Machine Defense Unit 1-11

Machine Defense Unit 1-11 is an epic ground and flying mount added in patch 11.0.2 of The War Within expansion. It is an Earthen mechsuit, one of the many mechanical guardians built to protect the Machine in the Ringing Deeps. After many years of faithful service it is no longer fit for combat, but it remains an impressive way to get around.

The mount drops from the Awakened Cache in Gundargaz after completing the Awakening the Machine event in the Ringing Deeps. The mount's model is a walker-style Earthen mechanical exoskeleton — your character climbs inside the construct and pilots it.

• Unique model — the Machine Defense Unit 1-11 shares its model with only two other mounts: the Rumbling 2-30 and the Stonebound Mechsuit. It is one of the few Earthen walker mounts in the game
• Ground and flying — the mount works on the ground and in the air. Its movement speed depends on your riding skill: from 60% on the ground up to 310% while flying
• Free to obtain — the mount requires no gold, reputation, or achievements. You just need to run the weekly event regularly
• Account-wide — once obtained, the mount becomes available to all characters on your account
• Farmable on alts — the event can be run once per week on each character, multiplying your chances of getting it

• A level 80 character
• Renown 3 or higher with the Assembly of the Deeps faction
• The main The War Within campaign completed on at least one character

The Awakening the Machine event takes place in Gundargaz, the capital of the Ringing Deeps. To reach the event location:

1. Open the map of the Ringing Deeps and find Gundargaz in the northern part of the zone
2. Make your way to Speaker Kuldas, who stands next to the Machine
3. Use a command to place a marker on the map:

Speak with Speaker Kuldas and choose the "Begin maintenance check" option — you will be teleported to the event location.

Step 1 — preparation

Before starting the event, use your consumable buffs:

• A flask for your specialization
• Food with a bonus to your primary stat
• An augment rune (if available)

This is especially important for characters with average item level.

Step 2 — starting the event

Speak with Speaker Kuldas and begin the maintenance check. The event consists of 20 waves of enemies with breaks after every 5 waves. Your task is to protect Speaker Kuldas from all attackers.

Step 3 — clearing the waves

Enemy types and kill priorities:

1. Damaged Constructor — channels a spell on Kuldas. Interrupt it and it dies instantly. Highest priority
2. Null Bot — applies immunity to other enemies. Kill it right after the constructors
3. Faulty Pylon — a stationary turret firing a beam at Kuldas. The beam can be intercepted by standing between the pylon and Kuldas
4. Volatile Bomber — uses self-destruct at 40% health. Move it away from Kuldas before it explodes
5. Med Bot — heals other enemies, but drops medkits on the ground that restore Kuldas's health. Kill it last among the priority targets
6. Automated Walker — applies an unstable magma debuff, leaves lava pools and fireballs. Lead it away from Kuldas
7. Swarm Bot — small enemies dealing minor damage. Kill them on the way to more important targets

Step 4 — final boss (wave 20)

The Awakened Phalanx is the boss of the last wave. Main abilities:

• Stunning Blow — deals area damage. Move away from the boss when it starts casting
• Concussive Charge — the boss charges at a target and stuns on impact. Dodge to the side

Once the Awakened Phalanx is defeated, the event ends.

Step 5 — collecting rewards

Go to the Awakened Caches next to Kalos in Gundargaz. For every 5 waves cleared you receive one cache:

• 5 waves — 1 cache (15 Valorstones, 150 reputation, 100 Resonance Crystals)
• 10 waves — 2 caches (+18 Valorstones, +150 reputation)
• 15 waves — 3 caches (+20 Valorstones, +350 reputation, +150 Resonance Crystals)
• 20 waves — 4 caches (+22 Valorstones, +350 reputation)

In total, across all 20 waves: 75 Valorstones, 1,000 reputation points with the Assembly of the Deeps, and 250 Resonance Crystals. Each opened cache has a chance to contain the mount.

Patch 11.1 added a challenge mode to the event. The main differences from the normal mode:

• No breaks between waves — enemies appear continuously
• Faster enemy spawns — less time to react
• The enemy composition and difficulty stay the same
• Rewards are identical to the normal mode

Challenge mode suits experienced players with good gear who want to clear all 20 waves faster.

Weekly plan

The event is available once per week per character. To maximize your chances of getting the mount:

1. Create several level 90 characters — each alt grants an additional attempt per week. With 4–5 characters you open 16–20 caches every week
2. Clear all 20 waves — you receive 4 caches instead of one, giving four chances at the mount per run
3. Upgrade your gear — the higher your item level, the easier it is to clear the later waves. Over time the event will become easier
4. Don't forget the weekly quest — the quest "Prepare for Trouble" grants an additional reward in the form of an Awakened Mechanism Cache with gold, crests, or gear

Estimating the number of attempts

With a drop chance of around 8–20% and 4 caches per run:

• With one character: 2–6 weeks of farming on average
• With three characters: 1–2 weeks of farming on average
• With five characters: a high chance of getting the mount in the first or second week

The exact drop chance has not been officially confirmed, so actual timelines may vary.

Which classes clear the event most easily

The event is done solo, so classes with good survivability and area damage have an advantage:

• Demon Hunter (Havoc) — high area damage, mobility, self-healing
• Death Knight (Unholy) — durability, area damage, control
• Paladin (Retribution) — self-healing, area damage, a shield
• Druid (Balance) — ranged area damage, control, self-healing