New Races

First up, there are the two new races. For the most part, these two new races are an aesthetic decision. By choosing either of them, you’ll be able to play through a new starter area from Level 1-13. However, there are some benefits to either. The Worgen is able to act as its own mount while the Goblin offers a slew of economic benefits such as its Pack Hobgoblin that calls up bank access for 1 minute and its vendor discounts.

Crowd Control Focus

End game content has shifted slightly too to put a heavy focus on the use of crowd control instead of things like resistance and penetration. That means classes with heavy CC abilities like Hunters, Priests and Rogues are more important than ever before while other classes have gained new CC abilities that will have a profound impact on how the game is played.

If you play as a healer or tank, the game probably hasn’t changed too much for you, though some healers have had their spells simplified to make this a more straightforward process. But, if you normally play DPS or an off-roll, your mechanics are likely slightly different.

Speccing and Mastery

Before Cataclysm, the talent trees were getting pretty big with top talents at 51 points and multiple scrolls required to see the entire thing. Now, however, the game has actually stepped back and cut down the talent trees to just 31 point caps in each tree and a requirement to spend your points up to level 69 in just one tree.

So, if you are used to playing a heavy hybrid class such as Arcane/Fire Mage or Mark/Survival Hunter, you will now be forced to select a character with a lot more focus in one talent tree. That’s not necessarily a bad thing however, as players will now receive a Mastery bonus for whichever tree they max out in. Those mastery bonuses include heavy damage dealing spells, big time heals, and support options that are necessary for top tier performance.

On the surface, many of the changes made by Blizzard in Cataclysm simplified the game quite a bit. But, with so many options, so many possible uses for your class and so many ways to interpret those abilities, it’s almost impossible to over-simplify a game like World of Warcraft.

More than anything make sure you pick a class that you enjoy with abilities you won’t mind using for hours or days at a time in the future. With that in mind, there is no “perfect” character for World of Warcraft, just the one you’ll enjoy most.

Levelling Boosts

For those starting at Level 1, you can get a good jump in levelling speed if you use the Recruit a Friend feature offered by Blizzard. You gain triple experience while attached to another character and also gain “grantable levels” that you can use later on veteran players. It’s a pretty sweet deal for those that are brand new to the game.

But, even for those not new, there are ways to get XP boosts. Rested XP, for example, can provide up to a 100% boost for one full level if you logout while in a town or inn. You can also get a boost to your XP with Heirloom items. You’ll need a level 80 character to get the Heirlooms in the first place, but they are extremely useful when you get them. And for guild members, there is a new guild levelling system that will provide a potential XP boost of up to 10%.

Grouping Up

The fastest way to level is through quests. But, if you’d rather play with your friends and not rush through quests playing solo, the game has been built in a way that very much supports grinding with a group. Even without tricky gameplay, you can use the Dungeon Finder or a guild group to blast through lower level mobs and get the XP needed as low as level 15 when the first dungeons become available.

Class Selection

Blizzard has done a good job making most of the classes levelling friendly, but that doesn’t mean some are not better than others. Hunters have always been the best levelling class in the game, while Warlocks, Paladins, and Rogues also do a great job of solo play. They are all very hard to kill and changes to regeneration speed have made them extremely effective at staying up without having to stop for water or food.

Leveling at 80

If you are already at Level 80 and want to get through the new content in Azeroth as fast as possible, there are not many tricks. Most quests are progressive story-chains. The best tip I can give you is to avoid peak server hours when the majority of players are online fighting for space.

World of Warcraft is a fantastic game with thousands of quests and opportunities to join up with other players. Speed levelling is good if you need to catch up with your fellow guild members, but don’t neglect the chance to have a good time while you’re playing. After all, this is a game and Blizzard has put a lot of work into their Azeroth revamp.

The Best Leveling Paths – Click Here

Starting as a Goblin

Goblins start out on their home of Kezan, actually a little before the Cataclysm. You’ll go through some very interesting quests, including driving a hot rod around the island, stealing from the Merchant Prince, and digging up ore in a goofy mine.

Once you reach Level 5 or 6, you’ll go through a cut scene that will transfer you to the Lost Isles. This is where you’ll run into the Horde and find your calling as the newest member of the assault against the Alliance.

So, What Makes a Goblin So Great?

Goblins can start the game as Mages, Priests, Rogues, Warlocks, Warriors, Shamans, and Hunters in Kezan, or as Death Knights at Level 55. That means they have a wide variety of options for how to play the game, including the lore to go with each.

However, what really makes the Goblin so popular right now (besides the wickedly hilarious quest chains up to Level 20) is their number of racial abilities. Racials have always been interesting, but never before have they been this useful in the game.

As a Goblin, you’ll have access to:

• Rocket Jump – Jump Forward ability on a 2 minute cooldown. For now, it’s just fun, but in PvP this will be a big help to avoid Line of Sight.
• Rocket Barrage – Shares the 2 minute cooldown with Rocket Jump and allows a pretty hefty last minute attack with your belt, scaled to your level.
• Time is Money – You get a 1% increase to all attack and casting speeds. This is huge for DPS in raiding.
• Best Deals Anywhere – You’ll get the best possible discount from all vendors, regardless of your faction. A very nice boost for top end items.
• Pack Hobgoblin – This is a big one. There are some pets that offer similar bonuses, but you get it at level 1. Bank access for 1 minute on a 30 second cooldown.
• Better Living Through Chemistry – 15 skill boost to Alchemy

To me, this is by far the coolest and most complete collection of racial abilities in the game, right up there with Forsaken and their underwater breathing and corpse healing.

Picking a Goblin

So, if you make the big decision and opt to go with a Goblin, now is the time to make sure you pick a class that you also enjoy and are ready for the long grind from Level 1 to 85. Of course, don’t forget that there is an entire new Azeroth out there to explore and plenty of Goblin-centred quests to partake of.

But, what makes them a good choice if you opt to reroll now that Cataclysm is live? First up, you have the incredibly cool quest chains that make up the Worgen starting area. Phased over the course of the Worgen curse, then the Forsaken invasion, you’ll need to fight off not only your fellow Gilneans but the residents of Silverpine when the wall comes down.

Worgen Racials

When you get started, you’ll be able to choose from Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior, Druid, or Hunter as your class at Level 1. You can also create a Level 55 Worgen as a Death Knight, though you’ll miss out on all of the cool Gilneas phased quests if you do so. While the Worgens don’t get quite as many cool abilities as their Goblin counterparts, there are still some pretty interesting options for Alliance players rerolling.

• Darkflight – You get a 40% boost to movement speed for 10 seconds while on your feet.
• Viciousness – Gives you a nice 1% boost to all critical strike. Will come in handy for DPS that relies on crits like Rogues, Mages and Hunters.
• Aberration – Unfortunately, this got a nerf. Originally, it was planned to reduce curse and disease effects, but due to balance issues it now acts to boost Nature and Shadow resistance. Still good, but not nearly as effective for things like PvP.
• Flayer – Adds 15 skill to skinning with a .5 second speed boost. This will be huge when going through a zone where a bunch of beasts have just been killed.
• Two Forms – Allows you to transform between human and worgen forms.
• Running Wild – Worgens won’t get access to their own racial mounts. Instead, you will drop to all fours and run on your own. It’s available right away, but won’t offer the 60% speed boost until you reach level 20.

For the first few days playing as a Worgen, most players will just sit around playing with the switch between Human and Worgen and dropping into Running Wild form. For the most part, there are not too many features of the Worgen that make them stand out over other races, but they are so incredibly cool that you’ll have a blast nonetheless.

If you choose to play as a Worgen, be prepared for a prolonged quest chain that will take between 3-5 hours to complete on your road to Level 13. Once the chain is complete, most of your starting resources will be relocated to Stormwind City where you’ll find Genn Graymane with the Alliance leaders. You’ll also find quite a few NPCs littered throughout the older zones of Azeroth. You’re pretty much guaranteed to have a blast, though, so if you’re Alliance and looking for a fun new way to enjoy the game, definitely check out the Worgen race.

Worgen Classes

Worgen Warrior

Worgen Hunter

Worgen Rogue

Worgen Priest

Worgen Death Knight

Worgen Mage

Worgen Warlock

Worgen Druid