Every MMORPG has some kind of dungeon or instance system where a group of players can test their mettle against the game’s toughest enemies.World of Warcrafthas a reputation for its plethora of dungeons. Along with other group activities like a raid, which can take anywhere from 10 to 40 players, and world bosses which can be killed by a team of any number, these are instances for five players or less.
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The dungeons ofWoWcan be found in various places in Azeroth, and their incarnations might change slightly depending on whether the player is in retail or Classic. Remember, retailWoWhas level scaling, so those exploring the modern version of Azeroth can visit almost any of these dungeons whenever they want regardless of level. Travel also isn’t an issue because players can join a dungeon queue and be transported there automatically.
7Wailing Caverns, The Barrens
An infamous dungeon in Classic for low-level characters, it’s in the vast open land in central Kalimdor known as the Barrens, which means for Alliance players part of the challenge is getting there. Once players do arrive, they find a steep learning curve between The Stockades or Ragefire Chasm and this labyrinthine cave.
The sheer size of this dungeon is one thing, and although the bosses aren’t tough, finding them takes forever, and that’s half the work. The poison damage is brutal here and the enemies include snakes, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and other savage reptiles.
6Throne of the Tides, Vashj’ir
Found in the Abyssal Maw in the underwater zone of Vashj’ir, the final boss in this dungeon is none other than Lady Naz’jar, the leader of the Naga invasion of the zoneand favored commander of Azshara herself. These are ig names from the lore, so any fights with them will be great but challenging.
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The players come to this dungeon to aid Neptulon the Tidehunter, who refused to align with Deathwing and as a result, was targeted by the Naga and their allies. Even though it’s a tough dungeon it’s worth doing just for the lore and design; a beautiful ocean-themed instance at the bottom of a vortex.
5Gundrak, Zul’Drak
In the first place, Gundrak is hard to find, tucked awayin the far corner of Northrendin the Troll-dominated zone of Zul’Drak. It’s the first boss in this dungeon that’s tough, especially in Heroic+ mode in Classic, when he and all of the other residents of this dungeon can heal themselves and deal ridiculous amounts of poison damage.
It’s also awkward to find the quickest way through this place, and when it’s time to jump, rabid fish are always waiting in the water. On the other hand, it’s one of the most scenic dungeons, being an old Troll ruin in a snowy wonderland.
4Mogu’shan Palace, Vale of Eternal Blossoms
One of the most photogenic dungeons inWoW, but don’t be misled by the sublime exterior of the Mogu’shan Palace or its equally beautiful surroundings. Tucked in the eastern side of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, this instance has stood the test of time in an expansion that hasn’t quite as much.
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The players follow a storylinethrough the dungeon, which opens up as they progress, so despite the difficulty level the unique path through the dungeon is a worthy experience. The final boss is Xin the Weaponmaster, and the player and their friends have to defeat him and thwart his plan for Pandarian domination.
3Stratholme, Eastern Plaguelands
Back in the days of Vanilla, the term for the time in 2004 and 2005 before any expansions, the Eastern Plaguelands was the endgame zone for level 60 characters. Hidden in the northernmost corner of this dangerous zone, Stratholmewas the most difficult dungeoninWorld of WarcraftuntilThe Burning Crusadeexpansion.
There’s a Living and a Dead side, with one dominated by the Scarlet Crusade and the other home to the Scourge. The mobs in this dungeon are an ugly mix of undead monsters, necromancers, liches, demons, and all in tightly paced mobs that are impossible to bypass in the narrow streets that burn forever.
2Shadow Labyrinth, Terrokar Forest
Of the four dungeons in Auchinduon, this is the last one, and it’s not only the most difficult of these four but thelast in a long line of Outland dungeons that require attunement. Once that’s complete, players can move on to raids like Gruul’s Lair and Black Temple.
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The bosses in this dungeon have some tough mechanics, but those with Shadow Resistance have an advantage with all of the warlocks and their dark magic. The second to last boss, Grandmaster Vorpil, is notorious for his void walker minions, and Murmur at the very end has a brutal AoE ability that can easily wipe a whole group.
1Blackrock Depths, Burning Steppes
This dungeon has been a part ofWoWsince the very beginning of the game and is one of many instances in Blackrock Mountain, which is big enough to straddle the two zones of Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge. It shares space with Upper and Lower Blackrock Spire, and two raids, Molten Core in the depths of the basement and Blackwing Lair in the penthouse.
BRD is meant to be the primer dungeon for all of the above, so it throws everything at players that the devs could imagine and has the space to do it. The place is huge, with the Dark Iron Dwarf capital of Shadowfore City just one part of it. It’s home to some of the game’s longest quest chains, including the one for MC attunement, and has one of the most difficult bosses at the end, King Dagran Thaurissan.
