Proving Grounds for Tank (5.4)

[asaphelps]

The Proving Grounds is a new solo challenge introduced in 5.4. There are three different types: tank, healer, and DPS. They consist of getting past different waves of mobs and have four difficulties: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Endless.

To get started, you’ll need to talk with an NPC in the Temple of the White Tiger in Kun-Lai Summit or class trainer. You then get queue'ed for a scenario and will be in the instance by yourself. Gear scales down to 463, and set bonuses don't work similar to challenge mods though legendary gems do seem to work (not sure about legendary cloaks). There is a npc for repairing, reforging, healthstones, and anything else you require. You get raid buffs, and the enemies you have get raid debuffs. Each wave has a timer, if you don't kill the enemies in time then the next wave will come. If you finish early you'll have some downtime. The final wave must be defeated to complete the challenge; you won't finish even if the timer reaches zero (actually gets stuck at 0:01).



If you fail from "dying", you'll be stunned and do an aoe that will kill all enemies, and regain all your health. You will have to start the challenge all over.



After entering the scenario, talk to the npc again to select your type of challenge. This guild will cover the tank Proving Grounds.



The tank Proving Grounds consists of protecting a npc who has a large health pool (1969k) and is added to your party. This is useful because things like blood worms, black ox statue, etc. will work on her. She stands in the middle surrounded by barricades (these seem to los her and mobs?). In addition, she will renewing mists you (and herself) which heals 70k a second. She also attacks with a ~500k chi burst, and does an aoe jade lightning which is about 100k/s to unlimited targets.





The Enemies:
Small/Larger usually only vary by HP and some damage difference.

Large Illusionary Ripper
HP: 5,691,000

Attacks: Weak melee
Appears: Bronze Wave 1,
Just tank and spank. Somewhat large hp but low damage.

Small Illusionary Ripper
HP: 3,794,000

Attacks: Weak melee
Appears: Bronze Wave 2,
Usually appear in pairs but still easy tank and spank.

Large Illusionary Forager
HP: 3,667,000

Attacks: Stacking bleed, deals physical damage per stack. Stacks to ?? and lasts 5 seconds.
They appear in groups and have a stacking dot that has a short duration but can stack quickly.

Small Illusionary Forager
HP: 2,445,000

Attacks: Stacking bleed that lasts 8s.
They spawn in groups.

Small Illusionary Flamecaller
HP: 3,161,000


Attacks: They start with Invoke Lava,which can be interrupted, that will spawn pools of lava in random areas around him. These do a stacking dot that does fire damage, and also increases damage taken by 2% per stack and lasts 5 seconds.. Affects enemies. Afterwards, they'll do fireball which can be interrupted.
Always start with Invoke Lava, and will only cast it once.

Large Illusionary Flamecaller
HP: 4,637,000

Attacks: Same as small with Invoke Lava, but will cast Pyroblast which does 100,000 fire damage without a DoT instead of Fireball. It can be interrupted.

Large Illusionary Wind-Guard
HP: 8,341,000

Attacks: Melee and also does a move called Wing Blast which I believe can be dodged/parried. It can not be interrupted. It will knock back and reduce your threat on him so have a taunt ready.

Small Illusionary Wind-Guard
HP: 5,691,000

Attacks: Same as large except Wing Blast doesn't seem to reduce your threat.

Small Illusionary Ambusher*
HP: 1,897,000
Picture
These will do an aoe fan of bananas which do a bit of damage and apply a debuff that is -15%? movement per stack. Their aoe is instant and does 50k nature? damage. They do spam it quite a bit. Make sure you pull them away from the monk so she doesn't get hurt too.

Large Illusionary Ambusher*
HP: 2,845,000
Picture

Small Illusionary Conqueror
HP: 7,850,000
Picture
These do a frontal aoe stun like on the twin emperors in vault. They also berserk increasing damage and making immune to cc. They are also level 93 unlike the rest of the mobs.

Large Illusionary Conqueror
HP: 11,775,000
Picture
Same as the small, these do a frontal aoe stun like on the twin emperors in vault. They also berserk increasing damage and making immune to cc.


Bronze:
Wave 1: Time 30s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Ripper x1


Wave 2: Time 40s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Ripper x2

Wave 3: Time 50s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Foragers x4

Wave 4: Time 55s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Ripper x1, Small Illusionary Foragers x5.
They spawn in one big pile.

Wave 5: Time 60s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Ripper x1, Small Illusionary Ripper x2 at 60s
Large Illusionary Forager x2, Small Illusionary Forager x2 at 30s.
Be aware that there are 2 sets of enemies that spawn. The first one will probably not be completely dead when the second spawns.







Silver:

Wave 1: Time 40s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Ripper x1, Small Illusionary Ripper x1

Wave 2: Time 40s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Forager x6

Wave 3: Time 40s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Flamecaller x1, Large Illusionary Ripper x1
The flamecaller will always begin by spawning lava pools. You can interrupt this but its more beneficial not to.

Wave 4: Time 45s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Flamecaller x1, Small Illusionary Forager x2, Large Illusionary Forager x2

Wave 5: Time 50s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Ripper x2, Small Illusionary Flamecaller x1
Large Illusionary Forager x3 at 35s
Try to use the pools as best you can to kill the enemies quickly.

Wave 6: Time 55s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Wind-Guard x1 Small Illusionary Ripper x1
Watch out for the Wind-Guard's knockback.

Wave 7: 60s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Ripper x1, Small Illusionary Wind-Guard x1, Small Illusionary Flamecaller x1

Wave 8: 65s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Wind-Guard x1, Small Illusionary Forager x4
Small Illusionary Ripper x2, Large Illusionary Flamecaller x1 at 40s
Kill the foragers first, then try to group up the rest in the lava pools. Be careful about being knocked into lava by the Wind-Guard.


Gold



Wave 1: 40s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Ripper x1, Small Illusionary Wind-Guard x1

Wave 2: 40s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Forager x3, Large Illusionary Forager x2, Small Illusionary Flamecaller

Wave 3: 40s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Ripper x2
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 35s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 25s

Wave 4: 50s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Wind-Guard x1, Small Illusionary Ripper x1
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 45s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 30s

Wave 5: 50s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Flamecaller x1
Small Illusionary Wind-Guard x1 at 35s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 30s

Wave 6: 60s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Ripper x1, Small Illusionary Conqueror x1

Wave 7: 70s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Conqueror x1, Small Illusionary Wind-Guard x1
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 35s

Wave 8: 80s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Conqueror x1, Small Illusionary Flamecaller x1
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 55s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 40s

Wave 9: 110s
Enemies: Large Illusionary Flamecaller x1
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 100s
Large Illusionary Conqueror x1, Small Illusionary Wind-Guardx1 at 90s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 60s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 55s

Wave 10: 120s
Enemies: Small Illusionary Flamecaller x1
Large Illusionary Conqueror x2, Small Illusionary Wind-Guardx1 at 105s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 95s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x1 at 80s
Small Illusionary Ambusher x2 at 60s

[dk339]

Awesome guide. I'm looking forward to trying this.