The Azra'tec Delve on ?? difficulty has received notable buffs on the Patch 12.1 PTR. These adjustments increase the number of memory game steps during each intermission and close off strategies that allowed players to completely ignore the mechanic. Anyone aiming for the Fabled Let Me Solo Him: Azta'rec achievement on the week of August 18th should take note of these encounter updates.
During the encounter, Azra'tec enters a Simon Says memory game phase at 90%, 60%, and 30% health. Following the PTR changes, these memory sequences become increasingly difficult with each successive intermission. The first safe sequence now features 5 safe spots, the second increases to 6 safe spots, and the final memory game requires remembering a sequence of 7 spots. Players must memorize this pattern of seven while simultaneously dodging incoming waves and eliminating the add.
To manage the pattern, players can place World Markers or remember the starting location alongside the directional changes of left, right, or across. While the time to memorize the sequence is short, players are given more time to complete the path during the second pass.
Blizzard has also introduced a strict penalty for failing the memory game, designed to stop tanks from simply soaking every hit. Taking damage from any memory game cone applies Ula'tek's Mark, a debuff increasing all Nature damage taken by 500% for the duration of the encounter. This penalty affects waves, future mistakes, ground pools, and frontal cones, turning them into lethal mechanics.
Despite these changes, tanks remain strong contenders for the Delve due to the boss's heavy melee damage and rapid movement speed, which make kiting difficult. Tanks maintain the survivability needed for autoattacks, allowing them to focus heavily on the memory game mechanics rather than overall survival.
