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This article is about the Cataclysm world event. For elemental invasions in classic WoW, see Elemental Invasions.

The subject of this article or section was part of the Elemental Unrest, a world event that heralded the beginning of the earth-shattering Cataclysm. Once the world event has run its course, this will no longer be available.

Previous: Operation: Gnomeregan, Zalazane's Fall, Gilneas civil war
Next: Invasion of Gilneas, Alliance-Horde War (Cataclysm)
Elemental Invasion
Place: Ironforge, Orgrimmar, Stormwind, Thunder Bluff
Outcome: Successful defense grants access to two of Cho'gall's four lieutenants.
Combatants
Horde Mulgore Durotar Horde Adventurers Alliance Kingdom of Ironforge Kingdom of Stormwind Alliance Adventurers Earthen Ring Earthen Ring Defenders	Twilight's Hammer clan Rumbling Earth Elemental Searing Fire Elemental Turbulent Wind Elemental Rippling Water Elemental
Commanders
Garrosh Hellscream Rexxar Cairne Bloodhoof Varian Wrynn General Marcus Jonathan Magni Bronzebeard Commander Cragfist Earthen Ring's commanders	Cho'gall Grand Ambassador Flamelash† Crown Princess Theradras† Kai'ju Gahz'rilla† Prince Sarsarun†
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The Elemental Unrest (also called just the "Elemental Invasion") is a world event that heralds the Cataclysm. Every few hours, elementals attack Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Ironforge, and Thunder Bluff. If players can defeat these elementals and free trapped citizens within their entire city, they will be granted access to two special boss encounters. During the event, a player can venture out into the world to destroy rifts, which grant an achievement only obtainable during the elemental invasion: Tripping the Rifts.

Contents 1 Prelude 2 Invasion preparation 3 Combating the invasion 3.1 Tips 3.2 Video 4 After the invasion 5 Patch changes 6 External links

Prelude

Random earthquakes have been reported in the major cities and zones of Azeroth. In response, the faction leaders of the Alliance and Horde have gathered in Stormwind and Orgrimmar respectively to deal with this turn of events.

Invasion preparation

Before every invasion event starts, a guard will yell, warning players and citizens about incoming danger. At this time, players are instructed to grab barricades/sandbags from stockpiles around their major city and place them in zones directed by a red arrow. Low-level players unable to participate in this event are instructed to evacuate to the nearest portal activated by several guards. When all barricades are placed or 5 minutes have elapsed, the battle against the invasion begins.

Combating the invasion

All of the districts of the major city will be attacked by elementals spawning from opened rifts. Every elemental has about 320,000 HP and every rift will spawn elementals until 32 are destroyed. Several citizens are trapped in these districts and must be freed by an [Earthen Ring Unbinding Totem] provided by Earthen Ring Defenders. Players must clear the city of every rift and rescue every citizen within an hour in order to win the event.

After players defeat 32 elementals surrounding a rift, the rift will close and a buff will be applied to all players nearby:

Elemental	Faction		Buff Gained
	Alliance	Horde
Fire	Ironforge	Orgrimmar	Stacking damage debuff
Earth			Chance to restore 2% HP
Water	Stormwind	Thunder Bluff	+15% Power Regained
Wind			50 haste rating for 10s

Tips

• Unlike other phased events such as Battle for the Undercity, Operation: Gnomeregan, or Zalazane's Fall, you are not buffed into invulnerability against these powerful mobs. If you are assaulting a rift by yourself or with a few players without a healer present, only attack one elemental at a time.
• Bring an unbinding totem provided by the Earthen Ring Defenders with you. If your allies get trapped by an elemental, they must be freed or healed immediately or they might die within the time of the prison's stun.
• The elementals' prisons are cast in a frontal AoE cone. It has a very short range, so it is possible to avoid it by simply running away during the cast.

Video

After the invasion

If an hour has elapsed since the start of the event, Earthen Ring Defenders will intervene and suddenly halt the invasion, removing all elementals from the city. However, players will not benefit and will have to wait until the next event occurs.

If players successfully secure a major city, two portals are available to enter for the next 30 minutes to fight one of the four lieutenants Cho'gall commands:

•  Grand Ambassador Flamelash
•  Crown Princess Theradras
•  Kai'ju Gahz'rilla
•  Prince Sarsarun

Patch changes

• / Patch 4.0.1 (12-Oct-2010): Added 
  

External links