In a recent tweet from Blizzard, two new dungeons have been revealed for the Legion expansion pack in World of Warcraft. These new dungeons are the Eye of Azshara and Neltharion’s Lair. Both dungeons are meant for players of level 98 or higher, with Eye of Azshara containing five boss fights, and Neltharion’s Lair containing 4.
Pictured above is an image of the Eye of Azhara dungeon. This dungeon is an outdoor battleground located in Azsuna that will also serve as a capstone for the Azsuna storyline. According to the developers who worked on this dungeon, their insights on its unique design are as follows.
“This large outdoor dungeon, which serves as a capstone to the Azsuna storyline, was one of the first to enter development. With such a wide-open space to work with, we resolved from the start to embrace non-linearity. Though most groups will navigate the dungeon either clockwise or counter-clockwise, the first four bosses can be fought in any order. As players defeat the different bosses around the Eye, the ritual being performed at the center of the Eye progresses, causing the weather to intensify. These effects are not merely cosmetic, but include changes like periodic lightning strikes, or gusts of wind that buffet the party about. Some of these effects may interact with specific boss encounter mechanics in a way that might influence a group’s choice of boss order.”
With the choice to go with a non-linear design for this new dungeon, it will present a challenge for players who are used to the linear format of prior dungeons. The weather effects are a new addition as well, which should likely encourage players to be more cautious and aware of their surroundings. As with any dungeon-crawl, boss monsters follow, and the ones that will be present to fight against are no slouch. Listed below are the five bosses that will comprise the hardest fights for the Eye of Azshara dungeon.
Serpentrix: Serpentrix is a large serpent-like naga that dwells at the Eye of Azshara in the shallow regions. It viciously attacks prey by bursting from the water with one of its many heads.
King Deepbeard: A behemoth that resides on the ocean floor, Deepbeard can tear vessels apart with his bare hands and wears the prow of a ship as a pauldron.
Warlord Parjesh: The commander of the Naga that has overrun Azsuna, Parjesh commands obedience with a healthy mixture of fear and respect.
Lady Hatecoil: A naga sea witch of noble birth, Hatecoil commands the waves and sea, using them against all those who oppose the Hatecoil.
Wrath of Azshara: The final boss of the Eye of Azshara dungeon, this Naga fights ruthlessly for her Queen and has been summoned by the Hatecoil channelers as the last line of defense.
The second dungeon, Neltharion’s Lair is a far cry from the ocean home of the Naga. Instead, it is located in Highmountain and is the remains of the lair that once belonged to Deathwing; the villain of the previous World of Warcraft expansion Cataclysm.
As you can see in the above image, Neltharion’s lair is a fortress of sorts, filled with powerful creatures and four tough boss fights to contend with. Developer insights on this new dungeon are fascinating;
“When setting out to build this dungeon, our brainstorming revolved around two pillars: this massive cavern complex used to be the home of the Earth Warder Neltharion, and thus needed a truly massive scale; we also wanted to showcase the culture of the drogbar, the primary antagonist in Highmountain, hinting at a sprawling civilization with far more sophistication than players might have realized. These twin goals led us to include vast amounts of unplayable space along the outskirts of the main player path through the dungeon, with dwellings carved into the cavern walls and massive waterwheels harnessing the power of the rapids that churn their way through the Lair. Speaking of which, those rapids also provided a natural solution to the question of how to move players quickly through the vast space we’d created!”
With rapids that quickly move players through the area, great care will be needed to ensure that players don’t get swept away and lost. The four bosses within Neltharion’s Lair are as unique as the area itself:
Rokmora: A massive crystal Fury used as a living weapon to kill all who stand against the Underking. It is the unfinished masterpiece of Ularogg Cragshaper. Wild magic used to shape the beast imbues all around it with Ularogg’s will to crush his enemies.
Ularogg Cragshaper: The creator of Rakmora, Ularogg is committed to his lust for power and has become the Underking’s advisor.
Naraxas: The mother of monsters, Naraxas has been worshiped by the drogbar for centuries, and is given constant sacrifices. She is the last foe players will encounter before the final boss, Dargrul the Underking.
Dargrul the Underking: The ruler of the dragbar, Dargrul is a massive beast who murdered the Chieftan of Ulan and seized control of the Hammer of Khaz’groth’s power. He uses this power from the hammer to destroy all who oppose him.
These two dungeons look to be the most challenging yet in World of Warcraft and with a minimum level of 98 to access them; they are only for the strongest of warriors to challenge.
Are you excited for the new dungeons and boss fights? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Published: Aug 10, 2016 10:51 am