Are you ready to dive deep into the fiery heart of Blackrock Mountain and conquer one of Classic WoW's most iconic and rewarding instances? Upper Blackrock Spire, or UBRS, is not just a dungeon; it's a rite of passage, a place where legends are forged and epic gear is earned. But getting there isn't as simple as walking through a door. It requires dedication, a bit of questing, and a keen understanding of the sprawling Blackrock Spire itself. Let's embark on this adventure together!
How to Get to Upper Blackrock Spire in WoW Classic: A Comprehensive Guide
Upper Blackrock Spire (UBRS) is a challenging 10-player raid dungeon (though it can be tackled by well-geared 5-man groups for certain parts) located within the larger Blackrock Spire instance. It's renowned for its valuable pre-raid BiS gear, as well as being a crucial step for attunements to other major Classic raids like Onyxia's Lair and Molten Core.
Step 1: Understanding Blackrock Mountain and its Dungeons
Before we even think about UBRS, you need to understand the geography of Blackrock Mountain. This massive, volcanic zone houses several important instances:
- Blackrock Depths (BRD): A massive 5-player dungeon, and the entrance to Molten Core.
- Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS): A 5-player dungeon, and the gateway to UBRS.
- Upper Blackrock Spire (UBRS): The 10-player raid we're aiming for!
- Blackwing Lair (BWL): A 40-player raid, also accessed from within Blackrock Spire.
To get to UBRS, you must first enter Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS). Think of LBRS as the antechamber to UBRS.
How to Reach Blackrock Mountain
Blackrock Mountain can be accessed from two primary zones:
- Burning Steppes: Head to the southeastern part of the zone.
- Searing Gorge: Head to the northern part of the zone.
Once inside Blackrock Mountain, you'll see a central chain bridge system. This is your main artery for navigating the various entrances.
Step 2: The Crucial UBRS Attunement Questline: "Seal of Ascension"
Unlike LBRS, UBRS requires an attunement, meaning you need a specific item to open its locked door. This item is the Seal of Ascension, and obtaining it involves a lengthy and often challenging quest chain.
Sub-heading: Starting the "Seal of Ascension" Quest
The first step in this epic quest chain is to acquire an Unadorned Seal of Ascension. This item has a small chance to drop from most enemies inside Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS). You can also sometimes find it on the Auction House, but be prepared for a hefty price tag!
Once you have the Unadorned Seal of Ascension, you need to find Vaelan within LBRS.
- Locating Vaelan:
- Enter Lower Blackrock Spire.
- Go up the stairs to the right.
- Fall down the ledge leading southeast.
- Enter the gate to your east.
- Continue through "Hordemar City" (a section of LBRS) until you see a stony ramp leading upward to your left, just after the first pack of mobs near a sconce.
- Vaelan is disguised as a Scarshield Infiltrator. You'll need to walk up to him for him to reveal his true form as a friendly quest NPC. He'll be crouching on an edge after climbing this stone ramp.
Vaelan will offer you the quest “Seal of Ascension”. Accept it!
Sub-heading: Gathering the Gemstones
To complete the first part of Vaelan's quest, you'll need to collect four specific items:
- Unadorned Seal of Ascension: (Which you should already have to start the quest!)
- Gemstone of Spirestone: Drops from Highlord Omokk in LBRS.
- Gemstone of Smolderthorn: Drops from War Master Voone in LBRS.
- Gemstone of Bloodaxe: Drops from Overlord Wyrmthalak in LBRS (the final boss of LBRS).
Each of these gemstones has about a 1-in-5 chance to drop, so be prepared to run LBRS multiple times if necessary. You can collect these pieces before picking up the quest to save some time.
Once you have all four items, return to Vaelan in LBRS.
Sub-heading: Taming Emberstrife
After giving Vaelan the gemstones and the Unadorned Seal, he will direct you to a new quest that takes you outside of Blackrock Spire, to Dustwallow Marsh.
- Your Target: The elite dragon Emberstrife.
- Locating Emberstrife: Emberstrife is found in a cave in the southern part of Dustwallow Marsh, often near the area associated with Onyxia's Lair attunement.
- The Task: You do not kill Emberstrife. Instead, you need to weaken it (get its health down to around 10-20%) and then use a special item provided by Vaelan: the Orb of Dragonic Energy. This orb will force Emberstrife to create the Forged Seal of Ascension. This can be a tricky fight, so bring friends!
Sub-heading: Forging the Seal and Final Delivery
With the Forged Seal of Ascension in hand, your journey is almost complete.
- Return to LBRS and find Vaelan one last time.
- Hand him the Forged Seal of Ascension.
Completing this final step will reward you with the Seal of Ascension ring! This ring not only grants some useful resistances (+10 Fire, Frost, and Nature Resistance), but most importantly, it acts as your key to Upper Blackrock Spire.
Step 3: Entering Upper Blackrock Spire
Now that you possess the magnificent Seal of Ascension, you're ready to breach the upper reaches of the Spire!
- Go back into Lower Blackrock Spire.
- From the main entrance, head up the left side of the first set of stairs.
- Turn left again at the top.
- You will see a large, locked door.
To open this door, you must have the Seal of Ascension equipped. Simply right-clicking the door while wearing the ring will unlock it for your party. Once inside UBRS, you can freely remove the ring and put your regular gear back on. The attunement is for entry, not for the duration of the run.
Step 4: Assembling Your Raid Group (10-Man)
While some parts of UBRS can be done with a strong 5-man group, it is intended for a 10-player raid group in Classic WoW. This means forming a proper raid!
- Ideal Group Composition: A balanced group typically includes 2-3 tanks (Warrior, Feral Druid), 3-4 healers (Priest, Paladin, Druid, Shaman), and the rest as DPS (Mage, Warlock, Hunter, Rogue, Warrior, etc.).
- Communication is Key: UBRS has several challenging encounters, so clear communication via voice chat (Discord, Ventrilo, Teamspeak) is highly recommended.
- Buffs and Consumables: Don't forget your world buffs, elixirs, potions, and food! UBRS can be a long and arduous instance.
Step 5: Navigating UBRS and Conquering its Bosses
UBRS is a linear dungeon with several distinct sections and memorable boss encounters. Be prepared for:
- Warchief Rend Blackhand: A two-phase fight where you defeat his mount, Gyth, first, and then Rend himself. This fight is famous for its role in the Onyxia attunement for Horde players and also involves summoning Vaelastrasz using your Seal of Ascension.
- The Beast: A massive core hound that hits hard and requires good tanking and healing.
- General Drakkisath: The final boss of UBRS, known for his formidable abilities and serving as the culmination of the UBRS dungeon.
Remember that each boss has specific mechanics and strategies that your group will need to learn and execute. Don't be afraid to wipe and learn from your mistakes!
Frequently Asked Questions about Upper Blackrock Spire Classic
Here are 10 common questions about UBRS, with quick answers:
How to find the Unadorned Seal of Ascension? It drops randomly from mobs inside Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS), with a low chance, or can be bought on the Auction House.
How to start the Seal of Ascension quest? Once you have the Unadorned Seal of Ascension, find Vaelan disguised as a Scarshield Infiltrator within LBRS (follow the specific path outlined in Step 2).
How to get the Gemstones for the UBRS key? The three gemstones (Spirestone, Smolderthorn, and Bloodaxe) drop from specific bosses in Lower Blackrock Spire: Highlord Omokk, War Master Voone, and Overlord Wyrmthalak, respectively.
How to defeat Emberstrife for the attunement? You don't kill Emberstrife; you weaken it to low health (around 10-20%) and then use the Orb of Dragonic Energy provided by Vaelan to force it to forge the Seal.
How to use the Seal of Ascension to enter UBRS? Equip the Seal of Ascension ring and right-click on the locked door within Lower Blackrock Spire (up the left stairs, then left again).
How to get to Blackrock Mountain? You can enter Blackrock Mountain from the southeastern part of Burning Steppes or the northern part of Searing Gorge.
How to get to Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS)? LBRS is the initial instance you zone into when entering the Blackrock Spire portal in Blackrock Mountain.
How to assemble a UBRS raid group? UBRS is designed for a 10-player raid group, so use the in-game LookingForGroup channel or guild chat to find tanks, healers, and DPS.
How to know if my character is ready for UBRS? Your character should ideally be level 58-60 with decent pre-raid dungeon gear, fully enchanted, and have appropriate consumables.
How to exit UBRS after completion? After defeating General Drakkisath, you can exit the instance by walking back the way you came or by using your Hearthstone.
