The Dragon Soul is a raid instance, introduced in World of WarcraftPatch 4.3. The encounters can be performed in 10-man difficulty, 25-mandifficulty and LFR difficulty (25 player, with less damage and health forthe bosses). The 10 and 25-man difficulties also have an unlockable heroicmode setting. This raid represents Tier 13, in terms of progression, and it isintended to be the final raiding tier of the Cataclysm expansion.
The entrance to the Dragon Soul is located in the Caverns of Time instancehub.
The raid instance houses 8 boss encounters (although the final two are bothagainst Deathwing, so there are technically only 7 bosses). All of theencounters (except for the final one) take place at or around Wyrmrest Temple,in Dragonblight.
Currently, we offer you the following strategy guides:
- Morchok (including Heroic mode)
- Morchok detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Morchok guide for DPS
- Morchok guide for healers
- Morchok guide for tanks
- Yor'sahj the Unsleeping (including Heroic mode)
- Yor'sahj the Unsleeping detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Yor'sahj the Unsleeping guide for DPS
- Yor'sahj the Unsleeping guide for healers
- Yor'sahj the Unsleeping guide for tanks
- Warlord Zon'ozz (including Heroic mode)
- Warlord Zon'ozz detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Warlord Zon'ozz guide for DPS
- Warlord Zon'ozz guide for healers
- Warlord Zon'ozz guide for tanks
- Hagara the Stormbinder (including Heroic mode)
- Hagara the Stormbinder detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Hagara the Stormbinder guide for DPS
- Hagara the Stormbinder guide for healers
- Hagara the Stormbinder guide for tanks
- Ultraxion (including Heroic mode)
- Ultraxion detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Ultraxion guide for DPS
- Ultraxion guide for healers
- Ultraxion guide for tanks
- Warmaster Blackhorn (including Heroic mode)
- Warmaster Blackhorn detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Warmaster Blackhorn guide for DPS
- Warmaster Blackhorn guide for healers
- Warmaster Blackhorn guide for tanks
- Spine of Deathwing (including Heroic mode)
- Spine of Deathwing detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Spine of Deathwing guide for DPS
- Spine of Deathwing guide for healers
- Spine of Deathwing guide for tanks
- Madness of Deathwing (including Heroic mode)
- Madness of Deathwing detailed guide for raid leaders or curious readers
- Madness of Deathwing guide for DPS
- Madness of Deathwing guide for healers
- Madness of Deathwing guide for tanks
Each of the bosses in the raid (except for the final three) is preceded by anumber of trash packs, for which we have written a specific trash guide.
The bosses have a chance to drop:
- epic raw gems;
- Chaos Orb (only in LFR, not all bosses);
- Essence of Destruction (does not drop in LFR difficulty), which isneeded to craft the item level 397 gear introduced with Patch 4.3;
- item level 384 in LFR difficulty (390 for the encounters with Deathwing);
- item level 397 in Normal 10-man and 25-man difficulties (403 for the encounters with Deathwing);
- item level 410 in Heroic 10-man and 25-man difficulties (416 for the encounters with Deathwing).
In addition, the Dragon Soul raid can bring you the following mounts:
- Experiment 12-B has a very low chance to drop from Ultraxion in 10-man/25-man normal and heroic difficulties;
- Reins of the Blazing Drake has low chance to drop from Madness of Deathwing in 10-man/25-man normal and heroic difficulties;
- Life-Binder's Handmaiden is a guaranteed drop from Madness of Deathwing in Heroic difficulty (both 10-man and 25-man);
- Reins of the Twilight Harbinger is a reward for the
Glory of the Dragon Soul Raider meta-achievement.
Finally, in addition to all this loot, many parts of the legendary quest chain for the Fangs of the Father takeplace here as well. For more information about this quest line, please referto our Fangs of the Father guide.
For all loot added in Patch 4.3, we will puttogether a gear listing, just as we have for Patch 4.2.
Dragonblight
As you enter the instance, you are faced with a number of trash packsfollowed by the first boss encounter of the instance, Morchok. This bossis meant to serve as an entry to the raid, and we feel that the fight is notvery challenging.
Maws of Go'rath and Shu'ma
After defeating Morchok, you will reach Wyrmrest Temple (and gain accessto various vendors present there, including two who can repair your gear). Fromhere, you have a choice between two bosses: Warlord Zon'ozz andYor'sahj the Unsleeping. To reach Zon'ozz you should use the drake located to the West,while Yor'sahj is accessed using the Eastern drake.
Eye of Eternity
Once both Zon'ozz and Yor'sahj have been defeated, you will be able toface the fourth boss encounter of the raid, the much more challengingHagara the Stormbinder. This boss is located in the Eye of Eternity (inColdarra, in the Borean Tundra), the place where you previous (in Wrath of theLich King) defeated Malygos the Spellweaver, the leader of the BlueDragonflight, at the time. Access to the Eye of Eternity is made easy by meansof a portal found at Wyrmrest Temple.
At the Pursuit of Deathwing
Once Hagara is dead, the second part of the raid, a veritable assault onDeathwing, is set to begin. Your first task will be to defend WyrmrestTemple against the assault of Ultraxion, the 5th boss encounter of theinstance. This is gear check type of encounter with very straightforwardmechanics and a strict DPS requirement.
After defeating Ultraxion, your raid will board the gunship "The Skyfire",in an attempt to assault Deathwing in the air. However, before you can do so,you will have to defend the gunship against Deathwing's final lieutenant,Warmaster Blackhorn, in an encounter where you will have to deal with manydifferent types of adds, among other abilities.
With Blackhorn disposed of, your raid can parachute down onto Deathwing'sback, which constitutes the penultimate encounter of the raid: Spine ofDeathwing.
The Maelstrom
Assuming your raid overcomes even this challenge and manages to removeDeathwing's armor plating, you will have the opportunity to finally kill him,in the last encounter of the raid, Madness of Deathwing, which takes placeat the Maelstrom.
