This guide is intended to provide a comprehensive description of the encounter with Chimaeron in Blackwing Descent. It is mostly targeted to DPS who desire to have a short but detailed overview of what is expected of them during that fight.

This guide is updated for World of Warcraft 4.3.

Chimaeron is an extremely easy encounter for all DPS classes. All you need to do is attack the boss all the time. You also have to spread out for 60 to 90 seconds, then stack for 30 seconds, then go back to spreading, and so on.

1. Overview of the Fight↑top

The fight consists of two alternating phases (Spread Phase and Stack Phase) followed by a third phase (Nuke Phase).

For most of the encounter, you will be protected by Finkle's Mixture, an ability of the Bile-O-Tron 800, a friendly mechanical unit. This ability prevents anyone over 10,000 health form dying, reducing their health to 1 instead. This is the only mechanics of the fight that is relevant to DPS.

Chimaeron has 25,939,000 health in 10-man difficulty, and 90,620,000 health in 25-man difficulty.

2. Spread Phase↑top

2.1. Strategy

The fight starts with the Spread Phase. During this phase, raiders (including DPS) should maintain a 6 yard spacing between themselves to avoid AoE damage from the boss.

So, as a DPS player, there are only two things you are required to do during that phase:

• Attack the boss.
• Remain spread out 6 yards.

2.2. Tips and Tricks

DO NOT USE friendly fire abilities:

• Unholy Death Knights must not use Unholy Frenzy.
• Shadow Priests must not use Shadow Word: Death.
• Warlocks must not use Life Tap.

You can randomly get hit by 10-man (25-man in 25-man), an unavoidable ability of Chimaeron. When this happens, your chance to hit is reduced for 2 seconds. During that time, you should refrain yourself from casting important cooldown abilities.

Mages that have Glyph of Evocation can try to time their Evocation casts so that they heal themselves after taking damage.

Even if you remain properly spread out, you will still take unavoidable damage and your fate will mostly rest on the healers. You can help them by using health-regenerating abilities, if you notice that you're not being healed over 10,000.

3. Stack Phase↑top

3.1. Strategy

After 60 or 90 seconds, the Spread Phase will end and the Stack Phase will start. When this happens, you have about 15 seconds to reach a place designated by the raid leader and stack with everyone else before the raid starts taking heavy and unavoidable AoE damage. 15 seconds later, the Stack Phase stops (so it lasts about 30 seconds) and the Spread Phase resumes, giving you 15 seconds to reach a position where you are 6 yards away from everyone else.

3.2. Tips and Tricks

If you are a Hunter, you might want to consider using Aspect of the Wild. It provides some protection against the AoE Nature damage Chimaeron deals.

4. Nuke Phase↑top

4.1. Strategy

When Chimaeron's health reaches between 22% and 20%, he will enter a rage mode that prevents healing. It means that Chimaeron will kill raid members one by one in decreasing threat order.

That phase is obviously a DPS race and you should have all your cooldowns ready. You must remain spread out in order to gain precious seconds while the boss runs from one target to another.

4.2. Tips and Tricks

In order to increase your chance of survival, you can apply the following tricks (listed by decreasing priority order):

• If you are a Mage, then use Mirror Image when the boss targets you and the boss will waste 3 swings killing the images. This is best used right after the two tanks die, if you are next highest aggro target.
• Ensure that the healers die before you by transferring your threat (or part thereof) to them. If you are a Rogue, you can use Tricks of the Trade and if you are a Hunter, you can use Misdirection.
• If healers are still alive after that, use whatever abilities you have to permanently decrease your aggo in order to make sure that Chimaeron targets the healers. Mages can use Invisibility, Warlocks Soulshatter, Rogues Feint and Vanish, Priests Fade, Shamans Wind Shear, and Feral Druids Cower.
• If you are a Paladin, you can cast Hand of Salvation on DPS classes that cannot lower their threat, Warriors and Balance Druids for instance.
• If you are a Rogue and Chimaeron targets you, then use Evasion so that you might dodge a few of his attacks.
• If you are a Retribution Paladin, then use Divine Shield when you are targeted.
• Hunters can make their pets use Intervene to die in someone else's stead.
• If nothing else is available:
  • Mages can use Blink or Ice Block.
  • Hunters can use Deterrence, Disengage, and Feign Death.
  • Warlocks can use Demonic Circle: Teleport.
  • Shadow Priests can use Dispersion.

5. Heroic Mode↑top

For most DPS players, the only change will be that Chimaeron has more health, which makes beating the enrager timer harder.

Also it is crucial that DPS players stop attacking the boss at about 24%. Entering the Nuke Phase follows a precise timing in Heroic Mode and you need to resume your DPS as soon as the raid leaders ask you to. That moment will always be right after a Massacre, so that everyone is topped off before entering the Nuke Phase.

Some DPS might be asked to help with tanking the boss, in which case, they should check out our tank guide.