World of Warcraft Classic · Tier 1.5 · AQ20
Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj tactics
All six bosses from the original 20-player raid: preparations, staging, roles and documented vanilla change history.
English20-player raid6 bossesNerf history
Prepare waves, target priorities and movement routes
AQ20 tests different things in a row: tank changes, long add durability, mana control, crystal and fast target changes. Read each encounter's TL;DR and setup before details.
Tactics describe Classic Era / Anniversary 1.12 mode. The 10-player Descent into Madness version of Season of Discovery is excluded.
AQ20's six encounters in chronological order
Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj starts with Kurinnaxx's tank cycle and Rajaxx's seven waves. Moam, Buru and Ayamiss are optional route branches before the finale, which progresses from one Ossirian crystal to another.
For raid lead: Check Mortal Wounds exchanges, Rajaxx's wave kill order, Moam's mana drain, Buru's egg calls, Ayamiss's larva priority, and Ossirian's crystal scouts.
Quick links
Nerfs and progression eases
Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj was released in patch 1.9. The raid received two significant rounds of relief: patch 1.10 shortened Ayamiss's air phase, and patch 1.11 lightened Rajaxx's waves and made Ossirian's start more predictable.
| Patch | Change | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| 1.10 | Ayamiss descends from the air earlier; the hit points of some trash creatures were reduced. | Bossinerffi + trash nerf |
| 1.11 | Rajaxx encounter creature HP and general damage decreased. | Encounter nerf |
| 1.11 | Reduced the wait time for Rajaxx's waves. | Acceleration / shorter recovery |
| 1.11 | Added disposable crystal visible before the pull to Ossirian. | Progression QoL / relief |
No unique vanilla number nerf found for Kurinnaxx, Moami and Buru; they are not marked as nerfed based on general changes to the raid alone.
Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj in order of progression
Encounter 1 / 6 · Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Kurinnaxx
Sand Traps, stacking Mortal Wounds and 30% Frenzy.
Tank swapSand TrapsFrenzy
TL;DR: Tank Kurinnaxx in place and cycle at least two tanks before stacks of Mortal Wounds make healing impossible. The entire raid spreads out to avoid being hit by the Sand Trap and moves away from the visible sand vortex. At less than 30% boss frenzy: use defensives and end the Encounter quickly.
Raid priorities
- Tanks will switch with the agreed stack of Mortal Wounds and let the debuff drop completely.
- Sand Trap is exited immediately; melee leaves each other room to move.
- Frenzy phase tank gets all the agreed defensive and healer attention.
Before the pull
- Name 2-3 tanks and stack limit for tank swap.
- Spread out the ranged/healers in a wide arc and space out the melee as well.
- Save damage cooldowns to 30% Frenzy.
Mechanics reference
Mortal Wounds
Every effect that stacks on the tank reduces the improvement received, so the debuff must be reset by changing tanks.
Sand Trap
A whirlwind of sand that spawns beneath the player explodes, dealing Nature damage and silencing those hit.
Thrash
Kurinnaxx can perform multiple melee attacks in rapid succession.
Frenzy
At about 30% attack speed and tank pressure increase.
Phase plan and tactic
Station
Keep the boss centered and the raid spread evenly. Dodge the new sand eddies to the side.
Keep the boss centered and the raid spread evenly. Dodge the new sand eddies to the side.
Tank rotation
New tank taunts at stack limit; the former stays away from hits until Mortal Wounds drops.
New tank taunts at stack limit; the former stays away from hits until Mortal Wounds drops.
End
At less than 30%, use the tank's defensive, healing cooldowns and raid burst.
At less than 30%, use the tank's defensive, healing cooldowns and raid burst.
Role notes
Tanks
- Follow the agreed tank change, crystal and adds' picking plan.
- Call the boss control break and move the front cones out of the raid.
DPS
- Follow target priority before boss damage.
- Save cooldowns for the most dangerous phase of the encounter.
Healers
- Anticipates tank burst and encounter regular raid spikes.
- Conserve mana in long wave and kite encounters.
utility
- Use dispels, interrupts, crowd control and mana drain as agreed.
- Call spawns, crystals and transitions quickly.
Nerfs: what changed
- There is no documented vanilla number nerf for Kurinnaxx between patches 1.9 and 1.12.
- The guide covers the established Classic 1.12 and its full-fledged Mortal Wounds tank cycle.
No documented nerfClassic 1.12
Encounter 2 / 6 · Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
General Rajaxx
Seven waves in a row and immediate transfer to general.
7 wavesEnduranceKnockback
TL;DR: Protect Lieutenant General Andorov and his Kaldorei Elite troops through seven waves of officers. Mark each wave's Officer as the first target, control the extra adds and use the short intervals between the waves to heal. When Rajaxx comes tank with his back to the wall, avoid the threat problem of the Disarm window and heal Thundercrash's current health based strike.
Raid priorities
- The named Captain/Major/Colonel of each wave dies first.
- Andorov is kept alive for his aura and additional damage.
- The next wave is picked up in a controlled manner and not in the healer lane.
- Rajaxx is tanked against the wall after knockback.
Before the pull
- Distribute the tanks to the wave officers and additional adds and mark the kill order.
- Place the raid in Andorov's aura area but leave the tank pickup line clear.
- Agree is a mana consumable, CC and wall slot for Rajaxx's tank.
Mechanics reference
Seven waves
Captain Qeez, Tuubid, Drenn and Xurrem, Major Yeggeth and Pakkon and Colonel Zerran lead successive groups.
Andorov
Allied NPC and Kaldorei Elites help if kept alive.
Disarm
Rajaxx disarms the tank and lowers its threat output.
Thundercrash
A broad strike removes a large portion of the current health of those hit.
Knockback
Tank and other Melee targets are thrown behind, which can mess up the station.
Phase plan and tactic
Waves
Tanks pick off the intruders from afar, the raid focuses the officer and controls the rest. Heal Andorov always before players in a safe space.
Tanks pick off the intruders from afar, the raid focuses the officer and controls the rest. Heal Andorov always before players in a safe space.
Transition
After the seventh wave, Rajaxx arrives quickly; the tank takes him on a ready wall and the raid spreads.
After the seventh wave, Rajaxx arrives quickly; the tank takes him on a ready wall and the raid spreads.
General
Keep the tank against the wall, raise the raid after Thundercrash and dominate during threat Disarm.
Keep the tank against the wall, raise the raid after Thundercrash and dominate during threat Disarm.
Role notes
Tanks
- Follow the agreed tank change, crystal and adds' picking plan.
- Call the boss control break and move the front cones out of the raid.
DPS
- Follow target priority before boss damage.
- Save cooldowns for the most dangerous phase of the encounter.
Healers
- Anticipates tank burst and encounter regular raid spikes.
- Conserve mana in long wave and kite encounters.
utility
- Use dispels, interrupts, crowd control and mana drain as agreed.
- Call spawns, crystals and transitions quickly.
Nerfs: what changed
- Patch 1.11 reduced the hit points of all creatures in the General Rajaxx encounter and reduced Rajaxx's damage.
- The same patch shortened the wait between waves. It made the encounter faster, but also reduced the recovery time between waves.
Patch 1.11 nerfHP/damage reducedWave wait Shorter
Encounter 3 / 6 · Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Moam
mana Drain, Arcane Eruption and a 90 second Stone Form race.
mana controlDPS checkmana Fiends
TL;DR: Drain Moam's mana with drains/leeches and kill the boss before the first Stone Form if the raid damage is enough. Otherwise, in about 90 seconds, Moam turns to stone and summons three mana Fiends: banish or kill them, drain their mana, and proceed to the boss before the next Arcane Eruption.
Raid priorities
- Moam's mana is kept away from full Arcane Eruption.
- Warlocks and priests use mana drain abilities constantly.
- Stone Form's mana Fiends are immediately controlled and cannot be freely casted.
Before the pull
- Bring multiple warlocks/priests to mana drain and agree is their target order.
- Name banishes to three mana Fiends or kill order if they are killed.
- Prepare Nature/Arcane damage heal and 90 second burst plan.
Mechanics reference
Drain mana
Moam steals mana from multiple players and increases his own resource.
Arcane Eruption
At full mana, the boss unleashes very high raid damage and knockback.
Trample
A melee attack deals damage to a melee group.
Stone Form
In about 90 seconds, Moam freezes, regenerates, and summons three mana Fiends.
mana Fiends
Elementals use Arcane abilities and can be controlled with something like Banish.
Phase plan and tactic
Burn phase
Tank Moam and start mana drain immediately. DPS use cooldowns to aim for a kill before Stone Form.
Tank Moam and start mana drain immediately. DPS use cooldowns to aim for a kill before Stone Form.
Stone Form
If the phase starts, control two Fiends and kill one at a time or kill them all quickly depending on the composition of the raid.
If the phase starts, control two Fiends and kill one at a time or kill them all quickly depending on the composition of the raid.
Return
Return to Moam immediately, keep its mana empty and finish before another dangerous cycle.
Return to Moam immediately, keep its mana empty and finish before another dangerous cycle.
Role notes
Tanks
- Follow the agreed tank change, crystal and adds' picking plan.
- Call the boss control break and move the front cones out of the raid.
DPS
- Follow target priority before boss damage.
- Save cooldowns for the most dangerous phase of the encounter.
Healers
- Anticipates tank burst and encounter regular raid spikes.
- Conserve mana in long wave and kite encounters.
utility
- Use dispels, interrupts, crowd control and mana drain as agreed.
- Call spawns, crystals and transitions quickly.
Nerfs: what changed
- There is no documented vanilla number nerf for Moam before Classic 1.12 mode.
- Patch 1.10 reduced the hit points of some raid trash creatures, but it shouldn't be called Moam's boss nerf.
No boss specific nerfPatch 1.10 trash onlyClassic 1.12
Encounter 4 / 6 · Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Buru the Gorger
Threatless crystal, exploding eggs and 20% final stage.
KiteEggs2 steps
TL;DR: Buru follows a tagged target instead of a normal threat. The target kites the boss next to the Buru Egg, the raid puts the egg almost dead and only detonates it when the Buru is in place; the explosion damages and slows the boss. Repeat until the carapace breaks at about 20%, then pile up, AoE kill spawns and burn the boss under Creeping Plague pressure.
Raid priorities
- The egg will not explode until Buru is right next to it.
- The Kite target keeps the lead and does not lead the boss through the raid.
- When the carapace breaks, the adds are controlled and the final phase is quickly terminated.
Before the pull
- Mark the rotation direction of the eggs and clear the kite route.
- Split for calculating the health of ranged eggs and one accurate detonation-caller.
- Save AoE, defensive and healing cooldowns to 20% phase.
Mechanics reference
Fixate
Buru selects a target and tracks it regardless of the threat.
Buru Eggs
The eggs explode when they die, damaging nearby Buru and spawning hatchlings.
Thorns
Carapace reflects some direct damage back to attackers.
Dismember
boss hits can leave a strong bleed effect on the kite target.
Creeping Plague
After breaking the Carapace, the entire raid takes stacking Nature damage.
Phase plan and tactic
Egg cycle
Prepare the next egg, crystal Buru on it and detonate only on the caller's command.
Prepare the next egg, crystal Buru on it and detonate only on the caller's command.
Destination change
When Buru changes fixate, the new target continues the same route; healers follow a moving target.
When Buru changes fixate, the new target continues the same route; healers follow a moving target.
Step 2
In about 20 percent, the carapace breaks. Group up hatchlings, AoE them and use all cooldowns before Plague stacks grow.
In about 20 percent, the carapace breaks. Group up hatchlings, AoE them and use all cooldowns before Plague stacks grow.
Role notes
Tanks
- Follow the agreed tank change, crystal and adds' picking plan.
- Call the boss control break and move the front cones out of the raid.
DPS
- Follow target priority before boss damage.
- Save cooldowns for the most dangerous phase of the encounter.
Healers
- Anticipates tank burst and encounter regular raid spikes.
- Conserve mana in long wave and kite encounters.
utility
- Use dispels, interrupts, crowd control and mana drain as agreed.
- Call spawns, crystals and transitions quickly.
Nerfs: what changed
- There is no documented vanilla number nerf for Buru between patches 1.9 and 1.12.
- The mechanics remain the encounter's original egg and kite accuracy test.
No documented nerfClassic 1.12
Encounter 5 / 6 · Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Ayamiss the Hunter
Air phase, altar sacrifice and quick kill larva.
2 stepsRanged firstLarva priority
TL;DR: Ayamiss flies the first stage and needs to be handled by ranged-DPS. When the player is teleported to the altar, everyone switches to the Hive'Zara Larva crawling in that direction and kills it before sacrificing. At about 70% Ayamiss lands: tank normally, control Swarmer waves and heal Stinger Spray.
Raid priorities
- The larva that crawls to the altar always dies before the sacrificed player.
- Ranged deals first phase boss damage; melee saves resources for managing adds'.
- Swarmers are assembled and AoE-killed in a controlled manner.
Before the pull
- Split into ranged Ayamiss and melee/utility for a quick kill of larvae.
- Mark the altar approach line for target-calls.
- Agree on Stinger Spray raid Healing and Swarmer's AoE.
Mechanics reference
Fly
Ayamiss is in the air until about 70% and is not normally reachable by melee.
Paralyze and Larva
The player is moved to the altar; the larva tries to reach and kill the target.
Stinger Spray
Regular raid-wide Nature damage.
Hive’Zara Swarmers
Small flying adds descend in swarms and need AoE control.
Poison Stinger
The poison stacking in the tank increases the pressure in the ground phase.
Phase plan and tactic
Air phase
Ranged damages Ayamiss, melee waits near the altar and the entire raid switches to larva immediately.
Ranged damages Ayamiss, melee waits near the altar and the entire raid switches to larva immediately.
Transition
When the boss lands at about 70%, the tank will pick it up and turn it away from the raid.
When the boss lands at about 70%, the tank will pick it up and turn it away from the raid.
Ground phase
Kill larvae still first, group up Swarmers in AoE and use final cooldowns as tank pressure increases.
Kill larvae still first, group up Swarmers in AoE and use final cooldowns as tank pressure increases.
Role notes
Tanks
- Follow the agreed tank change, crystal and adds' picking plan.
- Call the boss control break and move the front cones out of the raid.
DPS
- Follow target priority before boss damage.
- Save cooldowns for the most dangerous phase of the encounter.
Healers
- Anticipates tank burst and encounter regular raid spikes.
- Conserve mana in long wave and kite encounters.
utility
- Use dispels, interrupts, crowd control and mana drain as agreed.
- Call spawns, crystals and transitions quickly.
Nerfs: what changed
- Patch 1.10 changed Ayamiss to drop from the air much earlier.
- The change increased the utility of melee DPS and shortened the air phase, so it was a clear encounter nerf.
Patch 1.10 nerfEarlier LandingClassic 1.12
Encounter 6 / 6 · Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Ossirian the Unscarred
Crystal chain, Supreme buff removal and continuous crystal.
Final bossCrystalsKite
TL;DR: Ossirian is almost lethal in Supreme mode. Find an active crystal, drag the boss next to it and activate the crystal to remove Supreme and grant a random elemental vulnerability. Crystal to crystal before the debuff ends, keep ranged wide due to cyclones and Curse of Tongues, and maintain tank control after War Stomp.
Raid priorities
- The next crystal will be found and called before the end of the current weakness debuff.
- Ossirian can't tank with the Supreme buff.
- raid moves in unison for the crystal but dodges the wandering cyclones.
- Curse of Tongues is removed from critical caster and healer roles.
Before the pull
- Name two crystal scouts and one crystal activator.
- Name at least two tanks for War Stomp / threat exchanges.
- Agree is the movement direction of the raid, curse dispels and elemental vulnerability damage calls.
Mechanics reference
Strength of Ossirian
Supreme buff increases boss damage to lethal when crystal weakness is not active.
Ossirian Crystal
Crystal removes Supreme and makes the boss momentarily vulnerable to one elemental type.
War Stomp
Melee stun can break tank control and expose to target switching.
Curse of Tongues
Slows down casts significantly and requires curse removal.
Cyclone
The eddies in the arena lift the player into the air and break movement.
Phase plan and tactic
Start
The first pre-visible crystal is activated as soon as Ossirian is in its area of effect.
The first pre-visible crystal is activated as soon as Ossirian is in its area of effect.
Crystal chain
The scouts look for the next crystal, the tank kites the boss there and the raid follows opening the cyclone. Activate before the end of weakness.
The scouts look for the next crystal, the tank kites the boss there and the raid follows opening the cyclone. Activate before the end of weakness.
Vulnerability
Casters switch to an active elemental school when possible, but movement and crystal timing are always more important than damage.
Casters switch to an active elemental school when possible, but movement and crystal timing are always more important than damage.
Tanks
Keep the spare tank on the threat list and take out the boss after a War Stomp or a station collapse.
Keep the spare tank on the threat list and take out the boss after a War Stomp or a station collapse.
Role notes
Tanks
- Follow the agreed tank change, crystal and adds' picking plan.
- Call the boss control break and move the front cones out of the raid.
DPS
- Follow target priority before boss damage.
- Save cooldowns for the most dangerous phase of the encounter.
Healers
- Anticipates tank burst and encounter regular raid spikes.
- Conserve mana in long wave and kite encounters.
utility
- Use dispels, interrupts, crowd control and mana drain as agreed.
- Call spawns, crystals and transitions quickly.
Nerfs: what changed
- Patch 1.11 added a crystal that appears before the start of the encounter, which can be used like a regular crystal but does not respawn during the fight.
- The change made the start more predictable and was a clear progression relief, not a boss number nerf.
Patch 1.11 QoL nerfStarting crystalClassic 1.12
Sources and versioning
boss order, 20-player original version and encounter structure checked from Warcraft Wiki's Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj page. The change history is based on patch 1.10 and 1.11 notes.
- Warcraft Wiki — Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Ruins_of_Ahn%27Qiraj - Warcraft Wiki — Patch 1.10.0
warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_1.10.0 - Warcraft Wiki — Patch 1.11.0
warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_1.11.0 - Warcraft Wiki — Ayamiss the Hunter
warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Ayamiss - Warcraft Wiki — Ossirian the Unscarred
warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Ossirian
Season of Discovery's Descent into Madness changes raid size and encounters and is not to be confused with this original Classic guide. Updated 8/18/2026.