WoW Forever Raids Guide: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit, Onyxia
WoW Forever raids open Dec 9: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair locations, sizes, bosses, the Onyxia attunement, tier set bonuses and flasks.
In this guide 18 sections
WoW Forever opens three raids on December 9, 2026, five weeks after the November 4 launch: the 10-player Barrow Deeps, the 20-player Hyjal Summit and the 40-player Onyxia's Lair. This WoW Forever raids guide covers where each one is, how to get in (Onyxia still needs an attunement), the boss lists found in the client, the tier set bonuses, the zone flasks and a five-week plan to be ready.
Locations, sizes, the reset and the attunement come from Blizzard's raid overview (October 20, updated October 27). Boss and item lists come from the beta client as read by The Forever Era and are labeled as client data.
Quick summary
- Three raids open on December 9, 2026 and reset weekly: Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20 players) and Onyxia's Lair (40 players). Blizzard hasn't given an opening time (Blizzard).
- Barrow Deeps has 8 bosses and Hyjal Summit 13 (Blizzard), and the client names all of them. Onyxia's Lair needs the Drakefire Amulet from a faction attunement chain, as in Classic (Blizzard).
- The client holds 18 "Tier 1" sets, one per class or spec, each with 2/3/4/5-piece bonuses. Blizzard confirms new tier sets for both new raids but hasn't said what drops where.
- The raids are worth 3 Legacy Points: one each for Onyxia, all 13 Hyjal bosses and all 8 Barrow Deeps bosses (Blizzard Legacy article, via The Forever Era).
- You raid only with your own faction on your own ruleset, and epic appearances unlock only for the player who gets the item (Blizzard Deep Dive).
WoW Forever raids: locations, sizes and release date
| Raid | Size | Bosses (client) | Location | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps | 10 | 8 | Beneath Mount Hyjal, with entrances connected through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold | 60 |
| Hyjal Summit | 20 | 13 | The peak of Mount Hyjal, near the World Tree Nordrassil | 60 |
| Onyxia's Lair | 40 | 1 | Dustwallow Marsh | 60 |
Source: Blizzard's raid overview. All three are planned to reset weekly. Difficulty modes haven't been announced. The Barrow Deeps was Illidan's prison for 10,000 years; Hyjal Summit opens with a fight against an ancient guardian and then lets the raid choose between paths above and below ground (Blizzard). Getting to the mountain is covered in our Mount Hyjal guide.
Barrow Deeps bosses
This is the client's Legacy achievement order. Blizzard confirms eight bosses but not their names or order (The Forever Era).
| # | Boss | Client hint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chillhowl | Corrupted Chillhowl Shard |
| 2 | Elder Tangleclaw | Corrupted Tangleclaw Shard |
| 3 | Khalith the Dreadspinner | Corrupted Dreadspinner Shard |
| 4 | Well of Sorrow | — |
| 5 | Amethrax | Corrupted Amethrax Shard |
| 6 | Del'lynar Songwood | — |
| 7 | Ravus and Darlissa | Likely a two-boss encounter (our reading of the name) |
| 8 | Sonya Darkhallow | Sonya Darkhallow's Gold Coin ("Why am I putting a coin in a fountain?"); kill statistic |
The client also mentions the Vord'anaar Prison inside the Barrow Deeps, and a Brooch of the Wardens that grants access to it (The Forever Era). That hints at a gated wing, but how it works isn't published.
Hyjal Summit bosses
| # | Boss | # | Boss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandalar | 8 | Anara Chillwind |
| 2 | Ancient of Decay | 9 | Elder Minderel |
| 3 | Time-Lost Battalion | 10 | Tracker Stillwind |
| 4 | Sylvestris Dusksong | 11 | Council of Thorns |
| 5 | Old Gloomlurker | 12 | Nythus the Dreambound |
| 6 | Gharalis the Abyssal | 13 | The Wild King (kill statistic) |
| 7 | Kathris the Haunted |
Items that already name Hyjal bosses (The Forever Era):
- Stillwind String: item level 69, requires level 60, from Tracker Stillwind.
- Token of the Wild King: a necklace described as resembling a "Steaglebear."
- A Hyjal Summit trash weapon.
Blizzard's story setup: Mount Hyjal after Archimonde's defeat, a recovering land you help shape. Because the raid branches into several paths after the first boss, the numbered list is client order, not a fixed kill order.
Onyxia's Lair attunement in WoW Forever
Every raid member needs the Drakefire Amulet in their bags (it doesn't have to be worn). Blizzard's overview walks through both chains; in short:
| Step | Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|---|
| Start | "Dragonkin Menace" from Helendis Riverhorn, Burning Steppes | "Blood and Thunder" from Warlord Goretooth, Kargath (Badlands) |
| Middle | "The True Masters" chain to Marshal Maxwell; rescue Marshal Windsor from Blackrock Depths ("Jail Break!") | Lower Blackrock Spire for Rend Blackhand's head; Rexxar in Desolace; Myranda the Hag in Western Plaguelands |
| Late | "The Great Masquerade" in Stormwind, then "The Dragon's Eye" | Emberstrife in Dustwallow Marsh and the four "Test of Skulls" dragons |
| Finish | Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath, Upper Blackrock Spire | Same, then return to Rexxar |
Blizzard says to start early, bring friends for the elite quests and expect several high-level dungeon trips. Build fire resistance before the fight; Onyxia's three phases punish an unprepared raid (Blizzard). Warcraft Tavern reports the attunement isn't account-wide at launch, so each character does it.
Prepare with the raid flasks
All four flasks are in the client at item level 60 and require level 55 (The Forever Era). Each lasts 2 hours, persists through death, and gives +60 Stamina plus a bonus only in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps.
| Flask | Zone-only bonus | Best for (our pick) |
|---|---|---|
| Flask of Natural Accuracy | +5% hit chance | Anyone below the hit cap |
| Flask of Natural Aggression | +4% crit chance | Damage dealers at the hit cap |
| Flask of Natural Precision | 5% less chance to be dodged or parried | Melee and tanks |
| Flask of Natural Swiftness | +5% haste | Casters and healers |
Malleable Essence of Nature comes from disenchanting Hyjal Summit or Barrow Deeps items and goes into "powerful crafted items" (client text). That makes Enchanting valuable in raid groups. Profession and camp prep is in our camping guide and professions guide.
WoW Forever tier sets by class
The client has 18 six-piece sets (Head, Shoulder, Chest, Hands, Legs, Feet) with bonuses at 2, 3, 4 and 5 pieces. They have no piece names, stats or drop sources yet (The Forever Era).
| Class | Sets (spec) | Standout bonus (client) |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Battlegear of Glory (Arms/Fury), Battleplate of Glory (Protection) | (5) Recklessness or Shield Wall cooldown −30 sec |
| Paladin | Justice Battlegear (Ret), Justice Armor (Holy), Justice Battleplate (Prot) | Holy (5): Holy Shock cooldown −1 sec; Prot (5): Forbearance −10 sec |
| Hunter | Wildstalker Armor | (5) Aimed Shot and Multi-Shot cooldown −1 sec |
| Rogue | Grimstitch Armor | (5) Envenom and Eviscerate cost −5 Energy |
| Priest | Vestments of Conviction (Disc/Holy), Raiments of Conviction (Shadow) | Disc/Holy (5): Penance and Prayer of Mending cooldown −1 sec |
| Shaman | The Spiritcaller (Resto), Spiritcaller's Rage (Enh), Spiritcaller's Storm (Ele) | Resto (5): Riptide −1 sec; Ele (5): Lava Burst −1 sec |
| Mage | Manaflare Regalia | (5) Frostfire Bolt and Missile Barrage bonus |
| Warlock | Demonheart Raiment | (5) Life Tap gives 20% more mana |
| Druid | Grovekeeper Raiment (Resto), Rage (Guardian), Eclipse (Balance), Ferocity (Feral) | Resto (5): Swiftmend cooldown −3 sec |
The (4) bonus is shared by role. Physical sets get +36 Attack Power against one creature type, for example Humanoids for warriors and rogues or Undead for Retribution. Healer sets get up to +26 healing and +9 spell damage. Caster sets get up to +21 spell damage against one creature type.
The (5) bonuses name Forever's new abilities, such as Penance, Riptide, Lava Burst and Frostfire Bolt, which every class guide now covers. Piece names and drop sources still weren't in the client when the beta closed.
Earn the raid Legacy points
| Achievement | Legacy Points | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Defeat Onyxia | 1 | Blizzard, via The Forever Era |
| Defeat all 13 Hyjal Summit bosses | 1 | Blizzard, via The Forever Era |
| Defeat all 8 Barrow Deeps bosses | 1 | Blizzard, via The Forever Era |
Legacy Points are account-wide, so one raiding main earns them for your alts. See our Legacy guide for spending them.
Follow the raid rules
The rules (Blizzard Deep Dive):
- You raid only with your faction on your ruleset (Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, Roleplay-PvP or Hardcore). There's no cross-ruleset raiding, so pick your guild's ruleset at launch. See our launch guide.
- Epic raid appearances unlock only for the player who gets the item (when it binds), not for the whole raid.
- A legendary reward is tied to Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps but isn't fully revealed (Blizzard). The roadmap adds a legendary questline in spring 2027.
Understand how raid loot appearances differ from dungeons
Blizzard's Deep Dive draws a clear line between dungeon and raid appearances.
| Drop | Who gets the appearance | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Poor or Common item | You, as soon as you loot it | Blizzard |
| Bind-on-pickup Uncommon or Rare in a dungeon | Every eligible looter, when it's looted | Blizzard |
| Epic raid item | Only the player it binds to | Blizzard |
Transmog is opt-in and follows item-type rules (plate to plate, cloth to cloth). Our take: because raid appearances aren't shared, your loot rules matter more than in modern WoW. Agree on loot council, DKP or rolls before December 9, and write down how you'll handle tier tokens once Blizzard reveals them.
Avoid these raid-prep mistakes
- Forgetting the Onyxia attunement. Each character needs its own Drakefire Amulet, and the chain runs through Blackrock Depths and Blackrock Spire.
- Picking a ruleset your raid team didn't agree on. You can't raid across rulesets, and you can't freely move characters between them.
- Saving zone flasks for Onyxia. Their bonus works only in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps. Outside those, you get only the Stamina.
- Vendoring raid greens and blues. Disenchant them for Malleable Essence of Nature instead.
- Treating boss order as final. The lists come from achievement order, not confirmed fight order.
Plan the five weeks before raids
| Week | Goal (our plan) |
|---|---|
| 1–2 (Nov 4–18) | Level to 60. Use the new dungeons; see our dungeon guide |
| 3 | Pre-raid blues from Blackmaw Hold, Shaper's Terrace, BRD, Scholomance and Stratholme; start the Onyxia attunement while you're in BRD and LBRS |
| 4 | Finish the attunement in UBRS; fire resistance check for Onyxia; stock flasks and consumables |
| 5 (to Dec 9) | Set 10-player and 20-player rosters; assign interrupts and crowd control |
Roster sizing (our math): a 20-player Hyjal group plus a 10-player Barrow Deeps group from the same guild is 30 characters. A 40-player Onyxia raid can take everyone plus trial members.
Compare the raids
| Factor | Barrow Deeps | Hyjal Summit | Onyxia's Lair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 10 | 20 | 40 |
| Bosses | 8 | 13 | 1 |
| New tier | Yes (Blizzard) | Yes | Classic loot |
| Legacy point | 1 for full clear | 1 for full clear | 1 |
| Logistics | Easiest to fill | Mid-size guild | Needs a large guild or pug |
What to check on December 9
Blizzard has now published the locations, sizes, weekly reset and Onyxia attunement. These were still unknown when the beta closed:
- Loot tables, maps and which tier pieces drop in which raid.
- Difficulty modes, and whether the Barrow Deeps or Hyjal Summit need extra steps.
- The exact opening time on December 9.
- How the Brooch of the Wardens and the Vord'anaar Prison fit in.
If you're making alts or coming back
- Classic raiders: Onyxia is the familiar 40-player fight. Molten Core isn't among the December 9 raids, and Blizzard sets Forever's story before Molten Core.
- Alts: Legacy Points from raids are account-wide. Raid appearances aren't shared with the group, though, so each character has to get the item.
- Small guilds: Barrow Deeps at 10 players is the realistic first target.
- Pre-raid gear: the 55–60 dungeons are in our new dungeons guide, and the PvP ranks offer another gear path in our PvP guide. The WoW Forever hub collects the rest of our coverage.
Want a hand with this?
If you would rather not grind this part yourself, WoW Forever raid services are listed on FullBoosts. Read the publisher's rules before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included — a marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.
Frequently asked questions
When do WoW Forever raids open? December 9, 2026, and all three are planned to reset weekly (Blizzard). No opening time has been announced.
Where is the Barrow Deeps in WoW Forever? Beneath Mount Hyjal, with entrances connected through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold. It's a 10-player raid with 8 bosses; Hyjal Summit, at the mountain's peak, is 20 players with 13 (Blizzard).
Do WoW Forever raids have tier sets? Yes. Blizzard confirmed new tier sets, and the client had 18 Tier 1 sets with bonuses but no piece names when the beta closed.
Can you raid across rulesets? No. You can raid only with players of your faction on the same ruleset.
Do you need an attunement for Onyxia in WoW Forever? Yes. Every raid member needs the Drakefire Amulet from the Alliance or Horde attunement chain, which ends with General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire (Blizzard).
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