Wrath of the Lich King, the new expansion for WoW Classic, has been out for just over a week. But what if you’re only now getting started? That’s absolutely not a problem. On the contrary: right now is actually ideal, because you enjoy numerous advantages.
On September 27, WotLK Classic launched, probably the most popular expansion of World of Warcraft for the second time. Since then, tens of thousands of players have been regularly returning to Northrend to confront the Lich King and the Scourge.
Just a few hours after release, the first players reached level 80, and many others are following closely behind. If you look in the forums and social media, there are continually posts from players who are nearly finished with the current content.
You might get the impression that Wrath of the Lich King is already dead just a few days after release, but appearances can be deceiving.
The first ship ever to Northrend was so full that it should have sunk. We were there:
Why should I start now? The percentage of players who have already reached level 80 is relatively low. There are still thousands who are actively leveling. This may even apply to the larger part of the player base:
If the news of the fast players has discouraged you like it has some others, we’ll explain why you actually have a much better start right now.
Leveling is faster now, and you’ll still be on time for 80
These are the advantages: You benefit from the fact that many other players have already started before you and are now a few steps ahead. Because:
- Quest areas for your level are now less crowded, quests can be completed more easily.
- Bugs, such as the one that blocked the Gate of Wrath, have already been partially fixed.
- You’ll still reach level 80 quickly enough to join guilds for dungeons and raids.
- Expect about 4-6 hours needed per level.
Here you can find all areas in WotLK and their recommended levels. The famous Gate of Wrath can be played in Dragonblight. Here’s the legendary cinematic:
Those who played right at release had to fight with hundreds of other players for quest mobs and more. Sometimes literally. Because in WotLK, an enemy only counts for you if you or a member of your group dealt damage to it first.
Although Blizzard has significantly adjusted the spawn rates of many enemies, there were still a few bottlenecks – especially with quests that only one character can turn in before the corresponding NPC is unresponsive for several minutes.
The only disadvantage: If you start now, you still have to deal with huge queues on the large servers. However, smaller servers can usually be entered without waiting.
What about dungeons? Dungeon groups are still forming, as there are enough players who couldn’t play through due to commitments and work. Accordingly, there are many offers in the new group finder tool of WotLK Classic.
Only tanks are still in short supply, and some players take advantage of this by offering their services for gold. If you play a class that can tank, don’t hesitate to try it.
There are some hardcore players who are only looking for the optimal group, but often it’s smarter to just team up with strangers. You might take a few minutes longer, but the search is significantly shorter, and you’ll meet new people.
If you need tutoring, you can find the entrances to all new dungeons with level requirements here.
The market has now stabilized
Another advantage of starting now is the market. On most realms, prices in the auction house for most items have already stabilized and fluctuate only a little. Therefore, you won’t have to buy support items and more at inflated prices.
At the same time, demand is still so high that you can still quickly sell herbs, ores, and whatever you find while leveling. This way, you can build a comfortable financial cushion so that you can learn flying in Northrend starting from the appropriate level.
The only thing you can’t do anymore to make “quick gold” is to be among the first miners, blacksmiths, or tailors of the realm who can demand exorbitant prices for their work. Those who would pay that much money probably already have everything they need.
However, if you get lucky and find a rare item, it can indeed bring you gold in the three- or four-digit range. By the way, with WotLK Classic, there’s a small change that makes leveling a lot more enjoyable:
In WoW WotLK Classic, there are now gifts while leveling, and that is genius
