The Deadmines (Dungeon)
| The Deadmines | |
|---|---|
 Loading screen | |
| Zone | Westfall |
| Continent | Eastern Kingdoms |
| Level Range | 17–26 |
| Players | 5 |
The Deadmines is the Defias Brotherhood's secret mine beneath Westfall, ending aboard Edwin VanCleef's hidden pirate ship.
It is the classic first dungeon for Alliance characters, although anyone can run it. The route is linear: through the mine, into a goblin foundry, and out into a huge underground cove where the Defias are building a warship. There are seven bosses plus a rare, and it has more loot than any other dungeon at its level.
Information on this page comes from the Forever beta (client builds 1.60.1.69913 to 1.60.1.70009, September 2026). Stats, drops and quest rewards can still change before launch on 4 November 2026.
Overview
[edit | edit source]| Location | Moonbrook, Westfall (Eastern Kingdoms) |
|---|---|
| Recommended level | 17–26 |
| Group Finder level | 16 |
| Group size | 5 players |
| Bosses | 7, plus Miner Johnson (rare) |
| Quests | 7, plus the chains that lead to them |
| Lockout | None seen on the beta so far |
17–26 is the band community sites use for Forever, and 16 is the level the Group Finder lists. Blizzard has not given an official range for the Classic dungeons. Around 40 different items can drop inside, including a full leather set, the Blackened Defias armour.
History
[edit | edit source]- Lore from Classic – Forever may differ.
After the Second War, the Stonemasons' Guild rebuilt Stormwind City. When the work was done, the nobles of the House of Nobles refused to pay them. The guild's leader, Edwin VanCleef, led his stonemasons out of the city in revolt. They became the Defias Brotherhood, a gang of bandits that has overrun Westfall.
Beneath the ruined village of Moonbrook, the Brotherhood took over an old mine and turned it into their hidden base. Goblin engineers work for them there, and in a great cavern at the end of the tunnels they are building a warship, a juggernaut meant to strike at Stormwind itself. The People's Militia at Sentinel Hill, led by Gryan Stoutmantle, has spent a long time tracking down the hideout and now wants VanCleef dead.
Getting there
[edit | edit source]The instance is inside the mine at Moonbrook, in southern Westfall, at roughly 38, 77 on the Westfall map. The mine tunnels before the instance portal are full of Defias and undead miners, and elite Defias roam the road to Moonbrook, so it's safer to meet up at the mine entrance. The nearest flight path is Sentinel Hill.
Bosses
[edit | edit source]- Boss abilities are Classic data – Forever may differ.
Rhahk'Zor
[edit | edit source]An ogre foreman guarding the first big room of the mine.
Abilities: Rhahk'Zor Slam – stuns the tank.
Tactics: Healers keep the tank topped up through the stun. Otherwise a straightforward fight.
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| Ogre Loincloth | Legs, Cloth |
| Rockslicer | Two-Hand, Axe |
| Rhahk'Zor's Hammer | Two-Hand, Mace |
Miner Johnson (rare)
[edit | edit source]A rare elite in a small side room off the mine tunnels. He's safe to skip.
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| Gold-plated Buckler | Off Hand, Shield |
| Miner's Cape | Back |
Sneed
[edit | edit source]A goblin who fights from inside his lumber shredder.
Abilities: Disarm (Sneed himself).
Tactics: Destroy Sneed's Shredder first; Sneed then jumps out and fights on foot. The shredder drops the Gnoam Sprecklesprocket for Underground Assault. Both the shredder and Sneed have loot.
| Item | Type | Dropped by |
|---|---|---|
| Buzz Saw | One-Hand, Sword | Sneed's Shredder |
| Buzzer Blade | Main Hand, Dagger | Sneed's Shredder |
| Bandsaw Wristbands | Wrist, Mail | Sneed |
| Dull Sawblade | Thrown | Sneed |
| Taskmaster Axe | Two-Hand, Axe | Sneed |
| Gold-flecked Gloves | Hands, Cloth | Sneed |
Gilnid
[edit | edit source]The goblin smelter who runs the foundry.
Abilities: Molten Metal – thrown at players.
Tactics: The smelters and goblins around him join in; clear them before pulling Gilnid. The foundry is also where Alliance players plant the explosives for Destruction in Deadmines (see Quests).
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| Lavishly Jeweled Ring | Finger |
| Smelting Pants | Legs, Leather |
Mr. Smite
[edit | edit source]VanCleef's first mate, the first boss aboard the ship.
Abilities: Smite Stomp – stuns the whole party. As his health drops, he stomps and then runs to his chest to swap weapons, going from a hammer to dual-wielding axes.
Tactics: Regroup after each stun, and let the tank pick him back up after the weapon swap.
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| First Mate Band | Finger (set piece) |
| Smite's Mighty Hammer | Two-Hand, Mace |
| Thief's Blade | One-Hand, Sword |
| Smite's Reaver | One-Hand, Axe |
Cookie
[edit | edit source]The ship's murloc cook, down in the galley below deck.
Abilities: Cookie's Cooking (heals himself) and Acid Splash.
Tactics: Interrupt the cooking, or the fight drags on.
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| Lookie's Spyglass | Trinket |
| Cookie's Stirring Rod | Ranged, Wand |
| Cookie's Tenderizer | One-Hand, Mace |
Captain Greenskin
[edit | edit source]The goblin captain of the ship.
Abilities: Poisoned Harpoon and Cleave.
Tactics: Cure the poison, and everyone except the tank should stay behind him.
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| Emberstone Staff | Two-Hand, Staff |
| Blackened Defias Belt | Waist, Leather (set piece) |
| Impaling Harpoon | Two-Hand, Polearm |
Edwin VanCleef
[edit | edit source]The leader of the Defias Brotherhood, on the upper deck toward the stern.
Abilities: Thrash (extra attacks while dual-wielding) and VanCleef's Allies, which summons Defias guards as his health drops.
Tactics: Crowd-control or kill the summoned guards before they overwhelm the healer. Loot his head for The Defias Brotherhood, and check his body for An Unsent Letter.
| Item | Type |
|---|---|
| Cape of the Brotherhood | Back |
| Corsair's Overshirt | Chest, Cloth |
| Blackened Defias Armor | Chest, Leather (set piece) |
| Cruel Barb | One-Hand, Sword |
Other drops
[edit | edit source]These drop from trash in the Deadmines (or, for the Goblin Hammer, from a source not yet confirmed): Goblin Hammer, Stonemason Trousers, Blackened Defias Boots, Goblin Mail Leggings, Blackwater Cutlass, Blackened Defias Leggings, Blackened Defias Gloves, Silk-threaded Trousers, Stonemason Cloak, Goblin Screwdriver, Metalworking Gloves, Woodworking Gloves and Defias Rapier.
The Blackened Defias set
[edit | edit source]The five-piece leather set is made up of the belt (Captain Greenskin), the armor (Edwin VanCleef) and the boots, leggings and gloves (trash). Forever has changed its set bonuses. ForeverChanges lists a 4-piece bonus that gives melee attacks from behind a 5% chance to make the target bleed for 70 Physical damage over 5 seconds.
Quests
[edit | edit source]| Quest | Level | Faction | Given by | Objective | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Silk Bandanas | 17 | Both | Scout Riell, Sentinel Hill tower, Westfall (56.7, 47.4) | Bring 10 Red Silk Bandanas (from Defias inside). | A choice of four items (not yet confirmed for Forever) |
| Collecting Memories | 18 | Both | Wilder Thistlenettle, Dwarven District, Stormwind (65.4, 21.2) | Bring 4 Miners' Union Cards. | A choice of Tunneler's Boots, Dusty Mining Gloves or Worn Miner's Waistcord |
| Destruction in Deadmines | 18 | Alliance | Starts from the Extra-Destructive Explosives item | Plant the explosives near the hidden forge, then meet Alba Fairmoon at the Deadmines exit. | New in Forever; rewards not yet confirmed |
| Oh Brother. . . | 20 | Both | Wilder Thistlenettle, Stormwind | Bring back Foreman Thistlenettle's Explorers' League Badge. | A choice of Miner's Revenge, Miner's Workgloves or Miner's Workboots |
| Underground Assault | 20 | Both | Shoni the Shilent, Dwarven District, Stormwind (55.5, 12.5) | Recover the Gnoam Sprecklesprocket from Sneed's Shredder. | A choice of Polar Gauntlets, Sable Wand, Bravo's Armbands or Dreamer's Leggings |
| The Defias Brotherhood | 22 | Alliance | Gryan Stoutmantle, Sentinel Hill, Westfall (56.3, 47.5) | Kill Edwin VanCleef and bring his head back. | A choice of three items (Classic: Chausses, Tunic or Staff of Westfall) |
| The Unsent Letter | 22 | Alliance | Starts from An Unsent Letter (Edwin VanCleef) | Take the letter to City Architect Baros Alexston in Stormwind. | Leads on to The Stockade |
Quests can be picked up from around level 14–15. Reward lists come from beta data where available. Where the Forever rewards haven't been confirmed yet, the Classic rewards are given for reference.
Miners' Union Cards and Foreman Thistlenettle
[edit | edit source]The Miners' Union Cards drop from the undead miners (Skeletal Miners, Undead Dynamiters and Undead Excavators) in the mine tunnels outside the instance portal. Foreman Thistlenettle, who carries the badge for Oh Brother. . ., is also in those outer tunnels. Both quests can be finished without entering the instance.
The Defias Brotherhood chain
[edit | edit source]This long Alliance chain starts with Gryan Stoutmantle at Sentinel Hill. He sends you to Wiley the Black in Lakeshire, back to Westfall, on to Master Mathias Shaw in Stormwind, and back again. Next you track down a Defias Messenger in Westfall, and finally you escort the Defias Traitor to the Brotherhood's hideout at Moonbrook. The final step is to kill VanCleef. Red Silk Bandanas becomes available partway through the chain.
Underground Assault
[edit | edit source]Gnoarn in Ironforge has an optional pointer quest, Speak with Shoni, that sends you to Shoni the Shilent in Stormwind. Two of Shoni's four reward choices, Bravo's Armbands and Dreamer's Leggings, are new in Forever.
The Unsent Letter
[edit | edit source]Edwin VanCleef can drop An Unsent Letter. Baros Alexston then sends you to Warden Thelwater (Bazil Thredd), which leads into The Stockade Riots in The Stockade.
Walkthrough
[edit | edit source]- Route details are Classic data – Forever may differ.
- The outer mine – before the portal, collect Miners' Union Cards and kill Foreman Thistlenettle.
- Rhahk'Zor – the first room inside. Miner Johnson may be in a side room nearby.
- The lumber mill – Sneed and his Shredder.
- The foundry – Gilnid and his smelters. Alliance players plant the explosives next to the Defias gunpowder here. Blow open the door with the cannon to reach the cove.
- The ship – Mr. Smite on the deck, Cookie down in the galley, Captain Greenskin, and finally Edwin VanCleef on the upper deck at the stern.
Denizens
[edit | edit source]- Classic data – Forever may differ.
- Bosses: Rhahk'Zor, Sneed (and Sneed's Shredder), Gilnid, Mr. Smite, Cookie, Captain Greenskin, Edwin VanCleef
- Rare: Miner Johnson
- Defias Brotherhood: Defias Miner, Defias Overseer, Defias Evoker, Defias Squallshaper, Defias Pirate, Defias Blackguard and others
- Goblins: Goblin Engineer, Goblin Craftsman, Goblin Woodcarver, Goblin Shipbuilder
- Others: Undead miners and Foreman Thistlenettle (outer mine), Defias Companions (VanCleef's parrots)
Tips
[edit | edit source]- Pick up the Stormwind quests (Wilder Thistlenettle and Shoni) and the Sentinel Hill quests before heading down.
- Do the outer-mine quests on the way in: Miners' Union Cards and Thistlenettle's badge.
- Poison cures help on Captain Greenskin, and interrupts help on Cookie.
- Mr. Smite's stomp can scatter the group. Stay close to the tank so nobody wanders into another pack.
- Always loot VanCleef for An Unsent Letter; it leads into The Stockade.