World & travel
Blackrock Mountain
Blackrock Mountain is a volcano on the border of Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes, and it contains five instances at once: three dungeons and two 40-man raids. It is the main endgame hub of WoW Classic 1.12.1 — every character's path from level 52 to full Tier 2 runs through this mountain. On the WowX5 realm at x5 rates you reach it within a few days of active play.
Contents
◆Every instance inside the mountain
| Instance | Levels | Size | Entrance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackrock Depths | 52–60 | 5 | lower tier, east side of the crater |
| Lower Blackrock Spire | 55–60 | 5–10 | upper mountain, along the chain of bridges |
| Upper Blackrock Spire | 58–60 | 10 | door inside LBRS, requires the Seal of Ascension |
| Molten Core | 60 | 40 | portal deep inside BRD; Lothos Riftwaker at the BRD entrance teleports attuned players to it |
| Blackwing Lair | 60 | 40 | top of the Spire; Orb of Command in the corridor by the Spire entrance, outside the instance |
◆Who lives in the mountain
- Dark Iron dwarves — the clan that summoned Ragnaros into the mountain's depths. Their city, the Black Anvil, sits inside the Depths under Emperor Dagran Thaurissan.
- Blackrock orcs and Rend Blackhand's Dark Horde — they hold the Spire and fight the dwarves below.
- The black and chromatic broods — Nefarian, son of Deathwing, breeds hybrid dragons in Blackwing Lair.
- Fire elementals under the Firelord — the entire lower layer that is Molten Core.
A three-way war is effectively running inside the mountain, and players exploit it: around the Spire the rival factions' mobs attack each other on sight.
◆Getting to Blackrock Mountain
Alliance: the Thorium Point flight path in Searing Gorge (neutral, works for both factions) or Morgan's Vigil in the Burning Steppes. From Ironforge the road runs through the Badlands and Searing Gorge.
Horde: the Flame Crest flight path in the Burning Steppes, or Kargath in the Badlands and then north through Searing Gorge.
The crater entrance is a chain of bridges and platforms: the lower path leads to the Depths, the upper one to the Spire. Step-by-step routes live in how to get to Blackrock Depths, how to get to Blackrock Spire, how to get to Molten Core and how to get to Blackwing Lair.
Keys and attunements
| Requirement | Unlocks | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Shadowforge Key | shortcuts and chests inside BRD | quest chain in the Depths, or a rogue's lockpicking |
| Seal of Ascension | the door to Upper Blackrock Spire | three-gem chain from LBRS bosses |
| Attunement to the Core | teleport into Molten Core from the BRD entrance | quest from Lothos Riftwaker (mountain floor, by the BRD entrance), then walk to the portal once |
| Blackhand's Command | the Orb of Command teleport into Blackwing Lair | a letter dropped by the Scarshield Quartermaster by the Blackrock Spire entrance; the quest requires killing General Drakkisath in UBRS |
A full key overview is in the dungeon keys guide, raid attunements in raid attunements.
◆Why you come here
- Leveling 52–60. The Depths is the densest 5-man XP run in Vanilla: more than a dozen bosses in a single clear.
- Pre-raid BiS. Several key items come from here — see pre-raid gearing.
- Tier 1 and Tier 2. Molten Core drops Tier 1, Blackwing Lair drops Tier 2.
- Reputations. Thorium Brotherhood is farmed in the Depths, the Hydraxian Waterlords in Molten Core.
- Legendaries. Bindings for Thunderfury and Sulfuras drop here — see the Thunderfury and Sulfuras quest chains.
At x5 rates it is worth entering the Depths as early as 54–55: boss experience is enough to clear two levels per run, and the Shadowforge Key halves the time you spend running around.
◆Related material
Step-by-step routes for every race of both factions are in the guide How to get to Blackrock Mountain.
- Eastern Kingdoms — the continent and neighbouring zones
- Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge
- Dark Iron dwarves — lore of the mountain's masters
- Level 60 endgame guide
- Register on WowX5
FAQ
?How many instances are inside Blackrock Mountain?
Five: Blackrock Depths, Lower and Upper Blackrock Spire, plus the raids Molten Core and Blackwing Lair.
?How do I get to Blackrock Mountain?
Via the Thorium Point flight path in Searing Gorge, or Flame Crest and Morgan's Vigil in the Burning Steppes, then into the crater between the zones.
?Which key do I need for Upper Blackrock Spire?
The Seal of Ascension. It is assembled from three gems dropped by Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS) bosses and opens the door at the top of LBRS.
?What level should I enter Blackrock Depths at?
Technically 52, comfortably 55. At x5 rates a Depths run at 54–55 clears two levels in one visit.
Related
Now jump into WoW Classic X5
Theory alone gives no XP. Join WoW Classic X5 — Vanilla 1.12.1, x5 rates, blizzlike mechanics — and try this guide in game.
- Create an account on wowx5.ru
- Download the WoW Classic 1.12.1 client
- Put into realmlist.wtf:
set realmlist play.wowx5.ru
Experience ×5
Loot ×5
Free, no pay-to-win