Halls of Valor Dungeon Guide

Halls of Valor is a Legion dungeon that became part of the Mythic Plus roster for WoW Dragonflight’s first season. While it stood among the longest dungeons in its original expansion, the new version has been streamlined to let parties clear it a little quicker. It is also arguably slightly easier than its basic version was on release. Although it has been tuned to pose a suitable level of challenge for this mode, the core mechanics have been left essentially unchanged. Newcomers and veterans who want to refresh their memories should read this guide to learn how to get through this instance without delays.

Dungeon Overview and Special Mechanics

The entry point for the Halls of Valor can be found in eastern Stormheim (Broken Isles). Heroes belonging to both factions can reach it easily enough from the Valdisdell flight point. Five bosses must be fought in separate encounters: Hymdall, Hyrja, Fenryr, God-King Skovald, and Odyn. There are three maps in this dungeon: the main area that connects the other two, the Fields of the Eternal Hunt where Fenryr roams, and the Hall of Glory where the two final encounters can be found. After vanquishing Hymdall, players can decide whether to fight Hyrja or Fenryr first. This article assumes that Hyrja is fought first for higher efficiency.

Two special mechanics are also worth noting. Beating either Hyrja or Fenryr grants the party a permanent 75% bonus to movement speed that remains active whether they are fighting or not. After the second boss from this pair is defeated, the bonus is doubled, letting the characters go faster on foot than they would on a mount. It lasts until the end of the dungeon and is one reason for fighting Fenryr last - his arena is larger, and the updated buff lets heroes leave it quicker. There are also four Mugs of Mead found in the main hall between Hyrja and Fenryr. They may be employed to either befriend some inferior mobs, saving players from having to face them in battle, or to engage several mini-bosses at once, as detailed in the last Mobs section of our article.

Mobs before Hymdall

Heroes enter the dungeon in the far north of the main area and must advance along a linear path until they reach the first boss. There is a small group of enemies in the way, consisting of Valarjar Champions, Thundercallers, and a Storm Drake. Experienced parties can take on all those mobs at once, but others might prefer to engage the five Valarjar in the front before the ones with the Drake. Champions pack a punch and start to regenerate quickly once brought below 30% for the first time. Tanks should be careful not to get swarmed by them before they can be killed. Thundercallers cast two spells, one of which hits every hero near the random target. Interrupting them is essential. The Drake has a frontal cone breath attack and spawns a damaging vortex, both of which can be sidestepped.

Hymdall Boss Fight Tips

Hymdall focuses on taking down individual opponents with his Bloodletting Sweep, which inflicts significant immediate harm along with a formidable bleed effect that can easily overwhelm unwary tanks. He can also launch a Dancing Blade at a random victim. On impact, this weapon starts to spin, cutting every adventurer in its vicinity. Lastly, his Horn of Valor damages all heroes and summons Storm Drakes. Their enhanced Static Field breath keeps harming everyone in the zone where it was first deployed. It also produces Ball Lightning - whirlwind-like effects that move beyond the field and strike every hero they encounter.

All told, this is a fairly straightforward encounter, at least unless the hazards created in its course are given the chance to run out of control:

• Whoever is targetted by the Dancing Blade should promptly reposition after the blade is thrown, as should all other heroes in their vicinity;
• Tanks and healers must work together to keep the former on their feet, mitigating damage before and providing healing after the Bloodletting Sweep has been activated;
• Everyone in the party must keep an eye on the summoned drakes to avoid being blindsided by their abilities. Once the horn has been blown, the tank should lead the boss away from his summons to minimize the likelihood of their abilities interfering in the main fight;
• Due to summons and other lasting hazards, this boss should be taken down as fast as possible before it becomes too hard to navigate the battlefield safely. The heroes should activate their offensive-boosting abilities when the encounter commences and concentrate on bringing him low fast. 

Mobs before the Hearth of Revelry

Before they can go after either Hyrja or Fenryr, the heroes must reach and cross the central hall, also known as the Hearth. One of the biggest problems they can encounter while traveling there is a Stormforged Sentinel. One patrols the landing before the two stairways directly after the previous encounter, another patrols the hall, and two more stand watch near the way to the final area. Sentinel abilities include a powerful area-of-effect attack and knockback, a line that deals damage to nearby enemies, and a shield that activates at 30% health. However, their most dangerous feature is an aura that shields all nearby Valarjar from stun and interrupt effects. Pulling them together with any group of casters results in a much harder and more frustrating encounter.

Other enemies in and near the Hearth include Champions, Thundercallers, Runecarvers, Mystics and Marksmen. Runecarvers can strike random targets and inflict damage over time with their Shadow spells. Mystics use group heal powers and stationary healing runes. While the former is a top priority for interruptions in any fight where Mystics are involved, the latter can actually heal adventurers as well. They just need to make sure the enemies do not stand on the rune. Marksmen snipe random heroes, fire arrows in a frontal cone, and jump out of melee to give themselves damage reduction (and potentially hide behind other packs). Fortunately, there is no need to take on all those enemies in one go, and many of them may be avoided entirely.

The safest approach is to avoid the Sentinels for now, sneaking past the patrollers to defeat the other mobs. They can also be killed one by one. Although this is less efficient, doing so will keep them out of the way in case any party members are forced to respawn. Where the paths branch, the party can take either stairway while the Sentinel is at the other side, ignoring the mobs on the other route and just taking the ones on the way. Another pack waits where the stairs reconverge and cannot be avoided. The six enemies in the closest part of the main hall should be lured into a corner by the stairs while the hall’s Sentinel is patrolling elsewhere. There, the party can kill them safely, making sure to interrupt casters.

Mobs before Hyrja

Reaching Hyrja will require the adventurers to head southeast from the Hearth. They should time their movements to avoid the Sentinel’s route and hug the northern wall to keep most Valarjar in this region  out of combat. There is one more group that the party must defeat while still within the Hearth. It includes the first of several Shieldmaidens that show up on the route. Her attacks come with dangerous debuffs: a single-target attack giving stacks that weaken armor and a conical sweep that limits the victims’ benefits from healing. Tanks are likely to be main targets, and so must take special care to sidestep the latter while managing the former.

Having cleared away this group, the party can leave the hall and no longer have to worry about the Sentinel until they come back. The way to Hyrja’s domain in this instance is guarded by four more Shieldmaidens and a Purifier. Those enemies should be maneuvered to let the party fight them all in one place, making the most of various cleave abilities. The Purifier has a Holy fire channel that hits every hero near the target, but it is easy enough to interrupt. Inside the Seat, the party will need to beat two more Shieldmaidens and an Aspirant, who has a powerful frontal beam and a jump followed by area-of-effect damage. The latter might be aimed at any hero, so healers must ensure that everyone is in shape to withstand it.

Finally, drawing out Hyrja herself requires defeating a couple of mini-bosses. It would be less risky to tackle them individually, but confident players can face both at once. Each has strong powers that are inherited by the actual boss. Solsten has Eye of the Storm, which strikes everyone outside a small shielded area, and Arcing Bolt, which jumps between nearby targets. As a result, the heroes will have to stand close together during storms and space out at other times, and to make sure everyone is healed up. Olmyr the Enlightened is a less challenging opponent. He issues forth spheres of sacred energy with Sanctify and strikes individual targets with Searing Light. The former can be sidestepped, the latter must be stopped.

Hyrja Boss Fight Tips

Hyrja’s powers are largely determined by her position in the chamber. When she stands near Solsten, she gains Mystic Empowerment: Thunder, which gives her his abilities. Near Olmyr’s position, she benefits from Mystic Empowerment: Holy, Sanctify, and Expel Light (which makes a random hero shoot Holy damage at every nearby adventurer, and bounces to another target when it expires). She can have both effects active at once if positioned directly between them. Every four seconds that she spends with one Mystic Empowerment effect make the related abilities receive stacking buffs. Regardless of her location, she also has access to Shield of Light, a targetted burst that knocks all enemies in a line back and burns them with Holy power.

Fighting Hyrja requires a lot of movement and paying close attention to her powers:

• Hyrja’s positioning is the tank’s responsibility. She should be forced to keep moving between the two corners of the area, preventing her powers from getting too strong. Leaving her in a position to use both is the worst possible scenario, which must be prevented at all costs;
• It may be wise to initiate the confrontation near Solsten, making the start more predictable and giving the heroes a chance to get to the safe zone quickly;
• Whenever the boss receives Mystic Empowerment: Thunder, the same considerations mentioned for the fight with Solsten apply. Heroes should spread out whenever the storm is not active, but they must be prepared to gather again. Mass healing abilities are best used when the Eye of the Storm is being cast;
• Everyone must be prepared to dodge the Shield of Light whenever it comes up;
• Expel Light must be mitigated promptly. Healers should make sure the hero who has it is healthy. The hero in question would do well to make space between themselves and the others, and to activate any defensive abilities they may possess. Any potential bounce targets must also be topped up;
• Sanctify orbs are extra powerful. When they are launched, avoiding them should be the top priority, even if it costs opportunities to deal damage.

Mobs before Fenryr

Once Hyrja has been dealt with, the party must head back to the Hearth. It should again stick close to the northern wall and sneak past the Sentinel and other foes standing or moving nearby. There is one pack near the western end of this area that will be impossible to evade. While fighting it, players should take care to prevent the Marksman from escaping to another pack, and otherwise drawing in more foes. Once those enemies have been downed, the heroes can proceed to the Fields of the Eternal Hurt. Many different varieties of foes await there, but most of them could and should be avoided for the sake of speed. Fenryr might be in the northwestern camp or the southeastern bear den. Players should keep an eye out for footprints leading in either direction to determine their path.

By sticking near the hills on their left, the party can sneak around the drake and the Gildedfur Stags. The latter are not hostile by default, but their bleed-inducing rushes and headbutts are very dangerous if they are attacked. Depending on where the footprints lead, the heroes should go after the Angerhoof Bulls (nearer to the camp) or the Steeljaw Grizzlies (closer to the den). The bulls deal somewhat more damage, buff their own attack speed and strength, and can stomp the ground, harming nearby enemies and throwing them into the air. Meanwhile, the bears carry out charges that slow down their victims and can strip away armor.

The den is not far behind the bears, while reaching the camp efficiently calls for the heroes to creep along the central lake. Either way, they should evade the Marksmen and Trappers whose stunning traps might delay them otherwise. After the heroes join battle with Fenryr and get his health below 60%, he will flee to his own den in the southwest, forcing them to tear through Emberclaw Worgs as they pursue him to finish the encounter. Worgs receive stacking damage buffs when near other worgs, so players should take care to fight no more than four at a time. They also have an area-of-effect jump with a random target that everyone must be prepared to counter.

Fenryr Boss Fight Tips

Fenryr’s skillset is mostly identical no matter where the heroes hunt him. The only confirmed difference is the effect of his Unnerving Howl, which always interrupts all spellcasting, but also calls in three Ebonclaw Packmates (stronger worgs) when Fenryr is below 60% health. The boss also benefits from the pack buff. His Claw Frenzy attack hits all nearby heroes, distributing the pain between them. Ravenous Leap lets him jump at a succession of random targets, stacking bleed effects on all heroes nearby on top of damage. Occasionally, he catches Scent of Blood, which makes him chase after one random non-tank adventurer, targeting them exclusively with both Claw Frenzy and Ravenous Leap.

No one is safe from this predator, but different tricks can reduce the harm he does:

• Stick close to Fenryr on most occasions in order to spread the effect of Claw Frenzy as thinly as possible;
• Conversely, the whole party should scatter when any character is targetted for Ravenous Leap. If that is not done, there is a risk of characters accumulating bleed effects from several consecutive leaps;
• Kill the other worgs as quickly as they appear to deny Fenryr their buffs. The tank should position them closely to their leader, exposing the whole pack to cleaving attacks;
• Hold back on spells when Unnerving Howl is about to hit;
• Healers have to make sure everyone is ready to become the next target, topping up heroes after Claw Frenzy and providing mass healing during the Ravenous Leap to cancel out the bleeding;
• Scent of Blood may be reset by abilities that let the targetted character leave combat, like Feign Death. Otherwise, the only way out is to run until the effect ends. The targetted hero should deploy all available mitigation and speed boosting powers at this time.

Mobs before God-King Skovald and Odyn

Now that both Hyrja and Fenryr are down for the count, the champions will receive the full version of their movement bonus. This buff should immediately be put to work by running back to the main map, avoiding all combat on the way. When they reach the hall, the heroes can pull all Sentinels (assuming they were untouched until then). Fighting them without letting other mobs interfere is fairly easy, since they will lack healer support and their aura will be of little consequence. Furthermore, their area strikes are trivial to avoid with the speed buff. By fighting them together, the adventurers can cleave them down and clear the path to the final area.

Heroes will find no ordinary adversaries before the final bosses in the Hall of Glory. Instead, they will need to overcome four mini-bosses. Normally, the first two will need to be activated by speaking with them, with only one available at any moment. Once two of them are down, the remaining mini-bosses will join the fight together. The mini-bosses could be approached in any order. Each possesses a unique skill that is inherited by the others once its owner has been vanquished:

• King Ranulf: Unruly Yell, immediate harm plus spellcasting interruption on all heroes;
• King Haldor: Sever, a single-target attack that adds a stacking debuff making the hero take more Physical damage (which is dealt by all the kings);
• King Bjorn: Wicked Dagger, unavoidable harm and a healing debuff on a random hero;
• King Tor: Call Ancestor, summons a spectre who can restore 50% health upon touching the summoner.

Most recommend the order given above for activating and fighting those mini-bosses. Above all else, Tor needs to be the last to fall, keeping the kings’ survivability to a minimum. Additionally, the Mugs of Mead mentioned earlier can be splashed on inactive kings to make them join the fight early. They cannot be targetted directly, but they can be harmed by cleave attacks. The approach can save a lot of time towards the end, although it might prove hazardous to provoke too many kings at once on higher keys. Getting the first two together, at least, should be relatively safe. Apart from blocking Unruly Yell, the rest of this warm-up encounter is relatively straightforward.

God-King Skovald Boss Fight Tips

At the beginning of this encounter, Odyn will let any party member claim the Aegis of Aggramar from the floor. This great shield can be deployed to protect all allies, absorbing full damage output from the front, but rooting the hero in place while it is active. Skovald will sometimes steal it, likewise becoming immune to attacks from the front, but will drop it again a few seconds later. Whenever he steals the Aegis, the tricky foe also creates a Flame of Woe, which pursues a random character until it burns out, leaving behind the fire hazards it spawns along its path.

Apart from that, Skovald can bash the tank with Savage Blade and charge any other adventurer using Felblaze Rush, which harms every hero nearby over several seconds. His deadliest power is Ragnarok, which deals fiery harm to all heroes over several seconds. Each time he casts it, this spell becomes more powerful. Coordination is crucial to success against this boss:

• The tank is usually the most suitable hero to take up the Aegis, since it matches the role well. It should be deployed whenever Ragnarok is active, pointed directly at Skovald, and everyone must scramble to hide behind it;
• Whoever attracts the Flame of Woe should try and lead it away from the other heroes, while keeping it close enough to the boss for cleaving. Care must be taken to keep the fire hazards out of the party members’ path. Just leading the summon away from the action until it dies can work, but is inefficient. Fortunately, crowd control abilities can stop it in its tracks;
• Healers need to concentrate on topping up the victim of Felblaze Rush, as well as anyone who gets caught in the open by Ragnarok. Anyone singled out by the boss should use their own mitigation measures as well. Meanwhile, the tank should try to be self-reliant, given the dangers to others.

Odyn Boss Fight Tips

This encounter has some special rules. Firstly, the heroes only need to get Odyn down to four-fifths of his health to win. Secondly, whenever a hero would normally be killed, they are instead pronounced Unworthy, putting them in a safe place and maing it impossible for them to challenge the boss again until the battle is over. Thirdly, Odyn place a unique Runic Brand on each adventurer every minute. This brand deals damage over a dozen seconds. If the hero moves to the right rune on the floor before the brand expires, it is instantly replaced by a major power and speed buff, and its owner is brought back to full health.

Odyn attacks primarily by throwing Spears of Light, which lash out with Holy energy against everyone in their vicinity on landing and then continue to harm any heroes who come near them. Spears also send out three Glowing Fragments, which hit and stun anyone they encounter while roaming along their paths. The boss can detonate all spears currently in the floor to spawn five more Fragments from each. Occasionally, he will unleash a Radiant Tempest pulse, harming and pushing back all adventurers within 30 yards. Doing so brings forth a Stormforged Obliterator, whose Surge damages the entire party and makes the next Surge come quicker if not interrupted.

Showing one’s value to Odyn requires quick reactions to the evolving battlefield:

• The right rune has the same symbol and color as the debuff icon. Once brands are in play, players should make a beeline for their runes at earliest opportunity and hold on to their strongest powers until they have the buff;
• The Obliterator is the key priority for damage when available. The tank should position it closer to Odyn to enable cleaving. Crowd control powers should be deployed to disrupt the Surge, as it will keep gaining casting speed otherwise and might become dangerous;
• Spears must be given a wide berth. The tank should attempt to lead the boss away from their positions to make it easier for others to stay away from both spears and Fragments. Note that some affixes can make doing so harder by introducing additional hazards;
• Whenever Radiant Tempest comes up, the party should hurry to leave its radius;
• Healers should bear in mind that resurrection is impossible. They should concentrate on healing anyone who runs afoul of Fragments, as stunned victims are most likely to be vulnerable to other abilities. Other than that, the fight can be relatively easy in terms of healing, but they should keep an eye out for mistakes.