- Author: DanielD
- Date: August 2, 2022
- Updated: September 21, 2022
- Expansion: WotLK Classic
Welcome to Warcraft Tavern’s Reputation Guide for the Explorers’ League in Wrath of the Lich King Classic! In this guide, we will go over all the ways you can gain reputation with this faction, and explain how it interacts with related WotLK factions. We’ll also give a brief explanation of the simplest way to reach Exalted with this faction.
As with most Alliance Vanguard sub-factions (Explorers’ League, The Frostborn, The Silver Covenant, Valiance Expedition), there are no Faction Rewards to be gained from the Explorers’ League. However, half of sub-faction reputation earned counts towards the Alliance Vanguard rep, so reaching Exalted in two of the four Alliance Vanguard sub-factions (or the equivalent rep gain spread out over all four sub-factions) is required for reaching Exalted with the Alliance Vanguard.
Trivia: Pre-WotLK it was possible to find NPCs tagged with <Explorer’s League>, but the game’s second expansion added the League as an actual faction that you could gain reputation with.
How to Reach Exalted With the Explorers’ League
This section serves as a TL;DR for the rest of the guide
Doing all of the non-repeatable quests listed below will earn you 7,525 rep with the Explorers’ League — excluding spillover rep from other quests and dungeons, you would need to do all the Explorers’ League quests, and then do the daily quest Steel Gate Patrol 137 times, in order to reach Exalted (or a bit less if you’re Human). Note that with spillover rep from the other Alliance Vanguard factions, you’ll end up needing to do significantly less work than this.
That would be pretty boring, however, so we recommend doing runs of either of the following pairs of heroics –without a tabard on — in addition to grinding the daily: (H)Utgarde Keep and (H)Utgarde Pinnacle, or (H)Azjol-Nerub and (H)Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom. These are both fairly quick clears, and each pair of instances has its entrances near one another. Optionally, you can avoid killing the bosses and then exit/re-enter the instances after killing the trash in order to earn even more rep each day.
If you get bored of these, you can run one of the other dungeons listed below.
Gaining Explorers’ League Reputation
Status | Additional Reputation Required |
Neutral | 0 |
Friendly | 3000 |
Honored | 6000 |
Revered | 12,000 |
Exalted | 21,000 |
There are a number of quests in Howling Fjord and Stormpeaks that allow you to gain reputation with the Explorers’ League. Additionally, Argent Tournament Daily Quests will give Alliance Vanguard rep once you’ve maxed out your Silver Covenant rep. Heroic dungeons and normal level 80 instances will all give spillover reputation with all the Alliance Vanguard factions (assuming you don’t have a tabard equipped).
You can also earn Explorers’ League rep by gaining reputation with the other Alliance Vanguard sub-factions (Valiance Expedition, The Silver Covenant, and The Frostborn). You’ll receive Explorers’ League reputation at a rate of 50% of whatever rep you gain with those factions.
Explorers’ League Quests
Click a zone to see its complete list of Explorers’ League quests!
Doing every quest non-repeatable Explorers’ League quest in the Grizzly hills will net you 5,265 Reputation with the faction; the daily quest Steel Gate Patrol can earn you another 250 each day.
Quest | Explorers’ League Reputation Gain | Other Rewards |
250 | 12,650 XP 250 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | 20,100 XP 4  70 | |
350 | Choice of: Earthbinder’s Regenerating Band Ramshorn Greathelm Ghoul-Crushing Stompers Infused Coldstone Rune 25,150 XP 9 40 (1243 at level 80) | |
250 | 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
250 | 20,100 XP 2 40 if completed at level 80)250 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | Choice of: Unsparing Band Crackling Cloak Worg-Fang Talisman plus Super Healing Potion 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 8010 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 8010 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 8010 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 80 | |
250 | Choice of: Wrathwrought Shoulderpads Spiked Skullguard Whispersteel Handguards Feather-Lined Shoulderpads 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
350 | Choice of: Shock-Resistant Hood Crystalline Star Banded Chain Gloves Munificent Legguards 25,150 XP 14 10 (1713 at level 80)s350 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 80 | |
10 | ||
25 | 5,050 XP 24 if completed at level 8025 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 8010 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 80 | |
250 | 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
250 | ||
250 | 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
350 | Choice of: Featherweight Claymore Acid-Etched Knuckles Fullered Coldsteel Dagger Hair-Trigger Blunderbuss 25,150 XP 9 40 (1243 at level 80)350 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | 20,150 XP 2 40 if completed at level 80250 reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | 20,100 XP 4 70 (710 at level 80) | |
350 | ||
250 | 20,100 XP 2 40 if completed at level 80250 Reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | 20,100 XP 2 40 if completed at level 80250 Reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
250 | 20,100 XP 2 40 if completed at level 80250 Reputation with Valiance Expedition | |
10 | 2,000 XP 24 if completed at level 80 | |
250 | 20,300 XP 5 (or 986 if completed at level 80) |
Doing every Explorers’ League quest in Stormpeaks will net you 2,260 reputation with the faction.
Quest | Explorers’ League Reputation Gain | Other Rewards |
250 | Airy Pale Ale Worg Tooth Oatmeal Stout Snowfall Lager Drakefire Chile Ale 21,600 XP 6 80 (or 1976 if completed at level 80) | |
250 | 22,050 XP 7 40 (or 2063 if completed at level 80) | |
250 | Hardened Vine of the Mauler Blade of the Inception Maker’s Touch Maker’s Edge 22,050 XP 7 40 (or 2063 if completed at level 80) | |
250 | 22,050 XP 7 40 (or 2063 if completed at level 80) | |
250 | 22,050 XP 7 40 (or 2063 if completed at level 80) | |
500 | Amberglow Signet Iceforged Battle Ring Jagged Ice Band Ring of the Northern Winds 33,100 XP 22 20 (or 426 if completed at level 80)500 Reputation with The Frostborn | |
10 | 2,200 XP 74 (or 26 if completed at level 80) |
Explorers’ League Dungeons
In addition to questing, you can earn Explorers’ League rep by killing mobs in dungeons. The following normal level 80 instances will grant you spillover rep with all the Alliance Vanguard factions (Explorers’ League, The Frostborn, The Silver Covenant, Valiance Expedition), and you can do 5 an hour:
- Utgarde Pinnacle
- The Culling of Stratholme
- The Oculus
- Halls of Lightning
Additionally, all Wrath heroic dungeons will grant rep with the Alliance Vanguard factions. You can choose to run these dungeons like normal, or you can kill the trash mobs and leave the bosses alive, and then exit and re-enter the instance to clear the mobs again.
- Utgarde Keep
- Utgarde Pinnacle
- The Nexus
- The Oculus
- Halls of Stone
- Halls of Lightning
- Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom
- Azjol-Nerub
- Dark-Tharon Keep
- Gundrak
- The Violet Hold
- Caverns of Time: Culling of Stratholme
- Trial of the Champion
- Forge of Souls
- Pit of Saron
- Halls of Reflection
Don’t forget: If you’re looking to gain rep for Explorers’ League while in dungeons, make sure you don’t have a tabard equipped!
Explorers’ League Reputation Rewards
As the Explorer’s League has no quartermaster, there are no item rewards for the Explorers’ League, regardless of reputation rank. Doing Explorers’ League quests does, as we’ve mentioned, also give you reputation with the Alliance Vanguard, who do have a quartermaster.
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