The Return of the Crusade?

Quest Giver: Commander Lynore Windstryke — Wintergarde Keep, Dragonblight

Turn In: Commander Lynore Windstryke — Wintergarde Keep

Objective: Kill 20 Scarlet Onslaught at the Onslaught Base Camp.

Quick Facts

• Faction: Alliance only
• Quest Level: 73
• Prerequisite: Unlocks after completing Parting Thoughts. This is a standalone side quest, not part of the Frostmourne Cavern investigation chain.

Walkthrough

Windstryke explains the situation: “To the northeast of Wintergarde Keep is a newly built encampment, set up by the Scarlet Crusade… or rather, the Scarlet Onslaught as they now call themselves. As of last night the Scarlet Onslaught has killed twelve of our soldiers. They must be taught a lesson.”

Head northeast from Wintergarde Keep to the Onslaught Base Camp around [83, 40] to [87, 38]. The camp sits north of the Carrion Fields, beneath Naxxramas. Kill 20 Scarlet Onslaught soldiers, then return to Windstryke.

Valid kill targets:

• Onslaught Infantry ✅
• Onslaught Mason ✅
• Onslaught Scout ✅
• Onslaught Commander Iustus ✅ (if you’re on his bounty quest)

Does NOT count:

• Onslaught Bloodhound ❌ — Skip the dogs.

Do Alongside

• What Secrets Men Hide (retrieve Onslaught Map from the half-finished tower at [87.6, 38.2]) — from Zelig the Visionary
• The Return of the Crusade? (loot Abbendis’s journal from Onslaught soldiers) — from High Commander Halford Wyrmbane. The same Infantry, Scout, and Mason mobs you’re already killing can drop the book.
• WANTED: Onslaught Commander Iustus (kill the level 74 elite in the tower) — from the Wanted poster. Iustus counts toward your 20 kills.

Tips

• Do NOT go to New Hearthglen. This is a common mistake. This quest specifically requires the Onslaught Base Camp northeast of Wintergarde, not New Hearthglen.
• 20 kills goes fast with multitasking. Between clearing paths for the map tower, farming for the Abbendis journal drop, and the general mob density, you’ll likely hit 20 before finishing the other objectives.
• No reputation. This quest does not award faction reputation, which is unusual for Dragonblight quests. The gold and 5 Runic Healing Potions are the only rewards.

Lore & Story Context

The quest title itself is telling: “The Return of the Crusade**?**” The question mark signals Wintergarde’s uncertainty about this new faction. The Alliance doesn’t yet fully understand who these people are or why they’re in Northrend.

What Windstryke does know is that the Onslaught is hostile to everyone.

Despite ostensibly fighting the Scourge (same as the Alliance), the Onslaught killed twelve 7th Legion soldiers just the previous night. This establishes the Scarlet Onslaught as a three-way threat in Dragonblight: the Alliance fights the Scourge to the south (Carrion Fields, Naxxramas) and the Onslaught to the northeast simultaneously.

The Onslaught Base Camp is the smallest of their three Dragonblight installations. Their main fortress is New Hearthglen on the southeastern coast, and their forward outpost is Scarlet Point, guarding the approach to Frostmourne Cavern.

This small camp, with its single unfinished tower, represents their attempt to expand toward Wintergarde. Windstryke’s orders to “thin them out” are a preemptive strike to keep them from establishing a full foothold.

Explore Dragonblight’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Dragonblight Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.