Dire Maul is a famed dungeon of the Classic era. It's a sprawling dungeon with three wings and several bosses. Plus, it's popular because of the fantastic loot you can get from it. Here's a guide to Dire Maul so you can be prepared when tackling this vast dungeon.
The Lore of Dire Maul
It was once a thriving city of Highborne Elves but has long since fallen into ruin. Its inhabitants are long gone, replaced by ogres, satyrs, and the undead. The only remainder of its proud civilization is a sect of murderous and feral elves called the Shen'dralar.
In the past, it was called Eldre'Thalas and was the capital of Queen Azshara's servitors. The Shen'dralar was a sect of powerful arcanists. One of those was Millicent Serene, who was able to make the Fruit of Fertility. It's a magical vine that exudes an aura of protection and growth. Thanks to it, Eldre'Thalas flourished and grew.
Yet it wasn't enough. Even though it survived the Great Sundering through a shield Prince Torthreldrin and his followers conjured, the city eventually fell to the Horde.
Dire Maul Guide
Basic Information
Dire Maul is located in Feralas, Kalimdor. You can head north from The High Wilderness area to find the entrance. An obvious ramp leading to the dungeon's opening is hard to miss. Getting to its location is slightly different depending on which faction you're in.
Horde players can get there through Camp Mojache and follow the main road. You'll notice that it forks to the north toward a ruined city, and that's where Dire Maul is.
Alliance players can fly to Thalanaar, the camp located near the border of Thousand Needles and Feralas. From there, head west, and when you reach The High Wilderness, Dire Maul will be to your north. Yes, this path edges near Camp Mojache, so be careful not to get ambushed by the Horde!
Alternatively, they can fly to Feathermoon Stronghold, on the other side of Feralas. Then swim or take a boat eastward until you get to that fork.
You'll need to be at least level 56 to enter the dungeon. It has three wings:
- Warpwood Quarter (East)
- Capital Gardens (West)
- Gordok Commons (North)
These three wings are connected by an open plaza. It contains a pit called The Maul, a special free-for-all PvP arena. The west and north wings are also joined by the Athenaeum and are included in a single instance.
The wings are arranged as 'easiest' to 'most challenging.' Of course, the higher the difficulty, the better the rewards. Not to say that the other wings don't give valuable loot, but the best ones are from the third one.
Anyway, here's a breakdown of what you can expect in each wing.
Warpwood Quarter (Dire Maul East)
By its subtitle, it should be evident that it is east of the plaza. It's inhabited by demons and elementals, so plan accordingly. Upon entering the instance, you'll see Pusilin on your left. He'll give you the quest to obtain the Crescent Key, which you'll need to enter the other two wings.
The bosses in Dire Maul East are:
- Old Ironbark
- Zevrim Thornhoof
- Alzzin the Wildshaper
- Lethtendris
- Hydrospawn
You can get the following notable loot:
- Tempest Talisman
- Whipvine Cord
- Satyr's Bow
- Clever Hat
- Helm of Awareness
Capital Gardens (Dire Maul West)
The Capital Gardens is filled with demons and elementals, but some undead joins the enemy party here. From this wing, you can go directly to Gordok Commons (Dire Maul North) through the Athenaeum, as mentioned above. By this definition, you could treat the western and northern wings as one, though players still separate them.
The bosses in this wing are:
- Illyanna Ravenoak
- Shen'dralar Ancient (quest specific)
- Tsu'zee (rare boss)
- Lord Hel'nurath (summoned by Warlocks)
- Tendris Warpwood
- Magister Kalendris
- Immol'thar
- Prince Tortheldrin
A few examples of loot you can get here are:
- Robe of Everlasting Night
- Backwood Helm
- Bracers of the Eclipse
- Vigilance Charm
- Eldritch Reinforced Legplates
Gordok Commons (Dire Maul North)
The most challenging of the three wings, this area is filled with ogres. Even though it's already hard enough, players came up with a different method of running this part of the dungeon. The usual way is to go along the path and defeat all the bosses the party encounters.
The alternate way is to rush to the boss, King Gordok, and defeat him, skipping over all the other bosses. This is called a 'tribute run.' That's because of the unique tribute chest that appears when the dungeon is completed in this way. The chest will not spawn if you do the instance in the default way. Going through that trouble is worth it because the tribute chest can hold some especially rare loot.
Here are the bosses you can encounter in Dire Maul North:
- Guard Fengus
- Guard Mol'dar
- Captain Kromcrush
- Stomper Kreeg
- Knot Thimblejack
- Cho'Rush the Observer
- Guard Slip'kik
- King Gordok
You'll need to do some specific actions so that you won't enter a battle with the other guards. It is essential to keep them alive for a tribute run. Some you only need to avoid their aggro range, but others have a more complicated task for you.
Guard Slip'kik is one example. You must fix the trap near Knot Thimblejack so you can freeze the guard safely and avoid fighting him. There's also Captain Kromcrush, who you need to fool into thinking one of your party is an ogre. Cho'Rush is another. A tank must be sacrificed to keep him at bay while the others blitz King Gordok. Guard Fengus is also harder to sneak by since you must get to his chest for a key you need to progress.
And here are some of the best loot you can get from the wing:
- Treant's Bane (from the tribute chest)
- Hedgecutter
- Unyielding Maul
- Barbarous Blade
- Sublime Wristguards
Enjoy Running Dire Maul!
Whether you're in it for the challenge, the loot, or just for fun, Dire Maul is a great place to practice raiding and get your feet wet. It helps that some of the loot here will help you strengthen your character and prepare for actual raids.
Have fun playing World of Warcraft Classic!
