World of Warcraft: Legion – Tomb of Sargeras Raid Preview

A nostalgic milestone for the latest World of Warcraft expansion, the Tomb of Sargeras raid, is nearing release. We first saw the insides of that tomb back in 2003, in The Frozen Throne expansion for Warcraft III, but now, WoW players are about to reenter it and face off against the Burning Legion head honcho, Kil’jaeden.

I’m honestly curious to see where the game goes from there. For now, have a an excerpt from the raid’s official preview:

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, the combined forces of the Class Orders have fought their way through the Broken Shore to reach the Tomb of Sargeras. With weapons of great power and the Pillars of Creation at hand, the defenders of Azeroth must face these last foes before the portal is sealed, cutting off the Burning Legion’s access to Azeroth.

• Minimum Level: 110
• Location: The Broken Shore
• Bosses: 9
• Difficulty: Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic, Mythic

Aegwynn used this sacred temple of Elune to lock away the defeated Sargeras’ avatar. She hoped it would remain dormant, buried deep within the earth, but the lure of power has continued to draw foul entities to this site. When Gul’dan reentered the tomb, he tore down Aegwynn’s wards and opened a doorway for the Legion to invade. Now the fel army tears at the vault, hoping to reclaim their master’s power.

Developer Insights

In structuring the Tomb of Sargeras, we simultaneously wanted to deliver an interior worthy of the epic façade that towers over the Broken Shore, while also leaving room for variety in both atmosphere and the types of bosses standing in players’ path. That goal informed the overall layout of the raid, and the flow from start to finish.

The top level of the Tomb is a direct reflection of the aesthetic of the exterior, and players who have spent time in the Cathedral of Eternal Night dungeon will recognize the nave that the entrance overlooks. This area is under complete Legion control, and the Armies of Legionfall must overcome some of the fiercest demonic commanders in order to gain a foothold in the Tomb.

The arrival of the infernal lord Goroth also opens an ancient passage that leads outside the Tomb’s structure, into caverns surrounding its foundations. This allows the second section of the raid to have a significantly different feel from the rest, guiding players through a mix of natural caverns and ancient ruins as they contend with a host of Queen Azshara’s naga minions. This theming is also closely connected to the Tidestone of Golganneth, one of the Pillars of Creation that are the key to sealing the Legion assault of Azeroth.

After working their way through the waterlogged caverns beneath the Tomb, players emerge back into lower levels of the Tomb, previously sealed away from the world since ancient times. Thematically, this showcases the elven origins of the Tomb as the one-time Temple of Elune, pristine (though heavily cobwebbed!) and with a decidedly different color scheme than the black-and-fel of the entry hall. But, of course, the influence of the dark power that Aegwynn imprisoned beneath the Tomb has worked its influence upon these halls over the course of centuries….

Finally, players return to the entry hall of the raid, having used the Pillars of Creation to open a path leading to the final seal, located in the very chamber of the Fallen Avatar of Sargeras, miles beneath the surface. Both the architecture and the foes here reflect the influence of the titans: As mighty as Aegwynn was, a prison for the power of the dark titan was not to be solely of her own making. Crafting the chamber of the Fallen Avatar was a particular challenge, given the scale of the foe players would need to confront. The battle with the Avatar will destroy and transform the players’ surroundings, as they contend with both the threat posed by the blows of the Avatar, and with managing an ever-shrinking playspace.

Of course, the raid does not end with the Fallen Avatar. The battle against Kil’jaeden himself takes players far beyond the walls of the Tomb itself, and even beyond the bounds of our world…