Lore

Nerub-ar Palace is the first raid within The War Within expansion. With eight bosses to beat, I hope you like spiders!

Queen Ansurek has tightened her grip on her Sureki followers but her paranoia grows of outsiders and anyone that may usurp her thrown, this means that we are likely to see a few members of the Severed Threads as they attempt to remove her from power.

As a child, the Queen witnessed her mother Neferess refuse to bow to the demands of the Black Empire – along with the denial of the Nerbians to serve the Old Gods. But many years later when Azj-Kahet faced destruction and starvation, Ansurek wondered if her mother had made the correct choice in the end. Teaming up Xal’atath, she offered the Nerubians a one-time offer to save their lands and make their people powerful again. This was through the use of the black blood of the now-deceased Old Gods. Can Old Gods die? This is a question for another day.

Xal’atath then disguised herself as Drenden and infiltrated the Council of Six, encouraging them to move Dalaran to Khaz Algar. With the city moved away from any defences, Queen Ansurek and her Nerubian army struck the city and captured many of their citizens.

Within the Nerub-ar Palace raid, you’ll see many different bosses and it is advised that you watch your back…

Bosses such as Ulgrax the Devourer is one of the many guardians of the throne of the Queen, but effectively – he looks like something that has grown out of a slime puddle. If you’ve played this game many years, you’ll understand that anything that looks like this boss is not to be trusted. He even has a damage dealing move called ‘Syrupy Drool’. Now, to me this sounds tasty but he will root you to the ground and that’s not good for anyone.

We’re also seeing the resurgence of the Old Gods after not seeing them for a hot minute and here in Nerub-ar, we encounter the black blood in foul pools, something that we have not seen in game since Battle for Azeroth. We were told to stay away then and it is probably best that we continue to heed this warning. One such boss is The Bloodbound Horror, which is classed as an ooze and lives in the Congealing Pool. Are you scared to go back in the pool and face this nightmare?

Captain of the Sureki, Sikran was born into a noble family. He is a vicious fighter who has dispatched many an enemy to procure the position he has at the top of the Sureki. Having such abilities as Rain of Arrows and Bladework means that this boss is capable of taking out those that challenge him in any way he feels fit.

Queen Ansurek became interested in experiments on those that she captured and killed and Rasha’nan is no exception to this rule. Transformed from a once-proud Nerubian into a monstrous, winged horror – Rasha’nan’s memories that are trapped within this unwanted form create a bubbling rage inside of her. Being part spider and part something else, this boss enjoys pelting with some kind of acid bombing – so watch out for that!

Broodtwister Ovi’nax is an aberration and twisted form of a nerubian, possibly another of the Queen’s experiments. Ovi’nax enjoys their own experiments but this time with the Black Blood of the Old Gods, which drips inky sludge onto hatchlings to see what it might do to them. We have seen this Black Blood have vile consequences in the past, who only knows what these experiments may lead to. Such moves as Black Blood Burst causes all nearby eggs to hatch – and we all know what hatched eggs lead to – some fierce dps!

Nexus-Princess Ky’veza is one of the only ethereal bosses within Nerub-ar, quickly gaining favour with Queen Ansurek but there are whisperings that this ethereal may not be everything that she seems. If this dark secret is revealed, the Nexus-Princess will show no signs of mercy and viciously kill any witness or those that know too much…

Scarab Lord Anub-arash and Skeinspinner Takazj are the members of the Silken Court – trusted advisors to Queen Ansurek. They show no courtesy to each other though and will happily take each other out should the moment arise. Their loyalty to the Queen does not overshadow their hatred towards each other as they attempt to try and kill the other.

Even after destroying all these bosses, you are not safe as Queen Ansurek has now decided that you are fodder and that she shall destroy you herself. Watch out for her dark powers as the sense of paranoia tries to overwhelm her and she may just use her followers to become her next meal… After all, at the end of the day – she is a Nerubian and the Queen could easily capture you in her web.

Guide by Zippy@Starship🌈

Lore credit: Talvi@Starship🌈

Art credit: Honestly@Starship🌈

Special thanks to Ulerith and Enua🌈

Last updated: 23/09/2024

Route Map

🏆 Heroic Changes

  • Everything just hits harder and Ulgrax has more HP.

Ulgrax the Devourer Simplified

  • Don’t stand on webs.

  • Hit webs with green circles.

  • Place the soak away from boss.

  • Resist pull-in.

  • Kill adds, pick up viscera, click extra action button at boss.

🏆 Heroic Changes

  • While one group is dealing with adds, the boss will shoot out a one-shotting void laser on each side that rotates counter-clockwise. It’s dependent on the way the boss is facing so tanks should ensure the boss’s sides are angled in a way where it won’t go through the adds-group.

  • The tank trick here is to ensure that the left side of the boss, from your perspective, is closer to you than the group dealing with adds.

  • If you are in the adds-group, try to remain close to your group as this will make the laser a lot easier to angle.

Bloodbound Horror Simplified

  • Note your group and follow your tank.

  • If you can see adds, kill them as priority.

  • If you get an arrow over your head then move slowly out of puddles.

  • Run away from boss when he does huge void AoE.

🏆 Heroic Changes

  • EVERY player hit by the charge now leaves a clone, making it vital to dodge the charge if you are not targeted.

  • Destroyed clones now leave a permanent puddle on the ground. We suggest deciding a rotation around the arena before the pull; This will make it easier to control the puddles and more predictable to dodge the charges.

Sikran Simplified

  • RED🔻arrows stand near each other away from the boss.

  • BLUE🔹arrows stand in line with clones.

  • Run away from boss when he starts glowing void-y.

🏆 Heroic Changes

  • Anyone hit by the grey web circles in Phase 1 will get tethered to the center of the circle. When you break your tether, it deals raidwide damage so more tethers is more unnecessary damage.

  • The yellow-y green arrows are now small circles that will damage anyone standing in them when they explode. Group up like on Normal but ensure you don't overlap with each other.

  • In the intermission, after the Acidic Eruption is interrupted, a big soak circle will appear in front of the boss. Stand in this, as it deals split damage and will pull players towards the edge of the arena, reduced by the number of players stood in the soak.

Rasha’nan Simplified

  • Stand near boss by default.

  • Run grey circles away. run yellow-green circles in to cleave spawned adds.

  • Run green lines away from raid in direction of the green fog.


🏆 Heroic Changes

  • If you get a big grey circle on you, try to stand away from the raid and get dispelled by your healer. It will deal damage and root anyone who is in the circle when dispelled.

Broodtwister Simplified

  • Purple circles stand next to eggs nearest the void goop.

  • Interrupt worms.

  • Ranged-dps small adds.

🏆 Heroic Changes

  • In the intermission, the boss starts cleaving a third of the arena - covering two sections of the arena’s hexagon at a time.

  • Because the arena’s shape informs you where these sections will be, and it seems to rotate predictably counter-clockwise, you can stand near the left edge of any given section and then just move slightly left whenever the boss targets your section. This will let you move very little in order to resolve the mechanic.

  • Any player hit by the clones' charge mechanic will shoot out orbs in three directions that deal significant damage. You can see their angle ahead of time in order to pre-position.

Ky’veza Simplified

  • Leave puddles on corners of the arena's hexagon.

  • Stay in the middle while they pull you.

  • Move close to your red beam if you have one, and point it out of the raid.

  • Dodge void things.

  • Magnets? How do they work?

🏆 Heroic Changes

  • You now need 2 tethers to stop the Melee Boss’s charge in Phase 1 and 3.

Silken Court Simplified

  • Primarily attack Melee Boss, as tanks will move it around where it needs to be.

  • Don’t stand on friends with green circles.

  • When pulled by Caster Boss, run out of her circle AoE and break your tether by running apart.

  • If you get a white bubble on you, stand near the caster boss to get dispelled. Your raid lead likely has specific plan for placement.

🏆 Heroic Changes

Phase 1:

  • There will now be two bombs in Phase 1. The whole raid will receive a DoT that is reduced by the number of players in each bomb. The raid should be split in half, in order to avoid wiping to these DoTs.

  • Players will be unable to detonate the bomb twice in one pull, so rotate players for this job.

  • When webs are destroyed, they leave web puddles on the ground that slow and deal significant damage per second. Move the boss out of them.

  • The tankbuster is now followed up with a raidwide hit and the swirlies she shoots out will leave acid on the ground as well.

Intermission:

  • Players will need to be somewhat spread out throughout the phase, due to a pulsing damage circle on each player.

Phase 2:

  • Like in the intermission, when the boss pulls players they will need to spread a bit to avoid damaging each other.

  • The voidspeakers will now also cause players to shoot out orbs that deal damage and knock back players who get hit.

  • The Worshippers’ dispellable debuffs now also deal raidwide damage when dispelled.

Phase 3:

  • Royal Condemnation - the webs which deal damage to the raid based on proximity - will now spawn two Shackles which will pull all players towards them until they are killed. As a result, you may need to take the big raidwide hit by placing them closer to the raid and each other

  • The portals circles deal damage before the duration runs out as well, so try to pre-spread a little. When the portals appear, they now also shoot out orbs in several directions.

  • Taking the portals now puts a small ring on your which deals damage after a few seconds, so spread out as soon as you’ve taken the portal.

  • The Acolyte adds now drop an Essence on death which will need to be picked up by a player and brought through the portals in order to avoid it being hit by the shrinking AoE. Bringing the Essence through the portals will cause the portals to start closing. It won’t happen immediately, but the players with Essences should ideally be one of the last to go through.

  • It also leaves a pretty heavy DoT on the player who picks it up, so keep an eye on them.

Queen Ansurek Simplified

Phase 1:

  • Drop the green circle near the boss, slightly away from it.

  • On the Venom Nova cast, run into the circle and get knocked up by one player going to the middle of it.

  • Do not go in the middle of it if you don’t know the timing.

Intermission:

  • Avoid being pulled into the boss by Wrest. It pulls you roughly half the platform.

Phase 2:

  • Kill adds while ascending platforms. Stand between the Voidspeaker and the next platform when the phase starts. Avoid being pulled off the platform by the boss.

  • Focus Expeller on first platform, Worshipper on second platform, Voidspeaker on third platform.

Phase 3:

  • Kill and CC small adds when they spawn.

  • Drop one void circle on the inside edge of the platform and one on the outside edge. This leaves two portals on the ground.

  • Take the portal to avoid shrinking Frothing Gluttony ring.

  • Place big Royal Condemnation webs away from the raid.