WRITTEN ARTICLE · RAIDS AND REWARDS
WoW Forever Onyxia attunement: the Drakefire Amulet quest chain for Alliance and Horde
How to get the Drakefire Amulet for Onyxia’s Lair in WoW Forever: every Alliance and Horde attunement step from Blizzard’s raid overview, the dungeons involved and what is still unconfirmed.
How do you get attuned to Onyxia’s Lair?
Every player in an Onyxia’s Lair raid must carry the Drakefire Amulet. You earn it through a faction attunement chain that Blizzard published on October 20. Alliance players start in the Burning Steppes and Horde players start in the Badlands. Both chains build to a fight with General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire.
The amulet only needs to be in your bags. Blizzard says it does not need to be equipped. Onyxia’s Lair opens on December 9 for level 60 characters, alongside Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit.
| Detail | Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|---|
| First quest | Dragonkin Menace | Blood and Thunder |
| Quest giver | Helendis Riverhorn in the Burning Steppes | Warlord Goretooth in Kargath, Badlands |
| Dungeons | Blackrock Depths and Upper Blackrock Spire | Lower Blackrock Spire and Upper Blackrock Spire |
| Final quest | Drakefire Amulet | Blood of the Black Dragon Champion |
| Amulet from | Whoever The Dragon’s Eye leads you to, which Blizzard does not name | Rexxar in Desolace |
In this article
Diagram: ForeverWisp Editorial. Not an in-game screenshot.
What is Onyxia’s Lair in WoW Forever?
Onyxia’s Lair is a 40-player raid in Dustwallow Marsh for level 60 characters. Blizzard describes Onyxia as a dragon of the Black Dragonflight and the younger sister of Nefarian, guarding her brood while she manipulates Azeroth’s mortal races.
Her fight has three phases and heavy fire damage. Blizzard tells players to build fire resistance before going in and to be ready to reposition as the fight changes. Like the other two December 9 raids, it is currently planned to reset weekly.
Alliance attunement steps
These are the steps Blizzard lists, in our own words. We have grouped the six True Masters quests into one step.
| Step | Quest | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragonkin Menace | Pick it up from Helendis Riverhorn in the Burning Steppes. |
| 2 | The True Masters (six quests) | Look into the Black Dragonflight’s hold over the Blackrock orcs. The chain ends with Marshal Maxwell at Morgan’s Vigil. |
| 3 | Marshal Windsor | Go into Blackrock Depths to find Marshal Windsor, or proof of what happened to him. |
| 4 | Abandoned Hope | Windsor sends you back to Marshal Maxwell. |
| 5 | A Crumpled Up Note | Loot the note from enemies in Blackrock Depths and take it to Windsor’s cell. |
| 6 | A Shred of Hope | Recover Windsor’s lost information from Golem Lord Argelmach and General Angerforge in Blackrock Depths. |
| 7 | Jail Break! | Help Windsor escape Blackrock Depths, then report to Marshal Maxwell. |
| 8 | Stormwind Rendezvous | Meet Squire Rowe at the Stormwind city gates and speak to him to call Windsor. |
| 9 | The Great Masquerade | Bring allies for this quest in Stormwind. If Windsor is not there, speak to Squire Rowe again. |
| 10 | The Dragon’s Eye | Highlord Bolvar Fordragon sends you across Azeroth to find someone who can help. |
| 11 | Drakefire Amulet | Take the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire and receive the amulet. |
Two gaps in Blizzard’s Alliance steps
Blizzard’s post spells the squire both Rower and Rowe. We use Rowe, the spelling in the later step.
The post also does not name who The Dragon’s Eye sends you to. We have left that blank rather than assume the Classic quest giver still applies in Forever.
Horde attunement steps
These are the steps Blizzard lists, in our own words. We have grouped the four Test of Skulls quests into one step.
| Step | Quest | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood and Thunder | Pick it up from Warlord Goretooth in Kargath, in the Badlands. |
| 2 | Warlord’s Command | Work your way through Lower Blackrock Spire. |
| 3 | Not named by Blizzard | Goretooth sends you to Eitrigg in Orgrimmar, then on to Thrall. |
| 4 | For the Horde! | Go back into Lower Blackrock Spire for Warchief Rend Blackhand’s head and bring it to Thrall. |
| 5 | What the Wind Carries | Hear what Thrall has learned. |
| 6 | The Champion of the Horde | Find Rexxar on the roads of Desolace. |
| 7 | The Testament of Rexxar | Take Rexxar’s testament to Myranda the Hag in the Western Plaguelands. |
| 8 | Oculus Illusions | Collect Black Dragonspawn Eyes for Myranda. |
| 9 | Emberstrife | Use the Amulet of Draconic Subversion to find the ancient drake Emberstrife in Dustwallow Marsh. |
| 10 | The Test of Skulls (four quests) | Bring Emberstrife the skulls of the dragons Scryer, Somnus, Chronalis and Axtroz. |
| 11 | Ascension... | Emberstrife gives you the Dull Drakefire Amulet. Take it to Rexxar in Desolace. |
| 12 | Blood of the Black Dragon Champion | Take the blood from General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire, then return to Rexxar for the Drakefire Amulet. |
Which dungeons and group quests are involved?
Blizzard warns that the attunement includes elite quests and several trips into high-level dungeons, and suggests bringing a few friends. From the steps above, Alliance players need Blackrock Depths and Upper Blackrock Spire. Horde players need two trips into Lower Blackrock Spire and one into Upper Blackrock Spire.
Horde players also face the four dragons Emberstrife names. Blizzard does not say how many players any of these steps need, and its post does not mention keys for any of the dungeons.
How to prepare for the Onyxia attunement
This is our advice, built from Blizzard’s overview. We have not played these quests in Forever.
- Start as early as your level allows. Blizzard recommends starting early, and the raid itself opens on December 9.
- Line up with guildmates who are on the same step. Several steps happen inside dungeons, so doing them together saves repeat runs.
- Alliance players should bring a group for The Great Masquerade in Stormwind, since Blizzard tells you to gather allies for it.
- Collect fire resistance gear and consumables while you work through the chain. Blizzard singles out fire resistance for Onyxia.
- Once you have the Drakefire Amulet, keep it in your bags rather than your bank. Blizzard says it needs to be in your inventory to enter.
Do Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit need an attunement?
Blizzard’s overview lists an attunement only for Onyxia’s Lair. In September, But Why Tho reported that the new raids at launch would not need one, like the entry-level raids of the original game.
Barrow Deeps is a 10-player raid with eight bosses and entrances from Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold. Hyjal Summit is a 20-player raid with 13 bosses near the World Tree Nordrassil.
What is still unconfirmed?
Blizzard has not given a level or a required level for any quest in either chain, or said how many players the elite steps need. It has not said whether any step differs from the Classic version of the chain.
ForeverWisp has not played these quests in Forever, because the beta was capped at level 30. Check Blizzard’s patch notes after launch, since quest details can change before December 9.
Related reading and guides
Sources and review notes
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever Raid Overview, October 20
- But Why Tho: developer interview on class changes and fixed raid difficulty, updated September 15
Written October 21 from Blizzard’s October 20 raid overview. The beta was capped at level 30, so ForeverWisp has not played any of these quests in Forever. Quest and character names follow Blizzard’s post.
