Instance Abbreviations

by Battlecry | 26/06/2007 22:11:47

Do you ever wonder what people mean when they say BM, SV, scholo, BRD, RFD and so on? All these abbreviations and acronyms are to do with instances in case you wanted to know, where you need to group up with people around your level to do an instance around your level too. This short guide will help you find out what acronym/abbreviation means what, as well as what the targeted level suggested and required for these instances are. These will be in order of my recommended level. To make it easier to read I’ve also split up instances into 10 level brackets. Also, due to Fragem's suggestion, I will include what zones you will find these instances in.

Please note that if you're getting to the top end of the level range, you should be considering going to the next difficulty dungeon. The next instance will probably earn you better items and experience.

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Orgrimmar - Ragefire Chasm - RFC - Level 13-18 (My recommendation - 13+)
Westfall - The Deadmines - DM/dm/VC/TDM - Level 15-26 (My recommendation - 19+)

The Barrens - Wailing Caverns - WC - Level 15-24 (My recommendation - 21+)
Silverpine Forest - Shadowfang Keep - SFK - Level 22-30 (My recommendation - 24+)
Ashenvale - Blackfathom Deeps - BFD - Level 24-32 (My recommendation - 26+)
Stormwind - The Stockade - stocks/stockades - Level 24-32 (My recommendation 26+)

The Barrens - Razorfen Kraul - RFK - Level 24-32 (My recommendation 30+)
Dun Morogh - Gnomeregan - gnomer/GR/any variations on the main spelling - Level 29-38 (My recommendation 32+)
Tirisfal Glades - Scarlet Monastery Graveyard - SM grave/SM GY - Level 35-45 (My recommendation 32+)
Tirisfal Glades - Scarlet Monastery Library - SM lib - Level 35-45 (My recommendation 34+)
Tirisfal Glades - Scarlet Monastery Armory - SM arm - Level 35-45 (My recommendation 37+)
The Barrens - Razorfen Downs - RFD - Level 35-40 (My recommendation 39+)
Tirisfal Glades - Scarlet Monastery Cathedral - SM cath - Level 35-45 (My recommendation 39+)

Badlands - Uldaman - Ulda/UM - Level 40-51 (My recommendation 44+)
Tanaris - Zul’Farrak - ZF - Level 44-54 (My recommendation 45+)
Desolace - Maraudon - Mara/MD - Level 46-55 (My recommendation 49+)

Swamp of Sorrows - Temple of Atal’Hakkar (Sunken Temple) - ST - Level 50-56 (My recommendation 52+)
Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge - Blackrock Depths - BRD - Level 52-60 (My recommendation 54+, or for full run to the end 56+)
Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge - *Lower Blackrock Spire - LBRS - Level 55-60 (My recommendation 57+)
Ferelas - Dire Maul - DM/DiM/DMN(north)/DME(east)/DMW(west) - Level 55-60 (My recommendation 58+)

Eastern Plaguelands - Stratholme - strat baron/strat undead/strat scarlet - Level 58-60 (My recommendation 60+)
Western Plaguelands - Scholomance - scholo - Level 58-60 (My recommendation 60+)

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And that concludes the suggested 5 man instances for Azeroth, now onto Outland! Here I will split up each section into their own dungeon complexes, as this is what most of the instances in Outland are like anyway. Although I will still keep them in level order.

As Dellenar points out, Dire Maul and Deadmines can be confused with eachother, both being able to have DM as their abbreviation. If you're unsure as to which one of the two is being aimed at, simply shift-click the character's name in the text box, or type /who <playername>. If it is around 58 or higher, it will probably be Dire Maul, if lower, probably Deadmines. On the other hand you could always ask them in a whisper what instance they are referring to.

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Hellfire Peninsula - Hellfire Citadel - HFC
Hellfire Ramparts - HFR/ramps - Level 60-62 (My recommendation 60+)
Blood Furnace - BF - Level 61-63 (My recommendation 61+)

Zangarmarsh - Coilfang Reservoir - CFR
Slave Pens - SP - Level 62-64 (My recommendation 62+)
Underbog - UB - Level 63-65 (My recommendation 63+)
Terrokar Forest - Auchindoun - Auch
Mana Tombs - tombs/MT(Don't get confused with Main Tank abbreviation) - Level 64-66 (My recommendation 64+) (Thanks Bheyla and Theimba for your respective abbreviations)
Auchenai Crypts - crypts - Level 65-67 (My recommendation 65+)

Tanaris - Caverns of Time - CoT
Escape from Durnholde Keep - durnholde/durn/OHF/OH - Level 66-68 (My recommendation 66+)

Terrokar Forest - Sethekk Halls - sethekk/SH (not to be confused with Shattered Halls) - Level 67-69 (My recommendation 68+) (thanks Lånien)
Zangarmarsh - The Steamvault - SV - Level 68-70 (My recommendation 70+)
Terrokar Forest - Shadow Labyrinth - SL/shadowlabs - Level 69-70 (My recommendation 70+)
Hellfire Peninsula - Shattered Halls - SH (not to be confused with Sethekk Halls) - Level 69-70 (My recommendation 70+)
Tanaris - CoT: Opening the Dark Portal - BM - Level 70 (My recommendation 70+)

Netherstorm - Tempest Keep† - TK
The Mechanar - mech - Level 69-70 (My recommendation 70+)
The Botanica - bot - Level 70 (My recommendation 70+)
The Arcatraz - arca - Level 70 (My recommendation 70+)

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†Tempest Keep is only accessible via flying mount (level 70) or flying form (Druids learn it at 68), as Andromad points out. So for the reason why I say Mechanar is 69-70 is purely because it's the easiest out of the three 5 man instances and you may take along a level 69 Druid IF YOU WISH (personally, I went there at 69, but it was in a guild run).

Ok, that’s all the 5 man instances in Outland/TBC sorted then… Except for the heroic versions of the instances mentioned in Outland, but people normally include heroic after the instance acronym, or on occasions I’ve seen (H) afterwards. Next stop, Northrend and WotLK! At this moment in time it'll be a bit messy until all instances and their level ranges are known to me.

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Howling Fjord - Utgarde Keep - UK
Utgarde Catacombs - UC/catacombs - Level 70
Utgarde Pinnacle - UP/pinnacle - Level 80

Borean Tundra - The Nexus - Nex
Ice Caverns - Nex IC - Level 70
Magical Rings - Nex MR - Level ?? (80?)

Tanaris - Caverns of Time - CoT
Culling of Stratholme - CoT Strat/CoS/CoTS - Level 80

Grizzly Hills - Grizzlemaw - GM/GZM - Level ??

Dalaran - Dalaran Instances - ??
Dalaran Instance A
Dalaran Instance B
(please note that nothing is so far released about these two instances except for the fact that there will be 2 instances in Dalaran)

Storm Peaks - Ulduar - Uldu - Level ??

<rest of LK instance abbreviations currently in progress>

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Finally though, I would like to include the RAID dungeons, with the amount of people recommended at the recommended level needed. If there are + symbols outside of my recommended level, the more there are of them, the higher difficulty the raid instance has for that level. In the first section I would recommend level 60 and in the second section I would recommend level 70.
*LBRS above in Azeroth can be done with 10 people

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Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge - Upper Blackrock Spire - UBRS - Level 58-60 - 10 man
Dustwallow Marsh - Onyxia’s Lair - ony - Level 60+ - 40 man
Stranglethorn Vale - Zul’Gurub - ZG - Level 60+ - 20 man
Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge - Molten Core - MC - Level 60+ - 40 man
Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge - Blackwing Lair - BWL - Level 60++ - 40 man
Silithus - Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj - AQ20 - Level 60++ - 20 man
Silithus - Temple of Ahn’Qiraj - AQ40 - Level 60+++ - 40 man
Eastern Plaguelands - Naxxramas - Naxx - Level 60++++ - 40 man

Deadwind Pass - Karazhan - KZ/Kara - Level 70+ - 10 man (thanks Shiná)
Blade's Edge Mountains - Gruul’s Lair - gruul - Level 70+ - 25 man
Hellfire Peninsula - HFC: Magtheridon’s Lair - mag/maggie - Level 70+ - 25 man
Zangarmarsh - CFR: Serpentshrine Cavern - SSC - Level 70++ - 25 man
Netherstorm - TK: The Eye - TE/TK25 - Level 70++ - 25 man (Thanks Chaith for TK25)
Tanaris - CoT: Battle for Mount Hyjal - old hyjal - Level 70+++ - 25 man
Shadowmoon Valley - Black Temple - BT - Level 70++++ - 25 man

?? - Naxxramas II - Naxx - Level 80+ - 25man
Borean Tundra - Malygos - Maly - Level 80+ (may be harder) - 25man
Icecrown Glacier - Icecrown Citadel - ICC/ICG - Level 80++++ - ??man (probably 25man)
<rest of LK raid instances in progress>

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Well, that’s the guide finished, hope you liked reading it and didn’t get too bored or whatever. I’m open to suggestions about extra abbreviations for the instances as well as the recommended levels for each one. Also on a quick note - where it says Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge it is actually in a place in between the two, called Blackrock Mountain. This can be located in the south west of Searing Gorge or north west of Burning Steppes.

With thanks to:

For the different updates to the post.

And good luck in your travels!

[ Post edited by Battlecry ]

I tried to think of something witty to put in here but I failed.