Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj Raid Guide for WoW Classic Hardcore
Every Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj (AQ20) boss explained for new raiders, from Kurinnaxx to Ossirian the Unscarred: abilities, each role’s job, the class jobs, the dangerous trash, and what gets people killed on Hardcore.
By Marc · Updated October 28, 2026
Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Overview
The Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj is the 20-player half of Ahn’Qiraj, at the southern edge of Silithus. It has six bosses, resets every three days, and drops the Cenarion Circle’s class sets and the rings and weapons that come with them.
Its fights each have one clear mechanic: drain Moam’s mana, lead Buru over his eggs, save the player Ayamiss sacrifices, and drag Ossirian from crystal to crystal. On a Hardcore realm, the trash deserves the most respect: Anubisath Guardians and Flesh Hunters kill careless raids.
20
Players
6
Bosses
60
Level
3 days
Lockout
Getting in
- The entrance is behind the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj in southern Silithus. No attunement is needed.
- The Cenarion Circle, at Cenarion Hold in Silithus, turns the raid’s Qiraji tokens and your reputation into class set pieces.
- Lieutenant General Andorov and his night elves join you against General Rajaxx. Keep him alive: afterwards he sells reputation rewards.
Preparation, role by role
Tanks
Kurinnaxx needs a tank swap (Mortal Wound), Rajaxx a tank per wave, Ossirian a tank who can drag him from crystal to crystal. Bring a stack of healing potions for Buru’s eggs and the waves.
Healers
Rajaxx’s Thundercrash halves everyone’s health at once: top the raid up after each one. On Ayamiss, the sacrificed player needs heals while the larvae are killed.
Melee damage
Stay out of Kurinnaxx’s Sand Traps and Ossirian’s tornadoes; on Buru, help kill eggs only when he’s next to them.
Ranged damage
Ayamiss’s first phase is yours: she flies, only ranged reach her. On Moam, the mana drainers are the most important players in the raid.
What each class brings
Hunter
Viper Sting drains Moam’s mana; also kill Ayamiss’s larvae before they reach their target.
Priest
Mana Burn on Moam; Fear Ward where needed.
Warlock
Drain Mana on Moam, and banish his Mana Fiends.
Mage
Polymorph and area damage on Rajaxx’s waves; Frost Nova on Buru’s hatchlings.
Rogue
Kick and stun the waves’ casters; on Ossirian, help bring him to the next crystal fast.
Consumables
- Greater Nature Protection Potions for Ayamiss and Buru’s last phase.
- Major Healing and Mana Potions and healthstones.
- Free Action Potions help against roots and stuns on the trash.
Dangerous trash
On Hardcore, the trash between the bosses kills more raiders than the bosses do.
Anubisath Guardians
Big constructs, each with a few random abilities: Meteor, Plague, Thunderclap, Shadow Storm, spell reflection, and calling in more bugs. Pull them alone, learn which ones this one has, and play around them.
Flesh Hunters
They swallow a player whole and heal by digesting them. Kill them fast to free the player.
Obsidian Destroyers
They drain your mana; ranged casters stay away from them.
The bosses
In the order most raids kill them.
Boss 1 of 6
Kurinnaxx
A sand scorpid with a healing-reduction debuff that stacks on the tank, and sand traps that make you miss.
Abilities
Mortal Wound
Each hit cuts the tank’s healing taken a little more. Swap tanks when it stacks up.
Sand Trap
A trap on the ground that makes everyone caught in it miss most of their attacks and spells. Move away from it.
Wide Slash
Hits everyone in front of him.
Enrage
At 30% health he hits much harder: save cooldowns for it.
Your job
Tanks
Two tanks swap whenever Mortal Wound stacks get high.
Healers
The stacks make the tank harder to heal: help the swap by keeping both tanks topped up.
Melee damage
At his side, out of Wide Slash. Step away from Sand Traps.
Ranged damage
Watch the ground for Sand Traps.
What gets people killed
- A tank with too many Mortal Wound stacks when he enrages.
- Melee standing in a Sand Trap, missing every attack while he enrages.
Boss 2 of 6
General Rajaxx
Seven waves of Qiraji, each led by a captain with a trick of his own, then Rajaxx himself. Lieutenant General Andorov fights at your side.
Abilities
Thundercrash
Halves the health of everyone near him.
The waves
Qiraji Warriors and Swarmguard Needlers with a captain: one fears, one throws lightning, one shields the others.
Your job
Tanks
Pick up each captain and his wave as they come. On Rajaxx, keep him away from Andorov.
Healers
Heal Andorov too: losing him means losing his rewards. After each Thundercrash, heal everyone fast.
Melee damage
Kill the captain first, then his wave.
Ranged damage
Area damage on the wave once it’s gathered by a tank. Crowd-control the casters.
Class jobs
Mage
Polymorph and area damage on the waves.
Warlock
Area damage and fears where the raid leader allows them.
What gets people killed
- A Thundercrash at low health: it halves health, so a second hit can kill.
- Two waves at once when the raid is too slow.
Boss 3 of 6
Moam
A stone giant whose mana must be drained. If he ever reaches full mana, Arcane Eruption hits the whole raid for huge damage.
Abilities
Energize
From time to time he turns to stone and fills his mana much faster.
Arcane Eruption
At full mana: arcane damage to the whole raid. Never let it happen.
Summon Mana Fiends
When he turns to stone, three Mana Fiends attack. Banish or kill them.
Trample
Hits everyone in front of him.
Your job
Tanks
Tank Moam where the drainers can reach him. Off-tanks take the Mana Fiends while he’s stone.
Healers
Arcane damage from the Fiends; the main danger is the eruption, which you prevent by draining, not healing.
Melee damage
Damage Moam; when he turns to stone, kill the Mana Fiends.
Ranged damage
Drainers drain; everyone else does damage and helps on the Fiends.
Class jobs
Hunter
Viper Sting him again and again.
Priest
Mana Burn him.
Warlock
Drain Mana on him, and Banish the Mana Fiends.
What gets people killed
- His mana bar filling up: Arcane Eruption hits the raid very hard.
- Mana Fiends loose on the healers.
Boss 4 of 6
Buru the Gorger
Buru chases one player at a time. That player leads him over his eggs, and the raid breaks each egg as he walks over it, which hurts him. At 20% he transforms.
Abilities
Fixate
He picks a player and chases them; if he catches them, he hits them very hard.
Buru Eggs
Breaking an egg next to him hurts him a lot, and releases a hatchling. It also hurts players next to it.
Creeping Plague
Below 20%: nature damage to the whole raid every few seconds.
Your job
Tanks
Pick up the hatchlings. At 20%, tank Buru while the raid burns him.
Healers
The chased player needs heals if he catches them. Below 20%, heal through Creeping Plague.
Melee damage
Break eggs only when Buru is right next to them, then step away.
Ranged damage
Break the eggs he walks over. If he chases you, run him over an egg.
Class jobs
Hunter
Frost Trap and Concussive Shot to slow him while he chases someone.
Mage
Frost Nova and Frostbolt to slow him; Blink if he chases you.
What gets people killed
- Being caught by him while he chases you.
- Breaking an egg next to other players.
- A slow last 20%: Creeping Plague hurts more every second.
Boss 5 of 6
Ayamiss the Hunter
A giant wasp. Above 70% she flies and stings the raid, and sacrifices players on an altar for her larvae. Below 70% she lands.
Abilities
Stinger Spray
Nature damage to everyone near her.
Poison Stinger
Nature damage on a random player.
Paralyze
A player is paralysed on the altar, and larvae crawl towards them. Kill the larvae before they arrive.
Lash
Ground phase: a heavy hit on the tank.
Your job
Tanks
Phase 1: tanks hold the wasps she summons. Phase 2: take her when she lands.
Healers
Nature damage all fight. Heal the player on the altar.
Melee damage
Phase 1: kill wasps and larvae. Phase 2: on Ayamiss.
Ranged damage
Phase 1: shoot her down, and kill every larva before it reaches the altar.
Class jobs
Hunter
Larvae duty: shoot them before they reach the altar.
Mage
Area damage on the wasps.
What gets people killed
- A larva reaching the paralysed player.
- Nature damage stacking on a raid without nature resistance.
Boss 6 of 6
Ossirian the Unscarred
Nearly unbeatable unless a crystal weakens him. The tank drags him from crystal to crystal around the room while tornadoes roam.
Abilities
Strength of Ossirian
Huge damage and resistances, unless a crystal has weakened him in the last 45 seconds.
Crystal weakness
Using a crystal next to him removes his strength for 45 seconds and makes him weak to one school of magic.
Cyclone
Tornadoes roam the room, throwing players they touch into the air.
War Stomp
Stuns everyone near him.
Curse of Tongues
Slows spellcasting. Remove it from healers.
Your job
Tanks
Drag him to a crystal; when the weakness is about to run out, take him to the next one. Never stand still with him unweakened.
Healers
Move with the raid, out of the tornadoes. Get decursed.
Melee damage
Follow him from crystal to crystal; one player uses the next crystal when he arrives.
Ranged damage
Use the school of magic he’s weak to right now.
Class jobs
Mage
Remove Curse of Tongues from healers.
Druid
Remove curses too.
What gets people killed
- His strength coming back before he reaches the next crystal.
- Tornadoes throwing players into him.
Staying alive on Hardcore
There are no resurrections on a Hardcore realm: a soulstone, a battle resurrection or a spirit healer won’t bring anyone back. These habits keep a raid alive here.
- Pull the Anubisath Guardians alone and see what they do before you commit.
- Free swallowed players quickly: kill the Flesh Hunter.
- On Moam, the drainers matter more than the damage dealers.
- On Ossirian, plan the crystal route before the pull.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an attunement for the Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj?
No. Go through the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj in southern Silithus.
How many players is AQ20?
Twenty, and it resets every three days.
What are the Qiraji items for?
The Cenarion Circle at Cenarion Hold turns them, with your reputation, into class set pieces, rings and cloaks.
More guides
Raid loot by boss
Gear helper