How To Start Playing WOW – Part 2

Getting Past The Starting Zones

Everybody who plays WOW will encounter a starting zone. These zones are designed to be fairly easy to allow for you the new player to get used to your character.
This is the time to learn the basics and try stuff. Don’t worry if you character dies, consider it a lesson in learning how to play and develop your gameplay style.
It is recommended to activate the in-game on screen tips. Do this by:

Press ‘Escape’ on your keyboard Select ‘Interface’ from the menu that appears in the middle of the screen Select the ‘Help’ section from the next menu Check the box that says ‘Tutorials’

These tips provide invaluable first time information for any new player who has just started to play WOW.
Should you start another character and you no longer require these you can always turn them off by deselecting the checkbox.

Alliance Starting Zones

Elwynn Forest:
The starting zone for all Humans in this area is Northshire Valley. Within the valley are two notable human zones, Northshire Abbey and Northshire Vineyards. The area contains wolves, kobolds and a group who call themselves the Defias who you will need to battle in order to progress through the quests and level. Pick up the available quests and complete them until you are level 5. Do not leave this zone until you are level 5, as the NPC’s outside Northshire Valley are all higher than this. If you do all the quests, whilst killing many of the mob’s you should end up about halfway to level 6. You will then be elgible to pick up a quest that will send you to Goldshire thus completing this starting zone.

Dun Morogh:
The starting zone for all Dwarfs and Gnomes in this area is Coldridge Valley. The mob’s in this area range between 1 and 5.
There are three camps where both Dwarves and Gnomes can pick up their first set of quests where you battle against troggs and some wildlife. Pick up the quests where you see the yellow exclamation mark, read what you need to do and move between the camps fulfilling the quest requirements. Once you reach level 5 you will be eligible for a quest that will send you through Coldridge Pass and told to head for Kharanos thus completing this starting zone. When you go through Coldridge Pass be aware there are mobs inside.

Teldrassil:
The starting zone for all Night Elves in this area is the Shadowglen. The zone is mostly wilderness with a single cave in the northwest called Shadowthread cave. The mob’s you will be up against are mostly wilderness and some Imp like creatures called Grell or Grellkin. Move through the zone picking up the quests, there is a timer on one called ‘Iverron’s Antidote (Part 2)’, so be aware. Complete the quests until you are level 5 and you will be elgible for one that will send you to Dolanaar, thus completing this starting zone.

Azuremyst Isle:
The starting zone for all Draenei in this area is Ammen Vale more notably the ‘crash site’. The area is mostly wilderness and designed to take you up to level 6. The mob’s you will face are mostly lashers and oozes however there is a section where you are required to kill Blood Elf scouts. The final quest for the starting zone is called ‘Travel To Azure Watch’ which can be picked up at level 4, however do this when you are at least level 5 or 600 xp off from level 6. Be prepared with no mount available it’s a long walk hence why this should be left till last.

Horde Starting Zones

Durotar:
The starting zone for all Trolls and Orcs in this area is known as the Valley of Trials. The area is very open and easy on the eye with the mob’s being mostly boars and scorpids. In the northern part of the valley is a cave where there are demon mob’s you will need to battle; be aware the respawn rate is fast so once your in you will probably need to fight your way back out. Progress through the quests until you are level 5 where you can take the quest ‘Report to Orgnil’ and head for Razor Hill thus completing this start zone.

Mulgore:
The starting zone for all Taurens in this area is Red Cloud Mesa. The area is open like a large green field. Here you will face mobs such as boars, plainstriders and in the northeast a place called Brambleblade Ravine where you will battle against the bristleback quillboar. Be aware in Brambleblade Ravine the mobs have quite an erratic patrol so keep aware of your positioning and whats coming behind you. Progress through the quests picking up ‘A Task Unfinished’ last and when your at least level 5. You will now be heading to Bloodhoof Village thus completing the starting zone. On your way to Bloodhoof Village watch out for a pair of centaurs who patrol and will attack if you get too close.

Tirisfal Glades:
The starting zone for the Forsaken in this area is Deathknell. The threat in this area are mob’s known as the Scourge referred to as ‘mindless ones’. You will also have to face duskbats, scavengers and spiders. There is also a contingent of Scarlet Crusade southeast of the village who you will also have to battle. The tougest quest is probably the one to kill Meven Korgal, quest name ‘The Red Messenger’. Theres a little hill behind the tent and if you want avoid the other mobs pull him from there and loot the corpse. Progress through the quests until you get ‘Fields of Grief (Part 1)’. This is the last quest for this starting area to accept and do before heading for Brill.

Eversong Woods:
The starting zone for all Blood Elves in this area is Sunstrider Isle. The area is quite magical in appearance. The first set of quests will lead you to fight mana wyrms, lynx and arcane wraiths. I always remember this area feeling like it takes longer than it actually is and that could be down to the wonderful scenery. Progress through the quests until you reach level 5 and pickup ‘Aiding the Outrunners’, this will begin a quest chain that will lead you to Falconwing Square thus concluding this starting zone.

Extra Skills

Whilst your doing the starting zones start thinking about what primary skills you want to pick up.

Primary skills are Alchemy | Blacksmithing | Enchanting | Engineering | Herbalism | Leatherworking | Mining | Skinning | Tailoring | Jewelcrafting | Inscription.
Secondary skills are Cooking | First Aid | Fishing.

You can learn two primary and all of the secondary skills.
The next place you go to after the starting zone will have some primary and secondary skill trainers.
The main cities have all the trainers should want to pay them a visit however be aware its going to be a long walk.

I will cover more about the Primary and Secondary skills in a different article.