Dungeon System Overview in CoA
Dungeons are the backbone of progression in Conquest of Azeroth. From your first steps into Ragefire Chasm at level 14 to pushing Mythic+ keystones at level 60, dungeons provide experience, gear, gold, and the group gameplay skills essential for raiding and endgame content.
CoA uses the complete Vanilla WoW dungeon roster, enhanced with the Mythic+ scaling system and the Worldforged random enchant gear system. This combination creates a dungeon experience that is simultaneously nostalgic and fresh — the layouts and bosses you remember, with modern progression mechanics that keep content relevant far beyond the initial clear.
Understanding the dungeon landscape is critical for every CoA player. Whether you are leveling through dungeon grinding or farming Mythic+ for endgame gear, this guide covers everything you need to know.
All Vanilla WoW Dungeons by Level
Low-Level Dungeons (Level 10-30)
| Dungeon | Level Range | Location | Bosses | Key Loot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ragefire Chasm | 14-18 | Orgrimmar (Horde) | 4 | Early caster gear |
| Wailing Caverns | 15-22 | The Barrens | 6 | Druid quests, leather gear |
| Deadmines | 17-24 | Westfall | 5 | Buccaneer's uniform, Ironpatch |
| Shadowfang Keep | 21-28 | Silverpine Forest | 6 | Assassin's Blade, cobalt gear |
| Blackfathom Deeps | 22-28 | Ashenvale | 5 | Trident, turtle scale recipes |
| The Stockade | 23-27 | Stormwind (Alliance) | 3 | Quick XP, cloth drops |
| Gnomeregan | 28-35 | Dun Morogh | 6 | Engineering recipes, caster gear |
| Razorfen Kraul | 29-36 | The Barrens | 7 | Mail gear, nature resist |
| The Scarlet Monastery | 32-42 | Tirisfal Glades | 12 (4 wings) | Herod's shoulder, Hypnotic Blade |
| Razorfen Downs | 34-40 | The Barrens | 6 | Spellpower gear, offhands |
Mid-Level Dungeons (Level 35-50)
| Dungeon | Level Range | Location | Bosses | Key Loot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uldaman | 36-44 | Badlands | 8 | Arcanite Reaper pattern, disks |
| Zul'Farrak | 44-48 | Tanaris | 8 | Sul'thraze, Jang'thraze, mail gear |
| Maraudon | 42-52 | Desolace | 10 (2 wings) | Nature resist gear, Thrash Blade |
| Temple of Atal'Hakkar | 47-54 | Swamp of Sorrows | 7 | Spellpower gear, greenweave |
| Blackrock Depths | 50-58 | Blackrock Mountain | 20+ | Dark Iron, MC attunement, many quests |
| Lower Blackrock Spire | 53-60 | Blackrock Mountain | 8 | UBRS key, Wyrmtongue, PvP gear |
High-Level Dungeons (Level 55-60)
| Dungeon | Level Range | Location | Bosses | Key Loot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Blackrock Spire | 57-60 | Blackrock Mountain | 7 | Benediction eye, Dal'Rend, BWL attunement |
| Stratholme (Living) | 57-60 | Eastern Plaguelands | 7 | Righteous Orb, Truefaith, Holy Water |
| Stratholme (Undead) | 57-60 | Eastern Plaguelands | 7 | Essence of Water, Baron mount, Stitching |
| Scholomance | 57-60 | Western Plaguelands | 7 | Dark Rune, Arcanite crystal, Skull |
| Dire Maul (East) | 57-60 | Feralas | 3 | Lifestealing enchant, caster gear |
| Dire Maul (West) | 57-60 | Feralas | 4 | Nature resist, +healing gear |
| Dire Maul (North) | 57-60 | Feralas | 5 | Tribute run loot, T0.5 quests |
Mythic+ System
Mythic+ is Conquest of Azeroth's scaled dungeon difficulty system, adapted from modern WoW for the Classic+ environment. It takes the existing Vanilla dungeons and adds progressive difficulty modifiers, creating an infinitely replayable endgame activity.
How Mythic+ Works
- Obtain a Keystone — Complete a Mythic 0 dungeon to receive a keystone for a random dungeon at level 2
- Activate the Keystone — Insert the keystone at the dungeon entrance to begin the timed run
- Complete Within Timer — Defeat all bosses and sufficient trash within the time limit
- Earn Rewards — Higher keystone levels yield better loot from the end-of-dungeon chest
- Upgrade or Replace — Completing within timer upgrades your keystone; failing depletes it
Keystone Levels and Scaling
| Keystone Level | Enemy Health | Enemy Damage | Timer (Example: SM) | Loot Item Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mythic 0 | Base | Base | N/A | 61 |
| +2 | +30% | +20% | 30 minutes | 63 |
| +4 | +60% | +30% | 28 minutes | 65 |
| +6 | +100% | +50% | 26 minutes | 67 |
| +8 | +140% | +70% | 25 minutes | 69 |
| +10 | +190% | +100% | 24 minutes | 71 |
| +12 | +240% | +130% | 23 minutes | 73 |
| +15 | +320% | +180% | 22 minutes | 76 |
Mythic+ Affixes
Affixes are modifiers that change dungeon mechanics starting at specific keystone levels. They rotate weekly, keeping gameplay fresh:
| Keystone Level | Affix Category | Example Affixes | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| +2 | Easy | Tyrannical, Fortified | Bosses or trash deal more damage |
| +4 | Moderate | Raging, Volcanic, Quaking | Mobs enrage, ground hazards, interrupts |
| +7 | Hard | Bolstering, Sanguine, Bursting | Mobs buff each other, healing pools, AoE damage |
| +10 | Challenging | Grievous, Explosive, Skittish | Healing reduction, explosive orbs, threat issues |
| +10 (Seasonal) | Severe | Tormented, Inspiring, Prideful | Special seasonal mechanics |
Tyrannical — Boss enemies have 30% more health and deal 15% more damage. Boss fights become the primary challenge.
Fortified — Non-boss enemies have 20% more health and deal 15% more damage. Trash pulls become the primary challenge.
Raging — Non-boss enemies below 30% health enrage, dealing 100% more damage and becoming immune to crowd control.
Volcanic — Enemies cause volcanic eruptions beneath distant players. Ranged players must stay mobile.
Bursting — When a non-boss enemy dies, all players suffer stacking damage over time. Controlled kills are essential.
Recommended Mythic+ Dungeons by Difficulty
| Dungeon | Mythic+ Difficulty | Why | Best Classes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Monastery | Easy | Linear layout, simple bosses | All compositions viable |
| Stratholme (Living) | Easy-Medium | Straightforward trash, clear path | Guardian, Pyromancer, Sun Cleric |
| Dire Maul (East) | Medium | Short, few trash packs | Any burst-heavy group |
| Scholomance | Medium-Hard | Dense trash, complex boss mechanics | Guardian, Stormbringer, Cultist |
| Blackrock Depths | Hard | Massive dungeon, long timer, many bosses | Tank with high sustain, strong AoE DPS |
| Upper Blackrock Spire | Hard | Demanding bosses, tight timer | Knight of Xoroth, Pyromancer, Witch Doctor |
| Lower Blackrock Spire | Medium | Good for learning, moderate trash density | Guardian, Barbarian, Sun Cleric |
Dungeon Leveling Strategy
Using dungeons for leveling is highly effective in CoA, especially for tanks and healers who enjoy instant queue times. Here is a recommended dungeon leveling schedule:
| Level Range | Primary Dungeon | Runs Needed | XP Per Run | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-18 | Ragefire Chasm / Deadmines | 4-6 | 6,000-8,000 | Wailing Caverns |
| 18-25 | Shadowfang Keep | 5-8 | 8,000-12,000 | Blackfathom Deeps |
| 25-32 | Razorfen Kraul | 4-6 | 12,000-16,000 | Gnomeregan |
| 32-42 | Scarlet Monastery | 8-12 | 15,000-22,000 | Razorfen Downs |
| 42-50 | Zul'Farrak | 6-10 | 18,000-25,000 | Maraudon |
| 50-56 | Blackrock Depths | 6-8 | 22,000-30,000 | Sunken Temple |
| 56-60 | Stratholme | 6-10 | 25,000-35,000 | Scholomance |
Tank vs DPS Dungeon Leveling
| Role | Queue Time | Gold/Hour | Learning Value | Leveling Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank | Instant | 20-40g | Very High | Fast |
| Healer | 1-3 min | 15-30g | High | Fast |
| DPS | 5-15 min | 10-25g | Medium | Medium |
Tanks and healers level faster through dungeons because of near-instant queue times. DPS players spend significant time waiting in queues, which reduces their effective XP per hour. If you plan to dungeon-level as DPS, form a static group to eliminate queue wait times.
Dungeon Group Composition
Effective dungeon groups in CoA require the same basic structure as Vanilla WoW, but with the expanded class roster providing more options for each role.
Required Roles
- Tank (1) — Guardian, Templar, Runemaster, Knight of Xoroth, Felsworn (off-spec)
- Healer (1) — Sun Cleric, Cultist, Witch Doctor, Templar (off-spec)
- DPS (3) — Any damage-dealing class
Optimal Group Compositions for Mythic+
| Composition | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian + Sun Cleric + Pyromancer + Stormbringer + Barbarian | Maximum AoE, strong single-target, incredible sustain | Limited crowd control | Low-to-mid keys |
| Templar + Cultist + Necromancer + Starcaller + Ranger | Excellent utility, pet tanking, buff synergy | Lower raw damage output | Fortified weeks |
| Runemaster + Witch Doctor + Venomancer + Son of Arugal + Chronomancer | High debuff value, flexible healing, unique mechanics | Requires coordination | Experienced groups |
| Guardian + Sun Cleric + Pyromancer + Pyromancer + Stormbringer | Absolute maximum AoE damage | Low utility, squishy DPS | Speed runs |
For more on classes and their dungeon roles, see our All Classes Guide.
Dungeon Rewards and Worldforged Gear
Dungeon rewards in CoA benefit from the Worldforged random enchant system. Every piece of gear that drops in a dungeon can potentially roll a Worldforged enchant, dramatically increasing its power. This means that running the same dungeon multiple times is worthwhile — each clear is a chance at a perfectly-rolled upgrade.
| Dungeon | Notable Worldforged Targets | Class Demand |
|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Monastery | +Spell Power shoulders, +Agility chest | Pyromancer, Ranger, Stormbringer |
| Zul'Farrak | +Strength two-handed weapons, +Stamina shields | Barbarian, Guardian |
| Stratholme | +Healing plate, +Nature Resist cloth | Sun Cleric, Templar, Venomancer |
| Scholomance | +Shadow Power offhands, +Intellect gear | Cultist, Necromancer, Chronomancer |
| BRD | +Fire Resist gear, +Stamina trinkets | All classes for raid prep |
Learn more about Worldforged mechanics in our Worldforged Gear Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What level should I start doing dungeons in CoA? A: You can enter your first dungeon at level 14. Ragefire Chasm (Horde) and Deadmines (Alliance) are the entry points. Starting dungeons at 14 gives you a significant XP boost and early gear upgrades that make leveling easier.
Q: How does Mythic+ differ from standard dungeons? A: Mythic+ adds a timer, scaling difficulty, and weekly affixes that modify dungeon mechanics. Higher keystone levels increase enemy health and damage while adding challenging modifiers. The loot is significantly better than standard dungeon drops, making Mythic+ a core endgame activity.
Q: Can I do Mythic+ with any class composition? A: Technically yes, but some compositions are far more effective than others. You always need a tank and a healer. For DPS, classes with strong AoE damage (Pyromancer, Stormbringer) excel in Mythic+. See the group composition table above for recommended setups.
Q: How do I get my first Mythic+ keystone? A: Complete any max-level dungeon on Mythic 0 difficulty. The end-of-dungeon chest will contain a level 2 keystone for a random dungeon. You need a group of five level 60 players to complete Mythic 0.
Q: What happens if I fail a Mythic+ timer? A: Failing the timer means you do not upgrade your keystone. The keystone depletes (drops by one level) and must be recharged by completing another dungeon. You still receive loot from the chest, but at a reduced item level compared to a successful run.
Q: Are dungeon BoE items affected by the Worldforged system? A: Yes. BoE items from dungeons can roll Worldforged random enchants, making them significantly more valuable than standard drops. This is especially relevant for items that drop from trash mobs, which can be farmed repeatedly for Worldforged upgrades.
Q: Which dungeons are best for gold farming? A: Stratholme (Living side) and Blackrock Depths are the best gold-per-hour dungeon farms. They offer consistent vendor trash, valuable BoE drops, and Righteous Orbs (Stratholme) or Dark Iron Ore (BRD) that sell well on the Auction House. See our Gold Farming Guide for detailed strategies.
Q: Can I solo dungeons in CoA? A: Some dungeons can be soloed by well-geared level 60 characters, particularly Guardians, Templars, and Necromancers. Lower-level dungeons like Scarlet Monastery and Zul'Farrak are commonly solo-farmed. Mythic+ dungeons require a full group of five.