Herod

Herod, the Scarlet Champion, commands the Armory of the Scarlet Monastery and is its only boss. A huge, bare-chested warrior with a two-handed axe, he charges, whirls and enrages, and when he falls a crowd of trainees pours into the room to avenge him. He is a level 40 elite, one of the four Scarlet leaders both factions are sent to kill, and the source of [Ravager], the axe he carries in the fight.

Background

Herod is the Scarlet Crusade's champion at the monastery, the master of its Armory and the warriors who train there. He stands in the Hall of Champions, among statues of the order's honored heroes, and greets challengers as the real fight he has been waiting for.

He is one of the four leaders whose deaths Raleigh the Devout of the Alliance and Varimathras of the Forsaken both demand. The Alliance hopes removing them will bring the Crusade back to its first purpose; the Forsaken want the threat on their doorstep ended.

The Caverns of Time give him a childhood. In the Old Hillsbrad Foothills, a boy known as "Herod the Bully" lives in Southshore, a sign his brutish ways started early.

Abilities

• Rushing Charge: on the pull, he rushes at the first player to draw his attention, like a warrior's Charge, adding damage to his first hit.
• Cleave: strikes his target and the enemy nearest to it.
• Whirlwind: a ten-second whirlwind that hits everyone around him every two seconds. While it lasts he is immune to magic.
• Enrage: at low health he speeds up his attacks and hits much harder.
• If players try to run from the room, he sprints after them, and Scarlet Myrmidons appear to block the way.

Strategy

• A full group at level 40 or so is the usual standard. His melee is brutal on cloth wearers.
• When he begins Whirlwind (he shouts "Blades of Light!"), everyone but the tank should run out of range. Ranged players and healers can stand on the stairs to stay clear, as long as the healer can still see the tank. Hunters should call their pets back.
• Bandages help between Whirlwinds if the healer is short on mana.
• Save cooldowns for his enrage near the end.
• When Herod dies, about twenty Scarlet Trainees run in. They have little health, so a mage's Arcane Explosion or other area damage clears them quickly. Many groups gather in a doorway to fight them.

Loot

Ravager is a slow two-handed axe whose chance on hit makes the wielder whirl and strike all nearby enemies, much like Herod's own Whirlwind. Herod's Shoulder and the Raging Berserker's Helm are mail pieces for warriors and paladins, and the Scarlet Leggings, which Mograine also drops, are mail legs with 20 Strength. Three of his four drops are things he is seen wearing or wielding in the fight.

Quests

• In the Name of the Light (Alliance): Raleigh the Devout in Southshore wants Herod dead, along with Houndmaster Loksey, Scarlet Commander Mograine and High Inquisitor Whitemane.
• Into The Scarlet Monastery (Horde): Varimathras in Undercity sets the same four targets.
• Hearts of Zeal (Horde): Herod drops [Heart of Zeal] for Master Apothecary Faranell in Undercity.

Trivia

• Herod is voiced by Marc Graue.
• His name likely comes from the Herods who ruled ancient Judaea.

Later history

Mists of Pandaria (patch 5.0.4) rebuilt the monastery and replaced him with Armsmaster Harlan. A Memory of Herod also appears in the Argent Confessor Paletress fight of the Trial of the Champion. The original encounter returned with World of Warcraft Classic in 2019, and with the Scarlet Monastery of Old in retail patch 10.1.7.

Sources

• Herod, Warcraft Wiki
• Ravager (axe), Warcraft Wiki
• WoWDB NPC, quest and loot data for patch 1.12