Karazhan Background For any of those who are intrested

Hi everybody I wanted to post this information for all those who would like a little more infor regarding Kara as far as background, Mobs, etc... I hope that this info is useful.

Karazhan will most likely be the first raid your guild enters. It’s important not to think of this instance as a 10 man UBRS run, it’s very challenging and takes a great deal of organization to complete.

There are 12 boss encounters and the breakdown is such:

5 Boss encounters will require off tanks (2 optional)
2 Boss encounters will require AoE
1 Boss encounters will require crowd control
2 Boss encounters will have bosses without agro management
4 Boss encounters require heightened awareness from your players.

The challenge factor heavily increases as you move through the dungeon. The first few fights are relatively non-dynamic and have been labeled as gear checks. Progressing through the dungeon the boss encounters require more awareness from your players and can pose problems for lesser groups.

The dungeon is very, very large and has many optional paths. In fact, the majority of the bosses are optional so if a guild were so inclined they could run through a handful of bosses to reach the final boss of the dungeon rather then killing each individual boss. This can make gearing up guilds a little quicker since you can skip the bosses that don’t drop loot for the classes in the raid.

Currently we know that at least two pieces of tier 4 comes out of Karazhan. However we also know that 8 pieces of loot are in the tier 4 set (the models are in the game and you’ve seen the videos of characters with tier 4 boots and belts on). However there are no set bonuses for the other 3 missing pieces in the game. Which leads us to believe that the belt, boots and bracers have not yet been added into the drop tables of the game. It’s a possible assumption that the three harder optional bosses, Nethersprite, Shade of Aran and Illhoof may drop these three pieces of loot when they are added.

The final encounter is a boss called Nightbane (undead dragon) that can only be summoned after defeating Prince Malchezaar. Nightbane is a vastly harder challenge then any of the bosses in the dungeon and though there may be groups that defeated this encounter in beta, I’ve yet to see a video of it. A piece of Tier 5 perhaps (like Ragnaros)? Who knows… what we do know is he has multiple phases, hits like a truck and in addition to being a skill check, he is also a massive gear check. The dynamic of the fight is a blend of Onyxia and Nefarian with AoE fears and undead constructs.

To prepare your guild for the coming onslaught of Karazhan I’ve added some links below. These strategies all work but over time refinements will most likely be made as shamans and paladins frequent each raid group and gear becomes easier to obtain.

Below are links to AmpWoW’s boss strategy section where there is a considerable amount of info on each boss’s strategy, skills and dynamics.

Karazhan Boss Strat Page - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewBCStrats/Karazhan.php

Individual Boss Strats

Attumen - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/15550-Attumen+the+Huntsman.php! default=strat
Wizard of Oz - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/17535-Dorothee.php!default=strat
Maiden of Virtue - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/16457-Maiden+of+Virtue.php! default=strat
Moroes - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/15687-Moroes.php!default=strat
Nethersprite - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/100001-Nethersprite.php!default=strat
Prince - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/15690-Prince+Malchezaar.php! default=strat
Aran - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/16524-Shade+of+Aran.php!default=strat
Illhoof - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/15688-Terestian+Illhoof.php! default=strat
Big Bad Wolf - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/17521-The+Big+Bad+Wolf.php! default=strat
Curator - http://www.ampwow.com/wow/viewNewCreatures/15691-The+Curator.php!default=strat

By. Neggie

Karazhan is located in Deadwind Pass on the sub-continent of the Eastern Kingdoms on Azeroth. Existing long before Medivh inhabited it, it is unknown who originally built Karazhan or who now resides within its walls.

During the first war the tower was inhabited by Medivh, his butler Moroes, his cook Cook and his then-apprentice Khadgar. Garona also resided here as an emissary in the same time of Khadgar's apprenticeship. Sargeras allowed Medivh to freely explore Karazhan. It is said many strange and disturbing visions lurked within the tower, and Moroes was known for wearing blinders to avoid seeing them. Much of the story from this era is presented in the novel The Last Guardian.

Recently, despite Medivh's absence, a new power seems to have made its home in Karazhan. The Black Riders of Deadwind Pass, though rarely seen, have a connection to Karazhan. However, no one knows who their master is. One recent sighting is cause for concern — the Black Riders seek the Scythe of Elune, a powerful artifact with the ability to summon the vile Worgen into this world.

It is believed that all ley lines on Azeroth lead to a location under Karazhan.

Worldofwarcraft.com says the following about Karazhan:

The decrepit tower of Karazhan once housed one of the greatest powers Azeroth has ever known: the sorcerer Medivh. Since his death, a terrible curse has pervaded the tower and the surrounding lands. The spirits of nobles from nearby Darkshire reportedly walk its halls, suffering a fate worse than death for their curiosity. More dangerous spirits wait within Medivh's study, for it was there that he summoned demonic entities to do his bidding. However, the brave and foolish are still relentlessly drawn to Karazhan, tempted by rumors of unspeakable secrets and powerful treasures. Forge a group of ten stalwart heroes, and journey to the tower in Deadwind Pass — but be warned that only those who have achieved level 70 should dare enter.

For a more Detailed look into The Ivory Tower visit http://www.wowwiki.com/Karazhan.