The Mage Tower is an event that becomes available during the Legion Time Walking week. It offers a variety of challenges for different specializations, including Guardian Druids. In this guide, we will look into the fight with Highlord Kruul, and we will try to give you as many tips and tricks for this encounter as possible. Ready? /pull 5
Guardian Druid Mage Tower General Information
Guardian druids will face Inquisitor Variss during the first phase of the battle and Highlord Kruul in the second phase. Fear not, as your fellow allies Prophet Velen and Kor’vas Bloodthorn will fight alongside you.
- Velen occasionally summons Holy Ward. Running into this orb will disorient all mobs around and heal you up to 100% HP;
- Kor’vas does nothing special but damage.
This Mage Tower challenge is believed to be one of the hardest in the game. You will often find yourself dead because of failing some mechanics or missing debuffs. Moreover, you should be focused on doing consistent damage to priority targets. But once you get used to it, things won’t cause much trouble for you.
Guardian Druid Mage Tower Gear
The Mage Tower is a timewalking event. Thus, it follows the timewalking rules. Your gear downgrades, and your character gets some restrictions:
- Players’ level get scaled down to Level 45;
- Gems, Enchants, and Potions get scaled to level 45;
- Gear gets scaled down to ilvl 50;
- Gear with an item level lower than 50 does not get scaled up;
- Players must be at least level 50 to attempt the Mage Tower Timewalking Challenge.
Overall, gear doesn’t actually make a big difference, as the challenge was created to test your skill, not the ability to gear up your character. Nevertheless, we can’t deny the fact that some particular items allow you to perform better. Once again, it is possible to complete the challenge without farming some special pieces of equipment, but here is the list of the BIS items for those who like min-maxing:
- Helm: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Dragonhide Helm + Relic of the Past V
- Neck: Prydaz, Xavaric’s Magnum Opus or Prizerock Neckband
- Shoulders: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Dragonhide Spaulders + Relic of the Past V
- Back: Legion Random Cloak with Socket Proc
- Chest: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Dragonhide Robes + Relic of the Past V
- Wrists: Legion Random Wrists with Socket Proc
- Hands: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Dragonhide Gloves + Relic of the Past V
- Waist: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Belt of Meditation + Relic of the Past V
- Legs: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Dragonhide Legguards + Relic of the Past V
- Boots: Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Leather Footguards of Alacrity + Relic of the Past V
- Rings: Crafted Rings or any rings with Guaranteed Sockets
- Trinkets: Unstable Arcanocrystal (can proc a socket), Chipped Soul Prism (can proc a socket), Dragonspine Trophy, Ravaged Seed Pod (can proc a socket), Pocket-Sized Computation Device + Cyclotronic Blast, Bloodthirsty Instinct, or Ghost Iron Dragonling
- Weapon: get any from Chromie Time Walking that contains extra sockets, or look for The Jackhammer on AH.
Guardian Druid Mage Tower Tactic
Phase 1
Inquisitor Variss:
- Aura of Decay – The inquisitor is always surrounded by a Necrotic Aura, which stacks a debuff that reduces your max health;
- Mind Rend – An interruptible cast that deals low damage to the player;
- Drain Life – An interruptible cast that drains health from its target.
Tormenting Eye:
- Inquisitive Stare – If you are not looking at the eye when the channel finishes, you will be knocked back;
- Tormenting Eyes can only be affected by magical types of abilities (e.g., Moonfire/Sunfire).
Smoldering Infernal:
- The Smoldering Infernal revives after some time after his death;
- Fel Resonation – loses 10% health and deals damage to enemies around. Once the Smoldering Infernal health drops down to 20%, it will take bonus physical damage;
- Smash – smashes a frontal line, knocking all enemies back, this knocks them off the platform.
Nether Horror:
- Nether Horrors spawn every ~40 seconds;
- Psytalons – melee attacks apply the debuff, which increases arcane damage taken;
- Nether Storm – channeling spell that deals huge damage to anything nearby, including friendly NPCs.
Phase 2
Periodically throughout the phase, purple beams will cross the platform, which attempts to push the player off the platform.
- Annihilate – increases all damage taken. This effect can be stacked;
- Netherstomp – Kruul leaves a fire zone that deals damage to anyone in it;
- Twisted Reflection – Melee attacks against debuffed player heal Kruul for 5% of his health.
Nether Horror:
4 Nether Horror adds will spawn from portals around the arena approximately every 40 seconds.
- Nether Horrors spawn every ~40 seconds;
- Psytalons – melee attacks apply the debuff, which increases arcane damage taken;
- Nether Storm – channeling spell that deals huge damage to anything nearby, including friendly NPCs.
Smoldering Infernal:
- The Smoldering Infernal revives after some time after his death;
- Fel Resonation – loses 10% health and deals damage to enemies around. Once the Smoldering Infernal health drops down to 20%, it will take bonus physical damage;
- Smash – smashes a frontal line, knocking all enemies back, this knocks them off the platform.
Velen
Velen summons Holy Ward orb on the ground every half a minute.
- Running into this orb will disorient all mobs around and heal you up to 100% HP;
- Orbs last for 180 seconds before they despawn.
Tips and Tricks
- This fight is all about maximizing your damage output while surviving the mechanics;
- Figure out how many stacks you can take in Phase 1, and be careful not to refresh your stacks too early;
- Make sure Nether Horror packs die asap and keep them away from Velen;
- Use Velen’s orbs to interrupt any abilities if your crowd control spells are on CD, for example, it can be Drain Life or Annihilate;
- Don’t panic, and don’t start facerolling your keyboard, any mistake will instantly kill you.
Guardian Druid Mage Tower Rewards
All the Mage Tower rewards do not directly affect your character’s power. Those rewards will just show your skill and will prove your class knowledge:
- You will get A Towering Success achievement and recolored Druid T20 set for completing at least one challenge;
- Werebear appearance for Bear Form.
Thank you for reading our guide to Guardian Druid Mage Tower. We hope it was helpful and that you found something for yourself here. Our team appreciates your feedback, don’t forget to rate this guide, please! And don’t forget to check our full Mage Tower guide.
