Starter GearBeta-tested reports · live game governs
Early weapons come mostly from dungeon first-clear quest rewards: Alliance leans on Hall of Thanes and the Deadmines, Horde on Ragefire, Wailing Caverns and Shadowfang Keep, and the Wetlands blue gun serves everyone. Every entry here is community-tested on the beta — stats, drop rates and acquisition may shift with patches, and the live game always governs; this page is not an authoritative loot table.
Starter items by faction
Alliance starter items
| Level | Item | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Cunning Blade (dagger)Community-tested | Rogue class quest (level 10) | A quest reward, not a drop; quest lines differ per faction but it serves early levels well. |
| 13-18 | Hall of Thanes final-boss pick (blue gun / two-hander / wand) + Dugan's Crescent AxeOfficial | Ironforge — Hall of Thanes, "Ironforge Invasion" quest chain | The Alliance power dungeon: clear every quest for a full blue set, and the run itself levels you 1-2 bars at 13. The axe drops from the final boss — learn one-hand axes from a weapon master first. |
| 18 | Mr. Smite's Big Hammer (blue two-hand mace)Community-tested | The Deadmines — Mr. Smite | 3.5 speed / 19.7 DPS / +11 Str +4 Agi — the physical two-hander of the early game (req. 18, ilvl 23). |
| 26-31 | Excavation Site: Wetlands final-boss blue gun + quest bluesCommunity-tested | Wetlands — Titan Relic quest choice of three | Works for both factions; the gun is a quest reward, not a drop. Final boss is ~31 — don't bring a level-20 group. |
| 25-32 | Gnomeregan first-clear bluesCommunity-tested | Gnomeregan — full quest first clear | Accept every quest before entering; blues come along the way. |
Horde starter items
| Level | Item | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-9 | Wing Clipper (one-hand)Community-tested | "Defend the Caravan" quest outside Orgrimmar | The earliest decent weapon for Horde rogues and melee. |
| 14-16 | Graceful Sword (green one-hand sword)Community-tested | The Barrens — Crossroads harpy quest line | Solo players should wait until 18-20 to clear it. |
| 20 | Potstone Shortsword (green one-hand sword)Community-tested | Ashenvale — Maestra's Post, Bertheles quest | ilvl 21: 16-30 damage / 2.20 speed / +3 Stamina; bring a friend. |
| 15-20 | Fang setCommunity-tested | Wailing Caverns | Early druid/rogue set — grab it alongside the Wailing Caverns quest line. |
| 20-30 | Shadowfang Keep first-clear dropsCommunity-tested | Shadowfang Keep | Run every quest; includes Sylvanas' Seal (+6 attack power, "Arugal Must Die") among levelling pieces. |
Must-grab weapons & pieces
Priority roughly decreases down the list; grinding a dungeon twice does not make a one-time quest reward drop twice.
- Mr. Smite's Big HammerCommunity-testedAlliance, The Deadmines (req. 18 / ilvl 23) — the physical starter ceiling.
- Wetlands final-boss blue gunCommunity-testedA Titan Relic quest reward (choice of three, not a drop), usable by both factions. Community reports disagree on the third option (cloak vs caster ring) — in-game governs.
- Nightmare Rot ringCommunity-testedTrade Rot Guts from the Wetlands elite (20-30) for a strong ring; the exchange NPC is Alliance-only (56,41) — Horde buys the ring on the AH.
- Hall of Thanes blue setCommunity-testedFour bosses drop 10 pieces, all ilvl 18 / req. 13 — a full set to wear out of the dungeon. Five quests inside plus the hidden "Dark Iron map".
- Serpent's Swiftness (fast bow)Community-testedHorde, Wailing Caverns serpent boss (15-20), hunter-oriented; in-game stats govern.
- Crescent StaffCommunity-testedWailing Caverns Fang druid quest reward (turn 4 gems to Nara Wildmane, level 20); staff is not class-locked — warriors can wield it.
- Cruel BarbCommunity-testedAlliance, The Deadmines — VanCleef (req. 19 / ilvl 24): 2.80 speed / 15.5 DPS / +12 attack power; community-reported ~15-20% drop rate.
- Blacksmithed bluesCommunity-testedRedridge "Pillaged Crates" → tokens → plans (a full 10-20 set): crates earn merchant favor, 30 tokens buy a low-tier blue plan. Great for warriors, paladins and shamans.
- Hunter level-20 starter setCommunity-testedSolomon's Cozy Hat (10-book library quest) · Glowing Lizard Cape (WC) · Bloodstained Bodice & Drybite Bracers (Ruins of Lordaeron) · Fang gloves (WC trash) · Cookie's Spyglass (Deadmines) · Sylvanas' Seal (SFK) — all Horde-accessible.
- Ragefire six new itemsCommunity-testedHorde 13-15: Trogg Scepter (caster mace) · Bone Knuckles · Savage Crossbow · Scorching Dagger (caster) · Satyr Hide Cloak · Riftwalker leather boots — real upgrades in a starter dungeon.
- Wailing Caverns three new itemsCommunity-testedSkum's Bucket (+10 healing off-hand with controlled mana regen) · Serpent Eye Kaleidoscope (all-stats necklace) · Hermit's Blessing cloak (+33% swim speed — underwater quest cheat).
- Rare outdoor utilitiesCommunity-testedSlowing cloak (+33% swim / -25% run) · Gatherer's two-hand axe (mine low-tier ore without mining skill, 30 charges) · Blacksmith shorts from the Deadmines gnome (-25% smelt time).
Two things to remember before chasing gear
- Before you can equip a new weapon type (one-hand axes, two-hand maces, bows...), learn it from a weapon master in a major city — otherwise drops just sit in your bags.
- Dungeon quest rewards are one-shot — accept every quest before you enter. Shareable quests can be shared with the group; quest chains with prerequisites (like "Hidden Enemies") cannot once a teammate has done them.
dungeon cheat sheet · leveling route · The starter weapon roadmap, level 10-30