Duskwood - Alliance

Duskwood is an eire terror infested forest that can sometimes bring chills to you. The whole area is dark and shadow covered. Spiders, wolves and worse lurk behind every tree. As an Alliance player it is the first really evil zone that you get to, and requires you to change pace a little and slow down or be killed. While very dark in tone the zone is a favorite for many Alliance players as it really brings some suspense to the game. I know this is the first zone that really made me jump, when something popped out from behind a tree in a dark area.

There are many quests in the zone and because it is a large zone laid out over a long distance sometimes travel becomes an issue. The zone connects to the Redridge mountains on one side and Westfall on the other. In the middle are connections to Strangevale Jungle and Deadwind pass that are zones for higher levels.

While there are lots of quests in Duskwood, there are not enough to just level here. The Wetlands and Duskwood are both similar levels and should likely be done switching between the two for quests in your appropriate level range. There are a ton of quests in the area to keep you busy from the mid to high 20's. You can do them at lower level if you have a good group, but you can be killed quickly if things go wrong.

Some of the main quest lines in Duskwood are the Sven's Revenge, The Hermit, The Legend of Stalvan and The Worgen in the Woods chains. Several of which are very long and really move the story of the zone along. They generally cross through many levels and are very hard to complete in a row. Many times you will need to zone to level up a few levels and then return, or find a large group to complete it with.

Make sure you continue to improve your profession skills while here. If you are a herbalist you will continue to find the odd mageroyal and wild steelbloom here, however the most common herbs will be briarthorn, bruiseweed, grave moss and kingsblood. Miners will continue to find copper and lots of tin, but will also start to find moderate amounts of iron and the odd truesilver deposit. Lastly skinners can find a very high density of beasts to skin here, almost all you will need to move from 95 to 150 skill in skinning.

A complete list of quests in Duskwood can be found in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for Duskwood . We also have a Map of Duskwood in our zone database.

Hillsbrad Foothills - Contested

The Hillsbrad Foothills are a fairly compact zone with easy access to at least 3 other zones around it. It features coastal plains, ruins, mountains and several small towns. It is a very active zone and is a hub of activity for many players for quite a few levels.

The Hillsbrad Foothills are a major zone for both Alliance and Horde levels 20-30. The zone is packed with quests that range from level 20 to 36 for the Alliance and from 20 to 43 for the Horde. This zone used to feature a running battle between the two main towns Southshore (Alliance) and Tarren Mill (Horde) on PvP servers. With the release of the battlegrounds this has calmed down, but is resurrected for fun every once in a while. Note that on PvP servers you should ALWAYS be on guard in this zone.

Being a contested zone there are many quests for both sides. Horde has several very long and interesting chains, the biggest being the Battle for Hillsbrad that takes you from the low 20's all the way to almost level 30. You also have the Elixir, Dalaran and Call to arms chains as well though. As an Alliance player there are two major chains, the Down the coast and the Hints of a New Plague chains. Both sides have many other quests here. A complete list of quests in the zone can be found in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for Hillsbrad Foothills . We also have a Map of Hillsbrad in our zone database.

For herbalists you can find moderate to high density of many herbs in the zone, including mageroyal, swiftthistle, briarthorn, stranglekelp, bruiseweed, wild steelbloom and kingsblood, making this a low level herbalists dream zone. As a miner you can continue to find some small amount of copper here, but also a little mithril and truesilver. Mainly you will find tin and iron in the zone though. The yeti cave just north of Southshore is a favorite place for miners of both factions to grind and to mine, due to the high density of yetis for experience and the ore that spawns in there. Lastly skinners can find a high density of beasts to skin here that will grant from 95 to 150 skill in skinning.

Redridge Mountains - Alliance

Your adventures in Redridge continue into the mid 20's. You may even still be in the area to the high 20's if you are attempting to solo the area, or run with only a single friend. The main quests involve Orcs and Gnolls. Some of the mobs get up to the mid 20's and elite status. For a complete description of the zone, return to the Levels 11 to 20 section of this guide.

Wetlands - Alliance

The Wetlands are located to the north of Ironforge, however to get there you must travel through Loch Modan and back west. If you are a Night Elf you get there by traveling by ship. The zone is very large and spread out east to west and is covered in swamp. To the north and south there are mountain ranges and to the north a passage to the Arathi Highlands.

There are many quests in the area and you can stay very busy for many levels. Because of the east / west layout and the fact that the city, port and graveyard are all at the far west end, it can be a pain to get back and forth to quests. I strongly advise you to set your hearth stone to the inn in town. The main quest chains in the Wetlands are Claws from the Deep, The Greenwarden, the Third Fleet and the Thandol Span. A complete list of quests in the zone can be found in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for the Wetlands . We also have a Map of the Wetlands in our zone database.

The Wetlands and Duskwood are both similar levels and should likely be done switching between the two for quests in your appropriate level range. The Wetlands quests for levels 20-30ish. Some of the higher level quests require a strong group if you want to complete them by level 30. There are not enough quests in the zone though to just work through them to level from 20 - 30.

Make sure you continue to improve your profession skills while here. If you are a herbalist you will continue to find the odd peacebloom, earthroot, stranglekelp, mageroyal and wild steelbloom here, however the most common herbs will be briarthorn, liferoot and kingsblood. Miners will continue to find copper, tin, and iron. Lastly skinners can will find several beasts to skin here that can be skinned from skill level 105 to 150.

Ashenvale - Alliance

Ashenvale is just to the south of Darkshore and has quests for the 18 - 30 level range, with most of them being from 20-24. The main Alliance city in Ashenvale is Astranaar. Ashenvale is a huge forest that houses a main city for the Night Elves and several ruined temples around the surrounding area. Along with the forest there is a beach that would be the envy of many resorts, other than the slight naga problem and the ruined buildings scattered along it. If you delve into the ruins you can find an ancient temple buried deep beneath in the form of the Blackfathom Depths instance, which is described below.

There are very few quest chains in Ashenvale for you to complete, the two main chains are both Alliance chains called: Orendil's Cure and Velinde Starsong. There are many individual quests and small step quests and a complete list of quests in the zone can be found in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for Ashenvale . We also have a Map of Ashenvale in our zone database.

While you should continue to level your professions in all zones, Ashenvale has very few herbs in it with only moderate concentrations of Briarthorn and stranglekelp, so herbalists may need to search other zones to continue to skill up. If you are a miner you can find some tin, silver, iron and gold in the zone, but none of it in high quantities. Skinners can find a large number of beasts in the zone that allow you to skill up from 75 all the way to 150.

Thousand Needles - Contested

This zone houses a ton of quests for the Horde and several quests available for both factions, although it is far better for Horde than Alliance. The zone is effectively split into two areas a rock spire area and a salt flats area. The rock spire area is the lower level of the two halves. Most of the quests range from level 25 to 40 while the mobs are level 22 to 35.

The salt flat area features (appropriately) a race track run by goblins. It looks very Phantom Menace esq, but I am sure refers to the Bonneville salt flats as Blizzard would never borrow ideas from another source, would they? :-)

There are a very large quest chains in Thousand Needles two are for both factions and one is Horde only. The chains for both factions are: Goblin Sponsorship and Parts for Kravel, while the Horde chain is Test of Faith. There are also many individual quests and small two part chain quests in the zone, mainly for Horde. You can find a complete list of quests in the zone can be found in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for Thousand Needles . We also have a Map of Thousand Needles in our zone database.

The Thousand Needles is a great place for the mining profession. It has a very high concentration of copper along with moderate amounts of tin and iron as well as some silver, gold and truesilver. If you are a herbalist there is some bruiseweed and moderate amounts of kingsblood. Lastly skinners can will find tons of beasts to skin here that can be skinned from skill level 75-125.

Stonetalon Mountains - Contested

Stonetalon mountains contains many quests for both the Horde and Alliance. The MOBs range from level 13 to 30, although most are in the 22-25 range. If you are Horde or Night Elf and are looking for some place to level the early 20's this is a good place to check out. The zone is laid out in a long crevice that makes the zone annoying sometimes as you run from end to end to accomplish quests. There are allot of quests if you are Horde though so it is worth it.

For those wanting to level their skill in the herbalism profession the Stonetalon Mountains are one of the best zones in the level range. It features high amounts of mageroyal, briarthorn, bruiseweed, wild steelbloom, and kingsblood! It is fairly decent for miners as well featuring high amounts of copper, tin and silver, moderate amounts of iron and some gold and mithril. It also houses a vast number of beasts that can be skinned to skill up skinning from 75-150. The zone also houses the Horde Expert enchanting trainer which is hidden up a path to the south of the Sun Rock Retreat.

There is only one real quest chain in Stonetalon and that is the Horde quest chain The Elder Crone. There are many individual quests though and you can find a complete list in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for Stonetalon Mountains . We also have a Map of Stonetalon Mountains in our zone database.

Instances

Blackfathom Deeps - Contested

The Blackfathom Deeps are an instance mine along the northern edge of Ashenvale. The Blackfathom Deeps are meant for characters level 20-30ish. You can continue to make loot and experience runs through BFD to about level 34, but after that the experience gains are not worth the effort. The MOBs in Blackfathom Deeps range from 18 elite to 26 elite. The quest MOBs are up to 28 elite.

The Deeps are an strange and sometimes creepy subterranean catacomb system filled with all sorts of bizarre sea life. At the end of the catacombs is an ancient temple full of evil right out of the Kuthulian mythos. It is an instance that is many times skipped by players on their progression through the game, however it is worth checking out for the scenery and atmosphere.

You can find a complete guide to Blackfathom Deeps here: TenTonHammer's Guide to Blackfathom Deeps. In addition to our guide we have a map of Blackfathom Deeps and a screenshot gallery.

Gnomeregan - Contested

This instance is located along the western edge of Dun Morogh and is meant for characters level 26 - 33. You can continue to make loot and experience runs to about level 34, but after that the experience gains are not worth the effort. The MOBs in Gnomeregan range from 28 normal to 32 elite. The instance takes place inside the once capital of the Gnome race. It has since become a corrupted ruin of a city, over run by all manner of Troggs and mutant gnomes.

While it is mainly an Alliance instance, there are a few quests for Horde players, even though it can be difficult to get to for them. In fact the only real way for them to get there is to get teleported there from Booty Bay, which is a quest in itself.

The quest MOBs are up to 35 elite. You can find a complete guide to Gnomeregan here: TenTonHammer's Guide to Gnomeregan. In addition to our guide we have a map of Gnomeregan.

Razorfen Kraul - Contested

Razorfen Kraul is located in the far south of the Barrens and is an instance meant for levels 26 - 34. The MOBs in Razorfen Kraul range from 23 to 31 elite. The quest MOBs are up to 33 elite. The instance itself is a difficult instance for the level due to many multiple pulls and the number of patrols. If you take a few higher level characters you should get through it easily though.

You can find a complete guide to Razorfen Kaul here: TenTonHammer's Guide to Razorfen Kraul and a complete list of quests can be found in our database here: TenTonHammer Quest Database Results for Razorfen Kraul.

Shadowfang Keep - Contested

Shadowfang Keep is located in Silverpine Forest and is an ancient castle that has been corrupted by evil magic. The castle is controlled by the evil wizard Arugal and guarded by Worgen, which are basically werewolves. You must fight your way in through the courtyard and then up through the castle to the highest towers to find the last boss. There are many difficult pulls in this instance if you are doing it at the proper level, and it can be lots of fun.

It is meant for groups of level 24-26. The instance is primarily a Horde instance although it is worth it for cloth wearers of any faction. The MOBs in Shadowfang Keep range from 18 to 24 normal and 20 to 24 elite. Most of the MOBs in the instance are elite 20-24 so do not count on fighting all that many normal MOBS. In addition the named or Boss MOBs are up to 25 elite and can be very difficult for low level groups.

You can find a complete guide to Shadowfang Keep here: TenTonHammer's Guide to Shadowfang Keep. In addition to our guide we have a map of Shadowfang Keep and a screenshot gallery. Since Shadowfang keep is located in Silverpine forest you may want to check out that zone guide as well, located here: TenTonHammer's guide to Silverpine Forest.

The Stockades - Alliance

The Stockades are located right inside Stormwind City and are an excellent place to adventure, treasure hunt and gain experience in the mid to high 20's. As the name implies the Stockades are in fact the cities prison and therefore loaded with criminals to defeat. There are several quests in the instance, however not enough to keep you busy for any length of time.

The instance is very short, so it is fun to run through several times quickly. It is also an excellent instance to practice pulls and group tactics with new players as it is easy to escape from and re-enter if things go wrong. It is also a decent place to pick up some fast cash at the high 20's early 30's are you can almost solo some of the beginning rooms.

You can find a complete guide to the Stockades here: TenTonHammer's Guide to the Stockades. In addition to our guide we have a map of the Stockades and a screenshot gallery.

Related Links

For more information on these and other zones you should also read the following links:

• The TenTonHammer Database Zone Guide - for links to quests in each zone
• The TenTonHammer Gathering Profession Guide - for an easy to use chart of what can be found in each zone
• The TenTonHammer Instance Encyclopedia - for links to all our instance guides

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