It’s been 20 years since World Of Warcraft became a household name on launch, almost instantly reaching levels of success never seen before. Many of the mechanics and concepts introduced in this classic game have influenced games (especially other MMOs) ever since.
WoW Classic: Should You Choose Horde Or Alliance?
The Horde and Alliance are very different in terms of their lore and leveling experiences, and it can be hard to choose between the two WoW factions.
Due to popular demand Blizzard has created servers and reintroduced the original vanilla version of World Of Warcraft for players to enjoy. A few things have changed, but some of the old tips and tricks are still there and can save players a lot of headaches.
Updated November 21, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: With the oncoming release of fresh vanilla servers for World of Warcraft Classic, players new and old are flocking back to Azeroth to experience the game in its (mostly) original 2004 form. If you're more familiar with WoW Retail, or haven't ever played WoW before, the game may seem daunting, with so many tips to learn to get good at WoW Classic that it can boggle the mind. These WoW Classic tips explain eleven ways you can improve your experience in WoW Classic – and has been updated with a small section recommending essential WoW Classic Addons.
1 Questing Is The Best Leveling Method
Quests Are A Great Source Of Gold, Items, And XP
Arguably the single best method of gaining experience quickly is to go on quests. Grinding mobs may help now and then, but if you want fast leveling then solving others people’s problems is the way to go.
In addition to being the fastest method of leveling, quests also provide a number of other benefits that simple grinding or farming don’t. Unique gear, piles of gold, and the opportunity to meet other people. Just be mindful of long lines for some mob spawns related to quests.
2 Rested Experience
Double Your XP Gains By Logging Out In An Inn
Another way to help you boost your experience even higher is to ensure you get Rested Experience any time you can. Whenever your character is in an inn you’ll start to obtain Rested Experience, it’s a small experience gain that, until full, doubles the amount of experience you obtain from slaying enemies.
WoW Classic Anniversary Server List (2024 Fresh)
There are several new servers WoW Classic is introducing as 2024 Anniversary Classic Fresh servers - three for each region.
Making a habit of returning to an inn before you log off for the day can guarantee you’ll have that boost of experience the next time you log on. You’ll need to go to inns anyway to be in the area for merchants or crafting items so make it a habit.
3 Weapon Skill Is Important In WoW Classic
Your Weapon Skill Determines Many Combat Stats, Like Hit Chance
Each weapon in the game has a special skill tied to it called Weapon Proficiency. This is essentially an indicator of how skilled your character is with any given weapon based on how long they’ve been using it. It’s highly recommended you specialize in a single weapon, but ensure that your other proficiencies are fairly balanced.
The reason being is if you obtain the game’s best axe, but you don’t have a proficiency with that weapon the axe will be practically useless. Definitely specialize in one weapon, but make sure you know how to use others if you happen to come across a powerful epic.
4 Optimize Your Hearthstone Location
Reduce Travel By Using Hearthstones Efficiently
In the early days of WoW the Hearthstone was a means of instantly transporting your character to a location you desired. Smart players would place their hearthstone in a quest hub or inn and use the Hearthstone to travel back there instantly.
WoW Classic: Best Addons, Ranked (2024)
Of the hundreds of addons WoW Classic players can download, these eight are must-have addons that every WoW Classic player should try.
It saves a massive amount of time running across the map, dodging enemies, turning in quests, or picking up new ones. It’s highly recommended you pick a place like Crossroads or some other area that has lots of quests for you to grind, it’ll save you a tremendous amount of time and speed your progress up significantly.
5 Mounts Can Be Difficult To Obtain
More Expensive, And Unlocked Later, Than Retail WoW Mounts
Gold is king in this game and it’s brutal to obtain in large quantities. Enemy drops are stingy with gold and lots of things are expensive. When you reach level 40 you’ll obtain access to the game’s mounts, creatures that you can ride upon to increase your movement speed which saves you time and speeds up quest grinding.
It’s in your best interest to have one, but it’s darned expensive. The skill alone costs 100 gold and getting it to 60 costs one thousand. In Classic this is a ton of coin that requires significant grinding. So be frugal with your expenses and start saving.
6 In WoW Classic, Bags Are Incredibly Important...
Store More & Spend Less Time Running Bag To Vendors/Bank
One way to expedite your gold making process is to increase the amount of storage you have for carrying things you find. Classic is stingy with inventory space and you’ll need as many squares as you can get as each item you pick up is a source of coin.
WoW Classic: Best DPS Classes, Ranked
This WoW Classic DPS class tier list ranks every class based on its damage output and utility for groups, increasing the chances of getting invites.
To increase your storage, buy bags. They cost a few silver and will quickly bring in a return on your investment. Make a habit of setting aside some coin for upgrading bags and you’ll be on your way to riding a mount one day.
7 ...But Bank Alts Can Be Used For Storage, Too
Avoid Buying Bags And Just Make A New Character Instead
No matter how many bags you buy or upgrade you are going to have times where you run out of space and need to leave something behind. A great trick many players learned early on was to create a bank alt.
Bank alts are characters whose sole purpose is to sit outside a bank and collect items mailboxed to them. You can store those items in the bank or even keep them in the mailbox where they’ll keep for 30 days before disappearing. It saves a ton of time and inventory space so get a secondary character up to level five and sit them outside a bank.
8 First Aid Is Very Useful In Classic WoW
Save Your Skin & Use Your Cloth With Bandages
This is especially important for players trying out Classic after playing with the modern version for a few years now. Your character’s health pool is shallow and it takes a lot to fill it back up, health regeneration is a rarity in this game and you’ll find yourself running on low a lot.
Making sure to obtain the First Aid profession and begin stockpiling linen for bandages. This will help you recover your health pool faster and save you a lot of gold in the long run. Many fans would argue this profession is mandatory for anyone wanting to be viable for endgame.
9 Classes Are Very Different In Classic WoW
Little Homogenization In WoW Classic Means Classes Are Very Different
Classic World Of Warcraft isn’t like the modernized version in that your class is extremely flexible and you can adapt it to any circumstance. In this older version characters were meant to be part of parties and fulfill specific roles.
World of Warcraft: All Mountain Dew Rewards (& How to Get Them)
As part of the recent Mountain Dew promotion, there are several items that players can obtain in World of Warcraft.
Think of it more along the lines of Dungeons & Dragons and you’ll get the idea. A Paladin isn’t supposed to be able to tank, deal damage, and heal, they’re meant to perform only one of those responsibilities and someone else handles the others. Keep this in mind when choosing your class, specialize in that role, and you’ll be ready for endgame.
10 Make 40 Friends (Or Join A Guild)
MMOs Are Always Better When You're Party Of A Community
This is probably the most important tip you can apply when playing Classic. The majority of your time in endgame will be spent grinding raids for epics and the bigger raids require 40 party members to complete.
That’s 40 people who must individually grind quests for keys, join up for a raid, commit to their roles, and follow through for the duration of the raid. This is nearly impossible with strangers, so getting into a guild and developing friendships with at least 40 people you can trust will save you a lot of time and headaches.