Excavation Site: Wetlands is one of four brand new dungeons in WoW Forever and the first one built for players in their late 20s. The Explorer's League has found something under the hills southeast of Whelgar's Excavation Site, and the camp they set up uncovered freshly exposed titan ruins guarded by an old construct. Before you reach it, you have to fight through crocolisks, raptors hiding in the tall grass and spiders whose venom weakens the whole group.
The dungeon is tuned for levels 26 to 31, with the last boss around level 31. It has four bosses, every one of them drops new gear at around 30%, and the titan relic from the last boss starts a quest for both factions. Below you will find how to reach the entrance, the quests worth picking up, what makes the dungeon different, a strategy for each boss, the best loot for each role and tips for a smooth run.
The dungeon sits on a hilltop in the Wetlands, reached by a path that starts just south of the Thelgen Rock cave, near the Dun Algaz pass. The meeting stone waits at the foot of the hill, and the portal is at the top of the path.
Alliance players have the easiest trip: fly to Menethil Harbor or Thelsamar and ride east along the main road. Horde players fly to Hammerfall in Arathi Highlands and ride south through Thandol Span into the Wetlands. Keep in mind that the Wetlands has only one graveyard, so a full wipe means a long ghost run back.
Both factions have quests here, and most of them are picked up across several zones, so prepare before you travel. The one everyone should do is the titan relic chain: the Titan Relic from the Relic Guardian starts Lost Relic Carry for the Alliance and Elder Knowledge for the Horde, and both offer the Heavehammer or the Healer's Staff.
The Alliance can also take Horrors in the Highland from Rethiel the Greenwarden, Songblade Search from Dorin Songblade in Redridge and Highland Hides from James Halloran. Horde players should grab Dragonmaw Rumors from Zaruk in Hammerfall, which leads to Open the Maw, and Changing Tastes from Borstan in Orgrimmar.
Every quest, where it starts and what it rewards is listed in our WoW Forever dungeon quests guide.
Excavation Site: Wetlands is an outdoor dungeon with long sightlines and hidden enemies. Two things make it harder than its level suggests: raptors that wait unseen in the tall grass, and diseases that stack up on the group if nobody can cure them.
The first half belongs to the beasts of the thicket, and the second half to the spiders and the titan construct. These are the abilities to watch:
A Priest, Paladin or Shaman can cure the diseases. Without one, the group has to live with the debuffs, and beta players report that some groups simply let an affected player die and resurrect them.
Three of the four bosses drop three items each, at around 27 to 36%, and the last boss also drops the Titan Relic:
| Item | Boss | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Supple Bellyskin Leggings | Saltspine | Leather legs with Strength and 14 Stamina |
| Saltscale Girdle | Saltspine | Mail belt with Strength and Intellect |
| Glinteye Slippers | Saltspine | Cloth boots with Stamina, Spirit and spell power |
| Raptorclaw Greaves | Shadetooth | Mail boots with Strength, Stamina and Intellect |
| Garb of Florid Feathers | Shadetooth | Leather chest with Agility and 15 Intellect |
| Raptor's Gaze | Shadetooth | Caster off-hand with Stamina, Intellect and spell power |
| Reliquary Mantle | Relic Guardian | Mail shoulders with 12 Stamina and 0.4% hit chance |
| Golemsight Long Gun | Relic Guardian | Gun with Agility |
| Ring of Power Regulation | Relic Guardian | Ring with mana regeneration and spell power |
Shadetooth can also drop Blueprint: Greenhouse for Herbalism, and the Relic Guardian can drop Blueprint: Rock Garden for Mining, both camp features at around 7%.
The quest rewards here are some of the strongest pieces before level 30. The Heavehammer from the titan relic chain is a two-handed mace with 32 Attack Power and bonus armor, and the Healer's Staff carries up to 67 healing. The Alliance quest Horrors in the Highland offers the Ironwood Destroyer, the Curl of Life or the Hornbeam Heft, and the Horde chain from Dragonmaw Rumors gives the Knife-Polishing Rag or the Dirt-Heavy Bracers.
Finishing Excavation Site: Wetlands also counts toward Novice Spelunker, the achievement for clearing the early dungeons, which awards a Legacy Point. Our WoW Forever Legacy Points guide explains what those points unlock.
Excavation Site: Wetlands has four bosses in a fixed order. The fights are short, but the trash between them decides most runs.
Saltspine is a crocolisk who waits by a lake in the first part of the dungeon. Dust Storm only hits the area around him, so ranged players and healers should stay out of melee range, and melee players should be ready to miss more often. He also rips the tank's tendons to slow them. He drops Supple Bellyskin Leggings, Saltscale Girdle and Glinteye Slippers.
Shadetooth is the hardest boss in the dungeon. Clear the crocolisk den and the raptors hidden in the bushes around him first, then pull him back toward the cleared den. He comes with two Thicket Hunter adds: crowd control them, or kill them first while someone removes Infected Wound from the tank. Shadetooth fears the group, rends the tank and enrages at 30% health, so save stuns and anti-fear tools for the end. He drops Raptorclaw Greaves, Garb of Florid Feathers, Raptor's Gaze and Blueprint: Greenhouse.
The Highland Horror waits near a camping hut on the path after Shadetooth. Beta information on this fight is still thin, so treat the first pull carefully. It drops the Horrible Rootcore for the Alliance quest Horrors in the Highland.
The Relic Guardian stands inactive at the end of the dungeon. Click the Archival Panel to his right to start the fight. He knocks the tank back, stuns them and casts a thunderclap that slows everyone in melee range, so stay away from him unless you need to be there. Even as a construct, he can be crowd controlled, which helps a struggling tank. He drops Reliquary Mantle, Golemsight Long Gun, Ring of Power Regulation, Blueprint: Rock Garden and the Titan Relic.
Between boss drops and quest rewards, Excavation Site: Wetlands can gear a group for the push to 30. These are the items worth staying for:
| Role | Best Items |
|---|---|
| Tank | Reliquary Mantle, Supple Bellyskin Leggings, Songblade Stabilizer, Heavehammer |
| Melee damage | Heavehammer, Serrated Raptor Claw, Dirt-Heavy Bracers, Raptorclaw Greaves |
| Ranged physical | Golemsight Long Gun, Explorer's League Dustcover |
| Caster damage | Raptor's Gaze, Glinteye Slippers, Ring of Power Regulation, Hornbeam Heft, Daewyn's Girdle |
| Healer | Healer's Staff, Garb of Florid Feathers, Ring of Power Regulation, Curl of Life |
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, see our WoW Forever dungeons overview.
If you would rather skip the group search, our WoW Forever Excavation Site boost clears the dungeon with an organized team, with quest rewards, gear and experience included.
These are the questions players ask most often about Excavation Site: Wetlands.
Excavation Site: Wetlands is tuned for levels 26 to 31, and the last boss is around level 31. A group of level 27 or higher with a solid tank has the smoothest run.
In the Wetlands, on a hilltop reached by a path just south of the Thelgen Rock cave near the Dun Algaz pass. The meeting stone waits at the foot of the hill.
Click the Archival Panel to the right of the inactive Relic Guardian. The fight starts at once, so make sure the group is ready.
The Titan Relic from the Relic Guardian starts Lost Relic Carry for the Alliance and Elder Knowledge for the Horde. Both reward strong gear such as the Heavehammer and the Healer's Staff.
A Priest, Paladin or Shaman can remove Muculent Rot and Highland Venom. Without one, the debuffs stay on the group for 15 to 30 minutes.
These guides help you plan the rest of your dungeons:
