For dedicated World of Warcraft (WoW) enthusiasts, Shadowmourne is more than just a legendary weapon; it’s a legendary aspiration. Securing Shadowmourne in WoW WotLK Classic requires an arduous and time-intensive journey. This guide will meticulously walk you through the entire WoW WotLK Classic Shadowmourne questline, starting from the creation of Shadow’s Edge and culminating in the transformation into the fabled Shadowmourne.
Forging Shadow’s Edge
Before embarking on the quest for Shadowmourne, you must first create its precursor, Shadow’s Edge. The creators at Blizzard designed this questline to enable a wider range of players to immerse themselves in the captivating story behind Shadowmourne, regardless of whether their guilds selected them to wield it as their legendary weapon.
The initial step on this journey is to gain the favor of the Ashen Verdict faction. You can steadily earn reputation with this faction by participating in the Icecrown Citadel raid. For an exhaustive guide on how to build your reputation with the Ashen Verdict, please consult our dedicated resource.
Once you’ve earned the friendship of the Ashen Verdict, seek out Highlord Darion Mograine within the Icecrown Citadel raid. Conveniently positioned near the entrance, he is easily spotted to the left after entering the raid. Highlord Darion Mograine will extend an invitation for you to undertake the quest “The Sacred and the Corrupt,” which serves as the genesis of the Shadowmourne questline. This quest is available in all versions of Icecrown Citadel, including both the 10-man and 10-man heroic modes. However, the final two prerequisites of this quest can only be fulfilled in the 25-man normal and 25-man heroic renditions of the raid.
This quest necessitates the collection of four distinct items:
Primordial Saronite (x25)
You can obtain Primordial Saronite through two avenues. You can acquire it as a drop from bosses within Icecrown Citadel, or you can purchase it from the Emblem of Frost vendor associated with your faction in Dalaran. Additionally, Goodman, the “Closer” vendor inside Icecrown Citadel, offers Primordial Saronite for 23 Emblems of Frost each. The drop rate from raid bosses varies from 20% to 40%. To expedite your acquisition, you’ll need to amass as many as 575 Emblems of Frost. You can obtain these emblems by participating in various Icecrown Citadel modes (10-man and 25-man), completing weekly raid quests, defeating the Phase 4 boss in the Vault of Archavon raid, and taking part in daily random heroic dungeons.
Light’s Vengeance
This artifact is the hammer discarded by Arthas when he acquired Frostmourne and became the Lich King. To acquire it, you must venture into Frostmourne Cave in the northern region of Dragonblight, setting in motion a breathtaking epic event. For a more immersive experience, we recommend skipping the event’s details and experiencing it firsthand. If you require assistance, please feel free to consult the “Spoilers” section for guidance.
Festergut’s Acidic Blood
This item can be obtained from Festergut, one of the bosses within Icecrown Citadel. It boasts a 100% drop rate but only one of each item drops per week, so patience is key. Keep in mind that these items are exclusively available in the 25-man normal and 25-man heroic versions of the raid, not in the 10-man version.
Rotface’s Acidic Blood
Like Festergut’s Acidic Blood, players obtain this item from a raid boss in Icecrown Citadel, specifically Rotface. It has the same 100% drop rate and weekly restrictions, so you need to persevere steadily.
After successfully amassing all the necessary items, return to Highlord Darion Mograine and deliver “The Sacred and the Corrupt” to him at the Runeforge, located beside him. Darion will employ the Runeforge to fashion an axe, ushering in a captivating roleplaying sequence. Following this, he will proffer a new quest, “Shadow’s Edge.” Speak with him again and accept his offer, which culminates in the presentation of Shadow’s Edge, the fundamental weapon that serves as the precursor to WoW WotLK Classic Shadowmourne.
Strengthening Shadow’s Edge
With Shadow’s Edge now in your possession, it’s time to bolster its potency through a sequence of quests that involve weekly endeavors and three distinct challenges, all set within Icecrown Citadel.
A Feast of Souls
Return to Highlord Darion Mograine and embrace his latest quest, “A Feast of Souls.” This mission requires you to slay foes within the Icecrown Citadel raid while wielding Shadow’s Edge, which will capture their souls. To fulfill this quest, you must accumulate a grand total of 1000 souls, a feat that will necessitate approximately 2-3 weeks of traversing Icecrown Citadel. Notably, souls can be harvested in both the 10-man and 25-man versions of the raid.
The mechanics governing this quest are straightforward. Attacking adversaries with Shadow’s Edge inflicts the “Shadow’s Fate” debuff, signifying that their souls will be ensnared upon demise. You can switch to a different weapon after applying the debuff, and the souls will still be attributed to you. Any hostile spell is capable of bestowing the debuff, rendering it readily attainable with abilities such as Demoralizing Shout, Consecration, and Death and Decay. The debuff bears no temporal restrictions, so there’s no need for haste. However, it’s important to note that you cannot collect souls while in a deceased state, so ensure your survival during confrontations.
Infusions
Following the absorption of 1000 souls, return to Highlord Darion Mograine and conclude “A Feast of Souls.” This act initiates a series of three challenges that necessitate the defeat of specific bosses within Icecrown Citadel, each in a distinct manner. All three challenges can be undertaken in the same lockout but are exclusive to the 25-man normal and 25-man heroic renditions of the raid, not the 10-man version.
Unholy Infusion
The maiden challenge, “Unholy Infusion,” mandates the infusion of your Shadow’s Edge with unholy energy derived from Professor Putricide, the ultimate boss within the Plagueworks segment of the Upper Reaches of Icecrown Citadel.
During the Professor Putricide confrontation, one player will metamorphose into the Mutated Abomination, a role you must undertake. While in this guise and equipped with Shadow’s Edge, proceed to the table positioned behind Professor Putricide. This will facilitate your transformation into the abomination and grant access to the “Shadow Infusion” ability. To use this skill, you must accumulate 100 Ooze energy, which can be achieved by utilizing the abomination’s “Eat Ooze” ability to consume ooze puddles. Once you’ve gathered the necessary energy, activate “Shadow Infusion”. Subsequently, your raid must vanquish Professor Putricide within 6 minutes, enabling Shadow’s Edge to lay claim to his soul and unholy essence.
Blood Infusion
The completion of “Unholy Infusion” paves the way for the subsequent challenge, “Blood Infusion.” In this trial, you must infuse Shadow’s Edge with the essence of blood garnered from Blood-Queen Lana’thel, the final boss of the Royal Quarters section of the Upper Reaches of Icecrown Citadel, specifically in the Sanctum of Blood.
During the Blood-Queen Lana’thel encounter, the player closest to the tank responsible for tanking her becomes afflicted by “Blood Mirror,” causing them to endure 100% of the damage directed at the tank. To secure this debuff, stand adjacent to the tank, utilize defensive cooldowns to ensure your survival, and step away after a brief interval. Additionally, you must procure the “Essence of the Blood Queen” by being bitten by Lana’thel 15 seconds into the battle. After a duration of 75 seconds, this essence metamorphoses into “Frenzied Bloodthirst,” compelling you to cast “Vampiric Bite” on a fellow player within a 15-second window to avoid succumbing to the mind control imposed by the Blood-Queen.
The culmination of this challenge requires you to succumb to “Frenzied Bloodthirst” and employ “Vampiric Bite” on another participant within the raid thrice during the battle. Ensure that you maintain the highest threat level among players not tasked with tanking when the Blood-Queen initiates the biting cycle. After fulfilling these criteria, vanquish the Blood-Queen while preserving your own existence to complete the quest. It is imperative to have Shadow’s Edge equipped throughout this endeavor.
Frost Infusion
The culmination of “Blood Infusion” opens the gateway to the ultimate challenge, “Frost Infusion.” In this trial, you must infuse Shadow’s Edge with the essence of frost, sourced from Sindragosa, the ultimate boss of the Frost Queen’s Lair located in the Upper Reaches of Icecrown Citadel.
Throughout the Sindragosa battle, she intermittently unleashes “Frost Breath,” which inflicts substantial Frost damage upon players positioned within a 60-yard cone before her. The achievement of this quest hinges on being struck by “Frost Breath” four times. To achieve this, position yourself in front of Sindragosa as she unleashes the breath. Following the endurance of four breath attacks, you must complete the battle within 6 minutes while maintaining your survival throughout to fulfill the quest. Just like the previous challenges, make sure you have Shadow’s Edge equipped when the breath attacks strike you.
Enduring “Frost Breath” can prove to be a formidable challenge, particularly if you are not occupying the role of a tank. To alleviate a portion of the damage incurred, Death Knights hold an advantage, courtesy of abilities such as Anti-Magic Shell. Paladins can resort to Divine Protection and the Glyph of Salvation, while Warriors should employ Defensive Stance and Shield Wall. However, it is important to note that these abilities may not suffice to endure the damage. In such instances, consider the utilization of Frost Resistance gear and consumables to heighten your chances of survival.
Elevating Shadow’s Edge to WoW WotLK Classic Shadowmourne
Upon the triumphant completion of the previous challenges, Highlord Darion Mograine will extend an invitation for you to undertake the ultimate challenge: “The Splintered Throne.” In this quest, your primary objective is to collect 50 Shadowfrost Shards, fragments extracted from the Frozen Throne and held by the Lich King’s champions.
This segment of the quest chain can be a laborious undertaking, as it mandates the defeat of every boss and encounter within the 25-man normal and 25-man heroic iterations of Icecrown Citadel. Each of these bosses presents a prospect of dropping a solitary Shadowfrost Shard upon their demise. Normal mode bosses yield a drop rate spanning from 25% to 50%, whereas heroic mode bosses proffer a more favorable drop rate of approximately 75%. Depending on your guild’s raid strategy, the endeavor might span 5 to 8 weeks for the collection of all 50 Shadowfrost Shards. Recognize that you don’t need to have Shadow’s Edge equipped during the boss encounters; having it in your inventory is sufficient.
Upon amassing a sum of 50 Shadowfrost Shards, return to Highlord Darion Mograine and conclude “The Splintered Throne.” This marks the initiation of the final quest, “Empowerment,” which entails the forfeiture of Shadow’s Edge. Interact with Darion once more to complete this quest, thereby securing your well-deserved prize: WoW WotLK Classic Shadowmourne!
Confronting the Lich King & Supplementary Rewards
With WoW WotLK Classic Shadowmourne now in your possession, your ultimate mission is to challenge and defeat the Lich King himself. Speak with Highlord Darion Mograine and embrace his ultimate quest, “The Lich King’s Last Stand.” Following the defeat of the Lich King while wielding Shadowmourne and while being on this quest, he will relinquish an additional item, the Sealed Chest, which serves as the catalyst for the quest “Personal Property.” Surrender the Sealed Chest to Darion to receive the Unsealed Chest.
The Unsealed Chest harbors five items, each of which initiates a mini-quest, and offers a distinctive reward. Players can deliver all of these items to NPCs stationed at the entrance of the Icecrown Citadel raid, specifically in the 25-man normal or heroic mode, once they have successfully vanquished the Lich King within that instance:
Alexandros’ Soul Shard: Present this item to Highlord Darion Mograine to complete the quest “Mograine’s Reunion,” resulting in the bestowal of the Reins of the Crimson Deathcharger, a ground mount.
Jaina’s Locket: Deliver this to Lady Jaina Proudmoore to finalize the quest “Jaina’s Locket,” granting you Jaina’s Locket, a permanent item that grants you the ability to open a portal to Dalaran for your party members, with a cooldown period of 1 hour.
Another One of WoW WotLK Classic Shadowmourne
Arthas’ Training Sword: Consign this item to Muradin Bronzebeard to conclude the quest “Muradin’s Lament,” rewarding you with Muradin’s Favor, a permanent item that enables you to visually transform into a Frost Dwarf for 10 minutes, subject to a cooldown of 1 hour.
Badge of the Silver Hand: Hand over this item to Uther the Lightbringer to complete the quest “The Lightbringer’s Redemption,” granting you the Tabard of the Lightbringer, an exceptional tabard endowed with an effect that transforms your character into the sun for 5 minutes, with a cooldown of 30 minutes.
Blood of Sylvanas: Deliver this item to Lady Sylvanas Windrunner to finalize the quest “Sylvanas’ Vengeance,” rewarding you with Sylvanas’s Music Box, a permanent item that summons 2 banshees to perform the iconic song “Lament of the Lighborne,” sung by Sylvanas herself.
Congratulations on your epic odyssey in the pursuit of Shadowmourne and the prestigious rewards it ushers. Conquering the Lich King with this legendary weapon in your grasp is an accomplishment worthy of celebration. We trust that this guide has furnished you with comprehensive insights and guidance on your journey to becoming a legendary hero in WoW WotLK Classic. Best of luck, and may the shadows illuminate your path!
