Zao

[Kendrah]

I just finished the CT for this week. Now, I've been completing them since the CT came out and never had a problem but I do have a question about Zao.

Did they do anything to Zao lately?

My strategy when fighting Zao is a fox, spider, and mech. I start with the fox and put dazzling dance on the party. I attack once then use howl. I put brittle web on and do the stamped and the cage. The I switch to mech and use Ion Cannon.

Today he one shot six or seven foxes, one right after another. I had to restart the tourney, which was so annoying. >.< I have spare foxes because I use a variation of this strat for Xu-Fu and it's a bit trickier with him. I've never, ever had Zao one shot any of my foxes before. For the entire time I've been doing the CT, Zao has never, ever one shot a fox.

I can see once or twice as a fluke but all my foxes? Does RNG just hate me today or did they change him in some way?

[Kpb321]

I used Raptors for Zao and did note when completing it last week he did kill my first raptor with his Niuzao's Charge which normally leaves the Raptor with just a little bit of health. I don't think it was a crit but the raptor always has so little health left I just chalked it up to a good hit on the top of his range but maybe they did change it slightly as I can't recall that ever happening before. I haven't tried it yet this week so we'll see if I get a repeat of that. Either way it isn't really a big deal for my team as the second raptor still finishes him easily. For the fox team you should be able to just howl the second turn but then that throws you off if he doesn't kill you. If he doesn't kill you, then forfeiting and starting over with that same fox should ensure that he does kill you on the second hit the next time and you should be able to go from there.

[Kel]

I haven't seen a change in him at all.

I've been using the same team for Zao since my first CT -
Skywisp Moth
Zandalari Anklerender
Zandalari Kneebiter
I go Call Lightning while he is powering up his charge and then Cocoon Strike on the turn he will charge. Then I swap to one of the Raptors and Black Claw him. You should be able to get in one round of Hunting Party before that Raptor dies. Then just bring in the other Raptor and Hunting Party again. He should be dead at that point. I've had perfect success with that since my first CT attempt and I've stuck with it on him ever since, through all 12 weeks I've done it. Never had it fail.

[Luciandk]

Anything with a mech dot like Build Turret or Make it Rain, + x2 Zandalari raptors using black claw and hunting party will make short work of xufu and zao.

[Ligre]

Zandalari Anklerender (P/S)

Black Claw -> Hunting Party

Anklerender dies

Cogblade Raptor (B/B)

Batter

Zao dies

Works every...and I mean EVERY...time. No fail in this plan.

[Kendrah]

Works every...and I mean EVERY...time. No fail in this plan.

Yes, well, my way worked every, and I mean EVERY, time. That's the point of this thread. I've never had any problem with him up until this last CT and I've been doing (and winning) the CT every week since it came out and I've used my team since the beginning. Zao has always taken like 30 seconds to beat.

This is why I was wondering if something had changed. I'd've thought it was a fluke if it had happened once or twice. Strange things happen. But when he one shot EVERY fox I had (a good six or seven of them, one right after the other)? Yeah, that just strikes me as strange.

[Kel]

My last battle with him was last week, so I guess I really can't say if he got nerfed or not. I think I did him last Friday. I haven't done the CT this week yet. But I will say, one of the things I like about my Moth strategy is the fact that the Cocoon Strike totally nullifies his Charge, then I don't have to deal with that ability for a bit. Tends to keep the next pet alive longer. That may be the difference you're seeing. Maybe he just had a lucky streak where his Charge was really dealing good damage.

[Jerebear]

I tried him last night after reading this thread. I saw no deviation in his normal damage pattern. The strat I use relies on him doing a certain range of damage each turn for most of the turns. Nothing out of the ordinary. Honestly, I know you are going to hate this, but really, when this stuff happens, you should bring up your pet combat log and screenshot it so we can at least figure out what was different for you this week.

In my case his hits were exactly on spot in terms of amount of damage he does.

[Kendrah]

Honestly, I know you are going to hate this, but really, when this stuff happens, you should bring up your pet combat log and screenshot it so we can at least figure out what was different for you this week.

Why would I hate that? I actually didn't think it was anything more than a fluke until I realized all my level 25 foxes were dead and I was trying out a level 22 fox (with predictable results.) After the first two died, I tried to just push my way through it with my other pets so that, by the last one (and by the time I decided to make a thread), I couldn't scroll up and screenie them -- and I thought that one wasn't convincing enough.

I'll screenie it if it happens next week, though.