Ramparts w/ 5x Shammies - Could use some tips

[Mendicant]

Today, after getting to 59 in Outlands and getting some nice gear upgrades, I attempted ramparts. The trash went fine, except for one wipe (pulled 2 groups by accident), however I could not beat the first boss. First I tried taking down the healers. I was able to down them both, but then I died with him at like 90%. After reviving, I tried to focus him first and got him to about 40% before I died.

I could use some tips here... is it even possible to do this at my level, or should I be waiting until I'm closer to his level, like 61-62? It seems I have the most trouble with melee. This is how it goes usually against the melee pulls:

4x healing stream, 1x mana stream, 5x grounding, 5x wrath, 1x stoneskin, 4x stoneclaw

Open with regular LB, then while it's traveling there either EM+CL or just CL. Both hit at about the same time. 1 more LB and a earthshock and the first one dies. If there are more melees I just power them down with LBs and ESs, and if there is only 2 melee, usually both are dead before I need to heal (healing streams help here a lot). If there are non-elite dogs, I'll drop fire nova totems after the 1st elite dies. The ranged die next, I keep refreshing grounding totems if there are casters, and then kill them last.

Anything I could improve on there?

The thing I feel least confident about is my healing. I sort of feel like I should have some healing macro set up for one of my chars, and sort of let them be the dedicated healing for bosses? Maybe have one spam lesser heal on the one taking damage?

Typically right now I just have a button for everyone to heal one character with LHW, but then my dps drops to 0% and I'll have to heal again since the boss is doing so much DPS.

[shaeman]

Do you really want to be whacking out chain lightnings?

You have stoneclaw totems down, but the problem is that stoneclaw only work if you haven't got too much aggro on a mob. So a chain lighting will hit 3 close together mobs resulting in 3 mobs beating on you instead of going for the stoneclaw. (Okay in reality it's probably 1 as you have burnt one down on the way).

It sounds like trash pulls aren't too much of a problem for you though (although there is a nasty mixed group at the top of the stairs after you've killed the first boss).

Sorry I can't help out more - don't have a team that high I'm afraid.

[bugilt]

The first boss time I beat this boss I just dpsed the boss first then switched to the healers. You might have to shock the healers if they are healing faster than your dps.

[Icetech]

stop using those chain lightnings and life will go easier.. i did the same thing and it was killin me.. literally The CL gives you so much agro that the stoneclaws don't do dick.. so now you are fighting 3 mobs instead of 2 stunned and 1 dying BTW.. might wanna skip the third boss til 64ish

[Mendicant]

Update!

lvl 60 - second try

Was about to do the first and second bosses (wow the second boss is SOOO easy).

The first boss was still really close-- I actually wiped after he died... the last healer finished off my 2 remaining characters-- but he still was down and that's all that counts ;D

Wiped 3x on trash, once from a bad double-pull, once from a runner pulling a 2nd group, and bad pull which I could only know was bad from experience

But the important thing is that I learned. Mainly to be careful. It's so easy to wipe without a dedicated healer or tank. I also use my one character and an earthbind to pull a group back so as to avoid pulling extras... will come in useful later.

[Ðeceased]

Practice practice practice At first I was having problems too even with a pally+4sham set-up. learning curve from pre-tbc to tbc was steeper then I thought :S right now I'm in Underbog and despite an initial wipe on the last boss (had no idea what the hell his attacks were :P ) you will learn very quickly

although having a pally as a tank is a lot easier (ie you can let him take some damage), with a 5 sham set-up you should try to learn an pre-empt incoming damage to make sure your heals land as shortly after the damage lands as possible. This will allow you to dps safely without having to worry about the next attack.
On a side note, u'll find it 100 times easier by the time you hit lvl 61-62, I didn't think it would seeing as I already had 12% crit/hit but it does make a surprising difference and then just wait till you get watershield muahahahaha

just in case you were thinking about the last boss I can only suggest a few things

first set ur team up at the top of the ramp.. right on top .. then pull the two mobs with your main and kill them where your group is.. then the boss will activate, but the guy wont come running at you (because you are so far away). then make sure all your grounding totems are up and keep that dragon as your target so you can see when he's going to be throwing fireballs at you, and time your grounding totems accordingly..
Don't try to leg it down the hill. Once you feel comfortable enough and have enough hp you could go for it, but for now move from grounding totem base to the next grounding totem base take your time

once you reach the bottom, be sure not to walk in too far or you will agro the melee boss. again set ur totems up (wrath etc) making sure that above all grounding totems are up at all times (also - don't simply put them down every time the CD is up - there are times when he casts a few more in succession and you have to be sure that you use every single one of the totems before you place the next batch down - maybe that only applies to 4shams)

he will fly back and forth out of range and sometimes in range.. don't move a muscle.. you don't have to. he will eventually move back in range and you can carry on dps. again making sure above all else to have groundings up at all times (i made that mistake at the start, i chased him around and only ended up agroing the other guy and wiping because of it - also trying to dps too hard got me killed as suddenly 2 fire bombs hit my shammy group and again I was a gonner)]
when you get him down to around 50% take a quick pause, place ur totems down again and begin separating your group ( line formation or whatever you are comfortable with - not too far apart for now)
now carry on dpsing. He will descend from the sky. pause behind the other boss (don't worry he wont agro) and run towards ur group (the guy with the main character). What you should have been doing at this point (ie when he's out of range) is separating ur team a little more. not insanely far, but just far enough so his big fire breath doesn't affect multiple toons at once.

I have still wiped at this point often enough (before lvl 62) because I made some silly mistakes. But the last thing to remember, if you got this far, is to go nuts at the point when he's running directly for you. Unload trincklets, EM CL, HP pots when needed, anything you can throw at him. if ur dps is high enough you should be able to take him down before he reaches you. if not, don't worry about wiping once in a while (or surviving with just a few), it's to be expected at this point.

Ð

[Mendicant]

Practice practice practice At first I was having problems too even with a pally+4sham set-up. learning curve from pre-tbc to tbc was steeper then I thought :S right now I'm in Underbog and despite an initial wipe on the last boss (had no idea what the hell his attacks were :P ) you will learn very quickly

although having a pally as a tank is a lot easier (ie you can let him take some damage), with a 5 sham set-up you should try to learn an pre-empt incoming damage to make sure your heals land as shortly after the damage lands as possible. This will allow you to dps safely without having to worry about the next attack.
On a side note, u'll find it 100 times easier by the time you hit lvl 61-62, I didn't think it would seeing as I already had 12% crit/hit but it does make a surprising difference and then just wait till you get watershield muahahahaha

just in case you were thinking about the last boss I can only suggest a few things

first set ur team up at the top of the ramp.. right on top .. then pull the two mobs with your main and kill them where your group is.. then the boss will activate, but the guy wont come running at you (because you are so far away). then make sure all your grounding totems are up and keep that dragon as your target so you can see when he's going to be throwing fireballs at you, and time your grounding totems accordingly..
Don't try to leg it down the hill. Once you feel comfortable enough and have enough hp you could go for it, but for now move from grounding totem base to the next grounding totem base take your time

once you reach the bottom, be sure not to walk in too far or you will agro the melee boss. again set ur totems up (wrath etc) making sure that above all grounding totems are up at all times (also - don't simply put them down every time the CD is up - there are times when he casts a few more in succession and you have to be sure that you use every single one of the totems before you place the next batch down - maybe that only applies to 4shams)

he will fly back and forth out of range and sometimes in range.. don't move a muscle.. you don't have to. he will eventually move back in range and you can carry on dps. again making sure above all else to have groundings up at all times (i made that mistake at the start, i chased him around and only ended up agroing the other guy and wiping because of it - also trying to dps too hard got me killed as suddenly 2 fire bombs hit my shammy group and again I was a gonner)]
when you get him down to around 50% take a quick pause, place ur totems down again and begin separating your group ( line formation or whatever you are comfortable with - not too far apart for now)
now carry on dpsing. He will descend from the sky. pause behind the other boss (don't worry he wont agro) and run towards ur group (the guy with the main character). What you should have been doing at this point (ie when he's out of range) is separating ur team a little more. not insanely far, but just far enough so his big fire breath doesn't affect multiple toons at once.

I have still wiped at this point often enough (before lvl 62) because I made some silly mistakes. But the last thing to remember, if you got this far, is to go nuts at the point when he's running directly for you. Unload trincklets, EM CL, HP pots when needed, anything you can throw at him. if ur dps is high enough you should be able to take him down before he reaches you. if not, don't worry about wiping once in a while (or surviving with just a few), it's to be expected at this point.

Ð

I was trying to kill those two guards at the bottom of the ramp by pulling them to the top, but one would keep respawning whenever I killed them. The melee boss would always aggro me soon as I killed both the guards (and they didn't reset).

I had to kill one several times... each time I would move further down the ramp. Finally he died and stayed dead, but then the boss aggro'd me right away

Is this a bug or is it normal?

I'm going to try Ramps and BF when I ding 62.

[Tasty]

Tip: Don't die

[Fuzzyboy]

Practice practice practice At first I was having problems too even with a pally+4sham set-up. learning curve from pre-tbc to tbc was steeper then I thought :S right now I'm in Underbog and despite an initial wipe on the last boss (had no idea what the hell his attacks were :P ) you will learn very quickly

although having a pally as a tank is a lot easier (ie you can let him take some damage), with a 5 sham set-up you should try to learn an pre-empt incoming damage to make sure your heals land as shortly after the damage lands as possible. This will allow you to dps safely without having to worry about the next attack.
On a side note, u'll find it 100 times easier by the time you hit lvl 61-62, I didn't think it would seeing as I already had 12% crit/hit but it does make a surprising difference and then just wait till you get watershield muahahahaha

just in case you were thinking about the last boss I can only suggest a few things

first set ur team up at the top of the ramp.. right on top .. then pull the two mobs with your main and kill them where your group is.. then the boss will activate, but the guy wont come running at you (because you are so far away). then make sure all your grounding totems are up and keep that dragon as your target so you can see when he's going to be throwing fireballs at you, and time your grounding totems accordingly..
Don't try to leg it down the hill. Once you feel comfortable enough and have enough hp you could go for it, but for now move from grounding totem base to the next grounding totem base take your time

once you reach the bottom, be sure not to walk in too far or you will agro the melee boss. again set ur totems up (wrath etc) making sure that above all grounding totems are up at all times (also - don't simply put them down every time the CD is up - there are times when he casts a few more in succession and you have to be sure that you use every single one of the totems before you place the next batch down - maybe that only applies to 4shams)

he will fly back and forth out of range and sometimes in range.. don't move a muscle.. you don't have to. he will eventually move back in range and you can carry on dps. again making sure above all else to have groundings up at all times (i made that mistake at the start, i chased him around and only ended up agroing the other guy and wiping because of it - also trying to dps too hard got me killed as suddenly 2 fire bombs hit my shammy group and again I was a gonner)]
when you get him down to around 50% take a quick pause, place ur totems down again and begin separating your group ( line formation or whatever you are comfortable with - not too far apart for now)
now carry on dpsing. He will descend from the sky. pause behind the other boss (don't worry he wont agro) and run towards ur group (the guy with the main character). What you should have been doing at this point (ie when he's out of range) is separating ur team a little more. not insanely far, but just far enough so his big fire breath doesn't affect multiple toons at once.

I have still wiped at this point often enough (before lvl 62) because I made some silly mistakes. But the last thing to remember, if you got this far, is to go nuts at the point when he's running directly for you. Unload trincklets, EM CL, HP pots when needed, anything you can throw at him. if ur dps is high enough you should be able to take him down before he reaches you. if not, don't worry about wiping once in a while (or surviving with just a few), it's to be expected at this point.

Ð

I was trying to kill those two guards at the bottom of the ramp by pulling them to the top, but one would keep respawning whenever I killed them. The melee boss would always aggro me soon as I killed both the guards (and they didn't reset).

I had to kill one several times... each time I would move further down the ramp. Finally he died and stayed dead, but then the boss aggro'd me right away

Is this a bug or is it normal?

I'm going to try Ramps and BF when I ding 62.

I had the same problem last night (with the mobs respawning) - just keep pulling and killing them, eventually the encounter will start, and make sure that when it does, you're at the "flat" area at the top so Vaz doesn't aggro you.

[Ðeceased]

hmm that is strange :S I've never had that happen to me :S sounds like a bug

EDITL: although where exactly are you standing?

on the flat bit where loads of mobs were? or on the flat bit where you walk up a little bit before it drops down the hill?