Phase 3 of Mists of Pandaria Classic shakes up both Celestial Dungeons and Challenge Modes in a big way. With Season 2 now live, you'll find new mechanics, better rewards, and exclusive content that wasn't around in the original 2012 expansion.

This guide covers all the Phase 3 dungeon changes, from Lei Shen-themed mechanics in Celestial Dungeons to the brand-new Platinum tier for Challenge Modes.

Throne of Thunder Raid Entrance — The Thunder King's influence now extends to all Celestial Dungeons in Phase 3

Celestial Dungeons: Phase 3 Updates

New Currency: August Stone Shards

Phase 3 introduces August Stone Shards as the new Celestial Dungeon currency. You'll spend these on Throne of Thunder raid gear and other valuable items.

Here's what you need to know about the currency:

No weekly cap on how many you can earn
Storage caps at 70 shards
Every boss kill drops shards
Killing all bosses in a dungeon gives you a bonus 3 shards from the final boss

Expected Shards Per Dungeon

On average, you'll earn around 9-13 August Stone Shards per dungeon run (including the final boss bonus). Scholomance offers the highest yield at 13 shards, while shorter dungeons like Stormstout Brewery, Mogu'shan Palace, Scarlet Halls, and Scarlet Monastery award 9 shards each.

Daily Quest Bonus

The daily Celestial quest from Challenger Soong awards 3 August Stone Shards, 150 Valor Points, and 60 gold. Your first Celestial of the day gives you another 4 shards. That's roughly 17 extra shards daily just from these bonuses.

Upgraded Player Blessings

When you enter a Celestial Dungeon, you talk to an NPC at the start to pick one of four Celestial Blessings. Phase 3 upgrades each blessing with a powerful new effect tied to an extra action button.

How the Extra Action Button Works: A bar appears on your screen that fills up over time. Once it's full, you can activate your Celestial's avatar ability. This is a major addition to Phase 3 gameplay, and you'll want to use it strategically during big pulls or tough encounters.

Blessing of Niuzao (Tank-Focused)

Base Effect

20% Stamina increase, 10% Strength/Agility/Intellect increase

Stacking Buff

Dodge, Parry, and Block actions boost your Stamina by 6% and primary stats by 4% for 20 seconds, stacking up to 20 times

NEW Phase 3 Effect

An avatar of Niuzao appears and causes an earthquake that repeatedly stuns nearby enemies while increasing all Physical damage they take

Blessing of Xuen (Melee DPS-Focused)

Base Effect

15% Strength and Agility increase

Proc Effect

Direct attacks hurl a bolt of lightning at enemies dealing 20,000 Nature damage that chains to nearby targets (3-second internal cooldown)

NEW Phase 3 Effect

An avatar of Xuen creates a lightning vortex that pulls all nearby enemies to its location while granting allies a weakened version of Spectral Ferocity

Blessing of Yu'lon (Caster DPS-Focused)

Base Effect

15% Intellect increase, 5% Stamina increase

Proc Effect

Damaging spells inflict Jadefire, burning targets for 15,000 damage over 10 seconds and increasing magic damage taken by 3% (4-second internal cooldown, stacks 5 times)

NEW Phase 3 Effect

An avatar of Yu'lon breathes Jadefire on nearby enemies and amplifies all Magic damage done by players

Blessing of Chi-Ji (Healer-Focused)

Base Effect

10% Intellect and Stamina increase

Proc Effect

Healing spells create a blazing song around allies that increases movement speed by 50%, heals nearby allies for 30,000, and burns enemies for 30,000 Fire damage every 2 seconds for 15 seconds (30-second internal cooldown)

NEW Phase 3 Effect

An avatar bestows a weakened version of Blazing Song to all allies at once

Strategic Tip

Pairing Xuen's pull (lightning vortex) with Niuzao's stunning earthquake is devastating for large trash packs. Coordinate with your group to get the most out of these effects.

August Celestials Blessings — The four August Celestials grant powerful new avatar abilities in Phase 3

New Enemy Abilities: Lei Shen's Influence

Phase 3 Celestial Dungeons are themed around Lei Shen, the Thunder King, final boss of the Throne of Thunder raid. All enemies get significant buffs and new mechanics to deal with.

Might of the Thunder King (Passive Buff on All Enemies)

Damage increased by 35% and Health increased by 125%

Lightning Traps: You'll encounter cycling lightning traps throughout all Celestial Dungeons. These environmental hazards pop up in various locations and need to be avoided.

Thunderstorms: Every dungeon now has thunderstorm weather effects as part of the Lei Shen theme.

Summon the Storm (Boss Mechanic): Every 60 seconds during boss fights, Lei Shen's influence causes the boss to use one of three new lightning-based abilities. These mechanics are inspired by Lei Shen's encounter in Throne of Thunder. One example is a "stack arrow" mechanic where players need to group together to share damage from a lightning attack.

Important Note

Most bosses seem to be immune to the Celestial avatar stun effects (like Niuzao's earthquake), so save those abilities for trash packs where they'll actually work.

Legendary Quest Progression

One of the biggest benefits of Celestial Dungeons in Phase 3 is progressing your Legendary questline without stepping into a raid.

The Strength of One's Foes Quest:

Sigil of Power and Sigil of Wisdom can drop from end bosses in Celestial Dungeons
You can also buy them for 30 August Stone Shards each

Fear Itself Quest Alternative: Instead of the standard Fear Itself quest, MoP Classic offers an alternate route: kill the Sha of Doubt in Temple of the Jade Serpent on Celestial Mode.

Phase 3 Legendary Items:

Secrets of the Empire: Drop from end bosses OR buy for 10 August Stone Shards each (you need 20 total)
Titan Runestone: Drop from end bosses OR buy for 30 August Stone Shards each
Heart of the Thunder King: Buy for 70 August Stone Shards

Farming Tip

Grinding Celestial Dungeons can yield all 20 Secrets of the Empire in approximately 2 hours through a combination of drops and shard purchases. Once you've collected all 20, the Secrets no longer appear on the vendor.

Gear and Loot Considerations

Phase 3 Celestial gear comes from Throne of Thunder loot tables, with all items sitting at item level 502.

What You Need to Know About Celestial Gear:

Celestial gear CANNOT be upgraded (no Valor upgrades available)
Tier pieces from Celestial Dungeons also can't be upgraded
Normal raid tier from Throne of Thunder is item level 522 and CAN be upgraded
Heroic raid tier sits at item level 535

What This Means for Your Gearing:

If you raided during Phase 2 and upgraded your normal gear twice, that gear hits item level 502, matching Celestial gear but keeping its upgrade potential. This makes Celestial Dungeons most valuable for:

Players catching up who didn't raid in previous phases
Legendary quest progression (Secrets of the Empire, Titan Runestones)
Specific items like trinkets or weapons that might be best-in-slot regardless of upgrade potential
Tier set bonuses if the set bonus value outweighs the item level loss

Tier Set Consideration

Before trading tokens for tier pieces, think about whether your set bonus is worth a potential 15-20 item level drop compared to upgraded raid gear. Some set bonuses (like Brewmaster's utility-focused 4-piece) might not justify the sacrifice.

Loot Distribution: Each boss in Celestial Dungeons drops around 3-4 pieces of gear plus a tier token. Celestial loot can't be traded to other players, so don't accidentally grab something you don't need.

Throne of Thunder Gear — Celestial Dungeons offer Throne of Thunder gear at item level 502

Where to Spend August Stone Shards

Visit Sendala the Timeless at the August Celestial Exchange in your faction's Shrine:

Alliance: Shrine of Seven Stars, The Imperial Exchange (upper level)
Horde: Shrine of Two Moons, The Imperial Mercantile (upper level)

Vendor Interface Notes:

All 70 fragments worth of items are available right away (no gated progression)
The gear display shows all armor types you can equip but isn't filtered by spec
Items are filtered to show only gear your class can use

Item Costs Overview

Item Type	Cost (August Stone Shards)
Tier Helm Tokens	60
Tier Chest Tokens	55
Tier Leg Tokens	55
Tier Shoulder Tokens	50
Tier Gauntlet Tokens	45
Two-Hand Weapons/Ranged	50
One-Hand Weapons	30
Shields	20
Off-Hand Items	20
Trinkets	50
Head/Chest/Legs/Feet/Waist Armor	50
Shoulder/Hands/Wrist Armor	30
Rings/Necks/Cloaks	30
Secrets of the Empire	10
Titan Runestone	30
Heart of the Thunder King	70
Satchel of Celestial Chance	10
250 Justice Points	5
10 Valor Points	1
BoA Satchel of August Stone Fragments	5 (yields 10 smaller shards)

Satchel of Celestial Chance

The Satchel of Celestial Chance costs 10 August Stone Shards. Each satchel typically contains around 15-23 gold and 15-23 Lesser Charms of Good Fortune, with a small chance at mounts or pets.

Confirmed Mount Drops from Satchels:

Reins of the Heavenly Onyx Cloud Serpent (originally from Sha of Anger)
Reins of the Astral Cloud Serpent (originally from Elegon)
Reins of the Crimson Water Strider
Reins of the Jungle Riding Crane
Reins of the Black/Brown/White Riding Yak
Reins of the Celestial Riding Crane (extremely rare, previously unreleased)

Pro Tip

The Phase 3 Satchel of Celestial Chance gives more Lesser Charms of Good Fortune compared to the previous phase's bags. If you're farming charms specifically, the current satchels are more efficient.

Challenge Mode Season 2: Platinum Tier

Phase 3 introduces a brand-new difficulty tier for Challenge Mode dungeons that didn't exist in the original Mists of Pandaria: Platinum times. If you found Gold times too easy, this is for you.

What Are Platinum Times?

Platinum represents faster completion times than Gold, requiring solid group compositions, precise execution, and thorough dungeon knowledge. These times and rewards are exclusive to MoP Classic.

Platinum Times for Each Dungeon

Dungeon	Platinum Time	Gold Time
Gate of the Setting Sun	8:00	13:00
Mogu'shan Palace	8:15	12:00
Scarlet Halls	8:00	13:00
Scarlet Monastery	9:00	13:00
Scholomance	10:15	19:00
Shado-Pan Monastery	14:00	21:00
Siege of Niuzao Temple	12:15	17:30
Stormstout Brewery	8:15	12:00
Temple of the Jade Serpent	10:15	15:00

Platinum Coins: The New Currency

Finishing a Challenge Mode dungeon within Platinum time awards a Satchel of Shining Curiosities containing:

3 Platinum Coins (guaranteed)
Various potions and flasks
Chance at pets and mounts

You earn Platinum Coins every time you complete a dungeon in Platinum time, not just the first completion. This makes farming viable if you're chasing multiple rewards.

Platinum Coin Rewards

You can spend Platinum Coins at faction-specific vendors on the upper levels of the Shrines, near the Celestial item vendors:

Alliance: Jaelof Ironhart (Shrine of Seven Stars)
Horde: Viktor Felhallow (Shrine of Two Moons)

Available Rewards:

Platinum Coins can buy a variety of exclusive items, many of which were previously only available through Trading Card Game loot cards:

Mounts (40-70 coins): Magic Rooster Egg, Wooly White Rhino, and all four Pandaren Phoenix color variants (Ashen, Crimson, Violet, Emerald)
Toys (15-30 coins): Eye of the Legion pet, Instant Statue Pedestal, Demon Hunter's Aspect, Swift Yak Pelt
Tabards (30 coins each): Tabard of Brilliance, Tabard of the Void, Tabard of Fury
Transmog (5 per piece, 40 for full set): Recolored versions of the original Gold Challenge Mode armor sets

Total Coins Needed

To buy all unique items (counting only 3 Phoenix mounts since you'll have one from Silver achievement, and one transmog set), you need around 465 Platinum Coins. That means 155 Platinum-time dungeon completions.

Platinum Dungeon-Specific Achievements and Toys

Each dungeon has its own Platinum achievement that awards a unique toy. These toys are Platinum versions of commonly used Challenge Mode consumables, such as rocket boots (Platinum Boots of Expeditious Retreat from Temple of the Jade Serpent), invisibility potions (Shado-Pan Monastery), battle horns (Mogu'shan Palace), and more. While these toys are only usable inside Challenge Mode dungeons, they can be used in any Challenge Mode, not just the one that awarded them.

Challenge Mode Transmog Sets — Platinum Coins unlock recolored versions of the original Gold Challenge Mode armor sets

Recolored Transmog Sets

Platinum Coins can buy recolored versions of the original Gold Challenge Mode armor sets. Each class has a unique set available, with individual pieces costing 5 Platinum Coins each and complete sets at 40 Platinum Coins.

These recolors give you an alternative look to the original Gold sets while still showing off your Challenge Mode achievements.

Season 2 Exclusive Rewards: Title and Mount

Beyond Platinum, Season 2 introduces rewards for players who finish all Challenge Mode dungeons in exceptionally fast times. Unlike arena titles that go to a percentage of players, these rewards come from beating specific times for each dungeon.

Season 2 Rewards:

Title: "the Mistborne"
Mount: Reins of the Black Kor'kron Proto-drake

The Black Kor'kron Proto-drake is a previously unavailable recolor of the Reins of Galakras mount (sometimes called the "Spawn of Galakras").

Database Note

Some database entries may still show the Reins of the Celestial Riding Serpent as the reward, but official announcements confirmed it's been replaced by the Black Kor'kron Proto-drake.

Season 2 Achievements:

Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 2)
Realm First! Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 2)

Vendor Locations

All Phase 3 dungeon vendors are in the faction Shrines in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms:

Shrine of Seven Stars (Alliance):

Sendala the Timeless (August Stone Shard vendor) - The Imperial Exchange, upper level
Jaelof Ironhart (Platinum Coin vendor) - Upper level, near Celestial vendors

Shrine of Two Moons (Horde):

Sendala the Timeless (August Stone Shard vendor) - The Imperial Mercantile, upper level
Viktor Felhallow (Platinum Coin vendor) - Upper level, near Celestial vendors

Both vendors are located in your faction's Shrine in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms

Summary

Celestial Dungeons

New currency: August Stone Shards (70 cap, no weekly limit)
Upgraded Celestial Blessings with extra action button abilities
Lei Shen-themed enemy buffs and mechanics
Throne of Thunder gear available at item level 502
Full Legendary questline progression through dungeons
New Satchel of Celestial Chance with rare mount drops

Challenge Mode Season 2

New Platinum difficulty tier with stricter times
Platinum Coins currency for exclusive rewards
Previously TCG-exclusive mounts, pets, toys, and tabards
Recolored Challenge Mode transmog sets
Dungeon-specific Platinum toys
Season 2 title: "the Mistborne" and mount: Black Kor'kron Proto-drake

Phase 3 offers substantial new content for dungeon fans in Mists of Pandaria Classic, from catching up on gear to progressing your Legendary questline to pushing for Platinum times.