Aura Watch

Months ago I posted about how to configure Grid to watch for the Kel’Thuzad’s Frost Blast attack. When I discovered that functionality, I felt like I had solved the riddle of the Sphinx. A flower of information had unfolded before me, and I had an urgent need to share it with everyone. I have since learned that many, better healers before me had long known how to configure their unit frames of choice to scan for specific debuffs.

My approach to new content has changed with capability. It is not enough to know what a boss can do to wreck our lives. I have to know exactly who in the raid he is doing it to. When a supercharged Steelbreaker applies Static Disruption to a raider, increasing lightning damage taken by 75%, that’s something I need to know. And when Ignis hugs your body in his marsupial’s pouch, you don’t need to tell me on Ventrillo. I know.

Over time my aura watch list has grown woolly. Some of these I’ve even forgotten where they came from. Mistess’ Kiss? Who’s been making out with my raiders, and why do I need to know? Here they are, in cheatsheet form.

Naxxramas auras:

• Frost Blast

Ulduar auras:

• Flash Freeze (Hodir)
• Freeze (Hodir)
• Napalm Shell (Mimiron)
• Slag Pot (Ignis)
• Static Disruption (Iron Council)
• Stone Grip (Kologarn)

Trials of the Crusader auras:

• Impale (Gormok)
• Snobolled!
• Burning Bile (Acid/Dreadmaw)
• Paralytic Toxin
• Mistress’ Kiss (Jaraxxus)
• Incinerate Flesh
• Penetrating Cold (Anub’arak)

Don't fear the Frost Blast

As a healer, one of the few fights I sweat over in Naxxramas is the last one, Kel’Thuzad. That trepidation is not due to the adds or the mind control, factors you might find in any boss fight. No, Kel’Thuzad’s threat is all down to a single ability: Frost Blast.

It doesn’t sound very threatening. But the danger belies its ordinary sounding name. Every 45 seconds, Kel’Thuzad focuses a raid member with a frost blast, which encases them in an icy tomb. It deals 104% of their maximum health in damage over a mere four seconds. Without a heal, the target will surely die.

Just about any heal will save the victim. The challenging part is landing the heal quickly enough. Four seconds makes for a very small margin of error. It requires your fastest spells. For me that’s Riptide (instant) and Lesser Healing Wave (1.1 second cast). Even though I was prepared and knew what to cast, I would still regularly lose people to the Frost Blast.

Where does the time go? It is lost simply finding the right person to heal.

Quick! Arulaeh needs a healDeadly Boss Mods chimes to alert me something requires attention. It tells me Sophra got hit with Frost Blast. The problem is mapping the that name to where she is in the unit frame. How long does that take? One second? Two? Suddenly that 1.1 second cast is pushing the margin of safety.

Usually I can save them, but not always. My job is keeping people alive. I need to be able to save them always.

What I realized last weekend was that I could configure Grid to watch specially for the Frost Blast debuff. And register that state in its highly noticeable center icon.

I tried this out in this week’s Naxx run, and it was brilliant. Suddenly who had been affected by Frost Blast was immediately apparent. I have never healed that damage with greater confidence. Even when one of the melee chained the effect on to the main tank, I could rescue them both with aplomb.

Incidentally, a melee chain Frost Blast is a great use for your Nature’s Swiftness/Chain Heal macro.

To set up Grid this way, open the Grid configuration:

1) Status | Auras | Add new Debuff…
2) Type Frost Blast and hit enter
3) Status | Auras | Debuff: Frost Blast | Enable – make sure this is checked.
4) Frame | Center Icon | Debuff: Frost Blast