Onyxia's Lair: Attunement, Phases, and Loot
Vanilla WoW Classic 1.12 · x5 realm · wowx5.ruOnyxia's Lair is a 40-player raid in Dustwallow Marsh, home to a single boss — Onyxia the black dragon. Despite its simplicity in scope, the fight is mechanically demanding and the attunement chain is long. The loot is iconic, including Tier 2 helmets for all classes. On WoW x5, boosted rates speed up the attunement quests significantly.
Attunement
The Drakefire Amulet must be in your bags to enter. Both factions complete separate chains:
Alliance Chain
1. Lord Bolvar Fordragon — Stormwind Throne Room 2. Prisoner escort in Blackrock Spire (LBRS) 3. Tribute collection in UBRS 4. General Drakkisath's Brand (UBRS final boss) 5. Return to Stormwind → Reginald Windsor escort 6. Receive Drakefire Amulet
Horde Chain
1. Warlord Goretooth in Kargath (Badlands) 2. Kill Overlord Wyrmthalak in LBRS 3. Warchief Thrall → Emberstrife chain in Dustwallow 4. Blood of the Black Dragon Champion (UBRS) 5. Receive Drakefire Amulet
Run UBRS with your guild — multiple attunement steps share the same instance. Knock them all out in one session.
The Three Phases
Phase 1 — Ground
Onyxia stands still. Tank her facing away from the raid. Melee stay behind her. Avoid Flame Breath (cone in front) and Tail Sweep (behind her).
Phase 2 — Air
Onyxia flies and becomes untargetable. Onyxian Whelps spawn from caves on both sides — assign off-tanks and AoE classes to handle them.
DEEP BREATH — Onyxia channels fire across the entire room in a straight line. When you hear the warning, move immediately to the cave walls. Standing in the path is fatal for most players.
Phase 3 — Ground (Enraged)
Onyxia lands at ~40% HP with increased damage output. Full burn — maximize DPS while healers keep the main tank alive.
Key Loot
| Item | Slot | Notable For |
|---|---|---|
| Onyxia Tooth Pendant | Neck | BiS hit rating necklace for melee |
| Helm of Wrath (T2) | Head (Plate) | Warrior Tier 2 helmet |
| Netherwind Crown (T2) | Head (Cloth) | Mage Tier 2 helmet |
| Stormrage Cover (T2) | Head (Leather) | Druid Tier 2 helmet |
| Onyxia Hide Backpack | 22-slot bag | Crafted via scale turn-in quest |
Onyxia Tooth Pendant is BiS for most physical DPS classes until Naxxramas. Prioritize this item in loot distribution.
Raid Tips
1. Assign 2+ players to wrangle Whelps in Phase 2 2. Call Deep Breath in raid chat — use /rw macro 3. Do not run during Deep Breath — stay at walls 4. After Phase 2, transition cleanly to Phase 3 positioning
FAQ
How do I get attuned to Onyxia?
Both factions have separate quest chains. Alliance starts with Lord Bolvar in Stormwind; Horde starts with Warchief Thrall in Orgrimmar. Both chains end with the Drakefire Amulet.
What is the Onyxia reset timer?
Onyxia resets every 5 days (120 hours).
How do I survive Deep Breath?
During Phase 2, Onyxia flies across the room in a straight line. Move to the sides of the cave immediately. Never stand in the center during the air phase.