It's official, but nobody was surprised when Blizzard announced that The Burning Crusade expansion was coming to Classic World of Warcraft. Players are already discussing the next step they're going to take, and that's not just a matter of stepping into Outland, hitting those new dungeons and raids, and getting a flying mount. There's also a lot of buzz on the technical side regarding server changes and whether or not characters should progress past Classic WoW.
While the discussion continues to rage on various Discord servers and Blizzard forums about the next steps for individual characters, some events, items, and activities are closer to the top of everyone's list. As soon as the Dark Portal opens, there are a few things you'll want to do without doubt or debate, and here they are.
Updated by Kristy Ambrose on June 18th, 2021: The Burning Crusade has been live for a few weeks now. That's plenty of time to experience the wonders and horrors of Outland. Several players have already reached the new level cap and are in the process of raiding Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, and other exciting raids. The new quests in TBC are often part of a rep grind that ends in shiny new items. Part of the fun is enjoying the leveling with other guild members and TBC players. With that in mind, here are a few more adventures that players can enjoy when they hit 60 and cross over into Outland.
10 Go Through The Dark Portal
The Blasted Lands is a zone that doesn't get a lot of love in Classic, because there's not a lot to do there pre-patch. For players who care about lore and are paying attention, however, it's interesting. The zone is populated by a variety of demons, corrupted animals, and Blood Elves — stuff that seems like it should be in Outland. That's because this is the zone that hosts the Dark Portal.
Warlocks and Warriors have some quests in this zone and already know the location, but other players often don't even get a close look at the Dark Portal until they go through it. Taking part in the pre-patch activities is a nice way to get psyched up for actually crossing over into the new continent, which is the signal that TBC has officially begun.
9 Grind Reputation With The Outland Factions
There are a variety of factions that explore Outland. Some are loyal to either Horde or Alliance, while others are Neutral and accessible to all players. The Cenarion Expedition and the Sha'tar of Shattrath City are examples of universal factions. Thrallmar is only for Horder, however, and players have to choose between Aldor or Scryer before raising their reputation with either.
Players need those Best in Slot items to run raids. Sometimes these special pieces of gear, or the formulas to make them, are only available in certain dungeons or from special vendors. Only players who have a high standing among certain groups can access these dungeons or buy gear from the faction Quartermaster.
8 Mind The Fel Reaver
Fel Reaver is about 20 stories tall and makes a booming noise as it stomps across Hellfire Penninsula. Somehow, despite the size and noise, it still has this uncanny knack for sneaking up on people. The last link in the attunement chain for the Shattered Halls concludes with a step that consists of destroying this thing, so at least there's a chance for revenge.
Right after the expansion goes live, most players are focused on the novelty of the new zone and its related quests, raid progression, flying mounts, and the road to Shattrath City. No matter how many times players hear that warning, however, they never seem to learn.
7 Level Your Professional Skills
This includes both gathering skills, like Herbalism, and crafting skills, such as Alchemy. Gathering resources is a great source of income for making money after a new patch or expansion drops. Other players are leveling their professional talents and want to buy materials in bulk, and they don't mind paying extra for them.
Some of the new quests in WoW TBC focus on professional skills, and are only accessible to players with a certain skill level in that chosen profession. There are also some BiS items that are crafted and immediately soulbound to their creator, but their skill level has to be maxed out in order to make them.
6 Choose Between Scryers & Aldor
Upon arrival in Shattrath City, players will have to walk through a tour of the town that concludes with choosing between the Aldor or the Scryer. This is one of the first quests that players do in The Burning Crusade Classic. Players shouldn't be alarmed if they end up on the wrong side of their own faction. The Aldor tend to be associated with the Alliance and the Scryers are connected to the Horde, but don't let that influence the choice.
Most players make their choice depending on the gear each faction offers. A character gains reputation with the Sha'tar faction, so either way, the player will still have access to some common loot as they progress through The Burning Crusade to level 70.
5 Save Gold To Get A Flying Mount
Players have ten levels to put together the hundreds of gold for the training alone. Just like with a ground mount, prepare to spend some gold. Expert Riding costs 250g, and if players want an epic flying mount, Artisan Riding costs 5000g. Good thing Blizzard made it easier to make money in The Burning Crusade.
There are places in Outland that are only accessible via flying mount anyway, and who doesn't love another mount no matter its form? The argument about whether or not flying mounts "broke the game" will never go away, and these are so cool that most players don't care.
4 Explore Shadowmoon Valley
The home of the Black Temple, this Outland zone has the most to offer when it comes to lore and gear that eventually leads to one of TBC's most notoriously difficult raids. This is also where players can start the quest chain to get a special epic mount, a Netherdrake.
Wandering out in the wastelands of Shadowmoon Valley is a lone Blood Elf named Mordenai. He can start players on the quest chain, "Ally of the Netherwing" provided they can fill out the prerequisites. The Netherwing Drake is one of Outland's coolest flying mounts, provided players can grind the rep with the proper faction and pay for both Expert and Artisan riding.
3 Roll A Blood Elf
Players who remember Warcraft 3 fondly will stampede to this anyway since this is the closest they can get to rolling a High Elf and seeing the aftermath of the Third War up close. This isn't so much new as the continuation of a story that has already been partly told.
The Blood Elf race is ideal for anything connected to the arcane, with powers and abilities that favor Warlocks, Mages, Priests, and Paladins. Speaking of which, this is the first Horde race with access to the Paladin class. Their connection to the Light is a mysterious and insidious one.
2 Roll A Draenei
Shaman is a popular class, known for their high DPS ability and useful totems. Now, the Alliance players finally have access to a race with the knowledge to take on this ancient magical art. They also have one of the best new racial mounts, the elephant-like elekk.
This alien race has a lot going for it when it comes to lore and design, even though they're from a more obscure place in WoW lore. The Azuremyst Isle, their home base in Azeroth, is also a sight to behold. It's ethereal already, and now complete with the ruins of an interdimensional space ship making up the Draenei home city.
1 Download An Add-On For The Attunement Process
Players planning on raiding in The Burning Crusade after they reach 70 have to start an attunement process that begins at level 60. This connects to grinding rep with certain factions, and there is a complicated set of steps to follow. These are tied to the character's level and their reputation with certain factions. Players can complete different activities at each level to advance in the raid attunement process.
If that sounds complicated, it's because it is. All of this is hard to keep track of, so using an add-on to help guide makes the whole process less complicated. It's either that, or write everything down.