Gruul the Dragonkiller Originally, Gruul presented a challenge in movement. He has an ability called Ground Slam that will throw players in the air and slowly turn them to stone. Then he will cast Shatter, which does damage not to the player themselves but to the players in range of them. So players had to quickly spread out during the Ground Slam before they froze, rendering the Shatter useless. It's way easier to spread out when there are only a few of you in there, so you don't have to worry so much about the Ground Slam. Stay out of Cave Ins -- if you see rocks falling on you, move away from them. DPS your heart out, and you should have Gruul down in no time at all.

Tier drops Gruul drops tier 4 leg tokens for every class.

Other items of interest The Axe of the Gronn Lords is a massive two-handed axe that looks like a hatchet made out of rocks, while the Bloodmaw Magus-Blade is a main-hand sword that's sporting a fairly Draenei-looking model. For those that want a Draenei-themed shield, check out the Aldori Legacy Defender, which looks as though it's been ripped straight off the hull of a Naaru ship. Rogues may like the Shuriken of Negation if they're looking for ninja stars in their ranged slot.

Cloth-wearers who like the look of the Masquerade Gown found in Karazhan will want to pick up the Collar of Cho'gall, as it's a match to that outfit. For leather-wearers, the Cowl of Nature's Breath and Gronn-Stiched Girdle are both more recolored Bloodfang. For mail-wearers, the Gauntlets of the Dragonslayer are more recolored Dragonstalker, and the Windshear Boots are a nice dark boot option. Plate-wearers might like the Gauntlets of Martial Perfection, plate gloves in gold and green.


Magtheridon's Lair

The odds of success for Magtheridon were directly proportional to the number of players you had in your raid who were capable of simultaneously clicking a cube when directed to do so. Magtheridon's Lair has a few roaming packs of trash; go ahead and clear those out before you begin. In order to start the Magtheridon encounter, you must first engage five channelers spread around the room. These channelers can heal each other with a spell called Dark Mending that can and should be interrupted. Once the channelers are dead, wait for Magtheridon to become active, and you can start beating his face in.

It is possible to solo this boss by ignoring the channelers after you pull and simply waiting for Magtheridon to become active, focusing all DPS on him. However, it's far, far easier to just take a couple people along. Once upon a time, when Magtheridon cast Blast Nova, five players had to click the cubes scattered around the room to stun him before the Blast Nova went off. These days, the damage from Blast Nova is pretty laughable and you can ignore it. Simply DPS Magtheridon until he falls over dead.

Tier drops Magtheridon drops tier 4 chest pieces for all classes, the last piece required to complete the tier 4 set. Finally!

Other items of interest The Crystalheart Pulse-Staff is a gorgeous, ethereal, red and pink Naaru-themed staff that casters might like. Those who wield polearms should look at the gold and blue Glaive of the Pit. Casters also might want to look at the Eredar Wand of Obliteration, a skull wand with a faint green almost electrical charge running through it. Also available for casters is the Karaborian Talisman, a crystalline offhand item with a Naaru/Draenei theme. For those who can wear shields, the Aegis of the Vindicator is a giant pink crystalline shield.

For leather-wearing classes, the Liar's Tongue Gloves are a dark brown and gray option. For cloth-wearers, the Soul-Eater's Handwraps are a dark pair of gloves with intricate gold embroidery reminiscent of the Masquerade Gown, or the Frozen Shadoweave set made by tailors. Mail-wearing classes might like the looks of the Terror Pit Girdle. Plate-wearers may like the simplicity of the gray metal Thundering Greathelm or the Girdle of the Endless Pit for a green and gold belt option.

In addition, Magtheridon politely drops his head, which you can turn in to your respective faction hub in Hellfire Peninsula for a zone-wide buff, a ring, and zone-wide shouts proclaiming your might for any who might still be questing out there.


That's it for tier 4. Remember, in order to turn in those tier tokens, you head to Shattrath City and visit Arodis Sunblade on the Scryer's Tier if you're Scryer, Asuur over on Aldor Rise if you're Aldor, or either one if you haven't chosen a side to ally with out there. If you are looking for PVP gear, turning in your class tokens to Karynna on the Isle of Quel'Danas will reward you with the Gladiator sets rather than tier 4.

Next week, we'll begin a trek through watery depths that no longer require quest chains to enter. From tainted cores to the first appearance of the severely underestimated elevator boss, we'll be snapping up the first pieces of tier 5 in Serpentshrine Cavern.

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