Overview
On pull, and after every intermission, wind motes light the tunnels around the Altar of Six Winds. That is the Howling Maelstrom sequence. Mark the opposite pads and drop Viscous Cysts there from Venomous Surge so the later knockbacks have something to hit. Howling Maelstrom is also the burn. Dig In makes him take 30% more damage for 25 seconds, about every two minutes.
Between storms you solve Apex Predator (a five-hit tank combo) and pair Raging Crosswinds. Venomous Surge explodes harder the closer the raid is, so drop it on the marked pads, never in melee. Hold him on the rim so Caustic Claws residue sits on the edge where the storm can push it off. Knockbacks are what kill people here.
Apex Predator
Apex Predator is five hits in a random order: two Ravage, two Mutilate, one Tempest. Tempest is never first or last, which is why you can swap after the first Ravage or Mutilate and still get a taunt-DR reset in the Tempest gap. Ravage is a tank-only frontal. Mutilate is a split soak that applies 500% damage taken. Assign two groups of at least five so the same group does not soak twice. Dodge the Tempest tornadoes.
Venomous Surge players drop cysts on the marked pads, one per pad. The explode hits harder the closer the raid is, so never let it pop in melee. Tanks keep him off those pads and hold him on the rim so Caustic Claws residue can be shoved off later. Raging Crosswinds assigns two push directions. Find the person with the opposite arrow and collide in mid-air so you bounce home. Corroding Venom swaps around six stacks, which lines up with the combo.
Howling Maelstrom
Stack middle before Howling Maelstrom. Tunnels fire in mote order and throw the raid into the cyst you placed opposite that tunnel. The cyst bounce should send you back in. Dump cooldowns into Dig In. Ground pools that get shoved off the edge are gone, so residue belongs on the rim going into the storm. You get four cysts and three winds, so one cyst is spare. After the last gust, pop that leftover cyst as a group, then get off it. The next Apex Predator starts immediately.
By role
Tanks
Hold him on the rim so Caustic Claws residue sits on the edge and Howling Maelstrom can shove it off. Swap after the first Ravage or Mutilate in Apex Predator, and around six Corroding Venom. Point Ravage out. Put Mutilate into the assigned soak group. Keep him off cyst pads.
Healers
Ula'tek's Presence is the baseline tick. The spike is Venomous Surge popping near the raid, then Crosswinds. Be ready for the Howling Maelstrom scramble. Mutilate soaks take 500% damage, so cover those groups.
DPS
Drop Viscous Cysts on the marked pads, not in melee. Pair opposite Crosswinds. Dodge Tempest. Soak Mutilate in your assigned group. Dump everything during Dig In in Howling Maelstrom.
Why pulls die
Deaths are knockbacks into cysts or off the platform during Howling Maelstrom, and Venomous Surge exploding in melee. Tank deaths are Corroding Venom without a swap, a Ravage that clipped the raid, or a Mutilate soak that stacked the 500% taken. Healers fall behind when Presence, Surge, and Crosswinds overlap with no cooldown.
Questions
When should you burst Sszorak?
During Howling Maelstrom he gains Dig In: immune to forced movement and 30% more damage for 25 seconds. That is the cooldown window, about every two minutes.
What is the biggest wipe?
Knockbacks. Raging Crosswinds and Howling Maelstrom throw people into cysts or off the altar if the opposite pad was empty or you faced the wrong way.
How does Apex Predator work?
Apex Predator is five hits: two Ravage, two Mutilate, one Tempest. Swap after the first Ravage or Mutilate. Tempest is never first or last, which creates the taunt reset. Mutilate applies 500% damage taken, so assign two groups of at least five. The same group cannot soak twice.