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Introduction[]

INV Ore Mithril 01

Since the only other guide I could find hasn't been updated in a long time, I thought it'd be a nice idea to expand and update on this.

If you are a Miner, Dark Iron Ore can be obtained if you have 230 mining skill. Dark iron veins spawn in Blackrock Depths and Molten Core. It no longer can be found in Searing Gorge or the Burning Steppes.

Dark Iron veins can produce:

Requirements[]

To successfully farm Dark Iron you need the following :

  • Character Level 60+.
  • 230+ Mining skill. (or 225 + Enchanted gloves [1] )
  • Stealth or Prowl skill. (MoD or Feral Instinct, not required)
  • Gear, weapons and skill enough to take out a pack of 2-3 non elite level 54 dogs.

Recommended[]

INV Misc Key 08

As an extra you could get the following items to speed up your farming :

Resetting the Instance[]

As of 1.11 you can reset the instance by right-clicking your portrait while outside the instance, then clicking the "reset all instances" option.

Limitations[]

As of Patch 1.9 or so, you are limited to 5 instances per hour. Meaning that if you start your first run at 13.00, and do 4 more runs before it is 14.00, you will not be able to enter any instance (aside from Battlegrounds) until it is 14.00. Because of this limitation you can either take your time and get as much Dark Iron as you can within those 60 minutes (12 Minutes per run), or rush and mine only close to the instance entrance within 30 minutes, then spend the other 30 minutes farming for Dark Iron in Searing Gorge or Burning Steppes. Try to get CT_Timermod, as it can help you time your runs.

During those 5 instances, you should be able to gather between 30-50 Dark iron, since you can get anywhere from 1-5 nodes successfully per run.

Also see: Instance Limitations

Dark Iron locations[]

The Ring of Law & The detention block[]

Dark Iron Map

The main two nodes of interest here do not appear to share spawn points. Most other nodes in these 2 groups are unreachable because of the many Bloodhound patrols that cover this inner area.

Note: The yellow and magenta nodes are not properly analyzed yet, and some can and will spawn at the same time.

Mobs[]

  • Bloodhound pack : 3 non elite dogs
  • Fire elementals
  • Dwarf patrol + dogs
  • Lord Roccor : elite mob (soloable)

The Yellow Nodes[]

  1. Guarded by 2 elite dwarves (Sap the nearest one, kill the one near the node, then kill the other one or simply vanish and mine it. This can also be mined by standing as far away from the dwarves as possible (if the nearest dwarf is a certain level). Look out for patrolling dogs!
  2. 4-5 elites guard this vein but one of them is a patroller. If you wait for that one to leave, you can usually mine this safely, make sure there are no dogs coming up, alternatively you can also use Sap on the nearest dwarf. Probably the trickiest node to mine.
  3. Not safe
  4. Mobs around this node vary. There will always be 2 dwarves and one fireguard plus 0-2 extra random mobs. If there is a fireguard right next to the node you will need to keep him busy with distract while you mine, else it will aggro. Note: this one will not show up on your map. Also, it can spawn at the same time as #1, so be sure to check both.

These nodes still need to be analyzed.

  • 1 can spawn at the same time as 4
  • 1 can spawn at the same time as 2

The Magenta Nodes[]

  1. Not safe, This one will not show up on your map.
  2. This one can be obtained by avoiding the patrols. You can inch up to the node from the side closest to the tunnel opening going along the wall, and once it is just inside range it can be safely mined. This node may or may not show up on the map.
  3. Not safe
  4. Not safe

These nodes still need to be analyzed.

  • 1 can spawn at the same time as 2
  • 2 can spawn at the same time as 4
  • 2 can spawn at the same time as 3

The Dark Iron Highway[]

The Dark Iron Highway is a crowded place, and an interesting gauntlet for any non stealth class. The first mobs you'll encounter are 5 Elite dwarves and 1 dog on each side. These bloodhounds can detect stealth, so you need to stealth past by almost hugging the dwarves. Go past by staying 1-2 feet away from the dwarves and the dog should ignore you. Generally the dog on the left is furthest away from the dwarves so he is easiest to get past. No improved stealth skill or distract ability required, though it never hurts to have it either. Alternatively the first 2 dogs are each solo pullable. Turn directly left and look for the green nodes on the map. If none show up then probably node #2 has spawned, which is safe to mine.

Mobs[]

  • Bloodhound pack : 2-3 non elites
  • Dwarf Pack : 5 Elites. Usually a level 54 Commander, 2 Priests, 2 Warriors.
  • Bael'Gar : Elite boss. Avoid at all cost, because he spawns adds like crazy.

The Green Nodes[]

  1. Guarded by 5 Elite Dwarves, these guys however appear to be on a 5 Minute (estimate, but sometimes longer) patrol time, meaning every 5 minutes or so they'll leave their post and stand elsewhere, allowing you to grab the dark iron quickly. You can sap the closest dwarf and mine with ease.
  2. Obtainable without a fight.
  3. Guarded by 5 Elite Dwarves. Under the right circumstances. The second guy along has to be lvl 52 or lower, and if you sap the guy closest to the vein you are free to mine it. If this is not the case, or you don't have the skill, forget this node.
  4. Guarded by 2 non Elite dogs, these are an easy kill. But, watch out for the patrolling fire elemental.

The Red Nodes[]

  1. This node is in the center of the T crossing and constantly guarded by a pack of 5 Elite Dwarves. Thus, unreachable.
  2. At level 60: Unless the nearest mob to the node is level 53, this node is usually safe to mine (else you will need to sap), just make sure you are as far from the dwarves as you can be. If you are a lower level player, these 5 Elite dwarves are also on a 5 minute patrol timer, so if you are patient they will walk away.
  3. Guarded by 2-3 dogs and 5 dwarves which are also on a 5 Minute patrol time. Wait for the dwarves to move then pull the dogs away from the node. The dwarves won't aggro once the puppies are dead.
  4. Guarded by 3 dogs, easy to kill. But again watch out for the patrolling fire elemental.

The Hall of Crafting[]

Golem

A golem

These are in the area behind the dark anvil after Lord Incendius (Lord Incendius has been buffed and is now very hard to solo, but he is easy to pass).

Mobs[]

The Teal Nodes[]

  1. Use the bench to get on top of the node, and you can mine it safely.
  2. Jump up along the left side of the node and get on top of it, stay far away from the dwarves, then mine it.
  3. Sap the closest dwarf, otherwise sap 1, kill 2 dwarves, then vanish, before mining. Keep in mind that this node will not show up on your map.
  4. Kill 3 dwarves, then vanish, before mining. You can also kill one of the two closest dwarves, vanish, and then sap the other since both will see you if you go for this node due to LoS restrictions.
  5. Sap the closest dwarf, Vanish, then grab it.
  6. Sap the closest dwarf, Vanish, then grab it.
  7. Sap the closest dwarf, Vanish, then grab it.
  8. You will need to fight 3 non elites + 1 elite Warbringer Construct in order to get this one, the construct hits hard so avoid this node unless you have decent gear, remember to use crippling poison!

The Black Forge[]

Mobs[]

  • Fire Elementals

The Dark Blue Nodes[]

It is a long way to reach, and there is no way to go back to the instance and reset if you go to the Molten Core entrance, but there are two possible spawn points for Dark iron here that you can mine safely. If is recommended to leave these nodes until the end of your run(s) so that you can mine an extra node just before smelting, then hearthing back home. To get to these nodes you will either have to fight through the chamber of the 7 Dwarves (which if you can manage more power to you) or travel along the fiery bottom of Blackrock Depths, as outlined in the guide How to solo Attunement. For a quick overview of the latter course, the best places to jump down are northwest from the Black Anvil (Lord Incendius's chamber) and straight down from Ambassador Flamelash after which you will need to lava-jump until you reach a safe place to stand on the north/northwest wall. Hug the wall towards the Molten Core entrance and fire-jump to get to the small island right before the Black Forge. Watch out for fireguards in the lava and be sure to bring something to mitigate fire damage.

  1. Safe to mine.
  2. Safe to mine.

There is probably a linked third node as well, because sometimes neither #1 or #2 spawns.

Recommended path[]

The fastest way to cover all nodes:

  • Yellow: Check out Yellow #1, or #4, and get one if you can.
  • Green: Go back and head for the green zone, if you see #3 head for the red area. if you see #4 get it, if #1 is not there, grab #2 because it won't show up on your map.
  • Red: If you see #1, head for the Teal zone. or Grab #2 / #4.
  • Teal: Check if #1 or #2 are available and grab them. or decide if you are willing to fight for one of the others.
  • At the end of your day / runs head towards the Black Forge (read How to solo Attunement to find out how to get there), grab a dark blue node if it has spawned, and kill the one fireguard keeping you from smelting your results for the day.

Farming at Level 70[]

It is possible to reach all nodes in the Magenta, Yellow, Green, Red, and Teal sections as a level 70 rogue. The dogs can still see you in stealth, but the distance is reduced. In some tunnels, you can get enough distance from their patrol patch to avoid being seen. You should be able to take on up to 5 mobs without significant risk of dying or being starved of cooldowns. Do be aware of patrols - they can cause problems if you do not account for them. Crippling poison is recommended as the humanoid mobs will try to run away and two packs of mobs can kill you: some of the mobs can put a bleed debuff on you that is not clearable with cloak of shadows, so between that and the dogs' ability, vanish is sometimes completely neutralized.

If you are willing to put in the extra 5 minutes, you can clear all of the mob packs in the teal area - the constructs have a fair chance of dropping a dark iron ore, adding to your count for the run.

Uses for Dark iron[]

Also see: Dark Iron.

  • Warlock Epic mount quest.
  • Tier 0.5 Armor upgrade quest
  • Several Rare and Epic crafting recipes
  • Thorium Brotherhood Reputation. Honored > Exalted

External links[]

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