Heroic mode refers to a dungeon difficulty (
& 
) and raid size () setting. This setting is accessed from the part or raid leader's portrait menu; currently the only other difficulty setting is normal mode (the default setting). Depending on expansion and dungeon type (5-man or raid), the setting has different effects and requirements. For all heroic mode dungeons mobs and bosses have more HP, hit harder, and have additional or more potent skills. Heroic-mode bosses drop better quality equipment than their normal-mode counterparts as well as currency tokens used to purchase epic equipment from vendors.
Heroic mode dungeons are on a lockout timer much like raids, and can only be run once a day per character. Each dungeon is on an independent timer, however, so a character could run as many as 15 heroic mode instances per day. Heroic timers are reset daily at 11:00 A.M. server time for US servers, and 08:00 A.M. server time for European servers.
The Burning Crusade
Each of the 5-man dungeons introduced in the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion pack may be run on heroic mode if every member of the party has obtained the appropriate key. These keys are purchased from the faction quartermaster of the faction corresponding to the instance once reaching Template:Honored. At introduction the keys required Template:Revered, but this was reduced in later patches to allow easier access to the heroic modes. Magister's Terrace, which was introduced later with patch 2.4, did not use a purchased key. To obtain this key players needed to simply complete a quest which involved killing the final boss of the instance in normal mode.
Some heroic mode instances share loot with their normal-mode counterparts, while some do not. For example, items that drop in a level 70 normal instance like Shattered Halls will also drop in the heroic mode. However a lower-level instance like Hellfire Ramparts will have completely different items in normal and heroic mode. For the instance where loot is shared there are also additional items that only drop in the heroic mode. These items are of higher quality than the other items. Each boss in a heroic dungeon may drop an epic gem. The last boss always drops one epic item in addition to a Badge of Justice.
Wrath of the Lich King
With the second expansion, heroic mode was extended to raids. The key requirements were not included on instances, instead heroic mode is available to all players at 80. The token system used in TBC heroics was considered successful, new tokens were added for the various "tiers" of wrath heroics and raids. For example, the same tokens drop in heroic 5-mans and the first-tier 10-man raids, while a different token drops in the first tier 25-man raids and second-tier 10-man raids. A third token drops in second-tier 25-man raids, and will presumably drop in the third-tier 10-man raids when implemented.
Heroic mode raids, unlike their instance counterparts, don't dictate difficulty. Instead 10-man raids are considered "normal" mode, and 25-man raids to be "heroic". Heroic raids are not intended to be "harder" than the 10-man version of the same raid, instead simply tuned for the larger number of players. Heroic raids do still drop higher quality equipment than the normal-mode counterparts, however. The currency tokens dropped in each mode can be used to buy items of similar quality to the boss-dropped items.
Common requirements
In heroic mode, all instances get a lot harder, and most mobs have their damage increased and bosses often having their damage and health increased.
Many of the following are stats commonly accepted by PUG heroics (guild heroics may be higher/ lower depending on the nature of the guild.)
- Tank
For , a tank should have at least 10k (10,000) health un-buffed and 490 Defense rating[citation needed] , in which case defense is still preferred for mitigation). In , a tank should have 20k health un-buffed and 540 Defense[citation needed] . Wrath heroics are noticeably more difficult in boss encounters as well as the requirements for crowd control and group coordination.
Tanks should have enough dodge/block/parry and life combined to be healed efficiently, but not constantly. Note that 5-man-heroics healing is based upon healing the entire group, unlike 10- or 25-man-raid healing where tanks may often have a dedicated (or 2-3) healer topping them off.
- Healer
Healer gear/stats are often greatly dependent on the tank. If your tank has 15k health and your healer has 5k mana, your healer will run out of mana fast. But if the healer has 10k mana, but your tank has < 10k health it's not going to matter, because the tank will die too fast.
On average, a healer should be able to heal 2.2k-2.6k (non-crit) with their 1.5-sec-cast heals; or for druids, 2.0-3.1k with Regrowth, and at least 3.5k (non-crit) with their 2.5-sec-cast spells.
A good healer has more than 8k mana: this is necessary for boss fights, and for efficient running (most people geared for heroic aren't willing to wait after every mob for a mana break).
Perhaps more important in the secondary healer classes, Mana Per 5 Seconds (MP5) is a useful addition. Try to aim for about 200+ mana regen when out of combat, and at least 100+ whilst casting; this aids with efficient running.
Though less important than the above, health is also a vital factor, especially on low-armor healers, especially priests, who can be hit for 8k (non-crit) damage in some heroics. Strive for 8k+ health; and for paladins and shamans, a shield, which really aids with survivability.
- Crowd control
In a majority of non-heroic instances, a good tank can generate enough threat to hold the attention of multiple mobs, and the damage is low enough to be relatively easily healed, thus greatly lowering the need for crowd control. Mages are the most effective, and many Heroic PUGer's wont do a heroic without one, because of the usefulness of Polymorph. Rogues and Retribution paladins are the next best CC, with hunters' Ice Traps being last. If played correctly, all are viable forms of CC, and depending on the DPS output of your group, you many only need to incapacitate the mob for 10secs, making traps as efficient as Polymorph.
- DPS
Hunters/mages/warlocks/rogues are all considered primary DPS and it its advisable to bring at least one. However some hybrid classes if specced correctly are just as suited. Retribution paladins/Enhancement or Elemental shamans/Feral (cat) druids, and Balance druids can all fill DPS roles if their gear is correct and their spec is done for DPS purposes.
Warriors often get shunned or pushed aside in favor of other classes for HC's if they are not Protection specced. But since the addition of the Fury talent, Titans-Grip warriors can out-DPS other classes if geared properly, so you should not overlook an Arms or Fury warrior; they can be useful additions.
Most importantly, caster DPS should aim to have 600+ spell power (absolute minimum); and Melee/Ranged DPS, 1.2k attack power.
Most classes should keep their health above 8k to avoid being one-shotted; and casters should aim to have mana above 8k as well, so sustained DPS can be used on mobs and bosses.
Daily quests
Patch 2.3.0 introduced daily quests for heroic dungeons. These daily quests, referred to as "daily heroics", involve killing the final boss in a dungeon on heroic mode, and give additional Badges of Justice in or Emblems of Heroism in and money as a reward.
Relative dungeon difficulty
In , heroic mode dungeons have the following relative difficulty.
| Instance | Approximate Relative Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Ahn'kahet | 
|
| Azjol-Nerub |
|
| Culling of Stratholme |
|
| Drak'Tharon Keep |
|
| Gundrak |
|
| Halls of Lightning |
|
| Halls of Stone |
|
| Nexus |
|
| Oculus |
|
| Utgarde Keep (instance) |
|
| Utgarde Pinnacle |
|
| Violet Hold |
|
Source: Poll Results For: "What Heroic Dungeon is the Most Challenging?"
Reputation requirements
Each key requires Template:Honored reputation with the respective faction. (Lowered from Template:Revered in patch 2.3.)
| Instances | Faction | Key | Instances to grind at 70 | Approximate Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellfire Citadel |  Thrallmar/ Honor Hold
|
[Flamewrought Key] |
Hellfire Ramparts (~633 rep, heroic ~2500 rep) |
|
| Auchindoun | Lower City | [Auchenai Key] |
Mana-Tombs (consortium reputation: ~1200 rep, heroic ~2400 rep) |
|
| Coilfang Reservoir | Cenarion Expedition | [Reservoir Key] |
Slave Pens (~650 rep, heroic ~1800 rep) |
|
| Tempest Keep | The Sha'tar | [Warpforged Key] |
The Botanica (~2200 rep, heroic ~3100 rep) |
|
| Caverns of Time | Keepers of Time | [Key of Time] |
Opening the Dark Portal (~1100 rep) |
|
| Isle of Quel'Danas | Shattered Sun Offensive |  [70D] Hard to Kill
|
Magisters' Terrace (~1450 rep) |
|
Note that the heroic dungeons introduced in don't require an attunement, but do require all characters in the group to be level 80.
See also
- Epic heroic-only items
- Rare heroic-only items
- Hard mode
- Normal mode