WoW Files Build notes
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Stable branch 3.0.2 — 3.3.5 Fan favorite 3.3.0

Wrath of the Lich King

Build notes · start to finish

The branch everything else is compared against. Dual-spec, the dungeon finder, and hard modes all arrive here, and 3.3.5a became the most-run build in emulation.

Patches tracked
6
Major releases
4
First
3.0.2 2008
Last
3.3.5 2010
Build target
3.3.5a
Open setup sheet Back to console

Patch timeline

First patch to last · summarized for operators
  1. 3.0.2
    14 Oct 2008

    Echoes of Doom

    Major release
    • Pre-expansion patch: talent trees rebuilt, glyph system added, barbershops open.
    • The Scourge Invasion runs realm-wide ahead of the 13 November launch.
    • Achievements arrive, with retroactive credit across the whole account.
    What this means for a buildAchievements introduce a large per-character criteria store. It grows faster than most operators expect.
  2. 3.0.8
    20 Jan 2009

    Interface and balance

    • Widespread class tuning and the first pass of Naxxramas fixes.
    • Adds equipment manager and interface improvements.
    What this means for a buildMinor. Worth noting only because several core forks branch from this point.
  3. 3.1.0
    14 Apr 2009

    Secrets of Ulduar

    Major release
    • Ulduar opens with optional hard modes triggered inside the encounters themselves.
    • Dual talent specialization arrives, letting characters carry two full talent builds.
    • Adds the Argent Tournament and vehicle-based combat in raid encounters.
    What this means for a buildHard modes are per-encounter state toggles, not a difficulty flag. Vehicle combat needs its own movement handling.
  4. 3.2.0
    4 Aug 2009

    Call of the Crusade

    • Trial of the Crusader opens with four separate lockouts across two difficulties.
    • Isle of Conquest joins the battleground rotation.
    • Emblem currency is consolidated and heroic dungeon rewards are raised.
    What this means for a buildFour lockouts on one raid instance is the messiest lockout model in the expansion.
  5. 3.3.0
    8 Dec 2009

    Fall of the Lich King

    Fan favorite
    • Icecrown Citadel opens on a staged wing-by-wing schedule with a stacking buff.
    • The Dungeon Finder arrives, matchmaking players across realms automatically.
    • Adds the Frostwing Halls encounters and the expansion's closing raid.
    What this means for a buildCross-realm matchmaking is the single largest subsystem in the branch. The ICC script is the most re-implemented in emulation.
  6. 3.3.5
    22 Jun 2010

    Ruby Sanctum

    Build targetMajor release
    • Ruby Sanctum opens as a short final raid behind the Obsidian Sanctum.
    • Final build of the expansion, and the last before the world was rebuilt.
    What this means for a build3.3.5a is the reference build target. The Northrend branch sits here, and most of our modules assume it.

Every era in full

One page per expansion, first patch to last