Oh boy lots to talk about from LOTRO! It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend making the transition into a new Kinship with my friends and meeting new players in Riders of the Apocalypse. Tonight was one RotA’s Helegrod nights (we raid Monday’s and Thursdays) and I had heard so much about the success this kinship has had in the past. I was completely blown away with the level of skill and solid gameplay these guys put forth in everything they do. Every fight was done with precise execution and it made for one really fun and easy evening of Helegrod.
Helegrod’s main boss, Thorog, had a huge update in Book 10. Going from what was once a decent challenge to what’s now a very difficult fight, players have renamed the dragon Thorog 2.0. I didn’t expect that we would win going in with only three tanks and so many burglars but it was shockingly tight. Thorog took about 25 minutes from start to finish which is actually the longest single fight I’ve done in a long time. My specific job on Thorog was to be one of two Minstrels on the top level healing the hunters and champions. The Hunters would DPS Thorog by shooting arrows down at him and the Champions would AOE DPS the adds that would rush us up top. Overall this fight was the most fun I’ve had in LOTRO yet. I’m looking forward to hopefully having lots of fun in RotA and completing new content as Turbine delivers it.
What’s a boss kill without some screenshots? The first is of Thorog’s death and the second is the little mini-event that occurs in Rivendell after the Mirdanant is turned to the elves. If you haven’t completed Helegrod you’re missing out!
  
Grats! I’ve been holding out to play LOTRO until they get more of the world developed- they still haven’t gotten east of the Misty Mountains, have they?
Nice pics Keen.
Is that the same Dragon that escapes in one of the prior chapter quests? Its looks just like him. You know, the one in Misty Mountains?
I could have sworn I saw him when we got into Helegrod on one of the walls just standing there looming over us.
@ Jadawin: East of the Misty Mountains is coming in October. The world begins to grow for the first time in Book 11. 🙂
@ Brackishwater: Yep that’s the same Thorog that is awakened/resurrected in Fire and Ice (Book 5 CH 8). In Helegrod he does loom over the entire zone on his perch until told to attack you by Drugoth. 🙂 It’s an amazing fight!
My kinship has been unable to defeat this beast. Four attempts, four wipes. We have completed all the other areas, multiple times but can not finish the dragon. You kinship did very well. Grats.
Hey Thomas, I’m thinking of posting the strategy that we use. Let me know if you’re interested. 🙂
I’d be glad to hear your strategy.
Preparations
Individual Setup
1. Under social options, click the box ‘Show Dispellable Debuffs Only’. This allows you to see the deadly eye debuff quickly for your group.
2. Quickslot fear removal potions (Flasks of Conhuith). Ensure you have 5 or more.
3. Setup hope token usage rotation in each group. Every member of the raid should have at least one +5 hope token (15 minutes is fine). Ensure every member knows their order of usage.
4. Prep yourself with power & morale potions and food (lembas). The fight is long and you need to do your best to minimize impact to LMs & minstrels. Use potions as soon as you’re down a bit, don’t wait until critical.
Group Layout
Tank group – main tank, captain (x2), lore-master, minstrels (x3), off tank (may be in other group)
Spider group – guardians, champions, minstrel (if avail) (this group may contain off-tank)
Hunter group – 4-6 hunters, 1 minstrel (if avail), 1 captain (if avail)
Interrupt group – all burglars, minstrel (if avail), LM (if avail), extra hunters/champions
Deal breakers: no tank, less than 2 burglars, less than 4 minstrels, less than 2 minstrels with Song of the Hopeful Heart.
Alternate: If significantly less hunters than champions, see alternate strategy ideas at end.
Dragon Abilities)
Eye Debuff
The eye debuff is a fear based attack that targets a single person every 1-2 minutes for the entire fight duration that Thorog is red (attackable). The eye has a few second expiration and then kills the character affected and anyone else around with bomb-like effect. During entire fight watch your party members’ debuffs. The deadly one looks like a white eye ball with a purple/red background.
1. Use Flask of Conhuith when you see this on yourself or hear your name called
2. Call it out on voice when you see it on another in your party (EYE ON
3. Captains watch for this and use group fear removal
4. If you are certain you cannot get it removed, run immediately away from other members to die
Hope Debuff
The hope debuff targets a single member of the raid with an AoE hope removal. This permanently removes the hope buff from tokens, hope buff from purchased destiny, and temporarily removes the effect of minstrels’ Song of the Hopeful Heart.
1. Each group should have a hope token usage rotation as previously mentioned.
2. Minstrels can cast Song of the Hopeful heart to give an AoE hope buff. If eaten, move out of the area of effect and then return to reacquire the hope buff.
Breath/Fire/Other God Awful Damage
The tank should take most of this. His tail will hit platform members for minimal damage that must be healed through. His shadow breath will strike to the sides of him, avoid area by tank group. Fire balls will be randomly fired at anyone. On disregards, hunters will likely be next in line and may be executed.
Fight Progression
Phase 0 (Drugoth)
Standard tank and kill. When health at 50,000 – goto phase 1.
Phase 1 (Move to Positions & finish Drugoth)
1. All groups except tank group move up stairs leading to drake area and up to top platform area.
2. Hunters acquire Drugoth target again and help finish him off.
3. When dragon appears, goto phase 2.
Phase 2 (Tank Dragon)
1. Tank acquires hate, tank group supports (within range of Song hope if necessary).
2. Hunters damage dragon directly at range.
3. Everyone is watching for eye debuff & rotating hope as necessary.
4. Drakeling adds are pulled up stairs by champion or assigned hunter to be dealt with by spider & interrupt group. Off-tank pulls lose adds towards hunters so they can be pulled up stairs.
5. When dragon goes green, goto phase 3
Phase 3 (Dragon Flying Up – Interrupt)
1. Interrupt group drops everything and moves to dragon landing position.
2. Assigned hunter AoE rains the spider adds to draw them up stairs.
3. Spider group attacks and gain aggro of spider adds, then destroys them.
4. Burglar opens conjunction on dragon as soon as it lands. Everyone selects yellow. This causes dragon to turn green and fly down. Goto phase 4.
Phase 4 (Dragon Flying Down)
1. Interrupt group & spider group back on adds.
2. Hunters switch target to Thorog and await landing.
3. Tank group positions for dragon landing.
4. When dragon lands, goto phase 2.
Repeat phases 2 to 4 until dragon is dead (or we are).
Ground Game
Tank Group Hope Dealings
1. Preferably 3 minstrels (minimum 2) have Song of the Hopeful Heart. They are set up in a rotation of cast. When one vanishes (or just before), recast the next. The center of effect should be the base of the tail of the dragon. Hold casting if dragon is flying or up healing.
2. Hope tokens are used in rotation when songs are down, a minstrel dies for any reason, or any other out of ordinary occurrence (adds, etc).
Tanking the Dragon
1. The dragon knocks back often. The tank will lose hope (i.e. 1500+ health!) when that occurs so will need immediate heals when back in range of hope. Main tank can use a healing potion as soon as back in area of Song. Captains can heal over time.
2. The dragon sometimes knocks back & disregards. This means aggro will shift off the main tank for 10 seconds. The off-tank issues challenge at that point and moves to tank position. Main tank can override challenge after disregard ends. Minstrels should shift healing to off-tank during this time.
3. Guardian’s pledge conditions: minstrel dies (less than 2 up), knockback without hope/potion, no hope up.
4. Combat resurrections are for minstrels & main tank only. Everyone else release & run back.
Sky Game
Interrupt Group
1. Burglars setup conjunction order. Pay close attention when initiated, it can be resisted!
2. Memorize landing spot. In phase 3, move to location, acquire Thorog target and initiate the moment he turns red.
3. Minimum healing is 20,000 (2 ticks)
4. If no burglars are alive, or able to initiate a conjunction, raid is a wipe and everyone runs out.
5. Combat resurrects are for minstrels & burglars only. Everyone else release & run back (damage from ground).
6. Lore-master(s) feed power to all minstrels & hunters in sky.
Hunter Group
1. Conserve power. Stock up on power potions and use liberally (as soon as power down). Endurance stance.
2. When turns green, assigned hunter(s) should AoE the spiders (targeting difficult with dread!). It’s your job to acquire hate on spiders to keep them off the platform group.
3. Assist off-tank to pull missed adds acquired by tank group. It is your job to acquire hate from the drakelings (line of sight pull them after acquiring hate) to keep them off the platform group.
4. Damage dragon every second possible. Do not use power on adds. After 1 healing cycle, open up on damage. Aggro is stable.
5. No combat resses are available, release & run back (damage from ground).
Spider Group
1. Acquire & kill drakelings, spiders.
2. Prevent spiders from attacking burglars, minstrels, hunters. AoE to gain aggro off of hunters after initial pull. Lore-master (if avail) can root as adds are incoming.
3. No combat resses are available, release & run back (damage from ground).
Alternative Thoughts
Champion heavy group. Hope debuffs can be timed about 40-50(?) seconds. Champions can stay spread out, away from tank group until debuff used, then run in and damage for 30 seconds before running out. Minstrels for champions can be in an assigned location for heal away from dragon. In this case, hunters must kill adds OR champions rally to spider spawn point to kill adds. The latter may work better since hunters could assist as well.
All that’s being added east of MM in book 11 is the High Pass.
It has a instanced dungeon in it, Goblin-town, the home of the same band of goblins that captured Thorin and Co.
Have to keep waiting for the Vales of Anduin and/or Mirkwood or anything further…
My IT guy at work put you on the can’t go there list. Oh well I’ve been to busy until today to even read you latest posts. Thanks for the Thorog information. I will pass it on to our leadership.
Yesterday my kinship leadership used some of your plan. They looked at it and thought some of what we already did was better or about the same. What they did use of course turned the tide in our favor. We finally beat Thorog for the first time. I appreciate you sharing your plan with me and the many more reading your blog. We are proudly displaying the title behind our name. Thanks very much for putting us over the top.
My pleasure Thomas. Congrats on the kill. 🙂