What The Burning Crusade Has In Store And How To Get An Edge In The First WoW Expansion Before It’s Even Released

Updated: 2007-01-14. Note: This is obviously not so useful anymore, but I’m leaving it up so you can see if I was right or wrong.

The Burning Crusade is coming out on January 16 2007, and it will change everything about World of Warcraft for those who buy it. More importantly (and what this guide is about): What could and should you do NOW to prepare for The Burning Crusade?

A lot of details about TBC have been known for many months now. And until the expansion pack is released, you can still preare yourself for it. Let me first say that World of Warcraft is all about having fun, and you don’t have to calculate the best route to maximize your gear, gold, reputation or leveling. But if you are hardcore you will. And if you are casual, well, then your time ís limited and you may want to do the best of it anyway.

One of the best sources of information for TBC is the comprehensive F.A.Q. that "Schwick" has created on the wow-europe.com forums: Info About The Expansion

The following only applies if you are getting TBC.

Professions: How can I prepare my professions for TBC?

You can make sure all your professions are at 300 skill, and stash away enough mats to take them beyond that. For example, have some extra stacks of runecloth so you can skill up your First Aid past 300. The World of Warcraft Cash Creating Guide has some great tips on how to make gold from items people will need to level up their professions once TBC comes out.

Also be aware that some recipes will be trainable in TBC, so don’t spend too much gold on recipes until you know for sure you can’t train them. Furthermore, recipes that drop in high-end instances such as scholo and strat will be farmed extensively at level 70 (I believe) so the price will drop significantly. Stay frosty and you’ll reap the rewards.

Consumables: Some tips that will make Outlands easier

Obviously, you’ll want to have a lot of potions and bandages on you and in your bank when you enter Outlands (but still a lot of bag space, of course). Here are some you may want:

• Major Healing Potions
• Major Mana Potions
• Heavy Runecloth Bandages
• Limited Invulnerability Potions (Makes you immune to physical damage for 6 seconds. Can be a life saver)
• Swiftness Potion (can be a life saver)
• There are other cool potions, just check thottbot for ideas

Reputation: Is it worth getting higher reputation with existing factions before TBC?

No, not in my opinion. Since the 2.0 patch, BG reputation (Alterac Valley, Arathi Basin, Warsong Gulch) is no longer needed to obtain any PvP rewards. Instead you use a combination of honor points and marks of honor to purchase items. The only reason for grinding BG reputation is that you will get a special title if you hit exalted with all 3 BGs.

As far as Argent Dawn, Brood of Nozdormu, Cenarion Circle, Darkmoon Faire, Thorium Brotherhood, Timbermaw Hold and Zandalar Tribe are concerned, reputation with those factions are mainly used for obtaining crafting recipes and gear. Many of those factions either require long, repetitive grinding for reputation, or turn-ins of items. Either way, it will be much, much easier to grind the current end-game instances for rep with said factions at level 70, and you will have more gold to purchase items for turn-ins.

AFAIK, it’s not worth grinding now to get reputation with those factions. If you still want it at level 70, you can get it that much faster.

Regarding new factions, Blizzard has stated that gaining rep with them "will be less of a grind", which I think is welcomed by everyone.

Gold: Is it worth saving gold before TBC?

Yes! Gold will be needed in large quantities. You simply can’t have enough. You will need it for skills, crafting recipes, flying mounts, riding skill (300 riding skill will supposedly cost 5000 g). You will likely be making gold a lot faster in TBC, though, but it always helps to go through the Dark Portal with your coin purse filled to the brim.

Items & gear: Is it worth getting better gear before TBC?

It depends. All the best epics available in the original World of Warcraft will be replaced by better ones obtained at level 70 in TBC. So keep that in mind if you raid/PvP/grind rep/spend gold/etc. for better gear right now.

Of course, the T3, full epix, people argue that they will level faster in TBC because of their gear. And yes, they will do more DPS and have better survivability, just like a twink toon in original WoW. However, neither Brian Kopp nor Joana, who are the leading experts on leveling, rely on gear to level. I think leveling speed will be influenced a lot more by your strategy, and knowing what quests to do in the right order and so on, than gear. Just like it is now.

Read what Blizzard has to say about it for yourself:

See. You won’t need any epics when entering Outlands (which is pretty obvious, because you should be able to go from 1-70 seamlessly, without having to stop and gear up. Think of all the new characters that haven’t been level 60 for a year and don’t have the purple gear.)

Therefore, I don’t bother gearing up before TBC. If you really enjoy raiding and PvPing you are still free to do it, of course, but know that your rewards will be replaced soon.

As for items you’ve been saving in the bank: Sell everything you don’t need before it’s worthless! I believe prices will drop on many items (especially armor and weapons) as TBC draws nearer because people know they can get better stuff without spending a dime. Many things that are farmable from instances will also drop dramatically in price, including expensive crafting recipes. So sell everything like there’s no tomorrow.

Honor: Is it worth getting honor before TBC?

Probably. The current honor point cap is set to 75 000, and you will be able to spend it in TBC. So why not save some HPs for the (presumably) kick ass expansion PvP rewards? You don’t need to save the full 75 000 though, because you may need marks of honor from new battlegrounds, which will earn you HP in the process. You will not be able to use HPs for the arena rewards available at level 70, though, and they will likely be better. That is a separate system and nothing you can prepare for right now.

Leveling: Is it worth leveling up before TBC?

Yes! In fact, it may be the most worthwhile activity you can engage in. You need to be level 60 to even enter Outlands in TBC.

Look at it this way: TBC will level the playing field and all players that reach level 70 at the same time will have the same opportunities, regardless of what gear they have now at level 60. Even if you’ve never reached level 60, you can do so now before TBC and have the same opportunities as all other level 60s. I think getting one or more characters to level 60 before TBC is the most rewarding thing you can do (and that’s what I do personally).

Blizzard has stated that just grinding mobs will reward less XP in TBC than killing them when you have a related quest. This is good news for all who intend to follow Brian’s or Joana’s leveling guides, as they are based on questing. Additionally, Blizzard has said about leveling that "We will not require people to go into the Dungeons. HOWEVER, dungeon exp will be very rewarding for those who choose to attempt the added challenge."

Interesting, no doubt. But I think soloing will still be the fastest way to level up initially. Why? Because even now you can get faster XP by AoE grinding, or doing instances. BUT, if you die, if your group disbands, if you don’t know the tactics, if you can’t find a group… then you are losing out on XP by the minute. And if you level by a guide, you will likely be ahead of most people so it may be hard to find a group.

Questing: Is it worth saving completed quests in the quest log to turn in for instant XP when the level cap is raised?

YES! It now seems, contrary to what I have stated before, that the current 1-60 quests will reward XP past level 60. In other words, if you have 25 completed quests saved in your quest log, you can turn them in for 150k (or more) instant XP once the level cap is raised to 70. You can find high-level quests in Silithus, Winterspring, Western & Eastern Plaguelands, outside the entrances to AV, AB & WSG, and some instance quests for Scholo, DM, and Stratholme elsewhere.

World Event: What’s the story on that?

All I know is that there’s going to be some sort of server wide event for opening the Dark Portal, that may require the cooperation of Alliance and Horde. Actually, it now seems that there will be an event, but you will not be required to participate to go through the Dark Portal. Currently, I don’t know any more, but you can bet I will be there! I don’t know if you have to be level 60 to participate, but it can’t hurt. Yet another reason to be leveling before TBC.

Conclusion

Maybe this guide has stirred some emotions in you. Maybe you are upset with Blizzard for making the old gear worthless. Maybe you see TBC as your chance to catch up with long term players.

In the end, I think it’s better to be informed so you can decide how to play and not be brokenhearted by some changes in TBC that could have been foreseen.

If you’re interested in speeding up your progress with any guides, I first and foremost recommend the leveling and gold guides right now. Also, Killer Guides just released (2007-01-13) a new Burning Crusade guide that I have reviewed. I think it’s wise to get them now so you are prepared for TBC and can start using the updates that will come out immediately.