Wailing Caverns Dungeon Guide: Fang Lords, Quests and Loot (Levels 17–24)
A wailing caverns dungeon guide for levels 17–24: the entrance above Lushwater Oasis, the four Fang lords, the escort event and the quests worth carrying.
Wailing Caverns is the Horde's answer to the Deadmines: a sprawling cave under the Barrens, full of corrupted druids, deviate beasts and twisting tunnels that confuse every first-time group. It is long, it is easy to get lost in, and it is worth every minute, because the quests that send you there pay several levels of experience and a choice of excellent staves. This wailing caverns dungeon guide explains how to find the entrance, which order to take the bosses in, and which quests to carry, for a group of five at level 17–24 on a vanilla-era realm such as WoW Forever.
Where and what you need
Levels. The trash starts around level 17 and the final boss sits around 22. A group whose lowest member is 18 runs it without trouble. Characters past 25 earn little experience and come back only for loot.
Group. A tank, a healer and three damage dealers. The druids inside cast sleep, so a second player who can heal or dispel makes the run smoother.
Getting there. The cave sits in the hills above Lushwater Oasis, south-west of the Crossroads in the Barrens. The outer cave opens into a large chamber with deviate raptors and snakes; the instance portal is deeper inside, behind a waterfall pool. The Disciples of Naralex, a group of druids, stand on the hill above the entrance and give several of the quests.
Quests. Carry Leaders of the Fang from Nara Wildmane in Thunder Bluff, Serpentbloom from Apothecary Zamah in Thunder Bluff, Deviate Hides and Deviate Eradication from the disciples above the cave, and Smart Drinks and Trouble at the Docks from Ratchet.
The route
The numbers follow a route that clears every boss without backtracking more than once.
- The outer cave. Kill the deviate beasts for Deviate Hides and pick Serpentbloom from the plants on the cave floor before you enter the instance.
- Lady Anacondra. The first Fang lord stands on a ledge near the start. She casts sleep and lightning; interrupt her heals.
- Kresh. A giant turtle who patrols the water channels. He is optional but easy, and he sometimes drops a shield.
- Lord Pythas. The second Fang lord, on a raised platform further in. Clear the druids around him first.
- Skum. A thunder lizard in the flooded section. He is optional; kill him if he is in your path.
- Lord Cobrahn and Lord Serpentis. The last two Fang lords. Cobrahn turns into a serpent during the fight; Serpentis waits at the top of a long ramp. Their gems finish Leaders of the Fang.
- Verdan the Everliving. An optional elemental at the far end of the caves, a good source of extra loot if the group has time.
- Mutanus the Devourer. Return to the Disciple of Naralex at the start of the instance and escort him to his master. Defend him from waves of deviate creatures during his ritual; Mutanus appears at the end.
What you get
| Source | Drops and rewards | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| The four Fang lords | Pieces of the Embrace of the Viper set, plus the gems for Leaders of the Fang | A leather set built for druids and good for any leather wearer |
| Leaders of the Fang | A choice of the Crescent Staff or the Wingblade | Weapons that last well into the thirties |
| Mutanus the Devourer | A mail chest and other blues | The best loot of the run and the end of the dungeon's story |
| Deviate beasts | Deviate Hides, Deviate Scales, light leather | Quest items and leatherworking materials |
| Serpentbloom plants | Serpentbloom for the Thunder Bluff quest | A quick quest reward with no fighting |
| Druid trash | Linen and Wool Cloth, vendor loot | Pays for repairs after the run |
Time it takes
A group that knows the caves clears the four Fang lords and Mutanus in roughly 90 minutes to two hours. A first run often takes longer, because the tunnels loop back on themselves and the escort event wipes groups that are short on mana.
Collecting quests and turning them in adds roughly 30 minutes of flights and riding between Thunder Bluff, the Crossroads and Ratchet. Altogether, one full Wailing Caverns evening is worth roughly a level and a half for a level 19 character.
Tips
- Pick up every quest listed above before you go in; the dungeon is long and coming back for one is painful.
- Kill the druids' sleep casters first; a slept healer is the most common cause of a wipe.
- Mark the way you came in; the caves loop and many groups lose half an hour to the same tunnel.
- Start the escort with full mana and health; the ritual waves come quickly.
- Loot Serpentbloom on the way in and out; the plants are easy to miss once the group is moving.
- If you are short on time, Kresh, Skum and Verdan can all be skipped.
Running it with ForeverBot
Open the Dungeons section and pick Wailing Caverns from the list for your level. Start walks your character from the Crossroads to the cave mouth above Lushwater Oasis; inside, the pulls are yours and ForeverBot shows rotation hints rather than playing the dungeon. In the Leveling section's extras, tick Repair at vendors and Buy food and water so you arrive ready for a long run.
Afterwards, switch to Leveling with Pick guide by level and zone ticked to finish the Barrens quests the run unlocked; the Horde leveling route 1–20 and the leveling route 20–30 pick up from there. Every section comes with every plan; see plans and pricing.
FAQ
Where exactly is the Wailing Caverns entrance?
It is in the hills directly above Lushwater Oasis, south-west of the Crossroads in the Barrens. Follow the path up from the oasis to a large cave mouth shaped like a monster's face. The Disciples of Naralex stand on the hill above it, and the instance portal is inside the outer cave, behind a pool.
Do I need all four Fang lords for Leaders of the Fang?
Yes. The quest from Nara Wildmane asks for a gem from each of Lady Anacondra, Lord Cobrahn, Lord Pythas and Lord Serpentis. All four stand in the instance, so one complete run finishes the quest, and the reward is a choice between the Crescent Staff and the Wingblade.
Is Wailing Caverns better than the Deadmines?
For Horde characters, yes, because it is close to home and its quests start in Thunder Bluff and the Barrens. The two dungeons cover the same levels and give similar experience. The Deadmines is shorter and more linear, while Wailing Caverns takes longer but rewards a group with more quests.
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