Operation Guide: The R-4 Anomaly

1 IP-CPT

Before getting anywhere near the facility’s core and to the Mass Shadow Generator, you must get past the first lines of defence. And the first opponent to face is IP-CPT, during PTS also known as Disco Ball of Dooooom! The encounter features six phases; some have lots of fire and lasers to dodge, in others there are adds whose shields must be removed by clicking consoles and the last phase has a hard enrage.

Enrage Timers

There is no enrage timer as such, however with the start of the last phase at 6:05 min (305 s), the boss starts casting 60 s (45 s on HM) cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Disproportionate Intrusion Response. which will kill the group after 60 s or 45 s on Hard Mode, resulting in the following timers:

1.1 Story Mode

Summary

Avoid fire, lasers, and the huge grenades. When the shielded adds spawn, click on the four consoles in the corners of the room until the shields are down, then destroy the adds before they complete their cast. In the burn phase, destroy the disco ball before it completes its cast and the group wipes.

The Room

The room consists out of 16 floor tiles. The boss is in the centre and immovable. On the outside, there are four terminals that are used during the second and fourth phase. The red laser emitters shoot lasers in the first, third, fifth and sixth phase. In the same phases, some of the floor tiles are on fire.

IP-CPT’s Abilities

The boss itself only has a few abilities.

The disco ball’s standard attack is Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Energy
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Refraction Array which has a 6 s cooldown and deals damage to three random players.

The floor tiles will regularly be on fire, damaging anyone standing on them with Suffering damage while standing in an activated hazard grid.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE, Burn)
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Elimination Cadence. There is a 3 s startup time (seen in the picture below) after which the tiles will be on fire and deal damage (as seen in the picture). The patterns are mostly fixed and will be described during the phases in which they occur. There is always at least one of the four tiles next to the boss without fire.

In addition to the burning tiles, Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (DoT)
Duration: 2 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Modulation Lasers will regularly fire laser beams, damaging anyone standing in them. The beams are announced by orange markers (as pictured) and fire after 2.5 s.

Both Suffering damage while standing in an activated hazard grid.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE, Burn)
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Elimination Cadence and Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (DoT)
Duration: 2 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Modulation Lasers add stacks of Taking increased damage from Elimination Cadence, Modulation Laser and Blast Protocol: Mern.
Duration: 30 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Escalating Exposure, increasing damage taken from those two attacks and Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
30 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Blast Protocol: Mern (see phases 2 and 4) by 8 % per stack, stacking up to 5 times and lasting 30 s. Standing in either fire or lasers should therefore be avoided.

A set of a A Major Positional Adjustment Grenade is attached to you and will detonate soon, damaging allies in a large area.
Attack and Damage Type upon expiration: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
Duration: 8.5 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Positional Adjustment Grenade: Major and two A Minor Positional Adjustment Grenade is attached to you and will detonate soon, damaging nearby allies.
Attack and Damage Type upon expiration: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
Duration: 8.5 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Positional Adjustment Grenades: Minor regularly targets three random players. They detonate after 8.5 seconds, dealing damage to all players within their circles. The major grenade deals more damage than the minor ones, therefore the player with the major grenade should move away from the group. The minor grenades can be ignored.

Phase 1: IP-CPT 100 % - 75 %

The first phase involves pushing the boss to 75 % health. Once that happens, the boss shields and goes up. Other than avoiding the floor hazards (see HM) and the grenades, there is nothing else happening here.

After 70 seconds, the first phase ends. To meet the DPS check in the last phase, the group should be able to push IP-CPT to 75 % before the 70 s are over.

Phase 2: Mini Disco Balls that go Boom I

In the second phase, IP-CPT will stay shielded and only do Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Energy
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Refraction Array.

Instead, the group must deal with Intrusion ID Units. Two of them spawn at the beginning of the phase. 15 s after the first set spawned, turrets, an Inferno Enforcer, and an Overload Enforcer spawn. Along with more turrets, a second set of two Intrusion ID Units spawns after another 30 s.

The Intrusion ID Units are shielded and cast Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
30 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Blast Protocol: Mern for 30 s. Once completed, the probe explodes, damaging the entire group and destroying itself. Players receive a stack of Taking increased damage from Elimination Cadence, Modulation Laser and Blast Protocol: Mern.
Duration: 30 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Escalating Exposure. The group should destroy the probes before they can finish their cast.

To remove their shields, four players need to be assigned to the four terminals in the corners of the room. The Intrusion ID Units have symbols above them that correspond with one of the terminals. The terminal with said symbol must be clicked to remove the symbol; afterwards, the probe gains another symbol, and the terminal has a short period during which it cannot be used. Every probe requires three different symbols.

Example: An Intrusion ID Unit spawns with . A player must click Terminal in the North-Eastern corner, removing the probe’s . The probe then gains and the Terminal in the South-Western corner is used by another player, removing . Afterwards, the probe gains and a third player clicks the Terminal in the South-Eastern corner. The probe’s shield has now been successfully removed and can be killed by the four remaining players.

While it is possible to call out which symbol to click at which time, on Story Mode spam clicking all consoles at once is sufficient. A non-clicker should still call out whether there are still shielded Intrusion ID Units around.

The tank – or DwT if the group chooses not to bring a tank as it is not really required for this encounter – tanks the Inferno and Overload Enforcer. The enforcers abilities are the same, they just have different names and icons. They both cast Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Inferno / Overload Protocol damaging everyone within a 90 ° arc in front of them, applying stacks of Suffering increased damage from Inferno / Overload Protocol.
Duration: 30 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Inferno / Overload Intensification, increasing damage taken from Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Inferno / Overload Protocol by 75 % per stack, stacking up to ten times, lasting 30 s.

Non-clickers who are not busy killing a probe should be focussing on the enforcers as well. The small turrets deal much less damage and can be killed later.

After 90 seconds, the boss comes down again and the third phase starts.

Phase 3: IP-CPT ~75 % - 50 %

The third phase resembles the first one; however, the patterns are different.

The boss must be brought to 50 % where it will shield again, and the phase lasts 60 s instead of 70 s. Once the time is up, the fourth phase starts.

Phase 4: Mini Disco Balls that go Boom II

Each set now contains three Intrusion ID Units. Additionally, the enforcers spawn after 50 s instead of 15 s. The phase lasts 90 s, remaining turrets and enforcers must be killed in the next phase.

Phase 5: IP-CPT ~ 50 % - 25 %

The fifth phase is like the first and third phase. The patterns, however, are different once again and the time between them is shorter than in the previous phases.

At 25 %, the boss will shield, and after 60 seconds, the burn phase starts.

Phase 6: Burn

In the burn phase, the group has 60 s to destroy the disco ball before the group wipes.

Grenades no longer appear in this phase; instead, the boss casts 60 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Disproportionate Intrusion Response. When completing the cast, the group wipes. The patterns are partially random in this phase.

1.2 Hard Mode

While the differences from Story Mode are rather small, the encounter is much harder as especially the positioning related mechanics become much more punishing.

Differences from Story Mode

The Taking increased damage from Elimination Cadence, Modulation Laser and Blast Protocol: Mern.
Duration: 60 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Escalating Exposure. stacks, received for standing in the AoE from Suffering damage while standing in an activated hazard grid.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE, Burn)
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Elimination Cadence and Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (DoT)
Duration: 2 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Modulation Lasers as well as the Intrusion ID Units’ Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
30 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Blast Protocol: Mern, should they be able to finish their cast, now increase damage taken from these abilities by 15 % instead of 8 %. Additionally, they result in an instant death at 5 stacks and must therefore be avoided.

The A Major Positional Adjustment Grenade is attached to you and will detonate soon, damaging allies in a large area.
Attack and Damage Type upon expiration: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
Duration: 8.5 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Positional Adjustment Grenades: Major now go on two players instead of one and should be taken away from other players without exception. The easiest way to do this is to have one player go to the entrance, and one going “exit” – which is just the opposite side of entrance, not the true exit door – and calling out where each is going, so they do not both go to the same location. The major grenades now also apply the DoT [Any] Taking damage over time from being hit by Positional Adjustment Grenade: Major.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Internal (AoE)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Shrapnel Wound which should be cleansed fast, ideally with a self-cleanse. The damage of the A Minor Positional Adjustment Grenade is attached to you and will detonate soon, damaging nearby allies.
Attack and Damage Type upon expiration: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
Duration: 8.5 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Positional Adjustment Grenades: Minor can be healed through. Spreading out is not strictly necessary, though stacking up these smaller grenades should be avoided if it is reasonably possible.

The Overload / Inferno Enforcers in the second and fourth phase now have Receiving less damage from attacks at range.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Deflection Routine, absorbing 75 % of all damage received from more than 11.5 m away. Suffering increased damage from Inferno / Overload Protocol.
Duration: 30 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Inferno / Overload Intensification now increase damage taken from Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE)
1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Inferno / Overload Protocol by 150 % per stack. Additionally, the cleaves apply [Any] Suffering damage over time from exposure to Inferno Protocol.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental
Duration: 10 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Slag Residue and [Any] Suffering damage over time from exposure to Inferno Protocol.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Energy
Duration: 10 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Conductive Plasma, respectively, high damage DoTs that should be cleansed as quickly as possible.

The cooldown of the terminals in the second and fourth phase is now shared. When one player clicks their terminals, all four become unavailable for a short time.

Group Composition

You will want to bring a composition of 6 DPS and 2 healers. Two of the DPS should have a taunt. Ideally, those two should be Vengeance Juggernauts, and one of the healers should be an Operative. The rest of the DPS composition should be one melee, and the rest playing ranged. Preassign the ranged DPS to , and . One of the healers, not the Operative, will usually take , however, for the first click, one of the DwTs will do it, giving the healer more uptime on topping everybody off between phase transitions. The melee DPS that does not have a DwT role will be mostly responsible for killing the Intrusion ID Units and calling out which colour to click next.

Phase 1: IP-CPT 100 % - 75 %

The players assigned to the terminals should place their translocate abilities – if they have any – on their terminals before starting the encounter.

Everyone should start on the top right side of IP-CPT, as looking from the entrance (Northeast). That is where the Terminal will be.

Once Suffering damage while standing in an activated hazard grid.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE, Burn)
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Elimination Cadence reaches the tile just under the boss, but directly diagonal from the group (second pattern), everyone should get ready to cross diagonally to the bottom left (as seen from entrance), where the red console will later be (Southwest).

When IP-CPT becomes invulnerable to damage slightly below 75 %, and everyone should focus on not taking unnecessary damage until the phase transitions, while going towards their assigned terminals. DPS with offhealing capability should utilise it here where possible.

Intrusion ID Units and Small Turrets I

The Intrusion ID Units will spawn with and , respectively. Because the green console will still have fire next to it, the clickers should always start with the Terminal , as soon as it appears. It is now up to the melee DPS to call which colour will be next, so the people on console duty do not have to move their camera away from the terminal. With the initial colours for the Intrusion ID Units always being and , the first click is guaranteed to always be, and the fourth will always be . The caller should inform everyone when the last colour is about to be clicked, for example, by calling “pink, last”.

As the terminals cannot be used while having an active global cooldown, the DPS and healers should take care using abilities and not getting stuck in a GCD when their console might need to be clicked next.

At 1:28, both Intrusion ID Units should be damaged by the melee DPS only. The ranged DPS should attack any Small Turret in range, while being mindful of their GCD and clicking duty. While clicking, the blue Overload and the orange Inferno Enforcer will spawn. These should be tanked by the two DwTs who should swap at two stacks of Suffering increased damage from Inferno / Overload Protocol.
Duration: 30 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Inferno / Overload Intensification. Both droids should be stacked together on the Small Turret in the bottom right corner (Southeast), near Terminal . One droid should be facing the wall with the true exit, and one towards the wall with the entrance. Everyone else should stack up behind both droids to benefit from AoE heals. The Overload Enforcer should be killed before the next set of Intrusion ID Units spawn.

When the second set of Intrusion ID Units spawns at 1:55, the Overload Enforcer should be dead, with the Inferno Enforcer damaged a lot as well. As soon as the Intrusion ID Units spawn, people on console duty should go back there (using translocate abilities if applicable), and shields should be removed again, once more starting with .

The DwTs and melee caller can finish off the Inferno Enforcer while consoles are being clicked. After killing the second Intrusion ID Unit, everyone should kill Small Turrets before the next phase starts.

Phase 3: IP-CPT ~ 75 % - 50 %

This is a repeat of the first phase, with the same strategy. This phase however becomes harder since the pattern for Suffering damage while standing in an activated hazard grid.
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Elemental (AoE, Burn)
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Elimination Cadence now changes to squares of four tiles, followed by stripes of four tiles.

Everyone should initially stack in the same corner they started in phase 1; top right, at Terminal , then move along the inner tiles in a clockwise fashion.

Extra care should be taken not unnecessarily stacking up the minor grenades and taking the major grenades away from the group – once again, going to either entrance, or opposite of entrance ("exit"). When moving to either entrance or “exit”, walking on the line between tiles allows moving in either direction depending on which tiles are on fire.

When falling slightly below 50 %, the boss becomes invulnerable. The group should reach around 49 % health before the phase transitions at 03:40.

Phase 4: Intrusion ID Units and Small Turrets II

The third Intrusion ID Unit will spawn with , the other two still spawn with and . Clicking starts with again, so the fourth click should be and the seventh . To kill all three Intrusion ID Units before they can complete their casts, clicking and calling must be very good.

After killing the first set of Intrusion ID Units, there is a short time to damage the Small Turrets before the next set of three spawns at 4:20. While clicking, once more a pair of Overload and Inferno Enforcer will spawn, which should this time kited until the last mine is about the be unshielded, and then stacked similarly as in phase two, but on the Small Turret close to Terminal .

If the group is okay taking an additional stack of Taking increased damage from Elimination Cadence, Modulation Laser and Blast Protocol: Mern.
Duration: 60 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Escalating Exposure, it is possible to ignore the third Intrusion ID Unit entirely and switch all DPS to the droids after the second one is dead, letting the third one explode.

Killing both droids before the phase transitions is the true DPS check, so this would be the time to use raid buffs, adrenals, and all available offensive cooldowns. The Overload Enforcer should be dead and the Inferno Enforcer either dead or almost dead when the phase transitions at 05:05. Any remaining Small Turrets should now be ignored, having killed enough of them in earlier phases for their remaining damage to be healable.

Phase 5: IP-CPT ~ 50 % - 25 %

This is a repeat of the first and second phase, but the tiles now go on fire in a checkerboard pattern, making movement across the map much harder without taking damage from the floor hazards. Having killed both droids a few seconds into this phase is imperative, as the group will need to spread around for the major grenades.

While there are no more terminals to be clicked, the three ranged DPS should go back to roughly where their terminals were. Melee and healers should stack on the boss. While everybody avoids both fire and lasers, both types of grenades still go out on the group. If they go on ranged, they can stay in place where they are. Melee and healers should move towards where Terminal previously was since the healer assigned to that console will no longer be there. If both major grenades go on melee / healers, one of them should go to the entrance instead, and call it out, both for the other melee / healer, but also for the ranged DPS close to there.

During this phase, the boss should be pushed to at least 25 % before burn starts at 06:05.

Phase 6: Burn

The patterns for the floor hazards are now semi-random. In burn, grenades no longer happen, so the entire group can stack on the single tile within melee range and move as required.

IP-CPT must be destroyed before 45 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Disproportionate Intrusion Response. which has a 45 s cast time on Hard Mode is completed.

2 Watchdog

With the Disco Ball of Dooooom! being destroyed, you are one step closer to reaching the facility core. The path to the train that is supposed to bring you to the core, however, is blocked by the Watchdog, on PTS also known as Best Roboboy. Petting is not advisable. During the encounter, the Watchdog will assign players with different polarities and has mechanics revolving around them.

2.1 Story Mode

Summary

Orange and blue bombs should not overlap each other. During Watchdog Protocol, players with the colour that is displayed on the floor must not move. During Stalker Protocol, the tank must kite the boss. When Polarised Beam happens, a player with a bomb (the polarity is irrelevant) must intercept it.

Polarity and Polarised Bombs

Many mechanics revolve about the polarisation of the players and the boss. There is positive polarisation (blue) and negative polarisation (orange). It is also possible not to be polarised at all (no colour).

The boss regularly channels 2 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net PMX4 Polarised Proximity Bombs, assigning This bomb detonates if it comes into proximity with another PMX4 Bomb, or if its owner is hit with polarised effects. Detonations triggered by opposite polarity effects are significantly more powerful.
Duration: 120 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Negative PMX4 Bombs to four random players and This bomb detonates if it comes into proximity with another PMX4 Bomb, or if its owner is hit with polarised effects. Detonations triggered by opposite polarity effects are significantly more powerful.
Duration: 120 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Positive PMX4 Bombs to the other four. The bombs take 4 s to become active. If the circle of a player’s bomb overlaps with another player that also has a bomb, both bombs detonate (as on Master and Blaster HM). If the bombs are of the same polarity, every player within 5 m will receive some damage from Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Energy (AoE)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net PMX4 Bomb Detonation (Minor). Additionally, everyone, Watchdog included, withing 5 m receives a stack of Taking increased damage per stack.
Duration: 120 s (players) | 30 s (boss)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Matter Disruption, increasing damage taken by 10 %, lasting 120 s for players and 30 s for the boss. This can be used to increase the boss’ damage taken or to simply get rid of some bombs. If the bombs are of the opposite polarity, every player will receive massive damage from Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Internal (AoE)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net PMX4 Bomb Detonation (Major) which should be avoided.

Sometimes during the encounter, the Watchdog casts 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Degauss, causing any remaining bombs to detach and lay on the floor. The detached bombs act like the ones on players. If not removed by a detonation or the boss’ Unable to act.
Duration: 3 s (players) | 6 s (boss)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Discharge ability (removes all detached bombs), they disappear after 120 s.

Phase 1: Watchdog Protocol

The encounter starts with the boss casting Incoming!
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Kinetic (AoE)
1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net The Missiles, launching a missile at the location of every player (indicated by red circles) that will impact after 3.5 s, damaging anyone within 6 m. The group should try to avoid them. Incoming!
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Kinetic (AoE)
1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net The Missiles will regularly happen throughout the fight.

After the missiles, the first set of bombs will be dispatched.

At roughly 25 s, the boss will cast 3 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol. For 12 s, either positive or negative polarised players must not move. After the 12 s, the other polarity must stand still. The polarisation that must stand still is indicated by the colour of the floor. Additionally, affected players receive the debuffs Moving will cause severe periodic damage and accumulate Watchdog Violation.
Attack and Damage Type while moving: Tech, Internal (DoT)
Duration: 12 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol, Movement speed reduced.
Duration: 12 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Slowed and Cannot activate or benefit from high mobility actions.
Duration: 12 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Hindered, slowing them and preventing the usage of movement abilities (speed boosts, gap closers, etc.). Players moving while having Moving will cause severe periodic damage and accumulate Watchdog Violation.
Attack and Damage Type while moving: Tech, Internal (DoT)
Duration: 12 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol gain stacks of Target is moving while under Watchdog Protocol! At 5 stacks, the Watchdog will become Triggered.
Duration: 30 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol Violation. At 5 stacks, the boss receives Taunt immune. Taking care of something. Someone has been caught moving while under the Watchdog Protocol...
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Triggered and will jump to said player, killing them with Attack and Damage Type: God, 100 %
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Triggered Pounce. Moving under Moving will cause severe periodic damage and accumulate Watchdog Violation.
Attack and Damage Type while moving: Tech, Internal (DoT)
Duration: 12 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol must therefore be avoided. As the Watchdog will continue casting Incoming!
Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Kinetic (AoE)
1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net The Missiles, the players under Moving will cause severe periodic damage and accumulate Watchdog Violation.
Attack and Damage Type while moving: Tech, Internal (DoT)
Duration: 12 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol will have to take a hit while the rest of the group moves out of their missiles.

At around 62 s, the boss will cast 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Degauss, putting any remaining bombs on the ground. Afterwards Body has been polarised. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
Duration: 30 s
4 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol happens.

Body has been polarised. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
Duration: 30 s
4 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol always happens at the end of a phase and lasts 30 seconds. The Watchdog will either receive Claws polarised (negative) to deal maximum damage. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol (Negative) or Claws polarised (positive) to deal maximum damage. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol (Positive), both increasing its damage by 100 % and reducing movement speed by 75 % and polarising it either positively or negatively. After 15 s, it will cast 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Invert, inverting its polarisation. Due to the increased damage output, group must avoid the missiles. Additionally, the tank has to kite the Watchdog around. The boss is usually kited through the mines of the same polarisation as the boss’ (i.e., when the boss has positive polarisation, the tank kites it through the blue grenades, causing them to detonate and add stacks of Taking increased damage per stack.
Duration: 120 s (players) | 30 s (boss)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Matter Disruption to the boss). Kiting the Watchdog through bombs of opposite polarity must be avoided, otherwise the group receives massive damage from Attack and Damage Type: Tech, Internal (AoE)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net PMX4 Bomb Detonation (Major), if it does not wipe altogether. The group should therefore try to drop positive and negative bombs in two different locations.

After Body has been polarised. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
Duration: 30 s
4 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol ends, the second phase starts at around 2:00 min.

Phase 2: Polarised Beams

The second phase involves the boss channelling Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 75 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Polarised Beam eight times. During this mechanic, the boss aims a beam opposite to the tank’s polarity (or random, if the tank is not polarised) at the tank. Once the channel ends, the first player in the line of fire will be hit. If they have a bomb (regardless of polarisation), the bomb will explode, and the player take minor damage. Standing very close to the Watchdog also applies the Taking increased damage per stack.
Duration: 120 s (players) | 30 s (boss)
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Matter Disruption stacks to it. If the player does not have a bomb, they will receive damage amounting to 75 % of their maximum health. To prevent the high damage, players with bombs must intercept the beams and those without bombs should avoid standing in front of the boss.

After four Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 75 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Polarised Beams (at around 3:07 min), the boss will cast 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Degauss and 2s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net PMX4 Polarised Proximity Bombs immediately afterwards. This means that the group has more bombs to intercept the remaining four Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 75 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Polarised Beams but also creates the risk of accidentally exploding one of the bombs on the ground. The risk can be minimised by having the players that still have a bomb and are not intercepting a beam move away during the fourth Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 75 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Polarised Beam. It is not possible to intercept a beam with a bomb on the ground anyway.

After the Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 75 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Polarised Beams, at around 4:34 min, the Watchdog casts 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Degauss again and ends the phase with Body has been polarised. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
Duration: 30 s
4 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol which ends around 5:25 min.

Phase 3: The non-existent One

The last phase is usually not reached since either the Watchdog is already dead or the team wiped. It starts with 3 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Watchdog Protocol which works as in the first phase.

At around 6:02 min, a new mechanic is being introduced (or would, if the fight was not already over), the 2 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Multibeam Array. This spawns an add that does a Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 100 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Multibeam at two players simultaneously and then explodes. The selected players have the opposite polarity of the Multibeam Array (the polarity of the array is randomly chosen when it spawns) or, if there are less than two players with opposite polarity, picked randomly. After target selection, Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 100 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Multibeam will be channelled, targeting the two players. Just like with the Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 75 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Polarised Beams, they must be intercepted by a player with a bomb (the polarity does not matter), otherwise the player will be killed. After shooting the Attack and Damage Type when intercepted: Tech, Elemental
Attack and Damage Type when not intercepted: God, 100 %
6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Multibeam, the Multibeam Array will explode.

At around 6:30 min, Body has been polarised. Damage dealt massively increased. Movement speed massively decreased.
Duration: 30 s
4 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Stalker Protocol happens. Afterwards, the phase repeats until the boss (or the group) is dead. Once again, most groups do not get to the 2 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Multibeam Array at all because the boss dies before that.

3 Watchdog

Initially, the third encounter should have been Lord Valeo, Kanoth’s protégé and taken place in a train. Since Valeo seems to have missed his train, the third encounter is now Nihilus-fanboy Kanoth and his Nihrot that he likes to spread around the entire room. During development, he was also known as Creepy Pasta.

3.1 Story Mode

Summary

Avoid standing on Nihrot, same goes for the boss, and destroy it with grenades and the Fire Probes. Kill the add when it spawns and move out of Shockwave and Blastwave by standing in the free corner or behind an apparition, respectively.

Nihrot

Many mechanics revolve around Nihrot which is grown on the floor tiles by Kanoth’s abilities.

A tile can either be free from Nihrot, have normal Nihrot (red) or hardened Nihrot (red purple, more crowded than normal Nihrot). When grown, it evolves from a free tile to normal Nihrot and if grown again to hardened Nihrot.

Players standing on (hardened) Nihrot receive damage from Attack and Damage Type: Force, Internal
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Growth and the debuffs Movement speed reduced by 30 %.
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Snare and Hindered. [The effect looks more like a snare not a hinder, though]
Duration: 1.1 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Hinder, reducing their movement speed by 30 %. Kanoth has the passive Being over Nihrot growth increases damage dealt and reduces damage taken.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Empowerment, increasing his damage dealt and reducing damage taken. When standing on normal Nihrot, he deals 10 % more damage and receives 25 % less; on hardened Nihrot he deals 10 % more damage and receives 50 % less. Him standing on Nihrot is also indicated by him receiving stacks of Damage dealt increased. Damage taken decreased.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Empowerment. Both players and the boss therefore need to avoid standing on Nihrot.

To remove the Nihrot again, everyone receives two abilities for this encounter, Throw a grenade at a target location that burns away a patch of Nihrot where it lands. Cannot burn away Hardened Nihrot.
1 s cast | 12 s cooldown
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Suppression Device and Signals a Fire Probe to detonate, destroying even hardened Nihrot growth in the tile under the probe, as well as the four adjacent tiles.
1.5 s channel | 1.5 s cooldown
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Detonate Fire Probe. The former destroys the Nihrot on the tile it is placed on but cannot destroy hardened Nihrot. The latter signals the targeted Fire Probe (these adds spawn sometimes during the encounter) to detonate, destroying the Nihrot on its location and the four adjacent tiles. The Fire Probe also destroys hardened Nihrot. As both abilities are casted, the player must stand still to use them.

Kanoth’s Nihrot Growing Abilities

In the following section, almost all of the abilities that grow Nihrot are listed. Some can grow and harden Nihrot, others can only grow Nihrot but not harden it. The table at the end lists in which phases the abilities are used.

Suffused with Nihrot. Taking Internal damage over time. Triggers Nihrot growth upon expiration.
Attack and Damage Type: Force, Internal
Duration: 3 s
1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Growth Seed is a DoT casted on the tank. Upon expiration, the tile under the tank will grow. If said tile is already hardened, a random tile within 20 m will be grown instead.

Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental
3 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Seed of Echoes is a 3 s channel, targeting four players which is indicated by a purple marker above their heads. When the channel ends, they take some damage and receive [Any] Taking Internal damage over time.
Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental (DoT)
Duration: 9 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Echoing Impurity, dealing damage over time. The DoT can be cleansed. Additionally, when the channel ends, the tiles under the four targets can grow. If there is only one of them on a tile, nothing happens. At two targets, the tile is grown; at three the tile will instantly become hardened. At four targets, the tile will not only become hardened, but the four adjacent tiles will be grown (but not hardened) as well.

1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Fortify Ground grows the tile (but does not harden it) under the boss. If tile has Nihrot already, nothing will happen.

4 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Lateral Growth and 4 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Vertical Growth are channelled on random players, growing a row in East-Western and North-Southern directions, respectively. The target receives orange arrows indicating the direction of the spread.

1.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Directional Growth grows (but does not harden) every tile next to an already grown tile in a specified direction. The direction is the opposite of the two previous 1.5s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Directional Growths (or random if not applicable). If the last growth was North and the one before East, the next will be West, the one after South, and so on. The growth will be indicated by yellow arrows and can be prevented by destroying the Nihrot on the tile it comes from. In the second phase, the tiles at the respective border are grown as well.

Spreading Nihrot. Spread rate increases the longer the channel runs. If the channel is successfully completed, Nihrot will spread to the entire chamber.
60 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Surging Growth grows (but does not harden) tiles, starting from the corners and moving inwards. The longer the channel goes, the faster tiles are grown. Should the Nihrot on an outer tile be destroyed, it will be regrown before tiles close to the centre. The group can therefore focus on keeping the corners clean. At the start of the channel, Kanoth also receives View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrotic Shield, absorbing incoming damage. The shield collapses after absorbing too much damage, stunning the boss, and interrupting his cast.

4.5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Creeping Growth grows (but does not harden) all four tiles adjacent to already existing tiles, as well as the tiles on the border.

6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Choking Growth grows (but does not harden) all tiles except the tile in the centre.

The table below lists the aforementioned abilities, how many tiles they can grow, whether they can harden tiles, and in which phases they happen.

Ability	Tiles Grown	Can Harden Tiles	Phases
Suffused with Nihrot. Taking Internal damage over time. Triggers Nihrot growth upon expiration. Attack and Damage Type: Force, Internal Duration: 3 s 1 s cast View on swtor.jedipedia.net Growth Seed	1		all
Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental 3 s channel View on swtor.jedipedia.net Seed of Echoes	0 - 2, 5		all
1 s cast View on swtor.jedipedia.net Fortify Ground	0 - 1		all
4 s channel View on swtor.jedipedia.net Lateral Growth	0 - 5		1, 2
4 s channel View on swtor.jedipedia.net Vertical Growth	0 - 5		1, 2
1.5 s cast View on swtor.jedipedia.net Directional Growth	many		1, 2
Spreading Nihrot. Spread rate increases the longer the channel runs. If the channel is successfully completed, Nihrot will spread to the entire chamber. 60 s channel View on swtor.jedipedia.net Surging Growth	many		2
4.5 s cast View on swtor.jedipedia.net Creeping Growth	many		3
6 s channel View on swtor.jedipedia.net Choking Growth	up to 24		3

Phase 1: Kanoth 100 % – 66 %

The first phase involves pushing Kanoth to 66 %.

At 45 s, a group of four Fire Probes spawn and he will start casting 3 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Repel and 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Abduct. The former knocks the tank away. The latter causes the boss to teleport to a tile with Nihrot on it and then pulling the tank to himself.

Upon reaching 66 %, the second phase starts.

Phase 2: Kanoth 66 % – 38 %

The second phase starts with Kanoth casting 5 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Walled Garden. He will then teleport to the centre of the room and cast 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Sweep, removing all Fire Probes that have not been detonated yet. Then, he will summon a Nihrotic Monstrosity and channel Spreading Nihrot. Spread rate increases the longer the channel runs. If the channel is successfully completed, Nihrot will spread to the entire chamber.
60 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Surging Growth.

The summoned Nihrotic Monstrosity will spawn next to the entrance and should be picked up by the tank. It comes with the buff A hardened Nihrot shell reduces incoming damage by 50%. This effect can be temporarily suppressed by hitting this target’s tile with a Nihrot Suppression Grenade, or permanently destroyed by the blast of a Fire Probe.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrotic Carapace, reducing its damage taken by 50 %. If hit with a grenade, the buff will be replaced by Hardened Nihrot Carapace bonuses temporarily lost. Taking 1% max health damage per second. Target has recently been caught in the blast of a Nihrot Suppression Device.
Duration: 10 s
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrotic Carapace (Suppressed) for 10 s, temporarily removing the damage reduction. If hit with a Fire Probe’s explosion, the Nihrotic Monstrosity receives Nihrotic Carapace permanently broken by the blast of a Fire Probe.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Shattered Carapace, permanently removing the damage reduction. Like the boss, the add has Being over Nihrot growth increases damage dealt and reduces damage taken.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Empowerment, and should therefore not be standing on Nihrot. It also has Spreads Nihrot upon death.
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Nihrot Carrier, growing the tile it is standing on when dying.

The add will spawn multiple times throughout the second and third phase, indicated by Kanoth casting 3 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Beckon.

At 38 %, the third phase starts.

Phase 3

The third phase starts with Kanoth casting 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Sweep, teleporting to the centre and casting 6 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Choking Growth, growing (but not hardening) Nihrot on all tiles except the middle one. Afterwards, Fire Probes spawn and the boss casts 1 s cast
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Shock Apparition Wave, summoning three apparitions of himself.

The apparitions either channel Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental (AoE)
9 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Shockwave, dealing damage to anyone within 25 m, or Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental (AoE)
9 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Blastwave, dealing damage in a 90 ° cleave. In case of Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental (AoE)
9 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Shockwave being channelled, the group should stand in the free corner. Should Attack and Damage Type: Force, Elemental (AoE)
9 s channel
View on swtor.jedipedia.net Blastwave, happen, the group should stand behind the one of the apparitions. Standing in the middle of the room can be lethal in both cases. After the channel, the apparitions despawn and Kanoth reappears.

The third phase repeats after roughly 2 minutes until the boss achieves deadness.

4 Download

Written by Syseea. Thanks to Argure for the HM parts. Images taken from Star Wars: The old Republic. Additional information taken from swtor.jedipedia.net. For questions or complaints, contact me.
This page was last updated on 26 October 2022.