If Valgarde Falls…

Quest Giver: Vice Admiral Keller — Valgarde Port, Howling Fjord [59, 63]

Objective: Slay 12 Dragonflayer Invaders or Dragonflayer Worgs.

Quick Facts

• Type: Kill quest (invasion defense)
• Faction: Alliance only
• Chain Position: 2 of 6 in the Valgarde Defense chain
• Prerequisite: Hell Has Frozen Over…
• Follow-up: Rescuing the Rescuers

Walkthrough

Head to Valgarde’s northern gate [58, 59], where Dragonflayer vrykul and their worgs are actively attacking the settlement. Both mob types count toward your total of 12.

Valgarde Defenders will assist you in combat. As long as you tag a mob before it dies, you receive full XP credit regardless of how much damage you dealt. The invaders and worgs spawn continuously, so there’s no need to hunt for them.

Efficiency Tips

• Tagging is king: You don’t need to do the majority of damage. A single hit tags the mob and grants full XP when it dies.
• XP grinding: Because spawns are infinite, this location is excellent for pure XP farming. Players have reported 1,100-1,300 XP per kill while rested at level 72. AoE-heavy builds (Protection Warriors, Death Knights) paired with a healer can clear rapidly.
• No loot drops: The invaders drop nothing and the worgs cannot be skinned, so this is purely an XP and quest completion spot.
• Don’t linger after the quest: Once you have 12 kills, run back to Keller. The spawns never stop, and you’ll keep getting attacked.

Combat Tips

• AoE abilities like Thunder Clap or Death and Decay help tag multiple mobs quickly before defenders finish them.
• Position yourself just inside the gate area where mobs funnel in rather than charging out into the field.

Lore Context

Vice Admiral Keller’s personal stake is clear in his quest text: “I’ve got a wife and three kids back in Elwynn and I’ll be damned if I’ll go down without a fight.” This isn’t just military duty; for Keller, losing Valgarde means never seeing his family again.

The attackers are vrykul, the half-giant proto-humans who serve King Ymiron and the Lich King. The Dragonflayer clan operates from Utgarde Keep across the river, and these raids are coordinated by Ingvar the Plunderer, the dungeon’s final boss. The invaders shout battle cries like “My life for Ymiron!” as they charge.

This quest establishes the stakes of the entire Howling Fjord experience: the vrykul are relentless, organized, and fanatically loyal to their king. Valgarde is under siege.

Quest Chain: Valgarde Defense

1. Hell Has Frozen Over… — Report to Vice Admiral Keller
2. If Valgarde Falls… — Defend against vrykul attack (you are here)
3. Rescuing the Rescuers — Save soldiers from Wyrmskull Village
4. Prisoners of Wyrmskull — Free captured Alliance prisoners
5. Dragonflayer Battle Plans — Recover enemy intel
6. To Westguard Keep! — Travel to the western fortress

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