Check out the dugi's guide here and see if it's just the thing for your upcoming collection of 85s. Also, if you click the tab at the top of their page you will see that a new dungeon guide is being worked on and it will be a free addition to their regular guide.

Get leveled fast AND get the Loremaster!

Your Role in the Dungeons

You will be either a Healer, Damage (DPS,) or Protection (Tank.) If you're doing random dungeons with the dungeon finder then your teams will always have one tank, one healer, and three DPS. Your guild team could have five healers, though that might mean that it will take a loooong time to kill that boss.

Everyone:

• Be aware of your position and that of any nearby mobs or adds. Is there an edge that you can fall off of (and into the lava?) Be aware of it.
• Let the tank do the pulling unless he says otherwise.
• Consumables. Mana potions, health potions, buffing foods, etc. Keep a decent stock and use them.
• Be patient. If someone pulls before the tank is ready or casters/healers have their mana back then the group might in trouble. Let the tank pull.
• Be aware of what mobs are Crowd Controlled (CC) and don't break the CC.

As DPS:

Your job is to do as much damage as possible to the mobs (opposition.) But if you go crazy then you will do too much damage too soon and the mobs will eat you. Then your group will make snarky remarks and kick you out.

• Always let the tank attack first. Yes, I know that spell has great range and you love to use it. Let the tank attack first and get the mob's attention. Then you attack.
• Mobs, especially at higher levels, will often throw out area effect attacks or some form of damage to random targets. Do the best you can to either avoid this or interrupt the spell casting.
• Aggro can be an issue if you're doing enough damage to pull the mob away from the tank. He might not be able to get it back before it kills you, especially in Cataclysm dungeons.
• Many DPS types can put out a massive burst of damage when all the stars align. That burst may guarantee that you get all the aggro and die from it. Hold the burst until it's safe, such as when the mob is nearly dead. Dead DPS characters do no damage.
• Especially in heroics and Cataclysm dungeons you should use your defensive cooldowns as necessary and take survival talents (such as the Rogue's Improved Recuperate.)
• Note that changes made in the 4.3 patch made it easier for tanks to hold aggro. Let the tank pull and then cut loose.

DPS Tactics:

• If it has a tail then attack from the side, otherwise from behind
• Puddles of putrescent goop (poop) on the floor? Move out of it. And yes, the tank should be aware enough to pull the mob out of the poop.
• Kill the adds! There are a very few cases where you want to run from adds, but 95% of the time you kill them first.
• Are mobs casting spells? Interrupt (stun, blind, etc.) them, if possible.
• Marked mobs: Usually the skull on a mob means "kill me first!" Usually the "X" means "kill me next!" Make sure all members of your group know and agree about what the marks mean.
• Crowd control: Got sheep? Sap? Other? Sometimes the tank will want you to use it, othertimes not. Some tanks aren't sharp enough to deal with it well when you do use it.
• Do you have aggro? Vanish, fade, feign death, etc. Do Not Run Away! Run back to the tank if you have to run and can't shed the aggro.
• Is there a Lightwell? Click it!

Healers

Your job is to keep everyone Hale and Hearty, but sometimes that's a bit tough. The tank wants to leap into the next group, the ranged DPS wants to pull everything, the melee DPS has issues with staying out of the fire, and you looked away from the screen for three seconds. When you looked back the tank was dead, the group was scattering, and those last heals you cast put out a lot of threat...

• Your main job is to heal the tank. If the tank is doing his job then then rest of the group shouldn't be taking much damage.
• If the DPS runs over there to take on some mobs then let him suffer the consequences.
• Communicate with your group. You are the one group member who has to pay attention to every member of the group. If they're going nuts and you can't keep up then say something. If you're running low on Mana say something.
• Preserving mana is important, particularly in Cataclysm dungeons. You may want/need to learn about and use Triage.

Healing Tactics

• Heal the tank.
• Is massive damage about to hit? Start pre-casting that long heal.
• Got aggro? Shed it, if you can, or run to the tank.
• Out of Mana? Say something!
• Getting interrupted? Get more range, if you can.
• Mobs casting stuff? Interrupt, if you can, and you don't have to worry about not healing for a moment.
• Tank goes out of Line of Sight for whatever reason, follow him.
• DPS goes out of Line of Sight for whatever reason, sucks for them.

The Tank

You're the life of the party and you want 100% of the attention of all the opposition, at all times. Your #1 job is to make sure that happens. Do it well and the DPS has it easy and the healer really only has to worry about you.

• You have to keep an eye on all the opposition. At times the mobs may break free and chase someone else, do what you can to get them back.
• It's better to be a bit conservative than to bite off too much to chew. Don't pull big groups unless you know your group can handle it.
• Listen to your group. The healer might be out of mana, among other possible issues. You're the leader, communication is good.
• The DPS needs to know whether or not you mind their pulling the mobs or bringing in extras. If you don't care for them doing that then let them die a few times. They'll either learn or leave.

Tank Tactics

• Mark the #1 target with a skull. Everyone can focus on that and burn it down.
• Healer mobs are a good choice for that skull.
• Use your crowd control. Have mobs sapped, sheeped, etc., as necessary.
• Don't break the CC! Pull mobs away from the CCed mob.
• Make sure you fight away from CCed mobs.
• Taking too much damage? Pull the mob (kite) around the place.
• Puddles of putrescent goop (poop) on the floor? Pull the mob(s) out of it so you and your melee DPS take less damage.
• Does the mob take damage from the poop? You might be able to position the mob into the stuff for additional damage.
• Is the mob casting? Interrupt it, if you can.
• Use your stuns which will help slow down incomming damage or stop a mob from running to the healer.

Suggested Talent Builds & Tips By Class

For suggested builds see the leveling guides linked to with each spec, below.

Druid

For most of your low-level game time you will probably find feral useful, because you will be able to dps well, and, if the need arises, you will be able to switch out of cat form and heal. This will allow you to queue in the dungeon finder as dps or healer. See our druid leveling spec for info on leveling as Feral.

Balance Druids will, obviously, be ranged DPS and will also be able to toss out the occasional heal. Restoration Druids, while being pretty sloooowwww at solo leveling will do just fine in the dungeons.

Hunter

Beast Mastery gives you the most versatility. It allows you to solo when you need to in order to get the dungeon quests, and at the same time allows you to perform well as dps in a team. See our Hunter leveling spec for builds and such.

Mage

This one is fairly self-explanatory. An Arcane build is great for good damage output, as well as low threat generation, but Fire and Frost can put down some pretty big numbers as well. See our mage leveling spec page for a leveling build for each flavor of mage.

Paladin

Retribution is selected for similar reasons to the Druid build. For lower levels (up to mid-40s) Ret allows you to dps, tank, and heal well enough to be an asset to any team. You will be able to queue as dps, healer, or tank, as you prefer, until the mid-40s when you should decide which role you like the most. From that point on you should go with a talent build that supports your chosen role. Holy is a perfectly viable option and Protection Paladins can make excellent tanks.

Priest

With the Shadow spec you are able to solo and dps in teams moderately well from about level 20 on. Prior to that, unfortunately, priests are just not very good at anything. You will also be able to queue as a healer or dps in dungeon finder up until you reach mid-40s, at which point you should start to spec for the role you prefer, dps or healer. See our Priest leveling spec for leveling info.

Rogue

All of the Rogue specs are quite viable for dungeon leveling, as DPS of course. Leveling as Combat is probably the easiest, but Subtlety has brutal openers and Assassination Rogues are pretty nice, too.

Shaman

Like the Druid build, this leveling shaman spec allows you to do dps and healing. When you reach mid-40s you should start choosing talents tailored to your play style with either dps or healing.

Warlock

This pure destruction build is aimed at total dps. Let's face it, that's what you're good at. Make sure you use Ritual of Souls at the beginning of every dungeon. Yo might want to get the minor glyph for this spell to reduce the mana cost, too. Our regular Warlock leveling spec is Affliction, but Demonology has its uses, too.

Warrior

As DPS you can go with either the Arms spec or the Fury spec. Both will do quite nicely. If you want to do the tanking chores then you will want to go with a protection spec.

Dungeon Maps

The maps of most, if not all, of the dungeons are now part of your regular mapping interface. Just hit "m" in-game, while in the dungeon, to bring up the map of the dungeon.

Horde Dungeons

Ragefire Chasm 13-18

The Wailing Caverns 15-21 (also for Alliance)

Shadowfang Keep

Blackfathom Deeps 20-24 (also for Alliance)

Alliance Dungeons

The Dead Mines 15-20

The Wailing Caverns 15-21 (also for Horde)

Blackfathom Deeps 20-24 (also for Horde)

The Stockade 21-25

Horde & Alliance Dungeons

Razorfen Kraul 23-28

Gnomeregan 24-29

Scarlet Monastery Graveyard and Library 27-36

Razorfen Downs 33-38

Scarlet Monastery Armory and Cathedral 34-39

Uldaman 29-45

Ready for Shadowlands and all future expansions.