Shadowlands Leveling Guide / Tips and Tricks

As you most likely already know, on November 24, a new expansion for World of Warcraft – Shadowlands will be released. Therefore, we decided to collect all the information you might need for optimal leveling process in WoW Shadowlands, as well as the best Shadowlands addons, tips and tricks that we could find, so that you don’t have to spend a huge amount of time looking for information on different websites! Transitional patch 9.0.1 has already been released on the official servers and now you definitely have time to clean your bags, bank and get ready for Shadowlands! So let’s get down to business!

Preparing

First of all, you will need to decide on a starting covenant in order to simplify your game after reaching level 60. After leveling up to 60, you will have the opportunity to change your covenant, but this is not an easy change of spec and will take some time. Plan a spec for leveling, find a group, plan your gear and trinkets. It is desirable to have a universal mobile spec. You will not need to change gear up to lvl 60, neither Azerite, nor neck, nor cloak if you are wearing BfA top gear. Prepare tank and heal specs for your class. The tank and the healer do not need to wait long for random dungeons, and it is easier to find a party to complete Mythic 0 dungeons.

 

What to prepare in advance for each char:

• Complete the starting quests and scenario – Quests about undead attacks (can be skipped on alts). The Shadowlands questline will start in Orgrimmar / Stormwind (park the characters there)
• Get Light-Step Hoofplates – There is little water in the Shadowlands, so choose an upgrade for a mount for your class – 20% run speed or anti-dismount.
• Gems: Straddling Sage Agate, Straddling Viridium – Two gems from BFA for running speed, in total there will be + 8% running speed from 2 gems.
• 40 flasks + 120 dps pots – For leveling and the first 2 weeks, it is better to use the old consumables, new consumables will be very expensive at the start.
• 120 or more heal pots – The first 2 weeks you have to do a decent amount of solo content (for example, Torghast), where HP pots are irreplaceable.
• 120 Gunshoes / any items for speed – Not yet nerfed. The best items for leveling and moving in the Maw
• 80 Goblin Glider – Useful for leveling and in the Maw.
• 3 Draught of Ten Lands – Works at levels 50-51 (Maw)
• 7 Lightfoot Potion – Works at levels 50-51 (Maw)
• 60 DPS food / 20 Bear Tartare – New dps food and running food is pretty cheap, but for the first 2 weeks you can use the old ones.
• 3 Battle-Scarred Augment Rune – Works at levels 50-51 (Maw)
• 3 Drums of Fury – For those classes who cannot cast BL/Heroism by themselves (up to 51 lvl)
• Top 10 pets that every pet battler needs – pet quests have not gone anywhere, although they are not so important this time.
• Stock up on gold – At the start of SL you will need a lot of gold to feel comfortable, 500k + or you can buy WoW gold
• Clean bags and bank – It is important to have at least 60 free slots in your bags
• Enable War mode (+ 10% Exp)
• Clear the entire quest log from old and unnecessary quests.

 

Useful Addons:

• Azeroth Auto Pilot – https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/azeroth-auto-pilot
• AutoTurnIn addon https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/autoturnin
• HandyNotes https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/handynotes
• HandyNotes: Shadowlands https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/handynotes-shadowlands

 

 

Leveling in Shadowlands

The guide is designed to optimize the leveling time of your main character and alts. We recommend that you listen to the story if you have not played in the beta and watch all the story videos. To select a covenant on the main character, you will have to do ALL story quests. At the same time, the last one is available only at 60. After completing the entire storyline, you will receive 9.5 lvl with the warmode factor, another half a level must be farmed on optional questlines or in normal dungeons (~ 15 additional quests or 2 normals). If you plan to level right from the start of the servers, try to break away from the general crowd as much as possible at the start, consumables for speed (up to 51 lvl) and boots will help a lot. Leveling up in Shadowlands is much easier than in Legion and BFA, and takes about 5-6 hours per character (4h speedrun).

 

Shadowlands Leveling Guide Tips and Trips

• It is best to level in a group of 5 people and in warmode (+ 10% experience and 3 pvp talent for dps). Remember to use the guild standards. Everyone should have the AutoTurnIn addon.
• At the moment, for a random normal dungeon you can get ~ 50k + experience, and if you speedrun the normals with a pack of 5 people, then it is more profitable than doing quests. On the main it is not relevant, but for the alts it is the best leveling option. If you have not used warmode, then you will have to run normals on the main character.
• Do not waste time collecting treasures and killing rares, they almost do not give experience. Try not to loot mobs at all, if it is not necessary for the quest.
• Goblin Glider, Gunshoes and Bear Tartare are the best consumables for leveling, which have not yet been fixed (can be fixed before the release of SL)
• Leveling up the main to lvl 60 and through starting quests of the covenant with the time figures indicated in the guide requires about 80 boots and 50 gliders.
• We do only story quests up to Revendreth.
• Additional quest in the zone where the special icon (swords) appears, we try to do such quests as soon as they appear, in any zone (1x in Bastion, 1x in Ardenweald and 2x in Revendreth)
• If you have ~ 135 ilvl gear on your main character, then you will not change it up to 60 lvl, Azerites / neck / cloak are much stronger than their counterparts in SL and will be better up to mythic 0 (183 ilvl). If the total ilvl is below 135, then you will start changing the gear around ~ 58 lvl
• When leveling alts, you can use any zones in any order, you don’t have to do story quests, and if devs don’t fix the experience in dungeons, then you can just level up in normals in a group of 5 people

 

Stages of leveling the main character:

1. Level 50 – We start with a quest in the capital of your faction (Stormwind / Ogrimmar), we do a chain of quests in the Maw. We make the most out of boots, gliders, speed potion (works at 50 lvl) and experience pot (+ 10%). It is advisable to break away from the crowd as quickly as possible. In the last quest with Jaina and invis, you cannot get away from Jaina – the quest will be reset.
2. 50.9 lvl – We get to Oribos, we immediately run to do story quests, they are rather slow, there will be nowhere to get ahead. At this stage, it is important to take upgrades for both professions, make Oribos tavern home for hearthing (it will be needed many times later) and take flight point. IMPORTANT: renew the experience flask before getting lvl 51.
3. 51 lvl – The first location will be Bastion. Here we do strictly only story quests and 1 extra zone with “swords”, trying to break away from the main crowd. Upon receiving the quest to return to Oribos, use hearthstone. IMPORTANT: in the Purity’s Pinnacle you need to pick up the treasure “Kyrian Bell” and then use it on CD up to 60 lvl (healing while you run between quests)
4. 53.6 lvl – The second location – Maldraxxus. Here we also do strictly only story quests and still try to break away from the crowd. There will be a slow storyline in the Maw at the end.
5. 55.9 lvl – The third location – Ardenweald. Here we also do strictly only story quests and 1 extra objective with “swords”. Additionally, you can take the dungeon quest at the very end (but not do it), if you suddenly do not have enough experience in Revendreth, do it.
6. 57.9 lvl – The fourth location – Revendreth. In this location we do not only the plot, but also all the extra quests that will be on the way, in total you need to do about 10 extra quests and 2x additional objectives with “swords”. Upon arrival at Sinfall with Theotar and taking the quest “take the elevator” you must have lvl 59 and 80%, otherwise you will have to return.
7. 59.9 – If for some reason you did not have enough experience to get 60 and the main plot ended, then you need to farm the experience in random normal dungeons, because quests in old zones will be gray (or grind mobs near Sinfall)
8. 60 – After dinging 60, we start the quest from Prince Renathal in Sinfall (Revendreth) for the final scenario. After the end of the scenario, we fly Draven and use hearthstone to Oribos.
9. In Oribos, we make a quest to select a covenant and immediately fly to the stronghold of the selected covenant. There we do only storyline quests of the stronghold, including 3 world quests and quests in the Maw. We use the upgrade on the Commander’s table and bind hearthstone to the Covenant Hold (you can skip this step on the alts, a skip button appears)
10. BONUS: if you were leveling from the start of the servers, then before the reset you can manage to make an expiring daily quest of the covenant and do the cap of Stygia in the Maw. Quests for Torghast, Ve’nari weeklies and Mythic 0 will not be available until Thursday.

 

Covenant

The Covenant is a key feature of Shadowlands, and the game will force you to choose one of 4 options almost immediately after reaching level 60 on the main. On alts, the covenant can be selected immediately after completing the starting chain in the Maw, i.e. at level 51. But the development of the plot and the covenant’s abode will begin at 60.

 

How to change covenant in Shadowlands:

Changing the covenant is a serious decision, you will not be able to return to a covenant that you have left for at least 7 days, so complete the current quests and spend the resources of the covenant, as they will not be transferred to the new covenant. You can change the covenant in Oribos in the central hall with Bolvar. Talk to a representative of the new covenant and he will suggest a change option.

• You cannot complete 2 quests at the same time to return to the covenant where you have already been. First you need to complete the first quest and successfully join the covenant.
• Changing the covenant to the one you have never been to and the one where you have already been is different.
• Some transmogs, illusions and mounts are locked to a specific covenant, when you change the covenant, you will no longer be able to use them.

 

 

Gearing Up in Shadowlands

So you got to level 60, let’s figure out how to increase the level of equipment in Shadowlands. For starters, the main gear-related changes in Shadowlands:

• There are no longer any Warforged or Titanforged procs, items only have 1 ilvl option.
• Sockets can only be in: helmet, belt, braces, rings and amulet. 6 slots in total.
• Tertiary stats can be on any item without restrictions. It’s still: leech, avoidance, and speed.
• No more bonus rolls (Coins).
• The main type of loot is still personal loot.

 

The initial stage (up to ilvl 184) is easy to get from 24 November to 9 December:

• While leveling up to level 60 in the final locations, you can get 184 ilvl items from ordinary quests. Random purple stuff.
• You can craft or buy blue crafted items of ilvl 168 (BoE)
• You can run through the rare monsters and complete events (zones + Maw), from them you will get mostly blue items, but 184 ilvl epics will drop rarely.
• If upon reaching level 60, you have an average ilvl below 158 (which is unlikely), then you can run the normal dungeons, but we would recommend that you immediately go to the Heroic dungeons from which you will receive 171 ilvl items.
• A great option to get good gear (up to 184 ilvl) is World Quests, but the ilvl of rewards from WQs depends on your Renown level.
• By completing the quests of your covenant you can receive the Covenant Set of ilevel 184 and above.
• Random BG / Arena – blue items with versatility, you can quickly get new trinkets.
• Equipment for honor points 184+ ilvl is bought and upgraded from a PvP vendor for honor points.

 

From December 9, Normal and Heroic raids Nathria, M+ dungeons, arena, world bosses open – 184 – 207 ilvl

• World bosses appear which we must kill – 207 ilvl items.
• After completing the dungeons in Heroic mode, you should definitely go through Mythic 0 dungeons from which you can get items of 184 ilvl.
• What is imperative to do to increase your level of gear – Daily quests of the covenant, they rarely proc, but you will receive 197 ilvl items.
• Items from new reputations – for Exalted ilvl 200, for Revered ilvl 181.
• In the first raid dungeon Nathria, in normal difficulty, you can get items of 200 -207 ilvl.
• BoE items of 207 ilvl will begin to appear on the market during this period, if you are an oligarch then this is your option)
• Heroic Raid Nathria – 213 – 220 ilvl items.
• The PvP vendor will have items for conquest points – 1600 rating – 207 ilvl, 1800 rating – 213 ilvl

 

From December 16, Mythic Nathria raid opens, the ilvl of items with Mythic + dungeons and PvP increases

• Nathria Mythic Raid 226 – 233 ilvl items.
• Mythic 15+ dungeons will become available with the opening of the mythic raid and there you can get level 210 items.
• For doing M15+ dungeon in timer, you can get a Weekly chest with 226 ilvl piece.
• Legendary item of 225 ilvl (only one per character)

 

So we tried to collect all the best tips and tricks for leveling guide and gearing in Shadowlands for you, which we managed to find with testing in the game. We hope that this information will be useful to you and will allow you to save a lot of time, as well as optimize your character leveling and gearing speed.

 

We understand that there is not always enough time and energy to complete all the quests, daily quests, visit raids, arenas, battlegrounds and many other activities in the game, and for people who would like to get the most out of the game and reduce the cost of daily tasks, there are boost services for leveling in the game World of Warcraft Shadowlands. Our players instead of you can do any activities, achievements and / or get you the coveted mount as soon as possible and you can get real pleasure from the game. To use our services – select the services you need in our WoW boost catalog or just contact our operator in live chat.