Summary
Dungeons are one of the cornerstone features ofWorld of Warcraft. These (sometimes) short adventures into dens of dangerous bosses have been featured in the game since it began, and the arrival of an expansion always means the arrival of more dungeons.
With the arrival of World of Warcraft: The War Within, eight dungeons were introduced. Some are filled with spooky spiders, while others are rife with void monsters, but they all have that most coveted of things: loot. No matter what dungeon players are dropped into, glory and gold await. These are all the dungeons featured inThe War Within, ranked.
Required Level
80
The Dawnbreaker, the crown jewel of the Arathi airship fleet, has finally been launched. But the Order of Night has laid siege in an attempt to warp this symbol of hope for their own dreadful purposes. Who knows what will befall the people of Hallowfall if it falls into the wrong hands? It is up to the adventurers to make sure it doesn’t.
The Dawnbreaker is one of the most innovative dungeons ever put into World of Warcraft. It is fast, exciting, and totally unique. Players willgrab their skyflying mountsand take to the skies to chase after monsters and cultists. At times this dungeon can be complicated, as it has a lot of moving part. It can be a hard dungeon to learn, and the technical aspects of the dungeon mean there’s very little wiggle room for mistakes. But the originality of the Dawnbreaker makes it stand out all the same.
70
The City of Threads dungeon can be a bit daunting at first glance. This dungeon is based around subterfuge and sneakiness, both things that can be hard for the typical ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ Warcraft player. But with a little practice and attention, this dungeon really shines.
Most of the bosses in this dungeon are pretty simple. However, to access the Eyes of the Queen boss, special mobs have to be killed. These mobs are stealthed. To find them, you will have to discover trails of pheromones to track them without pulling every mob around them. It can take some getting used to, but try it out—this dungeon is worth it.
Something strange is going on at the Priory. The normally helpful clerics have retreated behind their walls, supposedly in search of the true vision of the emperor. But with the darkness ever approaching Hallowfall, the time for hiding is over. Adventurers must enter the Priory to see exactly what is going on within- but will they survive what lurks inside?
The Priory of Sacred Flame is a dungeon related to a side story in the Hallowfall area. This lack of context can be confusing for those who haven’t run these quests yet, but it doesn’t impede the dungeon itself. It is pretty straightforward, even without easily accessible lore, but the lack of information does somewhat dampen the experience. This dungeon is best enjoyed with the recommended quests, so start this chain with “Wipe Away Their Smiles” for the best experience.
Darkflame Cleft is the culmination of the Kobold story line in The War Within, and it’s an intense ending indeed. The Kobolds, famous for their love of candles, are revealed to have been keeping their candles to defend themselves against something that lurks in the dark. Something with teeth…
Darkflame Cleft is a pretty standard dungeon for the first three bosses. You enter and get to fight everything in your way until coming to an even darker part of the cave. There, you’ll face what the Kobolds call ‘The Darkness,’ an entity of the Void bent on consuming everything in its path. The Kobolds have been fighting this monster for years, and each time they defeat it, it returns. This time, it has to be bested with explosives and pure grit. But it is better to light a candle than curse the Darkness, or in this case, light a stick of dynamite.
Cinderbrew Meadery is a walk on the chaotic side of life. Like any hipster in a new area, Goldie Baronbottom has started a brewery- er, that is, she’s stolen the Meadery from Wenbrandt, the master brewer. It’s up to you to put a stop to her in the name of honor, truth, and something decent to drink.
This dungeon is just a ton of fun. It’s filled with the typical kind of chaos Goblins bring: lots of explosions,lots of gold,and lots of shady business deals. You will have to fight your way through Goldie’s gang, including literal Yes Men and living IPAs. Throw in a few killer bumblebees and you have a recipe for a great dungeon- and a great recipe for Cinderbrew. Drink and dungeon responsibly.
There are traitors lurking within the Rookery. Stormguard Gorren has betrayed the Stormriders and has unleashed creatures of the Void onto his former friends. With nobody left to stop him from within, it’ll take a brave team of outsiders to right the Rookery.
The Rookery is a pretty basic dungeon- and that isn’t bad. This is likely going to be one of the first dungeons somebody running The War Within content will encounter, and it is a great introduction to the dungeons on offer in this expansion. The dungeon is quite large, although it follows a very linear route. The bosses are easy to understand while still being fun to play against. The Rookery may be simple, but simple is great. Sometimes, simple can even be a classic.
Like all excavations into a mysterious, abandoned city, the excavation of Ara-Kara has gone wrong.Queen Ansurekattempted to tap into the oldest layers of Nerubian civilization, and what she found wasn’t exactly thrilled to be discovered. Keeping the past out of Ansurek’s clutches will require more than mere archaeology.
Ara-Kara is a dungeon rich in atmosphere. It is a quick run, which gives players a chance to enjoy its charms while not getting annoyed at the length. The bosses are very fun, and they give glimpses into Ansurek’s inner court. The Nerubian storyline of The War Within is one of the strengths of the expansion, and more of it is always welcome. Ara-Kara is a delightfully spooky romp through the past of the Nerubians and is very enjoyable- even if that past is trying to kill you.
The story of the Stonevault dungeon is the finale of the Ringing Deeps storyline. High Speaker Eirich has betrayed his people in favor of the false power Xal’atath offers him. It is up to the adventurers to finish what they started and silence this speaker- permanently.
The Stonevault is an excellent dungeon. The addition of rail carts to travel around the dungeon is a brilliant innovation and would be welcome in any future dungeon. They save so much time and energy, especially in the case of a wipe. The bosses are simple and understandable, and the direct link to the Ringing Deeps storyline makes players feel invested. While he’s a minor villain, High Speaker Eirich is so loathsome that players enjoy ruining his schemes- which means that both he and the dunegon as a whole have done their job well.
