Aku'mai

Aku'mai is the three-headed hydra at the bottom of Blackfathom Deeps and the dungeon's final boss. A servant of the Old Gods, it rose from the waters when their corruption seeped into the old temple of Elune, and the Twilight's Hammer cult worships it as a sign that its dark masters are about to return. In Classic it is a straight test of whether a tank and healer can hold up under heavy melee damage.

Background

Long ago Blackfathom Deeps was a great temple to the moon goddess Elune on the shores of Ashenvale. Argent Guard Thaelrid, the wounded Argent Dawn agent inside the dungeon, tells how misfortune ruined it: the corruption of an Old God seeped up from beneath the earth and tainted the temple's sacred moon well, and Aku'mai rose from the waters.

The later Adventure Guide describes the hydra as an ancient evil that carries a small measure of the Old Gods' power, feared for its mindless savagery and endless hunger for living flesh. The Twilight's Hammer sees it as a divine sign. Their leader, Twilight Lord Kelris, tends the creature and feeds it, sometimes with his own followers, while the naga of Lady Sarevess seek magic to keep the cultists from becoming its next meal.

Its lair lies beyond the double doors of the Moonshrine Sanctum. The doors open only after the four Fires of Aku'mai in the sanctum have been lit and their guardians beaten.

Abilities

• Poison Cloud: a cloud of poison that deals Nature damage to everyone near the hydra every few seconds.
• Frenzied Rage: Aku'mai attacks 75% faster for a few seconds, with slightly weaker hits. On the tank, it adds up to a burst of heavy damage.

Strategy

There is no trick to Aku'mai. It has a large pool of health for a level 28 boss and hits very hard.

• The tank should be the sturdiest character available, ideally a warrior, though a paladin can manage. Without steady healing, the hydra can kill a tank in a few hits.
• The healer should save mana for Frenzied Rage, when the tank's health drops fastest.
• Everyone else attacks as hard as they can. Melee players will take Poison Cloud damage; anyone who can cure poison should keep an eye on it.
• Before the pull, buff up and soulstone the healer.

Warcraft Wiki notes that Aku'mai is not immune to fear or snares.

Loot

[Strike of the Hydra] is a rare two-handed sword whose corrosive acid damages and weakens the armor of its target, one of the best two-handers available at level 26. The [Moss Cinch] is a leather belt with Intellect and Stamina, and the [Leech Pants] are cloth pants with a large amount of Spirit, a healer's piece. The hydra can be skinned.

Quests

No quest in patch 1.12 asks for Aku'mai's death. The quests that bring groups this deep, such as Blackfathom Villainy and Blackfathom Villainy, end with Kelris, whose death opens the way to the lair.

Later history

Patch 2.0.3 lowered Aku'mai from level 28 to 24. When Warlords of Draenor (patch 6.0.2) rebuilt the dungeon, this version of the hydra was removed and replaced by Aku'mai the Devourer. Season of Discovery made the Deeps a raid, with a new version of the fight. The original returned with World of Warcraft Classic.

Sources

• Aku'mai (Classic), Warcraft Wiki
• Aku'mai's Lair, Warcraft Wiki
• Blackfathom Villainy, Warcraft Wiki
• WoWDB loot and quest data for patch 1.12