Monk leveling is an easy thing and all Monks, like Paladins, are extremely capable in every role: damage, defense, and healing. Enjoy the journey.
The elder masters of Pandaran Martial Arts have made the decision to train outsiders. Perhaps they felt that the discipline of Martial Arts study would help to cool overheated heads and ease the Horde/Alliance war. Perhaps they weren’t so wise, after all.
Monks fuel many of their abilities with various beverages, giving their skills a certain resemblance, if only in concept, to Drunken Kung Fu.
And with a resounding smash from the Sylvanas Brewing Co., Shadowlands has arrived and the level cap is now 60 (from 120.) Your talents and abilities are rearranged, but you’re still much the same. Now get to work!
Add your piece below => Comments, feedback is appreciated.
Contents for the Monk Leveling |
Other Monk Guides
|
The Monk, an Overview
Monks are probably the fastest levelers in the Game, and Pandaren Monks are the fastest of all. Why? Two reasons:
- A daily quest that gives you +50% XP gain for an hour and it stacks (adding time) with itself and similar buffs. Plus, every ten levels you get an additional daily. Do ’em both and get two hours of bonus.
- Pandarens get longer lasting “Rest XP” than other races.
As a Brewmaster, a Monk can tank dungeons and raids. While leveling they can round up groups of opponents and smash them down with their strikes. Brewmasters use Energy and Chi as their resources. If you’re leveling in the dungeons and like tanking, then this is a good way to go.
Mistweavers use mana and chi to heal the most grievous of wounds and keep their team battle ready at all times. They even do decent damage, but the other two specs will crush the opposition faster.
Windwalkers inflict punishing melee damage and, like Brewmasters, use Energy and Chi as their resources. They are effective and fun. They can handle small groups of mobs well and keep themselves healthy. This is the recommended spec for leveling your monk and will do very well in both dungeons and PvP.
This page covers what you need to level your monk quickly, but it does not cover end-game stuff, such as PvP and Raiding. For those Monk guides, see our Brewmaster tanking, Mistweaver healing, and Windwalker DPS pages.
Quick notes for Leveling Monks
Weapons and Gear As a Windwalker or Brewmaster you will be using the same gear as a Rogue or Feral Druid. Mistweavers will use the same gear as Resto Druids.
- Agility for Wind and Brew
- Int for Mist.
- Use a 2-handed weapon, because good ones are generally easier to find than than a pair of decent 1 handers. Or use the heirlooms.
- You can use Cloth or Leather armor, but leather will have the right stats and there’s a bonus at level 27 if all your armor is leather.
- Heirloom gear is very nice and will take enchants that can be applied to level 1 items. Check your guild vendor or Heirloom vendor, in Ironforge or Undercity, for pieces. You’ll need a fair bit of gold to get them.
Stats
- Agility is #1 for Wind and Brew
- Int for Mist.
- Stamina is your #1 survival stat at low levels.
- If you find gear with gem sockets then pop in an appropriate gem.
- Enchants if you want ’em: for your primary stat and for Stam. Haste is also a good choice.
- Don’t worry much about secondary stats (Haste, etc.) until you hit the level cap.
Specializations (Spec)
- Windwalker is the best choice for damage and general ease of leveling. This is our choice for general leveling. You can enter the dungeons as “damage” (DPS) or smash face in PvP.
- Mistweaver is great for healing groups, but not so hot for smashing opponents. You can level quite nicely in the dungeons or with a PvP (battlegrounds) group, but questing will be slow since the damage isn’t there.
- Brewmaster is a decent tank, so leveling in dungeons will be fast and easy enough. As a tank your wait times for the dungeons will be close to zero. PvP will be generally painful due to lack of damage. Questing can be fun if you can round up groups of enemies to mash. One on one is a bit slow.
Race
- Anyone, except Goblins, Worgen, and Lightforged Draenei can be a Monk.
- Trolls and Orcs have a nice damage cooldown.
- Humans, Gnomes, and Undead have useful escape abilities (especially in PvP.)
- Night Elves get Shadowmeld, which has its uses.
- see below for more.
Leveling
- See the build, tips, and info below
- Snag a copy of Zygor’s Guide to go really fast.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Windwalker Monk Leveling Build
Depending on your exact situation (healing, tanking, quessting, ganking, battlegrounds, etc) you might want different talents. This set is intended for Windwalkers and generally for questing. Brewmaster talents are here.
You can change your spec any time you’re out of combat. Do some PvP as Mist, switch up to Wind to beat things up, then to Brew to tank that dungeon or that large group of mobs in the open world, and so on. Just be out of combat and you can switch up anytime. You do not need any special items to switch back and forth.
Your talents can easily be changed IF you’re in a “rested XP” area, such as your garrison, an inn, or the big city. No reagents, trainers, or special rituals required.
If you are in the raid/dungeon or out on the world and need to change talents before the next fight? Buy or make (with Inscription) a stack of Tome of the Quiet Mind, which will work up to level 59. From 51 to 60 you can use a Tome of the Still Mind. That will give you one minute to switch up.
Experiment a bit to get a feel for what works best for YOU.
P= Passive, DOT = Damage over Time, CP = Chi Point.
Our picks are checked: 
The “Z” on some talents are from Zygor’s picks.
Tier 1, level 15 talents:
Pick the one that suits YOUR game best.
- Eye of the Tiger (P) – Applies a small DOT to the enemy and a heal to you, both lasting 8 seconds. A passive effect, so will keep that heal going without effort. .
- Chi Wave – provides a small heal to you and a little damage to the target, but will get their attention (and tag them). It’s instant, and has a 25 yard range, so works well as a “Taunt” effect. Since it bounces around it can hit several targets.
- Chi Burst – Hurl a ball of Chi up to 40 yards, damaging all mobs it hits and healing you and any allies in the line. Generates up to 2 Chi. 1 second cast. This is the most generally useful one of the group. Note that it is not targeted, so be careful of your aim.
Tier 2, level 25
- Celerity adds 1 charge to your roll (to a max of 3) and reduces the cooldown by 5 seconds. Replaces your Roll.
- Chi Torpedo sends your flying forward, for a longer distance than your roll, and increases your run speed by 30% for 10 seconds. Replaces your Roll. Need to keep up a good rate of movement, unmounted? This is your pick. 20 second CD, two charges.
- Tiger’s Lust is the pick if you PvP, since it adds an escape from roots and snares. Otherwise it’s a 6 seconds “Sprint” of +70% run speed (no rolls.) It is an added ability and does not replace your Roll, so is also a good general pick.
Tier 3, level 30
- Ascension is a passive effect that increases your max Chi by 1, max Energy by 20, and increases your energy regeneration speed by 10%.
- Fist of the White Tiger is a solid strike that adds 3 Chi, but costs 40 energy, on a 30 second CD. Generally the most useful of this set.
- Energizing Elixir grants 2 Chi and then, over 5 seconds, 75 Energy. 1 minute CD.
Tier 4, level 35
- Tiger Tail Sweep extends the range of your Leg Sweep and reduces its cooldown by 10 seconds. Not generally as useful as the others.
- Good Karma is the most generally useful of the set for leveling & questing. Any damage redirected by your Touch of Karma ability now also heals you.
- Ring of Peace can be dropped around your healer during those moments. Anyone entering the ring in the next 5 seconds is kicked out.
Tier 5, level 40
- Inner Strength (P) keeps up a small damage reduction effect as long as you keep spending Chi. 2% reduction per Chi spent, up to a max of 10%, lasting 5 seconds. Passive. Useful if you don’t fight stuff that will squish you. It’s the pick because it’s passive and is up, to some small degree, almost all the time. The other two will be better for specific situations.
- Diffuse Magic has a 90 second CD and reduces magic damage by 60% for 6 seconds and tries to redirect it back to the caster. Great for fighting certain rares and such.
- Dampen Harm is a 2 min. CD and will reduce damage by up to 50%, with the bigger hits being reduced by more than the smaller ones. Are you likely to get squished? Then this is a good pick.
Tier 6, level 45
- Hit Combo causes each hit that triggers your Mastery, Combo Strikes, to do +1% damage, stacking up to 6%. A little extra damage, passively, over the long run. Good all-purpose pick, but you DO have to make sure you are triggering your mastery. Otherwise take Dance.
- Rushing Jade Wind causes a tornado to appear around you that damages all enemies within 8 yards. Fighting groups all the time? This will be useful. 6 second CD.
- Dance of Chi-Ji (P) gives you a chance to make your next Spinning Crane Kick free and do 200% damage, each Chi you spend has a chance to make that happen. Roughly two procs per minute. You’re a Windwalker, so you are always fighting small groups, right? This is a good pick.
Tier 7, Level 50
- Spiritual Focus (P) reduces the Storm, Earth, and Fire cooldown by 1 second for every 2 chi you spend. Not much use for this one.
- Whirling Dragon Punch is a hard hitting strike when both Fists of Fury and Rising Sun Kick are both on cooldown. Hits hard enough that it’s pretty much the choice for any situation. 24 second CD.
- Serenity replaces your Storm, Earth, and Fire, has a 90 second CD and for 12 seconds you have 20% more damage and healing, all Chi using abilities are free, and they also cool down 100% faster. So you really need a burst cooldown? Then this is your pick, otherwise take the punch.
War Mode Talents
Care to join the PvP game? You’re fine with getting run over occasionally by much higher level players? Cool. You get +10% experience (up to 30% if your side is outnumbered.) At max level you get better world quest rewards.
The value of the rewards will also increase if you side is significantly outnumbered on your server.
Some of the PvP talents are useful for leveling/questing and you gain them at levels 20, 30, and 40. Here are our suggested choices:
The others you can take in any order, pick three:
-
- Turbo Fists improves your Firsts of Fury to now hit all targets for full damage, and while you are channeling it reduces the target’s movement speed by 90% while you parry all attacks.
- Pressure points allows your Touch of Death to instantly kill targets at 10% health or lower. Also its CD resets on that kill or of the target otherwise dies while T of D is active. Nice for rares, elites, etc.
- Fortifying Brew increases max health by 20% and reduces damage taken by 20%, for 15 seconds. NIce for tougher situations.
- Reverse harm lets you cast a small heal and 100% of the amount healed is fired off at the nearest target as damage.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Brewmaster Leveling Talents
Brew doesn’t do the damage that Wind does, but is tougher. Round up those large groups and burn them down.
As mentioned above you can change your spec any time you’re out of combat. Do some PvP as Mist, switch up to Wind to beat things up, then to Brew to tank that dungeon or that large group of mobs in the open world, and so on.
Your talents can easily be changed IF you’re in a “rested XP” area, such as your garrison, an inn, or the big city. No reagents, trainers, or special rituals required.
If you are in the raid/dungeon or out on the world and need to change talents before the next fight? Buy or make (with Inscription) a stack of Tome of the Quiet Mind, which will work up to level 59. From 51 to 60 you can use a Tome of the Still Mind. That will give you one minute to switch up.
This build assumes you are mostly questing in the open world and are rounding up (large) groups to smash when you are able. Experiment a bit to get a feel for what works best for YOU.
P= Passive, DOT = Damage over Time, CP = Chi Point.
Our picks are checked:
The “Z” on some talents are from Zygor’s picks.
Tier 1, level 15 talents:
Pick the one that suits YOUR game best.
-
- Eye of the Tiger (P) – Applies a small DOT to the enemy and a heal to you, both lasting 8 seconds. A decent passive effect, so will keep that heal going without effort. .
- Chi Wave – provides a small heal to you and a little damage to the target, but will get their attention (and tag them). It’s instant, and has a 25 yard range, so works well as a “Taunt” effect. Since it bounces around it can hit several targets.
- Chi Burst – Hurl a ball of Chi up to 40 yards, damaging all mobs it hits and healing you and any allies in the line. Generates up to 2 Chi. 1 second cast. This is the most generally useful one of the group, depending on what you are doing. Note that it is not targeted, so be careful of your aim.
Tier 2, level 25
-
- Celerity (P) adds 1 charge to your roll (to a max of 3) and reduces the cooldown by 5 seconds. Replaces your Roll.
- Chi Torpedo sends your flying forward, for a longer distance than your roll, and increases your run speed by 30% for 10 seconds. Replaces your Roll. Need to keep up a good rate of movement, unmounted? This is your pick. 20 second CD, two charges.
- Tiger’s Lust is the pick if you PvP, since it adds an escape from roots and snares. Otherwise it’s a 6 seconds “Sprint” of +70% run speed on a 30 seconds CD.. It is an added ability and does not replace your Roll, It gives you two burst movements, so is also a good general pick.
Tier 3 Talents, Level 30
-
- Light Brewing (P) reduces by 20% the CDs of your Celestial Brew and your Purifying Brew. Easiest to use of this set, and about as effective overall as Black of Brew, which is why it is the pick.
- Spitfire resets your Breath of Fire CD on a 25% chance when you use your Tiger Palm. Not worth as much as the others.
- Black Ox Brew has a 2 minutes CD and fills you right up. It resets the CD of Celestial Brew, resets the charges of your Purifying Brew, and also refills your Energy. Yummy.
Tier 4 Talents, Level 35
-
- Tiger Tail Sweep extends the range of your Leg Sweep and reduces its cooldown by 10 seconds. Not generally as useful as the others.
- Summon Black Ox Statue drops the statue up to 40 yards away where it will taunt everything in a 20 yard radius. They will eventually kill it. Need to grab those herbs/ores/whatever? Put the statue over there, it pulls the mobs away, then you grab the whatever, and leave. Or provoke the statue and the mobs will all come to you.
- Ring of Peace can be dropped around your healer during those moments. Anyone entering the ring in the next 5 seconds is kicked out.
Tier 5 Talents, Level 40
-
- Bob and Weave (P) extends the duration of your stagger by 3 seconds. Most useful in dungeons and makes your damage a little easier for the healers to deal with.
- Healing Elixir is a nice little beverage and restores 15% of your health.
- Dampen Harm is a 2 min. CD and will reduce damage by up to 50%, with the bigger hits being reduced by more than the smaller ones. Are you likely to get squished by that bi thing you’re fighting? Then this is a good pick.
Tier 6 Talents. Level 45
-
- Special Delivery (P) tosses your keg high into the air, after you have consumed one of your brews. In 3 seconds it will land nearby, do some damage to all within 8 yards of the impact point, and slow them by 50% for 15 seconds. Note that it might completely miss whatever you are fighting.
- Rushing Jade Wind causes a tornado to appear around you that damages all enemies within 8 yards for 6 seconds. Fighting groups all the time? This will be useful. It’s even nice for single targets. 6 second CD.
- Exploding Keg is a flaming keg lobbed to the target location, which then explodes, and does Fire damage to enemies within 8 yards. In addition to the fiery blast, the fumes also causes them to miss their melee attacks for the next 3 sec. That’s some potent stuff you’re drinking. 1 minute CD. Jade Wind is better for most situations.
Tier 7 Talents, Level 50
-
- High Tolerance (P) improves your Stagger by 5% and gives you an increasing Haste buff up to 15%, depending on the amount of damage you are staggering. By far the easiest talent to use in this group.
- Celestial Flames (P) gives you a 30% chance to be coated in Celestial Flames for 6 seconds when you drink from any of your brews. While the flames are active your Spinning Crane Kick will also apply Breath of Fire, and that fire will reduce incoming damage the effected enemies do to you by an additional 5%. Not a very good pick, grab Hi tolerance instead.
- Blackout Combo (P) causes your Blackout Kick to buff your next ability: Keg Smash and Breath of Fire have their CDs reduced by 2 and 3 seconds, respectively. Your next Tiger Palm damage is increased by 100% and your next Celestial Brew pauses your Stagger damage by 3 seconds. Useful, maybe, if you time it perfectly over your fights. High Tolerance is about as effective overall and much easier to use.
PvP (War Mode) Talents
Live dangerously, level with War Mode on. You gain +10% XP, and might get +30% if your side is greatly outnumbered on your server.
The talents suggested here are for general questing and are not optimal for PvP. Of course, like any other talents, you can change them whenever you are in a “rested XP” area, such as an Inn. You can also turn War Mode off there.
Grab them in the order that works best for you. You can choose PvP talents at 20, 30, and 40, though certain talents require other levels.
-
- Craft: Nimble Brew is more PvP-oriented than the other options listed, but the ability to make yourself two get-out-of-CC-free cards is very nice. Crowd Control in the open world, out of PvP, is uncommon, but it does happen. And if it’s a player attacker in the open world? Then you have those two escapes. 1 min. CD, requires level 20.
- Eerie Fermentation as your level if Stagger increases you gain up to 15% Magic Damage reduction, plus up to 30% movement speed. Definitely has its uses. Requires level 20.
- Mighty Ox Kick is a mostly PvP talent, but deserves mention. The ability to kick enemies off of a cliff has little or no value in PvE, but in PvP? Kick them to death. Make them spend twenty minutes trying to reach their corpse. Laugh appropriately.
- Double Barrel is an instant case with a 45 sec. CD. It increase your next Keg Smash damage by 50% and stuns all targets, that it hits, for 3 seconds. Handy if you’ve just rounded up a bunch with some special abilities. Requires level 21.
- Microbrew cuts 50% off the CD of your Fortifying Brew. Use that much? If so then this might be worth a grab. Requires level 28.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Glyphs for Monks
Once upon a time glyphs had useful combat value. That’s been gone for awhile. Some “minor glyphs” are available which make cosmetic changes to various abilities.
Minor glyphs
Most minor glyphs for most classes are just cosmetic, but several of the Monk minors have some small use, such as Glyph of Honor – As a respectful point of your martial training you must always bow to your opponent after using Touch of Death.
The rest of the glyphs, all of which will make you the most kick-butt thing… well, never mind (wink.)
-
- Glyph of Rising Tiger Kick changes the look of your kick to that of the White Tiger.
- Glyph of Crackling Tiger Lightning Changes the look of your Jade Lightning to one more in line with the White Tiger.
- Glyph of Crackling Crane Lightning changes that Jade Lighting look to one of the Red Crane.
- Glyph of Crackling Ox Lightning and to the color of the Ox celestial.
- Glyph of Yu’lon’s Grace changes the color of your Gift of the Ox orbs.
- Glyph of Honor, see above.
- Glyph of Fighting Pose puts you into a fighting pose when using Transcendence.
About the Monk Abilities
All Monks use Chi to power certain abilities, such as Touch of Death. Other abilities generate Chi. your game is to keep rotating these abilities such that you always have some Chi to spend on the appropriate abilities. You will also want to keep an eye on your energy or mana reserves.
Think of Chi points like combo points or Holy power. You use your abilities to build them up and then spend them on other abilities. Jab (gives two points for WW, one for Brew) to Blackout Kick (costs two points,) for example. Abilities like Fists of Fury will use more Chi.
Energy is your other resource and is consumed by abilities such as Tiger Palm. None of your abilities will use both resources at once.
Generally speaking, the Windwalker will be best for most leveling. Mistweavers can heal groups, so will be in demand for dungeon and PvP teams, but do less damage and will find that questing will be slower than with either of the other specs.
For this reason most of the discussion below will be oriented towards Windwalkers. If you like to do dungeons or just want info on the different specs, then check out our PvE pages for each spec, with builds, rotations, gems, enchants, etc. They’re aimed at max level raiding (go here to get there,) but you might find something interesting there: WindWalker DPS, Brewmaster Tanking, Mistweaver Healing.
(P) = a passive ability
General Monk Abilities (All Monks)
These are the abilities that all Monks will learn as they level. See below for the abilities learned by the Windwalker and Brewmasters.
All abilities are learned automatically as you level.
CD = Cooldown, CP = Chi Point.
-
- Level 1 – Parry (P) might deflect an enemy attack.
- 1 – Tiger Palm is your basic strike.
- 1 – Zen Flight lets you fly, at ground level, at running speed on a soft and comfy cloud.
- 2 – Blackout Kick is your basic Chi using strike, it uses 3 CP, and reduces the CD of your Rising Sun Kick and Fists of Fury by 1 second when used.
- 3- Roll lets you dive and roll forward for a few yards, 1 charges, 20 second CD. At level 14 it has 2 charges.
- 4 – Vivify heals you or the target.
- 5 – Crackling Jade Lightning sometimes knocks back the attacker and does some damage over 4 seconds.
- 6 – Leg Sweep lets you spin around, knocked legs out from under your opponents, knocking them down and stunning them for 3 seconds.
- 7 – Spinning Crane Kick is a whirling kick hitting up to 6 enemies within 8 yards around you over 1.5 seconds.
- 8 – Expel Harm heals you and does 10% of the amount healed as damage to the attacker.
- 9 – Provoke is your ability to insult the target so skillfully that it runs towards you. At 39 your insults greatly improve, so the target move towards you at 50% increased speed.
- 10 – Touch of Death instantly kills a creature (not player) with less initial health than you. At 44, against players and stronger creatures, that are under 15% health, it will deal damage equal to 35% of your health. 3 minute CD.
- 11 – Zen Pilgrimage lets you send your spirit to the temple. Just use the ability again to return to the same starting point or nearby. 10 second “cast” time, 1 minute CD.
- 13 – Resuscitate lets you revive, out of combat, your dead associate with 35% health and mana.
- 22 – Paralysis causes one target to stand still for a minute. Damage will cancel the effect. 45 sec. CD, reduced to 35 seconds at level 56.
- 24 – Detox removes all poison and disease effects from you or the target. Assassination Rogues and Death Knights come to mind here…
- 28 – Fortifying Brew lasts 15 seconds and has a 6 min CD. It boosts your current and max health by 15%.
- 30 – Zen Flight lets you travel on a meditative cloud at normal run speeds. Lasts until cancelled. Cannot be used indoors. Basically a normal speed mount.
- 32 – Transcendence lets you split your body and spirit for 15 minutes. Move away and then swap places with your spirit.
- 32 – Transcendence: Transfer lets you actually do the swap. Range is 40 yards. Move too far and you cannot pop back. Stay within 40 yards of your spirit and you can swap every 45 seconds. You can reset your position with Transcendence at any time after the 10 second CD. I’m sure you can find a use for this.
- 49 – Mystic Touch (P) causes the target to take 5% more physical damage from you.
Windwalker and Brewmaster Monk Abilities
These are the abilities that define you as a Windwalker or Brewmaster Monk. Build Chi and Energy, then spend.
Windwalker |
Brewmaster |
|
|
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
More WindWalker Abilities and Buffs
Leveling Monks (all Monks) have a nice daily buff.
- Enlightenment – Increases XP by 50% for an hour. See the Daily Quests section, below. One could argue that this buff makes the Monk one of the, if not THE fastest leveling of all classes. This buff also stacks with any other XP buffs you have, such as from heirlooms.
Movement
Movement is generally better than most classes. You can’t Blink or Sprint, but you can keep up a fairly steady movement that most can’t touch.
- Roll is like a brief sprint. Very useful.
- Flying Serpent Kick lets you quickly travel over a short distance. It’s useful as an escape as well as movement or closing in.
- Your level 30 talents will modify your rolls or add a sprint.
WindWalker Self-Healing
- Bandages – buy off the Auction House or from a friendly tailor. Sure you have some heals, but something a bandage is just the thing.
- Potions – Healing potions (and mana potions for Mistweavers) are generally pretty cheap on the Auction House. If you have the Alchemy profession you can make your own.
- Afterlife summons up healing and Chi spheres.
- All of your level 15 talents help with self-healing, such as Chi Wave.
- Vivify and Detox – Heal yourself up, remove poisons and disease.
Stuns and Control
Stunned opponents do no damage. Neither do Paralyzed opponents.
- Crackling Jade Lightning (18) – Knockback is very nice, unless you’re knocking things away from your tank (in a dungeon,) then it isn’t.
- Paralysis (25) – Nappy time. He wakes up when someone pokes him.
- Touch of Death (lev 32) – What’s better than killing the enemy outright? Well, heavy damage anyway.
- Spear Hand Strike (35) – stops spell casting briefly while you punch his face in.
- Leg Sweep (52) stuns the opposition.
Windwalker Monk Leveling Stats
This section, and the parts below, will mostly focus on Windweaver Monks, since they’re the best choice for general leveling.
- Agility is your #1 stat (Windwalker or Brewmaster.) You have no use for Int or Strength. They’re useless to you.
- Stamina is your health. If you find yourself getting beaten up too often then either find gear with more Stam or buy some Stam enchants off the Auction House (they’re often pretty cheap.) You can also get Stam scrolls and potions.
- Versatility: Increases damage, healing, and absorption done. Reduces damage taken.
- Strength is useless to any Monk.
As a general rule while leveling you will want to stack as much of your main stat (Agility for Windwalkers) as you can. The secondary stats provide an assist. Generally, don’t worry too much about the secondary stats while leveling.
Stat Priority: Agility (Item Level) > Mastery > Versatility
None of the secondary stats are bad, it’s just that Mastery and Versatility are a bit better overall.
- Haste speeds you up in all things, including energy regeneration and how fast your “over time” effects work. It’s “the best of the rest” of the stats.
- Mastery is gained at level 80 and improves some aspect of what you do. For example, with Windwalkers you will the occasional extra charge of Tigereye Brew. You’ll probably find all of the other stats to be of more use.
- Crit is random. It can double your damage or heal, you just can’t count on it.
- Versatility adds to both healing and damage and also to damage reduction, but at half value.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Windwalker and Brewmaster Gearing up
Windwalkers and Brewmasters will want leather armor with Agility. Mistweavers will want Intelligence.
For leveling and questing, if you are NOT in heirlooms, or even if you are, your stats and such are easy:
-
- Any item with a higher item level, then your current item, is better if it has Agility. Agility is better than all other stats.
- Stamina will be on your gear, with the Agility, but you can add to it with potions or scrolls or buffs from teammates. If you’re having a tough time surviving then take advantage of that.
- Don’t worry about Haste, Crit, etc. while leveling, unless you are doing something competitive. Such as level 19 PvP twinkage.
You can often find cheap Stamina enchants on the Auction House. At low level a few points of Stam can make a big difference to your survival.
Some enchants are expensive and you will likely be leveling fast enough that you will be out of your enchanted gear soon. Up to you whether you want to burn the gold for those enchants. The same is true for gems, though gear with gem sockets is pretty uncommon. If you do have the sockets and if Agility or Stam gems are cheap enough, then go for it. If you need more gold to buy gems or anything else, then go here.
Heirloom Gear for Monks
Heirloom Gear is what many are wearing these days, at least those who’ve been around long enough to handle the costs. You can buy them with gold, for a few hundred gold each, and they’re good through level 29. spend a fair amount more and the items are good to50. (Figure 9k gold to give the armor, ring, or trinket a level 50 cap and 13.5k for a weapon. Need more gold?)
Why bother? Because they’re better than any other gear you’re likely to find, at any level, with rare exceptions. And they scale with your level and no other gear does. With a full set you’ll be overgeared for dungeons and questing at your level. They start at level 29 max, then upgrade to 35 > 40 > 45 > 50 > grind new gear from 51 to 60.
To get your heirlooms go see:
- Alliance: Krom Stoutarm is in the Library of Ironforge, which is found on the north-eastern edge of the outer ring.
- Horde: Estelle Gendry lurks around the south-western side of the Rogue’s Quarter of Undercity. Note that if you are 110+ and Undercity has been sacked, then she is on top of the front gates of Orgrimmar.
- Guild Vendors will have several items for sale.
- PvP heirlooms in your main PvP hall in Orgrimmar or Stormwind.
Heirlooms Vs Blues: At the point when you get them, if they are at your level, blue titled gear will often be a little better than your heirlooms. The ‘looms will pull ahead in a level or two. I recommend just keeping the ‘looms and selling the other gear. If you don’t have any heirlooms then skip the above. 🙂 Is it all too easy? Probably, if you constantly have the best gear. Of course, that’ll also mean that you’ll level that much faster as you mow down the opposition.
- Easy mode: Get the best gear you can, all the way. Heirlooms are great.
- Moderate: Nothing better than quest gear. Use only what you find. No heirlooms.
- Hard: Nothing better than white titled gear. No quest rewards. Or just don’t bother to upgrade the initial gear set you get when you create your Monk.
- Naked?? Once upon a time a Naked Troll leveled to 60 with no gear, other than his weapon. Naturally he was a Hunter, Monks weren’t invented yet. So if you want “really hard mode” …
- Insane: Now do any of the above, “moderate” or harder, with War Mode on.
Do You Want to Enchant Your Gear?
If you are in quest gear then only items you will keep for awhile (“awhile” is defined by you.) Various enchants are available, but they top out at certain item levels. A couple will last through Shadowlands, but your gear won’t.
Shadowlands enchants require that you be at least level 50. All of the older enchants can be applied to level 1 items and will scale down appropriately, the new Shadowlands enchants wont. Note that for leg and shoulder enchants you will need a level 32 character to apply them, and then send the enchanted item to your level 1.
This first group is for items that are available as heirlooms.
-
- Head, Trinkets: : None.
- Neck: Mark of the Claw: Sometimes increase Crit and Haste by 16 for 6 seconds. Max item level 60.
- Back: Binding of Agility, +3 Ag, Cannot be used past item level 60.
- Chest: Glorious Stats: +4 to all stats, max item level is 50.
- Cloak: Binding of Agility: +3 Ag., max item level is 60.
- Shoulders: Tiger Claw, +5 Ag, +2 Crit, max item level is 50.
- Legs: Shadowleather Leg Armor, +6 Ag, +3 Crit, Requires a level 85 to apply, item level 50 max.
- Rings: Get Accord of Haste or Crit or mastery or Versatility, each adds +9.
- Weapons: Force Multiplier: Sometimes gain +28 Ag and +18 Mastery, Haste, Or Crit (it picks your highest stat.) 15 seconds.
Non-heirloom pieces
-
- Wrist: Greater Agility, +5 Ag, Max is 50.
- Gloves: Superior Haste, +8 Haste, 50 item level max.
- Belt: Engineers can add some “enchants” to their own belts and Blacksmiths can add a gem socket.
- Boots: Greater Precision, +4 Crit; Greater Haste, +4 Haste; Panda Step, +3 Mastery and slightly faster run; all max out at item level 50.
For the Shadowlands, All require level 50+
-
- Back: Enchant Cloak – Fortified Leech: +20 Stam and +30 Leech. Or you can take one with +30 Speed or Avoidance, or one with +30 Stam.
- Chest: Enchant Chest – Eternal Stats: +30 to all stats
- Rings: Enchant Ring – Tenet of Versatility: +16 vers. Mastery, Haste, and Crit are also available if you prefer.
- Boots: Eternal Agility adds +15 to your Ag.
- Weapons:
- Enchant Weapon – Sinful Revelation: sometimes the target will take 6% more damager from your attacks.
- Enchant Weapon – Celestial Guidance: Sometimes increases your Ag. (or Int, if Mistweaver) by 5% for 10 seconds. Does not stack, but additional procs will refresh the duration.
- Enchant Weapon – Lightless Force: Sometimes sends out a wave of Shadow Force, hitting up to 5 targets in front of you. Like rounding up the groups?
- Enchant Weapon – Ascended Vigor: Sometimes will get +12% to any healing done to you, for 10 seconds.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Monk Consumables, Dailies, Etc.
Note that a Pandaren Monk will be the one of the faster levelers in the game, due to enhanced rest XP and the Monk quests.
Monk Daily Quests
Starting at level 20 you will be able to do a Monk only Daily quest. The first of these is here and it simply involves beating up one of the Monk Masters at the Peak of Serenity. Besides being a chance to prove your mightiness, it gives you an opportunity to achieve Enlightenment, which provides a 50% boost to all XP for an hour.
This is a pretty cool mechanic and the other classes should have something similar. For now, they don’t.
- If this is your first time to the Peak you will be able to follow the tour guide around.
- Use Zen Pilgrimage to get to the Peak of Serenity, once there you will be able to grab the quest to Defeat Master Cheng. As you level up you will eventually fight different masters, but the general routine is the same.
- Head down to the lower combat area, find him, challenge him, wait for him to move to the center of the area, /bow him, and engage. Use your roll to get out of any area effect (fire, spinning kicks, etc.) effects. Your stuns and interrupts can also block these effects.
- If you like, and you are well geared (such that the Master has less health than you,) you can simply use Touch of Death to finish them and skip the mechanics.
- When done head back up and hand it in.
- Use your Zen Pilgrimage to head back to the graveyard nearest your starting point, or just hearth.
- Note that you can use the portals in the temple to take you to Stormwind or Orgrimmar (to do whatever.) You can use your Zen Pilgrimage from the big city to return to your questing area.
Spend your XP buff.
Consumables
Alchemists get better effect from their potions and stuff, Pandarens get better food buffs. These aren’t essential, but they will make you more effective and/or increase your survival chances.
- Scrolls – You can buy scrolls to buff Agility (or Stam or Int or other stats) off the Auction House. Usually they’re pretty cheap. Anyone with the Inscription skill can also make them. Scrolls count as Elixirs, so you can have a scroll and an elixir at the same time.
- Potions – Healing and mana potions are often cheap, potions that buff stats are usually more expensive. Keep a few on your action bar.
- Elixirs and Flasks – These buff a stat, such as Agility, for a period of time. Usually an hour.
- Food – Various foods will buff stats. Browse the Auction House or talk to your favorite cook.
Race choice for Monks
The #1 reason to pick any given race is to play something you like. The racial bonuses are all pretty small, though some are useful. Your skill at using your abilities will far outweigh your racials. The details are below if you really want to be “efficient.”
If you’re a PvP fiend, then it’s Orcs > Humans > Blood Elves > Undead as the most used races at 2200+. (source)
All races except Goblin, Worgen, and Lightforged Draenei can be monks.
Shadowlands brings a nice change to the Allied Races: You no longer have to achieve “exalted” reputation with each race, just do certain campaign quests and earn an achievement.
Then hit the appropriate embassy (in Stormwind or Orgrimmar) for the final tasks to acquire the race.
-
- This is the achievement to earn Void Elf: You Are Now Prepared!
- Nightborne: Insurrection
- Highmountain Tauren: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
- Dark Iron Dwarf: Ready for War
- Mag’har Orc: Ready for War
- These are achievements to earn Zandalari Troll: Zandalar Forever! and Tides of Vengeance
- These are achievements to earn Kul Tiran: A Nation United and Tides of Vengeance
- Mechagnome: The Mechagonian Threat
- Vulpera: Secrets in the Sands
When you start your new character with one of the original races, you will be at level 1 and will have the choice of starting in your own racial zone or the new Exile’s Reach zone. If you are brand new to World of Warcraft then Exile’s is where you will start. Your second character will have the option of starting in their racial starting zone.
Exile’s is a starter zone for people brand new to the game, though it’s also fine for experienced types. It will teach you some of the “how to” about getting around and using your abilities. Allied races will skip both zones.
At level 10 you will be able to choose which area you want to level in. Just talk to Chromie in your capital city (Stormwind or Orgrimmar) or check the mission board (near the front gates to the city.)
The Allied Races start at level 10, and so skip the starting zones.
Pandaren
-
- Can choose to join either the Horde or the Alliance upon earning the right to leave their starting area. You don’t have to join, you can play as a “neutral” for awhile, if you want to experiment.
- Melee range stun has definite uses, even for Mistweavers, as it allows an escape from melee.
- Inner Peace: Rested XP lasts longer for faster leveling.
- Epicurean provides increased benefits from food buffs, which is generally a very nice ability.
- Being “Bouncy” means you take less falling damage; it is just the thing if you’re into cliff jumping.
- Their Gourmand ability provides a +15 cooking bonus.
Alliance
Human
-
- Your Every Man for Himself ability removes all stun effects (no other effects are removed,) so is something like a partial PvP trinket. This effect shares a 90 sec cooldown with other similar effects.
- The Human Spirit : You gain 2% more of all secondary stats (Haste, Critical Strike, Mastery, Versatility) from all sources.
- And since you are skilled at Diplomacy you have a 10% faster rep gain with everyone than does any other race. Useful at times, especially if you want the perks that come from “Exalted,” such as access to the various allied races.
- Need an inspiring figure? Check out this WoW Jaina Figurine
Dwarf
-
- Stone Form is a nice PvP talent, and occasionally useful elsewhere. It washes away bleeds, various magical effects, and adds a 10% damage reduction for a few seconds.
- Might adds 2% to your critical damage (not crit rating.)
- Explorer – Dwarves are good with Archeology.
- Being naturally cool, you have a bit (1%) of Frost Resistance .
Night Elf
-
- Shadowmeld causes you to become essentially invisible. It requires you to stay still. It drops aggro and can be used in combat. If you time ‘meld just so you can break incoming spells.
- Quickness makes you slightly harder to hit and slightly increases your run speed. +2% to each.
- Touch of Elune: Increases your Haste by 1% during the night. Increases your Critical Strike by 1% during the day.
- Transform into a Wisp Spirit upon death, increasing speed by 75%. Hopefully you will only rarely have any use for this trait.
Gnome
-
- Your Escape Artist ability allows you to break the effects of any immobilization or movement speed reduction effect, but not stuns. Great for PvP, occasionally useful elsewhere. Every one minute.
- Plus your Nimble Fingers give you a +1% Haste boost.
- Your Expansive Mind increases your “resource: (such as Energy, Rage, etc.) by 5%.
- And your Engineering Specialization gives you +15% to that skill.
- You also have a bit of Arcane Resistance , and so take 1% less damage from the stuff.
Draenei
-
- The Gift of the Naaru (a Heal Over Time effect, 20% heal over 5 seconds) acts as a secondary bandage every 3 minutes and, like a bandage, it can also heal an ally.
- You have the extra Strength (and Agility and Intellect,) from Heroic Presence , that one might think you’d have from the body-building work. These stats scale up as you level.
- Your skill at Gemcutting gives you +10% to your Jewelcrafting skill.
- Being a devout follower “of the light” you have Shadow Resistance , for 1% less Shadow Damage.
- Cannot be: Rogue, Warlock, Druid, or Demon Hunter.
- World of Warcraft Draenei Paladin on Amazon
Dark Iron Dwarf – Starts at level 10.
-
- Your Fireblood removes all poison, disease, curse, magic, and bleed effects, just like your Dwarven “brethren,” but your ability increases your primary stat (Agility) by 600(!) (scales with level) +200 for for each additional effect removed. Lasts 8 sec. with a 2 min cooldown.
- You’re a tunnel dweller and Dungeon Delver and you’ve learned how to move 4% faster while indoors, plus your people have the Mole Machine : While out doors you can summon a Mole Machine that tunnels through the earth and can pop you up in a variety of places.
- Having spent your life working in the forges you have a Mass Production skill , giving you +5 to your blacksmithing skill and letting you work 25% faster.
Kul Tiran– Starts at level 10.
-
- Wind up, then unleash your mighty Haymaker upon your foe. Doesn’t hurt much, but does stun then for 3 seconds and knocks them back substantially. 2.5 minute cooldown. Knock ’em back then roll in to attack.
- Your Child of the Sea ability lets you swim a bit faster and hold your breath longer than anyone who is not Undead.
- You are a Jack of All Trades which increases all of your Tradeskills by 5. Unfortunately it does not give you free tradeskills, just a boost to the ones you actually learn.
- Many generations of seafaring experience have earned you the Rime of the Ancient Mariner ability, and so you take 1% less from Frost and Nature damage.
- Being tough you have your Forged in Flames ability, and take a bit less physical damage.
Mechagnome– Starts at level 10.
-
- Hyper Organic Light Originator summons a couple of images of you to distract your foes. Added damage or use it to give yourself a moment to set something up. See it in action here .
- And you get some Racial Passives:
- Combat Analysis : You gather and analyze combat data every 5 sec, increasing your Strength by 25, stacking up to 10 times. The data decays while out of combat.
- Mastercraft : You function as a personal Blacksmithing Anvil, Cooking Fire, and Mining Forge. In addition, your limbs include every profession tool.
- Emergency Failsafe : When you fall below 20% health, heal for 15% of your maximum health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 2.5 min.
- Skeleton Pinkie : Allows opening of locked chests and doors at your current level x 5, so at level 100 you can unlock chests that require 500 skill.
Void Elf– Starts at level 10.
-
- Your abilities have a chance to empower you with the essence of the Void, Entropic Embrace , which increases your damage by 5% for 12 sec. It has a 33% proc chance with 60 seconds internal cooldown. Nothing like a bit of Void energy added to your attacks, right?
- Spatial Rift : Tear a rift in space. Reactivate this ability to teleport through the rift. 30 yd range. 3 min cooldown. You can activate this, then change direction, hit it again, and be back to the original spot. Practice this to get a good idea of how it works, it has similarities to your level 80 Transcendence ability.
- Your etheral connection gives you a 50% discount on Void Storage and Transmog.
- Your calm means that your casts are not delayed by incoming damage.
- Chill of Night reduces the Shadow damage that you take by 1%.
Horde
Orc
-
- Blood Fury increases your Attack Power and Int for 15 seconds, every 2 minutes.
- Hardiness allows a 20% decreased stun duration, which is nice for PvP.
- Durotan will now charge your phone: Warcraft Durotan Statue Phone Charging Dock(!) on Amazon
Undead
-
- You have a rather nice Drain Life ability, which will actually add a bit to your DPS numbers. It also allows underwater breathing.
- Will of the Forsaken is a nice PvP ability (anything that breaks Fear, etc is a nice PvP skill.) It removes fear, sleep, and charms.
- Cannibalize is useful when you just have to rub it in to that other player you killed. Maybe that’s good enough reason to go Undead.
- You also have a bit of Shadow Resistance , taking 1% less damage from those shadows.
Tauren
-
- War Stomp is a very useful area stun for Brew or Wind, Mist might find it useful to get away from melee.
- Your mighty Endurance gives you an increase to base health, which scales with level.
- Your massive size, your sheer Brawn power, gives you 2% added Crit damage (not crit chance.) It also give that same 2% bonus to and healing abilities you have.
- Tauren are good with Herbalism and have +15% skill.
- You also have a bit of Nature Resistance , taking 1% less Nature Damage.
Troll
-
- Berserking increases your Haste by 10% for 12 seconds, on a 3 minute cooldown. Generally useful, since it reduces cooldowns and gives you faster resource regeneration.
- You get a 20% XP increase when Beast Slaying . This only applies to beasts, not humanoids or other non-beasts. You’ll be chopping up lots of beasts while leveling, so this is a nice bonus. Not useful once at max level.
- Da Voodoo Shuffle gives you a nice 20% reduced duration of movement impairing effects, such as snares, slows, etc. Not stuns or anything else.
- Regeneration , Mon! Trolls regenerate 10% faster than others and can even regenerate a bit while in combat, not that you are likely to notice.
Blood Elf
-
- Your Arcane Torrent removes one beneficial effect from any nearby enemies (8 yards) and restores some or your Energy.
- And your Arcane Acuity gives you a bit more crit (1%.)
- Naturally your Arcane Affinity gives you +10% to the Enchanting skill.
- And your Arcane Resistance allows you to take 1% less Arcane damage.
Nightbourne– Starts at level 10.
-
- You can do an Arcane Pulse , which damages all nearby enemies and reduces their speed for 12 seconds. Note that this will break most “crowd control” effects you might have on those enemies. 3 minute cooldown.
- Can read your mail from anywhere, with your Cantrips ability. Get a note while you’re in the middle of nowhere? No problem.
- Your love of lore and Ancient History give you +15 to your Inscription skill.
- Your Arcane Resistance allows you to take 1% less damage from Arcane energy and you also have a Magical Affinity which allows you to do 1% more magical damage.
HighMountain Tauren– Starts at level 10.
-
- Bull Rush is a charge forward that knocks down any enemies in your path. It’s a fast move and a decently long charge. Can be used as another burst movement.
- Being versatile you get +1% Versatility ( Mountaineer ) and you also take a bit less damage ( Rugged Tenacity .) Both are nice passives.
- Your Pride of Ironhorn allows you to mine faster and adds 15% to your mining skill.
- Having gone to survival school your philosophy is Waste Not, Want Not , so you have a chance to gather more meat and fish from appropriate situations.
Mag’har Orc – Starts at level 10.
-
- Your Ancestral Call will boost a random secondary stat (crit, haste, versatility) for 12 seconds on a 2 minute cooldown. The boost scales with level.
- Your love of the open skies increases your mounted speed by 10%.
- Savage Blood : Since you are extremely healthy you get reduced duration of curses, poisons, and diseases (by 10%.)
Zandalari Troll– Starts at level 10.
-
- Your Embrace of the Loa ability allows you to choose which Loa you are associated with. Has a 5 day cooldown. Each embrace also lasts through death.
- Embrace of Bwonsamdi – Your damaging abilities have a chance to deal Shadow damage and heal you for 100% of the damage done. Pretty good general ability for tanks and damage dealers.
- Embrace of Kimbul – Your damaging abilities have a chance to cause the target to bleed over 6s. This effect stacks up to 3 times. More damage is always good.
- Embrace of Pa’ku – Your abilities have a chance to grant you +4% critical strike for 12 seconds. Live by the crit? This is for you. This is your default Loa.
- Embrace of Akunda – Your healing abilities have a chance to heal their target for some extra points. Good for anyone with a ranged heal.
- Embrace of Gonk – Increase movement speed by 5%.
- Embrace of Krag’wa – Taking damage has a chance to grant you additional Health and 66 Armor. Good tanking ability.
- Regeneratin’ – Regenerate 100% of your maximum health over 6 sec, interrupted by damage. 2.5 min cooldown.
- Pterrordax Swoop – Slows your fall for two minutes. Time for some serious cliff jumpin’.
- Your Embrace of the Loa ability allows you to choose which Loa you are associated with. Has a 5 day cooldown. Each embrace also lasts through death.
Vulpera – Starts at level 10.
-
-
Dailies, Dungeons, Professions, and more
Plus, You Get Leveled Fast! Start Here.Bag of Tricks : Cunning thing that you are you can use a trick on an enemy to damage them or on an ally to heal them. You can rummage your bag to change tricks. Your bag can eventually have a few additional Tricks:
- Flames of Fury : Deal Fire Damage – Drops from Ragnaros in the Firelands.
- Sinister Shadows : Deal Shadow Damage – Drops from Cho’gall in Bastion of Twilight.
- Holy Relic : Heal with Holy Magic – Drops from Entropius in Sunwell Plateau.
- Make Camp : Set your camp location outdoors and then you can use Return to Camp , which teleports back to your camp location. Basically another hearthstone.
- Nose For Trouble : Take a little less damage from the first strike inflicted by an enemy and due to your being wary around fire, your Fire Resistance reduces fire damage taken by 1%.
- Your Alpaca Saddlebags increase the total size of your backpack by 8 slots.
-
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Professions
Skillz to pay the billz? Maybe. You have the crafting and the gathering professions. If you want to make the gold then then gathering professions are the best choice for most people. Run around for awhile, or gather as you leveling, pile up stacks of ores, skins, or herbs, and send it to your bank alt for future reference.
The gathering professions are the easiest for earning decent amounts of gold. Just gather the stuff up and sell it. By the way, Mining and Herbalism also grant XP.
-
- Herbalism – The best of the gathering professions. Why? gather herbs, make gold, sweet. You will also, with the new M of P herbs, find the occasional life and water spirits. These provide a very nice heal and mana regen, respectively.
- Mining – Smash rocks, build big muscles, sell ore, make gold.
- Skinning – Skin ’em up and sell the skins.
The Crafting Professions have their sweet spots if you want to make stuff to sell. You will also be able to make stuff that people can use for transmogrification.
Leatherworking will get you your armor, Inscription for a staff or Blacksmithing for swords or other blades. Or just buy ’em.
-
- Alchemy: Grind up herbs to make potions, elixirs, and flasks with a variety of interesting effects. Plays very well with Herbalism. You can also create a very nice trinket and upgrade it.
- Blacksmithing: You won’t be able to use the armor, but you can make some useful weapons and other items, suck as keys, which can be useful.
- Enchanting: Enchant you own gear, disenchant gear that you don’t want and sell of use the resulting parts. Transmog the enchants on your gear (Draenor.)
- Engineering: Make all sorts of useful stuff (bombs! Rockets! Gliders!)
- Inscription: Make cosmetic glyphs, shoulder enchants, off hand items, staves, Darkmoon cards, and some other items. There’s some opportunity to make back your costs. Inscription is also is bit cheaper and easier to level than the others.
- Jewelcrafting: Makes gems for sockets and also make a variety of rings and neck pieces.
- Leatherworking: Make your own leather armor, if such things interest you.
- Tailoring: Not much here for Monks except a flying carpet.
The other professions
-
- Archeology: Great for lore hunters, but a boring profession otherwise. There’s some interesting stuff at the high end to be found, but you’ll likely take a long time to find it unless you’re lucky. Can also find a recipe for, and create, a dragon mount if you also have Alchemy.
- Fishing: Mostly just a way to pass the time, gathering fish for cooking or other uses (some are used in Alchemy.) Various fishing daily quests will allow you to earn interesting items. In Pandaria you can actually cook all the junk fish you catch (Golden Carp) or sell them to the vendor. In Draenor you can do a daily quest, in your Garrison, that awards +15 skill per day.
- Cooking: Create all kinds of yummy delicacies. Foods can enhance stats and regenerate health and/or mana.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
Tips for Monk Leveling
It used to be that a decent speed to get to level 60 was about 6 days in-game time. It’s a lot faster now and if you know what you’re doing and charge forward you can hit 120 in roughly the same time. Apparently Shadowlands will be much faster, at least to 50. 50 to 60 might be a more “normal” pace.
Even More XP
-
- Heirloom pieces have something called a “set bonus.” Get at least two items and your rested XP lasts longer, 6 items and it lasts much longer. And you “explode” when you level, which will damage mobs surrounding you. Fun when it happens.
- Do your Daily Quest. When done you will get a 50% experience bonus for an hour: Enlightenment. See above for more info on the daily thing.
- Log out at an Inn for the “Rest XP” bonus when you come back.
- PvP leveling, via the Battlegrounds, can get some fast XP if your side is winning. Mistweavers will always be in demand in the BGs and Windwalkers can get by just fine.
- Dungeon leveling can be a nice break from questing and can provide some fast XP. Windwalkers will want to mix this up with questing since the dungeon Queues can take awhile. Brewmasters, being tanks, can literally park in the inn and queue for dungeons, since their wait time will be very short. Keep in mind that most groups you hook up with will want to move quickly.
- Level with a new friend for 3x XP via Blizzard’s Recruit a Friend plan.
General Stuff
Having enough gold can make the process of leveling easier, in that you can buy the big bags, better gear, and so on. Either work those gathering skills hard or take a look at our gold guide for many more tips.
-
- Make a bank alt. It’s a new character which will live at the Auction House. You will mail all of your sellable stuff to this character and post it on the Auction House when you like. This save the long trip to the nearest Auction House and back. Just drop the stuff in the mail and get back to whatever you were doing.
- Get the biggest bags you can afford as this will minimize trips back to town to dump stuff. With a bit of luck you might be able to get them through your guild.
- Food is good to have, just ask your Pandaren trainers. It’ll restore your health and/or mana and some foods will buff stats. Always carry a stack of the best healing food you can find.
- Potions of healing are nice to have for emergencies. All Monks have good self-healing abilities, but sometimes things get a bit tight. A few potions can save you a run from the nearest graveyard.
- If you’re feeling squishy then get better gear and consider Stamina enchants and scrolls.
How to Play Your Monk
Windwalker Monk Basics
This covers the basics of playing a Windwalker Monk and assumes that your are a beginner to the game, or simply have not played WW before. It covers the “what and why” of your attacks and does not cover talents, or any of the Shadowlands end-game stuff (Covenants, etc.)
Brewmaster Tanking Basics
This guide assumes you know the basics of Brewmastery already. It’s aimed at raids and mythic dungeons, but the info is good for much lower level tanks. It will give you an idea of how to play as a tank and also the “when and why” of your various abilities.
Go to: Top — Quickie — WW talents — Brew talents — abilities — stats — gear — Dailies — Races — Profs — Tips — Videos — PvP notes — Level Faster
PvP Leveling and Dungeon Leveling
Dungeons for the New Player
If you’re new to the game and/or the dungeon thing, then here are a couple of tips.
- As a Windwalker, using the “dungeon finder” tool, you will enter the dungeon as “Damage.” The queue to actually get in might take awhile, so go quest or something while you wait.
- Once you’re in figure out who the “tank” is and follow him for the entire dungeon, even if others run off some other direction. It’s the Tank’s job to gather up all the enemies while you pound them down and the healer keeps everyone healthy.
- I like to put a star on the tank’s head. It makes it a lot easier to follow him around. Click the tank, right click his nameplate, select “target marker icon” and pick the star. Some tanks don’t care for that and will remove it, most are Ok with it.
- Do NOT go chasing other enemies that the tank is not attacking.
Onward
Brewmasters especially will find the dungeons to be fast leveling. Your wait times will be near zero and, as tank, you have command of the group and can set the pace. See our Brew Tank page for tanking info and rotations and such. Even though you’re not yet max level you will get some useful info there.
As tank your gear is more important than that of the rest of your team. Do what you can to get better gear, usually this will mean keeping an eye on the Auction House. or breaking down and buying those heirlooms.
For PvP you likely won’t do enough damage to find it interesting, though your durability will be fine. Get a pocket healer and you should be able to stay up for quite some time.
WindWalkers can join in the dungeons as Damage (or DPS,) and have the same chance for nice gear and plenty of XP. The only problem is that you will have to wait awhile for each queue to let you in, DPS doesn’t have the same short waits that tanks do. Be prepared for a group that wants to move along as quickly as possible. Stay behind the opposition, where possible, and blast away. Interrupt casters with Leg Sweep, Spear Hand, etc.
For PvP you don’t have much in the way of burst damage or control, even though your steady damage is just fine. Without the burst and control you will be at a disadvantage. Beyond that, PvP is about being aware of what’s going on and what others can do, as well as knowing your own stuff inside out. Stay with a group, stay with your healers (and protect them,) and then harass and burn down the opposition. When fighting casters you might try this:
- Spear hand to leg sweep to Fists of Fury to Paralysis to Spear hand.
This will keep them effectively stunned and silenced. Mix in your regular strikes to turn them into jelly. You can see more about this rotation, and some other tricks, on Skill-Capped.
Mistweavers are like any other healer in Warlords of Draenor, very hard to kill in PvP and essential to group survival in dungeons and raids. Keep the group alive and you won’t have to (or be able to) kill anything.
In PvP you should find yourself some “damage” to hang out with. Keep them alive and they’ll kill stuff for you. 
The Fastest Monk Leveling
Even with the hot gear and having leveled several characters before, there are still thousands of quests and endless enemies to destroy to get to max level. You can do it all yourself or you can save a lot of time and grab yourself an in-game leveling guide.
As you can see from the pic, Zygor will show you where to go, what to do, what to collect, and seamlessly switch to the next task when you’re done, regardless of your current level.
Whether you’re brand new to the World of Warcraft or decked head to toe in heirlooms, Zygor will get you to the level cap fast. Even if you grab a bunch of levels in the dungeons or PvP Zygor has your back. Come back to questing and it will automatically adjust to your current level, show you the best place to go next, and help zap any old quests.
To make things even faster Zygor can auto-accept and hand in quests. This speeds things up nicely.
And if you’re just not quite sure about gear or talents, well, Zygor will help you out there, too. Its adviser functions will make the decisions easy. Go here to get yours now and get leveled faster.
Many of the glyph descriptions are wrong. Can these get updated?
Yeah. Too many other things going on, but I’ll get to that very soon. The links should pop up the correct descriptions though. (10/21: All Done.)
Why would I grind out a full set of honor gear if I’m just going to replace it later with conquest point gear?
Because it makes it much easier to get that conquest gear. And Your comment belongs on the Monk PvP gear page.
tand for pvp guys what do you say? 2W or 2h? cuse when i brought pvp 1h wepons my miss chance get to 18% in autoatacks and theres no way to gtet taht to 0 with pvp gear even with all gear reforged for hit so maybe 2h for pvp btter ?
For leveing it’s generally easier to get a decent 2h weapon than two 1h weapons. For PvP, after you’ve hit 90, go with the DW for better stats and better overall damage. See our Monk PvP gearing guide for gear notes.
As for Hit: You only need 3%, regardless of weapons. If Dual Wielding then any additional Hit applies to you autoattack, but that additional Hit is best spent elsewhere.