Swamplord Musel'ek

Swamplord Musel'ek
Gender	Male
Race	Broken (Humanoid)
Level	65-72 Elite
Wealth	46 76
Location	Underbog, Coilfang Reservoir
Status	Killable
See
Underbog
Hungarfen Ghaz'an Swamplord Musel'ek The Black Stalker (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) Other Coilfang Reservoir instances

Swamplord Musel'ek is a Broken hunter, ruler of the Murkblood, and the third boss of the Underbog in Coilfang Reservoir. He is accompanied by his pet, Claw, who is part of the quest  [65D] Lost in Action which can be obtained from Watcher Jhang in front of the entrance to the dungeon. However his location in the dungeon brings into question why he is here surrounded by beasts instead of with his fellow Murkblood. This may suggest that he is in exile and hiding in the untamed parts of the Underbog.

Attacks and Abilities

• Aimed Shot: Musel'ek will use this ability when nobody is in melee range. It can hit for over 2000 damage on cloth-wearing classes.
• Auto Shot: Musel'ek also fires Auto Shots. These hit for far less than his Aimed Shot.
• AoE Freeze Trap: From time to time Musel'ek will freeze the whole party for a few seconds and take distance. This effect is resistible. After reaching distance, he usually uses his Aimed Shot ability. This can be broken by damage.
• Multi-Shot: Hits multiple players and can cause over 2000 damage to cloth wearers.
• Claw's Shout: Reduces the whole party's armor by 75%. This can be avoided by having him tanked away from the rest of the group.
• Claw's Charge: Musel'ek will make Claw charge a random person. This effect is just like a Druid's Feral Charge. Musel'ek will charge multiple times on Heroic mode and also knock players back a short distance.

Strategies

Clear the Underbog Lord that patrols near Musel'ek before engaging the boss. He can crit for in excess of 9.5k on mail armour. He will aggro when you attack the boss, and you will wipe unless spectacularly geared.

This fight is similar to the Illyanna Ravenoak encounter in Dire Maul and can be completed with a single tank. The tank first attacks Claw for a few seconds to build up threat before switching to Musel'ek. Once the tank has built up enough threat, the rest of the party can attack and down him quite quickly. Musel'ek will occasionally freeze the whole group and take some distance so he can shoot. It is important for the tank to get back into the hunter's melee range immediately. Once the hunter is dead the group can focus on Claw, who will turn friendly at 20% health and expose himself as Windcaller Claw. Alternatively, the bear can be burned to 20% first, removing it from the fight, and then the boss engaged. The primary concern appears to be healing interruption and proper double-tanking.

Multiple Tank Strategy

It is possible to use an off tank to tank the bear around the corner. This has the advantage that the main tank will not be affected by the bear's armor-reducing ability.

Alternatively, have the main tank on Claw and the off tank of Musel'ek. Neither of them melees very hard, and the most important thing in the fight is to keep someone in melee range of Musel'ek. Your group's MT will be in a better position (more armor and health) to handle the armor debuff that Claw applies. Kiting is not necessary: have the MT charge Claw where he stands and the OT engage Musel'ek, moving him a short distance away from the MT. Then have the OT move to Musel'ek immediately after the frost trap wears off. Have all DPS on Musel'ek until he is down.

Kiting Strategy - obsolete

You can simply have a Rogue, frost Mage, or Hunter kite the bear all the way back to the beginning of the water where you jumped down, while the rest of the party downs the main boss. By the time you get Claw down to the beginning of this section, simply Vanish, Ice Block, or Feign Death; and Claw will return to the party for his demise. This gives the party time to heal up and bandage. This tactic works in Heroic too, but beware, the person kiting may not be able to loot the boss afterward.

[NOTE: When Musel'ek calls him, Claw runs back; this strategy does NOT appear to be valid any longer. THoL]

Hugging Strategy

You can also hug both to keep all party members and both Swamplord and Claw within an 8-yard circle. This avoids Claw's charge and prevents the Swamplord from using his ranged attacks. You will be frozen for a second or two. Simply repeat the process by moving into an 8-yard circle. Since Musel'ek does about 700 melee damage compared to 500 from Claw, it's probably better to kill him first.

[NOTE: I am NOT certain this method still works in Heroic mode. THoL]

Additional Information

It has been confirmed in a normal instance that Claw can be put to sleep with a Druid's Hibernate spell. This has been confirmed NOT to work for Heroic, as Claw is now immune.

Heroic Difficulty

This fight does not appear to change much on Heroic, although Claw's Echoing Roar reduces armor by 82% now. Again, clear the Bog Lord first.

With a decently-geared tank, both targets can be kept under control, provided the tank quickly regains aggro after Claw's charge. Claw doesn't hit particularly hard on tanks, so he really just needs to be kept from running amok among the rest of the group, especially on the healer.

The easiest strategy on Heroic mode is for the tank to occupy Claw to stop him from knocking group members out of range of Musel'ek and the healer. Musel'ek himself stays in ranged combat for the majority of the fight (only occasionally seems to 'throw' group members who get too close), so ranged DPS can burn him down relatively fast without the tank needing to touch him. You can see his freezing traps coming as he places them, so if you're running low on health use a potion or healthstone, as he has a free hit on you while frozen. Healers have to be on their toes as his targets seem pretty random, and he uses attacks such as Multi-shot to hit more than one target. Once Musel'ek is down, burn Claw down to 20% and he returns to his Druid form and the fight is over. Musel'ek is definitely one of the easiest bosses in heroic dungeons providing Claw doesn't get loose from the tank.

Quotes

Aggro:

• I will end this quickly...
• We fight to the death!
• Acalah pek ecta!

Enrages Claw:

• Beast! Obey me! Kill them at once!

Killing a player:

• Krypta!
• It is finished.

Death:

• Well... done...

Loot

Normal drops

Cloak of Enduring Swiftness Item Level 94 Disenchants into: [Small Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Nexus Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Back 64 Armor +12 Agility +13 Stamina Requires level 63 Equip: Improves your dodge rating by 23. Sell Price: 2 11 48 Greaves of the Iron Guardian Item Level 94 Disenchants into: [Small Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Nexus Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Plate Legs 841 Armor +32 Strength +33 Stamina Yellow Socket Yellow Socket Blue Socket Socket Bonus: +4 Hit Rating Durability 100 / 100 Requires level 63 Equip: Improves hit rating by 7. Sell Price: 4 97 20 Truth Bearer Shoulderguards Item Level 94 Disenchants into: [Small Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Nexus Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Plate Shoulder 721 Armor +22 Intellect +17 Strength +21 Stamina Red Socket Red Socket Durability 80 / 80 Requires level 63 Sell Price: 3 73 61 Tunic of the Nightwatcher Item Level 94 Disenchants into: [Small Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Nexus Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Leather Chest 244 Armor +18 Spirit +21 Intellect +27 Stamina Red Socket Yellow Socket Blue Socket Durability 100 / 100 Requires level 63 Equip: Increases spell power by 26. Sell Price: 3 53 79 Zangartooth Shortblade Item Level 94 Disenchants into: [Small Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Nexus Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Dagger Main Hand Speed 1.50 36 - 89 Damage (41.4 damage per second) +14 Intellect +13 Stamina Durability 65 / 65 Requires level 63 Equip: Improves hit rating by 12. Equip: Increases spell power by 61. Sell Price: 7 2 22

Heroic drops

Armwraps of Disdain Item Level 115 Disenchants into: [Large Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Void Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Leather Wrist 128 Armor +18 Stamina Durability 35 / 35 Requires level 70 Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 20. Equip: Increases attack power by 38. Sell Price: 2 12 19 Bogreaver Item Level 115 Disenchants into: [Large Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Void Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Axe One-Hand Speed 1.70 85 - 159 Damage (71.8 damage per second) +15 Stamina Durability 90 / 90 Requires level 70 Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 18. Equip: Increases attack power by 28. Sell Price: 8 55 30 Crown of the Forest Lord Item Level 115 Disenchants into: [Large Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Void Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Leather Head 237 Armor +27 Spirit +30 Intellect +26 Stamina Durability 60 / 60 Requires level 70 Equip: Increases spell power by 36. Sell Price: 3 15 88 Hands of the Sun Item Level 115 Disenchants into: [Large Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Void Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Cloth Hands 97 Armor +23 Intellect +22 Stamina Durability 30 / 30 Requires level 70 Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 21. Equip: Increases spell power by 28. Sell Price: 1 69 12 Swampstone Necklace Item Level 115 Disenchants into: [Large Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Void Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Neck +18 Spirit +15 Intellect +14 Stamina Requires level 70 Equip: Increases spell power by 21. Sell Price: 3 94 70 Weathered Band of the Swamplord Item Level 115 Disenchants into: [Large Prismatic Shard]: 1 (99.5%) [Void Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Finger +20 Strength +14 Intellect Requires level 70 Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 21. Sell Price: 1 7 9 200200 Badge of Justice Item Level 70 Disenchants into: Not disenchantable Binds when picked up Requires level 70

Jewels (Heroic only)

Lambent Chrysoprase Item Level 70 Disenchants into: Not disenchantable Binds when picked up +5 Hit Rating and 2 mana per 5 sec. "Matches a Yellow or Blue Socket." Sell Price: 3 Radiant Chrysoprase Item Level 70 Disenchants into: Not disenchantable Binds when picked up Unique-Equipped +5 Critical Rating and +5 Spell Penetration "Matches a Yellow or Blue Socket." Sell Price: 3 Splendid Fire Opal Item Level 70 Disenchants into: Not disenchantable Binds when picked up +5 Parry Rating and +4 Resilience Rating "Matches a Red or Yellow Socket." Sell Price: 3

Patch changes

•  Hotfix (2009-05-07): "The damage done by Swamplord Musel'ek's Aimed Shot ability has been reduced and be more in line for players at the appropriate level to face him. "
  

External links

• Please remove armory=. Battle.net removed NPC linking support.
• Wowhead
• Thottbot
• WoWDB