Battle for Azeroth Level 110-120 Leveling Guide (BfA 8.1.5)
Welcome to the Leveling and Level 120 Survival Guide which is intended to help you begin your Battle for Azeroth experience as well as establish a foothold into your Level 120 adventures that will empower your character's development into Kul Tiras and Zandalar!
Introduction
NOTE: It is VERY important to not vendor any equipment you pick up. You will be deconstructing all of your gear for resources that will help you in the Warfronts to be fought! Deconstructing, or scrapping, your gear will be done using the Scrap-o-Matic 1000 if you are Alliance and the Shred-Master Mk1 if you are Horde. This works the same as the way the Obliterum Forge worked in Legion. The scrapping feature can be used on all Battle for Azeroth equipment found, not just craftable equipment, so save everything you acquire for the scrapper! Before we get started, keep in mind some of the tips below that can speed up your leveling process!
Experience Requirement Changes
In Patch 8.1, the amount of experience needed to level up has been reduced! Every Level from 20 until 120 has been reduced, although the reduction for Level 110 to 120 has been reduced only a very small and insignificant amount.
- Level 20 -> Level 30 reduced from 567,600 XP to 505,090 XP, a reduction of 11%
- Level 30 -> Level 40 reduced from 971,040 XP to 741,730 XP, a reduction of 24%
- Level 40 -> Level 50 reduced from 1,489,900 XP to 1,000,160 XP, a reduction of 33%
- Level 50 -> Level 60 reduced from 2,135,130 XP to 1,326,210 XP, a reduction of 38%
- Level 60 -> Level 70 reduced from 2,904,820 XP to 1,774,850 XP, a reduction of 39%
- Level 70 -> Level 80 reduced from 3,784,210 XP to 2,637,750 XP, a reduction of 30%
- Level 80 -> Level 90 reduced from 4,780,120 XP to 3,585,090 XP, a reduction of 25%
- Level 90 -> Level 100 reduced from 5,950,450 XP to 4,462,850 XP, a reduction of 25%
- Level 100 -> Level 110 reduced from 6,840,000 XP to 5,128,780 XP, a reduction of 25%
- Level 110 -> Level 111 reduced from 717,000 XP to 537,730 XP, a reduction of 25%
- Level 111 -> Level 120 reduced from 7,731,450 XP to 7,728,320, a reduction of 0%
Overall, the leveling experience for the classic levels of 20 to 60 has been vastly reduced by going from 5,163,670 XP to 3,573,190 XP, a reduction of 31%. This means that a leveling experience that could have taken 20 hours has been reduced to about 14 hours!
The leveling experience for the Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King levels of 60 to 80 has been greatly reduced from 6,689,030 XP to 4,412,600 XP which is a reduction of 34%. This has been a notoriously lengthy leveling section, and this reduction will be very noticeable and appreciated by those players leveling new characters such as those allied races!
The leveling experience for the Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria, and Warlords of Draenor levels has been reduced by 25% from 10,730,570 XP to 8,047,940 XP.
The leveling experience for the Legion levels has been reduced by 25%. Level 110 to Level 111 has also been reduced by 25%. The remaining levels for BfA have been altered by an insignificant amount, but new Heirloom items have been made available in Patch 8.1 which should speed the leveling experience up for this level range moderately!
Heirloom Items
If you already have a high level character or a friend willing to give you gold then you can purchase Heirloom items. These items are bound to account and are accessible through the Heirlooms tab using Shift+P. The benefits of these Heirloom items is that they scale with your level keeping your gear up to date without you having to worry about upgrades, and they provide a significant XP bonus.
Currently the base Heirloom items scale up to level 60. In order to get them to level any further you will need to purchase the upgrade tokens in either Ironforge for Alliance, or Undercity for Horde.
- In order to scale up base Heirlooms to level 90 you need to purchase Ancient Heirloom Armor Casing for each piece of armor and Ancient Heirloom Scabbard for each weapon.
- In order to scale up level 90 Heirlooms to level 100 you need to purchase Timeworn Heirloom Armor Casing for each piece of armor and Timeworn Heirloom Scabbard for each weapon.
- In order to scale up level 100 Heirlooms to 110 you need to purchase Weathered Heirloom Armor Casing for each piece of armor and Weathered Heirloom Scabbard for each weapon.
Once you use one of these upgrades on an item, that item is permanently scaled up for every character on your account.
Patch 8.1.5 New Heirloom Level Increase!
Patch 8.1.5 brings new heirloom item scaling up to Level 120. The cost for lower level heirloom item upgrades will also be reduced. The cost for each item will be as follows:
- Ancient Heirloom Armor Casing - Level 90 reduced from 1,000g to 500g
- Ancient Heirloom Scabbard - Level 90 reduced from 1,200g to 750g
- Timeworn Heirloom Armor Casing - Level 100 reduced from 2,000g to 1,000g
- Timeworn Heirloom Scabbard - Level 100 reduced from 5,000g to 1,500g
- Weathered Heirloom Armor Casing - Level 110 reduced from 5,000g to 2,000g
- Weathered Heirloom Scabbard - Level 110 reduced from 7,500g to 3,000g
- NEW Battle-Hardened Heirloom Armor Casing - Level 120, 5,000g
- NEW Battle-Hardened Heirloom Scabbard - Level 120, 7,500g
These new heirloom changes will make it much cheaper to upgrade your heirloom items for a faster leveling experience.
PvP Talents (War Mode)
In Battle for Azeroth, there will be the option to go into "War Mode". Enabling War Mode provides the following benefits which have been increased in Patch 8.1:
- PvP talents enabled in the outdoor world.
- 10-30% increase in World Quest rewards at maximum level.
- 10-30% more experience gained while leveling.
- Earn Conquest Points which can reward gear every week.
Currently, it is believed that the War Mode rewards will change depending on which faction is more heavily prevalent with War Mode activated. The Horde have typically had more participating in War Mode, so the reward has been increased for the Alliance to incentivize more participation in War Mode. These rewards could potentially be increased to both the Horde and Alliance to incentivize both factions to higher amounts of War Mode participation.
With the benefits of enabling War Mode for leveling and PvE content, it is recommended to enable the feature to maximize your leveling and rewards at maximum level. However, you will make yourself available for open world PvP, and the possibility to be "ganked" while leveling or doing World Quests exists.
Leveling Gem: Insightful Rubellite
While leveling, try to make use of the new Battle of Azeroth experience gem, Insightful Rubellite, which gives you +5% experience. Equipping one of these requires a socket in your gear, so try to hold on to a piece of Legion gear with a socket or acquire one of the Legion Legendary rings since every class has one. Each of the rings includes a socket. You can acquire one of these rings rather easily by doing World Quests in Legion zones and acquiring 1,000 Wakening Essences that can be used to purchase a legendary ring in the Legion version of Dalaran.
The Start — Level 110
War Mode On or Off?
Before you begin, you must decide on whether or not to enable War Mode. War Mode makes it so that you will only see other players with War Mode enabled, which also enables PvP activity. Note that if you are in a party with someone not on War Mode while you are, you will be unable to see him or her. War Mode provides an experience buff as well as the enabling of three PvP talents that will greatly increase your power. Regardless of whether or not you enable War Mode, your objectives will remain the same in that you must complete all quest content to unlock flying later on and many of your War Campaign and Allied Race requirements. War Mode enables 10% bonus experience, 10% better rewards from World Quests, and allows for the gathering of Conquest points which can be used to buy gear. If you do play on War Mode, it is recommended to play with friends. Leveling without War Mode will not be significantly more time consuming.
Camp in Silithus before BfA hits
Just before Battle for Azeroth goes live, you will want to log all of your characters out in the zone of Silithus so that you can acquire the quest to talk to Magni and obtain your Heart of Azeroth (refer to our Heart of Azeroth guide for more information about this item). This is the new artifact-type of piece of equipment that you will use for all of the Battle for Azeroth expansion. Once you acquire your permanent neck slot piece of equipment, get back to Stormwind or Orgrimmar to begin your scenario that leads into the introductory areas of Kul Tiras and Zandalar.
Unlocking Mission Tables
Once you are in the new areas, select your initial zone, pick up your two profession quests, and then head out into your selected area. The location you select is largely irrelevant as you will need to do the story and quests in each zone in order to unlock World Quests and work on your Pathfinder achievement progress.
One of the new quests you will receive will ask that you acquire 100 War Resources. This quest and these resources will be key into your character development. You can read more about the mission table here: Mission Table Guide.
Do quests and complete the story of your first chosen area before returning to your capital to scrap all of the equipment items you acquired. You should be around Level 113 by the time you complete your first area. Before selecting your second zone, head to your faction hub ship to acquire your introductory quests to the mission table and your champions. Complete this introduction and then pick up the quest to establish your first foothold in enemy territory.
- Mission table guide and more information found here: Mission Table Guide
- Champions, troops, and champion equipment guide found here: Mission Table Champions Guide
- Mission table advancement information found here: Mission Table Advancements Guide
Your First Foothold
Footholds into enemy territories can be done as you grow in levels and should be completed before reaching Level 120. Take the time after completing your first zone to do your first foothold, or you can choose to complete one as soon as you gather your 100 War Resources which will prompt you to return to your mission table area where the first foothold quest can be obtained. Similar to how your initial zone selection was largely irrelevant, this selection is, as well. Simply pick one and complete it to earn your Mission Table second champion. Send your champions out on missions, recruit troops, and then head back out to quest in your second zone selection.
Your Second Foothold & Island Expeditions — Level 114
After completing your second zone, head back to your faction hub to pick up more War Campaign quests. Complete your second foothold quest and then do the introductory quests to island expeditions. More information about island expeditions can be found here: Island Expeditions Guide.
After completing your island expedition and second foothold, head back out to your third and final zone to quest in. Note that any legendaries you were using to level have become inactive and are merely stat sticks now. Feel free to replace them with quest gear as you obtain it. Before heading out, feel free to send your three champions out on new missions!
Your Final Foothold & Invasion Quests — Level 118
When you have completed your third zone, you should be nearly max level, but you still have work to do! Head back to your faction hub and complete the last foothold quest to unlock your fourth mission table champion. After, you will want to do your newly available invasion missions for your faction. This quest chain is one that will be time gated by reputation levels earned with the 7th Legion for the Alliance and iThe Honorbound for the Horde. Complete as many quests as you can and then finish up your leveling with side quests you may have left in previous zones as necessary.
DING 120!
Congratulations on reaching Level 120! There are a myriad of new things to do. The first thing you should do is head to your faction hub ship where you have been doing your mission table quests and footholds to pick up and complete the quests necessary to unlock World Quests. World Quests will provide you an opportunity to grind reputation levels, acquire gear, and gather Azerite. There are tons of new things to do that we will cover in our Level 120 Battle Guide found here: Level 120 Battle Guide.
Alternative Leveling Methods
After you acquire your first Level 120 character, leveling up through quests again may be less than ideal for some of you. In Battle for Azeroth, there are other ways to level that may be more suitable for some of the players that can provide a financial advantage or just break up the typical quest grind to max level.
Herbalism & Mining
Taking Herbalism and Mining as your two professions can be a lucrative way to level with the very stable and high prices of herbs and ore thus far in BfA. While rested, each mining and herbalism node will award nearly 4,000 experience points which makes it so that four to five herbalism or mining nodes is equivalent to one quest. If you have the Sky Golem mount for herbalism, you can pick herbs without losing mount speed. There are also enchantments for gloves that will increase the speed at which you can process the herbalism and mining nodes. These can be made rather easily by an enchanter and should be relatively inexpensive on the auction house. These enchants will pay for themselves with the time saved while herbing and mining. Remember to continue completing mining and herbalism quests while leveling up to increase the yield of each node making your herbalism and mining leveling experience exponentially more lucrative.
Island Expeditions
Island expeditions are very easy to complete while leveling, particularly before hitting Level 116 when your legendaries are still in effect and your secondary stats have not been squished by leveling scaling yet. Island expeditions can be completed in 5 to 10 minutes relatively reliably while also acquiring some of the pets, mounts, and Bind-on-Equip gear available. There is also one weekly quest to do one island expedition, so for slowly leveling alternative characters, be sure to complete at least one island expedition each week.
With the excitement of becoming Level 120 come a lot of new activities to do. However, it is particularly important to note that you should continue to complete the story mode quests. You will undoubtedly achieve Level 120 before completing your third zone, so be sure to head back and finish the story quests as they are important to unlocking game content as well as pushing your reputation levels even higher. Each zone comes with a lot of side quests that can be ignored at first as you push your item level up, complete emissaries, and do dungeons, but when you have some time, be sure to wrap up all of the quest lines in each zone to maximize your reputation potential. Reputation is the gateway to all things in Battle for Azeroth, so quest away! Be sure to use our Quest Completion Checker tool here at Icy Veins to see if there are any missed quests in any of the zones for you to go back and complete!
Incursions
Incursions are a new world content activity that are unlocked when one character has unlocked World Quests. This feature is unlocked account-wide meaning that all characters on that account can access Incursions even without being Level 120. This provides for a lucrative experience acquisition method that is available in a similar pattern to what Legion Invasions offered with nearly an entire level earned by completing an Incursion series which involves four World Quests and one mini-scenario at the end. These also grant item level 370 weapons and Azerite armor, so they should be done any time they are up. Incursions follow a similar schedule to Invasions and are available for 20 hours once they are initiated.
Thank you for reading this guide on how to level up from 110 to 120 in the Battle for Azeroth!
Changelog
- 27 Feb. 2019: Added Patch 8.1.5 Heirloom information.
- 04 Dec. 2018: Added Incursion information to alternative leveling options.
- 29 Nov. 2018: Guide overhauled for patch 8.1 including new heirlooms, experience flask, and experience requirement change made effective for patch 8.1.
- 14 Oct. 2018: Added alternative leveling methods.
- 26 Aug. 2018: Added information about side quests and emphasis on finishing the story quests to unlock content and boost reputation.
- 13 Aug. 2018: Guide added.
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