The Ruins of Lordaeron is one of four brand new dungeons in WoW Forever, and it turns the broken capital above the Undercity into a dungeon at last. A necromancer named Rath'mael has hidden the Scourge in the old streets under an unholy fog, and the Forsaken want their home back. Unlike most dungeons, the ruins are an open city: six bosses wait across dark streets, rooftops and a graveyard, you can kill them in any order, and two of them only show up after a small event.
The dungeon is tuned for levels 15 to 20 and fits right between Ragefire Chasm and Wailing Caverns for the Horde. Every boss drops new gear at around 30%, including a five-piece healer set and an axe that chops corpses for health and mana. Below you will find how to reach the entrance from both factions, 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 entrance is in the front courtyard of the ruined city above the Undercity, in Tirisfal Glades. Horde players fly to the Undercity and walk up and around the throne room to the courtyard. Coming from Brill, follow the road south to the city gate, where Deathguard Kristof gives the first quest. Orcs and Trolls take the zeppelin from Orgrimmar to Tirisfal.
For the Alliance the trip is long: the boats to Menethil Harbor and Southshore, the road north past Hillsbrad and around Dalaran, and a swim across Lordamere Lake into Tirisfal. Skyborne characters can take the portal to Dalaran in the Stormwind Mage Tower and walk from there.
Both factions have their own quests here, and most of them send you after one boss. The one to prioritize for the Horde is The Wrath of Rath'mael from Deathguard Kristof at the city gate, which rewards the Forsaken Greataxe or the Gnarled Necromancer's Staff. Horde players should also take Light's Justice from Morbin Lightbane and The New Plague from Theodore Griffs in the Undercity, and The Baron drops the Abominable Head that starts the Unending Torment chain.
The Alliance gets Abominable Creatures from Captain Truman inside the dungeon, collects Bloodied Insignia for a leather or mail reward and can follow the sad story of Remember That I Love You. Both factions can find the Crest of Lordaeron, which lies at a different spot on each run and starts its own quest.
Every quest, where it starts and what it rewards is listed in our WoW Forever dungeon quests guide.
The Ruins of Lordaeron does not play like a corridor. It is one large floor of dark streets with walkways and towers above, and the route through it forms a U-shape. You choose the boss order yourself, and two bosses are hidden behind events.
Almost everything here is undead, so most crowd control does little at this level. These are the enemies and abilities to watch:
Two bosses only appear after an event. Viktor the Vile shows up after you light a fire in the chimney of a burned house and survive waves of adds, and The Abandoned appears after you touch a statue with glowing eyes and fight off waves of undead. The rare Lordaeron Captain can also appear on some runs.
Every boss drops three items, each with a drop chance of around 25 to 37%. These are the ones worth knowing:
| Item | Boss | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Meathook Slicer | The Baron | Dagger with Stamina |
| Abomination Bones | The Baron | Mail chest with Strength and Shadow Resistance |
| Leftover Abomination Skin | The Baron | Cloth chest with Spirit and Shadow damage |
| Atrophic Girdle | Witherfang | Mail belt with Strength and Stamina |
| Witherbite Bracers | Witherfang | Leather bracers with Agility and spell power |
| Segmented Spider Leg | Witherfang | Staff with Agility and Spirit |
| Rotmender's Leggings | The Abandoned | Cloth legs, part of the Rotmender's Raiment set |
| Grip of Fear | The Abandoned | Mail gloves with Strength and Intellect |
| Scepter of the Abandoned | The Abandoned | Caster mace with 24 spell power |
| Bonerust Leggings | Bjork | Mail legs with Strength and Agility |
| Tuskwrap Belt | Bjork | Cloth belt with Spirit and spell power |
| Corpse Chopper | Bjork | Two-handed axe that chops a corpse for health, mana and rage |
| Vilewalkers | Viktor the Vile | Mail boots with Strength and Stamina |
| Bloodied Chestwraps | Viktor the Vile | Leather chest with Agility and Spirit |
| Vileblood Scimitar | Viktor the Vile | One-handed sword with Spirit |
| Mirror of Rath'mael | Rath'mael | Shield with Strength and 1% block chance |
| Rotmender's Treads | Rath'mael | Cloth boots with healing, part of the Rotmender's Raiment set |
| Coldspire Staff | Rath'mael | Staff with 32 Frost spell damage and Frost Resistance |
Rath'mael can also drop Blueprint: Fermenter for Alchemy and Blueprint: Arcane Salvager for Enchanting, both camp features, and the Lordaeron Captain drops the Haunting Blade.
The Corpse Chopper is the most unusual item in the dungeon: use it on a nearby Humanoid or Undead corpse to chop it in two and restore 150 health, 150 mana and 15 rage. In a dungeon full of corpses, that is a lot of free downtime saved.
The Rotmender's Raiment is a five-piece cloth set for healers. Two pieces give 5 Shadow Resistance, three give 10 Intellect, four restore 200 mana over 10 seconds when you drop below 15% mana, twice as much in Haunted and Wasteland areas, and all five give your healing spells a chance to add a 40-health heal over time. Rotmender's Leggings and Rotmender's Treads drop from bosses, and the rest of the set, such as Rotmender's Gloves from the Stone Watcher, comes from the ruins themselves.
The quest rewards have their own touches. The Forsaken Greataxe and the Gnarled Necromancer's Staff give 2% movement speed in Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills, and the Monstrous Cleaver gives extra Attack Power against Undead.
Finishing the ruins 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.
The Ruins of Lordaeron has six bosses and one rare, and you can kill them in any order. The order below follows the usual route through the streets.
The Baron is a huge abomination who guards one of the streets of the ruins. He hits everyone around him with Trample and can knock his target back and stun it with Knockout, so the healer should keep the tank topped up at all times. He drops Meathook Slicer, Abomination Bones, Leftover Abomination Skin and the Abominable Head for Horde players.
Witherfang is a giant spider in King's Alley, surrounded by spider patrols. Clear the patrols first, then pull her alone. She drains health from her target with Leech Poison, so a poison cure helps a lot. She drops Atrophic Girdle, Witherbite Bracers and Segmented Spider Leg, and Horde players need her for The New Plague.
Touch the statue with glowing eyes to start the event, then hold off the waves of undead before The Abandoned appears. Interrupt Life Drain, and spread out a little so Frost Nova does not freeze the whole group in one place. He drops Rotmender's Leggings, Grip of Fear and Scepter of the Abandoned.
Bjork hits hard and knocks his target back with Mighty Blow. Tank him with his back to a wall so the tank does not fly into another pack, and stop casting when Anti-Magic Shield goes up. He drops Bonerust Leggings, Tuskwrap Belt and the Corpse Chopper.
Light the fire in the chimney of the burned house to call Viktor the Vile, and fight the waves of adds near the house before he joins. Like Witherfang, he uses Leech Poison, so cure it when you can. He drops Vilewalkers, Bloodied Chestwraps and Vileblood Scimitar.
Rath'mael is the necromancer behind the fog and the last boss on most routes. He protects himself with Fire Shield and calls down Flamestrike on the group, so move out of the flames at once and keep melee spread around him. He drops Mirror of Rath'mael, Rotmender's Treads, Coldspire Staff and the two camp blueprints.
The Lordaeron Captain is a rare who does not appear on every run. He has no special abilities, and he drops the Haunting Blade.
Between boss drops and quest rewards, the ruins can gear a whole group for the late teens. These are the items worth staying for:
| Role | Best Items |
|---|---|
| Tank | Mirror of Rath'mael, Abomination Bones, Atrophic Girdle, Slain Baron's Signet |
| Melee damage | Corpse Chopper, Forsaken Greataxe, Bonerust Leggings, Vilewalkers, Segmented Spider Leg |
| Caster damage | Coldspire Staff, Scepter of the Abandoned, Leftover Abomination Skin, Tuskwrap Belt |
| Healer | Rotmender's Raiment set, Gnarled Necromancer's Staff, The Stitcher, Scepter of the Abandoned |
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 Ruins of Lordaeron boost clears the dungeon with an organized team, with quest rewards, gear and experience included.
These are the questions players ask most often about the Ruins of Lordaeron.
The Ruins of Lordaeron is tuned for levels 15 to 20. A group around level 17 has the smoothest run.
In the front courtyard of the ruined city above the Undercity, in Tirisfal Glades. Horde players walk up from the Undercity or follow the road south from Brill.
Yes. The ruins are an open city, so you can choose your own route. Only Viktor the Vile and The Abandoned need an event before they appear.
Light a fire in the chimney of the burned house and survive the waves of adds that follow. Viktor the Vile joins once the waves are dead.
Yes. The trip through Hillsbrad and across Lordamere Lake is long, but the Alliance has its own quests here, such as Abominable Creatures and Bloodied Insignia.
These guides help you plan the rest of your dungeons:
