Eric "The Swift"

Eric "The Swift" is the fastest of the Lost Dwarves, the three brothers stranded in Uldaman with Baelog and Olaf. Horde groups fight him as part of a three-dwarf boss encounter at Dig Two. He is modeled on Erik the Swift from Blizzard's 1993 game The Lost Vikings, and his best drop, a horned helmet that lets the wearer charge head-first into an enemy, is a nod to that game.

Background

Eric and his brothers signed on with the Explorers' League of Ironforge to clear a path through Uldaman for its researchers. They got lost in the vault instead, and when the troggs woke up and overran the excavation, the three were cut off at the camp called Dig Two. They spent their time there fighting Stonevault troggs until Alliance adventurers sent by Prospector Stormpike found them. When Horde adventurers come through, the brothers fight to keep the vault's secrets, and the League's, out of Horde hands.

Abilities and strategy

Eric favors speed over strength. His one notable ability is Rushing Charge, which makes him run 60% faster and adds damage to his next hit.

He has the least health of the three brothers, so he dies quickly once the group focuses on him. All three are humanoids, so the usual crowd control works on them: a mage's Polymorph or a rogue's Sap before the pull can keep one brother out of the fight while the group kills another. Killing Eric early removes the brother who moves fastest, so he is a sensible early target along with Baelog.

Loot

From our database (patch 1.12):

The Horned Viking Helmet is a plate helm with Agility and Stamina. Its use effect, Reckless Charge, sends the wearer at an enemy and knocks it senseless for 30 seconds, while also knocking the wearer down. The Worn Running Boots are leather boots with Agility. The Swiftness Potion he always carries fits his name.

Quests

Eric has no quests of his own in Classic. Alliance players meet the brothers through Baelog: The Lost Dwarves from Prospector Stormpike sends them to find the lost band, and The Hidden Chamber follows. Horde players only fight them.

Later history

The brothers made it out of Uldaman in Cataclysm and turn up at Dragon's Mouth in the Badlands, where they help Alliance players fight the black dragonflight; there Eric charges enemies to stun them and carries a "pocket potion" that heals all three. In Warlords of Draenor they are stuck in the Bloodmaul Slag Mines, and in Dragonflight they return to Uldaman as a boss fight again in Uldaman: Legacy of Tyr.

Trivia

• Eric is based on Erik the Swift of The Lost Vikings, who could run faster than his companions and smash walls and enemies by charging into them with his helmet. Some later items spell his name "Erik".

Sources

• Eric "The Swift", Warcraft Wiki
• The Lost Dwarves (tactics), Warcraft Wiki
• WoWDB loot data for patch 1.12