Blizzard's launch dungeons video: Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron and Excavation Site: Wetlands
· ForeverDB
Blizzard posted an official video walking through three of World of Warcraft: Forever's new launch dungeons. We checked the dungeon names and bosses against the Forever beta client's dungeon list. The video names no class abilities or talents, so there are no spell numbers to verify here.
This is an official World of Warcraft video. The dungeon names and bosses below are checked against the dungeon list in the Forever beta client. The video has no class, spell or talent details, so there are no ability numbers to check, and the server's encounter numbers are not in the client.
World of Warcraft: Forever launches with nine new dungeons. In a new official video, Blizzard walks through three of them: the Hall of Thanes, the Ruins of Lordaeron and Excavation Site: Wetlands. It is a dungeon video, so it names no class abilities or talents. Here is what it says, checked against the dungeon list in the Forever beta client.
Blizzard sets out the design aim up front: Vanilla's dungeon philosophy, which it sums up as "clear pulls, real stakes, valuable quests, and necessary teamwork".
Each one explores new locations with Vanilla’s dungeon design philosophy: clear pulls, real stakes, valuable quests, and necessary teamwork. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (0:08)
The short version
- Blizzard shows three of the nine launch dungeons: the Hall of Thanes under Ironforge, the Ruins of Lordaeron, and Excavation Site: Wetlands.
- The Hall of Thanes is the first dungeon for Alliance characters, the counterpart to the Horde's Ragefire Chasm, and is built to teach group play.
- The video also names Dalaran City, reached through its toxic sewers, and says five other new dungeons are coming.
- Blizzard says every Vanilla dungeon is being refreshed, with updated rewards and more quest experience.
- All three dungeons, their bosses and the client's names for them are in our dungeon list. This article also notes where the client's names differ from the video.
Claim by claim
| Dungeon | Blizzard says | The client lists | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hall of Thanes | The first dungeon for Alliance characters, beneath Ironforge's throne room; Dark Iron Dwarves and restless spirits; first boss Faldrim Anvilmar | A new Forever dungeon in Ironforge, with Faldrim Anvilmar first in its boss list, as the video says | Agrees |
| Ruins of Lordaeron | Undead across the castle and its ruins; clear the Scourge and free bound spirits; kill the necromancer Rath'mael | A new Forever dungeon in Tirisfal Glades, with Rath'mael among its bosses | Agrees |
| Excavation Site: Wetlands | A Dwarven dig gone wrong; open water and stealthed raptors in tall grass | A new Forever dungeon in the Wetlands | Agrees |
| City of Dalaran | You reach Dalaran City through the toxic sewers; the Kirin Tor do not trust outsiders | A new Forever dungeon; the client's name for it is City of Dalaran | Agrees (name differs) |
Names and bosses only. The video gives no numbers we can check, and the server's encounter numbers are not in the client.
The Hall of Thanes
Blizzard calls this the first Alliance dungeon, and the counterpart to the Horde's Ragefire Chasm.
Hall of Thanes is the first dungeon available for Alliance characters, and it sits directly beneath the throne room of Iron Forge. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (0:27)
Like Ragefire Chasm, it is meant to teach the basics: pull discipline past patrols, mana management across a run, and positioning.
it's built to teach group play to new players and shake the rust off returning ones. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (0:35)
The client has it as a new Forever dungeon in Ironforge, listed as The Hall of Thanes. Faldrim Anvilmar is first in its boss list, matching the video's "the first boss"; the client also lists Infurnus, Plunder and Durgen Dirgehammer.
Ruins of Lordaeron
The whole dungeon plays out across the castle and ruins, crawling with undead. Blizzard uses it to show off the new lighting.
It's also an incredible showcase of World of Warcraft: Forever's new lighting system. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (1:42)
Because most of it is outdoors, Blizzard says the open layout changes how you pull.
In an exterior with moving shadows and fog, sightlines become a real threat. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (2:01)
The goal is to clear the Scourge and free the spirits bound to the ruins, then take down the necromancer Rath'mael. The client has it as a new Forever dungeon in Tirisfal Glades, with Rath'mael among its bosses.
Excavation Site: Wetlands
A Dwarven expedition came to dig and things went wrong. Blizzard says the dungeon leans into its zone: open water, dangerous reptiles, and raptors hiding in the grass.
Multiple raptor types nest in it, several of them stealthed, and they'd love nothing more than to surprise your party. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (2:48)
The client has it as a new Forever dungeon in the Wetlands, under the name Excavation Site: Wetlands, matching the video exactly.
Dalaran, and the rest
The video ends by naming one more of the nine, Dalaran City. You reach Dalaran through its sewers, and five other new dungeons are coming.
Entering the city means going in through the toxic Dalaran sewers, fighting up to the streets and unlocking the city's quests from the inside. Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (3:25)
The client lists this one as City of Dalaran. We set out earlier which of the nine were already in the beta client before launch, in our PAX dungeon round-up.
Blizzard also says the old dungeons are being reworked, not just added to.
World of Warcraft: Forever refreshes nearly every Vanilla dungeon, including updated rewards and increased quest experience Blizzard, Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (3:38)
Where the client and Blizzard differ
Only the names differ, not the facts. These are worth knowing so you search for the right page:
- The video's automatic captions write "Iron Forge" as two words. That spelling is YouTube's, not Blizzard's; the client's zone is Ironforge, one word.
- The video says "Dalaran City". The client's dungeon is named City of Dalaran.
- The video says "Hall of Thanes". The client lists it as The Hall of Thanes.
Sources
- Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever (World of Warcraft, YouTube)
- World of Warcraft: Forever official site
- All Forever dungeons, with bosses and quests from the client (ForeverDB)