Always speak politely to an enraged Dragon

If you’re level 80 and bored out of your skull, listen up.  Need some quick cash?  Looking for a thrill?  Want to actually Kill a raid boss for a change?  Onyxia has been steamrolling newbs for years now.  But hey, you’re 80 and there’s no more crazy attunement quest, why not give it a shot?   Still not convinced?

Here are the top 5 reasons why Onyxia is the girl for you:

• For the kind of cheapo who’s using Netherweave Bags or god knows what else; Onyxia drops one to two 18 Slot Bags Guaranteed.

• Sleeping beauty will give you a Retro Raid Achievement for killing her, and she’ll also help a lot with “Got My Mind on My Money”.

• You’re playing a fantasy MMO, I’m pretty sure slaying Dragons is in the EULA you didn’t even bother skimming.  She’s Cute and She drops Tier 2 Helmets for all you armor collectors plus some decent DE-ables.  Not to mention you can succeed with a party of less than three where 40 players once failed (Even if they were 20 Levels lower than you).

• With all the wiping you’re headed for in end game raid content, you’ll need plenty of practice your battle cries. “Whelps! Left Side!”, “More Dots! More Dots Now!” and “THAT’S A FIFTY DKP MINUS!” are a few classics you’re sure to fall in love with.

• Scraping between couch cushions for repair funds? This little lady has 100 – 180 gold she’d be more than willing to share with you. While you can only kill her once a week, she is still a very good way of making some quick gold to supplement your income.

So now that you’re interested Besting this Black Dragon, you’ll need a few pointers before taking her down.

Bring a Friend – Although it’s possible to solo this it’s best to bring a friend to the fight. A healer is required; so unless you’re a self healing tank you’re out of luck doing this solo.  Yeah you may have to split the loot, but the fight goes much quicker with a Healer/DPS team.

Take it Slow – She has ~1.1 million hit points which you will whittle down over three phases.  My fastest solo kill took me 28 minutes and fastest duo took 13, so expect a long fight.

Heals are Key – This isn’t a difficult fight, but it’s long. Onyxia doesn’t do much in the way of damage and you’ll find the healer can often get some DPS in.  Don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security, make sure to keep an eye on health bars.

Position Yourself – She has three phases, in the first and last phase she does a wing buffet that knocks back.  Make sure that the tank (who happens to also be main DPS) positions themselves up against a wall to avoid getting knocked into whelps.

Now all that’s left is a quick run through of the phases: Onyxia will hit the tank with Cone attacks (Flame Breath, Wing Buffet, Cleave) and Tail Swipe behind her.  Tank should run behind her and tank against the back wall. Onyxia spawns Whelps (Adds) periodically that must be killed quickly.  Then Target Onyxia in the air and DPS. (You can Melee her in the air by standing beneath her).  She deals Melee Damage as well as shoot Fireballs at players.  She lands once again and retains all phase 1 Abilities plus, an added AoE Fear.  Follow Phase 1 Strategy until shes dead.

Now, next time you’re bored or strapped for cash, grab a friend or two and show this Dragon who’s boss!