Ultimate Strat Guide

[Krazzee]

(Mostly) Everything You Need to Know About Stratholme

� Stratholme, an Introduction
o Why bother?
o What can you do there?
o Where is it?
o What should you bring?
o What DON�T you do?
o 5 vs. 10 vs. 8
� Town Side
o Introduction
o Houses of the Holy
o The Flesh Doesn�t Lie
o The Restless Souls
o Skul (Rare)
o Fras Siabi
o The Postmaster, AKA How to Make Your Mage Happy
o Hearthsinger Forresten (Rare)
o The Unforgiven (Rare)
o Magistrate Barthilas
� Scarlet Side
o Introduction
o Timmy the Cruel
o Scarlet Thread
o Serenity
o Cannon Master Willey
o Malor the Zealous
o Archivist Galford
o Of Love and Family
o Grand Crusader Dathrohan and Balnazzar
o Getting Out
� Baron Side
o Introduction
o Aurius
o Stonespine (Rare)
o Corruption
o Baroness Anastari
o The Active Agent
o Nerub�enkan
o Maleki the Pallid
o Magistrate Barthilas
o Frayed Abomination Stitching
o Ramstein the Gorger
o Baron Rivendare
o Aurius� Reckoning
o Menethil�s Gift
o Getting out

Stratholme, an Introduction
Stratholme, a once-great city, is now in ruins. It is overrun with the animated corpses of the townspeople, who wander their streets in dire search of flesh. Baron Rivendare now rules over this rotting, tainted city with an array of corrupted minions. The only living beings in the city are the Scarlet Crusade, who are barely holding onto one section of the city through sheer numbers. It is your task to rid this city of the overzealous Crusade and the monstrosities under Rivendare�s dominion.

Why Bother?
Stratholme is a dungeon that can accommodate up to ten players. It is filled with quests and objectives, as well as memorable boss fights and valuable items. As the author of this guide, I myself practically live there. I decided to write this guide as a way of educating people and enlightening them as to the joys of Stratholme. After all, what could be more amusing than the dance-inducing sound of the Piccolo of the Flaming Fire, becoming possessed by the Baroness, or the ever-popular phrase, �You�ve been Malowned!�? If you think you can spare a few hours and you wish to take part in the liberation of this city, form a party or raid and head straight there. If you still need convincing, bear in mind that, among other things, every class� pants can be found here, as well as a rare set of bridles that can summon the Baron�s own horse.

What Can You Do There?
For starters, there are a few smaller quests to be done within the gates of the city. These are worthwhile, especially one that eventually leads you to a quest for better Argent Dawn commission trinkets. Additionally, there are some quests on a larger scale that eventually take you through both sides and offer steep rewards.

To start, you�ll want to do a series of quests issued by Tirion Fordring. He is located along the river that divides the Eastern and Western Plaguelands, on the eastern side. One can also take a tunnel from Terrordale, west of Plaguewood. After running a few errands for him, you�ll eventually be directed to recover a valuable painting.

Additionally, try to contact several members of the Argent Dawn at Light�s Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands. Leonid Barthalomew the Revered requests a supply of holy water from Stratholme. Smokey LaRue will ask for a batch of Fras Siabi�s famous tobacco. Betina Bigglezink would like a few samples of plagued flesh. Caretaker Alen will direct you to meet with Egan, who�s hiding in Terrordale and tells you to go Ghostbuster on the spirits of the city (Egan� blasting ghosts�. Hah!). Finally, Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff will command you to take out the Archivist and his office work.

Another quest to note is in the Ras Frostwhisper line. After helping Eva Sarkhoff in her Scholomance affairs, she�ll give you a nifty little item that lets you interact with the spirits of Caer Darrow, namely Magistrate Marduke at some �throne�. He�ll ask for a book found in Stratholme.

After working for the Blightcaller for awhile, the Horde will eventually be directed to Stratholme in search of Ramstein. Also, blacksmiths on the road to specialization may eventually be asked to enter Stratholme in search for plans or documents. I�m afraid I have little information on this matter, as I am a tailor and skinner, but when the time arises, I shall indicate what is to be done. Finally, the epic item quests, each of which is started in the Upper Blackrock Spire (one by a dying whelp outside Rend�s arena, the other by a gnome spit up by The Beast), ask for Frayed Abomination Stitchings, and the Cap of the Scarlet Savant also requires Enchanted Scarlet Thread, both of which are found only in Stratholme.

That pretty much covers the quests here. I�ll explain the quests that require a second visit when the time arises.

Where is it?
Stratholme is located in the Eastern Plaguelands. There are two entrances. The main gate is due north of Plaguewood, and it shuts behind you as soon as you enter the instance. In other words, if any party member enters through that entrance, even if you�re trying to defeat the Baron, you�ll all have to enter through there. The side entrance, also known as the Service Entrance, is located to the northeast of Plaguewood and almost due north of the nearest graveyard. On your map, you�ll see a cave nearby; that is the entrance. However, it does require the Key to the City, which can only be found inside the city. For all practical purposes, let�s divide the city into three: the first side is the Scarlet Side, also known as the Living or Human Side. This incorporates a path from King�s Square (the entrance), turning left to Fras Siabi�s area, turning right onto Market Row, and finally left into Crusaders� Square and the building within. The best entrance for this is the main entrance. The second is the Baron Side, also known as the Dead or Undead Side. This incorporates Elders� Square (the side entrance), The Gauntlet to the north of that, and the Baron�s residence. These two sides are very commonly referred to by such names. However, I�d like to argue a third side, the Town Side. Odds are, you�ll never hear anyone use this phrase, but it suits my purposes well. It includes, much like the Scarlet area, King�s Square, Fras Siabi�s area, and the entirety of Market Row. Depending on certain circumstances, it may also extend to the Crusaders� Square, Festival Lane, and/or Elders� Square. One could also call this the Postmaster route, as it is the most effective way to reach all the postboxes. Finally, if your group wishes to combat the Baron but nobody has the Key to the City, one should take the main entrance, turning right toward Festival Lane, and continue eastward to Elders� Square.

What Should You Bring?
There really isn�t too much that one needs to bring to Stratholme. As far as equipment goes, anything will do. Resistance to shadow or holy damage, depending on which side you�re exploring, is always nice, but you should be fine with whatever you bring. Bring however many arrows or bullets you think you�ll need; you�ll probably be using enough for about two hours of fighting (though some trips may, of course, move more slowly or quickly), so plan accordingly. Potions and food aren�t too necessary, save drinks for the casters, but they will cut down on down-time. The only things I highly recommend bringing are the Scarlet Key, which can be obtained from Arcanist Doan�s strongbox in the Scarlet Monastery, as well as the Key to the City, if you have it, and your Argent Dawn Commission or other similar item.

As far as group formation goes, I�d bring one tank, a priest (and I do mean priest; spells like Shackle Undead and Abolish Disease are priceless here), either a rogue or mage (here, I�d go for mages, not only because they can polymorph and use area of effect spells but also because Stratholme is very rewarding for them; I�ll explain later), and any other two classes. Typically, the groups I�ve seen here have been very good with crowd control and AoE, and there are a lot of crowds here, so bear that in mind. Paladins work well against the undead and provide some much-needed support; priests are always essential; mages find themselves quite at home in Stratholme; warlocks are great for the Scarlet Side, as well as any five-man group; warriors and rogues seem to fare fairly well here; druids aren�t quite as powerful as priests here but are always welcome; as an Alliance member, I�m not familiar with shaman but I believe they�d do well enough; hunters work well on the Scarlet Side, but the Baron and Town Sides aren�t narrow enough to benefit from traps, and uncontrolled pets tend to mess up crowd control. Then again, I�ve seen very interesting groups before that have worked fairly effectively, so feel free to fiddle around with formations to see what works best.

As for raid parties rules are a little more relaxed, but I�d still bring at least one priest, a tank, and a crowd-control class. I�ve seen some fairly interesting combinations before, such as one group with two priests and two druids (the druids went feral and one of the priests got to use her shadow form), and other groups with many paladins or many hunters. Finally, everyone�s levels should be, at the very least, 55 or higher. I typically raid with people that are 57 or higher and group with 58s and up. Keeping the levels up not only helps your attacks and spells to hit, but it�ll also prevent you from premature aggro.

What DON�T you do?
Stratholme is a lovely place, and there is a good amount of free will, but there are some things that you simply don�t want to do.

Here�s a general rule that should help you: If you don�t know what something is, or if you know that it can kill you, don�t touch it. Here are the things that can kill you, if you�re not careful:
-Trapped crates. Yes, they do contain that precious holy water, but they can also contain a plague, plagued insects, or plagued rats. Call a dwarf over to check it out with their racial ability or bring your AoE damager to be on the safe side, and make sure you�re ready.
-Fras Siabi�s tobacco box. Opening this box will spawn Fras Siabi, who I would consider mini-boss strength. If you do decide to open it, make sure everyone�s ready and that the coast is clear. I�ve had one group where this was opened without anyone else�s knowledge, at the same time as someone was opening a mailbox. Needless to say, it did not go well.
-Mailboxes. Again, using the keys for these things will spawn three enemy mailmen, so make sure everyone�s ready.
-Gates. Some gates in this city are trapped. When the trap is sprung, all the nearby gates slam shut and whoever is inside is left to face, alone, a group of plagued rats or insects. Nobody outside of the gates can cure those inside or fight the enemies, so make sure that the first person to pass through is an AoE damager with some sort of protection spell.

A few other things� never run up ahead, especially if you�re one of the lower levels in your group. Don�t start anything until everyone�s ready. Watch out for patrols, and if you ever see an Eye of Naxxramas, KILL IT QUICKLY and be prepared to fight any helpers it summons.

5 Vs. 10 Vs. 8
Whenever you fight as a group, it�s an entirely different animal than a raid. Groups of five people have the ability to actually complete quests, but they�re limited in what they can do. For starters, they need to pull carefully and use as much crowd control as possible. Healers, of course, will be limited in their actions. Hate management will be rather important for tanks (especially if I�m in the group. :P ). Try to have fun, but don�t get yourselves killed. Boss fights will be tougher, especially the end-boss of each �Side� (more on that later), so don�t get discouraged. Make sure everyone knows precisely what they�re doing and NEVER run ahead.

Raid teams will be significantly easier and more relaxed, but again, make sure everyone knows their role. Survivability and speed is increased tenfold, and believe me, I�ve seen some �miraculous chaos� unfold. Then again, most of the quests cannot be completed in raids. The only ones that I can confirm to be able to be completed in a raid are the quest from Scholomance, the blacksmithing quests, the holy water quest, and the quest for the epic items. Recent patches have made almost certain that they cannot be completed in a raid, even if one were to temporarily drop out. I�ve heard rumors about becoming the leader and being the last one in the instance, but I�ve yet to confirm that.

Eight-man raids are an interesting concept; if a class-specific item drops, there is no contest as to who obtains it. However, enemies in Stratholme don�t often drop those, save the Baron. In all practicality, it�s safer to take a full ten and figure out who gets what later.

Now, let�s get started on our journey, shall we?


Town Side

Introduction
The dead roam the streets, clustered in groups, to prey upon the weak. Put them out of their misery and collect a few goodies along the way.

This side, though never referred to as such, is where most of the smaller quests are found. Also, by taking the path suggested, one may find a rare boss or two that a Scarlet or Baron run would not find. This is a shame, as one of the bosses drops one of the most amusing items in the game.

It may serve well to introduce the players. As soon as you walk into the city, you will be confronted with a group of undead. This is a typical setup in King�s Square, Market Row, Festival Lane, and the Elders� Square: two or three elite undead stand amongst two or three non-elite casters and two or three non-elite melee attackers. The best bet here is to have somebody attracting the attention of each elite; one can be shackled, while the other one or two is tanked. Doing this will free up your mages and warlocks to rain down upon the enemy with AoE attacks. Sometimes one of the elites will spawn a non-elite upon death. You should also see, at least in King�s Square and Market Row, a few spectral citizens who don�t usually attack. These can be ignored for the time being, but if you manage to hook one, simply take it out.

As for the quests�

Houses of the Holy- This quest is fairly simple; just open nearby boxes. As previously mentioned, though, some of them contain traps. Either have a dwarf use the racial ability, Find Treasure, or bring an AoE friend to fight anything that pops up. I don�t recommend doing this if your group is in a hurry or is unready, though.

The Flesh Doesn�t Lie- Simply gather twenty samples of flesh off of the undead. I�ve found they usually come from the ones that have some flesh still hanging off of them. They drop in multiples, so don�t let the requirement of twenty scare you. This quest has a follow-up, called the Active Agent, which requires you to come back on the Baron Side. I can confirm that this quest cannot be completed in a raid.

The Restless Souls- Whenever you kill a spectral or ghostly citizen, you�ll see a wisp or two starting to zoom around the place. Simply blast enough of them and you�re done. I can confirm that this quest cannot be completed in a raid.

As you�re doing these quests, make your way to the left. You�ll see, not far from the entrance, there will be a little cul-de-sac which contains a few items of interest. This area, due to one of the quests involved, will be referred to as �Fras Siabi�s area�. First, there is a possibility you may see an enemy by the name of �Skul�. Through my experience, I�ve never seen him there, but I have confirmed reports of such. He�ll drop a few things, and then you can move on. Second is a box of tobacco:

The Great Fras Siabi- Opening Pandora�s Snuff Box (so to speak) will unleash the twisted remains of Fras Siabi. Take him out, grab the tobacco, and you�re done. I can confirm that this quest cannot be completed in a raid, so please don�t get your raid killed by popping this guy.

Finally, tucked in this little corner is a Stratholme Courier. This requires a lengthy explanation�

The Postmaster, AKA How to Make Your Mage Happy
Please, if you have a mage in your group, have mercy on his or her poor, little soul. Their class-specific boots drop off of Postmaster Malown (Malown� a mailman� Hah!). Not often is a group willing to spend the time on him, and even if they do manage to defeat him, there�s only a chance that the Magister�s Boots. Moreover, he drops his own five-piece cloth armor set, the Postmaster set, which also does casters wonders. So, please, have a heart and do this with your mage.

Ehem� sorry for the shameless begging. Anyway, here�s how you do it: the Stratholme Courier, once killed, will drop three keys at random. Depending on which three you obtain, you may have to do a little or a lot of legwork and fighting. Four of them are on the way, so there�s a good chance you won�t have too much trouble, but the other two (Festival Lane and Elders� Square) may take awhile to reach.

One key goes to the mailbox right nearby (Fras Siabi�s Mailbox). Another is just behind you (King�s Square Mailbox). A third requires just a little bit of clearing on your way to the Scarlet Crusade stronghold, and it�ll be on your right (Market Row Mailbox). The fourth is actually right next to the stronghold itself (Crusaders� Square Mailbox). If you still have keys left, keep clearing your way east from Market Row.

Along your way, you may run into a couple rare bosses. One is known as The Unforgiven (who, I�m afraid, I haven�t seen, but I have confirmed reports), and the other is Hearthsinger Forresten (who I can confirm). I�d highly recommend taking either of them out; Forresten drops, among other things, the Piccolo of the Flaming Fire, which will cause everyone around you to dance when played, and the Woolies of the Prancing Minstrel.

Once you get to the end of Market Row, clear a little ways into Festival Lane. You may see an abomination or two, but don�t be alarmed. They fall fairly easily. Very close to the entrance to Market Row is the fifth mailbox (Festival Lane Mailbox). Turn left and work your way to the giant gate. Across from the gate you�ll see Magistrate Barthilas, one of the bosses on the Baron Side. It is very convenient for you to pull him immediately. He�ll come fight and will give you a couple rewards. Moreover, he will drop the Key to the City, which opens most of the doors on Baron Side. Finally, after a bit of clearing, you�ll come to the Elders� Square Mailbox.

Each time you open a mailbox, two to three Undead Postmen will arise. These guys can hurt, so make sure you Shackle as many as possible. Make sure someone keeps an eye on everyone; these postal employees can curse you horribly. Once they�re out of the way, you can feel free to tamper with the mail as much as you like. Finally, once you open your third mailbox, Postmaster Malown will join the fray along with a few sidekicks. The Postmaster hits very hard, so take him down as soon as you can. Once he�s dead, take out his employees and reward your mage with a well-deserved drop� hopefully�


Scarlet Side

Introduction
Now that you�ve had a taste of city life, it is time to turn attention to the fanatical Scarlet Crusade that occupy a corner of the city. Work your way into the stronghold while watching for reinforcements and invaders.

Scarlet Side, AKA Living or Human Side, is home to a few surprises. Start off your journey by heading to Market Row and taking a left toward the large gate. Now that the undead threat is (mostly) gone, you�ll be dealing with humanoids (mostly). So, send in the rogues and mages to take enemies out of the battle and focus your efforts on one or two. Ideally, you�ll only be facing groups of three to four enemies at a time, so such a task should be simple.

First up is a brigade of defenders outside the stronghold. Some are hiding behind barricades so be careful pulling. Once you clear out all the enemies in front of the stronghold, the undead will slowly start to take advantage of your work (thus the �mostly�). First among them is Timmy the Cruel. He�s undead and he�ll hit fairly hard, but he isn�t much of a threat. Kill him and use the Scarlet Key to enter the building.

From here on out, hunters can breathe a little easier; the hallways are narrow enough for the implementation of ice traps, among others. Be sure to control your pets, though. Also, make sure nobody charges blindly into a room; several hallways have people hidden just behind a corner. Again, proceed to take them out one by one. When you clear a way into a hallway, make sure everyone goes inside and stands on one end, then proceed forward. Also, be on the lookout for patrols, invasions (undead coming from behind), and reinforcements (Scarlet Crusaders coming from the front). Finally, Scarlet Thread may be found inside, lying around the building or on someone�s body. I haven�t seen any to date, I�m afraid.

Once you clear a little way into the building, you�ll come to a hallway with two doors. Take the closer one first and go down into the armory. Here, you�ll work your way through a serpentine hallway. Somewhere in-between, you�ll see some blacksmithing plans on the ground, which, I believe, yield Serenity. If you�re on the quest already, pick them up. Beware, though, as this will spawn the Crimson Hammersmith. Smash his face in and pick up your reward. At the end of this area, you�ll meet Cannon Master Willey. Again, he isn�t too hard, but as his name implies, his long-ranged attacks are a force to be reckoned with. He�ll usually bring a few of his helpers, all non-elite riflemen. If you get everyone to fight behind the cannons, you can use them to take out his little friends from a distance; simply grab a cannonball and load it to fire. It�ll hit anyone and everyone in the way, though. He drops some fairly nice things, including the Miniature Cannon Balls, which drop almost every time.

Backtrack to the hall and go through the other door. You�ll most likely get attacked by opening it. At the end of this hallway, there�ll be a little side room to the left. Inside is Malor the Zealous. He usually doesn�t drop anything interesting, but the true prize is behind him in a box. One person can open it to receive the Medallion of Faith. This little wonder is used in the other half of the city; I�ll address it later, but for now, someone who intends to go to the Baron should take it.

One more hallway remains; there�s a side-room with a few enemies half-way through, but it only has a collection of books. At the end of the hall is where you�ll find your prizes�

The Archivist- To the left is a fairly simple enemy that�s always worth killing, even if you�re in a raid. Outside of a raid, though, you can get credit for killing him and go Office Space on his room. Once completed, you can head back and turn it in; it will indirectly lead to the next quest in the line. I can confirm that this quest cannot be completed in a raid.

Of Love and Family- This painting is also in the Archivist�s room; simply chisel away at the other painting and then take the real deal. I can confirm that this quest cannot be completed in a raid.

Finally, with all other things aside, you�re ready to take on the big boss. Head into the big fancy room across from the Archivist�s battered body. Jump into the fray and start whittling away at the health of Grand Crusader Dathrohan. After having your way with him for a short while, you�ll stop fighting for a second� SURPRISE! He�s actually a giant dreadlord by the name of Balnazzar! Go back to whacking at him, and make sure the main tank keeps hate�clothwearers won�t stand many punches from him. Once he�s dead, revel in the glory of having defeated the boss of Scarlet-Side Stratholme!

The Truth Comes Crashing Down- If you�ve been a good little boy or girl and handed in The Archivist, you should be able to get Balnazzar�s head, which continues the quest. Turn that in, and you�ll be instructed to go after Baron Rivendare.

How to Get Out
If your group doesn�t want to hearthstone or portal out, or if they�re interested in something else within the city, then you�ll have to fight your way through the undead that have only recently taken up residence in the stronghold. These groups are generally easier than the ones outside, so take your time and work your way back to the Crusaders� Square. If you�ve worked quickly, there won�t be anyone outside. Of course, going back to the main gate is impossible�you�re locked in. So, if you haven�t already, start hunting the Postmaster and make your way, as described above, to Elders� Square. From there, you can either head out with your shiny new key or continue on to the Baron. For the following explanation, though, I�ll assume you�ve entered from the side entrance and have not yet been inside this side of Stratholme�

Baron Side

Introduction
The Medallion of Faith and your new �Above and Beyond� quest are clues enough that you should be trying to meet the good Baron. The stakes rise now, and you�ll be fighting tougher battles. However, the rewards are entirely worthwhile. Head to the side entrance to begin your mission.

Once you open the first gate inside the instance, you�ll alert Magistrate Barthilas to your presence. Instead of standing his ground, he�ll run off to warn the Baron of your arrival. Don�t worry; you�ll have your way with him soon enough.

In the Elders� Square, you�ll see a few familiar faces, namely three groups of undead. You�ll notice a human of sorts, Aurius, inside the nearby chapel. Hand him your Medallion of Faith and move on. It may not seem like much, but doing this will reap a great reward later.

Soon, you�ll be meeting a whole different cast of characters. Here, you can find banshees, who aren�t particularly caster-friendly; there are undead spider-creatures, as well, who like to stay back and fire little bugs at your party; gargoyles patrol the city; the Eye of Nexxramas will alert nearby allies or summon new ones if left to their own devices; there will be small groups of humanoid cultists that cast shadow magic and even summon; finally, there are plenty of small groups of elite ghouls.

Head north through the gate, and you�ll arrive at the Gauntlet. It is now, more than ever, that you must pull carefully. Stand just at the gate and start pulling. There will be many gargoyles speedily patrolling the area, and an Eye of Nexxramas will only add to your worries. Take out everything you can, then start making room toward the right. Make sure you don�t miss anything, especially the patrols, as they could hurt your chances of succeeding later. Here is where the last of the rare spawns, Stonespine, spawns (again, since he�s rare, I haven�t had the pleasure of killing him yet, but I do have confirmation that he exists).

The First Ziggurat
By now, you should be within sight of your first target, a ziggurat. There are three ziggurats in the city, each guarded by a trusted ally of the good Baron. By killing all three allies and anyone else inside, one of the three crystals falls. Once this is done, the gates leading to his humble abode will open. But, for now, there�s more clearing to be done. Take out everyone to the right; your mages and rogues will be happy to see a few humanoid targets, even though they�re casters. You should also see the other set of blacksmithing plans on the ground, this time for Corruption. Again, this will spawn the Black Guard Swordsmith, so be prepared to slice him open and loot him.

Once the coast is clear, bring down Baroness Anastari, who�s waiting patiently at the first ziggurat. This should be an amusing fight, as she likes to take possession of one of the characters. She will disappear, and the possessed character will grow in size and start attacking comrades with whatever tools are available to her. It is very important how you fight your friends; if you do too much damage or leave lingering effects, you could end up killing the person. Stick with one-shot spells and attacks, nothing too powerful, nothing channeled, and nothing that leaves effects that last more than a few seconds, especially damage over time effects. That said, take the possessed player down to about 25-50% health and the Baroness will leave her host and resume her physical form. Heal the formerly possessed ally and turn your attention back to the Baroness. Once she�s out of the way, run past her and clean out the ziggurat. There�ll be a few humanoid, non-elite sorcerers inside, so round them up and let the AoE damagers take care of them. Once that is done, the first crystal will fall and you can be free to loot the Baroness. Starting with the Baroness, each mini-boss that you defeat will drop a Corrupter�s Scourgestone, which translates into an instant reputation raise with the Argent Dawn.

The Active Agent- If you�ve turned in your plagued flesh, you should have been directed to return to Stratholme in search of some crucial data inside one of the ziggurats. This may spawn in any one of the ziggurats, I believe. The hard part is spotting it�for comparative purposes, a gnome would find it tiny. Grab the data, hand it in, and enjoy your upgraded commission trinket.

The Second and Third Ziggurats

Backtrack a bit to the gate to the Gauntlet. Where you once stayed to the right and cleared straight ahead, you now want to enter the lane to the left. Start clearing away. When you see the second ziggurat, do not bring down its protector quite yet. It is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL to remove everything surrounding the ziggurat first. The reason is this: Nerub�enkan refuses to stay still, and he will skitter all around the area. Another habit of his is summoning tiny little pests to attack you. Defeat him and his little minions, then slaughter the cultists inside to make the second crystal fall. Don�t forget about Nerub�enkan�s corpse.

Head through the (trapped) gate and start clearing again. Your first pull may have to be a body-pull, as there are enemies close to the gate. Make your way counter-clockwise around the well and over to the last ziggurat. Clear around the base, as well as a few enemies in the alley to the right, then start heading up the stairs. You can take out the four cultists on the steps here without disturbing the last guardian. Maleki the Pallid is probably the easiest fight yet, as he�s really just a mage with an interesting form of Ice Block. Keep silencing, counterspelling, or kicking him to interrupt his casting, and he�ll crumble quickly. Take out the inhabitants to knock over the last crystal and loot Maleki on your way out.

The Baron�s Last Defenses
Now that all three crystals has fallen, the gate to Slaughter Square has risen. First, though, it�s time to take revenge on Magistrate Barthilas. Again, clear counter-clockwise around the well to the passage with the huge gate. Once the gate is clear, look to the east, where the Magistrate awaits, trapped in a corner. Kill him, loot him, and take his key.

Before we move on, another update is in order. Make absolutely sure that nobody runs through the gate early, and make sure that everyone runs through it at the same time. As soon as you do, the gate will come crashing down behind you. It will not open again until either the entire group or raid wipes, or until the Baron�s last defenses are annihilated. Here�s another consequence of this: HUNTERS ARE FORBIDDEN TO FEIGN DEATH. If the party wipes and they feign death, the gates will stay shut. Finally, have the leader switch permanently to master looter and make sure you know who in the party needs abomination stitches. Though controversial, I personally do not like to see people who claim they need it but cannot link the quest to prove it. I was once in a group where someone claimed they had the quest but abandoned it to make room in their quest log. Only later did I realize that this person already had the epic item but had taken it off while we were assigning stitches. As such, you may require of your group to link the actual quest, in spite of their protests. Now, you may proceed.

Inside the gate, you�ll see plenty of abominations. Have your tank pull the first one and take it down. Some of the abominations will spawn non-elite slimes which can be dispatched with a few AoE spells. After the first one is pulled, let the rest come of their own accord, and only pull if it�s taking too long. Once all those abominations are out of the way, the good Baron will fling open the doors and unleash Ramstein the Gorger, the last of the abominations. Take him down and brace yourself for a few waves of enemies. Some will be akin to the city-side groups, and the last will consist of four elites skeletons. Finally, the Baron is exposed.

Ramstein- For all those Horde members asked for his head, don�t forget to grab it and take it to the Blightcaller.

Baron Rivendare
Head into his lair and down the steps. You�ll see an open door, a symbol on the ground, a few piles of skeletons, and Baron Rivendare waiting on his steed in the corner. Enter the room, being careful not to step on the symbol, and regroup in the near-left corner, opposite the good Baron. Make sure everyone is inside before you begin; once the Baron draws his sword, the doors will slam shut and whoever is outside will remain there for the duration of the battle.

Assign one or two people to skeleton duty: the Baron will summon several non-elite skeletons to fight. They don�t require many hits at all to fall, but they must be removed before they can do any considerable damage. Everyone who can heal should heal. You may also have noticed that you�re slowly taking damage, even from standing still outside of battle. This is the effect of the Baron�s aura. Keep yourself healed as best you can. Now, once everyone is ready, send the main tank in with a protection spell. If you�ve turned in the Medallion of Faith, Aurius will come fight on your side against the Baron. Polish off the Baron and cross your fingers for some good drops.

Above and Beyond- Be sure to grab his head after the loot has been distributed. This can be returned for some lovely prizes back at camp.

Aurius� Reckoning- Having fought valiantly, Aurius will give his life to bring down the Baron. Talk to him and send him off, and you will gain an extra reward. To my knowledge, you cannot obtain anything from him twice.

Menethil�s Gift- Place the Keepsake of Remembrance inside the circle and bring the Soulbound Keepsake back to camp.

How to Get Out
Again, if you want to leave the old-fashioned way, you can simply backtrack to the entrance, supposing nothing has respawned (though, often, things do). There�s also an exit just outside the Baron�s house, if you have the key.

[Shanaar]

that's off Allakhazam isn't it?