World boss
A world boss is a raid boss-level monster that appears in the main, shared game world rather than an instance limited to a certain number of players. They are also known as world raid bosses, outdoor bosses, or outdoor raid bosses. These bosses were designed to be fought by one or more raid-sized groups of max-level characters, although lower level characters may be brought along.
In original World of Warcraft, world bosses were an integral part of end game progression. Starting with Wrath of the Lich King, they became less and less integral to end game progression, and instead provide various weekly bonuses and catch up gear.
History
Azuregos and Lord Kazzak were added early in WoW. They promoted both intraguild cooperation and interguild rivalry,[1] as killing them required tracking their spawn, forming a raid, and beating the encounter while fending off the opposing faction. Their loot was also among the best at the time of their popularity.
Shortly before the opening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj, the four Dragons of Nightmare were created, and added an entire new round of world bosses. Even when their gear was no longer BiS they had valuable nature-resistant gear for the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj encounters that required it. They were also involved in the forging of the famous Scepter of the Shifting Sands by yielding the Green Scepter Shard.
As time passed, and Naxxramas came out without accompanying world raid bosses, the popularity of the original set of world raid bosses began to fade.
With the launch of The Burning Crusade, Highlord Kruul began to terrorize Azeroth, in place of Lord Kazzak. After the Burning Crusade came out, two new world raid bosses were introduced, Doom Lord Kazzak and Doomwalker. The popularity of the two was short-lived. After a couple of months, it became apparent that loot off of Karazhan was on par or better, while not having the concern of the opposing faction contesting the kill.
With patch 2.2, world bosses were often left unkilled for long periods of time. There were occasional guilds that used them as either practice for raiding, or undergeared guilds trying to gear up. But with the announcement by Community Manager Bornakk that they did not plan to add additional world raid bosses[2][3], world raid bosses ceased to be a core pillar of end game progression.
Blizzard did not add any world raid bosses for Wrath of the Lich King, seeming to be a sort of reprieve. Cataclysm introduced small group outdoor mini-bosses, before bringing world bosses back in Mists of Pandaria and each of them using the new personal loot system.
Since Legion, each patch usually introduces a new world boss that is available weekly with a respective world quest, which can provide a plethora of loot.
Since [WoW's 13th Anniversary], the Classic world bosses return each year for the duration of the event, along with their original loot, scaled up to be relevant rewards once again.
List
Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms
Akma'hat <Dirge of the Eternal Sands>
Doom's Howl /
The Lion's Roar
Garr
Ivus the Decayed /
Ivus the Forest Lord
Julak-Doom <The Eye of Zor>
Mobus <The Crushing Tide>
Prince Thunderaan <The Wind Seeker>
Whale Shark
Xariona
Vuk'laz the Earthbreaker
Outland
Pandaria
- August Celestials
Nalak
Oondasta
Ordos
Salyis's Warband (Galleon)
Sha of Anger
Grand Empress Shek'zara
Draenor
Broken Isles
One Broken Isles boss spawns per week with an associated world quest, defeating most of them is required for [Unleashed Monstrosities]. The more powerful Broken Shore bosses each spawn with mutually-exclusive world quests that have a chance of happening each day. Killing each one is required for
[Terrors of the Shore].
Ana-Mouz
Calamir
Drugon the Frostblood
Flotsam
Humongris
Levantus
Na'zak the Fiend
Nithogg
Shar'thos
The Soultakers
Withered J'im
- Broken Shore
Invasion Points
Zandalar and Kul Tiras
Dunegorger Kraulok
Ji'arak
T'zane <The Soul Terror>
Azurethos
Hailstone Construct
Warbringer Yenajz
Nazjatar
Shadowlands
Mortanis
Nurgash Muckformed
Oranomonos the Everbranching
Valinor <The Light of Eons>
Mor'geth <Tormentor of the Damned>
Antros <Keeper of the Antecedents>
Dragon Isles
Strunraan <The Sky's Misery>
Basrikron <The Shale Wing>
Bazual <The Dreaded Flame>
Liskanoth <The Futurebane>
Zaqali Elders
Aurostor
Khaz Algar
Kordac <Dormant Protector>
Aggregation of Horrors
Shurrai <Atrocity of the Undersea>
Orta <Dormant Protector>
Events
Darkmoon Rabbit
Moonfang <Darkmoon Den Mother>
Removed
These world bosses have been removed from the game, were part of a one time limited event, or never made it to the game.
Azuregos
- Abyssal High Council
Baron Kazum <Abyssal High Council>
Lord Skwol <Abyssal High Council>
High Marshal Whirlaxis <Abyssal High Council>
Prince Skaldrenox <Abyssal High Council>
- Dragons of Nightmare
Eranikus, Tyrant of the Dream
Highlord Kruul
Lord Kazzak
Maws
Lieutenant General Nokhor
Teremus the Devourer
Twilight Corrupter
Nathanos Blightcaller
Rumbling Earth Lord
Raging Fire Lord
Unbridled Storm Lord
Glacial Ice Lord
Remembered Firelord
Remembered Lich King
Remembered Onyxia
- Removed from Public Test Realm
Dark Keeper Aedis (Argus)
Void-Blade Zedaat (Argus)
Sun King Nahkotep (Uldum)
Tashara (Vale of Eternal Blossoms)
Trivia
- During the Warlords of Draenor beta, Echidna was a world boss.
- There were other mobs initially shown in the database as ?? bosses in The Burning Crusade, including a rare spawn from a quest in Blade's Edge in which you can spawn a raid boss who flies away, but is unaggro-able. But currently it is accepted that there are 2 BC world raid bosses.
Patch changes
Patch 5.2.0 (2013-03-05): All Pandaria world bosses now Tap to Faction.
Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): The Shattering removed all Azerothian world boss encounters except for Omen.
References
- ^ Phase 4 Preview - Season of Discovery (English) (Video). YouTube. World of Warcraft. Retrieved on 2024-06-27. “[World bosses] were hotly contested, and created flashpoints for...interesting player interaction.”
- ^ Bornakk; Mehrunes 2009-03-09. New world bosses please. Archived from the original on 2009-03-09. Retrieved on 2013-12-30.
- ^ Bornakk; Burningmist 2009-04-24. World Bosses?. Archived from the original on 2009-04-24. Retrieved on 2013-12-30.
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