Brewmaster Monk Leveling Guide from 1 to 80 — The War Within (11.2)

Last updated on Aug 04, 2025 at 19:30 by Sinzhu 28 comments

On this page, you will find our Level by Level Brewmaster Monk leveling guide for The War Within. Make sure to use the slider to make the guide adapt to your level. For more general leveling information, please refer to our Monk leveling guide.

1.

Brewmaster Monk Leveling Guide for The War Within

1.1.

Brewmaster Monk Leveling Playstyle

As a tank specialization, Brewmaster Monks excel at gathering up large numbers of enemies and dealing large amounts of AoE damage as they easily survive the onslaught of attacks with the help of Stagger Icon Stagger. This makes them ideal for questing with a friend in particular, as they are able to rapidly move between groups of foes, keeping their attention with skills like Rushing Jade Wind Icon Rushing Jade Wind and Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash while their partner takes care of defeating them. If you are questing solo, this can still be done, but it may take a little longer due to your relatively reduced damage output. If you are concerned about needing a healer during leveling, the Recuperate Icon Recuperate ability can be used to repeatedly heal yourself out of combat and recover after a large pull.

Brewmaster Monk is also an excellent choice for gaining experience through dungeon queues and quests. Tank players are always in high demand, resulting in nearly instant queue times. Fortunately, due to leveling quests increasing in level as you do, this means you can repeatedly join queues while traveling to and from questing areas without any disruptions to your overall experience gain!

1.2.

Gear Options

During leveling, item level is even more important than normal on your Brewmaster. You should always pick the item with a higher level, with the possible exceptions of jewelry and trinkets. For these slots, you may wish to select the item that is providing more Critical Strike or Versatility. On trinkets, you have the opportunity to experiment with various effects, so pick whatever you desire if it is reasonably close to your item level.

2.

Level-By-Level Rotation and Talents

Move the slider below to make the guide update to your level!

Level: 70
2.1.

Brewmaster Monk Talents While Leveling

Talents are additional effects and abilities that can give you access to more tools in your spellbook. They are unlocked on a regular basis as you level.

You will unlock your first talent point once you reach Level 10.

Your talent setup should be as follows with each talent point as you unlock them. Note that these recommendations may differ from what is shown in our main guide for a maximum-level player.

2.2.

Rotation/Ability Priority to Level Up as a Brewmaster Monk

From Level 1, your lone ability is Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm.

  1. (Optional): Tag an enemy with Crackling Jade Lightning Icon Crackling Jade Lightning to have it move toward you, provided you immediately cancel the ability after casting.
  2. (Optional): Use Provoke Icon Provoke to force an enemy to run to you or briefly "tag" them with Crackling Jade Lightning Icon Crackling Jade Lightning, provided you immediately cancel its cast afterward.
  3. (Optional): Use Provoke Icon Provoke to force an enemy to run to you (at high speed if Hasty Provocation Icon Hasty Provocation is talented) or briefly "tag" them with Crackling Jade Lightning Icon Crackling Jade Lightning, provided you immediately cancel its cast afterward.
  4. (Optional): Use Provoke Icon Provoke to force an enemy to run to you or briefly "tag" them with Crackling Jade Lightning Icon Crackling Jade Lightning, provided you immediately cancel its cast afterward. If you are using Summon Black Ox Statue Icon Summon Black Ox Statue, place it near multiple enemies to get all of their attention at once.
  5. Use Rushing Jade Wind Icon Rushing Jade Wind or throw Exploding Keg Icon Exploding Keg before directly engaging your targets. If Special Delivery Icon Special Delivery is talented instead, you will passively deal damage from using "Brew" abilities.
  6. (Optional): Use Touch of Death Icon Touch of Death to instantly kill the target if it is usable. Recommended for tougher enemies or for quest bosses.
  7. Cast Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash as your opening ability when entering combat and on cooldown afterward.
  8. Cast Weapons of Order Icon Weapons of Order, if talented to deal additional damage to your targets. Make sure you are standing near your enemies when casting Weapons of Order Icon Weapons of Order with Chi Surge Icon Chi Surge talented to reduce its cooldown.
  9. Cast Blackout Kick Icon Blackout Kick whenever it is available.
  10. Cast Rising Sun Kick Icon Rising Sun Kick whenever it is available. If you have talented into Chi Wave Icon Chi Wave instead of Chi Burst Icon Chi Burst, this will also cause it to activate!
  11. Cast Expel Harm Icon Expel Harm as necessary to offset your damage taken.
  12. Refresh your Rushing Jade Wind Icon Rushing Jade Wind.
  13. Cast Chi Burst Icon Chi Burst, if talented, on cooldown to deal more damage and heal yourself.
  14. Cast Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm as a filler, but do not go below 40 Energy.
  15. Cast Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm as a filler if fighting one target, but do not go below 40 Energy. With Blackout Combo Icon Blackout Combo talented, you will always want to spend its buff on this ability after every Blackout Kick Icon Blackout Kick.
  16. Cast Spinning Crane Kick Icon Spinning Crane Kick as a filler time if fighting multiple targets, but do not go below 40 Energy.
  17. Cast Expel Harm Icon Expel Harm if you are in need of healing and to gather your Gift of the Ox Icon Gift of the Ox/Spirit of the Ox Icon Spirit of the Ox spheres.
  18. In an emergency, you may instantly cast Vivify Icon Vivify once per cast of Rising Sun Kick Icon Rising Sun Kick due to Vivacious Vivification Icon Vivacious Vivification. This is largely to be used for convenience during leveling, though with Protect and Serve Icon Protect and Serve, its healing is noteworthy even in combat when doing easier content.
2.2.1.

Active Mitigation

  • Maintain Shuffle Icon Shuffle by continuing to cast Blackout Kick Icon Blackout Kick and Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash on cooldown to smooth out your damage taken.
  • Cast Purifying Brew Icon Purifying Brew largely on cooldown when actively fighting an enemy and suffering damage from Stagger Icon Stagger, but save one charge for emergencies.
  • Cast Celestial Infusion Icon Celestial Infusion after using your initial Purifying Brew Icon Purifying Brew charges to increase its size with the stacks of Purified Chi Icon Purified Chi received. Use it on cooldown otherwise.
2.3.

Summary of Unlocked Abilities for Brewmaster Monks

To avoid this summary becoming overly long, only key rotational abilities from talents and leveling bonuses unique to Brewmaster Monks will be shown. To see every ability, please visit the Spell Summary of the main guide.

  • At Level 10, your Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm and Spinning Crane Kick Icon Spinning Crane Kick now cost 25 Energy each rather than 50 and 40.
  • Also at Level 10, your Blackout Kick Icon Blackout Kick has its cooldown increased to 4 seconds from 3.
  • Finally, at Level 10, you unlock access to the Mastery stat and your Mastery: Elusive Brawler Icon Mastery: Elusive Brawler. This gives you a chance to dodge attacks that increases until you successfully dodge. It also increases your Attack Power.
  • At Level 11, you unlock Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash. This is your primary ability as a Brewmaster, and will grant 5 seconds of Shuffle Icon Shuffle when used.
  • At Level 13, you unlock Stagger Icon Stagger, which acts as your unique defensive tool. A portion of all Physical damage you receive will instead be turned into a 10-second damage-over-time effect.
  • Also at Level 13, you unlock Shuffle Icon Shuffle. This passive effect will cause Blackout Kick Icon Blackout Kick to temporarily increase the amount of damage you Stagger Icon Stagger.
  • At Level 15, you unlock Spirit of the Ox Icon Spirit of the Ox, occasionally spawning healing spheres when casting Blackout Kick Icon Blackout Kick or Rising Sun Kick Icon Rising Sun Kick. Then, at Level 23 you will also start generating them from taking damage with Gift of the Ox Icon Gift of the Ox.
  • At Level 19, you unlock Purifying Brew Icon Purifying Brew. This ability acts as your main way to reduce the amount of damage you are taking from the Stagger Icon Stagger effect, and its cooldown is reduced by using Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash and Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm.
  • Also at Level 19, you unlock the Brewmaster's Balance Icon Brewmaster's Balance Passive, which increases your total Armor by 55% and Stamina by 45%.
  • At Level 29, you can unlock Celestial Infusion Icon Celestial Infusion, allowing you to temporarily create a shield that absorbs a portion of all damage received over a long duration. Your Purifying Brew Icon Purifying Brew also now generates stacks of Purified Chi Icon Purified Chi that increase the size of Celestial Infusion Icon Celestial Infusion's shield. Its cooldown is reduced by using Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash and Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm. You may also select Celestial Brew Icon Celestial Brew if you want a shorter shield that instead absorbs all damage while active.
  • At Level 43, you unlock Expel Harm Icon Expel Harm Rank 2, reducing its cooldown by 10 seconds and causing it to also automatically pick up any Gift of the Ox Icon Gift of the Ox/Spirit of the Ox Icon Spirit of the Ox spheres that are present.
  • At Level 46, you unlock Celestial Fortune Icon Celestial Fortune, gaining a chance to increase all healing received by 70%, based on your Critical Strike.
  • At Level 52, you unlock Touch of Death Icon Touch of Death Rank 3, which causes it to also remove Stagger Icon Stagger.
  • At Level 71, you can begin to unlock Hero Talents, which are an additional set of thematic effects to further expand your power. For Brewmasters, you may choose between the Shado-Pan and Master of Harmony trees, though we recommend utilizing the Shado-Pan tree while leveling due to its potent buffs to Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash and Vivify Icon Vivify.
2.4.

War Mode Talents to Level Up as a Brewmaster Monk

If you are willing to utilize War Mode, the following PvP talents are recommended during leveling or for other open-world content. There may be times when you would like to use other options and are encouraged to experiment! PvP talents can be freely changed at any time.

Your first PvP talent slot will unlock at Level 20, your second at Level 30, and the final at Level 40.

2.4.1.
  • Double Barrel Icon Double Barrel will allow you to frequently increase the damage of your Keg Smash Icon Keg Smash and also allow it to stun everything it hits. It can also be used in a macro to make it effectively a passive benefit.
  • Niuzao's Essence Icon Niuzao's Essence acts as a stronger version of the Swift Art Icon Swift Art talent, allowing you to remove all snare effects every time you cast Purifying Brew Icon Purifying Brew, Celestial Brew Icon Celestial Brew/Celestial Infusion Icon Celestial Infusion, or Roll Icon Roll. With leveling involving a lot of moving around, it is all the more important to be able to travel at full speed without any number of enemy debuffs hindering you.
  • Eerie Fermentation Icon Eerie Fermentation will passively give you additional movement speed and magic damage reduction no matter how little Stagger Icon Stagger you have.
3.

Changelog

  • 04 Aug. 2025: Leveling talent pathing overhauled for Patch 11.2.0 tree updates.
  • 15 Jun. 2025: Updated for Patch 11.1.7; switched Dragonfire Brew for Charred Passions.
  • 21 Apr. 2025: Updated for Patch 11.1.5.
  • 24 Feb. 2025: Page reviewed for Patch 11.1.0.
  • 15 Dec. 2024: Updated for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 21 Oct. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
  • 09 Sep. 2024: Updated for The War Within Season 1.
  • 21 Aug. 2024: Added Hero Talent pathing recommendations, along with playstyle pointers.
  • 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 14 May 2024: Adjusted for consistency with MoP Remix Leveling.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Page reviewed for Dragonflight Season 4.
  • 19 Mar. 2024: Page reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Page reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Page reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Page reviewed for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Recommended leveling build revised based on new talents in Patch 10.1.5.
  • 01 May 2023: Incendiary Breath removed; replaced by Alpha Tiger and Eerie Fermentation.
  • 20 Mar. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Updated with new 10.0.5 talent trees.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for leveling to 70 in Dragonflight.
  • 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
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