The Deadmines is the first big dungeon for most Alliance characters in WoW Forever, and it is a different place from the one you remember. Bosses hit much harder, almost every item in the loot table has new stats, and several drops picked up unique effects: Smelting Pants speed up smelting, Rockslicer lets anyone mine ore with an axe, and Thief's Blade helps Rogues pick pockets. There is also new loot, such as the First Mate Band ring from Mr. Smite, and a new Westfall questline that ends with blowing up the goblin forge.
The dungeon is built for levels 17 to 26, and most groups clear it at 18 to 23. Below you will find how to reach it from both factions, the quests worth picking up, a full breakdown of what changed in Forever, a strategy for each boss, the best loot for each role and tips for a smooth run.
The entrance is inside a mine in Moonbrook, in the south of Westfall. Alliance players fly to Sentinel Hill and ride south. The tunnels before the instance portal are full of elite Defias and undead miners, so gather the group at the mine entrance and walk in together.
Horde players have a long trip. Take the zeppelin to Grom'gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale, then swim north along the coast to the southern tip of Westfall and walk to Moonbrook. All Deadmines quests are Alliance-only, so Horde groups come here only for the loot and the experience.
If the group wipes, the spirit healer is at Sentinel Hill, a long run from the instance. A resurrection from a Priest, Shaman or Paladin saves several minutes.
The Deadmines has eight quests, and all of them are Alliance-only. The one to prioritize is The Defias Brotherhood from Gryan Stoutmantle at Sentinel Hill: killing Edwin VanCleef finishes the Westfall chain and offers Chausses of Westfall, Tunic of Westfall or Staff of Westfall. The new Forever quest is Destruction in Deadmines from Alba Fairmoon, which has you plant explosives by the goblin forge.
Every quest, where it starts and what it rewards is listed in our WoW Forever dungeon quests guide.
The Deadmines keeps its layout and boss order, but the fights and the loot table were reworked. This is the part that matters most if you ran it in Classic.
The biggest difference is how hard the bosses hit. Several abilities now deal several times their Classic damage, so the tank needs a healer who pays attention from the first pull:
Beta testers also report that enemies who evade now move around and try to reach you instead of standing still, and that the dungeon is darker than before. The mechanics you know are still there: Goblin Engineer and Goblin Craftsman summon a golem with Summon Remote-Controlled Golem, Sneed's Shredder uses Terrify, and Mr. Smite stuns the group with Smite Stomp as he changes weapons.
Forever adds new items to five bosses. Most of them are rare drops at around 1%, so treat them as a bonus rather than a farming target.
| Item | Boss | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Ogre Loincloth | Rhahk'Zor | Cloth legs with Strength, Stamina and healing power |
| Dull Sawblade | Sneed's Shredder | Thrown weapon with 6 Attack Power |
| Bandsaw Wristbands | Sneed | Mail wrists that deal 5 to 7 Physical damage every time you block |
| Goblin Hammer | Gilnid | Main-hand mace with Stamina and 20 bonus armor |
| First Mate Band | Mr. Smite | Ring from the Partners in Crime set |
| Lookie's Spyglass | Cookie | Trinket that lets you look far into the distance |
The First Mate Band is the most interesting of them. It is half of the Partners in Crime set, and its partner, the level 60 epic Band of the Better Half, has no known source on the beta yet. With both rings, your melee swings can make you Angry for 50 Strength over 10 seconds.
Almost every classic Deadmines drop got new stats, and these items picked up effects that no other gear has:
| Item | Boss | New Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Smelting Pants | Gilnid | Smelt Copper, Tin, Bronze and Silver 25% faster |
| Rockslicer | Rhahk'Zor | Gather Copper, Tin, Silver or Iron veins without Mining, 30 charges |
| Miner's Cape | Miner Johnson | +2 Mining, +4 Attack Power and +6 Attack Power against Elementals |
| Gold-plated Buckler | Miner Johnson | Reduces the first Physical hit after you enter combat by 15 |
| Thief's Blade | Mr. Smite | 1% better chance to Pick Pocket and Distract |
| Cookie's Stirring Rod | Cookie | Cooking speed increased by 25% |
| Cookie's Tenderizer | Cookie | Chance on hit to make the target take more physical damage |
| Staff of Westfall | Quest reward | 2% movement speed in Elwynn Forest, Westfall, Redridge Mountains and the Deadmines |
Several weapons also switched roles. Buzzer Blade, Taskmaster Axe, Emberstone Staff and Rhahk'Zor's Hammer now carry spell power, so casters and healers roll on them too. Gold-flecked Gloves lost Intellect for Strength and Fire Resistance, and Impaling Harpoon gained Intellect.
The Defias Leather set was rebuilt as well. Most of its pieces now bind on pickup and carry more stats, and the bonuses changed: 2 pieces give 5 Arcane Resistance, 3 pieces give 15 Attack Power against Humanoids, 4 pieces give your melee attacks from behind a 5% chance to cause a bleed, and 5 pieces add 1 to Daggers. The set is Blackened Defias Armor from Edwin VanCleef, Blackened Defias Belt from Captain Greenskin, and Blackened Defias Leggings, Blackened Defias Gloves and Blackened Defias Boots from trash.
The Deadmines has seven bosses and one rare. The fights are simple on paper, but each one has a single detail that wipes careless groups.
Rhahk'Zor stands between two Defias Watchman. Pull the guards first if you can, or crowd control one of them. With Rhahk'Zor Slam now hitting for 330, keep the tank topped up and do not let the stun line up with a pull of adds. He drops Rhahk'Zor's Hammer, Rockslicer and the new Ogre Loincloth.
Miner Johnson is a rare that does not always spawn. He uses Pierce Armor on the tank, so the healer should expect more damage while the debuff is up. Clear the non-elite Defias Miner around him before the pull. He drops Gold-plated Buckler and Miner's Cape.
Clear every Goblin Woodcarver in the lumber room before you pull, because Terrify fears players into anything left alive. When the Sneed's Shredder dies, Sneed jumps out and keeps fighting, and his Disarm makes it hard for the tank to hold threat, so give the tank a few seconds. The Shredder drops Buzzer Blade, Buzz Saw and the new Dull Sawblade, and Sneed drops Taskmaster Axe, Gold-flecked Gloves and the new Bandsaw Wristbands.
Gilnid is a tank and spank boss with Molten Metal, but the Goblin Engineer next to him joins the fight. Crowd control or stun the engineer before it casts Summon Remote-Controlled Golem, and kill the engineer first if a golem does appear, since the golem vanishes with its summoner. Gilnid drops Smelting Pants, Lavishly Jeweled Ring and the new Goblin Hammer.
Mr. Smite attacks as soon as you step onto the plank, together with two stealthed Defias Blackguard. Kill the Blackguards before he reaches 66% health, because Smite Stomp stuns the whole group for 10 seconds at 66% and 33% while he swaps weapons. After 33%, Smite Slam can kill an undergeared tank. He drops Smite's Mighty Hammer, Smite's Reaver, Thief's Blade and the new First Mate Band.
Crowd control the Defias Squallshaper next to Captain Greenskin, kill the Defias Companion and the Defias Pirate, then focus the captain. Face him away from the group because of Cleave, and dispel or heal through Poisoned Harpoon. He drops Emberstone Staff, Impaling Harpoon and Blackened Defias Belt.
Edwin VanCleef starts with two Defias Blackguard at his side and calls two more at 50% health. Crowd control one guard, kill the other, then burn the boss. A stun at 51 to 55% health, such as Hammer of Justice, can stop the second pair from appearing. He drops Cape of the Brotherhood, Corsair's Overshirt, Cruel Barb and Blackened Defias Armor, plus the item that starts The Unsent Letter.
Cookie waits on the deck of the ship and is easy to miss. He drops Cookie's Stirring Rod, Cookie's Tenderizer and the new Lookie's Spyglass.
The Deadmines has an upgrade for almost every role at level 20. These are the drops worth staying for:
| Role | Best Items |
|---|---|
| Tank | Gold-plated Buckler, Bandsaw Wristbands, Goblin Hammer |
| Melee damage | Cruel Barb, Impaling Harpoon, Thief's Blade, Blackened Defias Armor |
| Caster damage | Buzzer Blade, Emberstone Staff, Cookie's Stirring Rod |
| Healer | Taskmaster Axe, Corsair's Overshirt, Staff of Westfall |
| Gatherers and crafters | Smelting Pants, Rockslicer, Miner's Cape, Cookie's Stirring Rod |
These are the small things that save the most time and the most wipes:
Rogues can now use axes in Forever, so Smite's Reaver is a real option for them. For the full list of dungeons on the way to 30, see our WoW Forever dungeons overview.
If you would rather skip the group search, our WoW Forever Dungeons Tour clears The Deadmines 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 The Deadmines.
The Deadmines is built for levels 17 to 26. Most groups clear it at 18 to 23, when the quests still give full experience.
Smelting Pants from Gilnid reduce the crafting time of Smelt Copper, Smelt Tin, Smelt Bronze and Smelt Silver by 25%. They are worth keeping in your bags if you level Mining.
Yes, but the trip from Grom'gol Base Camp is long and every Deadmines quest is Alliance-only. Horde groups usually run Wailing Caverns and Shadowfang Keep at the same level instead.
Destruction in Deadmines from Alba Fairmoon in Westfall. You plant explosives by the goblin forge inside the dungeon.
Yes. Several boss abilities hit about four times harder than in Classic, so bring a dedicated healer.
These guides help you plan the rest of your dungeons and gear:
