Boss suggestion 2

[Minnakht]

$BOSS

Arena

$BOSS's arena has a $largeobject in the center. The $largeobject has a visible aura that spans the entire arena and is visibly damaged.

Boss

$BOSS is a big monster in the middle of the arena and attacks in melee.

Phase 1 (100-70% HP)

$BOSS is immune to damage while outside of the aura of the $largeobject. This is visually indicated by a graphical effect whenever $BOSS takes damage within the aura. (Stand-in effect: Nether Ward lightning)

$BOSS uses following abilities: $ability1: $BOSS's next 5 attacks apply $debuff1. $debuff1 deals $moderate damage over time and has $moderate duration and is dispellable. When $debuff1 would be applied to an unit that already has $debuff1, the attack deals $superhigh more damage. $ability2: $BOSS turns towards a hero and applies an undispellable $debuff2. Whenever $BOSS would be damaged while a hero has $debuff2, the damage is dealt to the hero instead. A graphical effect indicates this. $debuff2 has $low duration. $BOSS casts $ability1 $few seconds after the fight starts. $BOSS casts $ability2 $several seconds after the last attack done with $ability1. $BOSS proceeds to cast $ability1 $several seconds after $debuff2 expires.

Phase 2 (70-30% HP)

$largeobject breaks, disappearing and creating $few $smallobjects in the arena. $smallobjects have the same aura, but with smaller radius, reducing aura coverage from arenawide to much less. $smallobjects may occasionally expire for a new one to spawn elsewhere.

Phase 3 (30-0% HP)

$BOSS no longer waits $several seconds to cast $ability1 after $debuff2 expires.

[Haganeko]

This feels better than the first idea. No hijinx, and it actually refines some of the ideas from issues which were closed (I assume unintentionally). I wish to know what the strategic test of this is. Is the boss's attack interval low enough to allow for a reaction from a player who gets hit with the first debuff? If not, might wish to make it so it applies on one attack (maybe in a small area?) so that there is counterplay. Proposal: the debuff is placed, boss takes a small delay then for the next x attacks the person who has the debuff will take increased damage from attacks. Debuff 2 seems to work out of the box.

[Minnakht]

The boss's base attack time and attack speed together make it so that a player can react to $debuff1 being applied, especially if an attack speed debuff is brought by players. Varying difficulty, The point is that there's five consecutive attacks with $debuff1 - how are players going to handle it exactly is the strategic test. What can you think of?

Having players repeatedly swap aggro, so that no player is hit by more than one of these attacks? (Possibly with the first player being around to take the last attack due to time expiry.) Using a dispel to dispel $debuff1 to be able to take two attacks? Whatever other abilities I'm missing?