Part 3: Crypts/Torches
Do not talk to her just yet. Instead all but one person should DDoor back to the beginning and head into the main hall/crypts and prepare themselves. If you need to Shrine, this is the time to do it (east of the main hall where Strahd originally was at the beginning of the raid).
This is where the 5 cards drawn at the beginning of the raid become vitally important. There are 32 crypts. Each of the 5 cards drawn at the beginning of the raid will be inside one of them, randomly. If a crypt has a card in it, it will also have a torch below it.
The torches MUST be lit in the same order that the cards were drawn at the beginning of the raid. The torches only stay lit for one minute (60 seconds), and all must be alight at the same time. If the torches are not lit with 60 seconds of the first one being lit, or the torches are not lit in the correct order, they will all go out and you must start the lighting process over from the start.
After one minute, a red mist will appear in the middle area (going north to south between columns 4 and 5). This mist starts off a yellow-brown color, and over the course of 3 seconds transitions to a darker red color. Once it is red, it will severely damage anyone touching it, potentially killing them. This mist lasts approximately 25-30 seconds, and will come back again approximately 60 seconds later, and continue with this pattern throughout this section.
Strahd is also active and attacking during this phase. He has a very high spot and hits fairly hard. Every minute or so he vanishes in a flurry of bats and teleports to a different spot in the area (usually near another party member). His aggro also resets when he does this. This appears to coincide with the spawning of the mist.
The enemies (12 flaming skulls and 2 Greater Shadows of Hate) will spawn after a time, and will respawn infinitely if killed. If takes about 45 seconds for all of them to spawn. As such it's preferable to have the tank gather all the enemies and tank them or kite them around. During this phase of the raid it is also preferable for the only voice chat going on to be calling out the lighting of the torches. For example, the moment the first card is found and lit, the person who lit it should call out "[card name] is lit", so that everyone knows where we are in the order, thus allowing the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th cards to be lit immediately once their turn arrives. However, due to the time frame requires to light all the torches, it may be better to find them all first, then once they are all found, start lighting them in order.
The most common strategy for this section is often called "Blitz". A more efficient method is mentioned by Griglok below.
------------------------------**Blitz Method**------------------------------
Everyone else (only one person should stay up top to talk to Ezmerelda) should reference this map of the main hall/crypts and assign themselves a number.
Get into position and get ready to open your column of doors. Note: Flaming Skulls and Strahd himself spawn in the north, but they do not spawn right away. Most groups will have everyone start at the south side and work their way up. Greater Shadows of Hate also spawn at the east and west exits (thus number 1 and 8 will have to worry about them). Strahd himself will often run towards a crypt door when it is opened, so do not linger for long and be ready for him!
This phase can get very chaotic, especially if communication is not clear and precise. Also take note of where the cards are via the coordinates in the image above (typing the coordinates in the chat is a good way to keep track) so that if it becomes impossible to complete on the first try (not fast enough, got overwhelmed by enemies, etc), then it will still be possible to run away, regroup/resurrect everyone, then rush the torches efficiently with the knowledge of exactly where they all are.
Once everyone is in position, the person left behind at the top of the tower should talk to Ezmerelda. She will open up a DDoor for the talker to get back to the group. The DDoor will put you in the middle of the main hall, directly in front of Strahd (though he will not activate right away). The moment the DDoor is stepped into, all the crypt doors in the Main Hall will turn from red to green. This means that they are now all unlocked. Start opening doors in order to find the cards and light them in order. Be sure to open all of your assigned doors!
If all goes well, this section of the raid will finish very fast.
Inside each crypt on either side of the door is a ledge that you can hang from. Strahd cannot hurt you while you hang there. Flaming skulls can hit you though, so be careful if you want to use the ledges to keep enemies away from others.
Once all 5 cards/torches are lit, all currently spawned enemies will vanish, and will no longer respawn. Now it is time for the final fight. Head to the west and prepare yourself. Do not go down the stairs until everyone is ready.
