World of Warcraft: 5 Best Tips for Beginners

It’s only natural that anyone who’s never traipsed so much as a single foot in the world of Azeroth is likely to experience an immense amount of jet lag, and rightfully so, what with World of Warcraft having just shy of twenty years of lore and material under its belt. And what’s more, with the game having both an ongoing edition as well as a Classic port to boot, it goes without saying that, for anyone who’s failed to claim a foothold in the MMORPG in its twenty-something year run, newbies are going to find everything a little, shall we say, overwhelming.

Rest assured that there are several ways to get your foot in the door when it comes to starting out fresh in World of Warcraft, so budding heroes needn’t shy away from getting out there and into the thick of it. Like, at all. In fact, seasoned pros will often inform you that Blizzard’s creation, as far as MMORPGs travel, is actually one of the most accepting games of its kind, and certainly one to keep pinned to your radar, too.

So, you’ve named your character and picked your class — great. But what comes next, exactly, and where are you planning to go from here? Well, before setting out on your epic adventure under the guidance of either the Alliance or the Horde, here’s everything you should aim to achieve.

5. Join a Guild

It’s all well and good being able to brag about your lone exploits across Azeroth to the odd merchant or NPC, but without a Guild to support your achievements, that’s really all it’ll ever be — small talks with motionless characters that offer next to nothing in return. Therefore, if you’re planning on making a dent in the world, then you’ll be much better off with finding a group of like-minded folks who can not only celebrate your victories, but also aid you in your quests and extracurricular activities.

Chances are, you’ll stumble upon a Guild that has dozens of members, both low-level and high-level. And this is perfect, really, as the less experienced players will often join you on your journey, and the seasoned players will support you in other ways; offering Gold, equipment, and even the helping hand during trickier quests and dungeons. In addition to this, they’ll even fast track your leveling progress by running you through top-tier areas and forking over better gear to assist you in future quests. So, don’t knock it until you try it.

4. Master Your Professions

One of the vital things in World of Warcraft that newcomers often neglect are Professions, character-locked passive abilities that can, after a while, produce some genuinely useful items. Take mining and blacksmithing, for example; by simply hacking away at the odd rock with a pickaxe, you’ll come to find that, even before you reach your capital city, you’ll already have a large amount of experience under your belt, with which you can use to craft better armor and weapons. This is something you’ll want to do as frequently as possible, as a maxed-out Profession or two will eventually result in dozens, if not hundreds of perks.

Of course, you should always consider which two primary Professions are the most likely to compliment one another before enrolling in any of the available courses. For example, if you decide to venture down the Skinning route, then you’ll also want to pursue either Leatherworking or Tailoring, as the two pretty much go hand-in-hand, and when combined, produce a perfectly balanced series of perks. And so, if you can help it, aim to grind out your two primary Professions the moment you’re able to unlock them.

3. Tuck Into Dungeons ASAP

Once you’ve bypassed all of the preliminary quests and beaten the prologue, you’ll unlock your first set of dungeons, which you can access through the conveniently placed Dungeon Finder tab at the bottom of the UI. And while these dungeons don’t technically progress the story in any way, shape, or form, they do offer other luxuries; heftier amounts of XP, Gold, and loot, to name just a few. So, if you’re looking to boost your level as early on as possible, then you’ll want to throw yourself into these dungeons as often as possible.

Rounding back to what we said earlier, about joining a Guild and having the ability to call on others; running dungeons with your closest allies is a sure-fire way to not only boost your bond with your teammates, but also reap the countless rewards that come with it. And if you haven’t quite managed to wrangle yourself into a Guild by this point, then try and find one while out on your adventures in one of the several starter dungeons.

2. Try Out War Mode

Although PvP certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, getting involved in it can definitely boost your chances of getting your hands on some nifty gear to help you along your journey. For example, once you’ve reached level 20 and acquired your first PvP Talent, you’ll be able to enroll in War Mode, as well as some of the capital cities’ PvP game modes. This is arguably one of the quickest ways to earn XP, and of course, Marks or Honor—a special currency that can be exchanged for superior equipment and weapons between battles.

Of course, you needn’t worry about being mindlessly annihilated by a player from the opposite side of the fence when out questing, as there’s an option that lets you toggle PvP on or off at any point during your travels. If you can help it, though, try and keep your PvP face on when within the safety of your capital city, and not, for example, on a boat between kingdoms.

1. Pace Yourself

As tempting as it may be to go out and explore all that Azeroth has to offer right off the bat, the simple truth is, straying away from what’s right in front of you is really only a recipe for disaster. You’ll come to find rather quickly that each set of quests in every new area you explore are all tied to one specific location, and only rarely do they ask you to ship out to uncharted territories. So, once you’ve reached a new area, make sure to complete all the quests in your log before moving on to the next.

Given how big World of Warcraft is, and also how much it has in store for its newcomers, it’s fair to say that the journey itself isn’t intended to be a sprint, but more of a casual stroll, if anything. Bottom line is, you’ll enjoy the experience a great deal more if you can roll with the tide, and not purposely crash into it when you’ve only just about learnt how to swim.

So, what’s your take? Do you have any useful tips for World of Warcraft newcomers? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.