Returning Player Guides - What Changed Since Vanilla/Classic

By Neryssa Updated: 2020/10/21

This Is A User-Submitted Guide!

Wowhead only updates official guides, so information might not be up-to-date.

Returning Player Guides

Vanilla/Classic - You're reading it right now!

Burning Crusade - Click here!

Wrath of the Lich King - Click ere!

Cataclysm - Click here!

Mists of Pandaria - Click here!

Warlords of Draenor - Click here!

Battle.net AccountBlizzard's Official Merge PageRacesNew RacesAlliance RacesHorde RacesDraeneiAzuremyst IsleTeldrassil

Capital City: The Exodar, the ruins of their crashed spaceship.

Faction Leader: Prophet Velen

Starting Zones: Azuremyst Isle and Bloodmyst Isle.

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Warrior

Racial Mount: Elekks, elephants without big ears. Torallius the Pack Handler sells the racial mounts.

Racials:
Gift of the Naaru: Heals the target for 20% of the caster's total health over 5 sec.

Gemcutting: Jewelcrafting skill increased by 10.

Heroic Presence: Increases your Strength, Agility, and Intellect by 425 (scales with level).

Shadow Resistance: Reduces Shadow damage taken by 1%.

Blood Elf

Capital City: Silvermoon City (Burning Crusade), their rebuilt capital, after the scourge invasion.

Faction Leader: Lor'themar Theron

Starting Zones: Eversong Woods (Burning Crusade) and Ghostlands.

Classes: Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Hawkstriders, sleek and royal-like birds. Winaestra sells the racial mounts.

Racials:
Arcane Torrent: Silence all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec and restores 3% of your Mana, 15 energy, 15 rage, 15 focus, 1 Holy Power, 1 Chi, or 20 runic power. Non-player victim spellcasting is also interrupted for 3 sec.

Arcane Acuity: Increases critical strike chance by 1%.

Arcane Affinity: Enchanting skill increased by 10.

Arcane Resistance: Reduces Arcane damage taken by 1%.

Worgen

Capital City: As Gilneas City is overrun through their starting zone experience, they now reside at the Howling Oak in Darnassus.

Faction Leader: Genn Greymane

Starting Zones: Gilneas

Classes: Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Unamored Horses.

Racials:
Aberration: Reduces Shadow and Nature damage taken by 1%.

Darkflight: Activates your true form, increasing current movement speed by an additional 40% for 10 sec.

Flayer: Skinning skill increased by 15 and allows you to skin faster.

Running Wild: Drop to all fours to run as fast as a wild animal.

Two Forms: Turn into your currently inactive form.

Viciousness: Increases critical strike chance by 1%.

GoblinAzshara

Capital City: Bilgewater Harbor

Faction Leader: Trade Prince Gallywix

Starting Zones: Kezan, The Lost Isles

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Tricycles, sold by Kall Worthaton.

Racials:
Time is Money: Cash in on a 1% increase to haste.

Best Deals Anywhere: Always receive the best possible gold discount, regardless of faction.

Better Living Through Chemistry: Alchemy skill increased by 15.

Pack Hobgoblin: Calls in your friend, Gobber, allowing you bank access for 1 min.

Rocket Barrage: Launches your belt rockets at an enemy, dealing (1 + Level * 2) fire damage.

Rocket Jump: Activates your rocket belt to jump forward. Other effects which slow the rate of falling cannot be used within 10 sec after using this ability.

PandarenShen-zin Su

Capital City: Stormwind City if they choose to become Alliance, Orgrimmar if Horde.

Faction Leaders: Aysa Cloudsinger/Ji Firepaw

Starting Zones: The Wandering Isle, the back of Shen-zin Su.

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior

Racial Mount: Turtles, likely in homage to Shen-zin Su.

Racials:
Bouncy: You take half falling damage.

Epicurean: Your love of food allows you to receive 100% more of the stats from Well Fed effects.

Gourmand: Your Cooking skill is increased by 15.

Inner Peace: You earn twice as much rested experience.

Quaking Palm: Strikes the target with lightning speed, incapacitating them for 4 sec, and turns off your attack.

Allied RacesAllied Racesspecial Heritage ArmorAllied Races OverviewLightforged Draenei

Capital City: The Vindicaar

Faction Leader: High Exarch Turalyon

Unlocking Requirements: Earning You Are Now Prepared!.

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Warrior

Racial Mount: Lightforged Felcrusher

Racials:
Demonbane: Experience gained from killing Demons increased by 20%.

Forge of Light: Summon a Forge of Light, enabling Blacksmithing. Blacksmithing skill increased by 10.

Holy Providence: Reduces Holy damage taken by 1%.

Light's Judgment: Call down a strike of Holy energy, dealing Holy damage to enemies within 5 yards after 3 sec. 40 yd. 2.5 min CD. Instant.

Light's Reckoning: When you die the Light avenges you, dealing Holy damage to enemies within 8 yards and healing allies.

Void ElfAlleria Windrunner

Capital City: Telogrus Rift

Faction Leader: Alleria Windrunner

Unlocking Requirements: Earning You Are Now Prepared!.

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Starcursed Voidstrider

Racials:
Chill of Night: Reduces Shadow damage taken by 1%.

Entropic Embrace: Your abilities have a chance to empower you with the essence of the Void, increasing damage and healing by 5% for 12 sec.

Ethereal Connection: Reduces the cost of Void Storage and Transmogrification by 50%.

Preternatural Calm: Your spell casts are not delayed by taking damage.

Spatial Rift: Tear a rift in space. Reactivate this ability to teleport through the rift. 30 yd range. 3 min cooldown.

Highmountain Tauren

Capital City: Thunder Totem

Faction Leader: Mayla Highmountain

Unlocking Requirements: Earning Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

Classes: Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Monk, Shaman, Warrior

Racial Mount: Highmountain Thunderhoof

Racials:
Bull Rush: Charges forward for 1 sec, knocking enemies down for 1.5 sec. 2 min CD.

Mountaineer: Increases Versatility by 1%.

Pride of Ironhorn: Mining skill increased by 15 and allows you to mine faster.

Rugged Tenacity: Reduces damage taken by (character level) * 3.

Waste Not, Want Not: You have a chance to loot additional meat and fish.

Nightborne

Capital City: Suramar

Faction Leader: First Arcanist Thalyssra

Unlocking Requirements: Earning Insurrection.

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Nightborne Manasaber

Racials:
Ancient History: Inscription skill increased by 15.

Arcane Pulse: Deals (200% Attack Power) Arcane damage to nearby enemies every 2 seconds and snares them by 50%. Lasts 20 sec.

Arcane Resistance: Reduces magical damage taken by 1%.

Cantrips: Conjure up an Eldritch Grimoire, allowing you mail access for 1.5 min.

Magical Affinity: Increases magical damage 1%.

Dark Iron DwarvesMoira ThaurissanKing Magni Bronzebeard

Capital City: Shadowforge City in Blackrock Depths.

Faction Leader: Moira Thaurissan

Unlocking Requirements: Earning the achievement Ready for War.

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Dark Iron Core Hound

Racials:
Dungeon Delver: While indoors, move 4% faster.

Fireblood: Removes all poison, disease, curse, magic, and bleed effects and increases your primary stat by 100 for each effect removed. Lasts 8 sec. 2 min cooldown.

Forged in Flames: Reduces damage taken from Physical attacks by 1%.

Mole Machine: While outdoors, summon a Mole Machine that tunnels through the earth. 30 min cooldown.

Mass Production: Items crafted by Blacksmithing are created twice as quickly.

Mag'har Orc

Capital City: No official Capital City, currently refugees in Orgrimmar.

Faction Leader: Overlord Geya'rah

Unlocking Requirements: Earning the achievement Ready for War

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior

Racial Mount: Mag'har Direwolf

Racials:
Ancestral Call - Invoke the spirits of your ancestors granting you their power. Increases a random secondary stat by 102 for 12 seconds.

Open Skies - Increases mounted speed by 10%.

Savage Blood - Reduces the duration of Poisons, Diseases and Curses by 20%.

Sympathetic Vigor - Increases Pet Health by 10%.

Kul Tiran

Capital City: Boralus

Faction Leader: Lady Jaina Proudmoore

Unlocking Requirements: Earning the achievements Tides of Vengeance and A Nation United

Classes: Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior

Racial Mount: Kul Tiran Charger

Racials:
Haymaker - Wind up, then unleash your might upon your foe, dealing Physical damage, stunning for 3 sec, and knocking them back substantially.

Brush It Off - Increases Versatility by 1%. When you take damage, heal for 2% of that amount over 4 sec.

Child of the Sea - Hold your breath for 50% longer and swim 10% faster.

Jack of All Trades - Skill in all professions increased by 5.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Reduces Frost and Nature damage taken by 1%.

Zandalari Troll

Capital City: Dazar'alor

Faction Leader: Queen Talanji

Unlocking Requirements: Earning the achievements Tides of Vengeance and Zandalar Forever!

Classes: Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior

Racial Mount: Zandalari Direhorn

Racials:
Embrace of the Loa - Choose a loa:
Embrace of Akunda - Your healing abilities have a chance to cause additional healing on the target..

Embrace of Bwonsamdi - Your damaging abilities have a chance to deal Shadow damage and heal you for 100% of the damage done.

Embrace of Gonk - Increase movement speed by 5%.

Embrace of Kimbul - Your damaging abilities have a chance to cause the target to bleed over 6s. This effect stacks up to 3 times.

Embrace of Krag'wa - Taking damage has a chance to grant you additional Health and Armor.

Embrace of Pa'ku - Your abilities have a chance to grant you 4% Critical Strike for 12 sec.

Pterrordax SwoopRegeneratin'City of GoldMechagnome

Capital City: Mechagon City

Faction Leader: Gelbin Mekkatorque and Prince Erazmin

Unlocking Requirements: Completing the achieveement The Mechagonian Threat

Classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Mechagon Mechanostrider

Racials:
Hyper Organic Light Originator - Summon Organic Light duplicates to distract your foes.

Combat Analysis - You gather and analyze combat data every 5 sec, increasing your primary stat, stacking up to 10 times. The data decays while out of combat.

Mastercraft - You function as a personal Blacksmithing Anvil, Cooking Fire, and Mining Forge. In addition, your limbs include every profession tool.

Emergency Failsafe - When you fall below 20% health, heal for 15% of your maximum health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 2.5 min.

Skeleton Pinkie - Allows opening of locked chests and doors on a level similar to yours.

Vulpera

Capital City: Although nomadic in nature, the Vulpera Hideaway in Vol'dun serves as the closest thing to a capital city.

Faction Leader: Kiro

Unlocking Requirements: Earning the achievement Secrets in the Sands

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior

Racial Mount: Caravan Hyena

Racials:
Bag of Tricks - Pull your chosen trick from the bag and use it on target enemy or ally. Enemies take damage, while allies are healed.
Rummage Your Bag - Change the contents of your Bag of Tricks. Now where did you put that...?

Make Camp

Return to Camp - Return to your camp.

Alpaca SaddlebagsFire ResistanceNose For TroubleNew ClassesDeath KnightEastern PlaguelandsKnights of the Ebon BladeHero Classlevel 8

Playable Races: Draenei, Dwarf, Gnome, Human, Night Elf, Worgen, Blood Elf, Goblin, Orc, Tauren, Troll, Undead, Pandaren, Void Elf, Lightforged Draenei, Kul Tiran, Dark Iron Dwarf, Mechagnome, Nightborne, Highmountain Tauren, Zandalari Troll, Mag'har Orc, Vulpera

Armor Type: Plate Armor

Specializations:
Blood, a Tank specialization that focuses on creating shields and healing themselves as mitigation.

Frost, a Melee DPS specialization that delivers quick and constant Frost attacks.

Unholy, a Melee DPS specialization that uses undead minions and diseases to deal damage.

Death Knight class overviewMonk

Playable Races: Dark Iron Dwarf, Draenei, Dwarf, Gnome, Human, Night Elf, Worgen, Blood Elf, Orc, Mag'har Orc, Tauren, Troll, Undead, Pandaren, Void Elf, Highmountain Tauren, Nightborne, Zandalari Troll, Vulpera, Dark Iron Dwarf, Mag'har Orc, Kul Tiran, Mechagnome

Armor Type: Leather Armor

Specializations:
Brewmaster, a tank specialization that focuses on dodging attacks and using brews to mitigate damage.

Mistweaver, a healing specialization that masters the art of manipulation of life energies together with ancient Pandaren techniques.

Windwalker, a Melee DPS specialization artist without peer who pummels foes with hands and fists.

Monk class overview!Demon HunterHero Classlevel 8Black Temple

Playable Races: Night Elf, Blood Elf

Armor Type: Leather Armor

Specializations:
Havoc, a Melee DPS that masters warglaives and the destructive power of Fel magic.

Vengeance, a tank specialization that embraces the demon within to incinerate enemies and protect their allies.

Demon Hunter class overviewLevelingLevel Squish, Questing and Chromie Timelevel squishExile's ReachChromie Timecosmetic wayleveling flow and range changedCataclysm Old World Zone Changes

Burning Crusade has added Outland, the devastated remains of Draenor and controlled by Illidan Stormrage.

Wrath of the Lich King added Northrend, a continent on the northern side of Azeroth, home of the Lich King.

Cataclysm changed Azeroth zones forever, and uncovered previously hidden zones like the deserts of Uldum and the Twilight Highlands, home of the legendary Grim Batol.

Mists of Pandaria added Pandaria, a continent previously hidden from sight with the help of ancient magics - The Pandaren originally hail from there.

Warlords of Draenor has us go back in time to uncover the original Draenor, before its destruction at the hands of Ner'zhul.

Legion has uncovered the Broken Isles, location of the ancient Tomb of Sargeras and the lush capital of Suramar.

Battle for Azeroth added two continents: Kul Tiras, an Alliance continent controlled by House Proudmoore, and Zandalar, the seat of power of the Zandalari Troll empire.

Shadowlands is adding more than a continent: With the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead shattered, we are now exploring The Shadowlands, the realms of the dead.

Stormwind CityOrgrimmarHero's Call BoardWarchief's Command BoardDungeon Leveling

By queueing to a Random dungeon, the game will try to find a group for a dungeon in your level range, and you gain extra rewards like Satchel of Helpful Goods, which contains a rare item, as well as extra experience.

By queueing to a specific dungeon, the game will try to find a group for that dungeon you've selected, however, there will be no extra rewards.

Blackrock DepthsHeirloom EquipmentHeirloom CollectionsTalentsDruidDemon Huntermobilitydamage mitigationClass GuidesTome of the Tranquil MindRiding and Transportation

Name

Mount Type

Speed

Training Cost

Required Level

Apprentice Riding

Ground

60%

Journeyman Riding

Ground

100%

Expert Riding

Flying

150%

Master Riding

Flying

310%

Warcraft Transportation GuideGear and How to Obtain It

Gear can no longer have more than one Primary Stat at the same time - If you play a class that uses more than 1 Primary Stat (like Paladins, they use Intellect to heal and Strength to tank/dps), your gear will automatically change between Strength and Intellect depending on your current specialization;

Hit Chance is now gone, your attacks and spells don't miss anymore;

Armor and Spell Penetration are gone, so are Spell Resistances;

Spell Power and Healing Power are gone, now they come from your Intellect stat;

Defense rating is gone, tanks are now guaranteed to not take critical hits or crushing blows unless sitting or when taking enemies much higher level than they are;

Sockets have a chance to be added to every piece of gear you obtain, with gear from certain sources having guaranteed. Jewelcrafters are able to craft gems that can be added onto gear pieces with sockets in them, further improving the power of that piece of gear.

Secondary Stats no longer give you a flat percentage chance, instead, you receive a secondary stat rating. You need a certain amount of rating for 1% of each stat.

There are also more secondary stats now:
Critical Strike: Gives your attacks a chance to critically strike, dealing double its normal damage;

Haste: Increases your attack speed, reduces your spell cast times and reduces the time between each tick on DOT spells;

Versatility: Increases your damage done and reduces your damage taken;

Mastery: Enhances a key characteristic of your specialization, changes in each specialization.

Tertiary Stats

Speed - Increases the base movement speed of the character by a given amount.

Indestructible - Items with this tertiary stat will not have a durability attribute and thus won't ever break, saving the player eventual repair costs.

Leech - All damage and healing dealt will heal your character as well, by a percentage of its final amount.

Avoidance - Reduces all area damage received by a percentage. Any damage that is not targeted directed to you is classified as area damage.

World QuestsBattle for Azeroth World Quests OverviewReputation GearWintersaber TrainersReins of the Winterspring FrostsaberCenarion War HippogryphSha'tari SkyguardNetherwingOrder of the Cloud SerpentTalon's VengeanceBattle for Azeroth Reputation OverviewThe Exalted: An Overview of all ReputationsDungeonsPersonal LootNormalHeroicMythicMythic Keystone

Normal is the easiest difficulty there is, you can immediately queue for those after hitting the level cap, and are the only difficulty accessible while leveling.

Heroic is a middle of the road difficulty. You can queue for a heroic via the Group Finder once you reach a certain item level threshold, or if you have a group of friends, you can simply walk to the instance. Heroic Dungeons have a daily lockout.

Mythic is a harder dungeon that cannot be queued for, instead, you need to create a group with your friends, or via the Group Finder, and run to the instance's door. Mythic Dungeons are on a weekly lockout.

Mythic Keystone is a special dungeon mode that can only be accessed by using an Mythic Keystone on the altar near a dungeon's entrance. Mythic Keystone dungeons are special because they offer a scaling difficulty, the higher the value of your Keystone, the harder the dungeon will be. Those can scale indefinitely.

Battle for Azeroth Dungeon OverviewMythic Keystone DungeonsOutland Timewalking Dungeon EventThe ArcatrazThe Black MorassMana-TombsThe Shattered HallsThe Slave PensMagisters' TerraceBlack TempleTimewarped BadgeMark of the AshtongueReins of the Eclipse DragonhawkRaids

Raid Finder is the easiest difficulty setting and can be queued via the Dungeons and Raids tab. The Raid Finder will gather a group of 25 people to kill bosses.

Normal and Heroic: Those are middle-of-the-road difficulties that you need to find a group and run to the raid's entrance. A Normal or Heroic Raid group can contain 10 to 30 players and bosses will scale accordingly to your group's size. You can also invite your friends that play on different servers!

Mythic: The hardest difficulty setting of a raid, destined for guilds. Mythic raids are balanced around 20 people in a group. You cannot invite players from other servers to try Mythic raids with you, unless enough time has passed on that tier.

Onyxia's LairMolten CoreBlackwing LairProfessions

Archaeology: A secondary profession that allows you to see what's underneath Azeroth, literally. Travel around the world, explore dig sites, and locate ancient archaeology fragments that can be combined for a wide variety of rewards, including mounts and pets!

Inscription: A primary profession that uses different herbs to mill and create different kinds of ink. With those inks, you can create scrolls, glyphs or even powerful Darkmoon Cards!

Jewelcrafting: A primary profession that allows you to prospect rare gems from ores mined all around Azeroth. You can use said gems to create powerful gems that boost stats in your gear when added to a socket, or lapidate them into trinkets or toys!

Battle for Azeroth Professions OverviewTransmogrificationJudgment ArmorTransmogrification ResourcesTransmogrification Guide Database!Pet BattlesPet Battles and YouAchievementsAchievement Guides DatabasePvPRated Battleground SystemWar Mode PvP OverviewArena

Comments

Comment by fizlebang

your attacks and spells don't miss anymore;

This isn't exactly true as melee attacking a mob from the front still has a 3% chance to be parried (as long as they are less than 3 levels higher than you, including bosses).

Comment by Jvchequer

Great guide, keep up the good work.

Comment by koulo

This guide will help me in 2015 that time im returning in wow, yeah bad time with wod but for me is a new experience. All new thing like the stats is confusing by the time but is more simple now.

Well a least a lot of guides for wowhead users help me with the new adventure.

Comment by nbajammer

Last time I checked, Worgen could NOT be Monks. Likely due to the fact that their starting zone is phased.

Comment by qaccy

No mention that Arcane Torrent restores insanity as a shadow priest! But if Blizzard doesn't care about shadow I guess it makes sense to see them overlooked here too...

Another correction: Pandaren are in fact able to communicate cross-faction using their racial language.

Comment by offspinner

Might want to briefly mention Draenor Garrisons as well; not current content obviously, but still a useful source of mounts, toys, heirlooms, gold and profession items.

Comment by vektor

You should mention Thottbot is no longer there :D

Comment by Sebiale

"Azuremyst Isle, an island north of Teldrassil"
Southwest, not north.

Comment by Snikmord

Small typo:

You can earn your own Artifact Weapon starting at level 98 when you can start question

Comment by 1723876

The Belf racial mount is a hawkstrider, not a tallstrider . . .

Tallstriders aren't all that "sleek" and "royal!" xD

Comment by 1859416

Ammo/quivers were removed also

Comment by Foxpaw

A non-comprehensive list of all the advancements and quality of life improvements you can expect to go back to not having whenever they get around to releasing the vanilla servers.

Remember, Blizzard, they want the vanilla experience. They don't get any of this stuff. Don't be going half-measures with this and let them have the UI and group finding improvements.

Comment by Automag

You may want to edit the Profession area to reflect that First Aid is gone with BfA.

Comment by m122369

Thanks for the guide!

Returning Player Guides - What Changed Since Vanilla/Classic

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