The great desert fortress of Ahn'Qiraj, long sealed behind the Scarab Wall, is home to the insectoid qiraji, a savage race set to mount an assault to devastate the continent of Kalimdor. But something far more sinister lurks behind Ahn'Qiraj's walls: the Old God C'Thun, an ancient entity whose pervasive evil had suffused Azeroth since time immemorial.

The next Content Update for WoW Classic Season of Mastery will be available worldwide on April 21, at 3:00 p.m. PDT. At that time, the Ahn’Qiraj War Effort will begin, and both factions must heed the call. Any hero brave enough to undertake the epic quest to become a Scarab Lord will be able to begin their journey.

New in Season of Mastery

Due to the faster release cadence of Season of Mastery, we’ve made some adjustments to the War Effort:

• Half as many total resources as before are now required.
• Reduced the time until auto-completion of War Effort objectives begin.
  • With this change, the gates of Ahn’Qiraj will open on all realms within a month of the event being initiated.
• The “Brood of Nozdormu” reputation reward from the repeatable quest “The Hand of the Righteous” has been doubled.

In addition, those who venture into the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj will now encounter the mysterious Prophecy of Chaos, which will allow those in good standing with the Brood of Nozdormu to undertake additional challenges within the Temple. C’thun has also been restored to his original, most horrific form; you can expect this nightmarish Old God to present a much greater challenge than his original WoW Classic incarnation.

To read more about these and other changes, head over to the patch notes. If you’re not familiar with the Ahn’Qiraj War Effort and how it all works, read on!

Join the War Effort

Supplies are needed to fuel the war effort against the sinister forces of Ahn’Qiraj. You’ll need to work alongside other members of your faction to contribute the resources needed open the ancient citadel’s gates and begin your siege on the Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj and the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.

Both Horde and the Alliance will need to bring a steady stream of supplies to the Valley of Spirits in Orgrimmar or to the Military Ward in Ironforge. Each turn-in will reward Ahn’Qiraj War Effort Supplies containing useful items and Alliance Commendation Signets or Horde Commendation Signets, which can be used to gain reputation with your faction.

While many of the necessary supplies can be obtained as loot drops or purchased from the Auction House, having a profession that helps you acquire these supplies will also come in handy. Here is a list of items you’ll need to set your sights on collecting.

Both Factions:

Copper Bar (Mining – 25), Purple Lotus (Herbalism – 210), Runecloth Bandage (First Aid – 260), Spotted Yellowtail (Cooking – 225), Thick Leather (Skinning/Leatherworking – 200)

Once the resources for the War Effort have been gathered by both the Horde and the Alliance, supply chains will make their way from Ironforge and Orgrimmar to Cenarion Hold in Silithus. Once these resources reach Cenarion Hold, players who are on the quest line to create the Scepter of the Shifting Sands will be able to undertake the “Bang a Gong!” quest in order to complete it.

Befriending Dragons

During the War Effort, players will also be able to begin earning reputation with the Brood of Nozdormu by turning in Silithid Carapace Fragments. You’ll need to turn in the Head of the Broodlord Lashlayer to begin the quest “The Path of Righteous” or be deputized by another player who has Proxy of Nozdormu before these fragments will begin to drop for you.

Who Will Rise as Scarab Lord?

Players will also be able to begin a quest series to create the Scepter of the Sands, which will enable them to ultimately ring the gong on the realm they are on. The first player on each realm who completes the quest and rings the gong will become the realm’s “Scarab Lord” and receive the Black Qiraji Resonating Crystal, which will summon a ridable Qiraji battle tank that can be used in the outdoor world as well as within the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.

Players who complete the Scepter of the Sands quest chain and ring the gong in the first 10 hours of the gong being rung initially will also receive the Black Qiraji Resonating Crystal.

Any other players who complete the quest line past the 10–hour period won’t receive the mount, but will still receive rewards from the “Treasure of the Timeless One” quest, which includes one of four epic weapons, experience, reputation, and a little money for your pocket.

Pushing Back the Enemy

Once the gong is rung on a realm, it will mark the beginning of a 10-hour war heralding the arrival of Anubisath and Qiraji warriors, which can be found in the Barrens and Thousand Needles (for lower-level players) and Silithus, Tanaris, and Feralas (for higher-level players). Defending against these incursions will give players a chance to earn gold, experience, and reputation with the Brood of Nozdormu, along with a higher chance for rare drops.

Opening of the Gates

At the completion of the 10-hour war, the Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj (a 20-player raid dungeon) and the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj (a 40-player raid dungeon) will open, allowing players access to the dangers and treasures within.