The point of this guide is straightforward. However, I'm going to start with some points that may not be so straightforward for new players. If you have suggestions for this guide or questions, post them below!
Contents
I. Tips.
II. Choose your race!
III. Choose your class!
IV. Choose your leveling path!
V. Helpful addons.
I. Leveling Tips
- Do not buy skills from your trainers that you do not need. Money will be hard to come by while you level up.
- Save cloth, herbs, ores and blue/green item drops that you don't want to sell them on your faction's Auction House. This is the best way to earn money aside from doing quests while you level up.
- Your top priority purchases from the Auction House should be bags (16 slot Netherweave are the most efficient purchase here) so that you have plenty of space to store all of the items you're going to pick up.
- Make sure you collect every "flight point" you come across, for the sake of easy travel. You can identify these by the green exclamation marks over the NPC's head or on your mini-map.
- Gathering professions are the easiest to make gold with early on in the game. If you want to use a crafting profession later in the game, you should get the gathering profession that pairs well with it. The gathering professions are Herbalism, Mining and Skinning.
- Your first mount you can earn at level 30. They are expensive, save up your gold for this!
- Remember that reputations decrease gold costs! Up to 20% discount for exalted reputations!
- Stamina is the best stat for helping you to survive against many mobs.
- You gain 1 talent point for every level starting at level 10.
- You can use lower rank spells to kill stuff and use up less mana!
- Remember to set your Hearthstone to a capital city so you can easily return there!
II. Choosing your race!
Aside from loving how a race appears, there are perks to playing a certain race. You can find those perks listed below.
Alliance
Human
- Class choices: Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Mage and Warlock
- Diplomacy: Increases reputation gains by 10%!
- Mace Specialization: Increases expertise with one-handed and two-handed maces by 5.
- Perception: 3min CD that dramatically increases your stealth detection for 20 sec.
- Sword Specialization: Increases expertise with one-handed and two-handed swords by 5.
- The Human Spirit: Increases your character's spirit stat by 10%!
Dwarf
- Class choices: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue and Priest
- Find Treasure: Allows the Dwarf to sense nearby treasure, making it appear on the minimap. Lasts until cancelled.
- Frost Resistance: Frost Resistance increased by 10.
- Gun Specialization: Increases critical chance with guns by 1%.
- Stoneform: 3min CD. While active, grants immunity to Bleed, Poison and Disease effects. In addition, Armor increased by 10%. Lasts 8 sec.
Night Elf
- Class choices: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest and Druid
- Nature Resistance: Nature Resistance increased by 10.
- Quickness: Dodge chance increased by 1%.
- Shadowmeld: 10 sec CD. Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or moving. Night Elf Rogues and Druids with Shadowmeld are more difficult to detect while stealthed or prowling.
- Wisp Spirit: Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing speed by 50%.
Gnome
- Class choices: Warrior, Rogue, Mage and Warlock
- Arcane Resistance: Arcane Resistance increased by 10.
- Engineering Specialization: Increases Engineering skill by 15.
- Escape Artist: 1.75 min CD. Escape the effects of any immobilization or movement speed reduction effect.
- Expansive Mind: Intellect increased by 5%.
Draenei
- Class choices: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Priest, Shaman and Mage
- Gemcutting: Jewelcrafting skill increased by 5.
- Gift of the Naaru: 3 min CD. Heals the target for X damage over 15 sec.
- Heroic Presence: Increases chance to hit by 1% for you and all party members within 30 yards.
- Shadow Resistance: Shadow Resistance increased by 10.
Horde
Orc
- Class choices: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman and Warlock
- Axe Specialization: Increases expertise with one-handed and two-handed axes by 5.
- Blood Fury: 2 min CD. Increases attack power by X, but also reduces healing effects on you by 50%. Lasts 15 sec.
- Command: Increases Warlock and Hunter pet damage by 5%.
- Hardiness: Chance to resist Stun effects increased by an additional 15%.
Forsaken (Undead)
- Class choices: Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Mage and Warlock
- Cannibalize: 2 min CD. When activated, regenerates 7% of total health every 2 sec for 10 sec. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action or damage taken will cancel the effect.
- Shadow Resistance: Shadow Resistance increased by 10.
- Underwater Breathing: Underwater breath lasts 300% longer than normal.
- Will of the Forsaken: 2 min CD. Provides immunity to Charm, Fear and Sleep while active. May also be used while already afflicted by Charm, Fear or Sleep. Lasts 5 sec.
Tauren
- Class choices: Warrior, Hunter, Shaman and Druid
- Cultivation: Herbalism skill increased by 15.
- Endurance: Total health increased by 5%.
- Nature Resistance: Nature Resistance increased by 10.
- War Stomp: 2 min CD. Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 sec.
Troll
- Class choices: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman and Mage
- Beast Slaying: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
- Berserking: 3 min CD. Increases your attack speed by 10% to 30%. At full health the speed increase is 10% with a greater effect up to 30% if you are badly hurt when you activate Berserking. Lasts 10 sec.
- Bow Specialization: Your chance to critically hit with Bows is increased by 1%.
- Regeneration: Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. 10% of total Health regeneration may continue during combat.
- Throwing Specialization: Your chance to criticially hit with Throwing Weapons is increased by 1%.
Blood Elf
- Class choices: Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage and Warlock
- Arcane Affinity: Enchanting skill increased by 10.
- Arcane Torrent: 2 min CD. Silence all enemies within 8 yars for 2 sec. In addition, you gain X mana for each Mana Tap charge currently affecting you.
- Magic Resistance: All resistances increased by 5.
- Mana Tap: 30 sec CD. Reduces target's mana by X and charges you with Arcane energy for 10 min. This effect stacks up to 3 times.