Icecrown Citadel raid guide for WotLK 3.3.5a, every wing and boss in order

18 October 2026 · 8 min read · Raids

Icecrown Citadel is the final raid of Wrath of the Lich King, added in patch 3.3 and the endgame of 3.3.5a. It has 12 bosses across five wings: the Lower Spire, the Plagueworks, the Crimson Hall, the Frostwing Halls and the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King waits. There is no attunement, so any level 80 character can walk in, and it runs in 10 or 25 player size on normal or heroic. Below is each boss in order with the mechanic that matters most, what heroic changes, and how to prepare for a first clear.

Getting into Icecrown Citadel

The citadel stands in the middle of the Icecrown zone in northern Northrend. The raid portal is inside, up the stairs from the main gate, next to the entrance to the three Frozen Halls dungeons (the Forge of Souls, the Pit of Saron and the Halls of Reflection).

There is no key, quest chain or attunement. Level 80 is the only requirement. In practice a group wants gear from heroic dungeons, Trial of the Crusader and Emblems of Triumph before the first wing; the WotLK gearing guide covers that path.

The raid starts at Light’s Hammer, the camp of the Ashen Verdict, the alliance of the Argent Crusade and the Knights of the Ebon Blade leading the assault. Kills inside the raid earn Ashen Verdict reputation, which unlocks rings that improve as your standing rises. Teleporters unlock as bosses die, so later weeks skip most of the walking.

ICC bosses in order

After Saurfang, the three middle wings can be cleared in any order. All three must be finished before the Lich King can be fought.

The Lower Spire

Lord Marrowgar

His heavy melee strike is split between his target and the players nearest it, so two tanks stand together to share it. Bone Spike Graveyard impales players on spikes the raid must break quickly. Step out of the Coldflame lines on the floor, and during Bone Storm, when he spins around the room, spread out and keep away from him.

Lady Deathwhisper

In the first phase her Mana Barrier turns damage into mana loss instead of health loss while waves of cultists arrive. Kill the adds, avoid Death and Decay, and burn her mana away. Then she becomes tankable: interrupt her Frostbolts, move away from the Vengeful Shades before they reach you, and swap tanks when Touch of Insignificance lowers the current tank’s threat. In 25 player and on heroic she also mind controls players.

Icecrown Gunship Battle

The raid fights from its own airship (the Skybreaker for the Alliance, Orgrim’s Hammer for the Horde) against the other faction’s. Cannons batter the enemy ship while a team uses rocket packs to jump across and kill the mage who freezes your cannons. Tanks hold the boarders on your own deck. The fight ends when the enemy ship’s health runs out.

Deathbringer Saurfang

Saurfang gains Blood Power whenever he or his adds hurt players, and at full power he places Mark of the Fallen Champion on someone, a debuff that makes his attacks far more dangerous to them. Starve him of Blood Power: ranged players spread out and kill the Blood Beasts with slows and stuns before they reach anyone. Tanks swap for Rune of Blood, and cooldowns are saved for his frenzy near the end.

The Plagueworks

Festergut

He inhales blight three times, and after the third comes Pungent Blight, a heavy hit on the whole raid. Players with Gas Spore explode after a few seconds, and anyone near the explosion gains Inoculated, which reduces that damage. Stack on the spores, spread for Vile Gas, and swap tanks as Gastric Bloat stacks.

Rotface

Players hit by Mutated Infection spawn a small ooze when it ends, so they run to the off-tank who gathers the oozes. Small oozes merge into a Big Ooze, which eventually explodes in a shower of slime the raid must dodge. The main tank faces Rotface away from the raid because of Slime Spray.

Professor Putricide

Three phases. He releases a Volatile Ooze, met by the whole raid stacked together to share its damage, and a Gas Cloud, which its target kites away. One player can drink from his table to become an abomination that eats slime puddles and slows the oozes. Later he throws Choking Gas bombs, and in the last phase Mutated Plague stacks on the tank and hits the raid harder each time, so tanks swap and the raid burns him fast.

The Crimson Hall

Blood Prince Council

Princes Keleseth, Taldaram and Valanar share one health pool, and only the empowered prince takes real damage, so switch targets when the empowerment moves. Keleseth’s Dark Nucleus orbs are picked up by a ranged tank, often a warlock. Valanar’s Kinetic Bombs drift down and must be hit to keep them in the air, and his empowered Shock Vortex means spreading out.

Blood-Queen Lana’thel

Her first Vampiric Bite turns a damage dealer into a vampire with a large damage bonus. Each vampire must bite a new player before their timer runs out or lose control of their character, and the number of vampires doubles with each round, so bite order is planned in advance. Pact of the Darkfallen links players who must run together to break it, and Swarming Shadows is laid along the edge of the room. Her enrage is strict, so this is a damage check too.

The Frostwing Halls

Valithria Dreamwalker

A green dragon on your side. Heal her from half health to full while the raid holds off undead pouring from portals. Healers enter dream portals and collect clouds that boost their healing, and damage dealers kill the adds, above all the Suppressers that reduce healing on her. If her health reaches zero, the attempt fails.

Sindragosa

Kill her two guardian frost wyrms, Spinestalker and Rimefang, to summon her. On the ground, casters stop casting as their Unchained Magic stacks climb, and melee run out when she pulls everyone in for Blistering Cold. In the air phase, Frost Beacon turns players into ice tombs; place them so the raid can hide behind them from the Frost Bombs. Below 35 percent, Mystic Buffet stacks on everyone, and players step behind a tomb to drop it.

The Frozen Throne

The Lich King

A long fight with three phases and two transitions. In phase one, Necrotic Plague jumps to a nearby player when it ends or is dispelled, so it is dispelled next to an add, and Shambling Horrors are tanked and their enrage removed. Each transition brings Remorseless Winter, spirits and ice spheres. In phase two, Defile grows with every player it touches, so its target moves to the edge at once, and Val’kyr Shadowguards carry players towards the edge until killed or slowed. In phase three, Harvest Soul pulls players into Frostmourne to help King Terenas Menethil before they return. The fight ends with a scripted finale before the last blow.

Normal vs heroic, 10 vs 25 player

ICC has four versions, each with its own weekly lockout: 10 normal, 25 normal, 10 heroic and 25 heroic. Heroic for a raid size unlocks once the group has killed the Lich King on normal at that size, after which the raid leader can switch each boss between normal and heroic.

Heroic bosses hit harder, have more health, and add mechanics, such as an extra plague on Professor Putricide and changes to the Lich King’s Frostmourne phase. Tier 10 armour is bought with Emblems of Frost and upgraded with tokens from the raid. The Lich King on 25 player heroic can drop Invincible, his flying skeletal horse; see WotLK achievements and mounts for more.

Tips for a first ICC clear

• Bring two tanks who talk to each other. Most bosses need tank swaps or shared damage.
• Learn one wing per night. The Lower Spire makes a good first evening.
• Use a boss timer addon. Deadly Boss Mods warns of Bone Spike Graveyard, bites, Frost Beacons and Defile. See the best WotLK addons.
• Plan Lana’thel’s bites and Sindragosa’s tombs before the pull.
• Spend emblems and reputation on Tier 10 and Ashen Verdict rings between weeks.
• Know your role. Read our pages on the best WotLK tank and best WotLK healer.

For the story behind the citadel, read Arthas and the Lich King.

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