How to Get Shadowmourne: Complete Guide to the Legendary Questline & Rewards

Shadowmourne is one of World of Warcraft’s most iconic legendary weapons – a massive two-handed axe forged as Frostmourne’s sister blade. If you’re wondering how to get Shadowmourne, you’ll need to complete an epic quest chain within Icecrown Citadel. This legendary weapon is exclusively available to Death Knights, Paladins, and Warriors, featuring 264.60 DPS, massive Strength bonuses, and a devastating Chaos Bane proc effect that makes it one of the most prestigious weapons in WoW history.

The Shadowmourne questline is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in World of Warcraft. Whether you’re playing WoW Classic, Wrath of the Lich King Classic, or Shadowmourne retail (modern WoW), this complete Shadowmourne guide will walk you through every step of how to get Shadowmourne.

Table of Contents

How to Get Shadowmourne: Prerequisites

Before starting your journey on how to get Shadowmourne, you must meet these essential requirements:

Class Restrictions for Shadowmourne

Death Knight: Can complete the Shadowmourne quest chain
Paladin: Can complete the Shadowmourne quest chain
Warrior: Can complete the Shadowmourne quest chain

These are the only three classes that can obtain Shadowmourne. No other classes have access to this legendary weapon.

Shadowmourne Reputation Requirements

You must reach Friendly with The Ashen Verdict Reputation to begin the Shadowmourne questline. This faction is exclusive to Icecrown Citadel and cannot be earned elsewhere.

How to Farm The Ashen Verdict Reputation:

Clear trash mobs before Lord Marrowgar (the first boss)
Each trash mob grants 10-20 reputation points
Reset the instance and repeat (maximum 10 resets per hour)
You need 3,000 reputation to reach Friendly from Neutral
Estimated time: 2-4 hours of focused farming
Boss kills also provide reputation

Starting the Shadowmourne Questline

Once you’ve achieved Friendly reputation with The Ashen Verdict, head inside Icecrown Citadel and speak with Darion Mograine at the entrance to begin your Shadowmourne quest chain.

Complete Shadowmourne Questline: Step-by-Step Guide

Shadowmourne Quest 1: The Sacred and the Corrupt

Quest Giver: Highlord Darion Mograine
Objective: Gather materials to forge Shadow’s Edge

This is the first quest in the Shadowmourne quest chain. You’ll need to collect both sacred and corrupted materials to create the foundation for your legendary weapon.

Required Materials for Shadowmourne:

25 Primordial Saronite

This is the most expensive component when learning how to get Shadowmourne. Here’s how to obtain Primordial Saronite:

Emblem of Frost Method: Trade 23 Emblems of Frost per Primordial Saronite at your faction vendor (575 emblems total needed)
Icecrown Citadel Boss Drops: Random drops from ICC bosses
Auction House: Typically costs 2,000-4,000 gold per piece (50,000-100,000g total investment)
Alchemy Transmutation: Alchemists can transmute Saronite Bars (long cooldown)

Expected Gold Cost: 50,000-100,000 gold if purchasing from Auction House, or free if farming emblems

Light’s Vengeance

Location: Frostmourne Cavern in Dragonblight (coordinates 54.2, 23.6)
This sword belonged to Arthas before he claimed Frostmourne
Simply fly to the cave entrance and loot it from the ground
Takes approximately 5 minutes to obtain
No combat required

Festergut’s Acidic Blood

Drops from Festergut in the Plagueworks wing of Icecrown Citadel
100% drop rate when you’re on the Shadowmourne questline
Festergut is the 8th boss encounter in ICC
Can be obtained on any difficulty

Rotface’s Acidic Blood

Drops from Rotface in the Plagueworks wing of Icecrown Citadel
100% drop rate when you’re on the Shadowmourne questline
Rotface is the 9th boss encounter in ICC
Can be obtained on any difficulty

Shadowmourne Quest Reward: Shadow’s Edge – a powerful 264 DPS two-handed axe that serves as Shadowmourne’s precursor weapon

Shadowmourne Quest 2: A Feast of Souls

Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Absorb 1,000 souls using Shadow’s Edge

This is the most time-consuming quest in the Shadowmourne questline. Your weapon, Shadow’s Edge, must consume 1,000 enemy souls before it can transform into Shadowmourne.

How to Complete A Feast of Souls:

Core Requirements:

Shadow’s Edge must be equipped when enemies die
Only killing blows count toward your progress
You or your pet must deal the final blow to the enemy
Works on any enemy inside Icecrown Citadel (trash mobs or bosses)
Progress saves across all lockouts and difficulties
Deaths do not reset your soul count

Most Efficient Farming Methods:

Method 1: Trash Farming Route (Fastest)

Enter Icecrown Citadel and clear all trash before Lord Marrowgar
Each full clear yields approximately 70-90 souls
Exit instance, reset, and repeat
Total farming time: 15-20 hours
Best method for dedicated farming sessions

Method 2: Weekly Raid Progression

Combine soul farming with your regular ICC raids
Boss kills grant 1 soul each
Collect souls from trash between bosses
Slower but more enjoyable for casual players
Takes approximately 6-10 weekly lockouts

Method 3: Guild Farm Groups

Organize dedicated farming sessions with guild members
Multiple players can farm for Shadowmourne simultaneously
Use AoE abilities to tag enemies, then let Shadow’s Edge wielder finish them
Most efficient with proper coordination
Social and efficient approach

Important Shadowmourne Farming Tips:

Check your progress by speaking with Darion Mograine
Soul farming can be completed on any difficulty (10-man, 25-man, Normal, Heroic)
For Shadowmourne retail (modern WoW), you can solo this at max level in 2-3 hours
Pet killing blows count toward your total
Make sure no one else gets the killing blow on tagged enemies

Shadowmourne Quest 3: Unholy Infusion

Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Infuse Shadow’s Edge with Unholy power from Professor Putricide

The Shadowmourne quest chain now requires you to empower Shadow’s Edge through three “infusion” quests. Unholy Infusion is the first of these challenges.

How to Complete Unholy Infusion:

Preparation:

Equip Shadow’s Edge before pulling Professor Putricide
Inform your raid leader that you’re attempting Unholy Infusion
Position yourself where you can intercept adds easily

The Infusion Mechanic:

During the Professor Putricide encounter, he creates experimental adds:

Volatile Ooze: Green ooze that pursues random raid members
Gas Cloud: Orange cloud that chases players around the room

What You Need to Do:

Get HIT by either a Volatile Ooze OR a Gas Cloud while wielding Shadow’s Edge
Only one hit from one add type is required
The add must physically strike you and deal damage
You’ll see a buff/debuff indicator when successfully hit

Victory Requirement: After being hit by an add, you must defeat Professor Putricide in that same attempt. If your raid wipes after you get the infusion, it doesn’t count and you must try again.

Shadowmourne Infusion Strategy:

Best Approach: Volatile Ooze

Volunteer to be the ooze target
Let it hit you once before kiting it away
More controllable for melee classes
Use defensive cooldowns to survive the hit

Alternative: Gas Cloud

Position yourself in the cloud’s movement path
Take one tick of damage from the cloud
Immediately move away to minimize damage

Coordination Tips:

Use defensive cooldowns when taking the intentional hit
Alert healers before attempting the infusion
Communicate clearly: “Got my Unholy Infusion hit!”
Focus on killing the boss after securing your infusion

Difficulty Level: Medium
Can be completed on: Any difficulty (10N, 10H, 25N, 25H)

Shadowmourne Quest 4: Blood Infusion

Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Infuse Shadow’s Edge with Blood power from Blood-Queen Lana’thel

This is widely considered the most challenging quest in the entire Shadowmourne questline. Blood Infusion requires exceptional coordination between you and your entire raid team.

Understanding the Vampire Mechanic:

Blood-Queen Lana’thel has a core ability where she bites players during the encounter, turning them into temporary vampires with the “Essence of the Blood Queen” buff.

How to Complete Blood Infusion – Step by Step:

Step 1: Get Bitten by Blood-Queen Lana’thel

Blood-Queen Lana’thel periodically bites raid members during the fight
You must ensure you are one of the players selected for biting
When bitten, you receive “Essence of the Blood Queen” buff
This buff starts at 1 stack and increases by 1 every 10 seconds
At 15 stacks (after 150 seconds), you gain the ability to bite other players
CRITICAL WARNING: If essence reaches 100 stacks, you die instantly

Step 2: Bite Three Raid Members

Once you reach 15 stacks of Essence, you can bite other players
Click on three different raid members’ portraits to bite them
Each player you bite receives “Essence of the Blood Queen”
Choose your targets carefully – ideally ranged DPS or experienced healers
Brief your bite targets before the encounter starts

Step 3: Stack Management (The Challenge) Every player you bite will have Essence of the Blood Queen that:

Starts at 1 stack when bitten
Increases by 1 every 10 seconds
Grants increased damage and healing output
Results in instant death at 100 stacks

All three players you bite must:

Survive until Blood-Queen Lana’thel dies
Never allow their essence to reach 100 stacks
Continue performing their roles effectively
Coordinate with healers for increased healing needs

Step 4: Defeat Blood-Queen Lana’thel After successfully biting 3 players who manage their stacks properly, defeat the boss. If any player you bit dies or reaches 100 stacks before the boss dies, the Shadowmourne quest fails and you must retry.

Blood Infusion Success Strategy:

Bite Target Selection:

Choose reliable, experienced players
Ranged DPS are ideal (better positioning control)
Healers work well if they understand the mechanic
Avoid players new to the encounter
Coordinate bite targets in voice chat before pulling

Stack Management Communication:

All bitten players should announce their stack count
Call out at 80 stacks, 90 stacks, and 95 stacks
Raid leader must monitor DPS to ensure kill before 100 stacks
DPS players should slow down approaching 90+ stacks if needed

Raid DPS Requirements:

The encounter must be completed before any bitten player reaches 100 stacks
High raid DPS is essential for Shadowmourne Blood Infusion success
Consider using Bloodlust/Heroism optimally
All non-bitten players should maximize DPS output

Common Blood Infusion Failure Points:

Bitten player reaches 100 stacks due to insufficient raid DPS
Bitten player dies to other mechanics (Pact of the Darkfallen, Swarming Shadows)
Poor communication about bite targets causes confusion
Wrong players selected for biting (inexperienced or low gear)

Difficulty Level: High – requires excellent raid coordination and communication
Can be completed on: Any difficulty (easier on lower difficulties due to shorter fight duration)

Shadowmourne Quest 5: Frost Infusion

Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Infuse Shadow’s Edge with Frost power from Sindragosa

After the complexity of Blood Infusion, Frost Infusion is refreshingly straightforward. This Shadowmourne quest requires you to be hit by Sindragosa’s Frost Breath ability multiple times.

How to Complete Frost Infusion:

Core Requirements:

Equip Shadow’s Edge during the Sindragosa encounter
Get hit by Sindragosa’s Frost Breath exactly 4 times
Each successful hit grants you one stack of “Frost-Imbued Blade”
You can track your progress by checking your buff bar
All 4 stacks must be collected in a single encounter attempt
Defeat Sindragosa after collecting all 4 stacks

Sindragosa’s Frost Breath Mechanic:

Sindragosa uses Frost Breath – a devastating frontal cone attack that deals massive Frost damage to anyone standing in front of her. Normally, players avoid this ability, but for Shadowmourne Frost Infusion, you need to take it intentionally.

Execution Strategy for Frost Infusion:

Collecting Each Stack:

Position yourself directly in front of Sindragosa when she begins casting Frost Breath
Take the hit and gain your Frost-Imbued Blade stack
Immediately move out of the frontal cone area
Use defensive cooldowns to survive the hit
Repeat this process 4 times throughout the encounter

Timing Your Stack Collection:

Sindragosa alternates between ground phases and air phases
Collect stacks during ground phases only
Take one stack per ground phase when possible
Space out your collection to manage defensive cooldowns
After collecting all 4 stacks, play the encounter normally

Survival Tips for Frost Infusion:

Managing the Massive Damage:

Frost Breath deals approximately 50,000+ Frost damage (scaled by difficulty)
Use strong defensive cooldowns for each hit
Alert your healers before each stack attempt: “Taking breath for stack [number]”
Position slightly off-center to avoid hitting other players
Take stacks early in each ground phase when cooldowns are available

Defensive Cooldown Rotation:

Death Knights:

Stack 1: Anti-Magic Shell (absorbs Frost damage)
Stack 2: Icebound Fortitude
Stack 3: Vampiric Blood (if Blood spec)
Stack 4: Army of the Dead + Anti-Magic Shell

Paladins:

Stack 1: Divine Protection (reduces magic damage)
Stack 2: Guardian of Ancient Kings (if Protection)
Stack 3: Divine Shield (careful timing – use right before hit)
Stack 4: Lay on Hands or Hand of Protection

Warriors:

Stack 1: Shield Wall (if Protection)
Stack 2: Last Stand
Stack 3: Rallying Cry
Stack 4: Enraged Regeneration or Shield Wall (if cooldown reset)

Healer Coordination:

Assign a dedicated healer to watch you during the encounter
Use voice communication to call out each stack attempt
Healers should prepare instant-cast or fast heals
Consider using healing cooldowns for stack 3 and 4

Important Notes:

If your raid wipes before defeating Sindragosa, all stack progress is lost
You must recollect all 4 stacks in a fresh attempt
Can be completed on any difficulty (lower difficulties = less Frost Breath damage)

Difficulty Level: Medium
Can be completed on: Any difficulty (10N, 10H, 25N, 25H)

Shadowmourne Quest 6: The Splintered Throne

Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Collect 50 Shadowfrost Shards

You’ve now completed all three infusions for the Shadowmourne quest chain. The final major obstacle is collecting 50 Shadowfrost Shards, which proves your guild’s dedication to Heroic progression content.

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT FOR SHADOWMOURNE:

Shadowfrost Shards ONLY drop from bosses in Icecrown Citadel 25-man Heroic difficulty. There are no exceptions to this rule:

10-man does NOT drop Shadowfrost Shards
25-man Normal does NOT drop Shadowfrost Shards
Only 25-man Heroic bosses drop these essential Shadowmourne materials

Shadowfrost Shard Drop Rates:

Most ICC Bosses: 1 Shadowfrost Shard per kill
The Lich King (Heroic): 2-3 Shadowfrost Shards per kill
Weekly Maximum: Approximately 15 shards from a complete 25H clear
Minimum Time to Complete: 4 weeks with perfect Heroic clears
Realistic Timeline: 6-12 weeks depending on guild progression

Shadowmourne Quest 7: Shadowmourne… (Final Quest)

Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Return to Darion Mograine with all quest requirements completed

After collecting all 50 Shadowfrost Shards and completing the three infusions, you’re finally ready to claim your legendary weapon.

The Final Step:

Return to Darion Mograine at the entrance of Icecrown Citadel
Turn in “The Splintered Throne” quest
Witness the transformation of Shadow’s Edge into Shadowmourne
Receive your legendary weapon!

Shadowmourne Quest Chain Rewards:

Primary Reward: Shadowmourne

Legendary two-handed axe
264.60 Damage Per Second
1870-2805 Shadow Damage
Speed: 3.70
+196 Strength
+196 Stamina
+133 Critical Strike Rating
+137 Hit Rating

Legendary Proc: Chaos Bane

Your attacks grant Soul Fragments
At 10 Soul Fragments, triggers Chaos Bane automatically
Deals massive Shadow damage to all enemies within 15 yards
Grants +270 Strength for 10 seconds
Internal cooldown: Chaos Bane can trigger every 15-20 seconds in combat

Visual Effects:

Purple-black shadowy aura surrounds the weapon constantly
Chaos Bane creates a dramatic shadow explosion
Distinctive sound effects when Chaos Bane triggers
Shadow particles emanate from the wielder
One of the most visually impressive weapons in WoW

Achievement Unlocked:

“Shadowmourne” achievement added to your collection
Demonstrates completion of one of WoW’s most prestigious questlines

Shadowmourne Quest Chain Rewards:The Lich King’s Last Stand

Bonus Quest: The Lich King’s Last Stand

After obtaining Shadowmourne, you unlock a special bonus quest that doesn’t upgrade the weapon but provides an exclusive mount reward.

Quest Name: The Lich King’s Last Stand
Quest Giver: Darion Mograine
Objective: Defeat The Lich King with Shadowmourne equipped

How to Complete:

Equip Shadowmourne during The Lich King encounter
Shadowmourne must be equipped when The Lich King dies
Can be completed on ANY difficulty (10-man Normal is easiest)
Complete the encounter successfully

Shadowmourne Quest Chain Rewards for This Quest:

Reins of the Crimson Deathcharger

Exclusive mount that proves you completed the full Shadowmourne questline
Armored red skeletal horse with unique appearance
Usable by all characters on your Battle.net account (account-wide)
One of the rarest and most prestigious mounts from Wrath content
Cannot be obtained any other way

This bonus Shadowmourne quest chain reward is purely cosmetic but highly valued by mount collectors and players who want to display their legendary achievement.

How to Get Shadowmourne in Retail WoW

For players wondering how to get Shadowmourne retail (in modern World of Warcraft), the process is significantly easier but still requires time investment:

Shadowmourne Retail Advantages:

Solo Viability:

At max level (Level 80 in The War Within), you can solo the entire questline
All Icecrown Citadel bosses can be defeated alone
No raid coordination needed for infusion quests
Mechanics become trivial at high levels

Faster Farming:

A Feast of Souls: Complete in 2-3 hours of solo farming
Primordial Saronite: Easily affordable with modern gold inflation
All infusions: Complete in single solo attempts
No coordination needed for Blood Infusion

Weekly Lockout Limitation:

Still limited by weekly raid lockouts for Shadowfrost Shards
Minimum 4 weeks required (with perfect 25H full clears)
This is the only time gate in Shadowmourne retail

How to Get Shadowmourne Retail – Step by Step:

Week 1:

Farm The Ashen Verdict reputation (30 minutes)
Purchase or farm 25 Primordial Saronite
Collect Light’s Vengeance from Dragonblight
Kill Festergut and Rotface for their blood
Receive Shadow’s Edge
Farm 1,000 souls (2-3 hours)
Complete all three infusions in one ICC clear
Collect 12-15 Shadowfrost Shards from first week’s bosses

Week 2:

Full 25H ICC clear
Collect 12-15 more Shadowfrost Shards
Total: 24-30 shards

Week 3:

Full 25H ICC clear
Collect 12-15 more Shadowfrost Shards
Total: 36-45 shards

Week 4:

Full 25H ICC clear
Collect final 5-14 Shadowfrost Shards
Turn in quest and receive Shadowmourne!
Defeat The Lich King for Crimson Deathcharger mount

Shadowmourne Retail Total Time: 4 weeks minimum (due to lockouts), approximately 10-15 hours of active gameplay

Shadowmourne Guide: Complete Timeline & Costs

Time Investment for How to Get Shadowmourne

Classic/Wrath Classic (With Guild):

Reputation farming: 2-4 hours
Material gathering: 10-20 hours
A Feast of Souls: 15-20 hours
Infusion quests: 1-2 raid nights per infusion
Shadowfrost Shards: 6-12 weeks of Heroic raiding
Total Time: 3-6 months

Shadowmourne Retail (Solo):

All initial quests: 1 day (8-10 hours)
Shadowfrost Shards: 4 weeks minimum
Total Time: 4 weeks (spread across lockouts)

Class-Specific Shadowmourne Tips

Death Knights:

Anti-Magic Shell trivializes Frost Infusion
Blood spec makes all infusions easier
Army of the Dead helps with soul farming
Unholy pets count for killing blows

Paladins:

Retribution spec optimal for DPS requirements
Divine Shield for emergency survival
Hand of Protection for helping others
Strong self-healing during infusions

Warriors:

Arms generally better DPS with Shadowmourne
Protection can complete questline while tanking
Execute phase excellent for soul farming
Multiple defensive cooldowns for infusions

Shadowmourne Questline: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to get Shadowmourne?
A: In Classic/Wrath Classic with a guild: 3–6 months. For Shadowmourne in retail (solo): minimum 4 weeks due to weekly lockouts.

Q: Can I get Shadowmourne in retail WoW?
A: Yes! Shadowmourne in retail is available and can be soloed at max level. Weekly lockouts for Shadowfrost Shards mean it takes at least 4 weeks to complete.

Q: What classes can get Shadowmourne?
A: Only Death Knights, Paladins, and Warriors can complete the Shadowmourne quest chain and wield the weapon.

Q: Is Shadowmourne account-wide?
A: No, Shadowmourne is character-specific, but the Crimson Deathcharger mount reward from the questline is account-wide.

Q: Can you solo the Shadowmourne questline?
A: In retail WoW at max level, yes! In Classic/Wrath Classic, you need a raid group for Heroic 25-man content.

Q: How much gold does Shadowmourne cost?
A: Approximately 60,000–120,000 gold in Classic (or 15,000–40,000g in retail), primarily for 25 Primordial Saronite.

Q: What are Shadowmourne quest chain rewards?
A: The main rewards include:

Shadowmourne – the legendary two-handed axe, obtained after completing the full questline.
Shadow’s Edge – a two-handed axe given mid-quest, later upgraded into Shadowmourne.
Crimson Deathcharger – an account-wide mount reward for completing the questline.
Achievement “Legendary” – awarded for finishing the entire quest chain.
Additional loot, gold, and materials like Primordial Saronite and Shadowfrost Shards collected during the quests.