Strategy - Bonethrasher

[JanuZ]

Was going to write something myself but have been busy and this might be needed for tonight. Just a note that we will not be killing the adds at all during the fight like it says here, we will just CC them. Original source at the bottom if you prefer that format.

Trash:

Not much to speak of. Groups of 4 â€" 5 Champion Guards which can be grouped and AOE down or crowd controlled and single targeted. There are 3 pulls of trash before the door to Karagga’s Palace, upon clicking will enter a cut scene, the end result is you inside the rancor pit. Before the boss arrives there is one trash pull consisting of 4 cat/dogs, easily grouped and AOE down.


Boss: Bonethrasher

Raid Setup:

1 Tank
2 Melee DPS
3 Ranged DPS
2 Healers
So Bonethrasher has around 1.6mil hitpoints, and a 5 minute enrage timer. He has no agro table to speak of, and will target what seems to be random players. Once a player is targeted he will perform one of the following abilities:
Smash:
Bonethrasher will smash both of his fists into the ground knocking everyone on the platform into the air and dealing 3-4k damage.
Swipe:
Bonethrasher will do a swipe with his right hand/claw and deal damage to anyone in a 120 degree arc.
(currently there is a visual bug with this ability. Bonethrasher will sometimes switch targets directly before doing a swipe. The swipe animation will be in the direction of the new target, but the damage will be done to the old target and anyone that was standing within the 120 degree arc at the time)
Neutralize:
Bonethrasher will repeatedly pummel a player into the ground dealing 7-10k damage and leaving a debuff on them for 12 seconds, making the player take increased damage from any of the bosses attacks and slowed movement speed. The player afflicted with this debuff will need to quickly move away from all other players, and subsequently away from bonethrasher and avoid contact with him until the debuff has dropped.
Sweep:
Bonethrasher will backhand a player dealing 4-5k damage and knocking them backwards approx 15 meters.
Phase 1: (100% to 50%)

This phase takes place until the boss is at 50% health. During this phase Bonethrasher will target players and perform one of the 4 abilities (above) on a player before moving to his next target. For some information on his random (or not so random) targeting â€" see the end of this post. At 80% health and 60% health Karagga (the Hutt) will throw down a Gamorrean Guard for Bonethrasher to eat. The guard has very little health and is easy to kill. If you don’t manage to kill the guard before Bonethrasher eats him, then Bonethrasher will gain a damage increase of 20% for 20 seconds. It isn’t severe enough to cause a wipe, but it should be avoided if possible.
Phase 2: (50% to 0%)

When the boss reaches 50%, Karraga will call for 2 champion cat/dogs to enter the arena. One will enter from the North and one from the South. They will leap onto the platform once their cage doors have opened. We positioned 2 sorcerers at the North and South and crowd controlled the cat/dogs as soon as they landed on the platform. The tank would then call out which add he was going for, and the DPS would burn it down, and then switch to the other one. It is important that the target(s) of Bonethrasher do not stand near the adds while they are being killed, as a swipe from the boss will hit everyone infront of him. Face him away from the group at all times. Once the 2 adds are dead the phase will continue exactly like Phase 1. Gamorrean Guards will be thrown into the pit at 40% and 20% and need to be killed.
Positioning

The way we killed this boss was different to our kills on normal. Each Ranged DPS would take a position of North, South, East or West (Bonethrasher starts the encounter in the west position). These players  would remain there for the entire fight. The Melee DPS would be behind the boss and simply follow it around to its targets, always staying behind. Our strat is to have the target of Bonethrasher simply stand and take the damage. Everyone was spread out sufficiently to know who was being targeted, and would call out over vent. Sorcerer shields were used on light armoured (squishy) players, and personal defensive cooldowns were used.
This enables 2 things to happen.
1. The healers aren’t wildly healing 3-4 people from 1/2 health or below after each ability.
2. The DPS are not moving anywhere near as much, and can put out a lot more damage.
One very important point to note, is that players do not stand close to the edge of the platform. There is a metal ring which goes around the outside of the platform and it is vital that no one is standing on it. Instead stand on the dirt, and when the boss targets you, simply rotate yourself 90 degrees to the left or right so that your back is not to the edge of the platform.
Incorrect Positioning


Correct Positioning


Enrage: (Stay on target)

If you are hitting the enrage timer, all is not lost. Have the group stack in the middle, and the target of Bonethrasher run around the outside of the platform. The boss can be quite easily kited like this for up to a minute extra. Remember to use your trinkets, and personal cooldowns. Try and time them so you get the most use out of them. If you’re a melee DPS, use them as soon as the boss gets to a player (that isn’t going to move), so that you can stay in position behind him, and don’t have to chase the boss around. Ranged DPS, make sure you’re going to be in range of the boss the duration of your cooldowns. You don’t want to have the boss outrange you mid cast, have to move, and then recast your ability. Precious time is wasted. You can also try and crowd control 1 or both of the adds that come out at 50%, and keep them controlled until the boss is dead. Just keep reapplying your crowd control as it wears off and make sure to not use AOE when the boss is near the adds (chain lightning for example).
Loot: (He keeps it in his pockets)

2x     Rakata unassembled head pieces
2x      Exotech gloves (136 Rating)
Random Targeting or Bonethrasher is getting ****ed Off?

I will do some more testing on the next lockout, but from my experience so far, Bonethrasher will target the player that has done the most damage to him in the duration of attacking his current target OR if the healing done to the player out threats the damage done (if its not damage then it is threat generated â€" i.e highest frequency of attacks / healing). For example:
Bonethrasher is targeting Player A.
Player B does 15k damage to Bonethrasher (or 15.0 threat)
Player C does 19k damage to Bonethrasher (or 19.0 threat)
Player D does 12k healing to Player A (or 12.0 threat)
Bonethrasher’s next target will be player C.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t know if it is based on damage done, or equivalent threat generated from attacks. I am making these assumptions based on the fact that over 3 separate kills on Hardmode, Bonethrasher was swapping between our 2 Sorcerers. The tank would leap to the target and take the first swipe, the next target would be Sorc #1 who would take the next ability. He would then go to Sorc #2, do an ability, then back to Sorc #1. It would continue like this until the adds came out at 50%. I can only assume from this, that there is a damage or threat mechanic involved that dictates his next target and it is not at all random.

Source: http://starwarswarrior.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/karragas-palace-guide-bonethrasher-8man-hardmode/

[Twyst]

I think that's fairly accurate as I did seem to be targeted quite frequently. I also use a fairly similar position on the boss, stand + take it and ensure my back has plenty of room for knockback and have yet been knocked off, unlike some others

[Sindri]

Can't we just kill him in a good old witch burning style like back in the good old days?

In all seriousness i can respec DPS jug for this fight tonight (if u so wish) then change back to tank.

Up to you guys, my respec costs nothing as i have never changed from tanking on Imho.

[Twyst]

What won the fight for us I believe was people calling out if they were targetted so that the healers can ensure they're topped off AND have a big heal lined up to land just after a swipe.
That and not getting knocked off into the lava