Are you new to WoW Classic? Don't panic! If at first glance this jump back in time seems abrupt, take a step back and let us help!
This guide is not intended to be extensive — it is there to guide your first steps in the right direction only.
Choose your class
You will spend a lot of time on your character. Playing a class that you enjoy will be essential.
Besides your personal taste, some classes are easier to handle than others, while some are a lot more useful.
Discover our guide to the classes in World of Warcraft: Classic. We take a look at each class, including Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior, and look at what you can expect from each and how they match up.
If you're still not sure, don't hesitate to get all classes to Level 6 first, so you avoid the temptation of the unknown when you meet another class.
Nevertheless, it is advisable to focus on a single character in order to really see a breakthrough. Classic is a long grind — doing the same eight quests between levels 5 and 15 may not be as fun as it first sounds.
Choose your race
Here, there are two elements to take into account — your look, and your optimization.
If you play a DPS class, the Tauren racials will be of little use to you. Orcs or Trolls, on the other hand, can be very useful...
That said, you may love to look like a big, angry cow. In that case, weigh up the pros and cons between "being pretty" and "being optimal".
World of Warcraft: Classic has a number of races to choose from, and making that choice has long-term consequences. You don't want to regret your choice later, so we've broken down the races in our tier list for WoW: Classic.
Getting started
- Accept and read all quests
Really, take the four seconds (running to your next destination) to read the quest you just picked up. Sometimes it will be right next to you, and you have already started running in the wrong direction. It's very important in Classic to know exactly where you are heading. Which brings us to our second point...
- Optimize your time according to your objectives
If you go to an area, try to complete most of your goals, whether they're quests, trades, bosses, or whatever. In Classic, you are slow. VERY SLOW. You don't want to spend five minutes autorunning to return to an area because you forgot 4 Bristleback Quilboar Tusk . Especially because in Classic, quests alone will not be enough to make it to level 60 — it will be necessary to grind mobs, too.
So, we don't lose quests or time, because losing time is potentially also losing money, which brings us to our third point...
- Gold is the currency of war
Farm the items that sell for the price of a flask. In Classic, you are a nobody, you're the trader trying to sell fruit and veg in front of a supermarket. Don't buy anything, really. Do I need to buy a new weapon? Are you sure one isn't going to drop from a quest soon? Do you really need this spell? Is it more profitable to sell this object as is, or disenchant it? Should you sell ALL at the AH?
You will only have a few gold pieces, so keep them and don't spend them anywhere — especially if you are hoping for an epic mount one day.
- Choose a profession according to your needs
You will be able to take on 5 different professions; Cooking, Fishing, First Aid and two additional professions of your choice. These professions will allow you to earn a little gold for investment or big profit down the line. They will also allow you to save gold when it comes to farming crafting mats, as you can simply get them yourself.
World of Warcraft: Classic has a number of professions to choose from, from crafting armour with Blacksmithing and Leatherworking to farming materials with Herbalism and Minning. With something for everyone, here is our Classic Profession tier list.
Choose your two additional professions according to your needs, objectives and game habits. Speaking of objectives, here is our last point...
- Set goals and progress whilst you level
To successfully complete your adventure it is really important to know what you want to do. Even though this advice may sound silly, it is crucial when you get started in Classic. You MUST know what you want to achieve, and set goals accordingly to achieve as you progress step by step.
Your main danger in Classic, that could prevent you from carrying out your adventure? You. Classic is not a sprint, but a marathon. Adapt your speed to your desires, keep your goal in your line of sight and progress at your own pace by having fun in the game. This is the most important thing to remember.
WoW Classic sounds the return of a long and demanding leveling process, requiring patience and rigour. To make your task a bit easier, we offer some tips for both Horde and the Alliance, whatever your class: addons, zones, PvP, instances and more.
