newLeveling 1-60 and Dungeon Routes: Alliance & Horde, Multiple Paths

Leveling and dungeon routes in one guide: how Alliance and Horde can each run 1-60, what to do in every level band, and how the site's verified fun quest anchors fold in along the way (the bedroll chain, the Shadowfang undead sentry, the Deadmines profession gear, the singing frogs and Dawn Waker, the Dalaran hidden boss, the book collection tiers). For the per-level "where do I go now" lookup, see the leveling page; this piece answers a different question — how to play the journey: quest-flow or dungeon-mixed. For why the 1-30 stretches are ordered this way, see the Alliance/Horde 1-30 route piece.

Scope, in one line: quest densities and quest IDs come from the site's quest dataset (1,318 leveling entries plus 29 dungeon-quest entries; the collection boundary is quest level 29 and below, so stretches past 30 without dataset numbers are written as classic community consensus and never passed off as measured); coordinates marked community-sourced follow the site's published articles; anything official — new zones, new dungeons, raids — follows the official launch announcements. All maps are site renders of the client's own maps (base art © Blizzard); coordinates are not in-game measurements, and the game governs.

Two playstyles: quest-flow vs. dungeon-mixed

The same 1-60 supports two very different ways to play, and picking the wrong one is not "slower" — it is miserable. One piece of ground truth first: dungeon kill XP was cut to 10% of outdoor XP (the Oct 9 dev notes clawed back about 20%; see the dungeon XP nerf piece), so in Forever a dungeon is not an XP engine — it is a one-time lump sum of first-clear quest XP plus a portable crate of blue gear. Accept every quest before you enter; finish the run and walk out.

Route A (quest-flow): outdoor quests power the whole climb; dungeons only for first clears that hand you keys and gear.

Route B (dungeon-mixed): one right-sized dungeon anchors every band, outdoor quests fill the gaps; the dungeon stretches suit a five-stack or a carried alt.

The two routes are not mutually exclusive: the mainstream play is A as the skeleton, with one or two dungeons slotted at the 13/18/26/33/41 windows from the "how to slot dungeons" section, and quests everywhere else.

Alliance 1-30: three starting lines, one rendezvous

Levels 1-10 · Elwynn Forest (dwarves and night elves level in their own starters and converge around 10)

Step points (human line shown; dwarves/night elves clear their home zones to about 10 and converge):

1. Humans start at Northshire Abbey: the 1-5 quest cluster hangs on Marshal McBride (48.9, 41.6, dataset spawn coordinates) — kill the kobolds (7), the two Echo Ridge quests (15/21), and the report to Goldshire (54);
2. Goldshire is the whole Alliance's rendezvous hub: Marshal Dughan (42.1, 65.9) holds the mine pair — Fargodeep Mine (62) and Jasperlode Mine (76);
3. Side order: Stonefield Farm (34.7, 84.5), "Princess Must Die!" (88) — the payoff of the poisoned-boar Princess chain, one of the early game's best stories;
4. At 10 the class quests open up (the rogue's SI:7 invite, quest 2205, among them — see the class quest overview);
5. Dwarves and gnomes come down from Dun Morogh, night elves boat from Teldrassil to Stormwind; all three lines converge in Elwynn and roll into the 10-16 band below.

Starter-zone density (Alliance-available counts): Elwynn Forest 48 quests (31 at 1-5, 15 at 6-10); Teldrassil 47 (43 at 1-5); Dun Morogh 45 (29 at 1-5, 10 at 6-10). All three starter maps hold 29-43 quests at levels 1-5 — nobody runs dry before 10. Skyborne characters finish the Zephras Isle 1-12 starting experience (official) and merge into this main line.

Elwynn Forest — (1) Northshire Abbey 1-5 quest cluster, (2) Goldshire rendezvous hub (the mine pair), (3) Stonefield Farm "Princess Must Die!" (88), (4) toward Redridge via the eastern timber camps (quest 5545). Points = quest-giver spawns from the dataset (pinned), not in-game measurements. Interactive version on the exploration map

Dungeons in this band: none — starter zones have no dungeon, so both playstyles are identical here; the split starts with the level-10 class quests and the level-13 Hall of Thanes.

Levels 10-16 · Westfall + Loch Modan

Quest-flow skeleton:

1. Around 12, pick up the Hall of Thanes pre-quest: kill 10 Dark Iron spies at Dun Morogh 64.8, 58.5 (community-sourced; see the 1-30 route piece);
2. Enter at 13: five quests worth about 27,600 XP, a three-way blue from the last boss, and ten pieces of item level 18 in the drops — the Alliance's densest early-blue source, ranked first because a full set is wearable at 13;
3. Levels 14-16 fan out across Westfall: 22 quests at 6-10 and 7 at 11-15 (Alliance-available counts), clearing outward from Sentinel Hill;
4. The band's top-priority side chain at 14: the Cozy Bedroll chain (accepts at 14, best run at 16) — Alliance start at Alexston Farmstead in Westfall (37, 50, community-sourced), hand-off at Stonetalon (50, 50), hand-off at the Loch Modan dam (49, 13), finish at Thoradin's Wall (87, 48); rewards are a 3% party XP bonus (shared while grouped) plus a 12-slot bag; full walkthrough in the bedroll piece;
5. Loch Modan as an alternative or a double-dip: 21 at 6-10, 8 at 11-15, 8 at 16-20 (Alliance-available), with Thelsamar (dataset anchor 37.07, 49.38) as the supply point;
6. From this band on, bind your hearth to an inn "toward the Wetlands" (community-sourced) — you will keep coming back to this side of the map.

Westfall — (1) Alexston Farmstead bedroll start (37, 50, community-sourced), (2) toward the Moonbrook Deadmines entrance (schematic; in-game governs), (3) Agent Kearnen (pinned), (4) the Klaven's Tower target chest (pinned object 123214). (3) and (4) belong to the level-20 rogue poison chain below. Interactive version on the exploration map

Loch Modan — (1) the Stonewrought Dam bedroll hand-off (49, 13, community-sourced), (2) Thelsamar supply point (pinned), (3) Captain Rugelfuss spawn (pinned). Points are not in-game measurements. Interactive version on the exploration map

Dungeons in this band: the Hall of Thanes at 12-13, in and out; beyond it a hidden option at 19-22 — the Ruins of Lordaeron is listed Horde-facing but the Alliance can enter in practice and accept its quests.

Levels 16-20 · Redridge main stage, Deadmines harvest at 17-20

1. Redridge 15-20 is classic consensus (this dataset holds no Redridge entries, so no density numbers are claimed); the main line spreads northeast from Lakeshire, with the Stonewatch line landing around 18;
2. Class-quest home turf: the rogue 16 convergence — all three lines (human SI:7/2300, night elf Erion's Behest/2260, dwarf-gnome To Hulfdan!/2299 and then Kingly Shakedown/2298) meet at Renzik in Stormwind, then everyone takes Redridge Rendezvous (2281) down to Lucius in Lakeshire (28.06, 52.04, pinned); the locked box at Alther's Mill north of town (pinned object 121264, 52.04, 44.69) is the first lockpicking stop — see the lockpicking route;
3. Deadmines twice at 17-20: turn its six quests in at once and you hit 20 (community-sourced); at 17-18 also collect the four profession pieces — Rockslicer (the level-18 two-handed axe off Rhahk'Zor that lets you mine without the profession), the First Mate Band (level 17, off Mr. Smite; the first half of the "partners in crime" ring pair), the Smelting Pants, and Cookie's Stirring Rod — details in the Deadmines profession gear piece;
4. Keep the First Mate Band in your bag when it gets replaced — its other half, the Band of the Better Half, is waiting in the client files at 60 (see the secrets roundup).

Redridge Mountains — (1) Lucius in Lakeshire (28.06, 52.04, pinned), the rogue 16 convergence point; (2) the Alther's Mill lockbox (52.04, 44.69, pinned object 121264), the first lockpicking stop. Points are not in-game measurements. Interactive version on the exploration map

Dungeons in this band: quest-flow runs Redridge 15-20; dungeon-mixed runs Deadmines twice at 17-20 to bank all four profession pieces.

Levels 20-27 · Duskwood main stage, Wetlands backup

1. Duskwood 22-27 is classic consensus; clear along the Darkshire-Raven Hill axis; around 24, mind the Forsaken-worgen mix near Raven Hill;
2. Three pinned anchors: the Weathered Tomb (17.73, 29.08), the Abercrombie farmhouse (28.11, 31.46, npc 289 spawn — the classic mid-20s errand chain starts here), and the fresh-turned mound (49.85, 77.71);
3. Level 20 is the class-quest jackpot: the Alliance rogue poison chain runs through Klaven's Tower in Westfall — take Mathias and the Defias (2360) from Mathias Shaw in Old Town (75.78, 59.84), then Agent Kearnen (68.49, 70.08, pinned) issues the real job Klaven's Tower (2359, quest level 24); pickpocket the tower key from the misshapen Defias drones patrolling outside (levels 23-24, around 69.47, 73.99), loot the Duskwood Chest (pinned object 123214, 70.41, 73.93), and report back — poisons unlocked (see the class quest overview);
4. Mage at 21: the Coldflame Saber (mage-only) — a saber scroll reforges the Blade of Silverlaine from Shadowfang Keep into a weapon adding 98 fire damage to frozen targets; this one needs the SFK run, see the next line;
5. Shadowfang Keep has no Alliance quest value — noted as-is: the site's dungeon-quest dataset holds no SFK quests, and classic consensus agrees; the Alliance does not treat it as a leveling dungeon. Two pieces of private loot are the exceptions: the mage's Blade of Silverlaine (the saber reagent) and the Black Grimoire (the reagent for the Dalaran tome); both are reasons to cross faction lines, not reasons to level there;
6. The Dalaran hidden boss Lyn the Ignored: once you hold the Black Grimoire (from SFK), take it to Ambermill in Silverpine (note: Silverpine is Horde heartland and Alliance visitors risk the guards — classic consensus) to convert it into the Dalaran tome, then summon at the end of the Dalaran sewers; the tome is not consumed and the summon has a 3-minute cooldown. Full walkthrough in the Lyn piece.

Duskwood — (1) the Weathered Tomb (17.73, 29.08, pinned), (2) the Abercrombie farmhouse (28.11, 31.46, pinned npc 289 spawn), (3) the fresh-turned mound (49.85, 77.71, pinned). Points are not in-game measurements. Interactive version on the exploration map

Wetlands as the data-backed backup: 16 quests at 16-20 and 11 at 21-25 (Alliance-available), hub at Menethil Harbor (dataset anchor 8.3-11.8, 52-60); the Excavation Site line is shared by both factions; the bedroll chain's finish at Thoradin's Wall (87, 48, community-sourced) sits just west in Hillsbrad — wrap it up on the way.

Dungeons in this band: quest-flow runs Duskwood 22-27 with Wetlands as backup (16+11, dataset counts); dungeon-mixed runs Blackfathom Deeps around 20 (quest 1200 Blackfathom Villainy, req 18, Alliance version).

Levels 27-30 · Arathi / Hillsbrad / Thousand Needles (classic consensus)

Data first: this dataset has no zone entries anywhere at 26-30 — a collection boundary (the main library only mined quest level 29 and below), not an empty game. Written by consensus:

1. Arathi Highlands: the Alliance anchor is Refuge Pointe and the Captain Nials line (pinned 45.83, 47.56); consensus puts 28-30 in Arathi;
2. Hillsbrad Foothills: 16 entries (12 at 16-20, 4 at 21-25, Alliance-available); little density remains after 26 — treat it as a pass-through;
3. Thousand Needles: 14 at 21-25 (Alliance-available); the Shimmering Flats race line around 25;
4. Ashenvale as backup: 59 entries (44 at 16-20, 11 at 21-25, Alliance-available, incl. shared quests); night elves already live on this line before 20; for humans and dwarves the run from Stormwind costs more than it pays — Arathi is better.

Dungeons in this band: quest-flow runs Arathi 28-30 (classic consensus); dungeon-mixed runs Gnomeregan 25-32 (classic window; the dataset holds Gnomer-gooooone! 2843, req 20, quest level 35); the Uldaman 35-42 prerequisites are in hand by the end of this band.

Horde 1-30: Durotar or Forsaken start, Crossroads rendezvous at 12

Two Horde skeletons — Route A, quest-flow from Durotar (outdoor quests first, dungeons only for first clears) and Route B, Forsaken start + dungeon-mixed (Tirisfal opening, a chain of dungeons props the levels up). Both lines converge on the Crossroads in the Barrens around 12 and can swap or mix freely after.

Levels 1-12 Durotar: starter camps and the city anchor (Route A)

1. Valley of Trials (1-10): clear the full newbie band at the starter camp; 30 entries at levels 1-9 and 4 at 10-11 — density enough to dodge solo mob contests. Rogues grab the guild intro on the way: Rwag in the Valley (41.28, 68.00) teaches skills only, while the intro quest Therzok (1859) hangs on Kaplak in Sen'jin Village per the pinned source — trolls, note that 1859's race slot is orc-only, so trolls at 10 go straight to the Cleft of Shadow in Orgrimmar for Therzok (42.73, 53.55) (see the rogue quest piece);
2. Sen'jin Village transit (around 10): Kaplak (51.98, 43.69) stands at the village mouth, and density hands over smoothly to the 10 band;
3. Orgrimmar map-opening (10-12): flight point and a hearth backup; 10 entries at 12-16 in the dataset make the city the supply stop around 12.

Durotar — (1) Rwag in the Valley of Trials (the 1-10 starter camp, spawn 41.28, 68.00), (2) Kaplak in Sen'jin Village (the level-10 rogue intro quest 1859, spawn 51.98, 43.69), (3) toward Orgrimmar, the city hearth anchor on the road north to the Barrens (schematic). (1) and (2) are pinned spawns; (3) is schematic, not an in-game measurement.

Levels 12-17 the Barrens: why the Crossroads is the nation's meeting point

Field-tested conclusion: Horde starters are scattered, but everyone regroups at the Crossroads at 12 — the Barrens quest band covers 11-21 with the density crown among low-level zones (33 entries at 12-16, 19 at 17-19), and the Crossroads is a hearth plus flight hub. Three steps:

1. Bind the hearth to the Crossroads — the efficiency foundation for 12-25;
2. Accept the whole camp cluster in one pass: Thork's Disrupt the Attacks (871, accepts at 9) and The Disruption Ends (872), Mankrik's Consumed by Hatred (899, at 14), and Darsok Swiftdagger's Harpy Raiders (867, at 12) / Harpy Lieutenants (875) / Serena Bloodfeather (876) — three givers side by side (51.50,30.87 / 51.95,31.58 / 51.62,30.90), one stop;
3. Contingency when crowded: Silverpine Forest is the quiet-but-dense alternative (21 entries at 12-16; field notes say less competition is actually faster), and Forsaken players already live there.

The Barrens — (1) the Crossroads quest cluster (Thork 871/872/6541, Mankrik 899, Darsok 867/875/876, side by side), (2) Sputtervalve in Ratchet (894), (3) Wrenix the Wretched in Ratchet (the level-16 poison prerequisite 2381), (4) Tazan on the road (1858/1963 targets), (5) the ruined tower, the Horde bedroll start (community-sourced 46, 74), (6) Taskmaster Fizzule at the Venture Co. tower (the 2458 contact), (7) Kadrak at the north gate (the 6541 turn-in, toward Ashenvale). Numbered points are pinned spawns except (5), which is community-sourced; not in-game measurements.

Side chains: the Horde bedroll start sits at the ruined tower in the Barrens (46, 74, community-sourced), accepts at 14 and is best run at 16; four stops = ruined tower, then Stonetalon (50, 50), then the Loch Modan dam (49, 13), then Thoradin's Wall (87, 48), for a 3% party XP bonus and a 12-slot bag — full walkthrough in the bedroll piece. The Stonetalon hand-off opens the 17-25 Stonetalon band as a bonus.

Rogue 16 poison prerequisites (all rogues): back to Kaplak for To Orgrimmar! (2380), then Shenthul in the Cleft of Shadow (43.05, 53.74) for 2379 and 2382, then Wrenix the Wretched in Ratchet (63.07, 36.32) for Plundering the Plunderers (2381, quest level 18); collect the E.C.A.C. and the Thieves' Tools at Wrenix's Gizmotronic Apparatus (63.12, 36.32) before heading out.

Levels 17-20 Wilds wrap-up and the SFK window

1. At 17 take Report to Kadrak (6541): Thork's transfer order at the Crossroads, turned in to Kadrak at the Barrens north gate (48.12, 5.42) — the Ashenvale map opener; Stonetalon holds 10 entries at 17-19, and the Malaka'jin harpy line (867/875/876) also wraps in this band;
2. The SFK window at 18 (both lines): Deathstalkers in Shadowfang (1098, accepts at 18) from High Executor Hadrec in Silverpine (43.42, 40.86) is the Horde player's convenient SFK ticket, themed on the Deathstalkers — in the dungeon, find Deathstalker Adamant and Deathstalker Vincent. SFK runs 18-25; the mage special: Baron Silverlaine drops the Blade of Silverlaine, and pairing it with the saber scroll forges the Coldflame Saber (mage-only at 21, +98 fire damage to frozen targets) — farm the sword and the scroll in the same runs, details in the secrets roundup. The site's seven-floor SFK map set is live on the maps page;
3. Poison in hand at 20 (rogues): The Shattered Salute (2460), then Deep Cover (2458 — fire the signal flare first for Taskmaster Fizzule at the Venture Co. tower, 55.44, 5.56), then Mission: Possible But Not Probable (2478, quest level 24; pickpocket Foreman Silixiz's tower key at 54.80, 5.97), then Hinott's Assistance (2479, quest level 26; bring it to Serge Hinott in Tarren Mill 61.63, 19.19 to mix the potion, and 2480 closes the chain) — the crippling and instant poison recipes are in hand.

Levels 20-25 Taurajo / Stonetalon / Ashenvale: three options in one band

Density gives three parallel options; switch by crowd:

• Southern Barrens (toward Camp Taurajo): 28 entries at 20-24; the bedroll start tower is right here — quests and the side chain together;
• Stonetalon Mountains: 19 at 20-24; Maggran Earthbinder at Sun Rock Retreat (47.20, 61.16) holds Harpies Threaten (6282) and Bloodfury Bloodline (6283, both accepting at 18) plus Calling in the Reserves (5881, at 23); toward the Sludge Fen, Ziz Fizziks (58.99, 62.60) closes out Super Reaper 6000 (1093) and Gerenzo Wrenchwhistle (1096) — the level-16 Samophlange line (894, accepts at 10) from Sputtervalve in Ratchet (62.98, 37.22) runs exactly into here; the Stonetalon bedroll hand-off (50, 50) is on the same map;
• Ashenvale: 28 at 20-24; enter via the north gate and Kadrak's line; quieter than the Crossroads.

Stonetalon Mountains — (1) the bedroll hand-off (turn in, then accept; community-sourced 50, 50), (2) Maggran Earthbinder at Sun Rock Retreat (5881/6282/6283, spawn 47.20, 61.16), (3) the Ziz Fizziks spawn (the 1483 lead, then 1093/1096; spawn 58.99, 62.60). (2) and (3) are pinned spawns; not in-game measurements.

Levels 25-30 Thousand Needles / Dustwallow / Arathi: the gentle transition

1. Thousand Needles: all 14 dataset entries fall in the 25-30 band (library cap 29); Freewind Post is the camp anchor (cluster representative point 45.66, 50.97), and Wizzle Brassbolts at the Mirage Raceway (78.14, 77.12) clears the speedway band; at 32, Razorfen Downs at the north entrance enters first-clear rotation (3523, accepts at 32);
2. Dustwallow / Arathi (classic consensus): open flight points and the first quests around 28; Overlord Mok'Morokk at Brackenwall Village (36.29, 31.41) holds entries (1166/1171) requiring 38 — good for a 38-plus return visit, so 25-30 is a map-opening pass;
3. Backup: Hillsbrad holds 8 at 20-24 and 8 at 25-30; Tarren Mill is the natural transit between Silverpine and Arathi (rogue 2479's Hinott lives in this village).

Thousand Needles — (1) Freewind Post (camp anchor, cluster representative point 45.66, 50.97), (2) Wizzle Brassbolts at the Mirage Raceway (pinned 78.14, 77.12). Both are pinned spawns; not in-game measurements.

Route B: the Forsaken start (before merging with A)

1. Start at Brill: Tirisfal holds 31 entries at 1-9 and 11 at 10-11 — density on par with Durotar; Undercity's flight point, bank and city functions sit closer at hand than Orgrimmar's. The Scarlet Monastery prerequisites start right here: At War with the Scarlet Crusade (370/371/372/427, accepts at 5, quest levels 8-12) from Executor Zygand in Brill (60.59, 51.76) — hang the level-30 dungeon window on your quest log from day one;
2. The Undercity rogue line at 10: Marion Call in the inner Trade Quarter ring (61.75, 52.00) issues the intro to Mennet Carkad (1885), then Mennet Carkad in the rogue quarter (83.51, 69.11) runs four rings in a row: 1886 (Astor Hadren in Silverpine, 49.71, 32.22), then 1898 (Andron Gant at the apothecary, 54.81, 76.33), then 1899 (the ledger turn-in), then 1978 (into the Royal Quarter, to Varimathras 56.25, 92.20);
3. The undead-only bonus at 16: Fenwick Thatros (1998, Silverpine 59.58, 33.94), then Tools of the Trade (1999, quest level 20, Ambermill Strongbox 63.71, 65.24) — lockpicking practice on the way;
4. The Silverpine mainline and the SFK prerequisite: Dalar Dawnweaver at the Sepulcher (44.20, 39.81) runs Arugal's Folly (99 onward, accepts at 9) pointing straight at Shadowfang Keep; High Executor Hadrec's 1098 (accepts at 18) is the convenient dungeon ticket (the Deathstalker theme); mages keep farming the Blade of Silverlaine while solving the saber scroll. Forsaken paladins, note: the level-20 Wolf's Bane class line also starts in Silverpine;
5. Merge from 12 onward: the Crossroads density logic holds for Forsaken too — bind the hearth at the Crossroads from 12 and keep Silverpine quests as filler; if you would rather skip Kalimdor, run Silverpine then Hillsbrad southward (Tarren Mill holds 8+8 entries at 20-24/25-30).

Silverpine Forest — (1) Dalar Dawnweaver at the Sepulcher (Arugal's Folly 99 onward, the SFK prerequisite chain; spawn 44.20, 39.81), (2) High Executor Hadrec (the 1098 SFK prerequisite; spawn 43.42, 40.86), (3) Astor Hadren (the 1886 target; spawn 49.71, 32.22), (4) Fenwick Thatros (the 1998 target; spawn 59.58, 33.94). All pinned spawns; not in-game measurements.

After 30: hit the new Forever continents first

The classic-continent 30-plus is the STV-Tanaris-Plaguelands consensus line, but Forever has already wired the new continents into the 31-60 journey — the official announcement lists four new zones (Shen'dralas, the Riverglades, Mount Hyjal, and Zephras Isle), and two of them directly rewrite the post-30 path; do not beeline the old maps on vanilla memory.

The Riverglades — officially about 35-45

• The Alliance line meets the Brotherhood of the Horse, the Warcraft II faction holed up at Farhold Keep; the Horde line meets the Boulderrock ogre clan; both clash with the Twilight's Hammer (official preview);
• Side attractions: busting a pirate operation, rescuing a horse and Jom-Jom, and diving into ogre turf to fight their strongest brawler in the pit;
• New zones mean dense quests and thin crowds — clear 35-45 here first; at cap, swing by the Powderfuse Port black market, the endgame bazaar for gear, pets and mounts (media-sourced; the in-game location governs).

Mount Hyjal — the stop after 45

• The road up Hyjal has opened for the first time since the Third War: rebuild the land with the Druids of the Talon and the Cenarion Circle while Horde and Alliance coexist under a fragile truce, and the storyline points at "the Wild King" (official preview);
• One of the first raids sits in Hyjal's depths (see raid prep below) — get familiar with the approach on the way up.

Zephras Isle is the Skyborne 1-12 starting experience. The Riverglades band is officially 35-45; Hyjal has no official band yet, so per the official preview, slot it into the back half of the 31-60 journey and fill gaps with the classic stretches below.

Classic fallbacks: STV and the closing four (classic consensus)

• STV 30-45: start at the Rebel Camp line in the north; Hemet Nesingwary's hunting camp (35.66, 10.81, pinned npc 715) and its three hunt chains are the 30-40 XP mainstay (classic consensus); Booty Bay at the south end (Krazek 26.94, 77.21, pinned npc 773) opens the Bloodsail and goblin lines plus a flight point;
• Books all the way: 40 pages are scattered across Azeroth — 10 for a necklace, 20 for a ring, and 25 for the tier-three three-way pick (Truthseeker's Bow / Crest of Elucidation / Researcher's Night Light); tier three turns in at 30, the Alliance at the Stormwind library — details in the book collection and tier-three reward pieces;
• If the frog-and-Dawn-Waker chain on Zephras Isle (51.5, 72.1, community-sourced) is still undone, sail south from Booty Bay on the way (see the fun anchors below);
• 45-60: the STV tail (to 45), then Hinterlands / Feralas / Felwood at 45-50 with a Tanaris pass; dungeon-flow runs Zul'Farrak 42-48, the Sunken Temple 46-51 (Marvon Rivetseeker in Tanaris 52.71, 45.92, pinned), and Maraudon 48-52;
• The closing run: Western Plaguelands, then Eastern Plaguelands, then Burning Steppes, then Winterspring into raid prep (classic consensus); dungeon-flow runs Blackrock Depths 52-58 with raid prep at 58-plus. Without a dungeon group, ride the in-library quests (5096/5862/6148).

Stranglethorn Vale — (1) the Rebel Camp (Rebel Watchman spawn 38.15, 3.65, pinned), (2) Hemet Nesingwary's hunting camp (35.66, 10.81, pinned npc 715), (3) Krazek in Booty Bay (26.94, 77.21, pinned npc 773). Points are pinned spawns; not in-game measurements. Interactive version on the exploration map

Tanaris — (1) Tran'rek in Gadgetzan (2865/3362/4504, spawn 51.57, 26.76, pinned), (2) the Zul'Farrak ruin belt to the northwest (schematic, base-map place name, not a spawn point). (1) is a pinned spawn; not an in-game measurement.

Fun anchors at a glance (both lines)

How to slot dungeons: nine new ones as the frame, classics for anchor loot

The official announcement fields nine new five-player dungeons covering 13-60 — the new skeleton of dungeon-mixed leveling (roster and bands = the official list plus beta-tested entries; tactics and loot live in the dungeon directory):

The classic five are still worth a dedicated run — each carries an anchor drop or a class item:

• Alliance line: Deadmines 17-20 (Rockslicer + First Mate Band + Smelting Pants + Cookie's Stirring Rod; the level-20 poison finisher Klaven's Tower is right there in Westfall — gear and poison in one trip) → the Stockade 22-27 (The Stockade Riots 391, accepts at 16) → Blackfathom Deeps 20-27 (1200, at 18) → Gnomeregan 25-32 → Scarlet Monastery 30-40 (Down the Scarlet Path 261 into 1052, accepts at 34);
• Horde line: Wailing Caverns 17-23 (the "of the Fang" five-set; druids turn cat form into snake around 20) → Shadowfang Keep 18-25 (1098 + the Blade of Silverlaine) → Blackfathom Deeps 20-27 (6561, at 18) → Gnomeregan 25-32 (Gnomer-gooooone! 2843, at 20) → Scarlet Monastery 30-40 (The Scarlet Crusade 381, then At War with the Scarlet Crusade 427/370/371/372, then Into the Scarlet Monastery 1048, accepts at 33; the marathon guide runs graveyard, then library, then cathedral).

Deadmines floor one (the entrance floor): Rhahk'Zor, Rockslicer's dropper, is on this floor per the site's Deadmines profession gear and secrets pieces; the goblin foundry and the mast room are also visible. Floor layout per OpenMap data, base art © Blizzard, not an in-game measurement.

Shadowfang Keep floor one (the entrance floor, named The Courtyard in OpenMap): Silverlaine is upstairs; all seven SFK floor maps are live. Floor layout per OpenMap data, base art © Blizzard.

Shadowfang Keep floor two (named Dining Hall in OpenMap): the first climb from the entrance floor. Boss attribution on this floor is unverified, so only the floor number is marked; floor layout per OpenMap data, base art © Blizzard.

The 30-plus relay: Razorfen Kraul (open at 25 per the official Oct 4 note) → Razorfen Downs (3523, accepts at 32) → Uldaman (1956 / 17 or 2202 / 2200, accepts at 35-37) → Maraudon (7044, at 41) → Zul'Farrak → the Sunken Temple (3380/3445, at 46) → Blackrock Depths → Stratholme plus Scholomance (838/5533 entry, 5505/5511 key, at 55). Do not undercut the band: entering two levels low drags the whole group — if you are one level short, go run an outdoor loop first. Horde-side sequencing lives in the horde dungeon marathon piece.

Raid prep (the first three raids; Dec 10 CN / Dec 9 NA): Barrow Deeps (10-player, inside Hyjal, with entrances also from Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold), Hyjal Summit (20-player, on the summit beside Nordrassil), and Onyxia's Lair (40-player in Dustwallow Marsh; officials recommend stacking fire resist) — entering the Lair requires a Dragonfire Amulet in every raider's bag; the attunement chain runs Alliance-side from Burning Steppes and Horde-side from Kargath, both finishing with General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire, and officials say start early. Details in the first-raids piece.

Choosing among three approaches:

• Pure quest-flow: dungeons only for anchor first clears (the Deadmines four, the SFK saber, the WC fang set) — fits solos and fragmented schedules, and it stays the highest pure-XP efficiency after the nerf; the cost is a slow gear ramp;
• One key dungeon per week: a fixed group clears the band's key or quest dungeon (the 391 / 1098 / 2843 / 1048 / 5505-5511 nodes) — quest XP, blues and keys in one trip; the cost is scheduling, and the payoff is zero when the group falls through;
• The level-boost convoy: the vanilla-era dungeon-train speed run is dead in Forever (30-50% slower than vanilla pacing per level); today's convoys are friend groups or alt-graduation runs — the payoff is gear and one-shot first clears, not speed.

Time budget

Official podcast figures: 20.5 hours on average to 20, and about 160 hours for a pure-quest 60; community speedrun figures: 80-100 hours to 60 for practiced players — dungeon-train leveling is dead, and the pace runs 30-50% slower than vanilla at the same level; do not map old memories onto it.

Videos

Community videos complement the site's data — the videos show the pacing, and the site owns quest-ID and coordinate checking:

• YouTube: WoW Forever Leveling Guide 1-60 · The ULTIMATE Leveling Guide (1-30 Horde and Alliance)

Related reading

• Routes and logic: the leveling page · Alliance/Horde 1-30 route logic · Past level 30: the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal
• Dungeons and raids: the dungeon directory · Horde dungeon marathon · the first raids and attunement chains · the dungeon XP nerf
• Side chains and anchors: the bedroll walkthrough · rogue class quests · lockpicking 1-300 · the secrets roundup · Deadmines profession gear · the book collection · the Dawn Waker tracker
• Tools: maps · quests before 30 · new Forever quests