14 and a half years ago, the adventurers of Azeroth first banded together for the Ahn'Qiraj War Effort. This world event was the first one to involve whole servers and many veteran heroes still remember it fondly. But starting today with Phase 5 in World of Warcraft: Classic, players are able to relive the opening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj once again.

Ahn'Qiraj was originally created to serve as the Old God C'Thun's prison after he, Yogg-Saron, Y'Shaarj, and N'Zoth were defeated by the Titans. However, a group of Aqir that would eventually be known as the Qiraji overthrew the prison's guards and became warped by the power of C'Thun. Eventually, C'Thun stirred its minions to retake Azeroth in the War of the Shifting Sands. Only after great sacrifices were the Qiraji pushed back and sealed behind the Scarab Wall. Thousands of years later, the Qiraji are stirring once more and it's up to WoW Classic players to stop them.

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Supplying the War Effort

Before players can take the fight to Ahn'Qiraj, both the Alliance and Horde need to gather and turn in enough supplies to aid the war effort. These supplies include crafting reagents found all over the world as well as items made from different professions.

Total Required Alliance Supplies

  • 20,000 Arthas' Tears
  • 28,000 Iron Bar
  • 180,000 Light Leather
  • 800,000 Linen Bandage
  • 110,000 Medium Leather
  • 14,000 Rainbow Fin Albacore
  • 20,000 Roast Raptor
  • 600,000 Silk Bandage
  • 33,000 Stranglekelp
  • 24,000 Thorium Bar

Total Required Horde Supplies

  • 10,000 Baked Salmon
  • 19,000 Firebloom
  • 60,000 Heavy Leather
  • 10,000 Lean Wolf Steak
  • 250,000 Mageweave Bandage
  • 18,000 Mithril Bar
  • 96,000 Peacebloom
  • 60,000 Rugged Leather
  • 22,000 Tin Bar
  • 250,000 Wool Bandage

Additional Required Supplies 

  • 90,000 Copper Bar
  • 26,000 Purple Lotus
  • 400,000 Runecloth Bandage
  • 17,000 Spotted Yellowtail
  • 80,000 Thick Leather

Note that both the Alliance and Horde will need to gather enough of these additional supplies plus their required supplies.

Brood of Nozdormu

Players will also start being able to earn reputation with the Brood of Nozdormu faction by collecting Silithid Carapace Fragments from various silithid mobs. However, these items will only drop once players have collected the head of Broodlord Lashlayer from Blackwing Lair and started 'The Path of the Righteous' quest. Alternatively, the fragments can also be farmed by a player if someone else uses the Proxy of Nozdormu item, which is also acquired from fragment turn-ins, on them.

Scepter of the Shifting Sands and Scarab Lord

Once players have neutral reputation or better with the Brood of Nozdormu, they can begin a lengthy quest chain to reforge the Scepter of the Shifting Sands needed to open the way to Ahn'Qiraj. The questline will take heroes across Azeroth through the open world and into several endgame raids. The first player to complete these tasks and ring the Scarab Gong on each realm will earn the prestigious title of 'Scarab Lord' and the Black Qiraji Resonating Crystal that summons a ridable Qiraji mount which can be used anywhere. For 10 hours afterwards, other WoW Classic players who also reforged the scepter can ring the gong to get their own mount.

wow classic scarab wall and gong

Qiraji Incursions

Once a gong has been rung, Qiraji forces will appear for 10 hours in various Kalimdor zones such as the Barrens, Tanaris, and Silithus . Players that help push these enemies back will have a chance at rare drops in addition to experience, gold, and Brood of Nozdormu reputation.

Ahn'Qiraj Raids

When the invasions are finally driven back, the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj and Temple of Ahn'Qiraj raids open up immediately. Inside, players will battle many more horrific and powerful Qiraji as they progress to a final showdown with C'Thun. Although the Old God was mathematically impossible to beat in vanilla, it remains to be seem whether this will happen in Classic. If players can defeat Onyxia naked, perhaps they can find a way to triumph after all.

World of Warcraft: Classic is available on PC

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Source: World of Warcraft