[BUG] Algalon ignores Shaman's Elemental Totems for Big Bang and Ascend to the Heavens

[raethkcj]

1. Current Behavior

1.1. Description

Shaman's Greater Fire Elemental Totem and Greater Earth Elemental can be used to effectively ignore Algalon's Big Bang / Ascend to the Heavens mechanic. If either of these summons are active when Big Bang is cast, the entire raid can safely enter the Black Holes, and Big Bang will not have any targets, but Algalon will not cast Ascend to the Heavens.

1.2. How to Reproduce

       1. Have a Shaman use either Earth Elemental Totem or Fire Elemental Totem prior to Algalon casting Big Bang
       2. Have all players enter the safety of a Black Hole prior to the Big Bang cast finishing
       3. Observe that the Elemental does not get phased with the raid
       4. Observe that Big Bang deals zero damage to anyone, including the Elemental that stayed out
       5. Observe that Ascend to the Heavens is not cast

1.3 Source Material

A raid by the guild Fusion on Benediction using this strategy to ignore the first and third Big Bangs in a successful Algalon kill: Start: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1721216056?t=08h51m20s First Big Bang: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1721216056?t=08h52m54s (Second Big Bang was soaked by a Death Knight) Third Big Bang: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1721216056?t=08h54m25s Encounter Ends: 8:56:58

Logs of this encounter, showing the health of the Elementals overlaid with the casts and damage of Big Bang, showing that the first and third Big Bangs hit absolutely nothing: https://classic.warcraftlogs.com/reports/LNTwthqa2BvcCRg4#fight=50&type=resources&view=events&pins=2%24Off%24%23244F4B%24expression%24target.owner.name%20%3D%20%22Wartide%22%20and%20target.class%20%3D%20%22Pet%22%20and%20not%20target.name%20%3D%20%22Spirit%20Wolf%22%5E0%24Main%24%23909049%24expression%24ability.name%20%3D%20%22Big%20Bang%22

Notably, this strategy can also be used to survive the 4th Big Bang that occurs after Algalon Enrages, which can't otherwise be survived by most other strategies: https://clips.twitch.tv/VibrantSlipperyTildeCeilingCat-lugptpBCkk8G7mmD

2. Expected Behavior

2.1. Description

It's difficult to guess exactly what's intended here, but I can think of three reasonable, separate possibilities:

1. The Elementals should be phased when the Shaman enters a Black Hole, similar to the pets of Hunters, Warlocks, etc.*
2. The Elementals should take damage from Big Bang. This damage would be reduced by 90% by their passive Avoidance (this would allow them to still be used for the mechanic, but it would be less trivial and you'd need to make sure they have enough health to survive. It would also prevent surviving the 6 minute Enraged Big Bang.)
3. Since Big Bang hit zero targets, Algalon should follow it up with Ascend to the Heavens and wipe the raid

   2.2 Source Material

   This video from 2010 shows a Fire Elemental continuing to attack Algalon while its owner is phased in a Black Hole. It doesn't conclusively show which of the three mentioned possibilities are intended*, but it does show that possibilty 1 was not how it worked in 2010. https://youtu.be/bdIYiMK1xEE?t=113

[raethkcj]

Is there any context you can share for closing this @JamminL? I'm guessing it behaved this way in the reference client, but I'd be extremely surprised if Big Bang hitting nothing was ever an intended way for the mechanic to be dealt with, and if it worked this way in 2010, it should have been reported as a bug then.

[JamminL]

I'll reopen until we get an official answer but there's evidence that suggests that this bug was authentic yes