Area of Effect Spells and FIRE!
Have at least the following spells memorized or have magic items with the same effects - 2 webs, two entangles, 4 fireballs, 4 shrouds of flame, many flame arrows, many sunscorches, and a few (3) monster-summoning type spells. Also, make sure to have 2 lower resistance spells, which you will use on Icasaracht. This way you get more damage for every spell/hit from a magical arrow. In addition have the spells below memorized.

Before entering the room with the White Wyrm (which initializes an automatic sequence), cast the following spells, in order, on your party members.

Clerics: Recitation, Prayer, Storm Shield, Pro From Cold on all party members that don't have boots of the north or other 50% cold resistance (in case you get blasted by the breath weapon)

Mages/Bards: Stoneskin, Mirror image, hope, courage, haste. Thieves: Don't try to backstab - you'll get creamed by the area effect spells that are necessary to kill the sahaugin. Wait until they're dead, and then if you want sneak around the dragon and backstab it. Bards: Have the regenerate and AC bonus song going before entering.

Fighters: Gulp down potions of heroism and giant strength (preferably Storm Giant (STR 25!!!)) and regeneration if you want.

Upon entering, choose option 1, then 3 in the dialogues, and prepare for a fight.

The first time, I lost two characters. My second battle, using the previously-mentioned preparation and the tactics below - I came out almost unscathed (a sahaugin cast a shroud of flame on my druid) - but that was all the damage I took the entire battle.

The key is, like in most Baldur's Gate series games, allies! This frees your characters to cast essential spells.

The first thing I did was have my fighter wearing the ogre summoning belt call those allies to occupy Icasaracht. Then, my mages cast lower resistance on the dragon, while my cleric/ranger cast strength of one, my druid cast Cloudburst behind the dragon, centering on where the sahaugin will approach. My fighter/thief had inferno arrows (and was hasted) so I started making the dragon a flaming pincushion.

Now watch your allies closely, because when one is left you must summon more to keep the dragon occupied. My bard used the horn of Valhalla to summon 4 warriors to fight the dragon after the ogres died.

Round 2, mages and bards cast webs to cover the entire area just behind the dragon (so the sahuagin are trapped). Placement of the webs are careful - don't get your allies caught in them; place the dragon just at the right edge of the effects. Get a good spread. My dwarf then hurled a a necklace missile into the sahuagin, just catching the dragon at the edge of the effect. The thief kept up the pincushion. My cleric/ranger cast defensive harmony. The druid cast another Cloudburst, targeting the sahuagin, but keeping the dragon JUST in the area of effect.

Round 3. Dwarf expends necklace of missiles, switches to throwing axe next round. C/Ranger casts sunscorch on dragon. Thief fires fire missiles, and holdfast arrows and acid arrows. Druid casts static charge. Mage - the next four turns is FireBall Heaven - just keeping launching them into the webbed area, making sure to keep your allies safe, and keep the dragon JUST at the edge of effect. Bard - casts fireballs, flame arrows, any scrolls of those, and then switches to magic missiles and chromatic orbs. The bard can do a trade off from here on - once done with offensive spells, he/she can switch to song, or like the thief launch fire arrows. Personally the second set of arrow attacks make your party even deadlier, but I liked the idea that my bard was sing a heroic song that he/she was inspired to by the party's actions.

Round 4 and following rounds: Fighters use a magical missile weapon (I kept using the throwing axe +2 found in the IWD yuan-ti chamber.). C/Ranger casts sunscorch on dragon, then change to bullets of FIRE. Alternatively, you could cast Holy Smite on the Sahuagin. Keep the Strengths of One active - your missile fire will have extra damage. Thieves - keep firing magical arrows with great damaging effects. Druid - use any of the following - Sol's searing orbs - this spell is righteous! Sunscorch, alicorn, fire seeds, flame strike, etc. on the dragon and maybe the sahuagin king. Mages - keep up the fireballs, flame arrows, and shrouds of flame! Once done, concentrate on magic missiles, chromatic orbs and acid arrows to finish the dragon off.

Bards: Spell support, arrow support, or glorious song.

Overall, remember to keep summoning allies (although I only had to summon the ogres and Valhallan warriors before the dragon went down.) This is the key - otherwise your spells get disrupted by the dragon's mighty aresenal of weapons.

Enjoy the battle - I really enjoyed myself with Heart of Winter - I vote it best expansion pack ever. Fighting a dragon - wow!

Submitted By: Dale Thurber

More Area of Effect Goodness
I found Icasaracht to be a disappointing boss character, even with her sahuagin lackeys. My party consists of a human fighter, a dwarven fighter, a human paladin, a human cleric, an elf mage, and a halfling thief. Except for the paladin and thief, my characters are imported from the first time I completed the game, but I have been playing in Heart of Fury mode until I entered the expansion, when I dialed the difficulty back to Insane. As a result, everyone is between 24-27th level.

The first time I encountered the white dragon, she wiped the floor with me. After fighting the dragons in BG2, I was not prepared to fight any underlings. Nor was I used to the dragon getting the jump on me, as opposed to the other way around; unlike the shadow dragon, you cannot maneuver around and position the party for a concerted massive-damage first strike. Also, unlike BG2, there is no way to run like hell when things start to go badly for the party; you either finish off the dragon or become its lunch.

I did very little in terms of preparation before fighting Icasaracht. My cleric cast Defensive Harmony on the party and the paladin cast Protection From Evil 10' radius. I equipped everyone with missile weapons. The single best piece of equipment is the Vexed Armour (enhanced) and its 100% cold resistance -- including white dragon breath!

After finishing the dialogue with Isasaracht, I charged the dragon with my lead fighter and retreated the party back a bit. The dragon used its breath weapon and caught only the fighter, who took no damage. I then opened up on her with my firing squad. I loaded up my slings with Bullets of Fire +2, the bows with Arrows of Piercing, Arrows of Biting, Arrows of Fire and the crossbow with those nasty fire bolts you loot of the sahaugin in the outer rooms. I kept the fighter out in front to draw any breath attacks from the dragon then used my mage to thin out the ranks of her underlings.

Fireball, Incendiary Cloud, Acid Storm, Cloudkill; anything that deals area-effect damage is good. If you have any Oils of Fiery Burning or a Necklace of Missiles, they help too, but your first target should be the dragon. When she got close to the fighter, I started moving him around, but never far enough away so that she would turn her attention to the rest of the party. It helped that he had the Boots of Speed. After turning her into a pincushion with my archers and lighting her up with a few fireballs, Icasaracht died her slow, pre-animated death.

After killing the dragon, the sahuagin who survived the inferno fell easily to concentrated missile fire. As I said before, I thought Icasaracht was a poor villain, but the twist of her underlings was a very refreshing take on dragon-slaying. It's too bad the AI is so predictable and easy to exploit.

Submitted By: HighLord Dave