Leveling route from 80 to 85 in Cata Classic
Leveling from 80 to 85 takes you through the zones of Cataclysm, in Cata Classic and in MoP Classic. The zones are linear: each quest hub sends you to the next one, and the world changes as the story moves on. You fly from the start, so the route is short.
Before you start
- Buy the Flight Master’s License from a riding trainer: it allows flying in the old world and the Cataclysm zones.
- Heirloom shoulders and an heirloom chest each give 10% more experience and scale up to level 85.
- Take the zone intros from the Hero’s Call Board (Alliance) or the Warchief’s Command Board (Horde) in Stormwind City or Orgrimmar. They lead straight into each zone.
- Log out in an inn from level 79 on: rested experience covers a large part of these five levels.
Zones per level range
| Levels | Zone | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 80-82 | Mount Hyjal | Start at Nordrassil and follow the chain. Leave when you reach 82, even with quests left. |
| 82-83 | Deepholm | Almost the whole zone, around the Temple of Earth. The Stonecore entrance is in the zone. |
| 83-84 | Uldum | The Ramkahen and Neferset chains. Leave at 84; the later chains have many cutscenes. |
| 84-85 | Twilight Highlands | Start with the intro from your capital city and follow the faction chains. |
Vashj’ir can replace Mount Hyjal for levels 80 to 82. The zones are the same for both factions, apart from the first hubs in Twilight Highlands: Highbank for the Alliance and Dragonmaw Port for the Horde.
Dungeons worth a run
| Levels | Dungeons |
|---|---|
| 80-82 | Blackrock Caverns, Throne of the Tides |
| 81-83 | The Stonecore |
| 82-84 | The Vortex Pinnacle |
| 84-85 | Grim Batol, Halls of Origination, Lost City of the Tol’vir |
One run per dungeon is enough while leveling. Pick up the dungeon quests first, inside the dungeon or in the nearby hub.
Habits that save time
- Fly straight onto the quest objective instead of travelling on the ground.
- Take the zone intro from the board in your capital city when a zone is done; that is faster than flying to the next zone.
- Take herbs and ore on your flight line for extra experience.
- Leave a zone at the level where the next one starts: the story of a zone is not worth staying for while leveling.
Frequently asked questions
Mount Hyjal or Vashj'ir?
Both cover levels 80 to 82. Mount Hyjal is a straight line of quests on land, which is easier to follow and faster for most players. Vashj'ir is underwater and harder to navigate, but it leads to the dungeon Throne of the Tides.
Is flying needed from 80 to 85?
It saves a lot of time. The Cataclysm zones are built for flying, and the Flight Master's License from a riding trainer allows flying in the old world and in these zones.
Does gathering give experience?
Yes. From Cataclysm on, Mining and Herbalism give experience for every node. Take the nodes on your way, but do not make detours for them.
What to do at level 85?
In MoP Classic, take the quest to Pandaria from the Hero's Call Board or the Warchief's Command Board in your capital city. There is no need to finish Twilight Highlands first.