Blackfathom Deeps is the flooded naga temple on the coast of Ashenvale, and in WoW Forever it is the first dungeon where a careless pull can wipe a group in seconds. The layout and the boss order are the ones you remember from Classic, but some abilities hit much harder: Aku'mai's Poison Cloud now deals 527 Nature damage every 5 seconds instead of 50, so the last boss needs a plan. The loot was reworked as well, with seven new items, a reworked Strike of the Hydra and old pieces like Martyr's Chain that picked up effects nobody expected.
The dungeon is tuned for levels 24 to 32, and both factions have quests here. Below you will find how to reach the underwater entrance, the quests worth picking up, everything that changed in Forever, a strategy for each boss, the best loot for each role and tips for a smooth run.
Blackfathom Deeps lies on the Zoram Strand, the northwestern coast of Ashenvale. The entrance is a ruined temple half sunk into the sea: swim down the shaft in the middle of the ruins and follow the tunnel until you surface at the meeting stone and the instance portal. The swim is short, but keep an eye on your breath bar if you stop to fight on the way.
Horde players fly to Zoram'gar Outpost on the coast and walk north along the beach. Alliance players fly to Astranaar and ride northwest along the main road, or come down the coast from Auberdine in Darkshore.
Blackfathom Deeps has quests for both factions, and most of them can be picked up on the way to the dungeon. The one to prioritize is Blackfathom Villainy, which both factions can take and which now offers the new Dark Ritual Leggings and Cultist's Armguards. Alliance players get the new Silvered Gauntlets from Twilight Falls and Staghide Armguards from Researching the Corruption, while Horde players can earn the new Dreamer's Chestguard from the Baron Aquanis quest.
Horde Paladins get their own Kor Gem quest in Forever: Seeking the Kor Gem starts with Ulric Frostveil at Zoram'gar Outpost and asks for a Corrupted Kor Gem from the naga of Blackfathom. Warlocks can also finish The Orb of Soran'ruk here, which now gives a stronger Orb of Soran'ruk.
Every quest, where it starts and what it rewards is listed in our WoW Forever dungeon quests guide.
The temple, the bosses and the fights are the same as in Classic. What changed is how hard some abilities hit and almost every item that drops.
The biggest jump is on the last boss, but the trash also deserves respect. These are the changes that matter most:
The other mechanics are unchanged: Twilight Lord Kelris still puts a player to sleep with Sleep and casts Mind Blast, Gelihast still roots the group with Net, and Ghamoo-ra still hits everyone around him with Trample.
Four bosses received new items. Lorgus Jett, the rare Twilight leader, has the best drop chances:
| Item | Boss | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Spiked Shell Band | Ghamoo-ra | Ring that deals 2 Nature damage to every attacker, 3.6% drop chance |
| Cursed Murloc Eye | Gelihast | Trinket that adds 2 Shadow damage to spells and attacks, 4 times as much against Murlocs, 3.7% drop chance |
| Twilight Lord Girdle | Twilight Lord Kelris | Mail belt with Strength, Block Value and Shadow Resistance, 2.6% drop chance |
| Twilight Maul | Lorgus Jett | Two-handed mace with spell power that can blast the target for 70 Nature damage, 12% drop chance |
| Treacherous Treads | Lorgus Jett | Mail boots that increase all threat you generate by 1%, 8.7% drop chance |
| Fallenroot Longbow | Lorgus Jett | Bow with Agility and Stamina, 9.4% drop chance |
Gelihast can also drop Blueprint: Fishing Rack, a camp feature for Fishing, and the bosses have a small chance to drop crafting recipes such as Pattern: Brawler's Leather Hood for Leatherworking.
Almost every Classic drop is back with new stats, and many caster pieces now carry spell power. These items picked up effects worth knowing:
| Item | Source | New Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Strike of the Hydra | Aku'mai | Its proc now deals 42 Fire and 14 Frost damage, slows the target by 50% for 5 seconds, cuts armor by 50 and poisons for 7 Nature damage every 3 seconds |
| Martyr's Chain | Trash drop | When you die, it deals 420 Holy damage to all enemies within 15 yards |
| Naga Heartpiercer | Lady Sarevess | Bow whose hits can wound the target for 42 damage and stun Naga for 2 seconds |
| Rod of the Sleepwalker | Twilight Lord Kelris | Spell power staff that makes Sleep effects 5% less likely to hit you |
| Tortoise Armor | Ghamoo-ra | Bonus armor and 5 less damage taken from every spell |
| Bite of Serra'kis | Old Serra'kis | Its poison now deals 14 Nature damage every 3 seconds for 9 seconds instead of 4 every 2 seconds |
| Leech Pants | Aku'mai | Now restores 5 mana and 5 health every 5 seconds |
| Sustaining Ring | Quest reward | Now restores 4 health every 5 seconds |
| Orb of Soran'ruk | Warlock quest | Fire and Shadow damage doubled to 9, and its heal now restores 48 health every 3 seconds on a 10-minute cooldown instead of 30 |
The Rod of the Sleepwalker is a neat touch: it drops from the boss who casts Sleep and protects you from exactly that. The Darkwater Talwar shadow bolt grew from 25 to 28 damage, the Reef Axe became a spell power weapon, and Moss Cinch, Gaze Dreamer Pants, Ghamoo-ra's Bind and Naga Battle Gloves all traded Intellect or Spirit for spell power.
Blackfathom Deeps has eight bosses, one of them a rare spawn and one only summoned with a Horde quest item. The fights are short; most wipes come from the trash, the water and the last room.
Ghamoo-ra is the giant turtle in the first water cave. He has a lot of armor and uses Trample on everyone near him, so melee players should not stack too close. It is a simple tank and spank fight. He drops Tortoise Armor, Ghamoo-ra's Bind and the new Spiked Shell Band.
Lady Sarevess comes with two naga guards. Kill or crowd control the guards first, then spread out so Forked Lightning only hits one player. She also roots players with Frost Nova and slows them with Slow, so ranged players should keep their distance. She drops Naga Battle Gloves, Naga Heartpiercer and Darkwater Talwar.
Gelihast waits in the murloc cave with several Blindlight Murloc adds around him. Clear the adds first, then pull the boss; his Net roots the group but does little damage. He drops Algae Fists, Reef Axe, the new Cursed Murloc Eye and Blueprint: Fishing Rack. Click the Shrine of Gelihast after the fight for a water breathing buff.
Lorgus Jett is a rare Twilight leader who can appear at one of several spots along the way. When he is up, kill his escort first, then him. He has the most interesting new loot in the dungeon: Twilight Maul, Treacherous Treads and Fallenroot Longbow.
Baron Aquanis only appears for Horde groups. A Horde player summons him by looting the Fathom Core for Amongst the Ruins in the Twilight's Hammer area. He drops the Strange Water Globe, which starts the Baron Aquanis quest with the new Dreamer's Chestguard as one of the reward choices.
Twilight Lord Kelris sits at the Altar of the Deeps. He puts a random player to sleep with Sleep and hits hard with Mind Blast, so the healer should keep the sleeping player topped up and anyone with a dispel should remove it. He drops Rod of the Sleepwalker, Gaze Dreamer Pants and the new Twilight Lord Girdle. After the kill, light the four braziers at the altar: each one calls a wave of enemies, and the door to Aku'mai opens once all four are lit. Fight each wave in the middle of the altar before you light the next brazier.
Old Serra'kis is a shark that patrols the flooded corridor before the last room. The fight happens underwater, so use the water breathing buff from the Shrine of Gelihast and kill him quickly. He drops Glowing Thresher Cape, Bands of Serra'kis and Bite of Serra'kis.
Aku'mai is the three-headed hydra in the last cave. She is surrounded by Aku'mai Servant adds: pull them away and kill them before the boss. In the fight, the tank keeps her facing away from the group, and everyone moves out of Poison Cloud as soon as it lands. Healers should save their cooldowns for Frenzied Rage, when her attack speed jumps by 75%. She drops Strike of the Hydra, Moss Cinch and Leech Pants.
Blackfathom Deeps has a strong item for almost every role in the late 20s. These are the drops worth staying for:
| Role | Best Items |
|---|---|
| Tank | Tortoise Armor, Treacherous Treads, Twilight Lord Girdle, Spiked Shell Band, Algae Fists |
| Melee damage | Strike of the Hydra, Darkwater Talwar, Bite of Serra'kis, Bands of Serra'kis |
| Ranged physical | Naga Heartpiercer, Fallenroot Longbow |
| Caster damage | Rod of the Sleepwalker, Moss Cinch, Gaze Dreamer Pants, Ghamoo-ra's Bind, Orb of Soran'ruk for Warlocks |
| Healer | Naga Battle Gloves, Glowing Thresher Cape, Leech Pants, Rod of the Sleepwalker |
These are the small things that save the most time and the most wipes:
For the full list of dungeons on the way to 30 and beyond, see our WoW Forever dungeons overview.
If you would rather skip the group search, our WoW Forever Dungeons Tour clears Blackfathom Deeps and the other Forever dungeons in one order with an organized team, with quests, loot and experience included.
These are the questions players ask most often about Blackfathom Deeps.
Blackfathom Deeps is tuned for levels 24 to 32. For Aku'mai, a group around level 27 or higher has a much easier time.
Mostly at the end. Poison Cloud from Aku'mai now deals 527 Nature damage per tick instead of 50, and Lady Sarevess now hits a whole cone of players for 127 Nature damage with Forked Lightning. The other bosses play like they did in Classic.
Seven new items: the Spiked Shell Band, the Cursed Murloc Eye, the Twilight Lord Girdle, three drops from Lorgus Jett and Blueprint: Fishing Rack. Old items like Strike of the Hydra and Martyr's Chain also gained new effects.
After you kill Twilight Lord Kelris, light the four braziers at the Altar of the Deeps. Each brazier calls a wave of enemies, and the door opens once all four waves are dead.
Yes. Both factions have quests here, the entrance is on the Ashenvale coast between Zoram'gar Outpost and Astranaar, and only Baron Aquanis is limited to Horde groups.
These guides help you plan the rest of your dungeons:
