TBC Anniversary Tempest Keep Guide: The Eye, All 4 Bosses

Quick summary

• No Tempest Key since Phase 3. Blizzard removed the TK attunement on August 27, 2026, and lets raids skip straight to Kael'thas (Wowhead, quoting Blizzard).
• Four bosses. Al'ar is first, because it blocks the inner wings. Void Reaver and Solarian go in either order, and Kael'thas comes last.
• Tier 5 and badges. Void Reaver drops shoulder tokens and Kael'thas chest tokens. Since October 22, every boss also drops Badges of Justice (Blizzard).
• Anniversary uses the nerfed fights. Spread for Al'ar's Dive Bomb, don't stack for it.

This Tempest Keep guide covers The Eye, the 25-player raid in Netherstorm, as it stands on TBC Anniversary realms in Phase 3.5: access, roster, trash, step-by-step tactics for all four bosses and the loot worth planning around. Most guilds pair it with Serpentshrine Cavern in the same week; our Serpentshrine Cavern guide covers the other Tier 5 raid.

Tempest Keep attunement, location and what changed

What	Phase 2 (May 14, 2026)	Phase 3 (since August 27, 2026)	Source
Attunement	The Tempest Key: Cipher of Damnation, then Trials of the Naaru (Heroic Shattered Halls, Steamvault, Arcatraz, Shadow Labyrinth), then Magtheridon	Removed	Wowhead quoting Blizzard (Phase 3)
Reaching Kael'thas	Al'ar, Void Reaver, and Solarian had to die first	You can skip straight to Kael'thas	Wowhead quoting Blizzard

Getting there. The Eye floats in eastern Netherstorm, so everyone needs a flying mount. The closest flight point is Cosmowrench. The Eye is the raid entrance in Tempest Keep's central structure; The Botanica, The Mechanar and The Arcatraz are the three five-player satellites around it.

Why people still clear it in Phase 3.5:

1. Alts and returning players catch up on Tier 5 and item level 128 epics before Black Temple, Hyjal and Zul'Aman.
2. Badges of Justice. Blizzard added badges to every Tempest Keep and SSC boss on October 22, so a farm clear now buys G'eras items. Our badge gear guide lists what to buy first.
3. Ashes of Al'ar and the Verdant Sphere. Kael'thas can drop the Ashes of Al'ar mount, and his Verdant Sphere quest pays 1,000 Sha'tar reputation once (see our Sha'tar reputation guide).
4. Marks of the Illidari drop from TK trash. Once you're Exalted with the required Shattrath factions, you can trade them for flasks and potions.

The old reason for Kael-only runs, Kael's Vial Remnant for the Hyjal attunement, is gone: Blizzard removed the Hyjal and Black Temple attunements on October 22.

Example: your returning Priest wants the Tier 5 chest and shoulders. The chest token drops from Kael'thas and the shoulders from Void Reaver, so a Kael-only skip covers just one of them. Once you kill Kael, you're saved for the week, so join the full clear.

Tempest Keep roster and assignments

A full clear needs four or five tank-capable players: three or four on Al'ar's platforms, three on Void Reaver, and three physical tanks plus a Warlock on Kael'thas.

Job	Who	Boss	Why
Platform tanks (3–4)	Any tank	Al'ar Phase 1	Someone must be in melee range whenever she lands, or Flame Buffet stacks
Ember off-tank	Paladin or Warrior	Al'ar	Embers explode on death
Threat tanks (3–4)	All tanks	Void Reaver	Taunt-immune; Knock Away drops the current tank's aggro
Priest interrupt/stun team	Rogues, Warriors, Shamans	Solarian	Solarium Priests heal and Smite
Capernian tank	Warlock with high health, spell hit, Fire Resistance where needed	Kael'thas	Holds her with Searing Pain from range
Sanguinar and Telonicus tanks	Physical tanks with fear answers	Kael'thas	Opposite walls
Fireball interrupters (3–4)	Any interrupt class	Kael'thas	Every Fireball is interrupted
Mind Control breakers	Rogues, Warriors, Hunters with Infinity Blade	Kael'thas	A landed melee ability frees the target
Phoenix group	Off-tank plus ranged	Kael'thas	Kill Phoenix, then the Egg within 15 seconds

Fire Resistance gear helps only the Capernian Warlock. Nobody else needs a resistance set in The Eye, unlike Hydross in Serpentshrine Cavern.

Tempest Keep trash

Area	Mobs
Al'ar's room	Phoenix-Hawks (Dive, Mana Burn)
Before Void Reaver	Sentinels, Crystalcore Mechanics, Tempest-Smiths
Solarian hallway	Patrol of an Astromancer Lord and two Bloodwarder Legionnaires; side packs
Solarian hallway	Nether Scryers with Bloodwarder Legionnaires
Before Kael'thas	Mixed caster and melee packs

Pull one pack at a time and keep healers out of Phoenix-Hawk range, since Mana Burn drains them before the boss.

Tempest Keep boss order

1. Al'ar. She's first on a full clear, because her room leads to the inner wings.
2. Void Reaver and 3. High Astromancer Solarian, in either order.
3. Kael'thas Sunstrider. Since Phase 3 you can also go straight to him.

Example: a farm group with 90 minutes left goes Al'ar, then Void Reaver for shoulders, then Kael'thas for chests and Ashes of Al'ar. They skip Solarian if they run out of time, because she drops no tier.

Al'ar strategy

The rule: someone must be in melee range whenever Al'ar lands. Otherwise she casts Flame Buffet, which is raid-wide Fire damage plus a stacking Fire damage taken debuff.

Ability	Phase	Response
Flame Buffet	Both	Never leave her without a melee target
Platform move plus Ember of Al'ar	1	Next platform's tank taunts on landing; off-tank kills the Ember away from the raid
Flame Quills	1	Everyone leaves the upper platforms and ramps
Ember Blast (death)	1	Knockback at 0%; stand clear
Rebirth	2	Avoid the center as she revives
Melt Armor	2	80% armor loss; the other tank taunts at once
Flame Patch	2	Move out immediately
Dive Bomb plus two Embers	2	Spread; tank re-picks her where she lands
Charge	2	Charges a random player, followed by Flame Buffet
Berserk	2	Enrage timer; kill her before it hits

1. Place tanks around the upper ring. The raid stays on the lower floor near the ramps.
2. When she moves, the waiting tank taunts on landing. Melee may be ahead on aggro by then.
3. An Ember spawns under the platform she left. The off-tank picks it up, and melee step out before it dies.
4. On Flame Quills, jump down. She can land near either set of stairs, so have a tank ready at each.
5. At 0%, step back. Ember Blast, then Rebirth in the center, starts Phase 2.
6. Phase 2: turn her away from the raid. Swap tanks on every Melt Armor, with Challenging Shout or Roar as backups for a resisted taunt.
7. Spread for Dive Bomb. Kill the two Embers away from people.

Void Reaver strategy

1. Tank him in the center. He can't be taunted, so all three or four tanks build aggro from the pull and stay near the top.
2. When Knock Away drops the current tank's aggro, the next tank picks him up naturally. Don't chase him or turn him more than you have to.
3. Melee stay behind and get steady healing through Pounding, his pulsing Arcane damage.
4. Ranged and healers form a wide circle. Arcane Orb is a slow orb aimed at someone outside melee range. Move before it lands, or you take Arcane damage and a silence (6 seconds).
5. Kill him inside the 10-minute enrage.

High Astromancer Solarian strategy

Wrath of the Astromancer is a timed bomb.

1. Stack near her while keeping a clear exit lane.
2. Wrath target: run 10+ yards out before the explosion (about 6 seconds). It launches you and anyone nearby, so no one follows. Use a Healthstone if you're low.
3. Heal Arcane Missiles targets (she channels on random players) and the raid through Blinding Light. Mark of Solarian keeps lowering Arcane Resistance, so damage ramps.
4. Agent phase: from time to time she vanishes and Solarium Agents spawn around the room. Tanks gather them, then the raid AoEs them.
5. She returns with two Solarium Priests. Stun, interrupt, and kill them first.
6. Repeat to 20%. She becomes a Voidwalker. Tank the Arcane Bolts and use Fear Ward or Tremor Totem for Psychic Scream.

Kael'thas Sunstrider strategy

Phase	Starts	What happens	Priority
1	Pull	Four advisors, one at a time	Kill each at its planned spot
2	All advisors dead	Seven legendary weapons	Kill, loot, and equip fast
3	2 minutes after weapons appear	All four advisors revive where they died	Heroism; kill advisors
4	3 minutes after Phase 3 starts	Kael'thas active, plus surviving advisors	Interrupts, Shock Barrier, Phoenixes, Mind Control
5	Kael'thas at 50%	Gravity Lapse cycles; no more Pyroblast or Mind Control	Spread in the air; avoid Nether Vapor

Phase 1: advisors and death spots

Advisor	Mechanics	How to kill
Thaladred the Darkener	Fixates on a random player; Psychic Blow knockback; Silence	The target runs; ranged kill him; melee stay off
Lord Sanguinar	Bellowing Roar (fear)	Tank on a side wall with Fear Ward, Tremor, or Berserker Rage
Grand Astromancer Capernian	Fireball, Conflagration, Arcane Burst	Warlock tank at the back; everyone else 30+ yards; melee never approach
Master Engineer Telonicus	Bomb, Remote Toy	Tank on the wall opposite Sanguinar; spread nearby

If an advisor is about to die in the wrong place, stop damage for a few seconds. Every corpse is where that advisor returns in Phase 3.

Phase 2: weapons

Weapon	Who loots it	Use
Phaseshift Bulwark	Kael'thas main tank	Absorb shield for the first Pyroblast
Cosmic Infuser	Every mace-capable healer	Heals grant 50% Fire and Shadow reduction for 30 seconds; keep it on tanks
Staff of Disintegration	Casters	30-yard field giving immunity to Stun, Silence, and Disorient
Infinity Blade	Rogues, Warriors, Hunters	A landed ability (Hamstring, Wing Clip, Shiv) breaks Mind Control; auto-attacks don't
Netherstrand Longbow	Hunters	Stacking 5% Physical damage taken debuff
Warp Slicer	One-hand physical DPS	Damage
Devastation	Two-hand users	Damage

1. Tank the bow and face it away for its Multi-Shot. Tank the axe away from everyone, because its Whirlwind kills. Interrupt the mace. Group the rest for AoE.
2. Loot right away. Equip it before the advisors return.

Phase 3: advisors again

Ranged kill Thaladred, then Capernian (from 30+ yards). Melee kill Sanguinar, then Telonicus.

Phase 4: Kael'thas

1. Tank him in the center and interrupt every Fireball with a 3–4 player rotation.
2. Move out of Flamestrike before it explodes.
3. Shock Barrier: the whole raid breaks the shield. The tank uses the Bulwark for the first Pyroblast, then interrupts the next one once the barrier is gone. Barrier beats Egg in priority.
4. Phoenix: the off-tank drags it away. Step out before it dies, then kill the Egg within 15 seconds, or the Phoenix returns at full health.
5. Mind Control: CC the controlled players and free them with Infinity Blade abilities.
6. Arcane Disruption: stand in the staff field.

Phase 5: Gravity Lapse

At 50%, he launches the raid and you can fly for about 30 seconds. Spread in all three dimensions for Nether Beam and stay out of Nether Vapor, which stacks a max-health reduction. Stay at a moderate height and start descending before it ends. On the ground, go back to Fireball interrupts, Flamestrike, and Phoenixes until the next lapse.

Example: your raid reaches Phase 4 with Capernian alive. Keep the Warlock tank on her and finish her with ranged first while the main tank holds Kael'thas and the interrupt rotation runs.

Tempest Keep loot and Tier 5 tokens

Item levels match Serpentshrine Cavern: 128 for most epics, 133 for Tier 5 tokens and 138 and up from Kael'thas. Turn tokens in at your Shattrath faction's armor vendors on Aldor Rise or the Scryers' Tier; the vendor depends on your armor type.

Boss	Items people ask about
Al'ar	Band of Al'ar, Talon of Al'ar (trinket), Phoenix-Ring of Rebirth
Void Reaver	Tier 5 shoulders, Warp-Spring Coil and Fel Reaver's Piston (trinkets)
High Astromancer Solarian	Solarian's Sapphire and Void Star Talisman (trinkets)
Kael'thas Sunstrider	Tier 5 chests, Ashes of Al'ar (mount), Twinblade of the Phoenix, Rod of the Sun King, The Nexus Key, Verdant Sphere (quest)

This is a short list, not the full loot table. Warp-Spring Coil is still in the Combat Rogue best-in-slot list in our Rogue guide.

Token family	Classes	Void Reaver (shoulders)	Kael'thas (chest)
Vanquished Champion	Paladin, Rogue, Shaman	Pauldrons of the Vanquished Champion	Chestguard of the Vanquished Champion
Vanquished Defender	Warrior, Priest, Druid	Pauldrons of the Vanquished Defender	Chestguard of the Vanquished Defender
Vanquished Hero	Hunter, Mage, Warlock	Pauldrons of the Vanquished Hero	Chestguard of the Vanquished Hero

In Phase 3.5, Tier 5 is a bridge. Check the Tier 6 sets guide before spending heavily on a T5 piece.

Run the pre-raid checklist

• Confirm that everyone can fly. See the flying mount guide.
• Choose the plan: a full clear for badges and both tokens, or a Kael-only run.
• Post assignments: Al'ar platform tanks and the Ember tank, Void Reaver tanks, Solarian Priest interrupts, and the Kael advisor spots, weapon users, Fireball order, and Mind Control breakers.
• Add a Kael'thas phase-timer reminder to your raid addon.
• Restock flasks, food, weapon buffs, and potions. Gem and enchant first using the Phase 3 gems and enchants guide.

Avoid these mistakes

• Leaving Al'ar with no one in melee range.
• Stacking for Dive Bomb because a 2021 guide said to.
• Taunting Void Reaver, which doesn't work, instead of keeping three tanks high on aggro.
• Running into the raid with Wrath of the Astromancer.
• Letting advisors die in random spots in Kael's Phase 1.
• Looting weapons late, or nobody taking the Bulwark or Infinity Blade.
• Missing a Fireball interrupt, or letting a Phoenix Egg hatch.

Return, boost, or gear an alt

• Returning in Phase 3.5. You don't need the Tempest Key or Magtheridon. Join a TK farm night for Tier 5 shoulders and chest plus badges, then move to Black Temple, Hyjal and Zul'Aman. The Zul'Aman loot guide shows which 10-player items replace TK drops.
• Fresh or boosted 70. Get flying and a pre-raid set first. TK pugs expect you to know the Kael weapon you'll loot. The Gruul and Magtheridon guide covers the 25-player step before it.
• Planning ahead. Sunwell Plateau has no date yet; our Sunwell Plateau guide covers what it will ask of each role.

Groups from independent sellers for The Eye and the other raids are listed on the TBC Anniversary raids page, and the TBC Anniversary hub links the rest of our guides. Blizzard's End User License Agreement restricts account sharing and paid in-game services, and being listed on a marketplace doesn't make a service publisher-approved.

FAQ

Do you still need the Tempest Key in TBC Anniversary? No. Blizzard removed the TK attunement when Phase 3 went live on August 27, 2026 (Wowhead, quoting Blizzard).

Can you skip straight to Kael'thas? Yes. Since Phase 3 you can go straight to him. Since October 22 the Hyjal attunement is gone, so a Kael-only run is for his loot, not for the Vials of Eternity.

What is the Tempest Keep boss order? Al'ar first, then Void Reaver and High Astromancer Solarian in either order, then Kael'thas.

Which bosses drop Tier 5 in The Eye? Void Reaver drops shoulder tokens and Kael'thas drops chest tokens.

Does Kael'thas drop Ashes of Al'ar? Yes. Warcraft Wiki says it "very rarely drops" from Kael'thas, so a guild on farm sees it only now and then.

Do Tempest Keep bosses drop Badges of Justice? Yes, since October 22, 2026. Blizzard added badges to every boss in Tempest Keep and Serpentshrine Cavern in the Zul'Aman update.

Related guides

• TBC Anniversary Serpentshrine Cavern guide
• TBC Anniversary Sha'tar reputation guide
• TBC Anniversary new badge gear at G'eras
• TBC Anniversary Tier 6 sets, tokens, and bonuses
• TBC Anniversary flying mount guide
• TBC Anniversary gems and enchants for Phase 3