Leveling route from 70 to 80 in WotLK Classic
Leveling from 70 to 80 in WotLK Classic takes you through Northrend. Quest hubs lie close together, many quests chain into the next, and quests with vehicles or bombing runs give a lot of experience in little time. The route below works for both factions.
Before you leave for Northrend
- Heirloom shoulders and an heirloom chest each give 10% more experience from quests and kills.
- Keep your level 70 gear: it carries you well into Northrend.
- Bring large bags, food and water, and save gold for flying.
- Pick up dungeon quests for The Nexus and Drak’Tharon Keep before you run them.
Zones per level range
| Levels | Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|---|
| 70-72 | Borean Tundra (Valiance Keep), Howling Fjord (Valgarde) | Borean Tundra (Warsong Hold), Howling Fjord (Vengeance Landing) |
| 72-74 | Dragonblight (Wintergarde Keep, Stars’ Rest) | Dragonblight (Agmar’s Hammer) |
| 74-75 | Grizzly Hills (Amberpine Lodge) | Grizzly Hills (Conquest Hold) |
| 75-76 | Zul’Drak (Zim’Torga) | Zul’Drak (Zim’Torga) |
| 76-78 | Sholazar Basin (Nesingwary Base Camp) | Sholazar Basin (Nesingwary Base Camp) |
| 77-80 | The Storm Peaks (K3), Icecrown (Argent Vanguard) | The Storm Peaks (K3), Icecrown (Argent Vanguard) |
Sholazar Basin is a good replacement for the slower second half of Zul’Drak. Icecrown opens hub by hub, so follow its quest chains in order.
Dungeons worth a run
| Levels | Dungeons |
|---|---|
| 70-73 | Utgarde Keep, The Nexus |
| 72-75 | Azjol-Nerub, Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom |
| 74-77 | Drak’Tharon Keep, The Violet Hold |
| 76-80 | Gundrak, Halls of Stone, Halls of Lightning |
| 79-80 | The Oculus, The Culling of Stratholme, Utgarde Pinnacle |
The Nexus and Drak’Tharon Keep have many quests in the surrounding zones. Collected before the run, those quests are worth a large part of a level.
Quest chains not to skip
- The Wrathgate in Dragonblight. A long chain with a cinematic, a lot of experience and follow-up quests in the capital cities.
- The Drakuru chain. It starts in Grizzly Hills and continues in Zul’Drak, with large rewards at the end.
- The Amphitheater of Anguish in Zul’Drak. A group quest chain in rounds; find a group of two or three.
- Brunnhildar Village in The Storm Peaks. The chain leads to the Sons of Hodir, whose daily quests give experience and, later, shoulder enchants.
- Vehicle and bombing quests. They take a few minutes and give far more experience than a normal quest.
Habits that save time
- Leave a zone when its next zone opens up; you do not need to finish Borean Tundra or Dragonblight.
- Set your hearthstone to the hub where you will hand in quests, not where you are now.
- Log out in an inn: rested experience doubles the experience from kills, and Northrend kills give a lot.
- Advertise for group quests while you quest nearby, and move on if no group forms.
Frequently asked questions
Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord?
Both cover levels 70 to 72. Borean Tundra is reached by boat from Stormwind City or by zeppelin from Orgrimmar, Howling Fjord by boat from Menethil Harbor or by zeppelin from the Undercity. Pick the one closest to you; the other can fill in when you run out of quests.
When can I fly in Northrend?
Flying in Northrend needs Cold Weather Flying. It first required level 77, and later in WotLK the requirement dropped to 68, together with a lower price. Check the riding trainer in Dalaran for the current level on your realm.
Should I finish Icecrown before level 80?
No. Many players reach 80 with part of Icecrown left. Those quests still give gold at 80, and the daily quests and Heroic dungeons are the next step.
Where do Death Knights start?
Death Knights start at level 55 in Acherus: The Ebon Hold, above the Eastern Plaguelands. After their starting area they level through Outland and reach Northrend around level 68.