Warcraft Instance Serpentshire Cavern Basics

Water levels are droping in the World of Warcraft's Zangarmarsh and corruption has taken hold over its native plants. All the signs see to point to a recently discovered series of caverns deep beneath Serpent Lake, occupied by the sinsister Naga and their minions. Led by Lady Vashj herself, the Naga appear to be working towards the construction of a new Well of Eternity, under direct orders from Illidan Stormrage, the Betrayer. One can only start to imagine the implications this would have, should they be successful.

The dungeon is non-linear, and early encounters can be attempted in any order based on the strengths and weakness of the group. However, no matter which order you attempt this instance, all paths eventually lead to Lady Vashj who awaits you on her seemingly unreachable platform.

Serpentshrine Dungeon Information

• Location: Serpent Lake, Zangarmarsh
• Region: Contested
• Quests: Alliance and Horde
• Suggested Level: 70 (25 person raid)
• Enemy Types: Naga, Broken, Murlocs
• Time to Complete: 4 - 8 hours (1 to 2 days)

Below I will give you a quick look at the different World of Warcraft Serpentshrine Cavern Bosses and the loot they reward victorious WoW Raiders.

**Note: This hub is intend to give players a general idea and the feel of Serpentshrine Cavern. It is not meant to replace a full step-by-step Serpentshrine Cavern Raid Walk-thru Guide.

Lets get started...

Hydross the Unstable

Despite his positioning at he begining of the instance, Hydross is not the simplest of bosses. This encounter requires specific gear, flawless execution, and stresses all classes in the raid: tanking, healing, and DPS.

Hydross's Loot

• Ranger-General's Chestguard: Chest/Mail: 900 Armor, +36 Agility, +19 Stamina, +30 Intellect, Blue Socket, Red Socket, Yellow Socket, Socket Bonus: +4 Agility
• Scarab of Displacement: Trinket, Equip: Increases defense rating by 42, Use: Increases your defense rating by 165, but decreases your melee and ranged attack power by 330. Effect last for 15 sec.
• Living Root of the Wildheart: Tinket, Classes: Druid, Equip: Your spells and attacks in each form have a chance to grant you a blessing for 15 sec.
• Pauldrons of the Wardancers: Shoulder /Plate: 1206 Armor, +38 Strength, +21 Stamina, Red Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +3 Crit Rating, Equip: Improves critical strike rating rating by 29.
• Boots of the Shifting Nightmare: Feet /Cloth: 148 Armor, +41 Stamina, +22 Intellect, Equip: Improves spell hit rating by 18, Increases damage done by Shadow spells and effects by up to 59
• Shoulderpads of the Stranger: Shoulder /Leather: 303 Armor, +33 Agility, +28 Stamina, Red Socket, Socket Bonus: +2 Agility, Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 16, Increases attack power by 60, Increases dagger skill rating by 10.
• Blackfathom Warbands: Wrist /Mail: 394 Armor, +21 Stamina, +23 Intellet, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: 1 Mana per 5 sec, Equip: Increase healing done by spells and effects by up to 62.
• Fathomstone: Off-hand: +16 Stamina, +12 Intellect, Equip: Improves spel critical strike rating by 23, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 36.
• Idol of the Crescent Goddess: Relic: Equip: Reduces the mana cost of Regrowth by 33.
• Ring of Lethality: Ring: +24 Agility, +19 Stamina, Equip: Improves hit rating by 19, Increases attack power by 50.
• Brighthelm of Justice: 1306 Armor: +36 Stamina, +44 Intellect, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 101, Restores 14 mana per 5 sec.
• Robe of Hateful Echoes: Cloth /Chest: 215 Armor, +34 Stamina, +36 Intellect, Red Socket, Yellow Socket, Socket Bonus: +6 Stamina, Equip: Improves spell critical strike rating by 25, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 50.

The Lurker Below

The Lurker Below is one of the best designed encounters in early Burning Crusade raids. It is not easy and takes good execution from everyone in the raid, although individual mistakes usually only lead to the loss of the person at fault, as opposed to the whole raid. In order to coerce the boss to emerge from the depths, players must fish in the strange pool. Fishing to come up with smaller fish or random crates before they land the lurker himself. However, the more characters in the raid that fishing in the pool, the faster the Lurker can be spawned. A base fishing skill of about 250 is recommended, and this can be enhanced by using special fishing poles such as the quest reward from the Stranglehorn Fishing Extravaganza weekly event, or Seth's Graphite Fishing Pole from the quest in Shattrath City. Fishing skill can be further increased by using fishing lures from fishing supplies vendors around major lakes, or engineering created fish attractors.

The Lukers "Loot"

• Grave-Bands of Remulos: Wrist /Leather: 177 Armor, +21 Stamina, +14 Intellect, +21 Spirit, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 68.
• Velvet Boots of the Guardian: Feet /Cloth: 148, +21 Stamina, +21 Intellect, +15 Spirit, Equip: Improves spell critical strike rating by 24, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 49.
• Glowing Breastplate of Truth: Chest /Plate: 1607 Armor, +39 Stamina, +40 Intellect, Equip: Improves spell critical strike rating by 42, Restores 10 mana per 5 sec, Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 53.
• Libram of Absolute Truth: Relic:, Equip: Reduces the mana cost of Holy Light by 27.
• Mallet of the Tides: Main Hand Mace: 111 - 207 Damage, Speed 1.70 (93.5 DPS), +33 Stamina, Equip: Increases defense rating by 15, Increases mace skill rating by 14
• Cord of Screaming Terrors: Waist /Cloth: 121 Armor, +34 Stamina, +15 Intellect, Yellow Socket, Yellow Socket, Socket Bonus: +4 Stamina, Equip: Improves spell hit rating by 24, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 50.
• Boots of Effortless Striking: Feet /Leather: 278 Armor, +42 Agility, +41 Stamina, Equip: Increases attack power by 58.
• Tempest-Strider Boots: Feet /Mail 619 Armor, +25 Stamina, +26 Intellect, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 51, Restores 16 mana per 5 sec.
• Ancestral Ring of Conquest: Finger: +32 Strength, +21 Agility, +30 Stamina.
• Bracers of Eradication: Waist /Plate: 703 Armor, +25 Strength, +12 Stamina, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: Strength +2, Equip: Improves your Spirit by +300 for 20 sec.
• Earring of Soulful Meditation: Trinket: Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 66, Use: Increases your Spirit by +300 for 20 sec.
• Choker of Animalistic Fury: Neck: +24 Stamina, Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 23, Increases attack power by 64.

This powerful Demon Hunter is probably the most difficult encounter in the zone, besides Lady Vashj. Like Hydross he requires specific gear, as well as careful execution from every player in the raid. Mistakes always result in deaths, and a death usually means that the raid will be unable to defeat the encounter before the 10 minute enrage timer. However, if successful the raid will be rewarded with very high quality loot, among them two glove tokens that can be turned into Tier 5 set pieces.

Leotheras the Blind "Loot"

• Gloves of the Vanquished Champion: Classes: Paladin, Rogue, Shaman: Tier 5 Glove Token
• Gloves of the Vanquished Hero: Classes: Hunter, Mage, Warlock: Tier 5 Glove Token
• Girdle of the Invulnerable: Waist /Plate: 904 Armor, +37 Stamina, Red Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +4 Stamina, Equip: Increases defense rating by 22. Increases your dodge rating by 19, Increases your parry rating by 29.
• Tsunami Tailsman: Trinket: Equip: Improves hit rating by 10, Improves critical strike rating by 38, Chance on critical hit to increase your attack power by 240 by 10 sec.
• Coral-Barbed Shoulderpads: Shoulder Mail: 675 Armor, +22 Stamina, +33 Intellect, Blue Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +7 Healing, Equip: Restores 6 mana per 5 sec, Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 73.
• Fang of the Leviathan: Main Hand /Sword: 23 - 125 Damage, Speed 1.80, (41.3 DPS), +28 Stamina, +19 Intellect, Equip: Improves spell critical strike rating by 20, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 209.
• Orca-Hide Boots: Feet Leather: 278 Armor, + 19 Stamina, +27 Intellect, +19 Spirit, Blue Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +3 Spirit, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 73.
• True-Aim Stalker Bands: Wrist /Mail: 394 Armor, +18 Stamina, +12 Intellect, Yellow Socket, Socket Bonus: +3 Stamina, Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 24, Increases attack power by 50.

Fathom Lord Karathress is considered by many to be the easiest encounter in Serpentshrine Cavern. Due to his positioning it is time consuming to reach him before defeating any of the previous bosses, but this does remain an option for raids that are having difficulties with Hydross, Leotheras or the Lurker Below. The items obtained from this encounter, particularly the two Tier 5 leg piece tokens can be put to good use in the other encounters in the zone.

Fathom Lord Karathress's "Loot"

• Leggings of the Vanquished Champion: Classes: Paladin, Rogue, Shaman: Tier 5 Leg Token.
• Leggings of the Vanquished Defender: Classes: Warrior, Priest, Druid: Tier 5 Leg Token.
• Leggings of the Vanquished Hero: Classes: Hunter, Mage, Warlock: Tier 5 Leg Token.
• Soul-Strider Boots: Feet /Cloth: 148 Armor, +20 Stamina, +19 Intellect, +33 Spirit, Red Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +7 Healing, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 64.

• World Breaker: Two-Hand /Mace: 360 - 541 Damage, Speed 3.70 (121.8 DPS), +46 Strength, +46 Stamina, Chance on hit: Increases the critical strike rating of your next attack made within 4 seconds by 900.
• Frayed Tether of the Drowned: Neck: +45 Stamina, Equip: Increases defense rating by 24, Improves hit rating by 18.
• Fathom-Broach of the Tidewalker: Trinket: Equip: Your Nature spells have a chance to restore 335 mana.
• Bloodsea Brigand's Vest: Chest /Leather: 404 Armor, +24 Stamina, Yellow Socket, Yellow Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +8 Attack Power: Equip: Improves hit rating by 27, Improves critical strike rating by 36, Increases attack power by 92.
• Sextant of Unstable Currents: Trinket, Equip: Improves spell critical strike rating by 40, Your spell critical strikes have a chance to increase your spell damage and healing by 190 for 15 sec.

This not so friendly giant can become quite intense especially for the main tank and the caster classes in the game who have to deal with his many Murloc friends. With two alternating stages and a final twist at the end, the encounter progresses in a similar fashion to Leotheras the Blind but should pose a lesser challenge to the majority of raids.

Morogrim Tidewalker's "Loot"

• Razor-Scale Battlecloak: Back: 108 Armor, +33 Strength, +23 Agility, +22 Stamina
• Serpent-Coil Braid: Trinket: Equip: Improves spell hit rating by 12, Improves spell critical strike rating by 30. You gain 25% more mana when you use a mana gem. In addition, using a mana gem grants you 225 spell damage for 15 sec.
• Pauldrons of the Argent Sentinel: Shoulder, Plate: 1206 Armor, +34 Intellect, Equp: Improves spell critical strike rating by 32, Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 75.
• Pendant of the Lost Ages: Neck: +27 Stamina, +17 Intellect, Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 36. Reduces the duration of any Silence or Interrupt effects used against the wearer by 20%. This effect does not stack with other similar effects.
• Girdle of the Tidal Call: Waist /Mail: 506 Armor, +35 Strength, +30 Stamina, +20 Intellect, Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 33.
• Gnarled Chestpiece of the Ancients: Chest /Leather: 404 Armor, +48 Stamina, +32 Intellect, +34 Spirit, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 110.
• Ring of Sundered Souls: Finger: +45 Stamina, Equip: Increases defense rating by 18, Increases your dodge rating by 25.
• Talon of Azshara: One Hand/ Sword: 177 - 329 Damage, Speed 2.70, (93.7 DPS), 168 Armor, +14 Agility, Equip: Improves hit rating by 19, Increases attack power by 40.
• Mantle of the Tirless Tracker: Shoulder /Mail: 675 Armor, +22 Agility, +23 Intellect, Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 33, Increases attack power by 64.
• Luminescent Rod of the Naaru: Wand: 180 - 336 Shadow Damage, Speed 1.50, (172.0 DPS), +13 Intellect, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 33, Restores 5 mana per 5 sec.
• Warboots of Obliteration: Feet /Plate: 1105 Armor, +44 Strength, +29 Stamina, Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 31.
• Illidari Shoulderpads: Shoulder /Cloth: 161 Armor, +34 Stamina, +23 Intellect, Yellow Socket, Socket Bonus: +4 Stamina, Equip: Improves spell critical strke rating by 16, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells by up to 39.

Finally, five bosses lay dead at their consoles and the bridge has been activated. What remains is without a doubt the most complex encounter a raid has faced up to this point in "The Burning Crusade". With a significant leap ahead in terms of difficulty, this encounter certainly does justice to one of the most memorable characters of Warcraft Lore, Lady Vashj. Fast reaction time and good communication is emphasized like in no other encounter in the Burning Crusade, but with the added difficulty and the required level of teamwork comes exhilaration should you be successful. Are you ready?

Lady Vashj's "Loot"

• Helm of the Vanquished Defender: Classes: Warrior, Priest, Druid: Tier 5 Head Token
• Helm of the Vanquished Champion: Classes: Paladin, Rogue, Shaman: Tier 5 Head Token
• Helm of the Vanquished Hero: Classes: Hunter, Mage, Warlock: Tier 5 Head Token
• Fang of Vashj: One-Hand /Dagger: 142 - 213 Damage, Speed 1.80 (98.6 DPS), +19 Stamina, Equip: Increases attack power by 54, Increases dagger skill rating by 21
• Lightfathom Scepter: Main Hand /Mace: 22 - 136 Damage, Speed 1.90, (41.4 DPS), +27 Stamina, +19 Intellect, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 431, Restores 10 mana per 5 sec.
• Krakken-Heart Breastplate: Chest /Plate: 1728 Armor, +61 Strenght, 43 Agility, +42 Stamina, Equip: Improves hit rating by 30.
• Vestments of the Sea Witch: Chest /Cloth: 231 Armor, +28 Stamina, +28 Intellect, Yellow Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus, +5 Spell Damage, Equip: Improves spell hit rating by 27, Improves spell critical strike rating by 31, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 57.
• Coral Band of the Revived: Finger, +21 Stamina, +14 Intellect, +27 Spirit, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 75.
• Runetotem's Mantle: Shoulder /Leather: 326 Armor, +31 Stamina, +22 Intellect, +32 Spirit, Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 101.
• Prism of Inner Calm: Trinket: Equip: Reduces the threat from your harmful critical strkes.
• Ring of Endless Coils: Finger: +31 Stamina, Equip: Improves spell critical strike rating by 22, Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 37.
• Serpent Spine Longbow: Bow, 214 - 321 Damage, Speed 3.00 (89.2 DPS), +15 Stamina, Equip: Improves critical strke rating by 15, Increases attack power by 38.
• Belt of One-Hundred Deaths: Waist Leather: 244 Armor, +29 Agility, +25 Stamina, Red Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +3 Agility, Equip: Increases attack power by 74, Increases dagger skill rating by 25, Increases sword rating by 25, Increases mace skill rating by 25, Increases fist rating by 25.
• Cobra-Lash Boots:Feet /Mail: 665 Armor, +33 Agility, +25 Stamina, +25 Intellect, Blue Socket, Red Socket, Socket Bonus: +3 Agility, Equip: Increases attack power by 66.
• Glorious Gauntlets of Crestfall: Hands /Plate: 1080 Armor, +25 Stamina, +26 Intellect, yellow Socket, Blue Socket, Socket Bonus: +7 Healing, Equip: Improves spell critical strke rating by 28, Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 81.
• Nether Vortex: Crafting Componet:
• Vashj's Vial Remnant: Quest Item: "Contains a small amount of water from the Well of Eternity."

Chances are that this challenging World of Warcraft Instance and the quest within have been in your log for awhile. Completing this dungeon has long been overdue. You have Vashj's Vial Remnant, (which everyone in the raid is made available) and are now half way to being attuned to Mount Hyjal. Just one more stop, Kael'Thas Sunstrider.

Now onwards to Tempest Keep!