Hey there, champion of Azeroth! Are you ready to dive into the heart of the Iron Horde's war machine? Blackrock Foundry is a truly epic raid from the Warlords of Draenor expansion, offering not only challenging encounters but also fantastic transmog sets, mounts, and a rich piece of Warcraft lore. Whether you're a seasoned veteran looking for a nostalgic run or a new player eager to experience past content, getting to and conquering Blackrock Foundry is an adventure in itself.
Let's get you geared up and ready to smash some Iron Horde orcs!
Your Grand Expedition to the Blackrock Foundry: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Set Your Sights on Draenor!
First things first, Blackrock Foundry is located in Gorgrond, one of the zones on the alternate timeline world of Draenor. If you haven't ventured there before, this is your starting point.
Sub-heading 1.1: Getting to Draenor
- From Stormwind (Alliance) or Orgrimmar (Horde): The easiest way to reach Draenor is by using the portal.
- Alliance: Head to the mage tower in Stormwind. On the top floor, you'll find a portal to Ashran (Stormshield).
- Horde: Head to the main gate area in Orgrimmar. Look for the portal to Ashran (Warspear).
- Alternative for Legion/Shadowlands players: If you've completed the introductory quests for your Garrison in Draenor, you might have a direct portal to your Garrison from your capital city. This will also get you to Draenor, and you can then fly to Gorgrond.
Step 2: Navigating Gorgrond and Finding the Foundry Entrance
Once you're in Draenor, specifically Ashran, you'll need to travel to Gorgrond.
Sub-heading 2.1: Travel to Gorgrond
- Flight Path: If you've already unlocked flight paths in Draenor, simply open your map (M) and look for a flight master. The closest flight path to Blackrock Foundry in Gorgrond is generally Arcanist Windlebop, which is located between Everbloom Wilds and Highpass. This is highly recommended for quick travel.
- Ground Mount: If you don't have the flight path, you'll need to travel by ground mount.
- From Warspear/Stormshield, head north into Gorgrond.
- The entrance to Blackrock Foundry is situated in northern Gorgrond.
- You're aiming for coordinates 51.4, 28.7 on your map. You can use an addon like TomTom or simply observe the map as you travel.
Sub-heading 2.2: Locating the Massive Entrance
As you approach the coordinates, you'll see a massive, imposing industrial gate built right into the mountainside. This is it! It looks exactly like what you'd expect a huge orcish foundry to be. It's hard to miss once you're in the right area.
Step 3: Stepping Inside and Preparing for the Forges
You've made it to the entrance! Now, it's time to venture into the foundry itself.
Sub-heading 3.1: Entering the Instance
- Raid Entrance: Walk up to the large gate. You'll see the green "eye" of the raid portal. Click on it to enter Blackrock Foundry.
- Difficulty Selection: When you enter, you'll be prompted to select a difficulty. Blackrock Foundry offers:
- Raid Finder (LFR): Easier difficulty, often broken into wings. Good for a quick run or lore experience.
- Normal: Standard difficulty, designed for 10-30 players (flex system).
- Heroic: Increased difficulty, also 10-30 players (flex system).
- Mythic: The hardest difficulty, designed for a fixed 20-player group. This is where you'll find the highest item level gear and, notably, the Ironhoof Destroyer mount from Blackhand if you're lucky!
Sub-heading 3.2: Soloing vs. Grouping
- Soloing: At higher levels (currently level 70 in Dragonflight), Blackrock Foundry on Normal, Heroic, and even Mythic can be comfortably soloed by most classes and specs. You'll vastly out-gear the content. This is great for transmog farming or just experiencing the raid at your own pace.
- Grouping: If you're looking for the original raid experience, achievements, or just want to clear it faster, consider forming a group with friends or using the Group Finder tool for "Legacy Raids."
Sub-heading 3.3: Essential Preparations (Especially for Soloing)
Even though you'll be powerful, a little preparation goes a long way:
- Repair Mount/Repair Bots: Blackrock Foundry is quite isolated, and there are no repair vendors inside. A repair mount (like the Traveler's Tundra Mammoth or Grand Expedition Yak) is incredibly useful to avoid hearthstoning out for repairs. Alternatively, Engineer's Jeeves or other repair bots work.
- Potions and Flasks: While not strictly necessary for soloing on easier difficulties, having a few health potions or utility flasks can always be helpful for an unexpected bind.
- Clear Inventory Space: You'll be picking up a lot of transmog gear, so make sure you have plenty of room in your bags!
Step 4: Conquering the Wings of the Foundry
Blackrock Foundry is divided into four distinct wings, each with its own set of bosses. The first three wings can be tackled in any order before the final wing unlocks.
Sub-heading 4.1: The Slagworks
This fiery, molten area houses the initial bosses.
- Gruul: A straightforward tank-and-spank. Just avoid his ground abilities.
- Oregorger: This fight involves him rolling around the room. Stay out of his path! Destroy crates to create safe zones.
- Blast Furnace: This is probably the most mechanically involved fight for solo players. You'll need to manage bombs, destroy bellows, and deal with adds before the main boss, the Heart of the Mountain, becomes targetable. Pay attention to the mechanics, even solo.
Sub-heading 4.2: The Black Forge
A massive anvil chamber with tricky environmental hazards.
- Hans'gar and Franzok: These twin ogres fight on a series of conveyor belts with stamping presses. Always be aware of the yellow telegraphs on the ground indicating where the presses will fall. Movement is key here.
- Flamebender Ka'graz: A fiery shaman with elemental adds. Focus her down while managing the adds and avoiding fire.
- Kromog: This stationary giant is similar to Kologarn from Ulduar. He'll periodically grab players in his hands; if solo, you'll usually break free quickly. Avoid his ground slams.
Sub-heading 4.3: Iron Assembly
A mechanized war factory filled with trains and artillery.
- Beastlord Darmac: Darmac rides various beasts, each with different abilities. You'll fight him and his beasts sequentially.
- Operator Thogar: This is a memorable fight due to the trains constantly coming through the arena. You'll need to move into safe zones between tracks and deal with adds that disembark. Prioritize dodging the trains!
- Iron Maidens: A trio of powerful female orc commanders. This fight can be a bit more intense due to their combined abilities. Focus them down one by one if solo.
Sub-heading 4.4: Blackhand's Crucible
The final crucible where the Warlord himself awaits.
- Blackhand: The final boss of Blackrock Foundry is a multi-phase encounter. In solo, you'll often blow through phases quickly, but be mindful of his abilities like Slag Bombs and Shattering Smash. He'll also cause the floor to break away, dropping you to lower levels of the crucible. Keep the pressure on!
Step 5: Reaping Your Rewards!
Congratulations, you've conquered Blackrock Foundry! Now for the sweet, sweet loot.
Sub-heading 5.1: Transmogrification Gear
Blackrock Foundry offers the full Tier 17 armor sets, known for their brutal, industrial, and orcish aesthetic. Each difficulty (LFR, Normal, Heroic, Mythic) has a unique color scheme:
- Mythic: Dark purple/black with metallic silver accents.
- Heroic: Dominantly red with gold accents.
- Normal: Purple with teal/blue accents.
- Raid Finder: A lighter, often more muted version of the Normal set. Collect pieces from different difficulties to mix and match for truly unique looks! Don't forget the various weapons, cloaks, rings, trinkets, and necklaces that also drop.
Sub-heading 5.2: The Ironhoof Destroyer Mount
- For mount collectors, the Ironhoof Destroyer mount has a low chance to drop from Mythic Blackhand. This mount is a highly sought-after armored gronnling. Be prepared for multiple runs if this is your goal!
Sub-heading 5.3: Achievements
There are numerous achievements tied to Blackrock Foundry, including meta-achievements like "Glory of the Draenor Raider" which rewards the Gorestrider Gronnling mount. Many individual boss achievements also exist for those who enjoy the challenge.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to get to Blackrock Foundry from Stormwind?
- Use the portal to Ashran (Stormshield) in the Stormwind Mage Tower, then fly or ride north to Gorgrond to coordinates 51.4, 28.7.
How to solo Blackrock Foundry?
- At level 70 with decent gear, you can comfortably solo Blackrock Foundry on all difficulties. Just walk in and begin the encounters.
How to skip bosses in Blackrock Foundry?
- While there isn't a direct "skip" for all bosses, once you've cleared the raid once on a given difficulty, you can extend your lockout to re-fight specific bosses. There was also a questline (
Sigil of the Black Hand) that allowed direct access to Blackhand after completing it multiple times, though this is primarily for older content progression. For transmog farming, you generally clear the entire instance.
How to get the Ironhoof Destroyer mount from Blackrock Foundry?
- The Ironhoof Destroyer has a small chance to drop from Warlord Blackhand on Mythic difficulty in Blackrock Foundry.
How to find the Blackrock Foundry entrance coordinates?
- The entrance is located in northern Gorgrond at coordinates 51.4, 28.7.
How to get Tier 17 transmog sets from Blackrock Foundry?
- Defeat bosses on any difficulty of Blackrock Foundry. Different difficulties drop different color variations of the Tier 17 armor sets.
How to find a Blackrock Foundry raid group?
- Use the in-game Group Finder tool (I key by default) and search under "Legacy Raids" for Blackrock Foundry groups, or create your own.
How to check my Blackrock Foundry lockout?
- Open your social panel (O key by default), go to the "Raid" tab, and then click "Raid Info" to see your current raid lockouts.
How to complete the Blast Furnace encounter solo in Blackrock Foundry?
- Focus on destroying the bellows by picking up bombs dropped by Furnace Engineers and throwing them. Then, destroy the elemental shields by killing Slag Elementals near Primal Elementalists. Finally, the Heart of the Mountain becomes attackable.
How to deal with the trains in Operator Thogar's fight in Blackrock Foundry?
- Watch for the train tracks and the visual cues (lights on the tracks, sounds). Move into the lanes between the tracks where there are no trains coming.
