This is a bit late, and others may of already beat me to the punch, but any Guide can help give perspective on those struggling to beat the giant bug. Various comments have been added that can and have offered additional resources, and have been added and @'d in bold.
So, you want that void-tainted blimp for your shadowy velf to roleplay upon in Stormwind on Moon Guard - or maybe you just want a challenge; only to find Zekvir is absolutely sending you packing each and every time. You might be tempted to call Zekvir unfair, but this challenge is akin to those of the Mage Tower, an optional challenge for those willing to bash their heads until you learn the rhythm of the fight.
So, what does one do?
Before you begin:
While the difficulty does not state its recommended item level, it is best to scale this off of the last tier of Delve difficulties recommendation for item level: that being 623.
- To cut a long story short it is highly recommended that your character is decked out in at least 610 gear entirely, and that you have your four pieces of tier gear equipped. The higher your item level and gear, the better of a time you’ll have.
- It is a good idea to prepare for this fight with consumables; a tip that has helped many clear their own Mage Tower fights. You can even reset Zekvir by running out of the room before it closes and taking a hit from him, making Brann spawn a campfire that not only functions as free food, but gives you a 5% stat increase to your primary attribute for 10 minutes, which can be HUGE for some classes.
- Another item can be acquired when you heal the Arathi Infirmary patients in Hallowfall, giving you two hours of a minor regeneration buff. While it is not much, it can certainly help if need be.
- Ensure Brann uses the Porcelain-Tipped Arrow (A random chance to give you 50% critical hit chance for a few seconds), and the Amorphous Relic at their third or highest levels. You will also want Amorphous Relic to be giving you the Enlarge effect which increases your HP by 20%, as well as a flat 12% increase to your damage when it is level 4. Because this is applied when combat starts, you may have to reset the fight a couple of times before you pull if it keeps shrinking you instead.
- Suggested by Malgorok in the comments: Putting Zekvir as your focus and having an interrupt macro made in case you are focusing an egg cocoon can greatly help if you struggle with keeping an eye on Zekvir.
- As brought up by Faedrela, due to how hard Zekvir can hit non-tanks - if you are running Brann as a healer it is good to instead stagger Brann’s healing potions where possible, which can make a huge difference; taking them all may leave you in a spot where that ‘spell’ is on cooldown, and Zekvir has all the time in the world to smack your face.
With all that said, let us delve into Zekvir’s Lair and figure out how he works, note that your experience may differ to that of a Blood Death Knight, but this guide will attempt to generalize:
Phase 1: I will end your meddling!
[Melee: ] Zekvir hits hard, although not impossibly so - it does mean you will have to take care and adjust Brann as needed to keep you alive if Zekvir keeps up with you.
[Claw Smash:] A big cone AoE that extends to the walls of the arena. Stay close to Zekvir unless you want to try and mitigate around 50,000,000 damage.
[Angler’s Web:] Zekvir shoots a line of web in front of him. Step to the sides or he will pull you in and deal a heavy amount of damage, probably killing DPS in one blow.
[Horrifying Roar:] A point blank AoE that also fears you if you are hit by it. Just run out of it.
[Enfeebling Spittle:] While you can interrupt Zekvir, it is recommended not to on Tier ?? due to the existence of Regenerating Carapace; to combat this ability either have Brann cleanse you or interrupt Zekvir (which can be unreliable at times), or know what abilities you can use to remove a slow. It is reported things such as Spell Reflect does not work, but things that remove magic abilities or snares do.
[Regenerating Carapace:] If not interrupted, Zekvir will regain 10% of his HP.
[Web Horror:] Zekvir will spawn a cocoon randomly in the room with around 6500k to 7300k hit points. It is REQUIRED that all focus goes to bursting down this add before it hatches, as the resultant add that spawns has an interruptible 5-second stun that you are recommended not to interrupt - as well as hitting fairly hard. If the worst comes to fruition and it hatches, focus all efforts on it and prepare any stun immunities. You can also CC the spider if need be which can give you more time to whittle it down, and Brann may very much come in clutch and interrupt the spider for you.
It is recommended to always stay close to Zekvir in order to have the most room in avoiding his Claw Smashes, which have been a frequent way of killing players who underestimate his reach. Phase 1 lasts until Zekvir reaches 60% hit points, to which he will run to the center of the room, channel a spell and be practically immune to damage for the next seven seconds. Use this time to flex your hands or build up anything you need.
Phase Two: Now, behold the power granted to me!
Congratulations! Now the real fight begins - empowered with the Black Blood Zekvir now finds himself with a few new tricks, as well as a nasty habit of comboing various abilities one after another, so be on your toes!
The abilities listed below are what changes in Phase 2; Zekvir will still use Enfeebling Spittle, Web Horror and Claw Smash, but nothing has changed unlike the spells below.
[Unending Spines:] New to Phase 2, Zekvir will summon a barrage of spikes that can be lethal if you are hit by their emergence. A good way to avoid the havoc is to remember that a few randomly spawn, and around four to five spawn underneath you - applying this knowledge can allow you to safely run around Zekvir and get valuable hits or healing in, as Zekvir will not be attacking during this time. This is less of a mercy when Zekvir uses this when a Egg Cocoon is present, so be ready to weave around tight locations.
[Black Blood Carapace:] Replacing Regenerating Carapace, this ability functions the same aside from one difference: Zekvir will now heal for 25% of his HP if this is cast. Considering the chaos of this fight, this may very well be your end if you are already struggling and have an entire quarter of his fight extended as the margin for error increases.
[Angler’s Web:] Angler’s Web now conjures various portals that Zekvir can fire additional webs through randomly. There is no easy way to tell where the webs will come from, so either get out of the way entirely, or find a quarter of Zekvir’s current location to run to so you are not grabbed and yeeted through various portals, disoriented and most likely being pulled into a Claw Smash or Infinite Horror spell.
[Infinite Horror:] Replacing Horrifying Roar, Infinite Horror functions the same aside from firing four orbs that fan out in an X formation from Zekvir. Hitting the orbs will function as though you stood in the AoE, so avoid the orbs which are indicated by glowing rifts within the AoE itself.
Practice makes perfect; expect this fight to get scrappy at this point and expect to be spending some time progressing through this part of the fight. You don’t need any speed increases unless you’re overextended and Zekvir aims a Claw Smash towards your direction, so even Death Knights will be able to fight Zekvir fair and square.
I wish many of you still pushing Zekvir ?? good luck, and understand this fight was MADE to be tough and on par with various Mage Tower challenges. I am by no means an authority on my class or on others, but hopefully this guide among many others can assist in finally getting you your title of Ascension Breaker, and that fancy purple blimp.
Here’s to seeing you in 11.1 where we are pitted against the Underpin.
