World of Warcraft

Patch 3.3 Preview - Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls

Posted Sep 30, 2009 by Kody
Filed in World of Warcraft

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls

Our first glimpse of patch 3.3 is finally here! This information is related to the 5-player dungeon being added in Wrath of the Lich King's final major content patch.

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

Icecrown Citadel will feature a massive five-player dungeon sprawling across three wings of the citadel's foundation. While the Lich King's attention is focused on the Argent Crusade and the Knights of the Ebon Blade ripping through the front gates, players will be tested as they assist Jaina Proudmoore (Alliance) and Sylvanas Windrunner (Horde) in infiltrating the citadel through an alternate entrance.

An epic quest line will present adventurers with the task of weakening Icecrown Citadel's forces, requiring that players defeat the challenges in each dungeon wing before venturing into the next one. Normal and Heroic versions of the dungeon will be accessible to players, although each wing will be considered a separate instance; therefore, on Heroic difficulty, each wing will have its own separate lockout timer. All-new rewards -- including item level 219 (normal) and level 232 (Heroic) loot -- will be offered to those who destroy some of the Lich King's most formidable allies.

The Forge of Souls

Serving as the first wing in this expansive dungeon, the Forge of Souls will quickly put players to the test of carving through the Scourge stronghold into deeper, more treacherous locations. Jaina will command Alliance forces, and Sylvanas will direct Horde forces. The goal is to ruin the twisted engines known as soul grinders found in this portion of the citadel, and then players can advance -- that is, if the Horde and Alliance forces can overcome the foes who confront them.

Bosses
  • Bronjahm, the Godfather of Souls: An instrument of reckoning, Bronjahm watches over the engines in the Forge of Souls. He must be killed if the soul grinders are to be destroyed.
  • The Devourer of Souls: As the chief operator of the engines found in this wing, the Devourer stands guard over the souls stolen by the Lich King.

Pit of Saron

Accessible only to those who have laid waste to the Forge of Souls' unholy operations, the Pit of Saron will bring Horde and Alliance forces deeper into the Lich King's domain. Players who venture here will immediately be confronted by the lord of this lair, Scourgelord Tyrannus. But defeating him will not be as easy as it seems. Before they can present a threat to Tyrannus, the adventurers, instructed by their leaders, will need to free enslaved allies who have been trapped by the Scourge. Until that happens, Tyrannus will leave all adversaries to his minions, workers of the citadel's mines. Perhaps the challenges here will lend clues as to the whereabouts of the Lich King's private chambers outside of the Frozen Throne, deep within the Halls of Reflection.

Bosses
  • Forgemaster Garfrost: A master of Scourge weaponry, the forgemaster hauls stocks of saronite ore and other precious materials to the cold forges where the mechanisms of death are born. With a host of rime weapons and exotic alloys at his disposal, it could get cold in here.
  • Krick and Ick: Zombies serve as mindless muscle in the Pit of Saron's mines, stockpiling metals for Forgemaster Garfrost, and Krick -- a devious leper gnome -- supervises the operations from atop Ick, Krick's ghastly means of transportation.
  • Scourgelord Tyrannus: Tyrannus is a terrible force who will no doubt demonstrate his powers to those brave enough to enter the Pit of Saron. The scourgelord must die if players hope to make their way into the third and final wing of this dungeon.

Halls of Reflection

With Jaina and Sylvanas leading the way, adventurers who make it as far as these frigid halls will quickly recognize the weapon that lies ahead: Frostmourne, the corruptive, legendary device of the Lich King himself. The Lich King's private chambers are within reach, although they may be the death of anyone who ventures there.

Bosses
  • Falric and Marwyn: Captains for Arthas Menethil in life, Scourge commanders for the Lich King in death, Falric and Marwyn will be summoned to the Halls of Reflection for one purpose: destroying all intruders.
  • The Lich King: Sylvanas, thirsty for vengeance against the corrupted prince who sentenced her to an existence as an undead monstrosity, and Jaina, eager to find a flicker of Arthas's soul locked somewhere within the Lich King, have brought their hand-picked allies to this final confrontation. Arthas's true power may only now be discovered. Is there any hope in this mission, or does only death await?

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  • daryllize said
    Sun, Oct 4 2009 9:35 AM ()

    i was beeped nooooo

  • daryllize said
    Sun, Oct 4 2009 9:34 AM ()

    i hope they dont **** anything up

  • Fri, Oct 2 2009 3:32 PM ()

    when does the patch come out??

  • martyg1 said
    Fri, Oct 2 2009 6:11 AM ()

    guys its pretty obvious how this will go u defeat arthas in the 5man he gets to 1% hp and then the boss is over and he returns to his thrown etc etc this way lets the few that would never previously down arthas see some of the content.and tbh by the looks of things this will be a long patch at least a few months as it is end raid content, mayb coming out november ish and then cataclysm for the spring/summer seems to make sense.

    New content so far looks brilliant and finally a semblance of a storey line is beginning to emerge in the game.

    Think weve still got at least another 4/5 weeks of the filler crap that is toc.

  • souliisoul said
    Fri, Oct 2 2009 1:17 AM ()

    Hi All,

    At last Blizzard are catering to the majority people, i.e., non-raiders. I am very glad we will get to kick Lich King's ass and I may come and play WoW, once 3.3 is released at moment having great fun with AoC and WAR.

    Soul

  • Thu, Oct 1 2009 10:26 AM ()

    A heroic that drops 232 gear, not to mention that the normal, farmable version drops 219 gear. And you thought H ToC was a loot pinata!

  • Thu, Oct 1 2009 9:56 AM ()

    Just like Kody said, Only 20% of WoW subscribers raid. This is obviously in place to let the other 80% of subscribers see the epicness that is the Lich King.

  • Thu, Oct 1 2009 7:20 AM ()

    the lich king as a 5 man?  Maybe this is just a prelude to another confrontation?  Still, would be neat to be able to do the end-game content without having to have 20 and 40 man groups.

  • Ricen1 said
    Thu, Oct 1 2009 5:59 AM ()

    Blizz is killing the game... 5 man? wtf

  • Thu, Oct 1 2009 12:06 AM ()

    All this so soon after 3.2? We are still seeing world first acheivments for THAT patch! Either the next expansion will be out quick or we will be farming Arthas for a year.

    I smell desperation.

    WOW is circling the drain and they know it

  • NeoHazard said
    Wed, Sep 30 2009 10:52 PM ()

    Dont kick the baby, lol

  • Wed, Sep 30 2009 7:16 PM ()

    wow only 20% O.O

    Even with the loot pinata that is VoA?

  • Kody said
    Wed, Sep 30 2009 5:44 PM ()

    @Megamanx266: Yep. Around 80% of subscribers only do 5-player content (granted 20% of 11.5 million+ is a lot of people), so the goal is to allow all players to experience -- at least in some form -- the epicness of fighting the Lich King.

    @Madramza: Frostmourne won't be obtainable. Apparently they "have plans" for it, based on comments at BlizzCon. There *will* be a legendary 2h axe called Shadowmourne, but that will only come from the raid version of Icecrown Citadel.

  • Madramza said
    Wed, Sep 30 2009 5:16 PM ()

    lol any1 know if Frostmourne will be dropped... it would be pretty weird to see more then one person hopping around with frostmournes

  • Wed, Sep 30 2009 3:56 PM ()

    I would assume that this is to let casual players have access to Arthas.

  • Kody said
    Wed, Sep 30 2009 2:15 PM ()

    @zephus67: You will! The 5-player dungeon is how he'll be weak enough to defeat in 10/25!

  • zephus67 said
    Wed, Sep 30 2009 1:56 PM ()

    I would have thought we would be fighting the Lich King in a 10/25 man raid, not in a 5 man dungeon :/

  • Have91 said
    Wed, Sep 30 2009 1:51 PM ()

    Krick and Ick? Are you serious? Please tell me I'm not the only one that gets what this is from lol. Also... This is going to be pretty damn epic.

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