Summer Challenge: The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj

Every week this summer, we’re challenging you to get together with a few friends to explore a part of Azeroth that you may not have seen in a while, or perform a feat that you may have never done. We’re calling them World of Warcraft Summer Challenges, and we’re going to be playing along with you as we hunt down rare achievements, get screenshots of amazing bosses, and try to find some rare gear for our transmogrification sets.

This week’s challenge is: The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj, often called “AQ40”.

At the heart of Ahn'Qiraj lies an ancient temple complex. Built in the time before recorded history, it is both a monument to unspeakable gods and a massive breeding ground for the qiraji army. Since the War of the Shifting Sands ended a thousand years ago, the Twin Emperors of the qiraji empire have been trapped inside their temple, barely contained behind the magical barrier erected by the bronze dragon Anachronos and the night elves.

Originally opened for raids of 40 players at level 60, The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj offers six required bosses and three optional bosses, ending with the old god C’Thun. There are a number of reasons to spend some time in AQ40.

Notable achievements

• Temple of Ahn’Qiraj -- Defeat C’Thun.
• Temple of Ahn’Qiraj Guild Run -- Defeat C’Thun while in a guild group of at least 10 people
• Classic Raider -- Complete this and the other three level 60 raids.
• Why? Because It’s Red  (feat of strength) -- Obtain a Red Qiraji Resonating Crystal.

Desirable gear

• Scepter of the False Prophet
• Doomcaller’s Attire
• Garments of the Oracle
• Death’s Sting
• Enigma Vestments
• Stormcaller’s Garb
• Deathdealer’s Embrace
• Conqueror’s Battlegear
• Avenger’s Battlegear

Other odds and ends

• Mobs in this dungeon have a chance to drop all four colors of Qiraji Resonating Crystals.
• Hunters can tame the unusual Yauj Brood, Princess Yauj, Lord Kri, Vem, and Princess Huhuran pets here.
• Players seeking Brood of Nozdormu reputation can earn it quickly by killing mobs and bosses, and by turning in insignias and artifacts that drop in this instance.

Now that the Scepter of the Shifting Sands has been reassembled and the seal has been broken, the way into the inner sanctum of Ahn'Qiraj is open. Beyond the crawling madness of the hives, beneath the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, legions of qiraji prepare for invasion. They must be stopped at all costs before they can unleash their voracious insectoid armies on Kalimdor once again, and a second War of the Shifting Sands breaks loose!

Please join us in this discussion thread, where we’re talking about this week’s challenge, and looking forward to your stories about how it went for you this week, your screenshots, and your suggestions for other fun reasons to take on The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj.