World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Classic · Tier 6

Black Temple raid notes

25-player raid checklist for Illidan's temple: boss priorities, special jobs, resistance checks and calls that prevent wipes.

English25-player raidSpecial jobsTier 6

How to use this during raid

Start with the boss TL;DR, then check the priorities. Black Temple punishes forgotten special jobs: Naj'entus spines, Teron ghosts, Mother Shahraz shadow resistance and Illidan tank assignments.

Adapt the notes to your raid's gear. Mother Shahraz and Illidan change a lot depending on how ready your resistance sets and tank setups are.

Raid rhythm

Black Temple starts with healing and stamina checks, moves into movement and add control, and becomes more assignment-heavy near the end. The first two bosses test basic discipline, the middle of the raid checks individual execution, and the final three bosses need clear tank, interrupt and resistance plans.

For raid lead: Before the raid, check shadow resistance, Teron ghost practice, Mother Fatal Attraction movement, Council interrupts and Illidan fire resistance / warlock tank jobs.

Quick links

Naj'entus
Supremus
Shade of Akama
Teron
Gurtogg
Reliquary
Mother
Council
Illidan

Pre/Post-nerf in brief

Black Temple does not have the same clean pre/post-nerf line as many T4/T5 encounters. The raid launched in Patch 2.1.0, and the broad legacy reductions arrived only in the Wrath pre-patch. Do not build the Anniversary/TBC plan around the later farm version.

PointInterpretationRaid impact
Patch 2.1.0Black Temple launched as a full raid.Most encounters are treated through the original TBC Tier 6 model.
ResistancesMother Shahraz and Illidan tank roles are the biggest gearing questions.Progress is often blocked by preparation and practiced assignments, not just boss HP.
Patch 3.0.2The Wrath pre-patch broadly reduced old raids in HP and damage.Do not base Anniversary/TBC tactics on Wrath pre-patch reductions.

Black Temple at a glance

High Warlord Naj'entus

High Warlord Naj'entus

Spines, Tidal Shield and raid-wide burst.
Supremus

Supremus

Tank phase, chase phase and blue fire.
Shade of Akama

Shade of Akama

Channelers, adds and a fast burn.
Teron Gorefiend

Teron Gorefiend

Shadow of Death and the ghost player's job.
Gurtogg Bloodboil

Gurtogg Bloodboil

Bloodboil groups, Fel Rage and tank swaps.
Reliquary of Souls

Reliquary of Souls

Three essences, three different rule sets.
Mother Shahraz

Mother Shahraz

Shadow resistance and Fatal Attraction.
Illidari Council

Illidari Council

Shared HP, interrupts and four tanked problems.
Illidan Stormrage

Illidan Stormrage

Shear, Flames of Azzinoth, demon phase and Maiev.
High Warlord Naj'entus

Encounter 1 / 9 · Black Temple

High Warlord Naj'entus

Spine timing decides whether the raid survives Tidal Burst

Impaling SpineTidal ShieldRaid burst

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: The raid spreads, Impaling Spine targets are freed immediately and a spine is saved for Tidal Shield. Break the shield only after the raid is topped and the call is clear.

Raid priorities

  • Everyone knows how to remove and use a spine.
  • Do not break the shield before the healer call.
  • Low-HP players prepare with stamina pieces, potions or personal defensives.
Before the pull
  • Assign one person to call spine targets and shield breaks.
  • Spread the raid so Needle Spine does not hit unnecessary extra players.
  • Make sure everyone understands that Impaling Spine is removed by another player and saved for the shield.
Mechanics reference
Impaling Spine
Stuns a player and deals heavy damage until another player removes the spine.
Tidal Shield
Naj'entus becomes immune and starts healing. Throw a Naj'entus Spine at the boss on call.
Tidal Burst
Breaking the shield causes a large raid-wide hit. The raid must be ready before the throw.
Phase plan and tactic
Normal rhythm
Keep the boss centered and the raid spread. Free Impaling Spine targets immediately.
Shield
Healers top the raid, the spine carrier gets ready and the shield is broken on one clear call.
Recovery
After Tidal Burst, bring the raid back up quickly before the next Needle Spine wave.
Role notes

Tank

  • Keep the boss stable and the front away from the raid.
  • Be ready for damage during the shield as well.

DPS

  • Free nearby spine targets.
  • Do not break the shield on your own.

Healers

  • Topping before Tidal Burst is the priority.
  • Assign group coverage before the pull.

Raid lead

  • Call spine target, shield break and defensives.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Naj'entus is effectively a Patch 2.1.0 encounter. The TBC-era core tactic stays the same: control spines and bring the raid to full HP before the burst.
Patch 2.1.0Stamina checkNo core tactic nerf
Supremus

Encounter 2 / 9 · Black Temple

Supremus

Two phases: tank in place, run when the gaze lands

Tank phaseChase phaseMolten Flame

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: Tank phase is a calm tank-and-spank. When the phase changes, threat drops, so DPS waits. In chase phase the target runs away from the boss while the raid dodges Molten Flame and volcanoes.

Raid priorities

  • Do not steal threat during phase changes.
  • The chase target moves away from the raid and does not kite the boss through everyone.
  • Move out of blue fire and volcanoes immediately.
Before the pull
  • Set tank positions and a threat stop for transitions.
  • Remind ranged to keep space for chase phase.
  • Explain that the chase target is responsible for movement, not the tank.
Mechanics reference
Hateful Strike
Hits the highest-current-HP melee target. Tanks stand correctly and stay topped.
Gaze / Chase
Supremus chooses a target and follows. The target runs away, everyone else dodges.
Molten Flame
Moving blue fire. Do not cut it through the raid.
Phase plan and tactic
Tank phase
Tanks hold the boss steady and the raid deals controlled damage.
Transition
Stop damage briefly because the phase change resets threat.
Chase phase
The Gaze target moves away from the boss. The rest of the raid uses space and dodges fire.
Role notes

Tanks

  • Control tank phase and be ready when threat matters again.

DPS

  • Wait during transition.
  • If you get Gaze, run instead of finishing a cast.

Healers

  • Tank damage is highest in tank phase.
  • Recover chase mistakes quickly.

Raid lead

  • Call phase change and threat stop.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Supremus does not rely on a complicated nerf history. The fight is still about threat discipline and moving out of fire.
Patch 2.1.0Threat resetMovement check
Shade of Akama

Encounter 3 / 9 · Black Temple

Shade of Akama

Kill channelers, control adds and release the shade

ChannelersAdd controlBurn

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: Kill channelers and sorcerers quickly, control incoming adds and burn the Shade once Akama starts moving. The fight usually fails because adds spread, not because of the boss mechanic.

Raid priorities

  • Channelers are the first priority.
  • Adds are gathered and slowed before they reach healers.
  • When the Shade is released, burn it instead of chasing extra cleave.
Before the pull
  • Assign DPS and tank jobs for both sides.
  • Agree on add CC, slows and pickup.
  • Make sure everyone swaps to the Shade as soon as it activates.
Mechanics reference
Channelers
They hold the Shade in place. Killing them starts the actual burn phase.
Adds
Defenders, rogue-style adds and casters disrupt the raid if they are not collected.
Akama
Akama helps near the end, but the raid still needs to finish the job quickly.
Phase plan and tactic
Start
Groups split to the channelers and kill them quickly.
Add flow
Tanks pick up incoming adds, DPS clears casters and control stays close to the raid.
Burn
When the Shade moves, everyone swaps and ends the fight before add pressure grows.
Role notes

Tanks

  • Pick up adds early and keep them off healers.

DPS

  • Channelers first, boss burn after release.

Healers

  • Watch for add aggro and scattered damage.

CC

  • Slows, stuns and interrupts make the add stream much easier.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Shade of Akama is more of an add-control check than a numbers wall. Later documented changes do not alter the raid's basic logic.
Patch 2.1.0Add controlBurn window
Teron Gorefiend

Encounter 4 / 9 · Black Temple

Teron Gorefiend

If one player fails the ghost job, the whole raid notices

Shadow of DeathConstructsDPS race

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: The boss is otherwise a direct DPS check, but the Shadow of Death target moves back, dies when the debuff ends and continues as a ghost. The ghost player kills Shadowy Constructs before they reach the raid.

Raid priorities

  • Everyone practices ghost buttons before raid night.
  • The Shadow of Death target moves back early.
  • Incinerate is dispelled quickly.
  • Constructs must not touch the raid.
Before the pull
  • Agree on the ghost route and back position.
  • Assign Incinerate dispels.
  • Remind the raid that Shadow of Death can target anyone.
Mechanics reference
Shadow of Death
The debuff kills the target after a delay and turns them into a ghost. The ghost phase decides whether constructs reach the raid.
Shadowy Construct
Slowed and killed with ghost abilities. If constructs reach the raid, a wipe is close.
Incinerate
Fire DoT on a random player. Dispel quickly.
Phase plan and tactic
Pull
The tank holds Teron still. The raid stands in the assigned position and deals damage quickly.
Shadow of Death
The target moves to the back position early. As a ghost, use freeze, slow and damage abilities on constructs.
Continue
The next debuff target gets ready. The rest of the raid does not panic-turn unless a construct gets through.
Role notes

Tank

  • Keep the boss stable and avoid unnecessary turning.

DPS

  • Push damage, but the ghost job takes priority over everything.

Healers

  • Raid damage is steady; Incinerate targets are priority.

Ghost player

  • Use the order: gather constructs, slow, AoE and finish.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Teron's practical difficulty is individual ghost execution. Gear does not remove that as cleanly as a normal DPS check.
Patch 2.1.0Shadow of DeathPlayer execution
Gurtogg Bloodboil

Encounter 5 / 9 · Black Temple

Gurtogg Bloodboil

A healing check paced by ranged groups and Fel Rage

BloodboilFel RageTank swap

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: Tanks swap because of Acidic Wound stacks. Bloodboil hits the farthest players, so ranged/healer groups take turns standing farthest out. The Fel Rage target stays in healer range and gets full attention.

Raid priorities

  • Bloodboil groups and positions are assigned before the pull.
  • Fel Rage target is not abandoned; healing reacts as one.
  • Tanks swap before Acidic Wound becomes unmanageable.
Before the pull
  • Split ranged and healers into Bloodboil groups that rotate into the farthest positions.
  • Agree on tank swap calls and healer assignments.
  • Remind the Fel Rage target not to run out of healer range.
Mechanics reference
Bloodboil
Hits the farthest players. The rotation decides who takes stacks.
Fel Rage
Gurtogg fixates a random player and deals heavy damage. The target gains survivability but still needs healing.
Acidic Wound
Stacking tank debuff. Requires tank rotation.
Phase plan and tactic
Normal phase
Tanks rotate and assigned groups take turns standing farthest out for Bloodboil stacks.
Fel Rage
All healers react to the target. DPS continues safely and does not break positioning.
Return
After Fel Rage, tanks take the boss back and ranged groups return to the rotation.
Role notes

Tanks

  • Swap by stacks and keep the boss away from the raid.

Ranged

  • Move into the far group only on your assigned rotation.

Healers

  • Fel Rage target becomes the fight for its duration.

Melee

  • Do not drift into Bloodboil positions.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Gurtogg remains a healer and coordination check. In progression, the major improvement usually comes when the raid learns the Bloodboil rhythm.
Patch 2.1.0Fel RageHealing check
Reliquary of Souls

Encounter 6 / 9 · Black Temple

Reliquary of Souls

Suffering, Desire and Anger change the rules completely

No healingInterruptsThreat

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: Phase 1: healing does not work, nearest soakers rotate. Phase 2: Spirit Shock is interrupted and Deaden is handled by plan. Phase 3: give the tank a threat lead because aura pressure and aggro mistakes kill the raid quickly.

Raid priorities

  • Phase 1: do not expect healers to fix it; rotate the tanking player in time.
  • Phase 2: interrupt Spirit Shock; reflect Deaden to the boss or account for it in the burn window.
  • Phase 3: the threat cap is real, do not pass the tank.
Before the pull
  • Assign Phase 1 tank/soak turns.
  • Assign Spirit Shock interrupts for Phase 2.
  • Remind DPS about Phase 3 threat and aura pressure.
Mechanics reference
Essence of Suffering
Healing is effectively removed. Players manage damage and turns.
Essence of Desire
Damage reflect, Spirit Shock interrupts and Deaden punish greedy casting.
Essence of Anger
Aura and threat pressure ramp quickly. The tank must stay ahead.
Phase plan and tactic
Suffering
Keep the essence still and swap the tanking player before death. Healing does not fix mistakes.
Desire
Spirit Shock must not go through. Deaden is reflected to the boss or used during the planned burn window; DPS watches reflect damage.
Anger
The tank builds threat, DPS waits and the raid burns under control before the aura overwhelms everyone.
Role notes

Tanks

  • Phase 1 and Phase 3 are completely different. Plan both.

DPS

  • Mind threat and reflect. This is not just a meter fight.

Healers

  • Phase 1: expect normal healing not to solve the problem.
  • During intermissions, bring the raid back up quickly.

Interrupts

  • Spirit Shock interrupts cannot be random.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Reliquary is a mechanics boss: every phase changes the raid's rules. The checklist therefore focuses on phase-specific restrictions instead of long rotations.
Patch 2.1.0Three essencesExecution check
Mother Shahraz

Encounter 7 / 9 · Black Temple

Mother Shahraz

Shadow resistance, Saberlash and Fatal Attraction

Shadow resistanceFatal AttractionSaberlash

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: The raid needs a shadow resistance plan, tanks split Saberlash and Fatal Attraction targets run away from each other immediately. If linked players stay stacked, they die quickly.

Raid priorities

  • Shadow resistance is checked before the raid, not in front of the boss.
  • Fatal Attraction targets move in different directions immediately.
  • Tanks stand correctly to split Saberlash.
Before the pull
  • Check shadow resistance gear, buffs and aura.
  • Keep Fatal Attraction movement directions simple.
  • Assign three tanks to split Saberlash.
Mechanics reference
Fatal Attraction
A teleported group is linked together and takes damage from proximity. Spread immediately.
Saberlash
Heavy cleave split between multiple tanks.
Shadow damage
Shadow resistance significantly reduces healer load from Fatal Attraction and other shadow pressure.
Phase plan and tactic
Positioning
Tanks keep the boss steady and the raid spreads with room for Fatal Attraction.
Fatal Attraction
Targets run away from each other immediately. The rest of the raid does not panic-run on top of them.
Burn
The rest of the fight is direct. Keep tanks alive and avoid unnecessary deaths from links.
Role notes

Tanks

  • Split Saberlash and do not turn the boss onto the raid.

DPS

  • Fatal Attraction interrupts everything else.

Healers

  • Keep tanks up and prepare for link target spikes.

Raid lead

  • Do not pull before the resistance check.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Mother is often decided before the pull. Shadow resistance and clear Fatal Attraction movement turn the fight from panic running into a manageable healing check.
Patch 2.1.0Shadow resistanceFatal Attraction
The Illidari Council

Encounter 8 / 9 · Black Temple

The Illidari Council

Four targets, shared health and many small mistake deaths

Shared HPInterruptsMultiple tanks

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: Council shares one health pool, so target choice is more about safety than total DPS. Tank Gathios separately, keep Zerevor away from melee, interrupt Malande's heal and react to Veras poisons.

Raid priorities

  • Interrupt Lady Malande's Circle of Healing.
  • Zerevor's Arcane Explosion must not hit melee.
  • Keep Gathios' aura and Consecration away from others.
  • Move out of Flamestrike and Blizzard immediately.
Before the pull
  • Assign Gathios, Malande and Veras pickup jobs. Zerevor needs a ranged/mage-tank answer because melee range is dangerous.
  • Assign Malande interrupt rotation.
  • Mark safe areas and remind the raid that shared HP does not mean free cleave.
Mechanics reference
Gathios
Paladin-style target whose auras and Consecration require a separate position.
Zerevor
Mage who punishes melee range with Arcane Explosion and creates ground areas.
Lady Malande
Healer/priest. Circle of Healing must be interrupted.
Veras
Rogue-style target who vanishes, returns to be tanked and applies poisons.
Phase plan and tactic
Pull
Tanks move targets to their positions. DPS waits until everything is controlled.
Normal rhythm
Interrupts rotate, ground effects are dodged and the raid deals damage to the safe target.
Finish
Because the health pool is shared, do not panic-swap. Keep the same control to the end.
Role notes

Tanks

  • Keep Gathios/Malande controlled and pick Veras back up after Vanish.

DPS

  • Do not enter Zerevor's melee range.
  • Move from ground effects before finishing a cast.

Healers

  • Damage comes from many directions; poison targets need reactions.

Interrupts

  • Malande's heal is priority one.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Council is a Patch 2.1.0 encounter whose difficulty comes from parallel assignments. Later legacy changes do not alter the TBC progression checklist.
Patch 2.1.0Shared healthInterrupt check
Illidan Stormrage

Encounter 9 / 9 · Black Temple

Illidan Stormrage

A long final boss where each phase transition resets the plan

ShearFlamesDemon phase

Contents

1. Before pull 2. Tactic 3. Roles 4. Mechanics 5. Nerfs Back to boss list
TL;DR: P1/P3/P5: the tank must not eat Shear unmitigated. P2: two fire resistance tanks keep Flames of Azzinoth near their own glaives and separated. In demon phase, a warlock/ranged tank takes shadow damage at max range. Maiev's traps help near the end.

Raid priorities

  • Main tank tracks Shear and keeps active mitigation ready.
  • Phase 2 needs two fire resistance tanks; Flames stay near their own glaives.
  • Demon phase needs a shadow resistance ranged tank, usually a warlock.
  • Shadow Demons are killed immediately because they kill their targets if they connect.
  • Every phase transition is a threat risk. DPS waits.
Before the pull
  • Confirm the main tank's Shear answer.
  • Check Flame of Azzinoth tanks' fire resistance and positions.
  • Check demon phase warlock shadow resistance, range and healer assignments.
  • Assign Parasitic Shadowfiend position, Shadow Demon priority and Maiev trap call for the end.
Mechanics reference
Shear
If Shear lands without block, parry or dodge, the tank's max HP drops hard and the next auto can kill.
Flames of Azzinoth
Two adds in Phase 2. Tank separately, in fire resistance gear and near their own glaives.
Demon phase
Illidan deals heavy shadow damage to a ranged tank. Shadow Blast punishes anyone standing near that tank.
Maiev / Trap
Maiev helps in the final phase. Traps create windows to control Illidan's enrage pressure.
Phase plan and tactic
Phase 1
The main tank holds Illidan steady and handles Shear correctly. DPS waits for threat.
Phase 2
Illidan flies up, glaives stay on the ground and Flames of Azzinoth are tanked separately. The raid stays assigned and dodges Eye Blasts and fire.
Phase 3/4
Return to normal phase and demon phase alternation. The warlock tank takes demon form, the raid holds positions and kills Shadow Demons immediately.
Phase 5
Maiev joins. Use traps and cooldowns deliberately; do not turn the end into panic burn.
Role notes

Main tank

  • Shear is the core of the fight. Have an answer ready for every cast.

FR tanks

  • Keep Flames in place, near glaives and away from each other.

Warlock tank

  • Max range, shadow resistance and a dedicated healer team. Do not stand in the raid because Shadow Blast splashes.

DPS/Healers

  • Wait during transitions and keep phase positions. A long fight does not tolerate unnecessary deaths.

Nerfs: what changed

  • Illidan launched with Black Temple in Patch 2.1.0. Patch 3.0.2 belongs to the Wrath pre-patch, where old raids were broadly reduced in HP and damage.
  • For a TBC checklist, the important points remain Shear, Phase 2 tanks, demon phase ranged tank and transition threat.
Patch 2.1.0Patch 3.0.2 legacy nerfShearWarlock tank

Sources and limits

This Black Temple summary is built from public tactic, overview and patch sources. It is meant to be a raid-time checklist, not a copy of long guide articles.

  1. Warcraft Wiki - Black Temple
    https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Black_Temple
  2. Warcraft Wiki - High Warlord Naj'entus
    https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/High_Warlord_Naj%27entus
  3. Warcraft Wiki - Teron Gorefiend tactics
    https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Teron_Gorefiend_(tactics)
  4. Warcraft Wiki - Illidan Stormrage tactics
    https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Illidan_Stormrage_(tactics)
  5. Icy Veins - Black Temple Raid Guides
    https://www.icy-veins.com/tbc-classic/black-temple-raid-guides
  6. Icy Veins - Reliquary of Souls Guide
    https://www.icy-veins.com/tbc-classic/reliquary-of-souls-reliquary-of-the-lost-guide-strategy-abilities-loot
  7. Icy Veins - Illidan Stormrage Guide
    https://www.icy-veins.com/tbc-classic/illidan-stormrage-guide-strategy-abilities-loot
  8. Wowhead - High Warlord Naj'entus strategy
    https://www.wowhead.com/tbc/guide/high-warlord-najentus-black-temple-bt-strategy-burning-crusade-classic
  9. Warcraft Wiki - Patch 2.1.0
    https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_2.1.0

Open limit: if Blizzard publishes a separate Anniversary tuning list for Black Temple, the nerf and tag sections should be checked against it.