You've worked hard on your character in World of Warcraft Classic, grinding up and getting the gear, and that level cap is finally looming on the horizon. It's not just about hitting 80, it's about getting ready for the endgame. That means finding the right best-in-slot (BiS) gear along with leveling as quickly as possible. Don't forget the substantial amount of gold you'll need, too.
The path to the endgame in Classic WoW can be daunting, which is why it means that much more when you finally get there. Here are a few places that make it easier, and more fun and profitable, to get through those higher levels and be raid-ready when you do.
Updated October 27, 2022, by Kristy Ambrose: The level cap in WoW Classic is currently 80, up from the original 60 that was the limit in the game before the era of expansions began. The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King both included some content for low-level players, but the focus was on the new material for endgame players. It not only raised the cap to 80, but new areas were included for virtually every phase of the leveling process. Northrend, the newest addition, is for players level 70 and up, so here are a few ideas for getting to level 70.
12 Western Plaguelands
- Level Range: 52 - 60
- Location: Eastern Kingdoms
Lowbies often wander past the Bulwark and find out the hard way, after they aggro half the forest, that the mobs here start at level 53. Horde players find this zone earlier than their Alliance counterparts because it's right next to the Forsaken starting area. On the other hand, until the most recent expansion, the only flight path here was exclusive to the Alliance.
The Western Plaguelands is home to several significant factions, items, and locations. Visit the Ruins of Andorhol, where you and some friends can meet Chromie of the Bronze Dragonflight and battle the Lich Araj, all important things to do on your way to the endgame. It's also great for leveling virtually all of the secondary and primary professions, with an array of cloth, herbs, ore, and fish waiting to be collected.
11 Eastern Plaguelands
- Level Range: 53 - 61
- Location: Eastern Kingdoms
The Eastern Plaguelands is an interesting zone for anyone who played the Warcraft RTS games and knows the lore. The Scourge still has a hold in this part of Azeroth, and you can be part of the force that pushes them back. Do so and grind rep with the Argent Dawn, one of the most important factions in the game.
Once upon a time, this zone was the ultimate endgame, eventually leading to the mighty raid of Naxxramus. This infamous raid, the most difficult in the game and the last one implemented before the Burning Crusade expansion, now floats as a ten or 25-player raid above the snowy hills of Northrend.
10 Scholomance
- Level Range: 55 - 60
- Location: The island of Caer Darrow in the Western Plaguelands
Scholomance is famous for several reasons. It's based on a real place that existed in medieval Europe, which makes it that much more interesting. It's also connected to the lore of the 1990s RTS games and the Barov family, whose power and wealth led them to dabble in the black arts and become tools of the Scourge
You'll need to run this dungeon several times — not only for the awesome gear that drops and the cool horror aesthetic but also to grind rep with the Argent Dawn.
9 Winterspring
- Level Range: 55 - 60
- Location: Northern Kalimdor
Alliance players get more traction here than Horde players, as this is where you grind rep and finish the quests for the faction-exclusive Frostsaber mount. That makes it essential for one faction, but that doesn't mean Horde players are left out entirely.
The Timbermaw Tribe lives in Winterspring, and this is a faction famous for its slow and tedious grind. Everyone is interested in the high-level items they sell to friends. Miners, herbalists, and tailors can farm needed materials throughout the zone while they finish the quests.
8 Silithus
- Level Range: 55 - 60
- Location: Kalimdor
Silithus is one of those zones that flies under the radar until you reach the last few levels. Druids and other toons that are connected with the Cenarion Circle faction might visit earlier, but most players don't find this zone until they wander in from Un'Goro Crater next door in their late 40s.
When the campaign begins to open the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj, this zone becomes essential to visit, and even mandatory. Grind rep with the Cenarion Circle, defeat a few murder bugs, and gather the mountain of mats needed to start one of the most notorious events in Azerothian history. That one-time event, however, happened a few years ago and things have been quieter ever since.
7 Dire Maul
- Level Range: 55 - 60
- Location: Feralas, Kalimdor
Dire Maul is easy to overlook, tucked away in a lush forest in remote Feralas. Once you advance in levels, however, it becomes impossible to ignore. This is especially true if you're a Paladin or a Warlock, because you have to come here to complete the quest for your epic mount.
Contrary to popular belief, a large amount of gold and time is required for these quests, so even if you aren't doing them, your fellow players will need your help. Some classes might decide to grind rep in battlegrounds to acquire a mount, while others just grind for gold and buy one the old-fashioned way. We'll all have flying mounts soon enough, but that doesn't mean you don't need that extra fast ground mount for Outland.
6 Upper Blackrock Spire
- Level Range: 55 - 65
- Location: Blackrock Mountain, Burning Steppes/Searing Gorge
By the time players reach level 55, Blackrock Mountain is already a familiar sight. You've likely spent a fair amount of time in Blackrock Depths, also known as BRD, a lower-level dungeon that's one of four others in the same location.
Before you venture into the raids, however, you need to prove yourself in Upper Blackrock Spire. This is a raid as opposed to a conventional dungeon, but requires only ten players — unlike other Classic raids that require 20 or 40 players — and is where you can finish the attunement quest for Blackwing Lair.
5 Stratholme
- Level Range: 56 - 61
- Location: Eastern Plaguelands
This is the old dungeon of Stratholme, not the level 80 Culling of Stratholme instance located in the Caverns of Time. It's the highest-level dungeon you can run without going to Blackrock Mountain on the opposite continent. It's got everything a growing toon needs, including Argent Dawn rep, enchanting mats, and some great endgame gear.
Lucky players can even get their hands on a Deathcharger mount. This is one of the toughest five-player dungeons, complete with undead and living sections and an open-concept plan that leaves your party more vulnerable to accidental pulls and moving patrols. It's a tense dungeon but one of the best at this level.
4 Hellfire Ramparts
- Level Range: 57 - 67
- Location: Hellfire Penninsula, Outland
There are three different dungeons in Hellfire Citadel, and they all cover the level range between 57 to 70. Hellfire Ramparts is one of the first you can do, which is one of the reasons it's a great place to level in this range.
Another advantage to running Hellfire is the gear, which is designed to help upgrade players who might have missed Molten Core. It's also relatively short, and it's also ideal for farming cloth and grinding rep with Thrallmar if you're a Horde player.
3 Zul'Gurub
- Level Range: 58 - 60
- Location: Stranglethorn Vale, Eastern Kingdoms
Zul'Gurub is often seen as a starter or "catch-up" raid where those who are new to raiding can get the gear they need to run advanced raids like Blackwing Lair. It's also designed to be outside, which means you can mount up and get through it faster.
2 Molten Core / Blackwing Lair / Onyxia's Lair
- Level Range: 60
- Location: Dustwallow Marsh, Kalimdor
It's not the lair itself that's great for leveling, but the process to gain access to it. Players that are high enough level can get attuned to the raid of Onyxia's Lair, which includes long quest chains that involve visiting several different places throughout Azeroth.
Other quests in the same category that are also helpful at this time include the attunements for Molten Core and Blackwing Lair. They follow a detailed storyline that touches on a lot of World of Warcraft history, which is an experience unique to MMORPGs.
Some of those places are isolated, far-flung zones where NPCs are waiting to be found while others are pre-endgame raids and dungeons. Fellow players will need help, and you'll need some too, which is where that whole "WoW community" thing comes in.
Aside from the awesome gear, and there is a lot of it here, the main goal is making nice with the Zandalari Trolls. There's also a myriad of items you can pick up and use for grinding rep, getting enchants, and making high-level gear.
1 Zangarmarsh
- Level Range: 60 - 63
- Location: Outland
The initial impression you'll have of Zangarmarsh is of how scenic and idyllic it is compared to the harsh landscape of Hellfire Peninsula to the east. The Cenarion Expedition has its outpost here, which includes vendors and the Faction Quartermaster.
There are plenty of quests here to keep a player busy for several levels, along with a generous amount of resources to collect as they do so. The central complex of Coilfang Resovoir contains three dungeons, all of which can help you level well past 63. Don't miss the humble and adorable Sporregar people on the western side of the zone.