The Excavation Site is the new dungeon in the Wetlands and the first in WoW Forever built for the 20 to 30 stretch. It sits in a part of the zone you couldn't enter in Classic, on top of a hill east of Whelgar's Excavation Site, where the Explorers' League has found titan remains. You can play it in the beta since October 1, with the level 30 cap, and Blizzard sets it at level 26-31.
This guide gathers what you need before going in: how to get there, the eleven quests for both factions and who gives them, the four bosses and what each one drops, with stats. The data comes from the beta client and Wowhead's Forever database. What isn't known yet, we say.
In short
| Level | 26-31 according to Blizzard. Quests can be picked up from level 24, but the last boss is level 31 |
| Where | Wetlands, on top of the hill east of Whelgar's Excavation Site, via new paths |
| Faction | Both. Four Horde quests and seven Alliance quests |
| Bosses | Saltspine, Shadetooth, Highland Horror and Relic Guardian |
| Most useful | Level 31-33 blue gear, two camp blueprints and a new trinket for both factions |
In the English client the dungeon is called Excavation Site: Wetlands. Blizzard presents it as the Excavation Site, and that's the name we use on the site.
How to get there
- Alliance: the easiest route is Menethil Harbor. It now has a boat to Stormwind that stops at Auberdine, and you can also walk in from Loch Modan. Most people will already have the Wetlands flight path.
- Horde: the way is longer. You have to cross the Hillsbrad Foothills and the Arathi Highlands on foot. Pick up the Tarren Mill and Hammerfall flight paths on the way: they save you a lot of time later.
- If the whole group dies, the only graveyard in the zone is far away, so the trip back is long. Anyone who can resurrect (priest, druid, shaman, and a paladin who has already done their quest) saves a lot of time.
The quests
None of this dungeon's quests are in the client's Spanish data, so we use the English titles throughout. Since October 1, dungeon quests give 50% less bonus experience, but they're still worth doing for the gear.
Horde
| Quest | Who gives it | What it asks | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changing Tastes | Borstan, cooking trainer in Orgrimmar | 4 Thicket Raptor Meat | Satchel of Potions, Serrated Raptor Claw and Recipe: Twice-Spiced Raptor Slice |
| Open the Maw | A Deathstalker Agent hidden in the hills next to the entrance | Kill 2 Dragonmaw Saboteur and 4 Dragonmaw Warder and bring back the Dragonmaw Dispatch | Knife-Polishing Rag or Dirt-Heavy Bracers |
| Elder Knowledge | Starts from the Titan Relic dropped by the last boss | Take it to Elder Rise in Thunder Bluff | Leads to the next one |
| Earthen Echo | Follows the previous one | Take the relic to Muln Earthfury on Skywatcher Plateau (Mulgore) | Heavehammer, Healer's Staff or Furs of the Earthen Ring |
Alliance
| Quest | Who gives it | What it asks | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Hides | James Halloran, tanner in Menethil Harbor (8, 55). You must first do Daily Delivery | 4 Thicket Raptor Hide | Wowhead lists no items |
| Songblade Search | Dorin Songblade, in Redridge Mountains (25.6, 46.6) | Find his brother Daewyn inside the excavation | Daewyn's Girdle or Songblade Stabilizer |
| Horrors in the Highland | Rethiel the Greenwarden, in the Wetlands (56.2, 40.6). First, his The Greenwarden chain | Kill the Highland Horror and bring back its Horrible Rootcore | Ironwood Destroyer, Curl of Life or Hornbeam Heft |
| Lost in the Thicket Things | Caitlin Grassman, in Menethil Harbor (11.8, 58.6) | Find out what happened to Ardin Grassman | Leads to the next one |
| Heartwoven | Follows the previous one | Return to Caitlin with a heart of reeds | Satchel of Potions and potions (Greater Healing Potion, Mana Potion and Swiftness Potion) |
| Lost Relic Carry | Starts from the last boss's Titan Relic | Take it to Prospector Whelgar at Whelgar's Excavation Site | Leads to the next one |
| Prehistoric Prism | Follows the previous one | Take the relic to High Explorer Magellas in Ironforge | Explorer's League Dustcover, Healer's Staff or Heavehammer |
Wowhead lists all of a quest's rewards together and doesn't always separate the ones you choose from the ones you receive. The weapons and cloaks from the relic chains are pick-one.
What the rewards give
| Item | What it is | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Satchel of Potions | Trinket, item level 33 | Its in-game text: "Reach into the bag and hope for something good." It doesn't say what exactly comes out. Both factions can get it |
| Heavehammer | Two-handed mace | 73-110 damage, speed 3.30, +26 attack power and +7 agility |
| Healer's Staff | Staff | +12 stamina, up to +67 healing and +22 spell damage, and 5 mana per 5 sec |
| Ironwood Destroyer | Two-handed mace | 75-114 damage, speed 3.40, +24 attack power, +9 stamina and +7 spirit |
| Hornbeam Heft | One-handed axe | 36-67 damage, speed 2.40, +3 strength, +6 stamina and +3 spirit |
| Curl of Life | Ring | +7 stamina, 5 health per 5 sec and +5 spell power |
| Furs of the Earthen Ring | Cloak | +4 strength, +3 stamina, +5 intellect and +4 spirit |
| Explorer's League Dustcover | Cloak | +4 strength, +4 agility and +7 intellect |
| Daewyn's Girdle | Cloth belt | +9 spirit, +6 spell power and 10 health per 5 sec |
| Knife-Polishing Rag | Cloth bracers | +4 intellect, +7 spirit and +5 spell power |
| Dirt-Heavy Bracers | Leather bracers | +7 spirit, +4 stamina and +8 attack power |
| Serrated Raptor Claw | Dagger | 24-45 damage, speed 1.60, +5 agility and +10 attack power |
| Songblade Stabilizer | Mail belt | +10 stamina and 0.7% dodge |
All of them are blue and bind when picked up. The numbers come from the beta client and may change.
The bosses
The client has four encounters. The Relic Guardian is the last one: it's level 31 and drops the Titan Relic that starts both quest chains. Ability names aren't in the client data, so we use the English names.
Saltspine
A simple fight if you clear the enemies around first. It puts a Tendon Rip on the tank that slows them a lot, but it doesn't change how you play. Now and then it casts Dust Storm on everyone within 10 yards: 25% less chance to hit. If you cast spells, don't stand next to it.
The road to Saltspine is the most dangerous part of the dungeon. Raptors appear in the tall grass if you walk through it for a while, and the matriarchs call for more when they're low on health. Stay on the path, fight in open areas and, if a matriarch comes with other enemies, kill the others first.
Shadetooth
The boss that wipes the most groups. It comes with two thicket hunters that leave Infected Wound on their target: remove it as soon as you can. The safest approach is to control both adds for the whole fight, or control one and kill the other before going for the boss. After that, Rend on the tank and Terrifying Roar, a 5-sec fear that can't be dispelled. The fear is what makes it hard: it can send you into the grass or into uncleared enemies. Clear the crocolisk cove on the left and fight there. It can be slowed and stunned, which helps when it enrages at 30%.
Highland Horror
It's the target of the Alliance quest Horrors in the Highland and drops the Horrible Rootcore that the quest asks for. Wowhead hasn't published what it does yet.
Relic Guardian
The last boss. You activate it by pressing the archive panel to its right. Mostly it checks whether you're well geared and at the right level: it hits the tank hard and has a lot of health. It casts Thunderclap on everyone within 10 yards, which heavily slows movement and attack speed. It also knocks the tank down from time to time and sometimes stuns them for 5 sec. It can be stunned and slowed, so use all the control you have.
Boss loot
| Boss | Item | What it is | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saltspine | Supple Bellyskin Leggings | Leather legs | +6 strength and +14 stamina |
| Saltspine | Saltscale Girdle | Mail belt | +9 strength and +9 stamina |
| Saltspine | Glinteye Slippers | Cloth feet | +6 intellect, +6 spirit and +9 stamina |
| Shadetooth | Raptorclaw Greaves | Mail feet | +7 strength, +7 stamina and +6 intellect |
| Shadetooth | Garb of Florid Feathers | Leather chest | +6 agility, +13 intellect and +6 stamina |
| Shadetooth | Raptor's Gaze | Held in off hand | +7 stamina, +4 intellect and +5 spell power |
| Shadetooth | Blueprint: Greenhouse | Camp blueprint | For Herbalism (140) |
| Relic Guardian | Reliquary Mantle | Mail shoulders | +12 stamina and +4 spirit |
| Relic Guardian | Ring of Power Regulation | Ring | +8 stamina and 2 mana per 5 sec |
| Relic Guardian | Golemsight Long Gun | Gun | 29-54 damage, speed 2.50 and +6 agility |
| Relic Guardian | Blueprint: Rock Garden | Camp blueprint | For Mining (140) |
| Relic Guardian | Titan Relic | Quest starter | The Horde or the Alliance chain |
The gear is item level 31 (Saltspine and Shadetooth) and 33 (Relic Guardian). It requires level 26 and 28. The two blueprints teach you to place those objects in your camp. We explain it in the camp planner. The stats come from the beta client and Wowhead's Forever database.
Which group to bring
One tank, one healer and three damage dealers, as always, but here control matters more than ever. Shadetooth is much easier if someone can sleep, freeze or shackle its adds, and the Relic Guardian can be stunned. If someone can remove poisons or diseases, that's better against Infected Wound. And bring someone who can resurrect, because the run back from the graveyard is long. The group planner tells you what each class covers at your level.
What isn't known yet
- What the Highland Horror does and whether it drops anything besides the quest core.
- Whether Highland Hides gives any item: Wowhead lists none.
- The dungeon is in the beta and may change before November 4: levels, loot and quests.
Frequently asked questions
What level is the Excavation Site?
Blizzard sets it at 26-31. Quests can be picked up from 24, but the last boss is level 31, so going in before 26 is tough.
Where is the Excavation Site entrance?
In the Wetlands, on top of the hill east of Whelgar's Excavation Site, via paths that didn't exist in Classic. For the Alliance it's close to Menethil Harbor. The Horde has to cross the Hillsbrad Foothills and the Arathi Highlands.
Can the Horde run it?
Yes. It's for both factions and the Horde has four quests: one in Orgrimmar, one next to the entrance, and the relic chain, which ends in Thunder Bluff and Mulgore.
What is the Satchel of Potions?
A new Forever trinket you get from Changing Tastes (Horde) or Heartwoven (Alliance). Its in-game text says "Reach into the bag and hope for something good," and it doesn't say what exactly comes out.
More dungeons for this stretch in the 20-30 leveling guide and on the dungeon page.
