The Deadmines Dungeon Guide
The Deadmines is a returning Classic dungeon beneath Westfall, where a mining network hides a Defias stronghold. It is tuned for players at levels 17-26 and is open to both factions.
- Level
- 17–26
- Bosses
- 9
- Full clear
- 35–50min
- Difficulty
- 4/10
Westfall · Eastern KingdomsShow on the mapRun it with mmonster
Overview
Inside The Deadmines
The Defias Brotherhood is building more than a hideout here. Edwin VanCleef's followers are constructing a warship to strike back at Stormwind, the kingdom that abandoned the workers who rebuilt it. Their rebellion depends on the workshops below ground, turning an old mining operation into a base for manufacturing and preparing that attack.
The layout moves through working spaces such as the Mast Room and Goblin Foundry before reaching Ironclad Cove. That change from tunnels and machinery to a hidden ship gives the run its character. The enemies belong to the operation too, from construction workers and lumber crews to the officers aboard the vessel.
Getting there
Head to Moonbrook in southwestern Westfall and enter the Defias Hideout. Follow the underground route to the dungeon entrance.
Show on the mapLevel 17–26 is the range the dungeon is tuned for, not a minimum entry level. This is the Forever level range as it stands today. It can still shift before launch.
Encounters
Boss roster
Main bosses8
Rhahk'Zor is the ogre foreman responsible for VanCleef's construction projects.
Abilities
- Rhahk'Zor Slam · Inflicts 330 damage to an enemy, stunning it for 3 sec.
Tactics
- In Classic, waiting for him to walk away from the two nearby Defias enemies lets you separate the boss from his support.
- Rhahk'Zor Slam deals damage and briefly stuns its target, so keep the tank healthy before it lands.
Healer
Be ready to heal through the stun rather than waiting for the tank to recover.
Notable loot
Rhahk'Zor's Hammer · Two-Hand · 72.3%
Rockslicer · Two-Hand · 4.1%
Sneed is the goblin lumbermaster who pilots the shredder. In Classic, he jumps out when the machine is destroyed and immediately continues the fight.
Abilities
- Disarm · Disarms an enemy, forcing it to stop wielding its weapon for 6 sec.
Tactics
- Do not stop to loot the wreck or move on while Sneed is still alive.
- Disarm temporarily takes away its target's weapon, so weapon users should be ready for a break in their usual attacks.
Tank
Pick up Sneed as soon as he emerges, before he reaches a caster.
Damage
Give the tank a moment to establish threat on the new target.
Notable loot
Gold-flecked Gloves · Hands · 67.8%
Taskmaster Axe · Two-Hand · 27.4%
Schematic: Shredder Autosalvage Unit · Other · 26.9%
Sneed's Shredder is a walking lumber machine that disrupts the group with fear and slower casting.
Abilities
- Distracting Pain · Reduces an enemy's casting speed by 35% for 15 sec.
- Eject Sneed
- Terrify · Terrifies an enemy, causing it to flee in fear for 4 sec. Only 1 target can be terrified at a time.
Tactics
- Clear nearby goblins before engaging, since Terrify can send a player running into them.
- Distracting Pain makes spells take longer to cast, so start essential casts earlier while it is active.
Tank
Fight inside the cleared area, with space between the group and any remaining packs.
Healer
Keep an instant heal ready for a teammate who needs help while your casts are slowed.
Notable loot
Buzzer Blade · Main Hand · 51.7%
Buzz Saw · One-Hand · 9.9%
Gilnid is VanCleef's head smelter. In Classic, defeating him opens the way through the door behind him.
Abilities
- Molten Metal · Inflicts 30 Fire damage every 3 sec. to an enemy, increasing the time between its attacks by 54% and its movement by 50% for 15 sec.
Tactics
- Molten Metal deals ongoing Fire damage, so keep watching its target after the initial hit.
- The same effect slows attacks and movement, making it a poor time to rely on kiting.
Healer
Allow for continuing damage on the affected player rather than treating one heal as the end of it.
Notable loot
Smelting Pants · Legs · 56.2%
Lavishly Jeweled Ring · Finger · 37.7%
Mr. Smite is Captain Greenskin's tauren first mate, and his fight revolves around increasingly dangerous weapons.
Abilities
- Thrash · Gives the caster 2 extra attacks.
- Nimble Reflexes · Increases the caster's chance to parry by 75% for 8 sec.
- Smite Stomp
- Smite Slam · Inflicts 220 damage to an enemy, stunning it for 3 sec.
Tactics
- In Classic, he brings two stealthed guards and stuns the party while changing weapons, so kill the guards before pushing damage into him.
- Pull him toward the end of the dock to give the group more breathing room while he runs back to his weapon chest.
- Keep damage-over-time effects running through the weapon changes.
- Thrash grants extra attacks, while Smite Slam adds damage and a brief stun.
Tank
Hold Smite while the rest of the group handles his guards.
Healer
Use the gap during his trip to the chest to get the group healthy.
Damage
Expect attacks from the front to be parried more often while Nimble Reflexes is active.
Notable loot
- Thief's Blade · One-Hand · 38.7%
Smite's Reaver · One-Hand · 37.5%- Smite's Mighty Hammer · Two-Hand · 18.5%
Captain Greenskin commands the ship. In Classic, he patrols its deck close enough to other enemies to join an untidy trash pull.
Abilities
- Poisoned Harpoon · Inflicts normal damage plus 132 to an enemy, then an additional 198 Nature damage every 10 sec. for 1 min.
- Cleave · Inflicts normal damage plus 10 to an enemy and its nearest ally.
Tactics
- Watch his position before engaging the packs near him.
- If minions come with him, control them and focus damage on Greenskin.
- Poisoned Harpoon leaves a long-lasting Nature damage effect, so its target needs attention beyond the opening hit.
Tank
Keep Greenskin away from other players so Cleave does not catch someone beside you.
Healer
Continue tracking the harpoon target even when the tank also needs healing.
Notable loot
Emberstone Staff · Two-Hand · 38.2%
Impaling Harpoon · Two-Hand · 28.2%
Blackened Defias Belt · Waist · 26.4%
Cookie is the murloc cook serving aboard Greenskin's ship. In Classic, he is an optional encounter.
Abilities
- Cookie's Cooking · Heals the caster for 441.
- Acid Splash · Inflicts 50 Nature damage to nearby enemies every 5 sec. for 30 sec.
Tactics
- Interrupt Cookie's Cooking to stop him healing himself.
- Keep players who do not need to be in melee away from Acid Splash, which repeatedly damages nearby enemies.
Healer
Plan for repeated healing on the players staying close to Cookie.
Notable loot
Cookie's Tenderizer · One-Hand · 54.8%
Cookie's Stirring Rod · Ranged · 34.2%
Viridian Band · Finger · 5.2%
Edwin VanCleef leads the Defias Brotherhood, and Thrash makes his melee damage come in sudden bursts.
Abilities
- Thrash · Gives the caster 2 extra attacks.
- VanCleef's Allies
Tactics
- Avoid letting the tank sit at low health between attacks.
- Save a defensive cooldown for a burst rather than spending everything at the start.
Notable loot
Corsair's Overshirt · Chest · 23.6%
Cape of the Brotherhood · Back · 23%- Cruel Barb · One-Hand · 15.7%
Blackened Defias Armor · Chest · 15.2%
Green Winter Hat · Head · 33%
Rare spawns1
Miner Johnson is a rare human miner rather than a regular encounter on every run.
Tactics
- In Classic, his spot is a small alcove on the left before the shredder, among the other miners.
- Check that alcove as you pass, then continue if he has not spawned.
Notable loot
Miner's Cape · Back · 55.2%
Gold-plated Buckler · Shield · 41%
Gleaming Claymore · Two-Hand · 7.7%
Notable loot
Loot
Items seen dropping in the Forever beta client, with the share of kills that dropped them in the sample. Beta loot can still change.
| Item | Slot | Boss | Drop share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape of the Brotherhood | Back · Lv 19 | Edwin VanCleef | 23% |
| Cruel Barb | One-Hand · Lv 19 | Edwin VanCleef | 15.7% |
| Rockslicer | Two-Hand · Lv 18 | Rhahk'Zor | 4.1% |
| Taskmaster Axe | Two-Hand · Lv 18 | Sneed | 27.4% |
| Buzz Saw | One-Hand · Lv 18 | Sneed's Shredder | 9.9% |
| Smite's Mighty Hammer | Two-Hand · Lv 18 | Mr. Smite | 18.5% |
| Gold-flecked Gloves | Hands · Lv 17 | Sneed | 67.8% |
| Lavishly Jeweled Ring | Finger · Lv 17 | Gilnid | 37.7% |
| Thief's Blade | One-Hand · Lv 17 | Mr. Smite | 38.7% |
| Emberstone Staff | Two-Hand · Lv 17 | Captain Greenskin | 38.2% |
| Impaling Harpoon | Two-Hand · Lv 17 | Captain Greenskin | 28.2% |
| Blackened Defias Belt | Waist · Lv 17 | Captain Greenskin | 26.4% |
| Cookie's Stirring Rod | Ranged · Lv 17 | Cookie | 34.2% |
| Corsair's Overshirt | Chest · Lv 17 | Edwin VanCleef | 23.6% |
| Blackened Defias Armor | Chest · Lv 17 | Edwin VanCleef | 15.2% |
| Miner's Cape | Back · Lv 17 | Miner Johnson | 55.2% |
| Gold-plated Buckler | Shield · Lv 17 | Miner Johnson | 41% |
| Rhahk'Zor's Hammer | Two-Hand · Lv 16 | Rhahk'Zor | 72.3% |
Quests
Quests
Dungeon quests listed in the Forever beta client.
- The Defias BrotherhoodAllianceLv 22
- Oh Brother. . .AllianceLv 20
- Collecting MemoriesAllianceLv 18
- Red Silk BandanasAllianceLv 17
- The Unsent LetterAllianceLv 22
- Underground AssaultAllianceLv 20
- Your Fortune Awaits You...Both factionsLv 60
Before you go
Before you go
- Sort your questsAlliance players should check their progress on The Defias Brotherhood, Red Silk Bandanas, Collecting Memories, Underground Assault and The Unsent Letter before setting out.
- Assign crowd controlIf you have Sap or Polymorph, agree on targets and kill markers before the first pull. Keep damage off the marked CC target.
- Set interrupt priorityPut a reliable interrupt somewhere easy to reach. A boss later in the run can heal itself, so saving a kick matters more than using it for extra damage.
- Set aside about 35 to 50 minutes for a full clear.
- The water gate visible from the cove north of Yojamba Isle is not an entrance or exit. Do not use it as your meeting point.
- The dungeon exit leads to the western Dagger Hills near the ocean, so plan your next destination around where you come out.
FAQ
Questions players ask
What level is The Deadmines in WoW Forever?
The Deadmines is tuned for levels 17-26.
Where is the entrance to The Deadmines?
The entrance is reached through the Defias Hideout in Moonbrook, in southwestern Westfall.
Can Horde players run The Deadmines?
Yes, The Deadmines is open to both factions.
How long does a full Deadmines clear take?
A full clear takes about 35 to 50 minutes.
Does Miner Johnson appear on every run?
No, Miner Johnson is a rare spawn.
Sources
Sources and changes
- Wowhead · Forever beta databaseBeta data
- Warcraft Wiki · Classic referenceClassic
- Run time and difficulty are editorial estimates by mmonster.
Changelog
Sep 22, 2026Guide created with level range, roster, abilities and loot from the beta client.
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