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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsWhat we know and don't know about the dungeon after Ulduar
by Adam Holisky 
Apr 8th 2009 at 9:00AM
One of the most often asked and debated questions on WoW Insider lately has been:"What is after Ulduar and patch 3.1?" While no one can know for sure, we do have some evidence out there that can help us at least look smart about it.Back in October 2008, Kaplan said in an interview with Curse that Patch 3.2 will contain a new raid instance that hasn't been announced yet. There's some question as to what exactly he was talking about. We also know from the article that Patch 3.3 will contain the Icecrown Citadel, so we know the 3.2 dungeon won't be that.
There is also the possibility that Kaplan didn't mean a new raid instance in Patch 3.2, but a new battleground. Many people think this is the case. Zarhym confirmed that there will indeed be a new battleground sometime in the future, and signs point this happening in patch 3.2.
However...
Last night Crygil, a Blizzard blue poster, said that the next dungeon after Ulduar is still a secret. This makes me scratch my head and wonder if indeed there will now be a new 10/25-man raid in 3.2 or a new 5-man dungeon (or both).
As I said about we know that 3.3 will contain Icecrown Citadel, so no secret there. We know that there will be a new battleground, and that's no secret anymore. But a battleground isn't a new dungeon. So is this confirmation of a new dungeon/raid in patch 3.2?
I gather this just opens up more questions, but it's still interesting to pay attention to this now and reflect on it more when patch 3.2 actually does come around.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Instances, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 7 of 7)
Doomweaver Apr 8th 2009 8:52PM
Raid in Gundrak >.<
Always loved ZF. Would love to see a new one...and i wanna kill that back stabbing scourge troll Drak'uru
Cromags Apr 9th 2009 1:56PM
One would think it's gotta be Gun'Drak but that seems like it's following the formula of the last expansion too closely.
What the possibility of seeing some kind of CoT type of raid dealing with helping Arthas find Frostmourne and actually kill Mal'Ganis? That would be a great lead up to IC but it leaves so many other potential raids out.
Turbo_ski Apr 11th 2009 4:13AM
I'm guessing that the 3.2 instance might be the other sanctums (red, green, bronze, and blue) combined to count as 1 dungeon maybe. If implemented right I think it could be well received.
There is also always the possibility of a Caverns of Time raid of the battle over the Frozen Throne at the end of Warcraft III.
Drakensteel Apr 9th 2009 5:42AM
First off, @Alros87
5 Old gods originally. C'thun, Yogg-Saron, Darkshore thing, and 2 unknowns. There are many suggestions of where the Old Gods could be located (Grim Batol, The Maelstrom, BFD, Tirisfal, ext) and most of the info is contradictory/open ended enough that there could be many more, but most of the info seems to lead to 5.
Originally they said 5, they said 4 were imprisioned (likely counting C'thun, the Titans may have suspected he lived and trapped him but he broke free), and 3 plotted in War of the Ancients (the 3 still trapped, includeing Yogg-Saron)Sargeras - His body is pretty much no actual threat as far as we know. It may be a small part of him or something, but his remains were trapped in the Maelstrom, in the islands that Guldan raised (the remains of the Night Elf city Suramar). Illiden tried to use the Eye of Sargeras to destroy the Litch King, but was interupted. So there is still power in it perhaps, but it has no will of its own. If he is implemented the common theory is a 5th expansion (vanilla - BC - Wrath - Emerald Dream/Maelstrom - showdown with the Legion ) That would tie up all the Burning Legion loose ends.
Scarlet Crusade - They might still have some kick in them, but the vast majority were wiped out in the DK starting zone. The troops that formed the Scarlet Onslaught were the left over top dogs, and they are all in Northrend wailing on jsut about everything they can reach. I doubt they will ever play more then a token appearence again (a ship lost at sea, help attack Icecrown, ext), not an entire isntance/raid.
Gnome/Dwarf Origins - Dwarves its pretty much set already, gnomes there are a few more questions (everythign else went to sleep, where did they go? Gnomergan?) but overall I seriously doubt theres enough of a story left for a raid. Ulduar (and its 5 mans) pretty much has them covered.
Now for the possibilities:
---Grim Batol---
The redflight does NOT have their santum there, and neither would any sane creatures anymore. The place is tainted. The reds are guarding it because of the evil there. Check Night of the Dragon.Personally I'm thinking another expansion, but...
Possibilites?
More black dragons - Deathwing himself was hidden deep within it so that he could steal the twilight dragon eggs from Sinestra, he may still be there. Also there were a strange form of dwarf there, they looked very reptilian and servered Sinestra. They could have actually been under Deathwings command and simply makeing sure Sinestra succeded with the Twilight dragons. As far as I know there is nothign else like them (they were specificly mentiond as seperate from the humanoid ones with the pole-arms and the centar-ish ones (4 legs on lower body and armed torso)).
Old Gods - This was the black dragonflights original home (around war of the ancients). Deathwing was corrupted by them, and Malfurion could feel the evil there. Its quite possible another old god could reside there. That would make 1 in Northrend, 1 in northern Kalimdor, 1 in southern Kalimdor, 1 in Eastern Kingdoms, and 1 unknown (my guess around the Maelstrom).
---Gilneas---
Again, my guess is another expansion, however Worgen/A new plot by the Litch King would make it possible for 3.2)
Possibilities?
Worgen - Evil, intelligent, badass. However, there really isn't much that I know of to support Gilneas bing overrun by worgen, other then the fact that Shadowfang Keep and such are nearby.
Scourge - Gilneas is cut off by land, however the fact that Jaina managed to enlist a Gilneas Brigade from a ship for her trip to Kalimdor suggests that they may still have some sea acess, if so the Scourge can certainly get in (not counting gargoyles and frostwyrms). It would fit with the Wrath main plot if the Litch King Decided that he needed a new "recruiting grounds" and turned to Gilneas for it. Also it would make an excelent stageing grounds for an invasion of northen Eastern Kingdoms (spreading up from Gilneas and down from Plaguelands at the same time). It could be totaly scourged, or the inhabitants could still be fending off the attack when we arrive.
Naga - Brann Bronzebeard supposedly heard from Kul'Tiras that Gilneas had fallen to the Naga. This would seem more appropriate in a Maelstrom themed expansion, however going back to Naga would be a nice change of pace for all the people tired of Troll, Undead, and Titan themes. I think it would probably be the most likely use of Gilneas., and in the Maelstrom.
---Azjol-Nerub---
Note that for all of these it is quite possible they could combine the themes, but this one would make the most sense combined.
Possibilites?
Old-Gods - Possible, expecially after Arthas's merry adventures down there. Personally however, while there can be remnants down there (leftover Faceless and such), I rather doubt the Old Gods would play the leading role, Since old Yoggy is getting put in Ulduar. The only way I see them makeing a major appearence is if Yogg-Saron isnt actually killed in Ulduar, just defeated, then you do the final showdown with him here.
Scourge - Pretty obvious here. The Litch King could be trying to use the depths for just about anything...a stageing ground, "recruitment" post for new crypt fiends, super powerful evil experiments, some ancient weapons hidden within, a new path to invade from, ext.
True Nerubians - Could be allies against the Scourge invadeing their sanctum, but most likely enemies like the majority of them. They could have some super ancient queen tucked away somewhere that the Litch King missed, or perhaps they want to bring back ole Soggy, or summon in another Old God, to drive the Undead out. Im sure Blizz could flesh out a nice new boss from them.
---Uldum---
Commonly discredited because who wants two insances of the same theme in a row? However Titan ruins look rather different then Ulduar, so there could be variation.
Possibilities?
Experiments - Sholzar is where they stuck a lot of the more succesful ones, but it is quite possible that some of their experiments didnt turn out how they planned. It could be filled with all sorts of creatures that didnt turn out how they wanted, but were either too strong to just be put down, or they simply considered it inhumane to exterminate them simply becasue they don't fit in, so they sealed them up. This fits in well with the broken door. It could also help explain why they have a titan weapon all the way out in Un'goro, though that may be covered by C'thun. Or it coud be the place where they originally designed and created life. The original place where all life on azeroth was created would be a very big attraction to evil forces. Also Uldum is suppose to be a sort of research station, so this would fit in with that. Since this one is so long and varied I will cap it a bit: failed superstrong experiments, "original" copies of life forms (thus superstrong/big and agressive for some reason); just about anything trying to steal the data on how to create/destroy life (old god servents, burning legion, Litch King followers, black dragons, ext). I would expand more but this post is already getting waaay to long.
A True Titan - While fighting against C'thun one Titan was rumored to have died. If so, they may have decided to bury him. Im sure the body of a Titan could have all sorts of potential for super evil to want, not to mention the safeguards they would place to protect it. Or one of them may have simply been horribly wounded and so had to wait here to recover, and is still here.Titan Weapon - Algalon was sent back to check on things, but the titans could have a safeguard here. Instead of having to get the Titans to come all the way back here to clean the place up, they could have a single guard left on duty (this fits in the one above too I suppose...) or some super construct/creature that can cleanse the world if the signal is sent.
Prison - Could have been used to house an old god servant/creation, or something completly different. I would give it alot of cresedence, except for the fact that Ulduar is a prison as well.Resting place of the Giants - one main thing that leads to this is Simply the fact that there are giants all over the place right outside. It is plausable because, while the dwarves and vrykrul and such have resting places where they went to nap, the Giants dont seem to have any place to have gone once their task was done. Also it could have been the place where the Giants were first created.
---Trolls---
What would Warcraft be without another troll raid? personally, I dont care, however I think its worth noteing to all the troll haters that the reason trolls get so much attention in raids isntead of the other races is that they are
A. Actually extreamly populous, and with a massive amount of history all the way to before recorded time on Azeroth
B. Very strong and with all sorts of conenctions to powerful forces.
C. They are useually disdainful of every non troll and highly aggessive.
I could go on and in mroe detail but, again, this post is far longer then I planned.
Possibilites?
Summoning - After the setback of their plans to steal their gods powers, the Troll Empire has turned to a new source of power to fight the Scourge. Likely an evil spirit/god similar to Hakkar, though possibly some Old God aspect.
Conquering - Perhaps the High Priests that we killed didn't actually absorb the majority of the Loa's power, but instead only a fraction of it while the majority was sent to a Shrine of some sort inside Zul'Drak. This would mean that Blizz can do as they did with all the other Troll raids, have a handful of people who absorbed the brunt of the Loa's power who we have to fight then the top guy himself (who may or may not have the powers). Of corse I doubt blizz would repeat this setup in ANOTHER raid but they could simply implement it differently. As for why we have to fight them, it is because now that the Trolls have a source of immense power they plan to repel the Scourge, and reforge their empire. Unfortunatly, Horde and Alliance have no place in the Troll Empire, so we would be attacked jsut as readily as the Scourge in the Trolls bid for domination.
Well thats about all I am doing. There are still countless other ideas, but most of them belong better in an expansion with a different theme, or are not very well founded in lore. The main reason I went over all of the above is because they are the most common suggestions that I have seen. Though Blizzard could actually come up with soemthing completly new and unseen.
Its worth noteing that I didnt mention Caverns of Time, simply because the possibilities for it are truely immense. Of the other major unused areas I excluded Hyjal, because I personally expect it to tie in with the Emerald Dream, and Kul'Tiras, because it would be appropriate for the Maelstrom. As for the Chamber of the Aspects, I am hopeing that Blizzard continues to use it for quick, almost trashless raids (like Sartharion and Onyxia). It also has vast possibilities though if they decide not too. I really could continue on but I have rambled enough. Hope you enjoy my ideas :)
Drakensteel Apr 9th 2009 5:47AM
Sorry for the issues with my formatting at the start, I had copied it into notepad and saved it, which messed up my organization when i copied out of notepad. Looks like i messed up a little bit of stuff while fixing it.
Hroark Apr 9th 2009 3:16PM
Remember that there's something under Light's Hope Chapel.....
Nick A Apr 21st 2009 11:40AM
Expantion into OS, different colored dragonflight, liike at the different doors!
Tios Apr 23rd 2009 1:17AM
I bet it will be a Gundrak raid, they have always put in a troll raid, but i could be wrong, and the Red Dragonflight is guarding Grim batol is becuase they have imprisoned Deathwing in there, so that might become a raid, but, Blizzard has always surprised us, I sure I will be wrong about the raid theories.