The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj (AQ) is a major raid instance in World of Warcraft Classic, situated in Silithus and is home to the Old God C'Thun. It stands as the tougher raid in Ahn'Qiraj, designed for a large group of players, contrasting with the nearby Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj (AQ).
Lore and Significance
The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj is a major raid in WoW Classic, located beyond the Scarab Wall in Silithus. Within this ancient temple lies C'Thun, the first Old God players encounter directly in the game. C'Thun was initially considered nearly impossible to defeat. However, its release in WoW Classic in a nerfed state, along with experienced players and vast community knowledge, makes the raid challenging but manageable.
Accessing the Temple
To enter the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, the Scarab Wall must be opened on your server by completing the War Effort and the Scepter of the Shifting Sands questline. Once these questlines are completed, players can access both raids. There is no specific attunement required to enter the raid itself.
To reach the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj (AQ), head south on the main road through Silithus. The easiest route is via the flight path to Cenarion Hold. If you don’t have that flight hub, get to Silithus by the northwest path leading out of Un’Goro Crater. Make sure to ignore the first entrance you see because this will lead to the other raid. Instead, follow the path to the right and all the way up until you find another raid entrance.
Boss Encounters
The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj features a number of bosses, a few of which are optional. Skipping the optional bosses can speed up the raid, particularly if specific loot is not needed or if the bosses require significant preparation.
The bosses within AQ:
- The Prophet Skeram
- Silithid Royalty (optional)
- Battleguard Sartura
- Fankriss The Unyielding
- Viscidus (optional)
- Princess Huhuran
- The Twin Emperors
- Ouro (optional)
- C'Thun
Trash Mobs
Navigating to each boss requires defeating trash mobs, some of which can be more challenging than the bosses themselves, especially those before C'Thun.
The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, or AQ40, stands as one of the most iconic and challenging raids in World of Warcraft Classic. As players geared up to face the Old God C'Thun and his insectoid army, the demand for consumables and powerful gear skyrocketed. This naturally led to a surge in the importance of WoW Gold Classic. Acquiring sufficient WoW Gold Classic was essential for purchasing essential items like flasks, potions, and enchantments to optimize character performance for the difficult encounters within the Temple. Efficient farming methods and smart marketplace decisions became paramount for guilds aiming to conquer AQ40.
The economic impact of AQ40 extended beyond just consumables. Many players sought to acquire powerful gear upgrades from the raid, further fueling the need for WoW Gold. Whether it was to buy crafted items, pay for raid carries, or invest in materials for professions, WoW Gold played a critical role in character progression. For some, the demand even incentivized the purchasing of WoW Gold from third-party sellers, although this practice went against the game's terms of service. Overall, the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj not only presented a challenging endgame experience but also significantly influenced the WoW Gold Classic economy.
Reputation and Affixes
As players progress through the raid and gain reputation, they unlock affixes that increase the difficulty of boss encounters:
- Friendly: Unlocks the Glyph of Madness, summoning Claw Tentacles.
- Honored: Unlocks the Glyph of Darkness, summoning Eye Tentacles that should be focused by ranged DPS.
- Revered: Unlocks the Glyph of Chaos, summoning Giant Claw Tentacles that need to be tanked and focused down quickly.
- Exalted: Unlocks the Glyph of the Void, summoning the Eye of C'thun, which casts a dangerous Eye Beam ability requiring the raid to spread out immediately.
Raid Composition
Due to the increased difficulty of the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, a well-geared and balanced raid composition is essential. While an optimal setup is beneficial, most raid compositions can complete the content, given the current understanding and min-maxing of the game.
An optimal raid setup may include:
- Warriors (dedicated tank, others for off-tanking)
- Rogues
- Mages
- Warlocks
- Hunter (for Tranquilizing Shot and pulling)
- Holy Paladins / Restoration Shamans
- Priests (Shadow, and healers)
- Restoration Druid
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