World of Warcrafthas been online for more than twenty years, and Blizzard offers several different eras of the game on various servers. The Cataclysm Classic version is getting some extra love with theHour of Twilightupdate, which includes new dungeons and raids before the launch ofMists of Pandaria.
This is Phase 4 of the Cataclysm era, and Patch 4.4.2 includes a total of 3 new dungeons and a new raid that ends with a confrontation with the Aspect of Death. That means the former leader of the Black Dragonflight, none other than Deathwing himself. There’s no attunement or requirement to enter the Dragon Soul raid other than the recommended gear score. Players might want to progress through the three initial dungeons for both the lore and the gear upgrades before moving on to the Raid, but it’s not mandatory.
The Dungeon Protocols have been updated along with the regular Heroic dungeons. Players can also upgrade to the Elemental Dungeon Rune Protocol Twilight by using the Mysterious Elemental Device at the entrance of the dungeon. This yields Obsidian Fragments, another type of currency that can be tarded for better rewards.
End Time
Begin In The Caverns Of Time In Tanaris
There are several ways that players from both factions can reach the Caverns of Time, which is where all three new dungeons are located.
There are five parts to The End of Time and each dungeon run consists of two random choices followed by the final boss fight. Different zones open up as the party moves through the dungeon. The device next to Nozdormu is used to travel between different parts of the dungeon.
There are five potential bosses in this dungeon, with some random heroes of Azeroth chosen as corrupted bosses, but the end boss is always the same. Murozond is always waiting at the end with his hourglass, and by killing him players can unlock the next dungeon in this sequence,The Well of Eternity.
Wall Of Eternity
A Blast From The Past
Players can join legendary heroes like Illidan Stormrageand Tyrande Whisperwind, and anyone who wants to face off against Queen Azshara at the height of her power, this is the chance. The action takes place near the famed Well of Eternity where Queen famously used to make a deadly pact with the Burning Legion, and players get to be Night Elves and enjoy a deep dive into ancient lore.
This might be the shortest of the three dungeons because it takes place in a small, open area that includes a few different locations. Players fight Highborne heroes that include Peroth’arn and the captain of Azshara’s personal guard, Varo’then, along with the Queen herself and a familiar enemy from Outland, Mannoroth, who had his own raid in Hellfire Penninsula.
The Queen is easily the toughest of these three fights, and a spell interrupt is essential for survival. She doesn’t die, but calmly leaves in the face of a chaotic invasion of demons. Mannoroth doesn’t need to be killed, only weakened, before he is sucked back into the portal.
Once the main bosses are defeated, the story continues with Azshara banished into the Twisting Nether. The heroes, which include the player and their companions along with Tyrande, Malfurion, and Illidan, can then move on to the last dungeonand meet another iconic hero.
Hour Of Twilight
Journey To Wyrmrest
Thrall has been gone for a while, and this is another chapter in his ultimate journey, to become the new Aspect of Earth. The enemies in this dungeon refer to him simply as “the Shaman” which emphasizes his importance and power.
The first dungeon has dragons, and the next features demons, but this time the players have to battle the Faceless minions of the ancients.Our adventure beginsas players escort Thrall through the long and dangerous icy canyon that leads from a monstrous invasion point for the Old Gods and their minions north of Wyrnrest Temple.
Players have to fight tentacles, slimes, oozes, and Faceless minions, so having some Shadow resistance is handy. The first boss, Arcurion, drops a scroll that gives the player a quest to kill the last boss after uncovering their true identity. The party moves on and reaches the ground level of Wyrmrest Temple, where the final boss awaits.
Asira Dawnslayer sweeps inon an intimidating dragon, but her fight is relatively simple. Casters should stay at a distance but they won’t be able to avoid her Mark of Silence and the tanks should move out of her Smoke Bomb AoE power.
The third and final boss of Hour Of Twilight is the “secret” boss, and it turns out that Archbishop Benedictus is a traitor who can wield the power of Light and Darkness. Righteous Shear targets a single player but does savage AoE damage but Wave of Virtue is easy to avoid. At 60% health he reveals his true, dark form, so use Shadow Resistance if possible.
Dragon Soul
The Raid That Destroys Deathwing
Deathwing literally destroyed Azeroth,but that wasn’t enough. Many players inadvertently earned the Achievement “Stood In The Fire” which resulted in an instant and often unexpected death by the fiery inferno. Now that the raid has launched, players can seek him out and give a little back.
The entrance for the raid is in the same location in the Caverns of Time, but it’s the green portal to the right of The End Time and the left of the Well of Eternity entrance. Other than having a gear score of 378, no other requirement is needed for this raid.
There are a total of eight bosses in this raid, and they include two different incarnations of Deathwing himself along with his allies. These various minions are made up of the Old Gods, the Burning Legion, dragons, and other powerful and infamous enemies.
The Dragon Soulcan be defeated by groups of 10 or 20 players, and the LFR option is currently not available. Playerscan acquire the same gearthrough the Elemental Dungeon Rune Protocol Twilight dungeons, for those who might prefer not to raid but still want the cool stuff. However, the Reins of the Blazing Drake are only available via the raid.
