We have all the info on the next phase of Season of Discovery, as well as its release schedule!
With the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj there’s a lot of steps before the actual raids are released. There’s quite a few things to do before then, from the Scepter quest to the War Effort, an actual end date for the effort unlike in Vanilla, the pre-gate-opening event, and finally the raids and Nightmare Dragons.
Here’s all the information, with the first stage starting on November 12th!
Face your fears when you gather your allies to confront the Old God, C’thun in Ahn’Qiraj and the Dragons of Nightmare in the Nightmare Grove, plus more in Season of Discovery Phase 6.
Before you go charging into Ahn’Qiraj, you’ll need to begin your journey with the “Scepter of the Shifting Sands” questline which begins ahead of the phase on November 12 with regional resets.
Here’s what you can look forward to in the weeks to come:
- November 12: Scepter of the Shifting Sands questline opens with regional resets.
- November 21: Ahn’Qiraj War Effort begins at 1:00 pm PST globally.
- November 29: The War Effort ends.
- December 4: The war heralding the arrival of Anubisath and the qiraji warriors begins.
- December 6: Temple of Ahn’Qiraj, Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj, and Nightmare Grove Open.
Bang a Gong!
Players can begin a quest series to create the Scepter of the Sands, which will enable them to ultimately ring the gong on the realm they are on. Players who complete the quest between 1:00 pm PST on December 4 and 1:00 pm PST on December 6 will receive the Black Qiraji Resonating Crystal, which will summon a ridable Qiraji battle tank that can be used in the outdoor world as well as within the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.
Join the War Effort
Supply the war effort against the sinister forces of Ahn’Qiraj. Both Horde and the Alliance can bring a steady stream of supplies to the Valley of Spirits in Orgrimmar or to the Military Ward in Ironforge to turn-in for Ahn’Qiraj War Effort Supplies containing useful items and Alliance Commendation Signets or Horde Commendation Signets, which can be used to gain reputation with your faction.
While many of the necessary supplies can be obtained as loot drops or purchased from the Auction House, having a profession that helps you acquire these supplies will also come in handy. Here is a list of items you’ll need to set your sights on collecting.
Players can continue to contribute materials to gain Commendation Signets even after the War Effort ends.
Pushing Back the Enemy
Join the battle to push back the Anubisath and Qiraji warriors, which can be found in the Barrens and Thousand Needles (for lower-level players) and Silithus, Tanaris, and Feralas (for higher-level players). Defending against these incursions will give players a chance to earn gold, experience, and reputation with the Brood of Nozdormu, along with a higher chance for rare drops.
Opening of the Gates
At the completion of the 48-hour war, the Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj (a 10+ player raid dungeon) and the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj (a 20+ player raid dungeon) opens, allowing players access to the dangers and treasures within.
Players will need to decide how far they want to push their luck to earn the greatest reward with a new system. After each boss, they’ll need to make a choice between cashing in their rewards or enabling more challenging mechanics and trying for better loot. You’ll need to balance the risk and the reward against each other as too many deaths in the raid could mean your team earns nothing at all.
Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj
The Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj is an outdoor 10+ player raid dungeon located in Silithus, and players can traverse much of it while mounted.
Raid Bosses: 6
Level: 60
Location: Kalimdor – Silithus
Players: 10+
Raid Reset: 2x weekly
Bosses:
- Kurinnaxx is the first of the six bosses you will encounter in the ruins. This fight requires a great deal of mobility, and raid members must keep an eye on shifting sands beneath their feet to avoid taking extra damage.
- General Rajaxx is the commander of the Qiraji armies, and the second boss encounter in the ruins. You’ll find this towering monstrosity on the General’s Terrace; speak to Lieutenant General Andorov to begin the encounter, but make sure your raid team is ready first.
- Moam is located in the Reservoir. Having some players capable of draining the mana from this mighty magic user can be crucial to overcoming his mana-stealing ways.
- Buru the Gorger can be found in the Hatchery below. The eggs around him are his greatest weakness, and you’ll need to carefully maneuver him over to them to succeed.
- Ayamiss the Hunter is located in the Comb. She begins the fight airborne and will need to be damaged with ranged attacks until she’s forced to face you on the ground.
- Ossirian the Unscarred is located within the Watchers’ Terrace and is the final boss within the ruins. You’ll need to use the crystals around the room to help weaken his damage output.
Temple of Ahn’Qiraj
Dark whispers ride on the winds of Silithus desert. An old god stirs in his wretched lair, and the entire world shall soon be the target of his wrath. After thousands of years of slumber, the Old God, C’Thun has awakened and is quickly regenerating his power. Once he has reached full potential nothing will be able to stop him. The dragons that so humbly sacrificed themselves long ago to imprison C’Thun are weakened or enslaved in the temple, so the charge of protecting the land falls to other heroes.
Heroes must enter Temple of Ahn’Qiraj, challenge C’Thun’s most wicked servants, and slay a god. The road will not be easy, and it is wrought with peril at every turn. Will the heroes turn back now or face C’Thun in his mighty lair and put an end to him once and for all?
Raid Bosses: 9
Level: 60
Location: Kalimdor- Silithus
Players: 20+
Raid Reset: 7 Days
Bosses:
- The Prophet Skeram is located within the Temple Gates. An important religious leader in Ahn’Qiraj and author of The Prophecy of C’Thun, he is the first boss found in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.
- Silithid Royalty is located in the Hive Undergrounds and is an optional boss encounter in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj. In this encounter, three silithid must be fought all at the same time to be defeated.
- Battleguard Sartura, the second boss in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj, is located in the Hive Undergrounds and is the apparent leader of the Qiraji battleguards.
- Fankriss the Unyielding is is a sand reaver and the third boss in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj, located in the Hive Undergounds.
- Viscidus is located in the Hive Undergrounds; this giant slime that can be accessed after the death of Fankriss the Unyielding.
- Princess Huhuran is a silithid wasp and the fourth boss of the temple. She is located in the heart of the Hive Undergrounds.
- The Twin Emperors Little is known about the Twin Emperors, except the fact that they created a powerful entity, Moam, to serve as a commander of their armies. They are located in The Hive Underground.
- Ouro is an ancient sandworm rumored to have been created by the Old God C’Thun as a mockery of life.
- C’Thun is located in the underbelly of the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj within the Vault of C’Thun. You’ll need to hone your team’s coordination in order to defeat this final boss and reap your rewards.
Players can also collect Qiraji mounts, which can be used to help navigate the halls of the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.
Enter the Nightmare Grove
Players can now face the Dragons of Nightmare, Emeriss, Lethon, Taerrar, and Ysondre in a single instance in the Nightmare Grove. Players can access the Nightmare Grove from the Emerald Dream groves and will fight one of the four Dragons of Nightmare in whichever grove they first arrive through. Thereafter, players can teleport to each boss in sequence.
We look forward to having you join us in Season of Discovery Phase 6. We’ll see you in Azeroth!
