Blackrock Depths

Blackrock Depths is the underground capital of the Dark Iron Dwarves, set in the lowest levels of Blackrock Mountain between Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes. It is the largest five-player dungeon in Classic World of Warcraft, with more than twenty bosses, a prison, a tavern, an arena, a city and the gateway to Molten Core. Its bosses range from level 51 to 59, and players often returned to it for most of their 50s and again at 60 for attunements, reputation and crafting materials.

Background

The Dark Iron clan lost the War of the Three Hammers against the Bronzebeards and Wildhammers more than two centuries before the orcs came to Azeroth. In revenge, their sorcerer-thane Thaurissan reached into the earth for a power to serve him and woke Ragnaros the Firelord instead. The eruption that followed tore open Blackrock Mountain and burned the lands around it into the Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes.

The Dark Irons have served Ragnaros ever since. They built Shadowforge City in the mountain's depths and work its black forge for him. Ragnaros himself lives deeper still, in the Molten Core, while his elementals walk the city halls. In the Classic era the emperor is Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, a descendant of the first Thaurissan, and his new wife is Princess Moira Bronzebeard, daughter of Magni Bronzebeard. Ironforge believes she was kidnapped. The Alliance and Horde both send adventurers to bring her back, and both discover the story is more complicated.

Layout

The instance portal sits on a ledge just above the lava at the bottom of Blackrock Mountain. Inside, the dungeon branches far more than most:

• Detention Block: the prison where High Interrogator Gerstahn interrogates captives. The Alliance hero Marshal Windsor, the dwarf Kharan Mighthammer and the orc Commander Gor'shak are all held here.
• Ring of the Law: an arena where Dark Iron judges throw intruders to whichever beast is on the card that day.
• The Grim Guzzler: a working tavern with its own regulars, a brewmaster, a bouncer and a trader for the Thorium Brotherhood.
• Shadowforge City: the city proper, with the Manufactory, the Hall of Crafting, the Black Anvil, the Black Vault and the Lyceum.
• The Molten Bridge: the path to the portal into Molten Core.
• Summoners' Tomb and the Imperial Seat: the last stretch, where the seven dark spirits, the guardian Magmus and the emperor wait.

Bosses

Levels and drops are from our database (patch 1.12). The list follows a typical full run; most groups do the dungeon in two or more trips.

Loot

Blackrock Depths gear carried many characters from their mid-50s into early raiding. The best-known pieces come from the city's later bosses. The emperor's [Hand of Justice] is a physical damage trinket that stayed in use well into raid tiers. Golem Lord Argelmach drops the tanking ring [Naglering]. The emperor's table is the deepest in the dungeon, and his epic mace [Ironfoe] drops about one time in a hundred.

The dungeon is also a source of profession materials. Dark Iron Ore is mined from veins around the city and smelted at the Black Forge, and its recipes come from the Thorium Brotherhood, whose quartermaster Lokhtos Darkbargainer sells his plans from inside the Grim Guzzler once players earn enough reputation.

Quests and attunements

Blackrock Depths has more quests than any other dungeon of its era. The main chains are:

• Attunement to the Core: Lothos Riftwaker, standing at the bottom of Blackrock Mountain, asks you to recover a [Core Fragment] from near the Molten Core portal at the end of the Molten Bridge. Completing it lets you enter the raid by speaking to him. This is the attunement every raider needed for Molten Core.
• Dark Iron Legacy: the ghost of Franclorn Forgewright asks you to recover the hammer Ironfel from Fineous Darkvire and place it on his statue at the Shrine of Thaurissan. The reward is the [Shadowforge Key], which opens doors deeper in the city and is needed for some runs.
• Moira's rescue: for the Alliance, King Magni Bronzebeard sends you to find Kharan Mighthammer (Kharan Mighthammer), which leads to The Fate of the Kingdom. For the Horde, Commander Gor'shak passes word to Thrall, who sends you on The Royal Rescue. Both require killing the emperor without killing Moira, who heals him during the fight. She then reveals she married Thaurissan willingly, and the rewards include the [Magni's Will] and the [Thrall's Resolve].
• The Windsor chain (Alliance): Marshal Windsor leads to Marshal Windsor in a cell, then A Crumpled Up Note, A Shred of Hope and Jail Break!, an escort through the Detention Block. It is a long part of the Alliance attunement for Onyxia's Lair, which continues in Blackrock Spire.
• Horde contracts: Warlord Goretooth in Kargath posts kill orders for Dark Iron soldiers and officials, and Operation: Death to Angerforge for General Angerforge.
• Grim Guzzler quests: Hurley Blackbreath and Lost Thunderbrew Recipe for the Lost Thunderbrew Recipe carried by Hurley Blackbreath, Ribbly Screwspigot for Ribbly's head, and The Love Potion for Mistress Nagmara.
• Kill quests across the city: Incendius! and Disharmony of Fire for Lord Incendius, The Rise of the Machines for Golem Lord Argelmach, A Taste of Flame for Bael'Gar, and The Last Element for ten Essence of the Elements.

Strategy notes

• The Ring of the Law triggers as soon as the group walks into the arena. High Justice Grimstone announces the bout, then releases waves of beasts and one random boss from the six listed above. After patch 1.10 the [[forever:item:21986]] could call the champion Theldren and his team here instead, for Dungeon Set 2.
• The Grim Guzzler is neutral as long as nobody attacks inside it. Attacking the patrons or stealing from Plugger Spazzring's bar turns the whole tavern hostile, which is a quick way to lose a group.
• The Seven are seven dwarf spirits fought one at a time in the Summoners' Tomb. Their leader, Doom'rel, is last. Before the fight, the spirit Gloom'rel can teach miners with enough skill to smelt Dark Iron.
• If anyone in the group needs the rescue quest, leave Moira alone. Her heals make the emperor fight longer, but killing her fails the quest.

History

Blackrock Depths was in the game at launch. Patch 1.3 limited it to ten players, and patch 1.10 cut that to five. Its huge size and branching paths made it a favorite of Classic players and a headache for pick-up groups, and full clears could take four hours or more.

Patch 1.10 also added Dungeon Set 2 content here, including the Theldren arena fight. Later expansions added the Brewfest boss Coren Direbrew to the Grim Guzzler, and in Cataclysm Moira became the Queen-Regent of Ironforge.

Sources

• Blackrock Depths - Warcraft Wiki
• Dagran Thaurissan - Warcraft Wiki
• Attunement to the Core - Warcraft Wiki