WoW Files Build notes
Stable branch 6 patches Build target 3.3.5a

Wrath of the Lich King patch history

3.0.2 — 3.3.5

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
Last
3.3.5
Build target
3.3.5a

Patch timeline

First 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.

Keep reading

Wrath of the Lich King setup sheetDeployment paths, config keys, and the failures everyone hits on build 3.3.5a. Get this eraCompiled and ready to run, or the complete source tree. All build notes71 patch entries across eleven expansions.
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