Necrophobia

The encounter centers around reading elemental head patterns and debuff colors: position opposite the Intercardinal Ice head during Death Shroud, stack near C to bait Dark Current Exa-lines, and continuously step into opposite-color half-cleaves during Fertile Ground to alternate debuffs and prevent Ruin stacks.

You can find a simulator for the core mechanics here.

The boss spawns six heads around himself (two Ice, two Lightning, and two Fire) that travel to fixed spots across the arena in order: Ice heads first, Lightning heads second, and Fire heads last. The boss then cycles through all three elements, triggering matching heads to unleash AoEs simultaneously with the boss.

• Shapes:
  • Ice: Plus-shaped AoE extending along cardinal directions from the head.
  • Lightning: Intercardinal cone AoE.
  • Fire: Large circle AoE.
• Resolution:
  • Locate the Intercardinal Ice head (there will also always be an Ice head directly North or South). Move directly opposite it; this location is your home base for the mechanic.
  • Identify whether the head arriving at your home base is Fire or Lightning.
  • Ice Phase: Stand on the head at your home base or tightly against its sides (avoid standing directly in front or behind).
  • Fire Phase: Move behind the head immediately to your left or right (if your home head is Fire, step further out).
  • Lightning Phase: If your home head is Lightning, move to the nearest cardinal with a head and stand directly in front of it. If your home head is Fire, move to the nearest cardinal without a head.

The boss combines traveling Exa-line AoEs with a frontal cleave and center line head attacks across the arena.

• Execution:
  • Dark Current: Spawns initial line AoEs that continuously step forward in sequence. Dodge the initial line telegraph, then step into the space left behind as the wave moves outward. Stack near C waymark prior to Dark Current to keep initial baits concentrated.
  • Center Line Heads: A row of heads spawns across the middle of the arena executing line AoEs directly in front. Position yourself directly behind a head to remain safe while dodging Dark Current waves.
  • Vacuum Wave: Directly following Dark Current, the boss unleashes a large frontal cleave AoE. Step behind the boss to dodge it.

The boss spawns six heads around himself (two Ice, two Lightning, and two Fire) that travel to fixed spots across the arena. This phase combines sequential elemental AoE resolutions with Dark Current Exa-lines and a final Vacuum Wave cleave.

• Positions:
  • Home Base: Identify where the two Ice heads align (one cardinal, one intercardinal). Your home base is at the Letter waymark (B or D) on the side without an intercardinal Ice head (e.g. if Ice heads are North and South-East, D is your home base).
  • Safe Spots: Identifying your home base establishes all required safe spots. Throughout the mechanic, you will only need to move once or twice between waymarks depending on which head is closest to your home base (e.g. moving two markers over if Fire is at home).
• Execution:
  • Dig Three Graves: The boss casts Dig Three Graves, telegraphing the exact order in which Fire, Ice, and Lightning will detonate.
  • Dark Current: Exa-line AoEs continuously step across the arena during the elemental waves. Move between your designated safe spots to resolve each element while stepping into the safe gaps left behind by Dark Current.
• Vacuum Wave:
  • Immediately following the final elemental explosion and Dark Current wave, the boss casts Vacuum Wave, cleaving the front half of the arena. Step behind the boss to remain safe.

The boss deals a heavy raidwide and inflicts each player with one of two debuffs that must be continuously swapped across eight sequential head cleaves:

• Initial Debuffs:
  • Growing Dread: Blue triangle debuff.
  • Growing Panic: Pink hexagon debuff.
• Head Spawn & Resolution Order:
  • Eight heads travel one by one to the outer perimeter, defining their exact explosion order:
    • Heads 1 to 4: The 1st head goes to a cardinal or intercardinal position. Heads 2 through 4 follow sequentially clockwise or counter-clockwise.
    • Heads 5 to 8: The 5th head goes to the opposite position type (intercardinal if 1st was cardinal, or vice versa). Heads 6 through 8 follow clockwise or counter-clockwise.
• Debuff Swapping Rule:
  • Each head cleaves its respective half of the room with a Blue and a Pink element.
  • Stand on the side displaying the opposite color of your current debuff (e.g. if holding Blue, get hit by Pink).
  • Getting hit by the opposite color successfully swaps your debuff to the other color. Repeat this process for all eight heads. Getting hit by matching colors inflicts Ruin stacks.
• Simultaneous Elemental Attacks:
  • On the 3rd, 5th, and 7th head explosions, the boss simultaneously casts Ancient Fire, Blizzard, or Thunder III AoEs.
  • Adjust your position to dodge these elemental spells while maintaining correct debuff color positioning.

Below is the waymark setup used for this encounter.