For those unaware, there were significant changes to Zul’Gurub in Patch 10.0.7. Bijous, Zandalar Coins, Transmog, and Ancient Recipes are back, so if you’re a collector, and missed out on this content, get collecting!
Blizzard had encrypted some files within the test phase of Patch 10.0.7 hence why those that tested the Patch never knew this was coming; well played, Blizzard!
On the Isle of Quel’Danas is a raid instance called Sunwell Plateau. The raid was released back in The Burning Crusade (TBC), and due to the Recipes, Gems (Crimson Spinel), and Transmog on offer, it still has a lot of appeal to many players.
The main benefit is the trash mobs scattered around the beginning of the raid. With the ability to mount up and travel through the instance, collecting all the mobs and quickly AoE them down means each trash run can be very efficient; if done correctly.
If you’re following this guide, you mustn’t pull any bosses. Failure to adhere to this, and kill any of the bosses, will incur a raid lockout.
How to get to Sunwell Plateau?
Take a portal to Shattrath City, and within the Terrace of Light, find the portal to the Isle of Quel’Danas, situated at coordinates, [48.41]. To access this portal, make sure you’re not mounted; otherwise, you’ll be prevented from successfully using the portal until you dismount!
Once you’ve arrived on the Isle of Quel’Danas, travel the short distance to coordinates [44.45], Sunwell Plateau, you have reached your destination!
The Aim of the Game!
As mentioned above, we’re merely here to farm the trash mobs, ignoring all the bosses. Due to the layout of the instance, we’re prevented from going any further than the first boss, Kalecgos.
Our aim is to loot Crimson Spinels. Why? you ask! Well since the release of the Mage Tower, I’ve sold 330 different cuts of Crimson Spinel, totaling 781k gold. That’s approximately 2.3k gold per Crimson Spinel.
Once you’ve defeated all the trash mobs, exit the instance and reset the raid. Rinse and repeat until you’ve burned yourself out or collected the items you’re farming.
Comfortable Rider’s Barding:
If you want to decrease the chance of being dazed or dismounted, consider opting for the mount equipment: Comfortable Rider’s Barding. It would help if you were level 10 or above, and given this blog post is regarding Farming: Sunwell Plateau, I’d imagine you easily meet this requirement.
This piece of equipment does not work on a Sky Golem!
Points of Interest:
I’ve illustrated the points of interest in the image provided. Please find below the necessary information to help with your trash farm.
Once you’ve entered the raid, head straight to the first area (2), highlighted in the image above; you will find a Sunblade Protector patrolling around a tree and two packs of mobs (highlighted by two red rings) situated under two arches. To begin your pull, get close enough to attract them, and they will chase you.
Make your way through the next courtyard (3), pulling all the mobs on your left and right-hand side. Be sure to activate any deactivated Sunblabe Protectors on the sides (highlighted by a purple arrow). If you’re here to collect Crimson Spinel’s, these Sunblade Protector’s have an excellent chance to drop them.
Be warned that these mobs have an increased chance to dismount you if you haven’t equipped the Comfortable Rider’s Barding. If you get dismounted, use a pillar or a corner to line of sight (LoS) the mobs and kill them all. Be careful of any stragglers, as you will not be able to mount up again until all the mobs you’ve pulled are dead.
Make your way through the next courtyard (4) and continue to pull the mobs and Sunblade Protector’s until you reach a set of stairs (5). Feel free to stack up the mobs here and kill them all if you haven’t done so already. Line of sight is essential because the NPC’s are ranged casters; hiding behind pillars will force them to come within melee distance.
The Stairway!
From hereon, we take the stairs (5); there are only a couple more packs and patrols left (6). Again, if you pull the mobs and get dismounted, use the pillar to LoS the mobs, and kill them all, and mount up once more.
Make your way around the outskirts following the path outlined above, and you’ll find another Sunblade Protector patrolling in front of Kalecgos (7). Careful not to pull the boss. Once you’ve pulled the Sunblade Protector, head back down to the final pack of mobs (8), LoS behind a pillar, and kill all the enemies you’ve collected.
If you have the Comfortable Rider’s Barding equipped, you can run this entire path without getting dismounted from the start (1) to finish (8)!
Youtube Clip:
Here’s a brief clip outlining the route, and how I collect and AOE the mobs. If you found the clip helpful, be sure to like and subscribe for future content.
Exiting the Instance:
There are two methods here.
Option one, run back to the entrance, exit, and (using the script below) reset all instances. Rinse and repeat!
Option Two, alternatively, if you have a class portal Deathknight (Death Gate), Druid (Dreamwalk), or Monk (Transcendence), use your class portal to leave the instance. Once you’re out of the instance, hit the portal once more to return to the nearest graveyard. Once back (using the script below), reset all instances.
The class portals are normally beneficial in instances where you can’t mount up, and exit quickly (i.e. Uldaman)
Resetting all Instances:
Here’s an excellent script for resetting all instances. Copy and paste this into the chatbox, then press enter, and voila! alternatively, create a macro and add it to your action bar, for an instant reset all instances one-click macro.
/script ResetInstances();
Check out this blog post for more information regarding the script.
Instance Limits:
Please be aware that there’s an instance limit of ten instances per one-hour period. As these trash runs can easily take a couple of minutes to complete, you’ll quickly hit this limit. I tend to log an alt and do something else while the cap resets.
Currently, my alt is sitting within/nearby Black Temple. This way, I have the best of both worlds, farming different locations. Importantly, this prevents farming from becoming tedious.
Mounts:
I’d also recommend having a mount that has a vendor/repair on it. Having a vendor at your disposal will make clearing your bags very efficient. Otherwise, if you don’t have one, there is a vendor Smith Hauthaa situated close by at the harbor, coordinates [50.40].
Crimson Spinel’s are a gem of great interest with the scaling benefits from the World Event: Timewalking. Sunwell Plateau and the Black Temple have excellent trash packs, meaning it’s easy to farm these gems.
With the ability to mount up within Sunwell Plateau and the improved drop chance of gems from Sunblade Protector’s, I’d suggest running Sunwell Plateau over Black Temple!
Feedback:
Any feedback is greatly received; please use the comment section below. If you need to contact me, use the contact me method. If you found this post helpful and believe it could be of use to someone else, please consider liking and sharing.
You’ll find the entrance to Dragon Soul within the Caverns of Time. Take the portal to Caverns of Time from either Stormwind (Alliance), or Orgrimmar (Horde). Fly down into the Caverns, and check your map for the Raid entrance.
Limitations to Raid Lockout:
It’s important to remember that 10/25 man and Normal/Heroic Raids share the same lockout. However, you’ll find Auridormi at the entrance; she will assist you in queuing for Looking for Raid (LFR) solo!
LFR doesn’t share the same lockout, so remember to do both to increase your chances of loot and gems.
How to Acquire Cataclysm Epic Gems:
Upon defeating each boss within Dragon Soul, you’ll receive a small amount of gold, some loot, and upon defeating Deathwing in the final encounter, you also have a chance at a mount.
Once you’ve obtained your Motes and Essence, seek out Dasnurimi within Dragon Soul, he can be found on the ground level of Wyrmrest Tower, coordinates [49.60].
How to defeat the Spine of Deathwing?
Many players struggle to defeat the Spine of Deathwing encounter due to the fight’s mechanics. But, fear not, here’s an excellent video from Haydes Realm, outlining how easy this is if you follow the advice closely!
As always, please do visit Haydes Realm’sYoutube, leave a like, and comment if you found their video helpful. Don’t forget to subscribe for future content!
Final Reminder:
I can’t stress this enough, don’t forget to run LFR! With the price of Queen’s Garnets selling for between 5-10k each, this raid can be a very profitable part of your farming routine. If you have alts that can clear this raid, you have a greater chance of earning a lot more gold.
Feedback:
Any feedback is greatly received; please use the comment section below. If you need to contact me, use the contact me method. If you found this post helpful and believe it could be of use to someone else, please consider liking and sharing.
Welcome to my AQ10 – Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj farming guide. This raid used to be a 20-man raid but has since been reduced to a 10-man. To prevent any confusion, I’ve changed the title from AQ20 to AQ10. This instance is an excellent place to farm, as you can travel throughout the raid instance on your mount and group up and AoE all the trash mobs.
You can find the entrance to AQ10 south of Silithus in Kalimdor, coordinates [36.93].
What To Farm in AQ10?
The loot you’ll be concentrating on here is primarily uncommon pieces: Glorious Plate set, Lofty Plate set, and Vanguard Plate set. Be warned, the drop rates for all these items are meager, hence why they demand so much gold on the Auction House. So be prepared to do many instances before you start seeing results.
There are other items of interest from this instance, be sure to check Wowhead and TheUndermineJournal (TUJ) for any potentially lucrative items.
The Tactic:
It’s important to remember we’re specifically concentrating on trash mobs in AQ10 and ignoring all the bosses. With this tactic, we can clear our way throughout the whole instance, and once all the trash mobs are dead, we exit the instance and reset it – rinse and repeat to our heart’s content.
Following this advice means we can complete as many runs as we want and, each time, improve our chances of looting some desirable pieces. Not that it’s likely, but remember there is a maximum of 10 instances per one-hour period.
If you kill a boss, you will not be able to reset the instance. Instead, you will need to wait until the instance lockout resets. So please take care maneuvering past the boss(es).
Handy Macro For Resetting An Instance:
Check out this post for a handy script/macro to reset instances quickly and effortlessly.
How to get to AQ10:
There are two options available to you, starting with the best method.
Option One: Go to the Cataclysm Portals within both Orgrimmar and Stormwind, and take the portal to Uldum. This option will result in you needing to take a short flight from Rumkahen, Uldum to Silithus. Additionally, this portal may not be available to you if you do not have access to Cataclysm content.
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Option Two: Head to the new portal room within both Orgrimmar and Stormwind, and look for the Caverns of TimePortal. Taking this portal takes you to the Caverns of Time in Tanaris. This option is slightly longer.
Helpful tip: The Caverns of Time Portal in Orgrimmar is on the bottom floor, below the main portal room. Take the stairs on the left-hand side after entering the portal room entrance.
Alternatively, use the three vendors located outside the instance, Keyl Swiftclaw, Warden Haro, and Windcaller Yessendra.
The Guide:
Above, you can see a detailed map illustrating the route to take and the position of all the bosses within the instance. Please take extra care within the blue circle; pulling any of the mobs here will pull the boss!
Enter the instance and group up as many mobs as you can. However, be aware that the mobs do use pushbacks that may result in stunning you. You may wish to limit the number of mobs you pull, but this is entirely up to you and the class you’re playing.
Once this area is clear, you’ll approach the first boss Kurinnaxx. You can clear the mobs around him when they come to you, when they’re dead, maneuver around the boss from a safe distance and enter Zone Two.
We have to be very careful, and why I highlighted it in blue. You can kill the two guards at all three entrances, but do not kill anyone else inside that room. If you pull even one mob, they will all come, including the boss General Rajaxx. Weave in and out of the packs and head into Zone Three.
If your class has the option, I’d recommend using Stealth to make this situation more manageable. Also, if you pull a mob or the boss and your class has a Feign Death ability, you can use it to reset the boss.
There are a lot more mobs here, don’t pull too many. The pushbacks from these mobs are far worse than the ones from Zone One, and they’re multiple pushbacks too. I’d recommend pulling a couple of packs, get into a corner, and AoE them down immediately. Then, rinse and repeat until all the mobs are dead.
The boss Moam is up in the far right corner, so easily missed. Move on up the long set of stairs to Zone Four.
Ossirian the Unscarred is the boss in this zone; he’s located up the stairs on the right-hand side. Just concentrate on the Anubisath Guardians. Round them up and AoE them down. You will get a debuff, but nothing that will harm you.
Head towards Zone Five once you’ve cleared the room.
In this zone, you must make sure you kill the Silicate Feeders. These mobs have a decent drop rate for the plate set items we want. Carefully group the Feeders without aggroing the boss Ayamiss the Hunter (he is above the altar at the back), kill and loot them all, then head down the corridor on the left-hand side.
Check the rooms for further SilicateFeeders as you go through this corridor.
There isn’t a lot to do here; kill anything you see at the top, go to your right first, kill the pack, then take yourself back around to the other side, as shown in the map above. Finally, you’ll find yourself back at the alternative entrance to Zone Two.
Exiting And Resetting The Instance:
If you’ve followed the directions carefully, enter Zone Two again, carefully weave in and out of the mobs and make your way through Zone One and towards the exit making sure you don’t pull any bosses.
Once you’re ready, reenter the instance and rinse and repeat.
Items Of Interest:
The prices used below are Region Median from TheUndermineJournal (TUJ). The valuations are average across the region and could be lower or higher than your specific realm. Enter your realm details for a definitive valuation.
Any feedback is greatly received; please use the comment section below. If you need to contact me, use the contact me method. If you found this post helpful and believe it could be of use to someone else, please consider liking and sharing.