Naxxramas is a giant necropolis floating over Wintergarde Keep, in Dragonblight. It has the questionable honor to serve as the seat of one of the Lich King’s most powerful officers, the dreaded lich Kel’Thuzad.
The instance has been redesigned for 10 and 25-man raids. It consists of four different wings which, when cleared, grant access to the Frostwyrm Lair (a fifth and final wing). The first four wings are, in order of ascending difficulty: Arachnid, Plague, Military, Construct. Progression is non-linear – raids may select their own path to the final lair.
History
An ancient Nerubian ziggurat, Naxxramas was torn free from the ground by agents of the Lich King to serve as Kel’Thuzad’s base of operations as he spreads the plague throughout Lordaeron. Other sources say Obrahiim, the Traveler, a great skeletal architect, was pivotal in the conception of Naxxramas, hinting that it was altered or retooled. See the Compendium of Fallen Heroes for more details.
Due to his fighting a war against the Scarlet Crusade, the Argent Dawn, the Forsaken and the Humans of the Alliance, as well as constant incursions of adventurers from every race and nation into the Scourge-controlled Plaguelands on a daily basis, the forces of Kel’Thuzad have been severely taxed to maintain the security of his necropolis. But now the gates of Naxxramas are open, and Kel’Thuzad’s new forces are rapidly sweeping away all opposition to the Scourge.
Raid setup
The 10-man version
- Raid composition – three of the wings can be completed with 2 healers, 2 tanks, and 6 DPS, although a common setup (and one better suited for beginning Naxxramas) is 2 tanks, 3 healers, and 5 DPS.
- General gear check – level 80 rares and/or epics from crafting or heroic dungeons.
- Tanks: A good start is to have 540 Defense, 22,000 HP, and 21k Armor rating.
- DPS: Ideally each DPS should have at least 1.5k DPS, 2.5k AP or 1350 Spell Power. Also a hit rating near 7.5% is also desirable.
- Healers: Shoot for 1500 bonus heal (now equivalent to approximately 900 spell power) and 160 MP5.
The 25-man version
- Raid composition – aim for 3-4 tanks, 6-7 healers and 14-16 DPS.
- General gear check – level 80 epics from crafting and normal mode raids.
- Tanks – at least ~25,000 unbuffed HP.
- DPS spellcasters should have 17% to hit.
Gaining Entry
Access to Naxxramas no longer requires special attunement via the Argent Dawn. Instead, access is achieved through use of a flying mount. Players can fly to the underside of Naxxramas, where they will find openings to a room containing portals to the various wings of the necropolis. There is no teleport spire for players without a flying mount.
Quick Facts
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Automatic resurrection
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Level: 80 – 83
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Requires level 80
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Territory: Contested
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Instance type: Raid
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Number of players: 10/25
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Location: Dragonblight
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Final boss: Kel’Thuzad
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