Varos Cloudstrider

Commander Varos Cloudstrider is the second boss located in The Oculus. He is one of the Azure-Lords of the blue dragonflight and captain of the forces there.

Regular abilities

 * Energize Cores: Periodically covers about 1/3 of the platform with bolts of arcane power, inflicting 5700-6300 Arcane damage.

Heroic abilities

 * Melee Swing: damages top aggro for 9000-10,000 (3000-4000 on Plate) Physical damage.
 * Ice Beam: damages the top aggro for 6k ice and reduces movement speed.
 * Energize Cores: periodically covers about 1/3 of the platform with bolts of arcane power, inflicting 5700-6300 Arcane damage.
 * Azure Ring Dragon Beam: the damage from an Azure Ring Dragon's laser beam.
 * Amplify Magic: debuff. Targets a single party member and increases damage from spells by 1800, and healing spells by 3600.

Strategies
The fight is mostly a tank and spank which requires your party to be constantly repositioning to avoid the rotating Energize Cores arc. The ability causes several adjacent orbs around the outside edge of the platform to emit small tendrils toward Varos before releasing an actual blast that deals damage. The blast area depends on the location of the boss; if tanked in the center, the blast covers about 1/3 of the platform. Subsequent discharges always rotate one orb (1/8th of the platform) in a counter-clockwise direction.

On occasion Varos will summon a Captain who grabs a nearby flying drake and will start firing a beam onto the platform that follows one random group member and damages anyone on contact. Simply get as far as you can from it without putting yourself in danger of the Energize Cores or dragging the beam across another party member.

Although some say that killing the dragons around the area will affect Varos' ability to summon Azure Captains, this is not true, as they appear out of thin air. However, in doing so you can eliminate the possibility for a player to accidentally aggro one of the nearby mobs (a player would have to target and attack one to pull it). It has been strongly recommended that you clear out the dragons above the platform so that the summoned Azure Captain doesn't aggro them.

Tanking in the center
This is the most simple way to fight him, but somewhat dangerous for the tank. The tank should sit in the middle, only moving in small circles to avoid a laser beam from an Azure Captain.

The rest of the team will rotate around the tank and boss as needed. Remember that the Energize Cores will not over-rotate if the boss is moved or rotated (his position does not affect the location of the blast, only the length of it; imagine him firing a giant invisible cone of damage between the orbs).

Tanking around the edge
Because the blast area of the Energize Cores appears between the orbs and Varos, a good tank can pull Varos to the edge of the platform (the one with the blast area) and drag him counter-clockwise around the platform (in the direction that the blast area is rotating). While tanking, try to stay on the inside of the circle to avoid getting hit by Energize Cores.

With the tank on the edge, the rest of the party can stand in the center of the area without having to dodge the blast area of the Energize Cores. Simply turn to keep facing Varos and avoid the beams as necessary.

Healing Through
With enough dps and healing a group with a group healer (Shaman or Holy Priest) can heal through the damage of Energize Cores.

If statically positioned at one side of the plataform you can get 3 to 4 Energize Cores blasts on a complete turn. Those blasts will drive your healer to switch group heals with tank heals to avoid the death of your tank (As example a Priest can use Prayer of Mending and Flash Heal trough the blast to have the tank at max health while party member retain enough health to survive the next blast).

A lightwell can help if party members are trained on how to use it

Haste potions and/or trinkets can help the healer to get his job done.

With this technique Varos fight becomes a dps race against your healer's mana pool.

Quotes

 * Drakos the Interrogator dies
 * yell


 * Aggro
 * yell


 * Air strike
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell


 * Death
 * yell

Trivia

 * Varos Cloudstrider is the only drakonid in the game to have a last name, additionally his name would more commonly be used by a high elf or blood elf. This has led some players to speculate about whether Varos is a drakonid naturally or a mortal transformed into a drakonid, similar to Wyrmcult Blessed who transform into dragonspawn and (by speculation) Maxnar the Ashmaw who is also a drakonid.
 * Varos Cloudstrider is voiced by Kevin Delaney.