Continuing to level as Horde in...

The Barrens

By Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle
Last Update: July 27, 2006


Introduction

The Barrens is one of the largest zones in World of Warcraft, the most popular leveling spot for Horde in their teens, and an intersection for travelling high-level Horde and Alliance alike. Just about every kind of Kalimdorian enemy you can imagine also takes up residence in the Barrens, from the prolific Razormane that cover a large swath of the center of the map south down to Razorfen Kraul, to the Southsea Buccaneers who control Northwatch Hold, to the destructive Venture Co. ravaging the landscape around the Sludge Fen in the northeast to Bael Modan in the southeast, to the Kolkar centaur that run rampant west to the Stonetalon Mountains and hundreds of voracious natural beasts in between . The Barrens is also home to three instanced dungeons for groups of adventurers, Wailing Caverns (suitable for adventurers level 17-24), Razorfen Kraul (level 29-38), and Razorfen Downs (level 37-46).

Aside from adventure opportunities, you'll find yourself travelling through the Barrens long past when you can benefit from hunting there. The Crossroads, in the center of the Barrens, is Azeroth's LAX, though after patch 1.10 you may not touch at the Crossroads en-route to your destination, more Horde flights originate here than from any other Horde flight master. Ratchet, to the east of the Crossroads, is a neutral port for ships bound for Booty Bay. The Barrens also borders such frequently travelled zones as starting zones of Durotar and Mulgore, step-up zones like Ashenvale Forest, Stonetalon Mountains, and Thousand Needles, and the high-level zone of Dustwallow Marsh.

The least you need to know

Gates

Crossroads

Unlike many zones that get progressively more difficult as you work your way in, in the Barrens difficulty sort of radiates outward from the Crossroads. You'll want to make the Crossroads your first stop anyway to speak with the flight master there, and grab several progressive quests that begin there. These quests should keep you busy until level 14 or so; if in doubt, head northeast. The Oasis quests can be done solo, if you're very careful not to draw aggro. Eventually, Crossroads quests will push you eastward toward Ratchet, where there's more quests to be had (some of which lead to Wailing Caverns, which offers some nice loot and rewards but isn't a must-do instance if you can't easily find a group).

From here, head south along the coast to address the Southsea Buccaneers quests. I'm not a fan of the Sludge Fen quests; you can work around these if you like. Knock out the raptor nest quests with a partner, then head towards Camp Taurajo when you're level 17 or so. The Bristlebacks, Kodos, and assorted quests here should push you to your late ninetines, at which point you can carefully take on the silithids and Bael Modan quests. While you can find mobs level 24+ in the south of the Barrens, you'll probably want to move on to greener pastures like Ashenvale Forest, Stonetalon Mts., or Thousand Needles.

Map

Tirisfal Glades Map

Quests

Fortunately, quests in the Barrens roll right into each other and, if you're having trouble on a particular quest branch (such as the level 14-16 Kolkar quests), you can easily find a set of quests that will pull you through that same level range with less trouble (such as the Southsea Buccaneers quests, which start with The Missing Shipment in Ratchet). Quests in this zone are structured this way through level 20, roughly. Check out Ten Ton Hammer's The Barrens Quest Database for a complete list of quests and quest info for The Barrens.

Harvesting in The Barrens

  • Ore - Abundant quantities of copper and tin are found all over the Barrens, especially on and around the mountainous portions and edges. Small amounts of Silver, Iron, and even small quantities of Mithril (in the southern part of the zone) can be found as well, but you're far better searching for these elsewhere.
  • Herbalism - You can find all types of herbs at random spots on the wide open spaces of The Barrens up to a skill level of 125. This includes (in order of increasing rarity): Peacebloom, Silverleaf, Earthroot, Mageroyal, Briarthorn, Stranglekelp (off-shore), Bruiseweed, Kingsblood, Wild Steelbloom, and Grave Moss.
  • Skinning - There's an abundance of creatures in The Barrens that generally yield Light Leather.

Other Guides to Check Out

Bael Modan

What's next?

You have a variety of options for where to go after the Barrens. The next stop that pretty much every Horde player makes is Tarren Mill in the Hillsbrad Foothills, but you'll probably want to wait till your mid-20s to make the arduous trip over the Great Sea to join the battle raging in Hillsbrad. For the moment, check out the quests in and around Stonetalon Mts. and Ashenvale Forest to the north. In the mid-20s, you can alternatively head south to Thousand Needles to continue the fight there!


Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with comments, suggestions, or whatnot.

 

 

 

 


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Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Jeff joined the Ten Ton Hammer team in 2004 covering EverQuest II, and he's had his hands on just about every PC online and multiplayer game he could since.

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