Patch 4.3: Dragon Soul raid preview

Three difficulties of Dragon Soul will be available out of the gates, including normal, heroic, and the new Looking For Raid difficulty intended to give players an easier time with casual raiding in a new, less severe setting. The raid begins at Wyrmrest Temple, where Thrall has successfully delivered the Dragon Soul that was nabbed out from under Malfurion long ago in the Caverns of Time instance The Well of Eternity. The aspects are all there, ready to deal the final blow. First, however, players face off against six bosses, and then two encounters against Deathwing.
The first fight is a mighty elemental, Morchok, who attacks Wyrmrest itself. Players then face off against Warlod Zon'ozz, Yor'shaj the Unsleeping, and Hagara the Binder, all minions of the Old Gods assisting Deathwing in his plans to destroy Azeroth. Ultraxion, a dragon of immense dark energy, will attack players on Wyrmrest, followed by an army of Twilight's Hammer drake riders led by Warmaster Blackhorn. Most interestingly absent is Chromatus, the great five-headed chromatic dragon who first appeared as an enemy in Christie Golden's Twilight of the Aspects and was pegged to be a raid boss in the coming patches.
Finally, players will take the fight to Deathwing himself, landing on his back for the first part of his encounter and then attacking him in his final form on the edges of the Maelstrom. I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am for these final raid encounters from Cataclysm. Way to turn up the epic, Blizzard.
World of Warcraft patch 4.3 will offer players the opportunity to take the fight to Wyrmrest Temple and beyond, assisting Thrall and the Dragon Aspects as they seek to bring an end to the Black Dragonflight once and for all. 10- and 25-person raids will get to take on Deathwing himself, with three levels of difficulty to consider and epic gear to claim.
Forged by Deathwing during the War of the Ancients, the Dragon Soul harnessed the power of the other dragonflights, until it was ultimately destroyed. After recovering a version of the artifact from the Caverns of Time, Thrall and the allied dragonflights now rally at Wyrmrest Temple in a desperate bid to use its might to defeat Deathwing.
Created by the titans as a sanctuary for all Dragonkind, the crumbling Wyrmrest Temple is now the final hope for the forces allied against the black dragon Neltharion, once the Earth-Warder and protector of Azeroth, now Deathwing the Destroyer. It is here that the remaining aspects -- Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Kalecgos, and Thrall -- have gathered to empower the Dragon Soul -- Azeroth's last chance to stop the great behemoth. As they begin to charge the Dragon Soul with energy, Deathwing and his entire army assault Wyrmrest Temple. Players must thwart the attacking forces long enough for Thrall to charge the Dragon Soul.
Before you face Deathwing the Destroyer, you must prevail against six mighty bosses.
The most powerful elemental still under Deathwing's sway, Morchok -- once a passive guardian -- is now convinced that his only respite will come with Azeroth's demise. Morchok rages against the foundation of Wyrmrest Temple, Azeroth's last beacon of hope in the Hour of Twilight.
Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Millennia have passed, but the warlord still serves the chaotic might of the Old God N'Zoth. Deathwing has now unleashed this legendary faceless one to crush the defenders of Wyrmrest Temple.
Since the fall of the Bastion of Twilight, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping has eagerly assisted Deathwing, providing the Destroyer with the means to release more faceless ones from their prisons deep beneath the earth. Their numbers are endless and their power is beyond reckoning, and Yor'sahj intends to reap a grim reward for his faithful service.
Hagara the Binder, one of the first students of arcane magic under the Forsaken, showed surprising potential for one who had started learning so late in life. But in her undisciplined attempts to bind elementals into servitude, she was ensnared and twisted by the Windlord, Al'Akir. Now fiercely loyal to the Twilight's Hammer, Hagara binds others for her elemental masters to torment.
More an abomination of dark energy than a dragon, Ultraxion has spent his short life absorbing the essence of captured nether dragons. Ultraxion is the only twilight dragon Deathwing has praised, and his arrogance is overshadowed only by the crackling energies surging through his twisted form. Loyal to his master, Ultraxion swears to bring about the fall of Wyrmrest Temple.
Though once vast in number, only a few dozen twilight dragons now remain. Astride these hardened survivors are the last vestiges of the Twilight's Hammer's army: the elite drake riders of Deathwing's personal escort. Led by the insidious Warmaster Blackhorn, they move with unholy purpose, driven to protect their dark master.
When Deathwing first channeled the Dragon Soul's power against the other dragonflights, the massive energies that he unleashed threatened to break him apart. Rather than forgo this weapon, he had adamantium plates fused to his scales to hold his body together. Later reinforced with elementium, these plates are now his weakness -- the sole vulnerability to Deathwing's lethal presence.
Your assault on the massive Deathwing will begin a battle unlike any other. It is a fight so wide-ranging and intense that it comprises two unique encounters, taking place across Azeroth. Taking to the skies, players will parachute from soaring gunships to attack the monster mid-flight and attempt to weaken him by ripping away his armor, exposing the molten flesh beneath. Should they succeed, they will plunge into the depths of Maelstrom for the final encounter.
No adventurer has yet taken on an enemy so large and dangerous and lived to tell the tale. Will you?
Check out our previews of the forthcoming 5-person dungeons, End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight.
Forged by Deathwing during the War of the Ancients, the Dragon Soul harnessed the power of the other dragonflights, until it was ultimately destroyed. After recovering a version of the artifact from the Caverns of Time, Thrall and the allied dragonflights now rally at Wyrmrest Temple in a desperate bid to use its might to defeat Deathwing.
Created by the titans as a sanctuary for all Dragonkind, the crumbling Wyrmrest Temple is now the final hope for the forces allied against the black dragon Neltharion, once the Earth-Warder and protector of Azeroth, now Deathwing the Destroyer. It is here that the remaining aspects -- Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Kalecgos, and Thrall -- have gathered to empower the Dragon Soul -- Azeroth's last chance to stop the great behemoth. As they begin to charge the Dragon Soul with energy, Deathwing and his entire army assault Wyrmrest Temple. Players must thwart the attacking forces long enough for Thrall to charge the Dragon Soul.
Before you face Deathwing the Destroyer, you must prevail against six mighty bosses.
The most powerful elemental still under Deathwing's sway, Morchok -- once a passive guardian -- is now convinced that his only respite will come with Azeroth's demise. Morchok rages against the foundation of Wyrmrest Temple, Azeroth's last beacon of hope in the Hour of Twilight.
Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Millennia have passed, but the warlord still serves the chaotic might of the Old God N'Zoth. Deathwing has now unleashed this legendary faceless one to crush the defenders of Wyrmrest Temple.
Since the fall of the Bastion of Twilight, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping has eagerly assisted Deathwing, providing the Destroyer with the means to release more faceless ones from their prisons deep beneath the earth. Their numbers are endless and their power is beyond reckoning, and Yor'sahj intends to reap a grim reward for his faithful service.
Hagara the Binder, one of the first students of arcane magic under the Forsaken, showed surprising potential for one who had started learning so late in life. But in her undisciplined attempts to bind elementals into servitude, she was ensnared and twisted by the Windlord, Al'Akir. Now fiercely loyal to the Twilight's Hammer, Hagara binds others for her elemental masters to torment.
More an abomination of dark energy than a dragon, Ultraxion has spent his short life absorbing the essence of captured nether dragons. Ultraxion is the only twilight dragon Deathwing has praised, and his arrogance is overshadowed only by the crackling energies surging through his twisted form. Loyal to his master, Ultraxion swears to bring about the fall of Wyrmrest Temple.
Though once vast in number, only a few dozen twilight dragons now remain. Astride these hardened survivors are the last vestiges of the Twilight's Hammer's army: the elite drake riders of Deathwing's personal escort. Led by the insidious Warmaster Blackhorn, they move with unholy purpose, driven to protect their dark master.
When Deathwing first channeled the Dragon Soul's power against the other dragonflights, the massive energies that he unleashed threatened to break him apart. Rather than forgo this weapon, he had adamantium plates fused to his scales to hold his body together. Later reinforced with elementium, these plates are now his weakness -- the sole vulnerability to Deathwing's lethal presence.
Your assault on the massive Deathwing will begin a battle unlike any other. It is a fight so wide-ranging and intense that it comprises two unique encounters, taking place across Azeroth. Taking to the skies, players will parachute from soaring gunships to attack the monster mid-flight and attempt to weaken him by ripping away his armor, exposing the molten flesh beneath. Should they succeed, they will plunge into the depths of Maelstrom for the final encounter.
No adventurer has yet taken on an enemy so large and dangerous and lived to tell the tale. Will you?
Check out our previews of the forthcoming 5-person dungeons, End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight.
Filed under: Cataclysm






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Bellajtok Sep 19th 2011 9:26PM
SQUEEEEEEEE!!!
Okay, time to read the actual preview now. Oh, and a special kudos and thanks to the entire WowInsider staff for getting all of these releases to us so quickly, efficiently, and magnificently. We appreciate it!
blazenor Sep 19th 2011 9:28PM
Fighting on the back of a dragon = Epic
Saikoujin Sep 20th 2011 9:27AM
IIRC, last winter people were tin-foil-hatting about what the Deathwing encounter would be like. Someone, in a lengthy post, described a battle where the raid would fight on Deathwing's back while flying around Azeroth. I do not recall the article, but it would be interesting to dig up this post for a posthumous comparison. This person should speak up, because they nailed the prediction 100%.
Arrohon Sep 19th 2011 9:30PM
"Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron."
I personally found this to be the most interesting part of all. The Old Gods don't even like each other!
Hellwraith Sep 19th 2011 9:39PM
Exactly! That really caught my attention, and brought up a whole new perspective for the lore and tinfoil aspects.
Also, Thrall has been officially been claimed aspect. I haven't read any book, but I thought only dragons could be aspects. Anyone can now beat the snot out of me for not knowing profoundly about this aspect of the story :P
Arrohon Sep 19th 2011 9:44PM
It looks like a writing error to me. I think it should be "It is here that the remaining aspects -- Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Kalecgos -- and Thrall have gathered to empower the Dragon Soul -- Azeroth's last chance to stop the great behemoth."
Marolas Sep 19th 2011 9:48PM
In "Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects," Thrall fills in for the missing Black Dragon Aspect when the other four Aspects are combining their power, but it is stated - explicitly - that Thrall could never become an Aspect. He just happened to be close enough to the Earth as a shaman to fulfill that role in the moment.
If anything it's likely that the black dragon prince (the one purified in the Badlands quest chain) that will be guiding rogues along their legendary dagger questline is the heir apparent for the title of Aspect once Deathwing is destroyed.
Hellwraith Sep 19th 2011 10:02PM
Ok, yeah, that's what I thought... being an interim Aspect. I instantly got why he would be covering for the Earth-Warden, just wanted to get stuff a little clear. Thanks for the clear up people ;)
mostpsp Sep 19th 2011 10:08PM
"It is here that the remaining aspects -- Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Kalecgos, and Thrall"
I knew it.
kate Sep 19th 2011 9:31PM
Well that's gonna be difficult to top. :) AIRBORNE!!
vegetto375 Sep 19th 2011 9:34PM
This is gonna be some awesome instance. While it won't have nearly as many bosses as ICC it will be very interesting to actually see how all this fights play out. Ultraxion looks totally badass and the 3 sets of difficulty LFR>normal>heroic is a good thing for everyone. Casuals will enjoy LFR, progression guilds will still have their normals and hardcore guilds have their heroics.
Now if only I could get the opening song from Dragon Ball Kai out of my head (or see Goku appear out of nowhere and Kamehameha Deathwing) I'll be happy.
Vinyl Sep 19th 2011 9:46PM
Nah man, he's going to spend the first 6 encounters of the raid charging Spirit Bomb, then once the plates are peeled away, he'll move in to steal the kill :)
Amnesiatic Sep 20th 2011 7:25AM
Oh I see what you did there.
furrama Sep 19th 2011 9:34PM
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Sergel Sep 19th 2011 9:49PM
I think this is gonna be more epic than any boss fight before. So Blizzard, please, oh please add some epic boss music to it.
jfofla Sep 19th 2011 9:52PM
In the fight against Hagara the Binder, you will be aided by the Wizard Metamucil.
Bellajtok Sep 19th 2011 10:20PM
Triple post. Worst case of multipost I've ever seen.
Fletcher Sep 19th 2011 10:49PM
Eh. I've seen a hextuple post once (not on this site, admittedly).
Natsumi Sep 20th 2011 12:00AM
We had a heckler once that did a dodecapost (he posted the same thing 20 times).
Fletcher Sep 20th 2011 12:23AM
That's just a spammer, though. A true multipost is when someone posts multiple times *by accident* - usually by clicking "submit" multiple times on a laggy connection. They submit, it doesn't look like it's gone through, they submit again ... bam! When it finally goes through, they've got a doublepost.