Due to a leak, it is now known that TBC Classic is coming, the first expansion of WoW Classic. The 14-year-old game features not only new races and dungeons but also the best raid of all time – says MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus.
What kind of raid is this? It concerns Karazhan, the Tower of the Guardian. Here resides the wizard Medivh and his apprentice Khadgar – or rather, they used to, until Medivh was possessed by a dark power.
The tower is located in the Deadwind Pass and is a raid for ten players. The story of Karazhan and Medivh has already been explored in books and stories, and the raid itself returned as a mythic dungeon in Legion.
When is TBC Classic coming out? So far, only a leak has revealed that TBC Classic is coming. This announcement was actually supposed to be made at BlizzCon 2021 but was leaked ahead of time.
We might learn more about the release on the evening of the convention. In our ticker on MeinMMO, we will catch all announcements and news from BlizzCon 2021 for you.
Although Karazhan only made it to 2nd place in the poll for the best raid in WoW, it is still my absolute favorite raid to this day.
TBC Classic – Bosses make Karazhan the best raid of all time
Karazhan was the first raid I really saw – unfortunately, I was a bit too late to join during Classic. I used to raid Karazhan even when I didn’t need anything from it anymore and fell completely in love with the instance.
The raid is not only one of the first in TBC, but also one of the largest overall in WoW. It offers 11 boss encounters, 15 different bosses, and a secret boss. Many of the gameplay mechanics are absolutely unique or have shaped the game:
- The opera event and the cellar have a weekly rotation with different encounters.
- In the raid itself, you will find an NPC who can repair items for you.
- The chess event is not a boss per se but a chess game that your group must win.
- A secret boss is only available if a quest chain has been completed beforehand.
- With the legendary staff Ati’esh, good Classic players can teleport directly to Karazhan.
Due to its sheer size, one can spend hours in the instance, and it still doesn’t get boring. Even today, Karazhan is still popular among collectors who want to obtain the mount from Attumen, the first boss of the instance.
Blizzard did everything right with Karazhan back then, bringing qualities that I miss in raids today: the instance is large, there’s much to discover aside from the fights, and the boss encounters are still interestingly designed.
Many mechanics, especially in BfA and at the end of Legion, often felt boring. Furthermore, the Tower of the Guardian has an unparalleled background story.
A story like no other
There is a lot of lore behind Karazhan, some of which is detailed in the book “The Last Guardian” by Jeff Grubb. The last owner, Medivh, is ultimately the reason why the Orcs and thus the Horde came to Azeroth in the first place. This can be replayed in the Caverns of Time.
In Karazhan, you can learn more about the demons that possessed Medivh and what happened to his staff and relatives. The loyal servant Moroes, for example, continues to diligently take care of his duties even after his death, and Medivh’s father, Nielas Aran, expresses his inability to stop his son’s corruption.
The entire atmosphere in Karazhan is something that distinguishes the raid. No other dungeon or raid has since managed to convey the feeling of a baroque castle so well – from the visuals to the musical accompaniment. The new raid Castle Nathria from Shadowlands comes closest to this.
Frankly, I don’t care what else TBC brings. Karazhan is the only content I absolutely want to play again. While I will also visit other raids, the Tower of the Guardian will be my absolute highlight. What are you looking forward to most with TBC Classic?
By the way, the servers of WoW Classic will be automatically updated to The Burning Crusade. Those who want to continue playing Classic will have to switch servers.
