SWTOR - PvE - Explosive Conflict - Warlord Kephess

Above video is from Hard Mode

Warlord Kephess is by far the most difficult boss (mechanics wise) in the Operation.  There are multiple phases to move through, each one with unique things to watch out for and ways to progress through them.  Overall there are 4 general phases, and the fight takes approximately 10 minutes, start to finish.

Group Composition:

• 2 Tanks
• 2 Healers
• 4 DPS

Two tanks are again necessary for this fight.  It might be possible for an OT DPS to kite Kephess during critical phases, but I wouldn't count on it.

General Information

Attacks (Walker):

• Purple Ground Targeted Laser Crap
• Lasers
• Ground Stomp

The walker is up during all phases, you have to constantly watch where he is placing his ground targeted lasers (head is swivelled in this direction and stops moving).  There is a set pattern for the placement, it moves back and forth in an arc across the field.  He will also target random players and fire high damaging single target lasers at them throughout the fight.  Healers need to be watching for this damage and top people off.

If you get beneath the walker he will also start stomping causing AOE damage to anyone beneath him.

Phases:

Each phase is completed by killing a bomber that spawns then burning down the Walker boss.  If you miss killing one of these bombers, you likely won't be able to complete the fight.

Phase 1:

Attacks (Droids):

• Ranged attack
• Calibrating Shot

Mechanics:

• Watch out for the walker AOE lasers

To begin the fight there are 3 droids spread in a semi-circle around the walker.  These need to be killed first.  Because of the pattern of the lasers I recommend killing the front one, then the one on the far side, then move back to the near one.

These droids will cast "Calibrating Shot" which stacks and increases their damage, accuracy and damage reduction by 12% per stack.  Interrupting as many of these as possible makes this phase go much faster.

Once all three droids are killed the first bomber will spawn triggering the first Burn Phase.

Burn Phase:

Attacks (Bomber):

• Ranged
• Rocket Launcher

Bombers always spawn in one of three places around the room.  By where you entered, to the right of the walker (by the large doorway) and in the far left corner of the area (from where you enter).  Everyone needs to attack the bomber ASAP and kill him before his timer runs out (10seconds).

The bomber will select a random target and hit them with a missile dealing damage roughly equal to 50-70% of the target's health.  Tanks should swap taunts on the bombers to keep them focused.  Rolling stuns on these guys really helps with the damage output.  

Tanking TIP: If possible, pulling the bomber closer to your DPS will help them attack it faster.  Also watch for the Walker's ground lasers and re-position (push/pull) the bomber if necessary.

I believe that the person who gets the killing shot on the bomber will be the one that picks up the bomb "Buff" but I can't confirm that for sure.  The person with the buff will get the exploding icon over their head (same icon that you see over the bomber when he appears).  That person needs to run directly beneath the Walker.

TIP: Targeting the walker will show a small red circle on the ground, stand directly in this circle to trigger the bomb drop.  Juggs/Guards can leap and will land in the perfect location.

Tanking TIP: As a Guardian, I Guardian Leap the person just as they run beneath Kephess to give them that damage reduction for a short time so they don't eat as much damage.

NOTE: The person beneath Kephess will be taking stomp damage, make sure your healers are keeping them topped off.

The person that runs beneath Kephess will shoot a grapple line up beneath the droid and ride it up to drop a bomb on it's underside.  The bomb will then explode and knock the droid down.  Once the bomb explodes the walker becomes vulnerable.  

Everyone needs to do as much damage as possible while the droid is vulnerable.  You only get 3 chances to burn the droid down - so 33% (of it's health) is a minimum to shoot for.  I would reccomend pushing for 40-50% during this first phase.

Tanking Tips: Put your sunder/armor reduction up as quickly as possible to help your team push out a bit more damage.

Phase 2:

Warstrider Battlewalker:

• Melee attack
• AOE Shield

Tandoshan Trenchcutter: 

• Melee attack

Adds will spawn some time during the burn phase.  The two tanks should leave the walker and pick up the adds while the DPS continue to focus on it.

The Warstrider has an AOE shield that looks similar to the Gunslinger shield surrounding him.  Anyone (except him) attacked inside that shield will reflect that damage back at the attacker.  Do NOT use any AOE (or you will die).  Single target burn down the Warstrider, then use AOE to clean up the Trenchcutters.

Tank Tips: There are three groups of adds.  We alternate responsibilities - one tank AOE taunts during the first set of adds, then the next tank, and hopefully by the third set the first tank will be ready to taunt once more.

NOTE: Stacking up to AOE the Trenchcutters will help by keeping them compacted and not running around individually to attack random DPS.

In all three groups will spawn, tanks need to be watching for the next group and run in to them to pick up the initial aggro as quickly as possible.  After the third group is wiped out a bomber will spawn and the second burn phase begins.

NOTE: It is possible to split the Warstrider from the Trenchcutters - we haven't found any time savings by doing this.  It is very possible to kill the Warstrider then AOE the Trenchcutters before the next group spawns.

Burn Phase #2

Same as before

Phase 3:

Pulsar Droid:

• Ranged
• Rail Shot
• Untauntable
• AOE damage circle

Two champion Pulse Droids spawn on either side of the room (one by the entrance, one on the far side).  Move to the one by the entrance first.  

Alternatively the droids will have a large purple circle beneath them, this will pulse with energy and do damage to anyone standing within it (so don't stand in it).

Anyone outside of 10-15m is in danger of being rail shot (can be a 1 hit kill to light armoured characters).  Everyone should stack close to the droid to avoid being shot at all.

The droid with the purple circle beneath him will have a channelling bar above him, someone should keep an eye on the bar and call out to be ready for the switch when it runs down.  There will be red text that splashes across the screen saying that the droids are "reversing polarity" but the vocal warning is very handy.

When the warning appears everyone needs to break off and run toward the droid on the other side of the room.  Try to keep everyone as a group, sprinting/jumping can cause rail shots from one droid or the other.

NOTE: The droids pick their targets at random so AOE heals work well if everyone can stack up for them.

During this phase the walker will still be firing his ground targeted lasers, but only to the extreme right and left sides of the room.  As long as you are standing close to the droid you won't be hit by it.

Once you kill one droid there won't be any more purple circles and you can safely burn down the second droid without worrying about moving.  After the second droid dies the third burn phase begins.

Burn Phase #3

At the start of this phase Kephess himself will jump down to attack the party.  One tank needs to pick him up ASAP and the healers will need to be focused on keeping him alive.  Kephess hits HARD, don't be afraid to use your defensive cooldowns.

The other tank will need to focus on the bomber and use stuns/taunts to make sure the bomber stays on him during the whole period.  DPS will need to blow their cooldowns and use their adrenals to make up some extra damage on this guy since one of the tanks will be focused on Kephess and the healers won't be able to help much on the DPS side of things.

The walker needs to die during this phase.  You'll probably be short 1 or 2 healers and a tank's DPS since Kephess will stay down and be beating on someone during this burn phase.

Phase 4:

Kephess:

• Melee (x2)
• Cleave
• Gift of the Masters
• Wounding DOT

Kephess hits like a semi-truck.  He swings with both swords and does 2.5-3k damage with each swing.  His attacks come quite rapidly and even well geared the tank's health will be spiking.  Both healers will likely have to focus on the tank to keep him alive.

Make sure to face Kephess away from the rest of the group to avoid his cleave hitting more people.  Any extra damage during this phase will over-stress your healers.

Kephess will leap into the air at regular intervals.  A few seconds afterward he will place a red circle on the ground.  Make sure everyone gets away from the circle - he will land in it causing a wide AOE damage (about 2x the circle radius).

At 59-60% Kephess will cast "Gift of the Masters" which pulls everyone in toward him and lays down a purple circle (similar to the Pulsar Droids).  Everyone needs to run out of this circle ASAP.

TIP: Group up close to Kephess prior to the phase change since you will have less distance to travel toward him, you then have more chance to start running before the circle appears and starts doing damage.

Theory: Tank swapping between the DOTs that get casted might help out the healers.  We haven't found that necessary yet, but might be required on Nightmare when it comes out.

Kephess Phase 2:

• Knockback
• Cleave
• Breath of the Masters
• Melee (x2)

Kephess transforms after casting the damage circle and looks much scarier (like he wasn't hard enough before!).  Now he has an added mechanic.  He will knock back his current target then cast "Breath of the Masters".  The second tank needs to taunt IMMEDIATELY DURING the cast.  If he finishes casting and is able to attack the same target he will 1 shot them.

The tank being targeted with the spell needs to run away from the group and prepare to "drop" purple circles  in an out of the way place.  Five circles will appear beneath the tank at regular intervals, when they appear the tank needs to run out of them ASAP and position for the next one.  5 circles will drop in total.

After the fifth circle the tank needs to get back in range quickly because Kephess will knock back and begin casting "Breath of the Masters" - tank swap again.

Now the first tank that taunted has to move away to drop the purple circles.

TIP: We pick a side of the room, one tank has the left and one tank has the right so we aren't trying to drop the circles all in the same place and we have a clear row down the middle to fight in.

TANK NOTE: Make sure you don't have your back to the purple circles because he can and will knock you back into them and kill you.

Repeat the tank swapping process as outlined above until he dies.  

When he dies the walker droid resurrects and you begin at the start again and have to start burn phases all over.

JUST KIDDING!  You're done.

Hard Mode Strategy:

Everything hits noticeably harder.  Healing through Gift of the Masters isn't possible, everyone needs to run out.  Use a cooldown if necessary.

Don't stand in the ground targeted purple lasers, this is always important but double so in Hard Mode.

( I didn't actually run this on Story Mode so I'm not completely sure what all the differences are, if I'm missing anything let me know.)

Nightmare Mode Strategy:

Coming Eventually

Tank Tips:

Interrupt the "calibrating shots" on the first droids as much as possible.

Re-position the bombers where you can, if the group is about to get shot with purple lasers, move him away.  Make sure you're watching the bomber's for taunts and stuns, don't let them attack your group members.

During the burn phases put your debuffs on the Walker as quickly as possible so the group can put out as much DPS as possible as quickly as possible.

Always be situationally aware, you have to know where to go and what to do when you get there.  Keep an eye on the field while you're fighting things.

Practice Practice Practice.

TL;DR Recap:

• Kill three champion droids, interrupt calibrating shots
• Kill bomber, person with bomb icon runs beneath walker to initiate burn phase
• Watch out for purple ground targeted lasers
• Don't stand in purple circles
• Don't stand in red circles
• Don't stand beneath the walker unless you have the bomb icon
• Kill the Warstrider to take down the reflective shield before AOEing the Trenchcutters
• Stack up on the Pulsar Droids to avoid Rail Shot
• Tank swap on Kephess during final phase when he is casting "Breath of the Masters"