This is it! The wait is officially over. Well, not exactly today but on November 13 on Thursday. This Thursday marks another exciting day for all players of Wrath of the Lich King when this much anticipated expansion hits stores. To better prepare you for the Wrath of the Lich King launch, we managed to put together this quick guide to the new leveling areas in Northrend that will take you from Level 60 to 80.
Howling Fjord
Level Range: 68-72
The Howling Fjord is the only region in Northrend dominated by humans and dwarves making it the only Alliance-dominated region located in southeastern Northrend. This area is really an Alliance territory.
There are over 140 quests in the Howling Fjord. If you’re planning to make it your first stop, prepare to defend yourself well. It is a zone separated by territorial disputes. In the east, the Alliance and the Horde continue their intense rivalry in a dispute to win the coast. In the west, the alliance is troubled by the Northsea Freebooters. Both factions struggle with entrenched vrykul forces. It appears to be a three-way battle between Alliance, Horde and vrykul.
Flight Points:
Valgarde
Fort Wildervar
Westguard Keep
Vengeance Landing
Apothecary Camp
New Agamand
Camp Winterhoof
Kamagua
Dungeon: Utgarde
Utgrade Keep Level 70-72
Utgarde Pinnacle Level 80
BOREAN TUNDRA
Level Range: 68-72
When heading to Northrend, you can choose to start your questing as a level 70 or 68 going to the Borean Tundra as one of the two starter zones. Take the boat that leaves the new Stormwind Harbor to get there as an Alliance player. For Horde players, a zeppelin will take you there from Orgrimmar. This zone has landscape variation including plains, seashore, hot springs, ice sheets floating nicely into the ocean and snow-covered hills and plains. It has varied landscape which never becomes boring to the eyes as you ride your epic mount across the zone. The whole zone of Borean Tundra looks like a puzzle with variety of colors for each section of the zone.
Flight Points:
Valiance Keep
Fizzcrank Airstrip
Warsong Hold
Taunka’le Village
Bor’gorok Outpost
Amber Ledge
Transitus Shield
Unu’pe
Dungeon: The Nexus
The Nexus Level 71-73
The Oculus Level 80
The Eye of Eternity Raid
GRIZZLY HILLS
Level Range: 73-75
When you completed your quests in Howling Fjord, the quest will lead you to the next zone, Grizzly Hills. This zone is heavily hilly and forested. It has the most distinctive feature of a large tree fallen over and landed in the very middle of the zone. Expect to discover tunnels and bridges made from the trees here. There are several PVP questing areas here and capture points that one can decide to gain. Grizzly zone maybe the smallest zone out of all the new Zones but holds many PVP causing some frantic PVP action. Get rewards with Honor Points for doing several daily PVP quests as well as Venture tokens that can be used in Venture Bay provided you’re entitled to these rewards.
Flight Points:
Amberpine Lodge
Westfall Brigade Encampment
Conquest Hold
Camp Oneqwah
Dungeon:
Drak’Tharon Keep Level 74-76
DRAGONBLIGHT
Level Range: 71-74
Located in Northrend, the great Dragonblight is a graveyard of Dragon. In the quest in this zone, the prevailing questline from the Aliance perspective is the attack of the Lich King’s forces upon Wintergarde and the siege at Angrathar the Wrath Gate. A short side story recalls some important events from Warcraft III. The questline at Venomspite revolves around around Arthas’s machinations with the Scarlet Crusade at New Hearthglen, and the initiation of the Taunka into the Horde at Agmar’s Hammer.
Both mortal factions and the dragonflights represented at Wyrmrest Temple are concerned with Malygos’s disastrous redirection of ley line energies at Moonrest Gardens and the Azure Dragonshrine and the Scourge attacks at their respective dragonshires.
Flight Points:
Wintergarde Keep
Stars’ Rest
Fordragon Hold
Agmar’s Hammer
Kor’kron Vanguard
Venomspite
Wyrmrest Temple
Moa’ki Harbor
Dungeon:
Azjol-Nerub Level 72-74
Ahn’kahet Level 73-75
Raid: Naxxramas
Raid: Chamber of the Aspects
ZUL’DRAK
Level range: 74-77
Zul’Drak is a single large valley between the arms of the Grizzly Hills, Crystalsong forest and the Storm Peaks. Zul’Drak is the Drakkari homeland. Drakari are unpleasant and epitomizes the nastiness and barbarism of trolls everywhere. Their built is larger and bigger than any other troll and crude. They prefer violence to discussion or negotiation. They respect strength and the only thing they want from others is flesh and fear. The god thing about them is that they are tribal. They live in small tribes throughout Zul’Drak and wage ar among themselves. The conflict within their tribes helps keep the troll population down. The Drakkari have recently gone mad after they sacrificed their animal gods in an attempt to fight off the Scourge. The Argent Dawn will return to play a role in Zul’Drak and the zone itself will be a giant ziggurat of the now broken civilization.
Flight Points
Ebon Watch
Light’s Breach
The Argent Stand
Zim Torga
Gundrak
Dungeon: Gundtrak
CRYSTALSONG FOREST
Level Range: 74-76
Crystal Song is where the city of Dalaran is based and headquartered. You will reach this zone when you reach Dalaran until Level 74 or know a mage has learned the port there and the way to get ported to Dalaran. The crystal woods in this part of the map gives off its own light and is visually stunning with light and shadow effects. Not much questing can be done here. It’s azone you have to go through to get to Dalaran though some quests will send you to Crystal Song Forest.
Flight Points:
Windrunner’s Overlook
Sunreaver’s Command
Dalaran
SHOLAZAR BASIN
Level Range: 75-78
Sholazar Basin is a tropical jungle basin in the midst of Northrend. It is situated in between the Borean Tundra and Ice crown Glacier. A high elf scholar once visited Kaskala and believed that the Titans used the Sholazar Basin as a testing ground. Some of their experiments or at least remains of their experiments may still exist. This belief makes the basin a potential treasure trove of knowledge and power.
Flight Points:
Nesingwary Base Camp
River’s Heart
STORM PEAKS
Level Range: 76-80
When your questing as a level 77-78 player, Storm Peaks is one of your options. Gear up and boost your flying skills since you will be flying often through out this zone. The distinctive feature of this zone is when you feel the tall mountains and you will see the different places that Titans have constructed through out this zone with the crowning achievement of design being Ulduar and the Terrace of Makers.
Flight Points:
Brann’s Base-Camp
Frosthold
Grom’arsh Crash-Site
Camp Tunka’lo
Ulduar
Bouldercrag’s Refuge
K3
Dungeon: Ulduar
Halls of Lightning Level 77-79
Halls of Stone Level 80
ICECROWN
Level Range: 77-80
Icecrown is undoubtedly the final goal in Northrend. It is the seat of Power of the Lich King and his Scourge army. This zone may look dominated with ice terrains but is also covered with various fortresses and holds of the Lich King quite alike in design to the Black Gate and the Towerof Barad-dur from the Lord of the rings. The snow and ice of this zone is on its outer edges.
Flight Points:
Death’s Rise
The Shadow Vault
Crusaders’ Pinnacle
The Argent Vanguard
WINTERGRASP
Level Range: 77-80
Wintergrasp is a large region located between Sholazar Basin, the Borena tundra, the Dragonblight and Icecrown Glacier. It was the site of the once larger Lake wintergrasp, however, the lake has shrunk since then. There is a valuable mine in this zone contested by both Horde and Alliance who seek to reap its riches.
In this new outdoor player versus player zone, one faction wil have to defend the keep while other assault it. Wintergrasp will hold PvE implications as well and will feature a variety of new daily quests. These quests include quests where you have to ride a mount with an NPC, flying mount quests where you have to lower ropes to evacuate NPCs. In these quests, mounts can hold multiple players. New Marks of Honor knows as Wintergrasp Mark of Honor will drop in this zone. Such marks are required for honor gear acquirement through the honor system.
Flight Points:
Valiance Landing Camp
Warsong Camp
With the new areas all jammed inside Northrend, expect to play through zones fairly friendly set up to those just entering. Blizzard has included two entry points into the continent’s design: one in the eastern zone of Howling Fjord and another in the western zone of Borean Tundra. You can start on either area since both will have the same level range. Anticipate to have a unique experience leveling up and conquering your quest on Wrath of the Lich King.
