Patch 3.3 Guide Icecrown Citadel The Ashen Verdict Tier 10 Armor Sets Quests Other Additions UI Changes 3D Models Icons Tips Patch Notes Helpful Links Icecrown Citadel, the new instanced content in Patch 3.3 comes in two varieties - a 5-man dungeon complex and a raid. The "dungeon complex", as I call it, is not just a series of three new dungeons, although that certainly is one way to think of it. The way Blizzard presented it was more of a "one huge dungeon with three wings, each one - a separate dungeon". So - a complex :) The name "Frozen Halls" is used in reference to the entire complex, not the small non-instanced zone in Icecrown that encompasses the portal room. Here is how it all works. At launch time players will only be able to access the Forge of Souls - the first "wing", or first dungeon if you will. When it is cleared, it will serve as an attunement, and the Pit of Saron will be unlocked. The interesting bit is that players can access the Pit in two ways - via the dungeon portal directly, or through a teleporting device at the end of the Forge of Souls to be transported to the Pit directly. The latter method adds a nice feeling of continuation, I think. The same applies for the Halls of Reflection. When a group clears the Pit of Saron, its members will be able to either go through the now unlocked gate at the end, or use the dungeon portal in the portal room. The raid instance has no attunement, and is known only as the Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Throne. Spread over four majestic floors, the saronite citadel features twelve encounters, ranging from a multi-boss encounter to a gunship battle, and the Lich King himself! [toc] [h2]Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls[/h2] The Frozen Halls consist of three 5-player dungeons that serve as different "wings" of the dungeon complex. Entering the next "wing" requires the entire group to have cleared to previous one at least once. The order of entering is Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and finally - Halls of Reflection. [hr] The Forge of Souls Bronjahm Devourer of Souls The Forge of Souls is the first wing of the dungeon complex of Icecrown Citadel. The instance portal is located on the left side of the portal room, and brings the players directly inside the citadel. At the very entrance, players meet either Lady Jaina Proudmoore, or Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, depending on their faction. Jaina and Sylvanas will command Alliance and Horde players respectively to enter deeper into the Forge, disturb the engines known as Soul Grinders and defeat any foes that try to stop the attack. In the instance, the players will meet two of the Lich King's stronger minions - Bronjahm, the Godfather of Souls, and the Devourer of Souls. Bronjahm is the vrykul overseer of the Soul Grinders, whose death is required for the engines to be stopped. The Devourer of Souls is a being of unknown type that resembles (visually) the Reliquary of Souls in the Black Temple. After defeating the Devourer, players will see Jaina or Sylvanas rush in the room with a score of Argent Crusade and Ebon Blade members, ready to secure the area and make sure that whatever little ground you have earned is not taken back by the Scourge. A teleporting device is set up so players can continue the advance into the Citadel and assault the next key "base" - the Pit of Saron. [hr] Pit of Saron Forgemaster Garfrost Ick & Krick Scourgelord Tyrannus The Pit of Saron is an open area, seemingly underneath the Icecrown Citadel - it is definitely not accessible from the outside. It is also the second wing of the dungeon complex, accessible through the portal on the right side of the portal room, but only after you have completed the Forge of Souls (attunement-like process). Immediately after entering the Pit, players encounter Scourgelord Tyrannus, the overseer of this area. He makes a quick work of the champions from the Crusaders' Coliseum, but retreats soon before Jaina/Sylvanas wrecks havoc on his soldiers. Players are informed that the objective this time is going to be to free the slaves working in the area, defeat Tyrannus' lieutenants, and finally face the Scourgelord, exposing a passage to the Halls of the Reflection. Another two of the Lich King's more powerful minions stand in the way - Forgemaster Garfrost and Krick. Players will find Garfrost, a flesh giant and a smith, by his giant forges, crafting armory and weaponry for the armies of the Scourge, alongside with about a dozen other skeletal smiths. Defeating him will allow the slaves to start equipping themselves with weapons, so they can be ready for the battle against Tyrannus. Krick is a leper gnome who supervises the assembly of new aberrations - flesh giants, zombies, and plague eruptors namely. Players can find him in an improvised laboratory, riding his own plague eruptor by the name of Ick. Dealing with the leper will require the elimination his ghastly mount first, while being exposed to the rider's poisonous mixtures and arcane spells. Before his death, Krick (hoping to save his life) admits that he knows what makes the Halls of Reflection so special - Frostmourne lies there. After eliminating Tyrannus' two subordinates and surviving a cave nearly destroyed by the Scourgelord's frostwyrm, players engage the overseer. During the battle with him and his frostwyrm, the freed slaves freed hold off undead forces that try to help their master. After the fight Jaina/Sylvanas save the entire party from a cold death by Sindragosa's breath, and inform the survivors that the gates to the Halls of Reflection lie ahead. Players are now ready to enter the place that holds the Lich King's private chambers. [hr] Halls of Reflection Falric & Marwyn Escape from the Lich King. The Halls of Reflection is the third and last wing of the Frozen Halls. The secrets it holds are unimaginable, and even the very existence of such place is a secret well-kept by a handful of the Lich King's servants. As usual it can be accessed by players through a massive gate unlocked after the Pit of Saron has been completed, or through a portal in the portal room, placed between the other two dungeons' portals. Immediately after entering the instance, players will find Frostmourne hovering on a pedestal in a room few yards away. Uther's ghost stands besides it and asks the entire party to leave and not risk their lives. This is where players with the Quel'Delar quest get to temper the blade. Jaina/Sylvanas require more information about the Lich King, and while Uther speaks, the Lich King himself appears. He summons Falric and Marwyn, his two most trusted captains in life and death, commanding them to destroy your party. They in turn summon waves of undead to attack the players. Falric & Marwyn, the first boss encounter, is similar to the Culling of Stratholme - 5 waves of 3-4 ghosts will attack the party, and then one of the commanders (Falric) will decide to take care of the players himself. After he is defeated, another 5 waves of ghosts will precede Marwyn's attack. After defeating both captains and moving on, players will find Sylvanas/Jaina being overpowered by the Lich King. She urges you to all run for your lives, starting the second boss encounter. It is a gauntlet during which players will need to protect Sylvanas/Jaina from waves of undead summoned by the Lich King. He himself follows, but is slowed significantly. The objective is to defeat a number of waves before the Lich King catches up with the party - if he does, it's a wipe. [h2]Icecrown Citadel[/h2] Dungeon type: 10/25-player raid Heroic mode: Available for each boss separately Requirements: Level 80 Number of bosses: 12 The Icecrown Citadel is the center of the Lich King's power, and naturally a place full of enemies with both the power and the intention to destroy anyone bold - or foolish - enough to enter the domain of the Frozen Throne. Since the history of the place is rich because of its past, rather than because of what is currently happening in it (as in the Frozen Halls), Blizzard's information is probably more adequate than any review. All across the lands of Northrend, many battles have been fought against the vile Scourge. Countless lives have been lost since the Alliance and Horde first reached the frozen wastes, but the champions of Azeroth continue to march forward. Now Icecrown Citadel, the cornerstone of the Scourge's power and the home base of the Lich King, is their final target. Tirion Fordring and the Argent Crusade have forged an alliance with Darion Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade to form the Ashen Verdict. The strongest combatants of this coalition, along with the champions of the Alliance and Horde, will lead the charge against the citadel. This dungeon reveals the culminating story events and battles of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack. Join the legendary heroes Highlord Tirion Fordring, High Overlord Saurfang, Muradin Bronzebeard, Highlord Darion Mograine, and King Varian Wrynn in an epic battle against the Scourge and their master. Icecrown Citadel features 10- and 25-player versions of the raid dungeon, and each version has 12 encounters. Each encounter can be fought in either normal or Heroic mode, and players can use a new user interface feature to toggle easily between difficulties. The rewards in the raid dungeon start at item level 251 in the normal mode with 10-player encounters, increase to item level 264 in the Heroic mode mode with 10 players and the normal mode with 25-player encounters, and then finally reach item level 277 in the Heroic mode with 25 players. And here is the ingame breakdown of the Frozen Throne with its several sections. The Lower Spire After breaching the fortress, players will face a legion of undead guards directed to repel any invaders. Commanding the defenders is Lord Marrowgar, a monstrosity fused together from the bones of the undead. Supreme Overseer of the Cult of the Damned, Lady Deathwhisper is the next opponent. She bolsters the faith of her followers by promising them the opportunity to give eternal service in undeath. As they continue their ascent, the Alliance and Horde heroes ultimately end up outside of the citadel where their hatred for one another erupts into a battle for dominance over the Rampart of Skulls. Players will join in battle alongside High Overlord Saurfang on the Orgrim's Hammer gunship or Muradin Bronzebeard on The Skybreaker in a unique encounter. Each faction will protect its gunship and try to destroy the other one in a back-and-forth battle to see who is truly worthy of facing the Lich King. The Lich King's most powerful death knight then stands as the final obstacle for the heroes to enter the upper reaches of the citadel. Lord Marrowgar Lady Deathwhisper Gunship Battle The Deathbringer The Crimson Halls The Crimson Hall contains the leaders of the San'layn, undead blood elves who oversee the Scourge's operations throughout Azeroth. The blood-princes Valanar, Keleseth, and Taldaram were raised into undeath by the Lich King to avenge themselves while protecting their blood-queen, Lana'thel. Blood Prince Council Queen Lana'thel The Plagueworks The Plagueworks contains the most twisted experiments ever produced by the Scourge. In this wing players will face two new forms of abomination in Festergut and Rotface, who currently protect their devious creator, Professor Putricide. Festergut Rotface Professor Putricide The Frostwing Halls In the Frostwing Halls players will battle alongside the Ashen Verdict and push into the lair of the deadly frost wyrm Sindragosa, who continues to strengthen her brood with the help of Ymirheim's vrykul. Along the way, the heroes will stumble upon Valithria Dreamwalker, a captured green dragon whom the Scourge is using as a test subject for their own ends... Valithiria Dreamwalker Sindragosa The Frozen Throne After clearing all three wings, players will ascend to the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King and his runeblade, Frostmourne, await to deliver them to their deaths... The Lich King