Skip to Content

WoW Insider has the latest on the Mists of Pandaria!

Posts with tag swamp-of-sorrows





Read more →

Filed under: Lore, Know your Lore

Breakfast Topic: What I won't miss

Visiting the Swamp of Sorrows the other day, I happened to pass by the Temple of Atal'Hakkar (aka the Sunken Temple) and became flooded with memories of the old days. I've had some good times there, back when the game was fresh and I was a newbie trying to learn more about my class and the world. Back then, the dungeon seemed so foreboding and we didn't think too much of losing countless hours navigating the temple's twisted architecture. Eventually, we grew to hate the place.

First of all, getting to the instance itself was no small task. Surrounding the lake where the temple was, well, sunken, there were elite dragonkin that were a handful for characters of appropriate level for the dungeon. That meant needing to be sneaky (or swift) just getting to the middle of the lake. Once you got inside the temple, you had to deal with mummified trolls, oozes and snakes -- elite as far as I can recall -- just to get to the entrance of the instance! That by itself took a good while. Let's not even talk about getting lost on the way there ... the temple before the instance was a convoluted maze of unnecessary rooms, corridors and levels that was littered with NPCs who didn't drop anything good in particular. Oh, and did I mention that there are a whole bunch of quests that take you all around the world and can only be completed inside the instance? It would've been epic if it wasn't such a pain in the butt.

It was fun for a short while, but I suppose I've grown up enough as a player to recognize that it was simply bad game design. Blizzard has grown up, too, right along with us (or it might be the other way around) and started putting out dungeons that were quick, fun, and significantly less confusing. When Cataclysm finally breaks the World of Warcraft, a lot of things will change and go away. I don't know what Blizzard has in store for the Sunken Temple, but I wouldn't miss it if it finally goes under. There are a lot of things I won't miss, actually, but the Temple of Atal'Hakkar is somewhere near the top of my list. How about you? What won't you miss when Cataclysm changes the face of the game world? What parts of the world wouldn't you mind bidding 'good riddance?'

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics

Breakfast Topic: Your favorite routes

Vince sent us this tip from Just my Two Copper: a quick Cobalt circuit in case you're a high level miner and want to spend a few minutes making some ingame money. Truth is, everyone has this various routes that they take in game, whether they be your recent run of dailies, a gathering run (I used to know the Swamp of Sorrows by heart when I was leveling up Herbalism, and even now I've got my own places to go in Sholazar to pick up as much leather as possible), or even a run around to see if you can find some of the rare spawns (the Time-Lost Proto Drake or maybe the spirit beast).

What are some of your favorite, most ingrained (in your mind), or most profitable runs in game? They aren't really a trade secret -- AHs tend to change from server to server, and even if a certain ore or item comes into demand, it's usually because no one wants to farm it, not because it's not out there to find. But we do get set in our patterns -- what are some of yours?

Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics, Making money

Around Azeroth: Sunrise over the swamp

Reader Robots of Turalyon submits this shot of the sun sparkling over the Swamp of Sorrows. (If you've never visited the swamp, the light throughout the zone is is all this unusual golden-brown color.) Though he's been playing for a year and a half now, Robots has recently acquired a new computer and tells us, "I feel like I'm seeing Azeroth for the first time." And I have to admit, it's a lovely screenshot, catching the exact essence of the swamp.

Do you have any screenshots showing off how beautiful Azeroth can really be? We want to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!

Filed under: Screenshots, Around Azeroth

Around Azeroth: Dusk over the swamp

I don't usually consider the Swamp of Sorrows to be a very scenic location, but this shot sent in by reader Ryan seems to prove me wrong. In the golden haze of the sunset, even the Swamp of Sorrows can be a tourist destination. (So long as you can ignore the slight Murloc problem... after all, I'm sure there's just one of them, don't you think?)


Filed under: Screenshots, Around Azeroth

Around Azeroth: The Temple of Atal'Hakkar

Ah, the mysterious sunken temple -- more formally known as the Temple of Atal'Hakkar -- lies in th heart of the Swamp of Sorrows and was a rarely visited dungeon even before the Burning Crusade hit the shelves. However, this shot of the sunken temple, sent in by reader Kaeltor of Hellfire (EU), shows that despite being an unpleasant place to venture into (trust me, the undead Trolls have no concept of hospitality) it can be an impressive place to take a look at. (At least from a safe distance.)


Filed under: Screenshots, Around Azeroth

Around Azeroth

Around Azeroth

Featured Galleries

It came from the Blog: Occupy Orgrimmar
Midsummer Flamefest 2013
Running of the Orphans 2013
World of Warcraft Tattoos
HearthStone Sample Cards
HearthStone Concept Art
It came from the Blog: Lunar Lunacy 2013
Art of Blizzard Gallery Opening