What the Drakefire Amulet does

Onyxia's Lair is WoW: Forever's 40-player raid in Dustwallow Marsh, and it unlocks on 9 December 2026 with Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit. Blizzard's 20 October raid overview says each member of the raid has to carry the Drakefire Amulet to enter. It only has to be in your bags. You do not need to wear it.

You earn the amulet through a faction-specific quest chain, and it belongs to that one character. On the 8 October episode of the official WoW: Forever Podcast, a designer said of the Onyxia attunement: "It's not account-wide, at least at launch." He called it a ritual you go through when a character reaches max level. Every alt you want in the raid does its own chain.

The fight itself has three phases and heavy fire damage. Blizzard tells raiders to build fire resistance before going in and to be ready to reposition as the battle shifts. All three raids are currently planned to reset weekly, and defeating Onyxia counts toward the Raids category of the Legacy System.

A gold chain hangs over the Dustwallow Marsh grass with the red Drakefire Amulet at its end, labelled Drakefire Amulet, in your bags, not worn, while Dee stands in the glowing mouth of Onyxia's Lair.
Blackrock Depths, Lower and Upper Blackrock Spire: every link has to be in place before the lair opens.

The Alliance chain, step by step

The Alliance chain starts in the Burning Steppes and runs through Blackrock Depths, Stormwind and Upper Blackrock Spire. Quest for quest it is the chain from the original game: the same names appear in order in Wowhead's Classic database, from Dragonkin Menace to the Drakefire Amulet itself.

Blizzard's post spells the squire at Stormwind's gates two ways, Rower and Rowe. In the original chain he is Squire Rowe.

  1. Pick up Dragonkin Menace from Helendis Riverhorn in the Burning Steppes.
  2. Follow the six quests named The True Masters, which investigate the Black Dragonflight's hold on the Blackrock clan.
  3. At Morgan's Vigil, Marshal Maxwell sends you into Blackrock Depths to find Marshal Windsor, or proof of his death. Windsor sends you back to Maxwell with Abandoned Hope.
  4. Loot A Crumpled Up Note from enemies in Blackrock Depths and take it to Windsor in his cell.
  5. For A Shred of Hope, recover Windsor's lost information from Golem Lord Argelmach and General Angerforge, both in Blackrock Depths.
  6. Get Windsor out of Blackrock Depths in Jail Break!, then return to Marshal Maxwell.
  7. Stormwind Rendezvous sends you to the squire at Stormwind's gates to call Windsor. Bring allies for The Great Masquerade.
  8. In The Dragon's Eye, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon sends you across Azeroth to find someone who can help.
  9. Finish with Drakefire Amulet: take the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire.

The Horde chain, step by step

The Horde chain is longer on the road: the Badlands, Orgrimmar, Desolace, the Western Plaguelands and Dustwallow Marsh, with Lower and Upper Blackrock Spire in between.

It also has the only new quest in either chain. In the original game the Horde started with Warlord's Command, which Wowhead's Classic database still lists as the first attunement step. Blizzard's Forever list puts Blood and Thunder in front of it, from the same Warlord Goretooth. Everything after that keeps the original order.

One detail to watch: Blizzard's post sends you into Lower Blackrock Spire for Rend Blackhand's head. In the original game Rend was a boss of Upper Blackrock Spire, so check which wing he is in before you form the group.

  1. In Kargath in the Badlands, pick up Blood and Thunder from Warlord Goretooth. It leads straight into Warlord's Command, which takes you through Lower Blackrock Spire.
  2. Goretooth sends you to report to Eitrigg in Orgrimmar, and then to Thrall.
  3. For For the Horde!, go back into Lower Blackrock Spire for the head of Warchief Rend Blackhand.
  4. After What the Wind Carries, find Rexxar on the roads of Desolace for The Champion of the Horde.
  5. In The Testament of Rexxar, take his testament to Myranda the Hag in the Western Plaguelands. She gives you Oculus Illusions, which needs Black Dragonspawn Eyes.
  6. Use the Amulet of Draconic Subversion in Emberstrife to reach the ancient drake Emberstrife in Dustwallow Marsh.
  7. Bring Emberstrife the skulls of Scryer, Somnus, Chronalis and Axtroz in four quests that each begin with The Test of Skulls.
  8. With the quest Ascension..., Emberstrife gives you the Dull Drakefire Amulet. Take it back to Rexxar in Desolace.
  9. For Blood of the Black Dragon Champion, defeat General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire, then return to Rexxar for the Drakefire Amulet.

How to plan the attunement before 9 December

Blizzard's advice is to start early, bring a few friends for the elite quests and leave plenty of time for several trips into high-level dungeons. The Alliance chain sends you into Blackrock Depths for four quests in a row, from finding Windsor to breaking him out. The Horde chain takes you into Lower Blackrock Spire and across five zones. Both end with General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire.

Raid leaders should check amulets the week before, not at the door. One raider without it can keep 39 others waiting, and the chain is not something anyone finishes in the hour before the raid.

Wowdee's attunement guide will follow the chain for each of your characters and show the next step and the dungeon it needs, so an alt knows what is left before raid night.

Still to come

Not yet settled by our sources or tested in game:

  • The level each chain starts at in WoW: Forever. Blizzard's overview does not give one.
  • Whether Upper Blackrock Spire still needs a key to enter, as it did in the original game.
  • Whether the attunement becomes account-wide after launch; the podcast only said it is not "at least at launch".

Sources

Beta notes are dated because Forever is still changing.