Hodir strategy for dummies guide (35.7K Hit Points on heroic).
The following Hodir strategy refers to the Ulduar raid instance (10 and 25 man raid).
For discussions on Hodir strategy visit the Raiding Forum.
Hodir strategy is complex. Key factors at Hodir strategy are your raiders ability to keep moving (because of Biting Aura, See below) and rescuing the 8 Adds (4 on normal) trapped in ice cubes around him (every ice cube with 40K health). Once freed the adds will help you defeat Hodir.
Below is a full 10 man Hodir raid encounter movie from PTR, stay tuned for the narrated Hodir Strategy movie.
Hodir's main abilities:
Hodir Keeps smashing the loot chests, so be haste and kill him fast for more loot.
Hodir's Melee Attacks:
Hodir will hit about 25K on plate.
Biting Cold Aura:
Hodir has an aura that works just like the Keristrasza one. Hodir's aura keeps putting debuff on raiders which causes heavy damage.when stacked (about 3K a tick). Moving will remove hodir's aura.
Freeze (AOE like Frost nova):
Hodir freezes up to 10 raiders around him immobilizing them. Dispellable.
Flash Freeze (9 seconds cast time, 30 - 40 seconds cool down ):
Hodir surrounds the entire raid by ice. Will kill frozen targets, as well as trap targets in ice cube with approx 40K health. Flash freeze can (and should) be avoided by your tank and as many raiders as possible. (read below).
Frozen Blows:
Hodir's melee damage reduced dramatically (-70%) but add 40K prost damage to each of Hodir's hit.
Icecles:
Hodir randomly spawnes Icecles that deal about 12K damage and knock back 20 yards. They leave snowdrifts on the ground. Raiders should stand on them to avoid being trapped by Hodir's Flash Freeze.
Toasty Fire:
Those are placed by the freed adds. They prevent the effect of Hodir's biting cold aura and hodir's Flash freeze on raiders next to them, but will also be consumed when Hodir's Flash freeze occurs.
Hodir adds abilities:
Hodir strategy should involve freeing the frozen adds, as they cast beneficial effects:
The druids cast Starlight, increasing haste for raiders in the light by 50%.
The shamans increase crit chance by 100% for 3 raiders (for 15 seconds). The priests help dispel the victims of Hodir freeze ability.
The mages case Toasty fire, protecting near by members from the aura and from freeze, as well as DPS themselves.
Do NOT free any of the adds before you engage Hodir.
Hodir strategy:
Hodir strategy step 1:
The tank pulls Hodir, be careful to not hit any of the frozen adds by mistake.
Hodir strategy step 2:
Start DPSing Hodir and Free the frozen adds.
Hodir strategy step 3:
When you see icicles start to form move away.
Hodir strategy step 4:
When Hodir casts freeze dispel the freeze ASAP.
Hodir strategy step 5:
When Hodir starts casting Flash Freeze move into a snow drift on the ground. Be
Hodir strategy step 6:
Be careful to not stand on icicles! Wait till they fall down.You have plenty of time so just don't panic.
After Flash Freeze is cast free the adds again if needed.
Get back to step 3 on Hodir strategy.
Additional Hodir strategy Notes:
Pets get frozen, recall them on flash freeze.
Hodir Difficulty attunement:
Hodir's fight can have 2 "hard modes", making Hodir strategy more complex, but also rewarding with much better loot.
In order to increase the difficulty of Hodirs fight your raid needs to kill Hodir in under 6 min (rewarding with rare chest loot) or under 3 Min.(rewarding with 2 rare chest loot).
