Temple of Ahn’Qiraj Raid Guide for WoW Classic Hardcore
Every Temple of Ahn’Qiraj (AQ40) boss explained for new raiders, from the Prophet Skeram to C’Thun: abilities, each role’s job, the class jobs, nature resistance, the dangerous trash, and what gets people killed on Hardcore.
By Marc · Updated October 28, 2026
Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
Overview
The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj is the 40-player half of Ahn’Qiraj: a buried insect city under Silithus, ending at the Old God C’Thun. It has nine encounters, three of them optional, and drops the Tier 2.5 sets through the Brood of Nozdormu.
It asks more of individual players than any raid before it. Several fights kill whoever misses one mechanic: C’Thun’s Dark Glare, the Twin Emperors’ teleports, Huhuran’s last 30%. On a Hardcore realm, the trash is as dangerous as the bosses: Anubisath Sentinels and Defenders hit like bosses themselves.
40
Players
9
Bosses
60
Level
7 days
Lockout
Getting in
- The entrance is behind the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj in southern Silithus, past the Ruins. No attunement is needed.
- The Brood of Nozdormu reputation starts low; the raid’s trash and bosses raise it. Its tokens and the Qiraji idols and scarabs that drop here become your Tier 2.5 pieces.
- Nature resistance gear is needed for Princess Huhuran (for the melee and tanks who stand next to her) and helps on Viscidus.
- Frost damage sources are needed for Viscidus: frost spells, Frost Oil on weapons and frost wands.
Preparation, role by role
Tanks
Many tank jobs: Skeram’s three copies, the Bug Trio, Sartura’s guards, the Twin Emperors on both sides of the room, Ouro’s Sand Blast swaps. Warlocks tank Emperor Vek’lor.
Healers
Nature damage on Huhuran and Viscidus, and Huhuran’s last phase needs everything you have. On C’Thun, stay spread.
Melee damage
Know where the knockbacks are (Bug Trio, Ouro) and stay out of Sartura’s whirlwinds. On Viscidus, you shatter him once he’s frozen.
Ranged damage
Spread out on C’Thun and the Twin Emperors. Interrupt Skeram’s Arcane Explosion.
What each class brings
Hunter
Tranquilizing Shot on Huhuran’s Frenzy.
Warlock
Tank Emperor Vek’lor with Searing Pain; he’s immune to physical damage.
Mage
Frost for Viscidus, polymorph Skeram’s mind-controlled players, interrupt his Arcane Explosion.
Rogue
Stun Sartura’s Royal Guards in turn; Kick Skeram and Yauj.
Priest
Fear Ward against Yauj; heal the stomach group on C’Thun.
Shaman
Nature Resistance Totem for Huhuran and Viscidus (Horde).
Paladin
Cleanse poisons on Huhuran and Viscidus (Alliance).
Consumables
- Greater Nature Protection Potions for Huhuran and Viscidus.
- Frost Oil and frost wands for Viscidus.
- Major Healing and Mana Potions, healthstones, and Restorative Potions.
Dangerous trash
On Hardcore, the trash between the bosses kills more raiders than the bosses do.
Anubisath Sentinels
Groups of constructs that each have one random ability. When one dies, the others gain its ability, so they’re brought down together, carefully.
Anubisath Defenders
Huge single constructs with a random set of abilities (Meteor, Plague, Shadow Storm, Thunderclap). They call in more bugs, and explode or enrage near the end.
Qiraji Mindslayers
They mind-control players. Crowd-control the controlled player rather than killing them.
Vekniss packs
Wasps, stingers and hive crawlers in the halls. Stingers charge and poison a player; clear them methodically.
The bosses
In the order most raids kill them.
Boss 1 of 9
The Prophet Skeram
A caster who mind-controls players and splits into three copies at 75%, 50% and 25%.
Abilities
Arcane Explosion
Damage to everyone near him. Interrupt it.
Earth Shock
A big nature hit on his target.
True Fulfillment
Mind-controls a player and makes them stronger.
Blink
He teleports and drops his threat.
Your job
Tanks
Three tanks in different spots of the room: when he splits, each tank takes one copy.
Healers
Mind-controlled players hit hard: heal whoever they attack.
Melee damage
Interrupt Arcane Explosion. Kill the copies; only the real Skeram matters, and the copies die with him.
Ranged damage
Interrupt and help find the real one.
Class jobs
Mage
Polymorph mind-controlled players, and Counterspell Arcane Explosion.
Rogue
Kick Arcane Explosion.
What gets people killed
- A mind-controlled player killed by the raid. Crowd-control them.
- Uninterrupted Arcane Explosions on the melee.
Boss 2 of 9
Bug Trio
Optional: Lord Kri, Princess Yauj and Vem fight together and are killed one by one. The one who dies last decides the loot.
Abilities
Toxic VolleyLord Kri
Poison on everyone near him; when he dies he leaves a poison cloud.
Great HealPrincess Yauj
Heals one of them. Interrupt it.
FearPrincess Yauj
Fears everyone near her. When she dies, a brood of bugs comes out.
Knock AwayVem
Knocks his tank back; he also charges at random players.
Your job
Tanks
One tank per bug, apart. Vem’s tank stands against a wall.
Healers
Poison and fear damage; cure poisons.
Melee damage
Interrupt Yauj’s heal. Move out of Kri’s poison cloud when he dies.
Ranged damage
Area damage on Yauj’s brood when she dies.
Class jobs
Rogue
Kick Great Heal.
Priest
Fear Ward Yauj’s tank.
What gets people killed
- Standing in Kri’s poison cloud after he dies.
- Yauj’s heals going through.
Boss 3 of 9
Battleguard Sartura
Sartura and three Royal Guards spin through the raid with whirlwinds. The guards are stun-locked and killed first.
Abilities
Whirlwind
She and her guards spin and run at random players, hitting everyone near them.
Enrage
At 25% she hits much harder.
Berserk
After 10 minutes she kills the raid.
Your job
Tanks
Pick her and the guards back up after every whirlwind; they drop their target when they spin.
Healers
Stay away from spinning guards; heal whoever they run into.
Melee damage
Stun the guards in turn so they can’t spin, and kill them one by one.
Ranged damage
Watch the whirlwinds; move away from any that comes your way.
Class jobs
Rogue
Stun rotation on the Royal Guards: Kidney Shot, Gouge.
Warrior
Concussion Blow and Intimidating Shout in the stun rotation.
Paladin
Hammer of Justice for the stun rotation.
What gets people killed
- A whirlwind running into the healers.
- A slow fight running into her Berserk.
Boss 4 of 9
Fankriss the Unyielding
A worm who stacks a healing debuff on his tank, webs players to the walls and calls Spawn of Fankriss.
Abilities
Mortal Wound
Each hit cuts the tank’s healing taken further. Swap tanks.
Entangle
Webs players in the alcoves, where hatchlings attack them.
Summon Worm
A Spawn of Fankriss appears; kill it quickly before it enrages.
Your job
Tanks
Two or three tanks rotate as Mortal Wound stacks up. An off-tank grabs each Spawn of Fankriss.
Healers
Webbed players get swarmed by hatchlings: heal them.
Melee damage
Kill the spawn first, then back on Fankriss.
Ranged damage
Area damage on hatchlings around webbed players.
What gets people killed
- A Spawn of Fankriss living long enough to enrage.
- A tank swap that comes too late.
Boss 5 of 9
Viscidus
Optional: a poison ooze that can only be hurt by freezing him with frost, shattering him into globs, and killing the globs before they rejoin.
Abilities
Poison Bolt Volley
Poison on everyone near him.
Toxin
Poison clouds on the ground. Move out.
Freeze and Shatter
Enough frost hits slow and then freeze him; enough melee hits on the frozen ooze shatter him into globs.
Your job
Tanks
Hold him while the raid freezes him.
Healers
Poison all the time: cure it and stay out of the clouds.
Melee damage
Frost Oil on your weapon. Once he’s frozen, hit him as fast as you can to shatter him, then kill globs.
Ranged damage
Frost spells and frost wands to freeze him; kill globs before they reach the middle.
Class jobs
Mage
Frostbolt spam: you’re the freezers.
Shaman
Frost Shock and Frostbrand Weapon, plus Nature Resistance Totem (Horde).
Priest
Frost wand, and cure poisons.
What gets people killed
- Poison clouds and volleys on a raid without nature resistance.
- Not enough frost damage: the fight drags on forever.
Boss 6 of 9
Princess Huhuran
A giant wasp whose last 30% is a race: she enrages and hits the 15 players nearest her with poison every few seconds.
Abilities
Wyvern Sting
Puts players to sleep; nature damage when it ends.
Acid Spit
Stacking nature damage on the tank.
Frenzy
She attacks faster until a hunter removes it.
Noxious Poison
Silences and poisons players near her.
Berserk
At 30%: poison bolts on the 15 nearest players every few seconds.
Your job
Tanks
Nature resistance gear. Tank her where the melee can stack close.
Healers
Stay far away: in her Berserk, the poison goes to the closest players, who should be the nature resistance group.
Melee damage
Wear nature resistance and stay close: in the last 30%, you absorb the poison bolts for the raid.
Ranged damage
Stay back, out of the closest 15. Save cooldowns for the last 30% and burn her.
Class jobs
Hunter
Tranquilizing Shot on Frenzy.
Shaman
Nature Resistance Totem in the melee groups (Horde).
Druid
Abolish Poison, and Innervate healers for the last phase.
What gets people killed
- The last 30%: anyone without nature resistance among the 15 closest players dies fast.
- A frenzy nobody removes.
Boss 7 of 9
Twin Emperors
Vek’lor and Vek’nilash fight on opposite sides of the room. They heal each other when close, and swap places every 30 seconds, dropping their threat.
Abilities
Twin Teleport
They swap places and forget their threat. Tanks on both sides pick them up.
Heal Brother
When they get close, they heal each other.
BlizzardVek’lor
Frost on the ground. Move out. He’s immune to physical damage.
Arcane BurstVek’lor
Arcane damage to everyone near him.
UppercutVek’nilash
Knocks his tank back. He’s immune to magic.
Unbalancing StrikeVek’nilash
A huge hit that lowers the tank’s defense.
Explode BugVek’lor
Turns a bug in the room into a bomb.
Your job
Tanks
Warriors tank Vek’nilash and warlocks tank Vek’lor, with a pair on each side of the room. After each teleport, grab the emperor that appears on your side.
Healers
Healers split over both sides. Stay out of Blizzards and out of Arcane Burst range.
Melee damage
Only on Vek’nilash: Vek’lor is immune to you. Follow him across the room after each teleport.
Ranged damage
Only on Vek’lor: Vek’nilash is immune to magic. Move with him after each teleport.
Class jobs
Warlock
Tank Vek’lor with Searing Pain; he can’t be hurt by physical attacks, so warriors can’t hold him.
Mage
Kill the exploding bugs before they reach the raid.
What gets people killed
- The emperors drifting close together and healing each other.
- A teleport nobody picks up: he goes straight for the healers.
- Standing in a Blizzard or next to an exploding bug.
Boss 8 of 9
Ouro
Optional: a giant sandworm that knocks the raid around, dives under the sand and chases players with dirt mounds.
Abilities
Sweep
Knocks back everyone around him.
Sand Blast
A cone in front of him that stuns and drops the tank’s threat.
Submerge
He dives; dirt mounds chase players and scarabs come out when he resurfaces.
Boulder
If nobody is in melee range, he throws boulders at the raid.
Your job
Tanks
Two tanks swap on Sand Blast. Pick him up where he surfaces.
Healers
Stay out of his front and away from the mounds.
Melee damage
At his side or behind. Keep someone in melee range at all times.
Ranged damage
Spread out; run from dirt mounds that follow you.
What gets people killed
- Nobody in melee range: boulders on the raid.
- Dirt mounds catching players when he’s under the sand.
Boss 9 of 9
C’Thun
The Old God. Phase 1: the Eye, with a sweeping death beam and tentacles everywhere. Phase 2: C’Thun’s body, which only takes real damage after a team inside his stomach kills its tentacles.
Abilities
Dark Glare
A beam that sweeps around the room. Anything it touches dies.
Eye Beam
Nature damage that jumps between players standing close.
Tentacles
Claw and Eye Tentacles burst out of the floor around the room. Kill them fast.
Digestive Acid
Phase 2: swallowed players take stacking damage in his stomach.
Ground Rupture
Tentacles knock players up when they appear under them.
Your job
Tanks
Pick up the Claw Tentacles that appear in the raid. Phase 2: tank the giant tentacles.
Healers
Stay spread at your spot. Phase 2: the swallowed players come out low; heal them.
Melee damage
Kill tentacles near you. Phase 2: if swallowed, kill the two Flesh Tentacles inside, then use the exit.
Ranged damage
Stay at least 10 yards from everyone. Kill Eye Tentacles first. Burn C’Thun when he’s weakened.
Class jobs
Hunter
Eye Tentacles from range.
Mage
Blink away from Dark Glare if you’re caught out.
Priest
Heal the stomach team as they come out.
What gets people killed
- Dark Glare: when it starts, move out of its path at once. It kills whatever it touches.
- Standing close to others: Eye Beam jumps from player to player.
- Staying too long in the stomach: the acid stacks quickly.
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.
- Treat every Anubisath as a boss: one at a time, with a plan.
- Nature resistance gear for Huhuran is not optional for the melee.
- On C’Thun, practise the spread and the Dark Glare run before the pull.
- Mind-controlled players are crowd-controlled, never killed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an attunement for the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj?
No. Go through the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj in southern Silithus, past the Ruins.
Which AQ40 bosses are optional?
The Bug Trio, Viscidus and Ouro. The others have to die to reach C’Thun.
Do I need nature resistance for AQ40?
For Princess Huhuran, yes, for the melee and tanks who stand next to her. It also helps on Viscidus.
More guides
Raid loot by boss
Gear helper