Icebrood Construct (Shiverpeaks Pass) Strike Mission Strategy Guide

This guide provides tips and strategies for the first strike mission and how to defeat the Legendary Icebrood Construct in Shiverpeaks Pass. This mission is simple enough to not require a specific group composition. However, if your group is struggling, the guidelines in the Introduction to Raiding will apply here as well. Check out the glossary page if you're not familiar with a term used in this guide and make sure to run an optimal build from our list of recommended builds for this encounter.

Introduction

Talking to the Blood Legion Captain will open up an ice tunnel nearby. As the group progresses up the tunnel, they will meet a series of giant snowballs coming in the opposite direction. Being hit by a snowball will likely chain-stun the player all the way back to the start of the tunnel, but there are multiple small indents at the edge of the tunnel that are safe from the snowballs’ passage. Alternatively, they may be evaded or ignored with Stability. As the snowballs hit multiple times it may be best to combine Stability with a dodge for safety.

Jumping puzzle

Past the ice tunnel is a jumping puzzle that contains a total of five Grothmar Valley Chests in semi-random locations, though large sections of the puzzle can be bypassed by gliding.

Example Jumping Puzzle

Players should be wary that some sections are slippery, and falling will likely require starting the puzzle again. Gliding too close to a slippery surface can cause a player to rapidly lose height. When the first player reaches the end of the jumping puzzle, it will light a teleport beacon that allows other players to teleport to the boss.

Strategy

Phase 1 (100%)

The encounter will start once the Icebrood Construct takes damage. Throughout the fight, players will receive a small amount of damage every three seconds from . The Icebrood Construct will use three times, rotating between each attack.

Ice Shock Wave

The Icebrood Construct slams its left arm down, creating an that deals a moderate amount of damage. The shock wave can be jumped, blocked or evaded. At the same time a cone of small AoEs will hit the opposite side of the Icebrood Construct.

The Icebrood Construct will turn between each , and the attack pattern is always the same:

(left) → rotate anti-clockwise → (front) → rotate anti-clockwise → (behind) → rotate clockwise (turns around then rotates anti-clockwise) → Spinning Ice → pause → repeat.

Spinning Ice

Every fourth attack, the Icebrood Construct will raise its left arm and slam it down, creating a shock wave that can be jumped, blocked or evaded. At the same time a flurry of Spinning Ice balls that deal a moderate amount of damage appear near the impact location, rotating around the boss. The area close to the Icebrood Construct is safe from the Spinning Ice.

One the Icebrood Construct falls below 85% health, it will add an additional attack after Spinning Ice called Ice Arm Swing.

Ice Arm Swing

The Icebrood Construct sweeps its right arm across half the arena, dealing heavy damage, knocking players back and spinning them anti-clockwise. The spin effect cannot be avoided, and while it isn’t dangerous in itself, it can move players into the path of other attacks.

At the start of the encounter, players may wish to stack on the right hand side of the Icebrood Construct. This will ensure that they are always a good distance from the shock waves without the need to re-position. When the Icebrood Construct pauses before repeating the loop, the squad can move themselves to what is then the right side of the boss. Below 85% health, the group will need to move to the side slightly, as Ice Arm Swing hits slightly over half of the arena.

Below 75% health, every five seconds a random player will be targeted by a medium-sized AoE that deals a small amount of damage and inflicts Chilled for three seconds. This is delayed by other attacks, so the timing will not be consistent. Otherwise the fight continues the same as before until 50% health.

Phase 2 (50%)

At 50% health, the Icebrood Construct’s left arm will shatter and the Icebrood Construct will collapse. After a moment it will spin around, dealing a small amount of damage and knocking players back. In phase 2, the Icebrood Construct follows a new attack pattern.

Ice Shatter

The Icebrood Construct digs into its wound, and throws out two blocks of ice that form platforms to the left and right of the boss. These platforms fire out multiple projectiles that deal moderate damage, and the platforms themselves tick a small amount of damage in the area.

Ice Flail

The Icebrood Construct sweeps its right arm across half the arena, dealing heavy damage and knocking players back. Note that the lingering ice effect does not do anything.

Deadly Ice Shock Wave

After using Ice Flail twice, the Icebrood Construct will prepare its most dangerous attack. It will turn to face the closest of the two platforms, and shortly after will slam its right arm into it, releasing a Deadly Ice Shock Wave that deals extreme damage and launches players. The attack cannot be blocked or evaded, and invulnerability will not work either. Stability will prevent the launch, but not the damage. The only way to avoid the shock wave is to jump over it, using the second platform to gain additional height.

As before, the pattern of attacks is reliable and is as follows:

→ rotate anti-clockwise → Ice Flail → rotate anti-clockwise → Ice Flail → Rotate anti-clockwise → Deadly Ice Shock Wave → repeat.

This pattern means that the Icebrood Construct will always target the platform that was on its right side when created. This platform can also be identified as it is slightly closer to the boss.

In Phase 2, it is the right side of the boss that is more dangerous, but due to the platforms it may be recommended to start each loop behind the boss. Players can move to the safe platform after the second Ice Flail to prepare for the Deadly Ice Shock Wave. After the attack, players can regroup behind the Icebrood Construct and repeat the loop.

While Deadly Ice Shock Wave deals a lot of damage, it will not down a character at full health. For this reason, if the group has a source of Stability it might be preferable to ignore the attack in order to gain more DPS (and a better chance at bonus chests). If attempting this, it is ideal to combine the Stability with damage reduction effects such as Protection, Frost Aura, Rite of the Great Dwarf, or Barrier.

Thanks to Apotheotic for providing the jumping puzzle example.