The Badlands - Contested

The Badlands continues to be in play after you hit level 40 and above. In fact most of the quests become soloable, and the instance Uldaman really comes into play. You will likely not be able to finish Uldaman though until you are level 45+ unless you are walked through with a bunch of higher level characters. For the complete writeup on the zone check back to the levels 31 to 40 section.

The Blasted Lands - Contested

Formerly part of the Black Morass swamp, the Blasted lands is the crater that remains from when Medivh opened the Dark Portal. Filled with demons and corrupted wildlife, the Blasted Lands are a high level zone. The zone has both a Horde and an Alliance stronghold, called Dreadmaul Hold and Nethergarde Keep respectively. To the far south is the Tainted Scar and in the south east is the Dark Portal. The whole zone is very desolate featuring nothing much more than red rock desert and mountains.

The Blasted lands start to come into play for the high 40's. The world dungeon of Tainted Scar and the Raid Level Doomguard instance are to be located here but have yet to be fully implemented. The Mobs in the Blasted Lands vary from level 40 - 61 elite. Most of the mobs are in the 45-55 range. Beware the area around the Dark Portal unless you have a full raid party ready to go.

There are no real quest chains in the zone for either faction, in fact the zone seems almost incomplete. The only real quests of nor are limited to several repeatable quests that grant various buffs. The renewable quests involve retrieving items off of the local wildlife in return for specialty buff items that are well worth doing before major raid events. For a complete list of quests in the zone check out our TenTonHammer database entries for the Blasted Lands . You can also find a map of the zone here.

Herbalists can find high concentrations of sungrass and moderate concentrations of gromsblood in the Blasted Lands. Miners can find huge amounts of Mithril in the Blasted lands as well as a fair amount of Thorium, making it a favorite place to mine. The Blasted Lands have a moderate number of beasts that supply leather and hides to the skinning profession, but what is there allows you to progress in your skill up to skill level 265 form 235.

Dustwallow Marsh - Contested

Dustwallow marsh continues to play into the low 40 level range. Most of the quests become solo-able by mid 40's and you will be gaining very little experience by that level. For the complete writeup on the zone check back to the levels 31 to 40 section.

The Hinterlands - Contested

An open forested zone that is home to faction aligned trolls and dwarves, the Hinterlands has quests that involve killing elite Trolls, cave dwelling ooze, feral high elves, and even an elite named turtle. Just be sure not to feed the ooze, they’re a bit grouchy. The ooze has dropped 2 Epic items for my characters though, so I am kinda partial to killing them! The zone is located north east of the Hillsbrad foothills via a mountain pass or just south of the Western Plaguelands via a second mountain pass almost directly south of Scholomance. The Alliance town is called Aerie Peak while the Horde settlement is Revantusk Village located along the eastern shore of the zone.

The Hinterlands contain many quests for the 40-50 range. MOBs average at least the low 40s though so the zone only comes into play if you are very strong for your level or with a group at the low end of the level range. There are many quests in the zone for both factions making it a favorite among many players although there is really only one Alliance quest chain that starts with Witherbark Cages and ends with Saving Sharpbeak, other than that most quests are single or two part quests. While the quests rewards are never great in the zone, I have traditionally had great luck with drops of both coin and items in this zone, as have many of my guild mates.

Herbalists can find a wealth of herbs in the Hinterlands including moderate concentrations of goldthorn, khadgar's whiskers, purple lotus and ghost mushrooms as well as an abundance of sungrass. For Miners the Hinterlands has a high amount of mithril and some iron veins, although at this point you will not likely need more iron. The Hinterlands are a great place for skinners as there are a vast number of beasts to skin, that can allow you to level your skill up to 245.

For a complete list of quests in the zone check out our TenTonHammer database entries for the Hinterlands . You can also find a map of the zone here.

Swamp of Sorrows - Contested

The Swamp of Sorrows continues to be in play when you hit level 40 and above. A lot of the quests become solo-able and you do not need to worry as much about being swarmed by MOBS. For the complete writeup on the zone check back to the levels 31 to 40 section.

Searing Gorge - Contested zone

The Dark Iron Dwarves dig underneath the Searing Gorge and thus litter the area with their kind. War glolems and molten spiders can also be found all across the zone. Don’t forget to stop off and talk to the Thorium Brotherhood while in the area. In fact the Thorium Brotherhood has a camp along the northern edge of the zone called Thorium Point that traffics with both factions. The whole zone is divided almost entirely east to west by the open pit mine that the Dark Iron Dwarves have carved into the earth can the Cauldron. The Searing Gorge also contains the north entrance to Black Rock Mountain and therefore access to many high level instances (BRD, LBRS, UBRS, MC and BWL).

The Searing gorge is aimed at the upper range of the 40's and contains many quests ranging from level 45 to 50. Most of the MOBs are level 40 to 50 and this is a good place to gain a level or two with the quests and easy kills if you are in the high 40's. There is only one long chain of note in the zone that is called the Flawless Flame and is meant for both factions. Other than that it is mainly single and two part quests.

The Searing Gorge is a desolate place for Herbalists only having wintersbite in the region, although it is available in large quantities. If you are a miner you will be able to find large amounts of Mithril and a little bit of Thorium in the Searing Gorge, although if you need the thorium you are better of heading to the Blasted Lands or the Burning Steppes. If you thought this was a bad zone for herbalists, it gets even worse for skinners, as there are no beasts at all here to skin. Best to move to a different area if you need to level your skinning skill.

For a complete list of quests in the zone check out our TenTonHammer database entries for the Searing Gorge . You can also find a map of the zone here.

Felwood- Contested Zone

This is probably one of my favorite zones in the game and even at level 60 I find myself spending time here. That may be due to the fact that it is the only place to get felcloth for tailors, but thats besides the point of it being a well thought out zone. While the zone runs mainly north - south, it is not big enough that it gets annoying, especially since you will have your mount by the time you are adventuring in the zone. Starting with players of at least 45th level Felwood provides decent challenge and quests all the way up to 55th level. Within the ancient and corrupt woods you will find demons, Furbolgs, & malevolent wildlife. Be sure to spend some time killing the enemies of the Timbermaw Furbolg so that you can gain reputation with them, allowing access to the tunnels that lead to Moonglade and Winterspring.

There are what seems like a lot of quests in the zone and they come at you at a decent clip, making your time spent in the zone very enjoyable. The only quest chain of note to take place in the zone is the Collection of the Corrupt Water chain given to you by Greta Mosshoof in the encampment to the south of the zone. For a complete list of quests in the zone check out our TenTonHammer database entries for the Felwood . You can also find a map of the zone here.

For professions there isn't a whole ton in the zone of interest other than the afforementioned Felcloth which is critical for tailors and sells for a lot on the auction house. It drops from the fel demons at a fairly low drop rate and is used to create mooncloth, 2 pieces of felcloth are needed to create a single piece of mooncloth. Other than this critical piece you can find a low amount of arthas' tears, gromsblood, mountain silversage, and plaguebloom for herbalists. You can also find some gold, truesilver, thorium and a moderate amount of mithril for miners. Skinners can find lots of beasts to skin from skill level 175 to 250 and warbear hide.

Feralas - Contested

Feralas is a lush jungle zone that is teaming with wild life. It is hard to get around as an Alliance player in the zone coming from Thousand Needles though as the main road crosses through a Horde village! Don't attempt to just run through! Be safe and run around the village. The zone plays throughout the 40's. There are a ton of Horde quests in the area and it is very easy to get to the zone as it borders Thousand Needles. There are fewer quests for the Alliance and most are located on the islands along the west coast.

There a many quest chains in Feralas, in fact as times it seems that more quests are in chains that stand alone. For the Alliance there is Freedom for All Creatures, In Search of Knowledge, The Missing Courier, and The Ruins of Solarsal. For the Horde there is A Strange Request, The Mark of Quality, and War on the Woodpaw. For a complete list of quests in the zone check out our TenTonHammer database entries for the Feralas . You can also find a map of the zone here.

For the gathering professions there is a high amount of mithril for miners centered around the various hills and mountains. Herbalists can find a high amount of sungrass, moderate goldthorn and some purple lotus in the area. Skinners can find a high amount of leather and hides from beasts between skill level 150 and 175.

Tanaris - Contested

The Tanaris desert is home to Gagetzan. Gagetzan is a goblin city that houses a co-faction auction house. Have something you want to sell thats high end? Thing the other faction may pay a higher price? Head there to sell it. Tanaris is a great place to level through the 40's. There are MANY quests in the zone and Zul'Farrak is located there in the North-West corner.

The zone itself while appearing bleak at first contains many diverse little ecosystems and tons of fun things to do. On the shore are pirates, in the deset there are ogre and troll settlements, to the south is a velley with living plants and even more can be found around the zone. I end up spending several levels with each of my characters in this zone and love it every time. The levels just seem to fly by and then you are moving on and for some reason missing what at first appears to be a plain, boring zone.

The main quest chains in Tanaris are for both faction since there is no single faction villages in the zone. The chains are The Scrimshank Redemption, The Prophecy of Mosh'aru, and The Thirsty Goblin. In this zone there are also many other quests to complete includeing a few that while not a chain feel like one. The quests around the Wastewander gang and their bosses are all seperate quests but play out like a chain with a story. For a complete list of quests in the zone check out our TenTonHammer database entries for the Tanaris Desert . You can also find a map of the zone here.

If you are looking for firebloom or purple lotus as a herbalist then Tanaris may be your best bet, there is tons of it around. There is also a moderate amount of mithril, truesilver and thorium in the zone. The mithril and truesilver can be found around the whole edge of the zone as well as around the rocky outcrops in the desert. The Thorium is concentrated along the south edge of the zone, mainly in the Thistleshrub Valley. Skinners can also find lots to do in the zone, with beasts to skin from skill 225 through 275. There are also several new kinds of hides that pop up in the zone.

Instances

Maraudon - Contested

Mauraudon is located in the south-west of Desolace and is an instance meant for levels 40-49. It is made up of two seperate instances, however one instance has 2 entrances so it is commonly thought of as 3 instances. While you can complete the first instance and even the first half of the second instance while at the low range of the instance level, you need to be at 49-52 to handle the princess at the end of the second instance. The three sections are commonly refered to as the Orange, Purple and Princess sections. The colored sectiones get their name from the crystals that grow from the walls in the area.

Sunken temple - Contested

The Sunken Temple is located in the Swamp of Sorrows and is meant for levels 44-50, however I would strongly suggest a higher level! I would recommend at least an average party level of 52. The instance is also very long and complicated. It has layers that must be fought through and it is very easy to get turned around in. Eventually all characters will want to visit the instance though as there is a class specific quest chain for each class that goes through the temple.

The hardest thing about the instance is following the map. Because everything is setup in a tower type format all the levels overlap each other making it very confusing to follow. There are several difficult areas in the temple, but in the end, the loot and experience is worth the trip.

Uldaman - Contested

Uldaman is located along the north edge of the Badlands. Blizzard recommends if for levels 35-45 however if you want a real shot at finishing it you need to be at the very high end of that, likely the whole party being levels 44-46. The beginning of the instance up until the final boss can be easily done with a good group of level 40's, the final boss is the one that requires some additional levels or some very high skill level.

There is also a back door to Uldaman that allows you easier access to just the end boss fight. For this and other cool trick check out our complete guide to Uldaman here: TenTonHammer's Guide to Uldaman. You can also find a complete listing of all the quests in Uldaman in our database here: TenTonHammer database entries for the Uldaman.

Zul'Farrak - Contested

Zul'Farrak is located in the Tanaris desert in the far south of Kalimdor and is a contested zone. It has neither a Horde or Alliance city. The flight points and city of Gadgetzan are neutral and controlled by goblins. Zul'Farrak is generally shortend to ZF while looking for groups in the game. Remember that the Zul'Farrak instance is an outdoor zone, so you may mount up to get around quickly once areas are cleared. The Zul'Farrak instance itself is located in the North-West corner of the Tanaris desert. It is the ruins of an ancient city that is currently over run with trolls. This instance plays to roughly level 45-50. You can go in as a lover level if you have a very good party, however even at the up levels many of the quests can be difficult to complete.

The instance itself is fairly small and can usually be done in under 2 hours. The MOBs in Zul'Farrak range from 35 to 45 normal and 40 to 46 elite. Most of the MOBs in the instance are elite 44. In addition the named or Boss MOBs are up to 48 elite and can be very difficult for low level groups. The pyramid fight which is a very long drawn out fight against MANY MOBs over a period of 4-6 minutes can be very difficult if you are at the lower level ranges. For complete details check out our guide to Zul'Farrak here: TenTonHammer's Guide to Zul'Farrak.

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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