May 3, 2014

Today’s Team: Clean It Up
P/P Droplet Of Y’Shaarj (Corrosion, Acid Rain, Dreadful Breath)
H/H Scourged Whelpling (Tail Sweep, Call Darkness, Dreadful Breath)
P/P Imperial Eagle Chick (Thrash, Adrenaline Rush, Lift-Off)

Rationale:
Dreadful Breath is an AoE that receives a buff when the weather is cleansing rain. The Dreadful Breath strategy is always easy to explain. You start with the Droplet Of Y’Shaarj to cast Acid Rain then Dreadful Breath. If things go well you will be able to cast Acid Rain a second time. Then the beefy Scourged Whelpling comes in and casts Dreadful Breath at least twice. Darkness or Tail Sweep can be used if the back line pets are already dead. The Imperial Eagle Chick will come in to clean up whatever health is left.

Concerns:
Dreadful Breath is incredibly weak without the buff so if the weather gets changed the plan is seriously compromised. The Droplet Of Y’Shaarj needs to start the battle to get the weather going, so any pets with aquatic attacks on the opposing team will start in order to take it down.

The Opposing Team:
B/B Death Adder Hatchling
P/S Living Fluid
P/S Chi-Chi

The Battle:
I started with my Droplet Of Y’Shaarj as planned. The Death Adder Hatchling was the first enemy pet out. My elemental took the blind and cast Acid Rain. I decided to swap to the Scourged Whelpling and see how long it could last against the snake. This is where the lack of a plan B really hurts a team like this, I would have loved to bring in the Imperial Eagle Chick to eat up the snake but the last thing I want is to be left with the AoE specialist (but single target flunky) Droplet Of Y’Shaarj as my final pet. The Scourged Whelpling was able to get off seven rounds of Dreadful Breath before it was done. The Death Adder Hatchling was still alive but the back line pets had really taken a beating. My elemental came back in to add some more AoE damage but the fight was really going to depend on how well the Imperial Eagle Chick could sweep. The eagle could have taken out the snake if it hit all three Thrashes but it only hit two then got blinded. The bird cast Lift-Off but it missed the next round, allowing the snake to do some damage. An Adrenaline Rush killed the snake. Chi-Chi came in and could have been taken out in two rounds if a third Thrash hit, but it didn’t happen. Chi-Chi also went down to an Adrenaline Rush, but not before applying Wild Magic and doing some more damage. Could the Imperial Eagle Chick take out the magic pet with Wild Magic up? Yes. The second Thrash crit for the win in this very close battle.