WOTLK Classic is about to reach its peak with the release of the much-anticipated final major content patch for WOTLK Classic on October 10th. The highlight of the release, however, is undoubtedly this Icecrown Citadel raid, which launches on October 12th, offering tough challenges and legendary encounters.

In this guide, we hope to provide you with insights into raid difficulty, mechanics, and tips for success. Designed to help you prepare like a pro for the challenges within Icecrown Citadel. Here is my five-step guide for starting an Icecrown Citadel raid as a pro player.

Stack Up

First, the first step to starting a raid like a pro is to stock up. One underrated thing that all pro players do is get gear on the first raid night.

You should already have all the relevant Enchanting Vellum and Epic Gems set up in your inventory. This way you can make new upgrades as soon as you get enough gear. But when you receive them on Rotface Heroic Mode, your key healer may replace the 258 ToC weapon with a 277 item level Trauma.

DPS checks in this raid are very strict. We’re in battles like Blood-Queen Lana’thel, where using sappers and bombs on CD can be the difference between success and failure. You can also use Scourgebane Infusion and Draught to make hit damage checks. This way, you can easily farm these rigs quietly at the best spawning spots.

Use Tools

The second step is to have the professional player’s Icecrown Citadel tool. What all the pros are using is Fojji, which guarantees that every timer on your mechanic is perfect.

If your guild has it, it will have a big impact on all aspects of the raid, but you’ll also have to pay a certain amount of budget for it. But if you’re a pro on a budget, Tems Pack also has most of these features, and you don’t have to pay extra WOTLK Classic Gold.

Gear Strategy

Next, professional players entering Phase 4 will have an equipment strategy. How you plan in the first 48 hours before ICC launch is a crucial first step. If you are missing any key items such as Flare of the Heavens. You have to spam Random Dungeon Finder as much as possible until you get Defiler’s Scourgestones you need.

If you are planning to buy any early BoE gear such as legs or boots. You will also need to farm 12 Defiler’s Scourgestones of Primordial Saronite. You’ll probably be putting in more than 10 to 15 hours a day since there’s no limit to the number of random dungeons on PTR.

You can also do Heroic daily quests that every pro does every day to earn two Emblems of Frost and three more Emblems.

You’ll also see dedicated raid groups just to complete the five Emblems of Frost raids each week. Don’t forget that a week after release, you’ll be seeing more Vault of Archavon raid groups. That’s because a 10-man raid in Vault of Archavon will drop 251 level items, and a 25-man raid will drop 264 item level gear.

Plan Your 10-Man Groups

Another thing pros have to do is plan their 10-man group. Their 10 man raid gear is too valuable for a successful 25 man raid.

That being said, there are plenty of pro players out there who waste 10-man raid gear between 25-player Heroic mode attempts to get 277 item level rings early. This will be a difference maker in future fights with extremely high DPS. Therefore, every pro player in the guild knows exactly how they prioritize gear.

Throughout this stage, getting Deathbringer’s Will to the right player early is key to getting Blood-Queen DPS. If you have baffling set bonuses like Retribution Paladins, you can prioritize that too. Just remember that you have to buy level 251 items with Emblems.

Review Your Raid Strategy

Regardless, the fifth and most important thing that pro players do with their guilds is plan a raid strategy. Even the top guilds have limited time to play. So we have to make the most of raid nights.

I highly recommend rating three nights during your first week. That’s because you can get more BoE gear on off nights.

On the first night, it makes sense to have a simple, non-DPS-checked Heroic mode fight. Then you should postpone battles like Putrid and Blood-Queen until the next night. This means you can get gear via 10-man raids, making DPS checks trivial. Then on night three, you’ll have more time to kill Heroic Lich King.

Killing Lich King will be impossible without these basic tips to maximize your DPS and your performance.

Icecrown Citadel raid in WOTLK Classic offers looters a thrilling and challenging experience. Mastering the mechanics and coordination of each encounter is crucial. Whether you’re a veteran or experiencing Icecrown Citadel for the first time, prepare for an epic journey filled with challenges. Good luck to your team in Frozen Heart Of Northrend.