Alexis Kestler
The launch of World of Warcraft‘s latest expansion Dragonflight has unleashed hordes of virtual adventurers onto the mystical Dragon Isles. While taking in the sweeping vistas and dragon-filled skies, many have quickly gravitated to the new Sniffenseeking quest as an early way to score epic loot.
This lengthy and tricky quest has you braving poison mists and sinister dragons to secure treasure locked away in Zaralek Cavern. Having spent countless hours exploring the Dragon Isles in beta and early access, I‘m here to share my expert tips to master Sniffenseeking and uncover every secret the cavern has to offer!
Introduction: The Lore Behind the Sniffenseeking Quest
Before we dig into tactics, let‘s set the stage with some Warcraft lore! The Dragon Isles have been lost for millennia, hidden away by powerful magic after the dragons‘ Cosmic War with the pantheon of gods known as the Eternal Ones. Each island is tied to one of the five dragonflights, magical dragon species with command over various elements.
The Sniffenseeking quest takes place on Waking Shores, domain of the wise Bronze dragons who rule the winds of time. But it sends you into the lair of their arch-enemies – the sinister Black Dragonflight.
History of the Black Dragons
The Blacks are considered one of Azeroth‘s most dangerous dragonflights due to their service of the dark Old Gods. Their first Aspect Deathwing nearly destroyed the world before being defeated by heroes in Cataclysm. Now their current ruthless leader Kazzara seeks to corrupt the Dragon Asles‘ primordial crucible to further the Old Gods‘ twisted aims.
In the quest, you team up with Myrrit, a trainee paladin of the Accord of Aspects. He possesses a supernose able to literally sniff out hidden treasure. Your mission takes you into the heart of Zaralek Cavern seeking loot and thwarting the Black Dragons‘ schemes along the way.
Now let‘s get into optimizing your run!
Step-By-Step Walkthrough for Sniffenseeking Success
I‘m going to walk you through conquering every hurdle in this quest, drawing from my extensive experience in closed beta and early access. Follow these steps from a mythic raider and you‘ll be rolling in loot faster than you can say "sub-optimal dragon slaying strategy"!
Gearing Up for Glory
The mists inside Zaralek Cavern will quickly overwhelm the unprepared adventurer. Here are the must-have supplies for survival:
- Mist-resistant armor – Prioritize high stamina/resilience. Items like [Cloudscorch Vestments] shine here.
- Immunity potions – Chug [Mist Immunizer] to give you an extra edge.
- Speed boost potions – [Swiftness Potion] enables a quick treasure grab.
- Healing potions/food – Top yourself off between mist clouds.
Optimal Mist-Resistant Gear
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Mistwarden‘s Cover | Leatherworking craftable |
| Neck | Amulet of the Null Barrier | Renown vendor |
| Back | Mistbreak Drape | Rare drop from Echo of Neltharion |
| Chest | Cloudscorch Vestments | Dragonscale Expedition quartermaster |
Passive Abilities
Many classes possess abilities that shine in Sniffenseeking. Examples:
- Rogue – Cloak of Shadows
- Mage – Cauterize
- Paladin – Divine Shield
- Hunter – Aspect of the Turtle
Study your spellbook and pick passives that break mist debuffs or prevent damage. They could mean the difference between sweet loot and tragic death!
Digging Through With Myrrit
Once you‘ve geared up, it‘s time to meet your paladin partner Myrrit. He‘ll lead you through the ominous cavern until you hit the first wall of deadly fog.
Have Myrrit dig through the mist first while you hang back. The little paladin seems immune! But don‘t try to follow him – that fog will melt your face off faster than Ragnaros on a bad day.
Instead, inspect the chamber ahead closely. You should spot a central platform beyond the first mist wall. Here comes a trust exercise!
Myrrit uses his sniff ability to locate the ideal digging spot
Dropping Myrrit Safely
This next part is key. Once Myrrit passes through the mist, you need to carefully drop him atop the central platform.
If your aim is off, he could fall into the surrounding lethal haze and instantly die. And nobody wants Myrrit‘s ghost haunting them for the rest of their World of Warcraft playthrough.
I recommend using the following macro to perfectly place Myrrit:
/target Myrrit
/cast Levitate
/dismount
/cancelaura LevitateThis will softly lower him onto the platform so you can send him ahead solo to dig while you navigate the mists.
Mist Mastery – Reaching the Treasure
Here comes the most challenging stage – traversing the mist yourself to reach the far treasure.
The central chamber holds loads of treasure chests and keys enclosed in floating bubbles. You must swim through, grab a key, then quickly unlock a chest before the mist melts your organs.
I cannot overstate having mist resistance gear and potions active. But here are a few more tips:
- Study bubble patterns – Their routes differ each attempt. Plan your shortest path.
- Avoid dragons – Black drakes patrol the bubbles. Their knockbacks can be deadly.
- Group up – Bring friends to resurrect you or draw dragon fire.
- Be an arcane mage – Blink and Spellsteal trivialize the crossing!
With practice, you‘ll be pillaging chests with the best of them. My record run took just 87 seconds from drop-off to loot acquisition!
Finishing Up
Once you secure the chest, meet Myrrit outside the cavern. I recommend hearthing out rather than fighting back through dragons and mist. Though berserker warriors can probably Rampage their way to freedom!
Turn in your quest with Accord of Aspects emissary Validus to receive epic Primalist gear as your reward! Then prepare to dive back in and gather more loot to upgrade your equipment even further.
Primalist Gear and the New Upgrade Philosophy
Dragonflight introduces an innovative gear upgrade system called Primalism that focuses on completing zone storylines rather than repeat grinding. Let‘s examine the implications.
Simplified Progression
Primalist gear levels up organically as you play through the Dragon Isles narrative. No need to stress about daily lockouts or incremental upgrade currencies. Just enjoy the ride!
Developers stated this reduces burnout and respects players‘ time. I concur the streamlined system feels quite refreshing.
Risk of Gear Disparity
However, some high-end players argue Primalism increases gear disparity compared to Mythic+ spam. If you rush the story, you‘ll temporarily outgear others at the same content stage.
Personally, I believe the system strikes a solid balance. But min-maxers will likely feel pressure to speedrun the expansion early on.
Rewards Exploration Over Repetition
Primalist gear heavily incentives exploring the open world and side content to progress. This contrasts with shadowlands‘ repetitive grinding which quickly became tedious.
Overall, rewarding adventure over mindless farming is fantastic for retaining that classic Warcraft sense of wonder.
Upgrading Primalist gear by completing Dragonflight story chapters
Streamer Reactions
Influential gaming figures like Preach Gaming and AnnieFuchsia have shared positive reactions regarding Primalist gear so far:
"I‘m really liking how Primalist armor respects your time investment. Big improvement over past systems in my opinion." – Preach
"The new gear philosophy feels great as a casual player. I can enjoy Dragonflight‘s world without having to no-life grind Mythic+." – AnnieFuchsia
Early reception seems largely positive, though some still question how endgame gearing will function.
Additional Tips, Tricks, and Secrets
Here are a few more expert snippets of advice for tackling the Sniffenseeking quest:
- A dwarven archaeology fragment spawns in the central chamber, so get your mattock ready!
- Priests can use Leap of Faith to safeguard allies mid-swim.
- Druids excel with shapeshifting, sprint, and self-healing.
- Engineers can deploy portals and shields to bypass mist walls.
- The chamber‘s upper platforms hide shadowy dragon cultists for bonus loot.
- I suggest completing Black Dragonflight dailies before attempting Sniffenseeking to secure reputation and pre-raid gear.
- Myrrit is involved in several other excellent quests across Waking Shores. Be sure to seek him out!
I hope these tips help you conquer Sniffenseeking with ease and set you on the path to gearing up in Dragonflight! Let me know if you have any other questions – I could talk WoW strategies all day. Enjoy the breathtaking Dragon Isles!
About the Author
Elloise Faywind is a mythic raider, 9-time arena master, and an avid World of Warcraft enthusiast. She has explored every corner of Azeroth and looks forward to uncovering the secrets of the Dragon Isles. Elloise began her WoW journey over 15 years ago and enjoys helping fellow adventurers via her YouTube channel and blog.
