Phalanx

Phalanx is the golem bouncer of the Grim Guzzler, the tavern in Blackrock Depths. He stands friendly and silent in his corner for as long as the bar is peaceful, but property damage switches him on. Groups that want the tavern's back door open usually end up fighting him, often by getting a drunken soldier to start the trouble for them.

Background

According to the game's later Adventure Guide, brawls used to break out in the Grim Guzzler almost every day. The barkeep Plugger Spazzring cut them down by installing Phalanx, a golem programmed to keep order and to deal with rowdy customers by extreme force. Ask him anything and he answers, "I do not enjoy conversation."

The Guzzler's rear door, on its upper level, leads deeper into Shadowforge City. Plugger keeps the key, and picking his pocket or stealing an ale from the bar turns the whole tavern hostile. The gentler way through involves Phalanx.

Abilities

• Mighty Blow: a heavy hit that knocks its target back.
• Thunderclap: nature damage to nearby players that slows their attacks and movement for 10 seconds.
• Fireball Volley: 128 to 172 fire damage to every player near him.

Strategy

The usual way to fight Phalanx goes through Private Rocknot, a Dark Iron soldier drinking across the room from the bar:

1. Buy six Dark Iron Ale Mugs from Plugger. Taking mugs from the tables counts as stealing and turns the bar hostile.
2. Give Rocknot two mugs at a time, three times, through his quest Rocknot's Ale.
3. After the third round he says "Ah, hits the spot!" and staggers over to the kegs. When he knocks the tap off the last keg in the line, it flies into the rear door and breaks it open.
4. Phalanx turns hostile at once, yelling "Violence! Property damage! None shall pass!!", and heads for the broken door.

Players should be waiting by the door. They run through, turn left and go about halfway down the ramp outside, then fight Phalanx there. Killed on the ramp, he doesn't drag the rest of the bar in; fought inside the tavern, he will.

The fight itself is simple tanking. Thunderclap slows the melee, and Fireball Volley hits everyone close to him, so ranged players and the healer stand back. His Mighty Blow knocks the tank back, which on the ramp means the tank should keep their back to the wall rather than the drop.

Loot

From our database (patch 1.12):

The [Bloodfist] is a fast fist weapon that wounds its target for extra damage. The [Fists of Phalanx] are plate gauntlets with strength and stamina. The Golem Fitted Pauldrons were added in patch 1.10.

Quests

No quest asks for Phalanx's death. Rocknot's Ale, Private Rocknot's request for ale, is the usual way to trigger the fight. In Classic there was also a way to open the door without him: completing The Love Potion for the barmaid Mistress Nagmara, who would then open the door to meet Rocknot in private.

Trivia

• A golem bouncer named Panzer appears on a Heroes of Azeroth trading card for the [Golem Skull Helm], but never in the game.

Sources

• Phalanx (golem) - Warcraft Wiki
• Grim Guzzler - Warcraft Wiki