How to Level in WoW MoP? Mist of Pandaria Leveling Guide

Mists of Pandaria Leveling Guide (Levels 85-90)

This guide outlines the fastest and most efficient way to level from 85 to 90 in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. It focuses on questing in Pandaria’s zones, with tips for optimizing your leveling experience. The guide is suitable for both Horde and Alliance players unless otherwise specified.

Getting Started

• Access Pandaria: At level 85, travel to Pandaria via the portal in your faction’s capital city:

  • Horde: Portal in Valley of Honor, Orgrimmar.

  • Alliance: Portal in Stormwind City.

• Preparation:

  • Clear your bags to maximize quest item space.

  • Purchase leveling gear in Dawn’s Blossom (Jade Forest) from Singegruff, a vendor selling weapons and armor for all classes. This gear is affordable and significantly boosts your power.

  • Join a guild for the XP bonus (typically 10%).

  • Consider picking up gathering professions (Herbalism, Mining, or Skinning) for bonus XP while questing. These also provide passive bonuses useful for leveling.

  • Set your Hearthstone to Dawn’s Blossom in Jade Forest for easy access to Pandaria’s main hub.

Leveling Path (85-90)

The zones in Mists of Pandaria are designed for specific level ranges. Follow this sequence to minimize travel time and maximize XP gains. Complete most quests in each zone before moving to the next, as zones are packed with quests to ensure smooth progression.

1. Jade Forest (Levels 85-86)

• Why Start Here: Jade Forest is the starting zone for Pandaria, designed for level 85-86 players. It’s the only true starting zone and introduces you to the expansion’s story.

• Key Quest Hubs:

  • Start by establishing your faction’s beachhead (Horde: Grookin Hill, Alliance: Paw’don Village).

  • Progress to Dawn’s Blossom, a neutral hub with quests for both factions and a vendor (Singegruff) for gear upgrades.

  • Complete quests around the Temple of the Jade Serpent (a dungeon you can queue for at level 85 for extra XP).

• Tips:

  • Follow the main questline to unlock all hubs. Jade Forest is large, so stick to one subzone at a time to avoid backtracking.

  • Expect to reach level 86 by completing most quests in this zone.

• Notable Instance: Temple of the Jade Serpent (Level 85, Dungeon Finder). Run it once for XP and gear if you have time.

2. Valley of the Four Winds / Krasarang Wilds (Levels 86-87)

• Zone Choice: Both zones are designed for level 86-88 players, with interconnected questlines. You can alternate between them or focus on one based on your preference.

• Recommended Path:

  • Start in Valley of the Four Winds (lush farmlands, easier quests). Key hubs include Halfhill and Pang’s Stead.

  • Move to Krasarang Wilds for quests around Zhu’s Watch or faction-specific outposts (Horde: Thunder Cleft, Alliance: Marista).

  • Return to Valley of the Four Winds to finish quests if needed.

• Tips:

  • These zones have a high density of quests, so you can skip some if you’re close to level 88 and want to move on.

  • If you have high-end Cataclysm raid gear, you can start here to avoid congestion in Jade Forest.

  • Flying is available immediately in Pandaria, so use your flying mounts to speed up travel.

• Notable Instance: Stormstout Brewery (Level 86, Dungeon Finder). Queue for it if you want a break from questing.

3. Kun-Lai Summit (Levels 87-88)

• Why Quest Here: Kun-Lai Summit is designed for level 87-88 players and offers a mix of large quest hubs and scenic areas.

• Key Quest Hubs:

  • Start at Binan Village (neutral) or faction-specific hubs (Horde: Eastwind Rest, Alliance: Westwind Rest).

  • Progress to the Shado-Pan Monastery area for additional quests.

• Tips:

  • This zone is large, so use flight paths and flying mounts to reduce travel time.

  • You may hit level 88 before finishing all quests, allowing you to move to the next zone early.

• Notable Instance: Shado-Pan Monastery (Level 87, Dungeon Finder). Run it for XP and gear upgrades.

4. Townlong Steppes (Levels 88-89)

• Why Quest Here: Designed for level 88-89 players, this zone focuses on the Mantid and Sha enemies, with a straightforward quest progression.

• Key Quest Hubs:

  • Start at Longying Outpost (Shado-Pan hub).

  • Follow quests toward Gao-Ran Battlefront.

• Tips:

  • Quests here are more combat-focused, so ensure your gear is up to date (use Dawn’s Blossom vendor if needed).

  • Expect to reach level 89 before completing all quests.

• Notable Instance: Siege of Niuzao Temple (Level 88, Dungeon Finder). Good for XP and loot.

5. Dread Wastes (Levels 89-90)

• Why Quest Here: The final leveling zone, designed for level 89-90 players, focuses on the Klaxxi and Sha of Fear.

• Key Quest Hubs:

  • Start at Klaxxi’vess, the main Klaxxi hub.

  • Progress to Soggy’s Gamble for additional quests.

• Tips:

  • You’ll likely hit level 90 before finishing all quests in this zone, as Pandaria’s XP pacing leaves extra quests.

  • Focus on the main Klaxxi storyline for the fastest XP gains.

• Notable Instance: Heart of Fear (Level 90, Raid Finder). Available once you hit level 90 for endgame gearing.

6. Vale of Eternal Blossoms (Level 89-90, Optional)

• Why Quest Here: This central zone is designed for level 89 players and offers additional quests if you haven’t hit level 90.

• Key Quest Hubs:

  • Shrine of Two Moons (Horde) or Shrine of Seven Stars (Alliance).

• Tips:

  • Use this zone as a fallback if you need extra XP to reach level 90.

  • Quests here tie into reputation grinds (e.g., Golden Lotus), which are more relevant for endgame.

Additional Tips for Faster Leveling

• Class Recommendations:

  • Hunters: Excel at solo questing due to pet tanking and strong AoE/ranged abilities. Use Beast Mastery spec with a Tenacity pet for survivability.

  • Mages: Great for soloing with crowd control and AoE spells like Blizzard and Arcane Explosion. Frost or Arcane specs are recommended.

  • Monks: Windwalker (DPS) or Brewmaster (tank) specs are ideal for fast questing or dungeon queues. The Enlightenment buff from Peak of Serenity boosts XP gains.

• Dungeons: Queue for dungeons via Dungeon Finder for a change of pace. They offer solid XP and gear, especially:

  • Temple of the Jade Serpent (Level 85)

  • Stormstout Brewery (Level 86)

  • Shado-Pan Monastery (Level 87)

  • Siege of Niuzao Temple (Level 88)

• Heirlooms: If available, use heirloom gear for significant XP bonuses (up to 50% with a full set).

• Avoid Grinding: Questing and dungeons are far more efficient than grinding mobs in Mists of Pandaria.

• Macros and Addons:

  • Consider using addons like Dugi Guides for automated quest tracking and optimized routes. These include a “Target Button” macro to highlight quest NPCs.

  • Set up class-specific macros to streamline your rotation (e.g., for Hunters or Mages).

• Bug Workarounds: If you encounter bugs (e.g., falling through the floor), log out for 5-10 minutes to reset your character’s position.

• Extra Activities:

  • Gathering professions (Herbalism, Mining, Archaeology) grant small XP bonuses per node.

  • Complete dailies or scenarios (e.g., Order of the Cloud Serpent in Jade Forest) for extra XP and rewards like mounts.

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