Beta Titan Runes and Sidereal Essence

Titan Runes are a new system introduced in Wrath of the Lich King Classic that aim to further increase the difficulty of dungeons, while also increasing the rewards that players can earn. To activate this dungeon mode, all 5 players in the dungeon group will need to interact with the Mysterious Device found at the entrance of the dungeon. Be sure to select the "Activate Defense Protocol Beta" option in the menu and check your chat for the emote to confirm it has been activated.

These new Titan Runes add a greatly increased difficulty to the old dungeons, and as a reward players will be able to obtain 10-man Ulduar loot from each boss in addition to the regular Heroic dungeon loot. This is a great way to gear up before raids for new characters and returning players alike.

The Beta version of the Titan Runes are similar to the Alpha ones from Phase 2, but are typically buffed even further. To counter-act the even higher increased damage and health found in the dungeon, players are now given new ways to interact with the Runes, often times countering the Rune entirely. Understanding these buffs that players can get is crucial to completing the Beta Rune dungeons in a timely manner. Check out the list below for more details on each of the specific benefits players can get in each dungeon.

Dungeon	Defense Protocol Beta	Player Buffs
Azjol-Nerub	Beta Empowered: Shadow Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Attacks have a chance to Web Wrap a nearby enemy.	For every second that you spend in Web Wrap, you gain a stacking buff that duplicates the next spell used, including AoE spells.
Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom	Beta Empowered: Shadow Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Attacks have a chance to Web Wrap a nearby enemy.	For every second that you spend in Web Wrap, you gain a stacking buff that duplicates the next spell used, including AoE spells.
Drak'Tharon Keep	Beta Empowered: Blood Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 180%. 100% Lifesteal when standing in Blood of the Loa.	Players can click on the "Witch Doctors Brew" cauldrons throughout the dungeon to gain the Witch Doctor's Brew debuff. This player takes %5 max health every 5 seconds and changes the Blood of the Loa from healing mobs to dealing damage to them instead.
Gundrak	Beta Empowered: Blood Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 180%. 100% Lifesteal when standing in Blood of the Loa.	Players can click on the "Witch Doctors Brew" cauldrons throughout the dungeon to gain the Witch Doctor's Brew debuff. This player takes %5 max health every 5 seconds and changes the Blood of the Loa from healing mobs to dealing damage to them instead.
Halls of Lightning	Beta Empowered: Titan Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 580%. Pulsing Purified Titan energy that increases player damage done by 2% per stack for 12 sec. Perhaps enough energy will grant assistance from the Keepers themselves.	After players reach 100 stacks of Beta Empowered: Titan Rune, they will also gain the same buffs granted by the Keepers during the Yogg-Saron encounter such as Fury of the Storm, Titanic Storm, Resilience of Nature, Fortitude of Frost, Hodir's Protective Gaze, Speed of Invention and a few others to restore sanity and further increase the groups damage and speed.
Halls of Stone	Beta Empowered: Titan Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 580%. Pulsing Purified Titan energy that increases player damage done by 2% per stack for 12 sec. Perhaps enough energy will grant assistance from the Keepers themselves.	After players reach 100 stacks of Beta Empowered: Titan Rune, they will also gain the same buffs granted by the Keepers during the Yogg-Saron encounter such as Fury of the Storm, Titanic Storm, Resilience of Nature, Fortitude of Frost, Hodir's Protective Gaze, Speed of Invention and a few others to restore sanity and further increase the groups damage and speed.
The Nexus	Beta Empowered: Arcane Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Attacks have a chance summon Mirror Images of the caster.	Killing a Mirror Image grants players a stacking 5% Haste and Movement Speed buff up to 30% for 30 seconds.
The Oculus	Beta Empowered: Arcane Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Attacks have a chance summon Mirror Images of the caster.	Killing a Mirror Image grants players a stacking 5% Haste and Movement Speed buff up to 30% for 30 seconds.
The Violet Hold	Beta Empowered: Arcane Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Attacks have a chance summon Mirror Images of the caster.	Killing a Mirror Image grants players a stacking 5% Haste and Movement Speed buff up to 30% for 30 seconds.
Utgarde Keep	Beta Empowered: Frost Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Melee attacks have a chance to Glaciate and Fire Blast a random nearby target.	Fire Blast deals 10% of your max HP per second every second and can stack if targeted multiple times. Remove this deadly debuff my walking over a Glaciate path. Removing the Fire Blast debuff this way grants players 50% increased crit chance for 20 seconds.
Utgarde Pinnacle	Beta Empowered: Frost Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Melee attacks have a chance to Glaciate and Fire Blast a random nearby target.	Fire Blast deals 10% of your max HP per second every second and can stack if targeted multiple times. Remove this deadly debuff my walking over a Glaciate path. Removing the Fire Blast debuff this way grants players 50% increased crit chance for 20 seconds.
The Culling of Stratholme	Beta Empowered: Plague Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Damaging attacks can infect victims with You're Infected!.	Instantly kills the new "Zombie Horror" mobs throughout the dungeon and grants nearby players 20% increased damage and healing for 20 seconds.
Trial of the Champion	Beta Empowered: Arcane Rune Damage increased by 40%. Health increased by 120%. Spectators look to be more fired up than usual.	Causes the crowd to throw various food at the players. Bananas cause players to trip and fall, stunning them; Frost traps slow down anyone in the area greatly; Fire traps deal damage over time to anyone in the area. They will also throw beneficial items such as: Chests that quickly replenish missing health and mana; Roses that grant a stacking 2% increased damage and haste for 20 seconds.

With Phase 3 comes a new vendor, Animated Constellation. This vendor sells players Ulduar 10-man Hardmode gear for varying amounts of Sidereal Essence. You earn 1 Sidereal Essence by defeating the end-boss in dungeons while the Titan Rune Protocol is active, allowing you to earn up to 13 essences daily. Save these up and grab some of the powerful gear choices found below, easily helping you get into the raiding scene quickly.

Cost	Items
3 x Sidereal Essence	Crusader Orb
15 x Sidereal Essence	Bitter Cold Armguards; Drape of the Faceless General; Fire Orchid Signet; Fluxing Energy Coils; Loop of the Agile; Pendant of the Shallow Grave; Petrified Ivy Sprig; Seal of Ulduar; Seed of Budding Carnage; Shimmering Seal; Signet of Soft Lament; Twirling Blades; Watchful Eye of Fate
19 x Sidereal Essence	Amice of Inconceivable Horror; Band of Lights; Belt of the Crystal Tree; Drape of the Messenger; Gauntlets of the Thunder God; Gloves of Whispering Winds; Greaves of the Iron Army; Handguards of Potent Cures; Mantle of Fiery Vengeance; Mjolnir Runestone; Nebula Band; Pendant of the Somber Witness; Sif's Remembrance; Soul-Devouring Cinch; Strength of the Heavens; Tempered Mercury Greaves; Vanquished Clutches of Yogg-Saron
24 x Sidereal Essence	Dark Matter; Gloves of the Endless Dark; Meteorite Crystal; Observer's Mantle; Pulsar Gloves; Shoulderplates of the Celestial Watch; Starfall Girdle; Starlight Treads
25 x Sidereal Essence	The Boreal Guard; Breastplate of the Stoneshaper; Caress of Insanity; Combatant's Bootblade; Fused Alloy Legplates; Gilded Steel Legplates; Ice Layered Barrier; Leggings of Profound Darkness; The Masticator; Mimiron's Flight Goggles; Perilous Bite; Serilas, Blood Blade of Invar One-Arm; Shiver; Void Sabre
32 x Sidereal Essence	Breastplate of the Timeless; Zodiac Leggings
38 x Sidereal Essence	Aesir's Edge; Aesuga, Hand of the Ardent Champion; Fusion Blade; Hammer of Crushing Whispers; Icecore Staff; Magnetized Projectile Emitter; Tortured Earth