Wailing Caverns is the classic dungeon of The Barrens and one of the busiest early stops in WoW Forever, because both factions can reach it and it holds two 10-slot bags. The bosses are the same Fanglords you remember, but some of them hit much harder: Mutanus the Devourer's Thundercrack now deals 475 Nature damage, and Lord Cobrahn gains almost five times more damage in serpent form. The loot was reworked too, with four new items and a rebuilt Fang set whose 5-piece bonus can stun enemies.
The dungeon is tuned for levels 17 to 24. Below you will find how to reach it from both factions, the quests worth picking up, everything that changed in Forever, a strategy for each boss and the Naralex event, the best loot for each role and tips for a smooth run.
The entrance is in the Lushwater Oasis in The Barrens, southwest of the Crossroads. Look for the large green cave mouth in the hills above the oasis and follow the tunnel down to the instance portal. The tunnel is full of deviate beasts that you also need for quests, so do not skip them.
Horde players ride south from the Crossroads. Alliance players come from Ashenvale: travel east from Astranaar, cross the river and take the road south into The Barrens, or take the boat from Booty Bay to Ratchet and head west.
Wailing Caverns has seven quests, most of them open to both factions. The one to prioritize is Leaders of the Fang from Nara Wildmane in Thunder Bluff, which asks for the four Fanglord gems and now offers the new two-handed mace Hammerbone as a third reward. Serpentbloom from Apothecary Zamah added Heat Resistant Mitts for leather users and Safety Boots for mail users, and Deviate Hides from Nalpak still rewards the 10-slot Deviate Hide Pack.
Every quest, where it starts and what it rewards is listed in our WoW Forever dungeon quests guide.
The cave, the bosses and the Naralex event are all where you left them. The changes are in how hard some bosses hit and in almost every item on the loot table.
Three boss abilities now deal several times their Classic damage, so healers need to stay alert on the last fights:
The druid bosses still use Sleep or Druid's Slumber, and beta players report that their Healing Touch heals for less than before. Verdan the Everliving keeps Grasping Vines, and Mutanus the Devourer still has Terrify and Naralex's Nightmare. Snakes that appear when you pick Serpentbloom now despawn after a couple of minutes instead of piling up.
Four bosses received new rare items, each at around 1 to 2%:
| Item | Boss | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Snake Eye Kaleidoscope | Lady Anacondra | Necklace with 1 point in every stat and every resistance |
| Cloak of Hermitic Bliss | Kresh | Cloak that makes you swim 33% faster but move 25% slower on land |
| Slither Cord | Lord Pythas | Cloth belt with mana regeneration and a use effect that frees you from roots |
| Skum's Bucket | Skum | Off-hand that restores 803 mana over 24 seconds while you sit |
Skum's Bucket is the standout: a free drink every 10 minutes is a real saving for any healer or caster at this level.
Almost every drop got new stats, most of them are blue now, and several picked up effects:
| Item | Boss | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Firebelcher | Deviate Faerie Dragon | Wand with a new chance on hit to blast the target for 25 to 31 Fire damage |
| Worn Turtle Shell Shield | Kresh | Now blue, with 40 bonus armor and mana regeneration |
| Savage Trodders | Lord Serpentis | Now restores 6 health every 5 seconds |
| Sporid Cape | Verdan the Everliving | Now deals 1 Nature damage to attackers who hit you |
| Slime-encrusted Pads | Mutanus the Devourer | Now restore both mana and 10 health every 5 seconds |
| Apothecary Gloves | Serpentbloom reward | Now add spell power and +2 Herbalism |
| Serpent's Shoulders | Lady Anacondra | A plain white item in Classic, now blue leather with Agility and Spirit |
| Mutant Scale Breastplate | Mutanus the Devourer | Now usable from level 18 instead of 23 |
Casters gained the most. Living Root, Robe of the Moccasin, Serpent Gloves, Feyscale Cloak and Seedcloud Buckler all carry spell power now. Pattern: Deviate Scale Belt from Deviate Eradication needs only 90 Leatherworking instead of 115, so you can craft it while still in the dungeon's level range.
The Embrace of the Viper set was rebuilt as well. Two pieces give 10 Intellect, three give 10 Attack Power, four restore 100 health and mana when you drop to 25% health, and all five give your melee attacks a chance to stun the target for 1 second with Dream Venom. The pieces are Armor of the Fang from Lord Pythas, Leggings of the Fang from Lord Cobrahn, Belt of the Fang from Lady Anacondra, Footpads of the Fang from Lord Serpentis and Gloves of the Fang from the Druid of the Fang trash. Beta players also report that a Druid wearing all five pieces turns into a large serpent in Cat Form.
Wailing Caverns has eight bosses, one rare and the Naralex event. The four Fanglords share the same dangerous spell, so the most important rule applies to all of them: interrupt Sleep.
Kresh is a turtle that swims in the water around the first big cavern. He has a lot of armor and only one minor ability, so the fight is a simple tank and spank that takes a while for melee groups. He drops Kresh's Back, Worn Turtle Shell Shield and the new Cloak of Hermitic Bliss.
Lady Anacondra is usually the first Fanglord you meet. Interrupt her Sleep every time, especially when it targets the tank or the healer, and kick her heals when you can. She drops Belt of the Fang, Serpent's Shoulders, the new Snake Eye Kaleidoscope and, at 5%, the 10-slot Snakeskin Bag.
Kill the three non-elite Deviate Python around Lord Cobrahn first, then focus the boss. Interrupt Druid's Slumber, and when he shifts into Cobrahn Serpent Form, expect the tank to take much heavier hits. He drops Robe of the Moccasin, Cobrahn's Grasp and Leggings of the Fang.
The Deviate Faerie Dragon is a rare that does not always spawn. It has low armor and no special abilities, but it comes in a pull of four elites, so crowd control a Druid of the Fang and interrupt the other. It drops Firebelcher and Feyscale Cloak.
Lord Pythas is flanked by a Druid of the Fang and a Deviate Shambler. Crowd control the druid, interrupt Sleep, and keep the group spread a little because of Thunderclap. He drops Stinging Viper, Armor of the Fang and the new Slither Cord.
Skum is a tank and spank fight with one dangerous spell. Chained Bolt jumps between up to three players for 143 damage each, so melee players should spread around him. He drops Glowing Lizardscale Cloak, Tail Spike and the new Skum's Bucket.
Lord Serpentis is the last Fanglord and fights like the others: interrupt Sleep and the fight is easy. He drops Footpads of the Fang, Savage Trodders, Serpent Gloves and Venomstrike.
Verdan the Everliving roots everyone within 10 yards with Grasping Vines, knocks them down and deals damage. Ranged players should stay at maximum range, and healers should top the group up after each cast. He drops Sporid Cape, Living Root and Seedcloud Buckler.
Once all four Fanglords are dead, talk to the Disciple of Naralex at the entrance and escort him to Naralex. Protect him through two waves of deviate adds; if he dies, the event fails until the next reset. Mutanus the Devourer then appears. His Thundercrack now hits the whole group for 475, so keep everyone topped up, and break Naralex's Nightmare sleeps as fast as you can. He drops Mutant Scale Breastplate, Deep Fathom Ring and Slime-encrusted Pads.
Wailing Caverns has an upgrade for almost every role at level 18 to 22. These are the drops worth staying for:
| Role | Best Items |
|---|---|
| Tank | Kresh's Back, Worn Turtle Shell Shield, Savage Trodders |
| Melee damage | Stinging Viper, Leggings of the Fang, Mutant Scale Breastplate, Glowing Lizardscale Cloak |
| Ranged physical | Venomstrike |
| Caster damage | Firebelcher, Serpent Gloves, Living Root |
| Healer | Skum's Bucket, Robe of the Moccasin, Seedcloud Buckler, Slime-encrusted Pads |
These are the small things that save the most time and the most wipes:
For the other early bags, including the Snakeskin Bag from this dungeon, see our WoW Forever bag guide.
If you would rather skip the group search, our WoW Forever Dungeons Tour clears Wailing Caverns 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 Wailing Caverns.
Wailing Caverns is tuned for levels 17 to 24. Most groups go at 18 to 22, when the quests and the loot are still upgrades.
Four new rare items: Snake Eye Kaleidoscope, Cloak of Hermitic Bliss, Slither Cord and Skum's Bucket, which restores mana while you sit.
The Embrace of the Viper set gives Intellect, Attack Power, an emergency heal at low health and, with all five pieces, a chance to stun enemies on melee hits.
Yes. The entrance is in The Barrens, which both factions can reach, and most of the quests are open to Alliance too.
The early bosses are similar, but Skum and Mutanus the Devourer now hit several times harder. Bring a healer who can handle group damage for the end of the dungeon.
These guides help you plan the rest of your early dungeons:
