Burning Crusade is back on in the MMO few can get enough of. With the returning expansion, there are dungeons to delve into and understandably that can feel a bit daunting if you’re going in blind.
Where to Start – TBC Dungeons
Dungeons are places that house elite foes and bosses for players to beat and grab big rewards. Usually, they’ll conclude a story in a zone. There are two levels of difficulty in tackling dungeons which are normal and heroic. Heroic is only unlocked for a dungeon once you make it to level 70 and a few objectives are met. Throughout the map in TBC, there are several dungeons in different lands. Some can be close to each other, while others can be few and far between.
Hellfire Citadel – TBC Dungeons
Deep within the Hellfire Peninsula, lies place the fel orcs of Outland call home. The Hellfire Citadel was, in the past, the base for the orcs during the First and Second Wars. Now though, it is the home of Kargath Bladefist and his minions as well as Illidan Stormrage, who uses the Citadel as a prison for Outland’s former Lord, Magtheridon, whose blood is used to make more fel orcs.
Hellfire Ramparts: Taking place on the walls of the Hellfire Citadel, Hellfire Ramparts is the earliest dungeon to tackle. Ramparts is a fairly straightforward place in that there’s one path until you choose which of the last couple bosses to fight first. You’ll face off against Watchkeeper Gargolmar, Omor the Unscarred and Vazruden the Herald. Hellfire Ramparts can be made a less taxing challenge with some crowd control abilities. You’ll also want to take it on once you’re at level 59.
The Blood Furnace: Another of the Hellfire Citadel’s dungeons, you can find the Blood Furnace past a side passage on the Citadel’s south end. It’s a linear gauntlet to partake in but can prove challenging. Warlocks can be a help in tackling the Furnace’s obstacles, particularly if you’re trying it in Heroic difficulty.
The Shattered Halls: The third and final Hellfire Citadel dungeon, the Shattered Halls lie behind a locked gate with a quest for finding the key. Once that’s out of the way, it’s a winding, yet linear, path through the Halls to have a face off with the Citadel’s leader, Warchief Kargath Bladefist, whose reputation for sadistic joy in the suffering he inflicts is almost unmatched. Protection based Paladins will do well against the many mobs and crowd control is excellent in normal difficulty and almost necessary to complete it on Heroic. Hunters, Mages and Shamans also prove good classes for making an easier time of this dungeon.
Coilfang Reservoir – TBC Dungeons
In the region of Zangarmarsh, nature has become unbalanced with animals and plants being tormented and corrupted by this strange power that stems from the Coilfang Reservoir, orchestrated by the Lady Vashj and her naga. A journey must be taken to go deep into the Reservoir’s waters and stop this crisis before it’s too late.
The Underbog: A dungeon that’s suited for anyone level 62 or more, where you’ll find some of the Coilfang Reservoir’s unique wildlife. Once more, it’s fairly linear with a couple of side areas. Crowd control isn’t needed much here, but a Paladin’s Cleanse ability will assist in dealing with poison and magic debuffs.
The Slave Pens: In these terrible pens, Broken work away to further Lady Vashj’s goals. After you swim down to reach the dungeon, you’re met with different options in how you venture through it. As a result, you can avoid certain mobs you’d prefer not to have as close company. Due to the nature of its enemies and bosses, a Shaman can turn this dungeon into a fairly breezy situation, particularly in dealing with the poison armed final boss.
The Steamvault: The last dungeon to complete in the Coilfang Reservoir and one more tempting to inquisitive players with its side areas. The mission is to fight the first two bosses (in any order) to unlock the gate to Warlord Kalithresh, the final boss. Keep in mind, there are foes in here with tricky abilities and debuffs (especially against one of the first bosses, Hydromancer Thespia), for which Priests and Paladins can counter them. A Warlock can also hand out the crowd control that you’ll find makes life a lot easier. It’s in the Steamvault that you face its overseer, Kalithresh, one of the first subjects to be tested with the dark elixir created by the naga.
Caverns of Time – TBC Dungeons
To the east of Tanaris, lies the Caverns of Time and its unique power and within them, mysterious foes are trying to sabotage moments in history. Such moments include the slave orc, Thrall, escape from Durnholde Keep and thwart the plans of him being made into a puppet Warchief of the orcish Horde and the day the last Guardian of Tirisfal, Medivh, with the help from orc sorcerer Gul’dan opened the Dark Portal and bridged the worlds of Draenor and Azeroth. These tamperers of the timeline must be stopped.
Old Hillsbrad Foothills: You’re best going to Old Hillsbrad Foothills at level 66 in normal mode and getting there is a complicated affair. First, head to Tanaris and visit the Caverns of Time, which will lead you to the Foothills, which is set seven years in the past thanks to the Caverns’ temporal powers. The aim is to help Thrall, a slave, escape from Durnholde Keep. There’s a lot of magic-based debuffs, so it’s best to prepare for such obstacles.
Black Morass: Within the Caverns of Time, the Black Morass awaits. In this swamp, the aim is to guard an ironically titled Guardian called Medivh from enemy waves sprouting from portals, thus making Black Morass an unorthodox dungeon by design. However, in practice, it’s a very simple challenge and Warriors with their high DPS and Shamans with powers, such as Bloodlust and Heroism, will do wonders in bringing down the bosses.
Auchindoun – TBC Dungeons
An ancient holy site, where the draenei buried their dead, Auchindoun is a vast mausoleum that sits in the Bone Wastes within the Terokkar Forest. Its role as a sacred temple ended when minions of the Shadow Council made their way inside and attempted to summon a monster of terrifying evil. This resulted in a blast that ruined Auchindoun, scourged the surrounding land and left the buried draenei to move about the temple as restless spirits with the summoned monster now a threat that must be dealt with.
Mana-Tombs: In this magically rich place, ethereals feast on the arcane energy as well as ethereals under the leadership of Nexus-Prince Shaffar, who seeks to draw its power. It’ll be up to you to put an end to Shaffar’s greed and you’ll need to reach Auchindoun’s north side to get to the Mana-Tombs. Although a small place, it’s wise to use caution in where you tread as some enemies can prove dangerous. Not only that, you’ll be up against Pandemonius, one of the hardest bosses in Outland. A Shaman is a great class to use here as its Tremor Totem and Earth Shock abilities ease things up.
Sethekk Halls: Another Auchindoun dungeon, this time found on its eastern side. It’s mostly overrun with rogue arakkoa, who are led by the mad Talon King Ikiss, who possesses the key to the Shadow Labyrinth. Known as the Sethekk, they believe themselves the true servants of the strange master of all arakkoa. When Auchindoun exploded, Ikiss and Darkweaver Syth led the Sethekk there, believing their master to have returned. Sethekk Halls features two floors and some fearsome enemies, including Ikiss and Syth as bosses. Here, a Priest can make themselves very useful as would a Mage for their crowd control powers.
Auchenai Crypts: To find these Crypts, you must head to Auchindoun’s western side. When there, you’ll find yourself under attack from the ghostly Auchenai, the temple’s original guards. Other than choosing which side of the rooms to go down, it’s a straightforward ride to the end. There’s a small first floor and then a larger second one bearing enemy packs that may prove tricky if you’re ill-prepared. It’s best not to rely too much on those dealing spell casting damage as one of the bosses, Shirrak the Dead Watcher, will lower their DPS.
Shadow Labyrinth: Taking on this intimidatingly named dungeon is best played when you’re around level 68. The Shadow Labyrinth is on Auchindoun’s southern side. Once there, it’s a straight path, but make no mistake, this is not a brief dungeon. You’ll be taking on large, dangerous mobs that can be made easier through crowd control. Shamans are a great class here as well. It’s here you face Shadow Council’s summoned being, Murmur, an elemental hailing from a place beyond comprehension. The Council has attempted to keep the chaotic “essence of sound” imprisoned in the Labyrinth, but now you must try to stop it from wreaking havoc.
Tempest Keep – TBC Dungeons
This floating stronghold was built by the naaru, beings of energy and foes of the Burning Legion. It was used as a means for the naaru to reach Outland, but when the naaru left to fight, the lord of the blood elves, Kael’thas Sunstrider, and his ilk swooped in and made it a stronghold of their own. It is time to help take it back.
The Mechanar: This place generates the power Kael’thas so eagerly craves. Getting to the Mechanar requires a flying mount to reach floating Tempest Keep that houses it. There are two floors inside and getting to the second involves defeating Gatewatcher Gyro-Kill and Gatewatcher Iron-Hand for access to the elevator. Floor 2 is much more compact but does involve a gauntlet battling three enemy waves. It’s a small dungeon overall and its nature means Warlocks make going through it an easier time.
The Arcatraz: A prison meant for the most fearsome enemies, it has fallen into chaos as one of the prisoners, Harbinger Skyriss, has corrupted the Warden and made him release everyone from their cells. It’s now your job to help quell the fallout. Making it to Arcatraz will make it your second dungeon in Tempest Keep, so a flying mount will be in need again. One of the larger dungeons, you’ll traverse three floors and meet bosses that range from fairly easy to very demanding. The final one, Harbinger Skyriss, can’t be taken on until you go into four prison cells and defeat a monster in each. Of the classes to suggest, Hunters can excel here with their Misdirection power for handling foes that disarm or silence, so keep that in mind.
The Botanica: This satellite of Tempest Keep has been chosen by Kael’thas to investigate the naaru’s incredible technology with blood elves experimenting on plantlife and learning how to gain new powers from it. Unfortunately, they appear to have gone too far as some experiments have gone out of control. Not only must you face them, but also Kael’thas’ commander, Sarannis, who is tasked with defending the Keep to the end. One more time, we fly back to the Tempest Keep for what is a giant dungeon to visit. As well as a lot of mobs, there’s a daunting five bosses of varying type to handle. Due to such large enemy packs here, crowd control is a very wise choice of strategy. As for classes, Warlocks with their Fear and Banish abilities are a great idea and Mages are greatly useful through their Polymorph spell.
Conclusion
So long as you have the right classes involved, most dungeons in TBC aren’t so frustrating you’ll be left with a lot of hair tugged out. Shamans can be a boon in a lot of them and the same can be said for Paladins and Mages. Keep in mind, specific locations will house several dungeons for you to quest in.
- Hellfire Citadel: Hellfire Ramparts, the Blood Furnace and the Shattered Halls.
- Coilfang Reservoir: The Slave Pens, the Underbog and the Steam Vaults.
- Auchindoun: Mana-Tombs, Auchenai Crypts, Sethekk Halls and Shadow Labyrinth.
- Caverns of Time: Old Hillsbrad Foothills and Black Morass.
- Tempest Keep: The Mechanar, the Arcatraz and the Botanica.
It might seem tempting to do all dungeons in one area but be warned. Some may need you to be at a higher level depending on your experience.
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