Wednesday 22 November 2006

Alliance Levels 20 to 60

Similar to Horde characters, there's a wide range of options and choices. The zones, and your play style, will depend on whether you are on a PvP or PvE server.

These are the best of the Alliance guides:

Alliance Leveling Guide 20-30

Jame's Alliance leveling Guide - Chapter I (30-41) Chapter II (41-50) Chapter III (50-60)

Basic Leveling Guide zones for grinding.

Horde Levels 20 to 60

This is a big range of levels and there are many different permutations of zones and quests. A lot will depend on individual preference and whether you are on a PvP or PvE server.

These are the best Horde guides:

Jame's Horde Leveling Guide - Chapter I (21-31) Chapter III (50-60)

MFO's Horde Power Leveling Guide up to level 60

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Tuesday 21 November 2006

Alliance Levels 12 to 20

I have to admit that if you are levelling a Horde character, The Barrens does start to get old after a few hours. True, you are in different parts of the zone, and it's a big zone, but the scenery is pretty consistent. Lucky Alliance get to travel around a bit more. Most people level in Westfall, around Lakeshire, and Redridge for a little variety.

Caelestis’s Alliance Leveling Guide will take you through the quests available right up to level 20. Another good guide is Joan’s Alliance Leveling Guide.

Horde Levels 12 to 20.

In a word, The Barrens.

This is the largest and the busiest experience zone for the Horde. You really can go all the way from level 12 to 20.

Start at the northern end, where the mobs are 12, and work your way down south where the mobs go up to level 24. Quests are available from The Crossroads, Rachet and Camp Taurajo.

I won't repeat the information available in many of the excellent guides available, this is a good Guide to The Barrens. Another here. One with a good map here.

Monday 20 November 2006

Alliance Level 6 to 12

You should be starting these levels at the Inn in Goldshire. In Goldshire, pick up the quests Rest an Relaxation, Kobold Candles, Gold Dust Exchange, A Fishy Peril and The Fargodeep Mine. Completing these will give you 2 more follow up quests.

The area around Goldshire can get pretty crowded and you may find competition for the mobs needed for the quests, especially the Kobolds. If there is already a group at the mines, ask politely if you can join them. Although this won't give you as much experience it does make completion of the quests faster and easier.

Sometimes it's easier to just grind out a couple of levels around 7 to 8. The area is thickly populated with mobs, so you can just run in any random direction, killing everything you see. Kill humanoids whenever you can and save the linen cloth they drop.

There are more quests at Stonefield farm to the south of Goldshire.

If you follow the questing sequence from Goldshire you will be around level 8 or 9 by the time you get the quest Shipment to Stormwind. This leads you to the nearest major city with an Auction House and profession trainers. Catch up on your class skills in Stormwind. Find the profession trainer for First Aid. Any guard will give you directions and a convenient marker on your mini-map. Train in first aid and use up all that linen cloth you have been saving by making bandages.

Select skinning and one of the other gathering professions (mining or herbalism) for your first 20 levels. Sell anything you gather in the AH. The gathering professions will make you enough gold for decent equipment at level 20 when it starts to make a difference.

After training, head back to Goldshire and finish any outstanding quests.

Around level 9 or 10, I usually head over the bridge into Westfall. There are two quests right on the path after you cross into the zone. These and a little grinding on the mechanicals will easily get you to level 12.

Horde Level 6 to 12

Hopefully you camped at the Inn in Bloodhoof village for some additional rest experience.

Pick up the quests Sharing the Land, Rite of Vision and Dwarven Digging from Baine Bloodhoof standing near the totem. Run over and talk to Zarlman Two-Moons to get part 2 of Rite of Vision. Nearby is Maur Raincaller who has the quest Mazzranache. Collect the quest Poison Water from Mull Thunderhorn at the east of the village.

By now you should have picked up one or two 6-slot bags as loot. The following 6 levels should give you another one or two.

Start the Rite of Vision quest first by collecting Well Stones and Ambercorns. As you run around looking for these, kill any mobs in your path and you will find you have complete the three other kill and collect quests from plainstriders, wolves and cougars. As a rule, you should always multi-task on quests. Pick up as many as are available are head out to hunt, returning only if your bags are full.

There are several follow-on quests from these. As you complete the quest, you will be offered another, slightly harder. The higher level quests will start to give less experience, relative to the experience you are gaining from killing the mobs. This is a natural part of the levelling process. Start to focus on killing everything in your path. If a quest is a problem, don't sweat it, just move onto the next.

After the Rite of Wisdom quest, you will be offered Journey into Thunder Bluff. I'm sure you are getting the picture now – more quests in Thunder Bluff. This is also one of the major Horde cities and has an Auction House where you can sell trade skill items for some silver and learn professions. Ask any guard for directions.

If you haven't already, find the first-aid trainer and learn this as a secondary profession. Less necessary for the Shaman, who has a heal spell, but essential for non-healing classes. Select skinning and one of the other gathering professions (mining or herbalism) for these first 20 levels. The gathering professions will make you enough gold for decent equipment at level 20 when it starts to make a difference.

You can complete the Thunder Bluff quests which will take you all the way to level 12. I must admit that I find there's just too much running around on some of these, so I tend to grind the last 2 levels by killing anything close to Thunder Bluff. For a change of scenery, grind on the Harpies close to Orgrimmar.

Once you reach level 12, it's time to head to the Barrens...

Sunday 19 November 2006

Level 1 to 6 Alliance

Similar to starting a Horde character, the initial few levels for alliance is a case of questing, killing and collecting. This example will be for a human starting out in Northshire. Read the post on Horde levelling below for some basic questing information.

The three starting human quests are obtained in Northshire very close to your starting location. They are A Threat Within from Deputy Willem, Kobold Camp Cleanup from Marshall McBride and Wolves Across the Border from Eagan Peltskinner.

Once you get to level 2, collect the quest Brotherhood of Thieves from Deputy Willem. While you are close to the vendors, sell the junk items and equip any armour you have looted.

Completing all of these quests will bring you to level 4. If you are a little below, kill a few more Kobold.

Head back to Northshire and complete all quests. Sell your loot and get trained on your level 4 skills.

Pick up the quest Investigate Echo Ridge. Complete this and the follow up Skirmish at Echo Ridge. Completing this will give you the quest Report to Goldshire. While you are there, get the quest Brotherhood of Thieves. These, and the two follow up quests, will take to to level 6, if not 7, easily. Kill anything that gives experience that is in your path.

Time to leave the shelter of Northshire. You should now just have the quest Report to Goldshire which will lead you to, not surprisingly, Goldshire. Head to the Inn and make it your home.

As with Horde, now is a good time to take a break. Camp out in the Inn for additional rest experience.