Wrath Dailies: Aces High! part 3, Flame Shield and FAQ
This one is pretty easy. The Flame Shield uses any form of combo points you have active, whether they're on your target or on yourself. You still need to target the appropriate target (them or yourself) to use them, but either will work. The only time you need to use this is when the Blue Drake is using the ability Arcane Surge. It hits for a crapload.
Again, additional combo points only extend the duration of this buff, not make it stronger or anything like that. While using a 5-point Flame Shield is ideal so you can absorb the entire surge, it's not necessary. A one or two point Flame Shield will save you from death, and your healing will let you recover. If you don't use the shield at all, you will probably die. Again: 5-points will reduce the whole Surge, a couple of points will absorb enough to let you survive.
If you're a raider, spend a little time practicing that, too. It's one of the key parts of the Malygos fight.
FAQ
Q: Wow, that all sounds really complicated! Is it hard?
A: Nope, not really. It's pretty easy! I went into more detail than I needed to because it's an integral part of a raid encounter. It takes these mechanics and makes them a little more extreme and demanding. The quest itself is really easy once you get the hang of it.
Q: Help! Help! My combo points aren't showing up, what's up with that!?
A: You're probably using a unit frame mod. Vehicle combo points aren't integrated into most of those yet, since it's such an uncommon thing. The easiest fix is to count your combo points in your head. 1... 2... 3... Engulf! 1... 2... 3... Engulf! The more complicated fix is going to vary from mod to mod, if you want to keep your custom unit frames. It will either take an update of that specific mod, or some lua editing on your end. Look up your mod on Curse or wherever you got it, then see if there's any information on that there.
Q: So the Malygos fight is exactly like this? That sounds really easy.
A: Only the last phase of the fight. There are a total of three. The third phase is really easy if your raid has been practicing this daily quest, though. In the raid itself, you'll only have to worry about damage or healing if your group has been set up properly. Everyone will need to worry about the Flame Shield, though.
Note that the strategy here was written somewhat with that encounter in mind. Doing one role at a time, and learning each one. You can win by not putting up the DoT at all and just healing yourself and spamming Flame Spike, but it's probably not a good way to teach yourself to do it.
Q: Okay, that's cool. But what are the rewards?
A: At level 80, the Aces High! daily quest rewards you with 13 gold, 23 silver, and 250 Wyrmrest Accord reputation. That's 275 for us Humans. High five!
Arthas awaits and so do your questions. Find the answers you've been looking for that will help you with your journey into Northrend and to level 80 with Wrath 101.





Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ferarro Dec 17th 2008 7:26PM
Bizarre. I've been ignoring this quest for over a month and I decide to try it out on a whim. While I'm floating down from a failed attempt, I tab out to check WoWinsider and viola! Here's a guide!
Reddeth Dec 17th 2008 7:37PM
I've been doing this a little differently.
1. Build up a 5-stack of Revivify. Keep this up throughout the entire quest by periodically hitting Revify.
2. Fly out and pick a dance partner.
3. Open up with Flame Spike, and build to 5 combo points. While doing this, keep moving because the target will close to melee range and do additional damage. Once he starts casting, you can stop moving, and settle in for the spell-slinging.
3.1. Try to position yourself over a platform. If you lose you won't drop all the way to the bottom, which takes forever.
4. Hit Engulf
5. Hit Revivify to refresh your HoT.
5. Hit Flame Spike, Engulf, Revivify over and over until the other guy dies.
5.5. Watch your enemy cast bar for Arcane Surge (or Arcane SomethingorOther). When that's casting, save a combo point or two for your shield.
That's been working for me so far. Possibly not the most efficient method, but I'm a fool and it's foolproof. :)
Tess Dec 19th 2008 12:09AM
That's pretty much the same way I've been doing it, seems to work great for me. The important thing is to keep up a five stack of revivify.
Aerei Dec 17th 2008 9:03PM
This is pretty much what I do, except I start off hovering over one of the smaller platforms up the top and pull drakes to me one at a time as they fly into range. It's very, very rare that I'll get an add, and it's completely the safest, surest way to do this.
Syggy Dec 18th 2008 11:32AM
This is what I do, as well, except that I usually rotate as Flame for 3 combo, engulf, renew my hot, wash rinse, repeat. (Starting with a stack of 5 HoTs really helps.) If I fall below 50% or so, I use the heal boost, and if I see Arcane Surge I use the shield. The only time I have any trouble is if the shield is not available for a Surge..
Clifton Dec 17th 2008 7:44PM
Thank god been wondering how to do this thing? Pretty complicated for a daily.
Rhoan01 Dec 17th 2008 7:50PM
Hitting Revivify after applying the DOT is a very efficient way to keep yourself at max or close to max health.
The only way I even found this daily was I was flying around the Nexus waiting for a Heroic to form, and I saw the quest icon. Very handy, and if you dig it, you can hop on a drake and practice after the quest is done by talking to the giver again.
Joe Dec 17th 2008 7:53PM
Awesome another Wyrmrest Daily.
I'll get that red dragon in no time.
hold up Dec 17th 2008 7:57PM
I don't like to admit when I wipe on dailies, but this one was a little tough not knowing anything about the abilities.
Once I figured out that Revivify can stack and Fire Shield is used for the Barrage it was easy mode from there.
Very nice guide. I'm sure there are plenty of people that didnt even know there was a daily up there.
Onto Malygos!
(Too bad you need to have someone who is attuned to the Malygos fight in order to even zone in. Blizz, change this now. I don't want to be stuck in Naxx until I can win a roll.)
Vic Viper Dec 17th 2008 8:15PM
This rotation has been working almost flawlessly (Spelling?) to me:
Before engaging: Revivify x5
Pull an Bluey, hit Flame Spike x5, Flame Shield, Revivify x1 (to refresh the heal) and then repeat till he dies.
of course it isn't the fastest method, but by doing that arcane surge is unlikely to be a problem, and if things really hit the vent, use the big heal instead of the Flame Shield.
You can also throw an DoT here or there instead of the shield, but by doing that you might end up eating an Surge.
Andrew Welch Dec 17th 2008 8:23PM
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Insert Shield as needed.
The technique for this fight is based on the knowledge that the different length DOT's STACK!
Start with a 5CP dot, then a 4CP dot, then 3CP dot...
This way you will have a 3stack dot up and their health will drop like a Priest's in PVP
awall Dec 17th 2008 10:12PM
Actually, you don't need to use different amounts of combo points for the dot to stack. It will still stack even if you use 3 points each time. The duration of the dot is just determined by the number of points you have when you use the dot.
Vireo Dec 18th 2008 2:18AM
If you hover over a platform and die during this quest there is no way in wich you can get to your corpse. If your corpse is on a platform it's res sickness for a while. I even tickeded a GM coz I thought it was strange. "Working as intended with no associated bugs" was the standard answer I got.
jeri Dec 18th 2008 2:46AM
You only die after the dismount if you damage the blue after the dismount. The aggro resets when your drake dies.
Dawnrose Dec 18th 2008 3:57AM
That is not entirely accurate Jeri, if you are close enough to the dragon you were engaged with, he'll aggro you again and kill you.
Countermeasure: make sure you are actually flying over a platform when engaging the dragon and not sitting on a platform with your dragon. Cause then the dragon will be too close to you when you dismount and aggro you.
Shrike Dec 18th 2008 3:27AM
So far, if careful about stacks, I've never once needed Fire Shield. My sequence is:
1. Fly up to the top ring and land.
2. Target self, stack Revivify x5.
3. Target a blue. Revivify, and the moment my energy hits 100 again, Flame Spike.
4. Flame Spike x3 (total of four combo points), Engulf (1 stack), Revivify.
5. Repeat 4 four times.
6. By this time, the mob is dead, and my health is very low after an Arcane Barrage, but I'm not dead, because my 5-stack of Revivify never dropped off. I re-land, target self, 5xRevivify, Life Burst, wait for energy while renewing Revivify periodically.
7. Return to 3.
Pfooti Dec 18th 2008 6:55AM
Here's how I do it, although I owe my strategy to a wowhead comment. So thanks Phazz.
First, make a macro: /cast [target=wyrmrest skytalon] revivify
I was having problems where I'd have to change targets to revivify, and right-clicking was trying to target ME, not my dragon. This macro changed all that.
Next, build up a 5-stack of revivify. Find a dragon on the edge close to you and engage it with flame spike. I find that it's best to fight directly over an island if at all possible, because if you mess up your rotation, it's a long AFK before you hit the ground.
Once you're in the fight, go like this: Flame Spike x5, Fire Shield, Revivify, repeat. It's not super-fast (engulf and stuff makes life a little faster), but keeping a 5-cp fire shield and a 5-stack of revivify running means you won't die, period.
Finer points:
You can cast while moving, so flying in, engaging, and strafing to the side or creeping backwards is possible. You DON'T want to pull two.
You lose your CP when you cast revivify (since it affects a different target). So remember to hit flame shield BEFORE you revivify. If your flame shield only lasts a split second, you're doing it wrong.
You can survive letting flame shield and revivify drop if he doesn't arcane surge, but your number one priority if that happens is getting the 5-stack back up. If you're having trouble seeing the stack size (X-Perl for me doesn't respond very quickly to stack changes for some reason), you should be seeing it tick for 2500 HP. Less, and you need an extra cast of revivify before you get back into the Flame Spikes.
Flame Shield is off the GCD, so you can cast it immediately after your fifth flame spike.
The dragon's GCD is 1.0 sec (like a rogue or cat druid), so get used to pressing the buttons slightly faster.
It should take you about 80 seconds of that rotation to kill a dragon, but it is really a No-Brainer. Any other way requires a lot of delicate balancing of offense while waiting to refresh HoTs and stuff. It's easier just to keep the shields up and have an EZ-Mode kill.
Ervin Dec 18th 2008 9:18AM
I just do 111115 over and over again :P. Very simple and works every time. Dot stacking may be faster, but well... and healing back to full after the fight only takes a couple of seconds.
p3ngu11 Dec 18th 2008 10:13AM
*** You do not need to be on the quest to use a dragon. You can talk to the quest NPC and she will let you ride a drake regardless of you being on the quest or not. (for those thatwant extra practice) ***