Getting Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker is one of the most challenging and rewarding achievements in WoW Classic Era. This legendary one-handed sword represents months of dedication, countless raids, and significant gold investment. But for those who complete the journey, wielding this iconic weapon is the ultimate symbol of prestige.
This guide walks you through every step of obtaining Thunderfury in WoW Classic, from farming the rare bindings to defeating Prince Thunderaan. Whether you’re a tank looking for the best weapon in the game or a DPS chasing legendary glory, this comprehensive guide has everything you need.
⚡ What is Thunderfury?
Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker is a legendary one-handed sword that was once wielded by Prince Thunderaan, son of Al’Akir the Windlord. According to the lore, Ragnaros the Firelord defeated Thunderaan and imprisoned his essence within a talisman, splitting it into two pieces and giving them to his lieutenants: Baron Geddon and Garr.
The weapon features incredible stats and a powerful proc that deals nature damage while reducing enemy attack speed by 20%. This makes it the absolute best tanking weapon in WoW Classic and an excellent choice for certain DPS classes as well.
🎯 Thunderfury Stats & Proc Effect
Thunderfury has an item level of 80 and provides the following benefits:
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Weapon Speed | 1.90 |
| Damage per Second | 44.6 |
| Attack Power | +5 |
| Agility | +8 |
| Stamina | +5 |
| Fire Resistance | +10 |
| Nature Resistance | +10 |
The legendary proc effect triggers on hit and has a chance to blast your enemy with lightning, dealing 300 nature damage and then jumping to additional nearby enemies. Each jump deals 300 nature damage and reduces their movement and attack speed by 20% for 12 seconds. This effect can chain to up to 4 additional targets, making it exceptional for both single-target threat generation and AoE tanking situations.
🏹 Which Classes Can Use Thunderfury?
Any class that can equip one-handed swords can technically obtain and wield Thunderfury. However, not all classes benefit equally from this weapon. Here’s a breakdown of which classes should prioritize it:
Best Classes for Thunderfury
Warriors (Protection & Fury): Warriors are the absolute top priority for Thunderfury. Protection Warriors benefit immensely from the threat generation and attack speed reduction, making it the best tanking weapon in the entire game. Fury Warriors also gain massive DPS increases from the proc, though threat can become an issue if they’re not careful with aggro management.
Rogues (Combat): Combat Rogues make excellent use of Thunderfury, especially in sustained single-target fights. The fast weapon speed, solid stats, and nature damage proc all contribute to impressive DPS numbers. However, many guilds prioritize tanks first since threat management is crucial for raid progression.
Paladins (Protection): Protection Paladins gain significant benefits from Thunderfury, particularly for AoE threat generation. The chain lightning effect works beautifully with Paladin’s existing AoE toolkit, making multi-target tanking much easier.
Classes That Can Use It (But Shouldn’t Prioritize It)
Hunters: While Hunters can equip Thunderfury, it’s far from optimal. Hunters have better weapon options available, and using a legendary weapon slot on a Hunter when Warriors or Rogues could benefit more is generally not recommended.
Priority Order in Most Guilds
The typical loot council priority goes: Protection Warriors > Fury Warriors > Combat Rogues > Protection Paladins. Alliance guilds may give it to DPS classes earlier due to Blessing of Salvation helping with threat management, while Horde guilds tend to prioritize tanks more heavily.
⚔️ Step-by-Step: How to Get Thunderfury
Obtaining Thunderfury is a multi-phase process that requires significant time investment. Let’s break down each step of this legendary quest chain.
Step 1: Farm the Bindings of the Windseeker
Your journey begins in Molten Core, where you must obtain both halves of the Bindings of the Windseeker. This is by far the most time-consuming and luck-dependent part of the entire process.
Where They Drop:
- Bindings of the Windseeker (Left Half) – Drops from Baron Geddon in Molten Core
- Bindings of the Windseeker (Right Half) – Drops from Garr in Molten Core
Drop Rate: Approximately 3-4% per binding. This means you’ll need to run Molten Core many, many times. Some players get lucky and obtain both bindings within a few weeks, while others farm for months or even years. The average player should expect 20-30 MC runs to see both bindings drop.
🎯 Pro Tip: Once you loot your first binding, you can start preparing the other materials needed for the quest. This way, you’ll be ready to complete everything as soon as the second binding drops.
Step 2: Talk to Highlord Demitrian in Silithus
Once you have at least one binding, head to Silithus and find Highlord Demitrian at the Ravaged Twilight Camp (coordinates approximately 29, 10). He’s located in the northwestern part of the zone.
Talk to Demitrian, and he’ll be shocked that you found one of his master’s bindings. He’ll give you the Vessel of Rebirth, which starts two quests:
- Examine the Vessel – Simply examine the vessel and return it to Demitrian immediately
- Thunderaan the Windseeker – This is the main quest that requires all the materials
Step 3: Gather All Required Materials
Now comes the expensive and time-consuming part. You need to collect the following materials:
Materials Checklist
| Material | Quantity | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Bindings of the Windseeker (Left) | 1 | Baron Geddon in Molten Core |
| Bindings of the Windseeker (Right) | 1 | Garr in Molten Core |
| Essence of the Firelord | 1 | Ragnaros (100% drop if you have the quest) |
| Elementium Bar | 10 | Crafted by blacksmiths (see below) |
How to Get Elementium Bars
Creating 10 Elementium Bars is the most complex and expensive part of this quest. Each bar requires:
- 1x Elementium Ore (drops from Blackwing Technicians in Blackwing Lair, approximately 15% drop rate)
- 10x Arcanite Bar (created by alchemists using Transmute: Arcanite, 2-day cooldown)
- 1x Fiery Core (drops from trash mobs and bosses in Molten Core)
- 3x Elemental Flux (purchased from blacksmithing vendors for about 15g each)
Total Materials Needed for 10 Bars:
- 10x Elementium Ore
- 100x Arcanite Bar (requires 100 Arcane Crystal + 100 Thorium Bar)
- 10x Fiery Core
- 30x Elemental Flux
Learning to Smelt Elementium
Before you can craft Elementium Bars, you or a blacksmith in your guild must learn Smelt Elementium. This requires a specific process in Blackwing Lair:
- Bring a Priest and a Miner (with 300 Mining skill) to Blackwing Lair
- Navigate to Master Elemental Shaper Krixix (found after Firemaw)
- Have the Priest use Mind Control on Krixix
- While mind controlled, Krixix will teach the Miner how to smelt Elementium
- Kill Krixix after the Mind Control ends (he may also drop Elementium Ore himself, approximately 3% drop rate)
🎯 Pro Tip: Many servers have blacksmiths who already know this recipe and can craft the bars for a fee. Check your Auction House or trade chat to save time.
Step 4: Defeat Ragnaros for Essence of the Firelord
While you’re working on getting both bindings and the Elementium materials, you’ll need to defeat Ragnaros in Molten Core to obtain the Essence of the Firelord.
The good news? Once you have the Thunderaan the Windseeker quest active, this item has a 100% drop rate from Ragnaros. You’re guaranteed to get it on your first kill after accepting the quest.
Step 5: Return to Highlord Demitrian and Summon Prince Thunderaan
Once you’ve collected everything—both bindings, the Essence of the Firelord, and 10 Elementium Bars—return to Highlord Demitrian in Silithus.
Important: Bring a full raid group with you! When you turn in the quest, Prince Thunderaan will be summoned immediately, and you’ll need to defeat him.
Prince Thunderaan Fight Strategy
Prince Thunderaan is a challenging encounter, though he has relatively low HP compared to other raid bosses. Here’s what you need to know:
Boss Mechanics:
- Chain Lightning: Deals heavy nature damage and jumps to nearby players. Spread out to minimize damage—casters and healers should maintain maximum range in a circle around the boss, while melee should group in pairs at max melee range.
- Squall: Deals nature damage to all players if no one is within melee range. Keep melee constantly engaged.
- Tendrils of Air: Knocks back enemies in a cone in front of the boss. Tanks should position Thunderaan away from the raid.
With a well-coordinated 40-man raid that has Molten Core on farm, Prince Thunderaan shouldn’t be too difficult. Most groups kill him in 3-6 minutes. Even undergeared groups with good positioning and coordination can succeed.
Step 6: Complete the Final Quest
After defeating Prince Thunderaan, loot the Dormant Wind Kissed Blade from his corpse. Take this blade to Highlord Demitrian to complete the final quest: Rise, Thunderfury!
Congratulations! You now own Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker—one of the most legendary weapons in World of Warcraft history!
💰 Cost Breakdown & Time Investment
Let’s be realistic about what this legendary weapon will cost you:
Gold Cost (Approximate)
| Material | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| 100x Arcanite Bar (or materials to craft them) | 5,000-10,000g |
| 10x Elementium Ore | 2,000-5,000g |
| 10x Fiery Core | 500-1,000g |
| 30x Elemental Flux | 450g |
| Crafting fees (if applicable) | 500-2,000g |
| Total | 8,000-18,000g |
Prices vary dramatically by server and faction. If you can farm materials yourself or have guildmates who help, you can reduce costs significantly.
Time Investment
The biggest time sink is farming the bindings. On average, expect:
- Bindings: 3-6 months of weekly Molten Core raids (based on average drop rates)
- Elementium Ore: 2-4 weeks of Blackwing Lair runs
- Arcanite Bars: If crafting yourself, 200 days of cooldowns (or buy them over 1-2 months)
- Total Time: 4-8 months from start to finish for most players
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get Thunderfury if I'm not in a raiding guild?
Does the quest chain require both bindings before starting?
Can I buy materials from the Auction House?
Is Thunderfury worth it for DPS classes?
How long does it take to farm both bindings?
Can I solo farm any of the materials at level 60?
What happens if someone else in my raid gets a binding?
Does Thunderfury proc work with other abilities?
🎯 Tips for Efficient Thunderfury Farming
Based on countless players’ experiences obtaining Thunderfury over the years, here are some valuable tips:
1. Start Farming Gold Early: Don’t wait until you have both bindings to start saving gold. Begin accumulating materials like Arcanite Bars, Arcane Crystals, and Thorium Bars as soon as you get your first binding. This way, you’ll be ready to complete the quest immediately when the second binding drops.
2. Network with Blacksmiths: Find a trusted blacksmith who knows Smelt Elementium or help your guild’s blacksmith learn it. Having a reliable crafter makes the process much smoother and often cheaper than buying finished bars.
3. Join or Create a Bindings Priority List: Talk to your guild leadership about creating a clear priority list for who gets Thunderfury bindings. This prevents drama and ensures everyone knows where they stand.
4. Run Both MC and BWL Weekly: Even if you only have one binding, keep running both raids. You’ll need Fiery Cores from MC and Elementium Ore from BWL, so staying active in both raids helps you prepare.
5. Consider Buying Services Selectively: If you’re on a server with a healthy economy, buying Arcanite Bars or Elementium Bars outright can be more efficient than farming all materials yourself. Focus your time on what you do best (whether that’s gold farming, raiding, or gathering) and buy the rest.
6. Document Your Progress: Keep track of how many MC runs you’ve done, how much gold you’ve spent, and what materials you still need. This helps you stay motivated and gives you a clear roadmap to completion.
⚔️ Is Thunderfury Still Worth It in 2024-2025?
If you’re playing WoW Classic Era servers, the answer is absolutely yes. Thunderfury remains best-in-slot for Protection Warriors throughout the entire Classic experience and is never replaced at level 60. For DPS Warriors and Rogues, it’s also an incredible weapon that will serve you well through Naxxramas and beyond.
Beyond the stats, Thunderfury is one of the most iconic and recognizable items in World of Warcraft history. Wielding this legendary blade is a badge of honor that shows your dedication, skill, and commitment to the game.
The journey to obtain Thunderfury teaches you patience, resource management, and teamwork—all valuable skills that extend beyond the game itself. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of finally completing that quest chain and linking your Thunderfury in trade chat for the first time.
✅ Final Thoughts
Obtaining Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker in WoW Classic is a monumental achievement that requires months of dedication, thousands of gold, and strong relationships with your guild. It’s not a weapon you can get quickly or easily, but that’s precisely what makes it special.
Whether you’re a tank looking for the ultimate weapon to hold aggro, a DPS pushing for maximum damage, or simply a collector chasing legendary glory, Thunderfury represents the pinnacle of Classic WoW’s endgame content. The memories you’ll make farming for it, the friendships you’ll forge raiding with your guild, and the satisfaction of finally wielding this legendary blade make the entire journey worthwhile.
So gather your raid team, start farming those bindings, and prepare yourself for one of the most rewarding grinds in all of WoW Classic. Good luck, champion—may the RNG gods smile upon you!
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