World of Warcraft 1-60 Grinding Guide

Contents:

Grind 'em Out

This guide is for those who prefer to grind out their levels. Hate questing or just don't want to interact with the in-game story? Just wanna much mobs for awhile? This guide is for you. Stock up on some Dew, pizza, snacks, and some good tunes and you're set. By the way, this guide works best if you're playing a killing machine, like a DK, Rogue, or Hunter..

This guide stops at level 60. After that you'll find the questing to be far superior to grinding for XP and you'll also easily be able to figure out where to go if you want to keep grinding.

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Before You Start

1. The Auction House carries a variety of Quest Items. If you're having a hard time gathering bits for some "Collect X GoreTusk Livers" quest then you can buy them off the AH, frequently at shockingly low prices. Buy the stuff, hand it in, finish the quest in a fraction of the time. It helps to have a bank alt for this as it will save you lots of travel time. The alt buys it and mails it to your questing character.
2. Buy the biggest bags you can afford (Frostweave bags have 20 slots,) but even four 6-slot bags make life easier.
3. Set yourself up so that you don't have to go to town very often.
   
   
4. Stock up on buffing foods (buy them or level up your cooking skill.) They'll buff your Stamina at low level, and other things at higher level.
5. Stock up on bandages and keep your 1st aid skill maxed, even if you're a healer. Yes, My Palladins and Druids and such have First Aid. You won't use it often, but there are the odd times when nothing else will do.
6. Stock up on potions and scrolls (Look into troll's blood potions.) Scrolls can buff any of your stats and last for 30 min.
7. If you're using edged weapons look into the Sharpening Stones made by Blacksmiths. The stones are usually dirt cheap. Similar enchants are quite expensive. Maces are hard to sharpen, sorry.
   
   
8. Upgrade your weapon(s) every few levels, the rest of the stuff can generally lag a bit behind.
9. Consider getting the local "kill X of this beast..." quests for more XP, if you're going to be killing them anyway...
   
   
10. Learn to use HotKeys and macros and then memorize them. Your grinding will be much faaster and more efficient and somewhat less tedious. ArenaJunkies has lots of macros.
11. Get the skinning skill if you're killing beasts (and you'll be killing a lot of them.) The gold you make from the skins will buy your level 30 and 60 mounts. If you like, kill a bunch and then skin them. Feel free to skin what others kill. Skinning also increases your crit rating.
12. Herbalism and Mining are good money makers. Pick one. Herbalism also gives you a small heal and Mining adds to Stamina.
13. If you have a choice between killing beasts and humanoids go for the latter, the drops are better.
14. When you hit Outlands and Northrend start doing the quests. Yeah, I know. Do them anyway.

Which Class and Race?

Race? It doesn't matter if Gnomes make the best mages if you can't stand the site of them. Ditto Troll Hunters. So pick whichever works for you.

The Blood Elf area, down through the Ghostlands, is probably is probably the fastest leveling area. The quests and mobs are al realtively close together and there's a lot of both. You can get a +7 Stamina cloak if you get exalted with Tranquillen, in the Ghostlands. (Just do all the quests, you'll get there.)

Class?

Once they get to level 10 a Hunter will pretty much outrun everyone to the level cap. Their pets are extremely useful and the pair just works very well at killing very quickly. Especially for beginners. Warning: You'll be automatically stuck with the lable Huntard. Try to learn your hunter well enough to lose the label.

Retribution Paladins will go quickly and aren't hard to play. Heavy armor and weapons, nice buffs, and healthy damage and heals will keep them moving quickly.

Warlocks can level about as well as Hunters, they're just a little more complicated.

Mages throw lots of damage, but they're fragile. At mid-levels they will be resting a lot to get their mana back. This is dangerous on PvP servers. A well-played mage will move quite quickly, though.

Rogues and Warriors can move right along and feral Druids aren't far, if at all, behind. Same with Shammies.

Priest - Go shadow and be patient until your Shadow powers mature in the 40s.

Healing classes will find leveling painful unless you're grouping.

Death Knights? Well, they mow everything down.

Dungeon leveling - If you're a tank or healer then your queue to get into dungeons with the Dungeon Finder tool will generally be very short. My Pally tank generally has a wait of zero. Get a decent group and dungeons can be fun and fast XP, not to mention getting you into some nice gear. More here.

PvP Leveling - Used to be that PvP in the battlegrounds gave zero XP. That's changed. You can get a pretty fair amount and any time, but if you do your BG PvP on the "PvP Weekend" of a particular Battleground, and if your side is winning, then you can pick up very fast XP. Don't be like so many of the BG clowns. Figure out what it takes to win and help your team do that. Fighting other players on the roads or the middle zones is fun, gets you a bit of honor, and helps your team to lose. You also get far less XP and honor by losing, but lots of people prefer than for some reason.

But what if you actually want to level fast? Far faster than grinding? Then check out our favorite in-game leveling guide.

Where to go from here:

10-30 Alliance

Levels: 10, 11, 12 ,13
Type: Grinding
Where: Westfall, The Jansen Stead
Mob: Harvest Golems, Boars, Wolfs, Vultures, Levels 10-13
XP Per Hour: 6-12k

Levels: 12,13,14,15
Type: Grinding
Where: Westfall, Jangolode Mine
Mob: Defias, Levels 12-15
XP Per Hour: 10-15k

Levels: 13,14,15,16
Type: Grinding
Where: Westfall, Saldean's Farm
Mob: Harvest Watchers, Levels 14-16
XP Per Hour: 10-18k

Levels: 16,17,18,19
Type: Grinding
Where: Westfall, Dagger Hills
Mob: Defias, Levels 16-19
XP Per Hour: 15-22k

Levels: 17,18,19,20,21
Type: Grinding
Where: Redridge, Alther's Mill
Mob: Spiders, Vultures, Boars, Levels 16-18
XP Per Hour: 16-24k

Levels: 21,22,23,24,25
Type: Grinding/1 Quest
Where: Duskwood, Tranquil Garden Cemetary
Mob: Skeleton Mage, Skeleton Warrior, Levels 21-23
XP Per Hour: 10k-18k

Levels: 23,24,25,26,27
Type: Grinding/1 Quest
Where: Duskwood, Raven Hill Cemetary
Mob: Skeletal Fiend, Skeletal Horror, Levels 23-25
XP Per Hour: 14-22K

Levels: 26,27,28,29,30
Type: Grinding/1 Quest
Where: Duskwood, Raven Hill Cemetary/Catacombs
Mob: Ghoul, Levels 26-30
XP Per Hour: 16-24k

Levels: 27,28,29,30,31
Type: Grinding
Where: Duskwood, Ogre Mound
Mob: Ogre Mage, Ogre Warrior, Levels 26-30
XP Per Hour: 16-26k

Levels: 28,29,30,31,32,33
Type: Grinding
Where: Duskwood, Manor Mistmantle
Mob: Ghouls, Levels 28-31
XP Per Hour: 18-30k

10-30 Horde

Levels: 10,11,12,13
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Circle around the Crossroads
Mob: Lions, Plainstriders, wildlife, Levels 11-14
XP Per Hour: 10-18k

Levels: 13,14,15
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Thorn Hill
Mob: Razoremane, Levels 12-15
XP Per Hour: 15-20k

Levels: 15,16,17
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Northwatch Hold
Mob: Human Soldiers, Levels 14-16
XP Per Hour: 15-22k

Levels: 18,19,20,21
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Raptor Grounds
Mob: Raptors, Levels 16-19
XP Per Hour: 18-22k

Levels 20,21,22,23,24
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Bramblescar
Mob: Bristleback, Levels 16-19
XP Per Hour: 18-25k

Levels: 21,22,23,24,25
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Southern Barrens/Southern Gold Road
Mob: Thunderhawks, Hyenas, Thunderheads, Levels 18-24
XP Per Hour: 18-22k

Levels: 21,22,23,24
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Field of Giants
Mob: Silithid, Levels 20-22
XP Per Hour: 18-20k

Levels: 21,22,23
Type: Grinding
Where: Barrens, Blackthorn Ridge
Mob: Razoremane, Levels 21-24
XP Per Hour: 18-24k

Levels: 20,21,22,23
Type: Grinding
Where: Stonetalon Mountains, Windshear Crag
Mob: Goblins, Levels 16-20
XP Per Hour: 16-20k

Levels: 25,26,27,28
Type: Grinding
Where: Thousand Needles, Splithoof Hold
Mob: Galak Centaur, Levels 24-27
XP Per Hour: 18-30k

Levels: 27,28,29,30,31,32
Type: Grinding
Where: Thousand Needles, Highperch
Mob: Wyverns, Levels 27-31
XP Per Hour: 20-30k

30-40 Horde & Alliance

Levels: 32,33,34,35
Type: Grinding
Where: Strangletorn Vale, Nessingwary's Encampment
Mob: Tigers, Panthers, Levels 31-35
XP Per Hour: 16-26k

Levels: 33,34,35
Type: Grinding
Where: Desolace, Kolkar Village
Mob: Centaurs, Levels 31-34
XP Per Hour: 17-28k

Levels: 35,36,37
Type: Grinding
Where: Desolace, Magram Village
Mob: Centaurs, Levels 32-36
XP Per Hour: 18-30k

Levels: 37,38,39,40,41
Type: Grinding
Where: Badlands, Dustbowl
Mob: Lesser Rock Elementals, Levels 37-39
XP Per Hour: 20-40k

Levels: 37,38,39,40
Type: Grinding
Where: Stranglethorn Vale, The Vile Reef
Mob: Lesser Water Elementals, Levels 37-39
XP Per Hour: 20-40k

Levels: 38,39,40,41,42
Type: Grinding
Where: Badlands, Mirage Flats
Mob: Rock Elementals, Levels 37-39
XP Per Hour: 25-40k

50-60 Horde & Alliance

Levels: 50,51,52,53,54,55
Type: Grinding
Where: Azshara, Beach
Mob: Naga, Levels 52-54
XP Per Hour: 30-40k

Levels: 51,52,53
Type: Grinding
Where: Western Plaguelands, Sorrow Hill
Mob: Ghouls, Skeletons, Levels 50-52
XP Per Hour: 30-50k

Levels: 52,53,54
Type: Grinding
Where: Un'Goro Crater
Mob: Tar Lords, Tar Lurkers, Levels 52-54
XP Per Hour: 30-50k

Levels: 54,55
Type: Grinding
Where: Felwood, Furbolg Camp
Mob: Furbolgs, Levels 48-50
XP Per Hour: 35-45k

Levels: 54,55,56,57,58,59,60
Type: Grinding
Where: Winterspring, Lake Kel'Theril
Mob: Ghosts, Levels 54-56
XP Per Hour: 35-45k

Levels: 55,56,57
Type: Grinding
Where: Winterspring, Winterfall Village
Mob: Winterfall Furbolgs, Levels 53-56
XP Per Hour: 35-50k

Levels: 57,58,59,60
Type: Grinding
Where: Winterspring, The Hidden Grove
Mob: Owlbeasts, Levels 58-59
XP Per Hour: 35-55k

Levels: 57,58,59,60
Type: Grinding
Where: Winterspring, Owl Wing Thicket
Mob: Owlbeasts, Levels 58-59
XP Per Hour: 35-55k

Levels: 57,58,59,60
Type: Grinding
Where: Winterspring, Yeti Cave
Mob: Yeti's, Levels 55-58/59
XP Per Hour: 35-55k

40-50 Horde & Alliance

Levels: 40,41,42,43
Type: Grinding
Where: Stranglethorn Vale, South of Grom'Gol, Around the Gurubashi Arena
Mob: Raptors, Levels 40-42
XP Per Hour: 25-40k

Levels: 41,42,43,44,45
Type: Grinding
Where: Badlands, Camp Cagg
Mob: Greater Rock Elementals, Levels 42-44
XP Per Hour: 25-45k

Levels 41,42,43,44,45
Type: Grinding
Where: Badlands, Camp Cagg
Mob: Ogres, Levels 41-45
XP Per Hour: 20-40k

Levels: 45,46,47,48
Type: Grinding
Where: Tanaris, Lost Rigger Cove
Mob: Southsea Pirates, Levels 44-45
XP Per Hour: 30-45k

Levels: 45,46,47,48
Type: Grinding
Where: Feralas, Frayfeather Highlands
Mob: Hippogryph's, Levels 44-47
XP Per Hour: 28-35k

Levels: 47,48,49,50,51
Type: Grinding
Where: Feralas, Ruins of Ravenwind
Mob: Harpies, Levels 47-50
XP Per Hour: 25-40k

Levels: 48,49,50
Type: Grinding
Where: Tanaris, Thistleshrub Valley
Mob: Thistleshrubs, Levels 47-50
XP Per Hour: 25-40k

Levels: 48,49,50,51,52
Type: Grinding
Where: Tanaris, Southmoon Ruins
Mob: Ogres, Levels 48-50
XP Per Hour: 30-40k