Dungeon Leveling Guide – WoW Classic

wow classic dungeon leveling guide

Dungeon leveling has been a viable strategy from the earliest days of WoW! While many players enjoy leveling by progressing through each zone and completing a multitude of quests, some players enjoy spamming dungeons and completing dungeon quests to level their characters as fast as possible and obtain the most powerful gear.

One thing to remember while Dungeon Leveling is that each faction has optimum dungeons to level up in at lower levels while at higher levels, both factions share a similar route. This is because of associated faction-bound quests which make the leveling faster and due to the difficulty of reaching certain lower-level dungeons which are made to be more easily accessible to one faction over another.

This guide will showcase the best dungeon leveling routes available in WoW Classic, providing strategies & tips for solo and group leveling, explanations for the most optimum dungeons based on level ranges, and any worthwhile associated important questlines.

Best Leveling Dungeons

Dungeon
Level Range
Entrance
Group Size (Max)
Ragefire Chasm
13-18
Orgrimmar
5 (10)
Wailing Caverns
17-24
The Barrens
5 (10)
The Deadmines
17-26
Wow Alliance Crest Westfall
5 (10)
Shadowfang Keep
22-30
Silverpine Forest
5 (10)
Blackfathom Deeps
24-32
Ashenvale
5 (10)
The Stockade
24-32
Wow Alliance Crest Stormwind
5 (10)
Gnomeregan
29-38
Dun Morogh
5 (10)
Razorfen Kraul
29-38
The Barrens
5 (10)
The Scarlet Monastery – Graveyard
26-35
Tirisfal Glades
5 (10)
The Scarlet Monastery – Library
30-40
Tirisfal Glades
5 (10)
The Scarlet Monastery – Armory
32-42
Tirisfal Glades
5 (10)
The Scarlet Monastery – Cathedral
35-45
Tirisfal Glades
5 (10)
Razorfen Downs
37-46
The Barrens
5 (10)
Uldaman
41-51
Badlands
5 (10)
Zul’Farrak
42-46
Tanaris
5 (10)
Maraudon
46-55
Desolace
5 (10)
Temple of Atal’Hakkar
50-56
Swamp of Sorrows
5 (10)
Blackrock Depths
52-60
Blackrock Mountain
5
Lower Blackrock Spire
55-60
Blackrock Mountain
5 (10)
Stratholme – Living
58-60
Eastern Plaguelands
5
Stratholme – Undead
58-60
Eastern Plaguelands
5
Scholomance
58-60
Western Plaguelands
5

Dungeons Leveling Tips & Strategies

There are quite a few things to mention regarding Tips & Tricks or Overall Strategy for leveling in dungeons!

  • Premade Groups go a long way!
    • Gathering a group of friends that is dedicated to learning the most efficient routes and best way to counter mobs speeds up the process immensely.
  • Preparedness is what keeps groups alive and efficient!
    • Making sure that everyone has consumables and knows the layout of the dungeon ensures fast leveling.
  • Keeping track of Major Cooldowns & Utility Spells prevents wipes and saves time.
    • Depending on whether you choose to AoE grind large packs of mobs or simply tag 3-4 targets at a time, communicating the remaining duration of vital cooldowns such as Lay on Hands, Blessing of Protection, or Ice Block is very important.
  • Care for your Casters!
    • Casters, especially between the 20-50 level ranges have a hard time with constant pulling. Without mana breaks in between pulls, they can reach an OoM state quickly leading to unfavorable situations or even wipes. Listen to your Healer when a mana break is called!

Solo Dungeon Leveling

While it is not advised, some classes in the game can do Solo Dungeon Leveling! There are only a few classes capable of such a feat without having to carefully pick only one mob at a time. The most notorious class for this is Mage, as it can use kite spots to kill enemies with AoE spells such as Blizzard and Cone of Cold. Hunters can also use special kite/reset spots to kill mobs with traps, Volley, and Multi-Shot while Paladins can outright AoE clear some dungeons on their own.

The most important thing for solo leveling in dungeons is identifying the reset spots! Classic WoW has in-built reset spots, throughout its Open-World and its Instances. Each dungeon has some sort of reset spot built into it that can be used to AoE grind mobs, especially for mages. An infamous spot is the graveyard section of Zul’Farrak, but there are other spots in Maraudon, Temple of Atal’Hakkar, or Blackrock Depths, and even in lower-level dungeons.

Solo Dungeon Leveling is not advised at lower levels due to the lack of proper tools such as resource generation or defensive cooldowns!

Group Dungeon Leveling

If you choose the traditional Dungeon Leveling route where you spam dungeons as a group, there are 2 separate formats you can consider: Random LFG Groups and Premade Groups! Random grouping is often chaotic and can lead to unexpected downtime or various difficult situations but it’s the most common form of Dungeon Leveling, After all, many people have strict schedules and only have so much time to play, meaning that players often choose to form groups based on what other players they can find on the spot.

Premade Groups, however, are specifically designed around class/meta combinations and are made for the most efficient dungeon spamming. Two main comps are extremely popular and have proven that they work time and time again: Spell Cleave & Melee Cleave. Spell Cleave is mainly comprised of caster comps while Melee Cleave only has Melee Classes capable of AoE damage!

No matter which type of comp you choose, it is important to make sure that you bring a variety of buffs, consumables, and utility abilities to ensure the smoothest runs possible. For those that can afford them, Elixirs and Flasks are also an amazing way of reducing the overall time each clear requires.

Level 1 -18

Alliance – Questing/Grinding & Deadmines

For the 1-18 level ranges, Alliance has a harder time getting into dungeons since the only available dungeon nearby is The Deadmines! This dungeon has tough elite mobs that hit especially hard and it is recommended to attempt it after level 16 or level 17, making it quite inefficient at this level. It is simply recommended to complete the Elwynn Forest and Westfall questlines instead and start spamming the dungeon once players reach level 18.

Players who attempt it before level 18 should at least complete the Westfall questline to ensure they gain all the quests related to The Deadmines!

Horde – Questing/Grinding & Ragefire Chasm

Horde Players have a far easier time leveling through spamming dungeons at the 1-18 level ranges due to Ragefire Chasm! The dungeon has plenty of mobs between levels 13-15 that can be easily killed for a lot of experience. The bosses are the only issue since they are level 16, meaning the dungeon can’t be fully cleared if players attempt it before level 15.

Ragefire Chasm also has a handful of worthwhile quests that grant a lot of experience and nifty rewards:

It’s worth noting that Hidden Enemies is part of a chain quest offered by Thrall, so start completing his questline after picking up the rest of the quests.

Level 18 – 24

Alliance – Deadmines/Shadowfang Keep/Wailing Caverns

Levels 18-24 can be completed in 2 dungeons, The Deadmines and the Shadowfang Keep! Ideally, players should spam The Deadmines, especially because of the Westfall questline and the associated quests which will be required later for the Stockades dungeon. The Shadowfang Keep is less ideal for dungeon spamming but also viable. The main issue with it is that there are no associated Alliance quests, making The Deadmines far more efficient.

The Deadmines is quite a tough dungeon, especially toward its end where players can easily get overwhelmed on the boat or near its docks. Players should approach the area carefully. One good approach is to spam the dungeon until the boat section for struggling groups.

In addition, The Deadmines is one of the few dungeons with reset points that can be efficiently farmed by solo levelers!

The Deadmines Quests:

Alliance can also choose to level in the Wailing Caverns since there are some quests and possibly valuable items to grab from the dungeon, but the time it takes to reach the dungeon makes it far less efficient.

Horde – Wailing Caverns/Shadowfang Keep/Deadmines

For the Horde, levels 18-24 mainly consist of the Wailing Caverns and the Shadowfang Keep dungeons spam! Both dungeons have quests, meaning that completing each one is advisable. However, the Shadowfang Keep is far better for its faster clear time and overall experience gains. The issue with Wailing Caverns is the size of the dungeon itself, paired up with the fact that the mobs are spread unevenly. Due to its layout, players are far better off spamming Shadowfang Keep instead.

In terms of difficulty, Shadowfang Keep is considerably harder than the Wailing Caverns but it provides far better overall rewards!

Wailing Caverns Quests:

Shadowfang Keep Quests:

Horde players may also choose to spam The Deadmines for a while due to its valuable loot, however, they won’t be able to get any quests for the dungeon. In addition, the time required to get there makes it quite inefficient as a leveling method.

Level 24 – 30

Alliance – Stockades/Gnomeregan/Scarlet Monastery Graveyard

For the Alliance, the best dungeons to grind between levels 24-30 are The Stockade and Gnomeregan! The Stockade is the most accessible and can be farmed until levels 27-28 efficiently. The dungeon is not recommended for solo levels and should be spammed only by groups! Ideally, Spellcleave or Meleecleave groups should farm this dungeon since all the mobs are packed together in close quarters.

Gnomeregan is the other option that should be farmed between levels 27-30 thanks to the extensive loot it grants. The dungeon is long and quite very tedious, especially towards its end where the mobs pack quite a serious punch, but the items are very rewarding and the experience is substantial. Gnomeregan can be solo-farmed but only by Mages and Hunters since the reset spots are difficult to use and require a Ranged Class.

Lastly, if players don’t deem it necessary to spam Gnomeregan, they can instead opt for The Scarlet Monastery – Graveyard which has a very high experience return but quite a low pool of available items.

The Stockade Quests:

Gnomeregan Quests:

Horde – Blackfathom Deeps/Razorfen Kraul/Scarlet Monastery Graveyard

For the Horde, the best dungeons to grind between levels 24-30 are Razorfen Kraul and Blackfathom Deeps! By far, Razorfen Kraul is the better option and is widely recognized as one of the most efficient dungeons to spam for Horde. The reason for this is the very high amount of mobs packed together in close quarters. However, the dungeon can’t be soloed and can only be cleared efficiently by cleave comps, as it takes way too long for comps without any AoE to farm it efficiently.

On the other hand, Blackfathom Deeps is viable but more difficult to clear entirely due to its last two bosses. Its layout is also difficult to navigate but it compensates with plenty of good early-game items that players can acquire.

As an alternative for levels 28-30, Horde Players can go to The Scarlet Monastery – Graveyard for fast experience, as long as they have a solid cleave-based group.

Razorfen Kraul Quests:

Blackfathom Deeps Quests:

Level 30 – 38

Alliance/Horde – Scarlet Monastery (Graveyard/Library/Armory)

For the level 30-38 ranges, the Scarlet Monastery is the most well-known dungeon farming spot in the entire game! The dungeon is split into four sections, 3 of which will be mainly spammed from 30 up until 38 when the last section becomes viable. The dungeon has many gimmicks and a considerable amount of reset spots, being the favorite grinding spot of many AoE solo players or AoE Spellcleave comps! The Scarlet Monastery – Graveyard can be efficiently spammed until level 32. The Scarlet Monastery – Library becomes the next attraction until levels 35-36 upon which The Scarlet Monastery – Armory becomes the main grind spot.

The best thing about the Scarlet Monastery dungeon complex is that players can simply enter another wing of the dungeon and complete it when they are finished with one. This allows them to avoid having to waste dungeon resets and lock themselves out.

For solo players, The Scarlet Monastery – Graveyard has the best reset spots! The next best reset spot can be found in The Scarlet Monastery – Cathedral near the fountains, but that can only be efficiently used after levels 46-48.

Scarlet Monastery Quests:

Level 38 – 45

Alliance/Horde – Scarlet Monastery (Armory/Cathedral)/Uldaman/Razorfen Downs

For levels 38-44, players have multiple viable options! The most renowned option is to continue farming Scarlet Monastery, specifically The Scarlet Monastery – Armory until levels 39-40, and then spamming The Scarlet Monastery – Cathedral until levels 44-45. This offers the most optimum amount of experience in the shortest time possible.

As mentioned above, The Scarlet Monastery – Cathedral is one of the few best spots for solo players to grind for experience and items! However, the reset spot is very difficult to utilize and requires experienced players and a considerable amount of gear to pull off. A higher level is also advised since players need to survive the mobs for a hefty amount of time before they can do the proper setup for the spot.

Uldaman and Razorfen Downs are also good options but take considerably longer to complete per run. Both Uldaman and Razorfen Downs are considerably tougher to clear than Scarlet Monastery and should be tackled around level 42-43, especially considering the last bosses. Uldaman is a better option for Alliance while Razorfen Downs is a better option for Horde. Both dungeons have faction-specific quests while also offering quests for both factions.

Scarlet Monastery Quests:

Uldaman Quests:

Razorfen Downs Quests:

Level 45 – 50

Alliance/Horde – Uldaman/Zul’Farrak/Temple of Atal’Hakkar/Maraudon

For the level 45-50 range, players have 4 options! Initially, players can continue spamming Uldaman until they reach levels 46-47, after which they can pick either one of Zul’Farrak, the Temple of Atal’Hakkar, or Maraudon. Zul’Farrak is considerably better for spamming than the other two dungeons but Temple of Atal’Hakkar and Maraudon have their merits. Both dungeons have valuable loot while possessing harder end-bosses. The issue with the dungeons is their overall layout which is complicated to navigate. In addition, the Temple of Atal’Hakkar has fewer and tougher mobs than Zul’Farrak while Maraudon has many dangerous packs of mobs that can complicate runs.

Players will want to at least complete a few runs of the Temple of Atal’Hakkar and Maraudon until they hit level 50 to obtain some powerful items before they tackle the dungeons past level 50.

For solo levelers, Zul’Farrak has been long known as one of the best spots for experience grinding! Mages and Hunters are notorious for using the graveyard in Zul’Farrak where they can simply spawn large numbers of zombies and kill them by using the reset spots on the walls. Maraudon also has some sections that can be used for the same strategy!

Zul’Farrak Quests:

Temple of Atal’Hakkar Quests:

Maraudon Quests:

Level 50-55

Alliance/Horde – Blackrock Depths/Temple of Atal’Hakkar/Maraudon

For levels 50-55, it is advised to continue farming the Temple of Atal’Hakkar and Maraudon until you at least reach level 52. After you reach level 52, you will want to spam the Blackrock Depths dungeon! The dungeon is very large and split into sections, ideally, you will spend most of your time in the Detention Block before reaching levels 54-55. as the dungeon can be reset quickly. After level 55, players can either continue venturing into the dungeon and spam it until reaching level 60 or pick other options such as Lower Blackrock Spire/Stratholme – Undead/Scholomance. Players need to complete Dark Iron Legacy to make it easier for them to navigate the dungeon.

For solo farmers, Blackrock Depths and its Detention Block is also one of the few viable spots that can be used for AoE farming! This spot is trickier than the rest however as it doesn’t rely on a reset spot but rather on the very large open area of the dungeon.

Blackrock Depths also has a lot of quests available for the players but only some of them are truly important due to their rewards when compared to pure mob experience grinding.

Blackrock Depths Quests:

Level 55-60

Alliance/Horde – Lower Blackrock Spire/Stratholme/Scholomance

For levels 55-60, players have several options! Blackrock Depths remains one of the most efficient dungeons for spamming until level 60, however, Lower Blackrock Spire, Stratholme – Undead, and Scholomance are also viable!

In Lower Blackrock Spire, players can repeatedly spam the Hordemar City area and reset the dungeon afterward but have to be careful of every caster mob. This option can be quite fast but since the mobs hit hard, a considerable amount of gear is required. Stratholme Living/Undead is another option, however, players must first gain the Key to the City before they can spam the dungeon efficiently. Players must unlock the secret back entrance to uncover the best route, by using the Key to the City. Similar to Lower Blackrock Spire, the Stratholme – Undead is a tough dungeon that can yield a lot of experience but has many dangerous pulls.

Lastly, Scholomance is also a viable and quite efficient method to level from 58 to 60 due to the extensive mob packs it has. However, it requires strong groups to farm efficiently. The majority of mobs in the dungeon are spellcasters that hit really hard which makes this dungeon hard to spam without a strong group that also possesses plenty of cc. This option is recommended for experienced players, especially since it requires them to complete a difficult and extensive chain quest before they acquire the Skeleton Key to unlock the dungeon. Alternatively, players can pay for entrance if another player is kind enough to let them use Skeleton Key since the item is not required every time a group wants to enter the dungeon.

Scholomance Quests:

 

About the Author

Nevermore

Hey there folks, I am Nevermore and have been deeply passionate about WoW for more than a decade. Whether we talk about the hidden mysteries of Azeroth or the otherworldly Outland, my journey brought me here to share the things that I have experienced with you all.
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