Understanding Raid Mechanics

Raid bosses look unique but recycle a small set of mechanic types. Learn the vocabulary once and every new fight becomes a remix instead of a mystery.

The core set

• Stack: everyone groups up to share or survive damage. If the raid leader calls stack, move NOW — hesitation is the mechanic.
• Spread: the opposite — some effects punish closeness. Keep your assigned distance or the mechanic multiplies.
• Soak: stand in a marked zone to absorb damage meant for the raid. Soaks are usually assigned or rotated.
• Bait: stand somewhere so a targeted effect lands there instead of on the group — then move out before it lands.
• Interrupt: an enemy cast that must not finish. Raid kicks are often assigned to specific players.
• Add priority: smaller enemies that must die before the boss matters again. The meter lies — kill the add.
• Dispel: a debuff that a specific player must remove, sometimes on a delay or in a specific spot.

Reading a new fight

On a new boss, watch for the recurring shapes: what marks players, what lands on the ground, what the boss does on a timer. Two pulls of watching teaches more than ten minutes of a guide video.

Stuck on something here? Post a note on the Academy Learning Board — someone aboard has been exactly where you are.