WoW Shadowlands Best Ways To Level Up Fast

Updated:

18 Feb 2022

No matter our goals in Azeroth, climbing the level ladder is challenge all players must share.

You’re never hurting for something to do in World of Warcraft. From old storylines to present day content—Azeroth is vast, with all sorts of instances to conquer, various collections to flesh out, and over 24,000 quests to keep you and your champion on the move. But no matter the player or their taste in activities, we all must go through the most classic grinde the game demands: leveling.

Luckily for those players looking to get right to the most modern content quickly, WoW has been through 8 expansions, providing ample time for hardcore players to have studied and unlocked the secrets to fast, efficient leveling. If you’re looking to get from level 1 to 60 in a hurry, you’ve come to the right place. Together we’ll lay out the top 5 tips and tricks to make leveling as quick and productive as possible. Let’s begin!

5. Rest Bonus

Rest your weary feet, Champion.

It may seem a little strange to start a top five quickest ways to level list by discussing NOT playing World of Warcraft, but in reality, WoW’s rest system bonus is one of the easiest ways to make your leveling experience just a bit breezier, while also building important game-time habits that you’ll surely need when you’re forced to fight the urge to stay up for three days straight questing. (If you’re new, just wait. It’s coming).

All you have to do is make sure that when you log out, your character is stationed in a capital city or an inn. You can confirm you’re receiving the bonus when your portrait glows and your leveling circle says, ‘Zzz.’ The next time you log on, you’ll have accumulated time on the bonus, and can enjoy the perks of double xp as you continue to level, or even TWICE as much xp if you’re a Pandaren, as they have the racial trait ‘Inner Peace’ that provides just that.

Although this bonus is in no way required, this is an incredibly easy step that will add up xp quickly. Your xp bar will be blue when you’re rested, so once it turns purple, consider taking a break and doing some irl stuff. WoW will be waiting, and you’ll reap the rewards when you log back in!

To learn more about the Rest bonus, check out this overview here: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Rest

4. War Mode

The most ancient of conflicts in all of WoW.

As of Patch 8.0, the incredibly controversial War Mode feature has changed WoW forever. For some it defeats the purpose of a story based upon two factions at war, while others openly welcome the change, preferring not to have to deal with unwanted PvP while engaging in content. Regardless of which side of the argument you’re on, War Mode is a very useful leveling tool.

When toggled on, you’ll enjoy the benefits of a 10% xp boost and 10% bonus for world quests. It may seem like a small gain for a big hassle, but as we add on boosts with each new piece of our countdown, these xp gains are going to stack in surprising ways. Not to mention that as you level you’ll gain other non-leveling related perks from the mode, such as achievements, honor points, and conquest points that you can put towards PvP gear and other rewards. So if you’re open to a little scrimmaging with the enemy, toggle War Mode on, and reap the benefits as you climb the leveling ladder.

If you’re looking to understand Warmode and it’s benefits a little better, try here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-or7X1X11Y

3. Heirloom Gear

Who says leveling can't be stylish?

Let’s face it—we’ve been absolutely spoiled by heirloom gear in the past. Before Shadowlands, bonuses were by the armor pieces, adding 10% xp gain with EACH NEW PIECE ADDED. And they stacked! But nowadays, much to the collective moan of more experienced players that have reaped the benefits alt after alt, heirlooms are still useful, but scaled down quite a bit, as their system is now much more tier-based.

Although the benefits are drastically lower than old expansions, the most important heirloom aspect for our leveling guide is that two pieces of heirloom grants you a 30% reduction on rested experience, and at six pieces, an additional 30% reduction. If you’ve been dutifully allowing yourself time offline to refill your rest bar, this can be helpful in ensuring your time back in-game is fruitful, as your double xp from being rested will expire at a much slower rate.

An extra bonus opportunity to speed up leveling is present in the ‘Heirloom Hoarder’ achievement, which requires you to collect 35 pieces of heirloom gear, and rewards you with a chauffeured mount that you can call upon as early as level 1.

Here’s a helpful guide on heirlooms that is up-to-date for Shadowlands:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wP-LlLHrXo

2. Strategizing Questing Route

Don't get caught in the wild wandering aimlessly without a leveling strategy!

Sometimes the best strategy in WoW is simply to play the game as designed, but with a bit of organized knowledge. Questing is always a must when working on leveling, especially when you’ve got all the bonuses we’ve covered stacked on top of one another. But with so many quests available, it can be hard to know where to start.

Luckily, the numbers have been crunched! It is recommended currently that you stay in your starting zone from levels 1-10, branch slightly out from there to nearby areas from 10-20, and then hop into the introduction to Warlords of Draenor, as these large-earning quests along with work in your garrison can carry you quickly all the way to 50.

Once you’ve made it to 50 and have entered Shadowlands, you’re free to run the current storyline, with the campaign order going as follows: Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, and then Ravendreth. It’s also worth noting that if you need a breath of fresh air between quests, running Torghast solo will gain you heaps of xp, and will even get you started on your collection of soul ash, which will be used to craft legendaries later.

To learn more about mapping out the best places to quest, look here: https://gamestoday.info/pc/world-of-warcraft/i-created-a-leveling-route-that-is-faster-than-wod/

1. Dungeon Spamming

Some things never change.

Grinding out dungeons has been the classic way to add levels onto your character fast for many expansions now, and it’s showing no signs of slipping down the list as the quickest way to level in-game. With a pretty average pop time of 2-3 times an hour for dps toons, spamming dungeons is an insanely sped-up xp grab that will push you through levels fast. It can also be done pretty leisurely in between bouts of questing.

If you’re looking to get even more dedicated, you can take dungeons one step further and work with friends or a guild/dungeon team so that your queues are back-to-back instant! And of course, if you role a tank, you’re in extreme demand, and should have super quick pop times. The faster you can turn over instances, the better.

For more info on the benefits of dungeon spamming, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzYkek2zSGU&t=602s

And that completes our list! Just remember that even armed with these tips and tricks, making it all the way from level 1 to 60 will still be a challenge. But with knowledge on your side, you’ll find that the experience of leveling should feel much more organized, and fly by faster than ever before. Good luck, Champion! And Happy WoWing.