This document provides Freya Hard Mode strategies for Encore including: 1. Positioning raid groups around Freya's platform to split healing and avoid chain damage 2. Assigning tanks and positioning melee for each phase 3. Instructions for each phase including killing conservators, lashers, elementals, and Freya 4. Emphasis on quickly switching to roots and gifts, and having those with debuffs move away from the raid

1. Freya Hard Mode Encore’s Strategy

2. Room layout River Freya’s main platform Hills

3. Positioning Freya is tanked where she usually idles. Note that she isn’t in the center of the ranged groups as in Thorim, but closer to the upper two (those 2 groups need to be there to reach gifts in the water faster) Hills Freya River Ranged groups. As in Thorim, we want to split our healers evenly and assign 1-2 ranged to each group. You should see your group but no one else in range to avoid chain lightning (can’t afford them with the extra raid dmg of the hard mode) and minimize sunbeam and nature fury dmg. MT OT Melee group up as well to reduce dmg taken The dotted area represents the place where most of the fights should be carried out: lashers, elementals, conservators

4. Possible groups Blessing, Osamu Imbrium, Windkin, Zanixeros Tegra, Remen, Turkey Abaris, Valerieh, Occultation Davey, Elleria, App Randuur, Slyvert, Sigmanhoc 1 Freya River MT 6 2 OT 8 7 3 5 Melee & tanks: Not distributed on specific groups, but try to stay as spread out as possible OT- Rhiv, Nobu MT- Zenmus, 4 Distribution analysis: North: Sly, Sig, Osa, Wind, Zani South: Elle, App, Val, Occ, Remen, Turkey West: Sly, Sig, Elle, App East: Wind, Zani, Remen, Turkey

5. 1) Conservators Tank will pick up the conservator and tank him on the nearest mushroom Hills Freya River OT After this phase is over, groups MUST return to their original positions Groups adjust their position to the nearest mushroom, trying to stay together and organized

6. What to do about roots/gifts? ROOTS Everyone in range must switch immediately to roots. Due to group positioning, most of the ppl should be in range of the rest of the raid. Freya River OT GIFTS Groups on that side of the map will switch ASAP to gifts… some groups may need to move closer BUT ppl should not run all across the platform to get there to avoid sunbeam/nature’s fury dmg Eonar’s gift

7. What to do about Sunbeam / Nature’s Fury? Let’s say someone in this group got Sunbeam or Nature’s Fury…. That person needs to move away from the raid but stay in range of his/her healer… DO NOT run into another mushroom if it’s not safe, it’s better to be silenced. If you have an ability to drop the debuff (i.e. cloak, IB) you must use it. Freya River OT

8. 2) Lashers For lashers, groups get closer to the dotted area to aoe up to 30%. Frost nova and any other slowing abilities may be helpful. If Freya is Casting GROUND TREMOR, dps should stop completely until this is passed and healed to avoid exploding lashers when ppl is low on health. Hills When lashers are about 30% health, groups go back to their initial positioning and single target lasher’s till they are dead. Freya River MT OT The dotted area represents the place where most of the fights should be carried out: lashers, elementals, conservators

9. Lashers: roots and gifts How to know when it’s “your” tree? Imagine the map divided North/South and West/East. You should help down gifts on your side, both in the North/South AND the East/West dimension. For example, if you are in G3, you are BOTH in the Southern area and the Eastern area. So… you’d be covering 3 quarters of the map: SW, SE and NE. Note that 1) trees on the SE quarter are your main responsibility, 2) you should help with trees in NE & SW quarters and 3) you shouldn’t run all across the map to get trees in the NW quarter. As in any other phase, roots & gifts are the 1st priority. ROOTS: Everyone in range must switch to them. GIFTS: There should always be at least 1 group in closer range (directly responsible of getting the gifts); and at least 2 more groups further away able to help out (moving a little to get in range). NW NE Freya River 1 MT 2 6 OT 3 5 4 Eonar’s gift SW SE

10. Lashers: sunbeams and nature’s fury Hills As in any other phase, the person with a skull on his/her head must run away from the raid bit stay in range for heals. Note: If the tanks are the ones with the debuff, groups should move away keeping their distance until the debuff has dropped. Freya River MT OT

11. 3) Elementals Elementals will be picked up and tanked on the dotted area. Single target DPS should go to 1) water elemental (30%), 2) Storm lasher (30%), 3) Snaplasher (30%) and then aoe them all down. All DoTs should stop at 50% health. Melee should interrupt every Stormboltand Tidal Wave. Note: we can also divide dps and kite as suggested by Ensidia. Hills Roots & Gifts: As in any other phase, roots & gifts are the 1st priority. Again, everyone in range should switch to roots and closer groups should get Eonar’s gifts. Sunbeam & Nature’s Fury: As in any toher phase, the person with the skull should move away from the raid. 1 Freya River River MT 6 2 OT 3 5 4 The dotted area represents the place where most of the fights should be carried out: lashers, elementals, conservators

12. 4) Freya Hills Once all the add waves have passed, we group up as melee / ranged and kite her around avoiding bombs and killing gifts/roots asap. Every gift is your gift now. It’s a win! More info: http://www.ensidia.com/home/guides/freya/ Freya River River MT OT Hills Ranged

13. Things to keep in mind: Bring stam gear/flasks Stay with your group during all the add phases, especially when fighting the 3 elementals Keep it organized, this is a messy fight as it is ALWAYS switch to roots & gifts ASAP Don’t run all across the room to get a gift, but when a tree is on your side do a PERFECT job, don’t waste one second Run away if you have a debuff, IT’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY (unless is the tank, then everyone else moves) Keep Freya focused (or have BDM/BW) and be prepared to help healers keep you alive during ground tremor Interrupt elementals and OMG don’t kill them ahead of time Don’t kill lashers in your range or ANYONE’s else As always, stay away from bad stuff Win