What Does Phase Two Include?

Burning Crusade Classic was a hotly anticipated chance to relive this celebrated WoW expansion’s glory days. Its launch earlier this year was a major hit. However, just as in the original version of the expansion and vanilla World of Warcraft, not all the features were around from the start. Numerous raids, factions, and more remained to be added later. In the lead-up to the release, Blizzard released a schedule detailing the phases for content release. On September 15, TBC Classic entered Phase Two. Read on to learn about everything that was added at this stage.

Raid Progression

The new raids were probably the most hotly anticipated part of this phase. Players could now take on Kael’thas Sunstrider and three other bosses in The Eye raid in Tempest Keep. Additionally, they can fight Lady Vashj and five other bosses in Serpentshrine Cavern at the end of Coilfang Reservoir. Both instances are iconic parts of TBC experience and mark a transition from 10-player to 25-player raids. They represent a gearing opportunity for the item level range of 128 to 141. Each of the bosses drops two Tier 5 gear tokens. Defeating Kael’thas also gives a slim but tempting chance to get the Ashes of Al’ar required to summon a very fast phoenix mount.

With the release of Phase Two raids, earlier instances are no longer on the cutting edge. Phase One raids like Gruul’s Lair have been nerfed. As in the original expansion, their bosses and other enemies have been weakened considerably. That should help players who have struggled with them earlier catch up. So will the older raid bosses starting to drop two Tier 4 gear tokens instead of one each upon dying. It will also make the time-consuming attunement tasks for the newer raids a little easier.

Faction Dailies

Two more factions are now available: Ogri’la and Sha’tari Skyguard. Both offer daily quests and regular questlines that may be used to improve reputations with them. The latter also reward killing certain mobs in Skettis and elsewhere in Terokkar Forest with further boosts to the adventurer’s reputation. While the Ogri’la ogres do offer some interesting consumables, the Skyguard is by far the more popular of the two groups. After all, getting into good standing with them allows players to claim the unique Nether Ray flying mounts.

Arena Season Two

On September 14, the Arena entered Season Two with the regional weekly reset. All unspent Arena Points from the previous Season have been converted to Honor Points at the rate of one to ten. Notably, Honor Points were not reset. PvP fans could once again strive for high rank and the seasonal Gladiator title. The Merciless Gladiator will bring with it the Merciless Nether Drake mount. PvP gear has been updated as well. Honor Points can be used to buy items from the Veteran’s Sets. Arena Points purchase class-specific Merciless Set items. Finally, Phase One TBC factions from Thrallmar and Honor Hold to the Keepers of Time now offer special Battlegear for heroes at Revered or higher standing.

Other Features

Phase Two has brought a number of other additions to the game:

• Guild Banks are now available, making it easier for player groups to store and exchange everything from Gold to rarer currencies or consumables;
• Druids can go on a class quest to unlock their Swift Flight form, on par with the expansion’s fast flying mounts. As part of the quest, they gain the ability to summon Anzu in the Sethekk Halls dungeon. Fighting that secret boss is necessary to obtain the Reins of the Raven Lord mount item;
• An assortment of Epic Goggles recipes could now be bought from Engineering trainers anywhere in the Outland, granting players access to one of the best craftable items in the game.
• A group browser/looking for group tool has been implemented to help people find other participants for various activities such as instances. Unlike the LFG tool in retail, it is not automated, but it does make putting groups together more convenient.

Due to the nature of Burning Crusade Classic, Phase Two offers few surprises. Rather, it is full of long-awaited content from the original game. Some decisions, like nerfing Phase One raids, have been criticized, but they still form a part of the expected experience. By now, the PvP season is in full swing, with fresh incentives to go into Arena or the Battlegrounds. Meanwhile, PvE enthusiasts have challenging instances to get through. We have prepared several offerings to help you enjoy this phase. Look for our PvP coaching or expert help with The Eye or Serpentshrine Cavern attunement quests.