. So, it is the way to 4, back to 1, and then almost to 3. It is this way at least for 10man. At the moment Heigan teleports, move QUICKLY back to zone 1. It will reset the cycle to zone 1 again.
- In phase two, move forward as soon as you see the lava coming up (not too quick, though). The best timing is to move to safe spot, stop ONE second, then move to the next safe spot. JUST one second.
- There is no enrage timer on this fight, so it can go on as long as you can keep some sort of DPS up. Heigan has been killed in fights taking longer than 30 minutes (due to deaths.)
Achievements
There are two achievements directly related to Heigan, and several which include him as Naxxramas-wide achievements.
- The Safety Dance requires Heigan to be killed without any raid members dying on 10 man.
- Heroic: The Safety Dance requires the same on 25 man.
Quotes
Aggro
- You are mine now.
- I see you...
- You... are next.
Killing a Player
- Close your eyes. Sleep.
Phase Two
- The end is upon you.
Random
- The races of the world will perish... it is only a matter of time.
- I see endless suffering... I see torment... I see rage... I see everything.
- Soon... the world will tremble.
- Hungry worms will feast on your rotting flesh.
Trivia
Hagen of Tronje by Arthur Rackham.
Heigan's appearance may be inspirated by Hagen of Tronje of Norse mythology. In Nibelungenlied he is especially grim, implacable, and violent. Also game's depiction somehow resembles Arthur Rackham's illustration.
Loot
Videos
A hi-res video and discussion.
Naxxramas Boss guides and videos.
Trivia
- During the Death Knight quest-line, if one asks Noth the Plaguebringer where Heigan is, he will respond with a humorous and/or rude comment. Two of these comments make fun of the "Heigan dance" a raid must do while fighting him in Naxxramas.
- The song "Safety Dance" is actually a useful timing mechanism for the dance phases of this fight.
External links
- http://www.forlornlegacy.net/bored/showthread.php?t=822 Forlorn Legacy (US) kill video
WoW Guide Online Heigan the Unclean Video and Guide RaidStrats Heroic and Normal Heigan Strategy Guide World of Strats 10/25 man versions