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The Follow-up: Who & How Are You Getting To 80?


OVERPOWEREDMany moons ago, Bastosa and I discussed how and who we planned on getting to 80. Back then I figured I would simply keep healing my way up to level 80, pushing my priest as my main toon. While things started out that way initially, Solidsamm has returned to the forefront. After Mutilate's “from behind” requirement was removed, I jumped at the chance to try the new dagger spec that would not force me to be behind my target at all times. The freshness that came with the conversion is exactly the reason I returned my angry Gnome to main status.


There are two reasons why I knew I was going to be hooked on World of Warcraft when it was released in late 2004. First off, I have loved the WarCraft universe since I first entered it via WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness. Secondly, and probably most important, was Blizzard's reputation. The company should just make their tagline “We don't make bad video games.” While a game can have the best story ever, it'll still suck if the gameplay isn't there to back it up, enter Wrath of the Lich King.


I had a pipedream that I would level mostly through instances, but without a close friend who's main is a healer, that is pretty hard to accomplish these days. Lucky for me the quests in Wrath of the Lich King have diverse goals, interesting lore, and an attachment to the zones that keeps me interested. While grinding via quests may not be the best XP/hour (that still goes to good old fashioned grinding), it is incredibly less mind-numbing. I will save that process for leveling my fishing.


Now that many of you are well on your way, or already 80, who and how did you get there? Did you roll that Death Knight and start from level 55 or abandon that idea and go with one of your level 70s? While I have done some instances, I generally haven't gone back to them after finishing their quests. How about you?

Reader Comments (47)

I still like the Starcraft universe better.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterPatrickD

I do level mostly through instances (77 now) because i do have a close friend who's main is a healer :D infact i was a healer myself but i respecced tank (and loving it) just so we could run instances together. You can hardly believe how great it is to ask her to go an instance and have a full group 2 mins later because you only needed 3 dps :)

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJasper

I have tried out several classes throughout my time in WOW. I've enjoyed playing a paladin, a warlock and even the death knight I rolled to try it out.

But no matter how much fun I have with others, I always come back to my gnome mage. He's making his way slowing to 80, sitting at 74 right now. Man, I love that guy.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterEric

i did not make it to 70 before wotlk, so i am still grinding leveling and questing. i rolled my DK and got it to 58 but have continued with my main which is now 67. I cant wait to get to northrend and have already heard great stories about the endgame content from a friend (teacher) who hit 80 yesterday :D

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDavid

I rolled a dk than returned to my rogue a few days later. From my experience, unless you have quests for the instance and a group that can fly through it, questing yields a much better xp/hour. My friends and I are all 80 and rarely ran instances. Just turn on questhelper and some music and let her rip.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterknifymcswift

I hit 70 a mere 3-4 days before Wrath's release, I leveled almost exclusively through quests and doing SSO dailies.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterGarviel

I have forsaken my 2 70's which were a Troll Rogue and a Blood Efl Warlock and after I got Wrath I rolled an Orc Death Knight and I love him.He's 74 now and the best thing about the Death Knight is that you only need to switch your gear to tank the talents are not that important in this case.and good luck in leveling your Short and Angry gnome iTZKooPA

Keep up the good work and good luck

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterGrushnarok

I have mostly been played my main (a shammy) he is 79 atm , and should be 8 by friday. I have went all in on quests, and planning to complete the most of em in Northrend, mostly to make gold.

I tried a Death Knight just when i got my hands on Wrath, but only to try the last quest. They are nothing for me! Infact i really hate 'em ..! But that is just me ^^

Sharmaax

Burning Steppes EU

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRasmus

Well I've attempted to level all my lvl 70s but I haven't gotten hooked on the idea of leveling them yet. So I tried to level a DK and behold I've been hooked on it. My Blood elf Death Knight is now sitting halfway bettwen 78 and 79.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDarkeon

I dinged 80 with my feral druid this last sunday and ever since I've been trying to get some good Balance gear. spent 1000 g on a pair of epic pants and another 1000 g on gloves, shoulders, boots, belt and off hand.
now I have 1255 spell power and Starfire crits for about 7000. going to aim to get about 1500 spell power and then I'm off looking for a raid guild.
if there is any raiding guld on the Balnazzar realm (Europe) on alliance side they can send a mail to Zoan

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMurthag

Lvl 80 Hunter as of early this morning. She is my main/only high lvl character (started playing in June) and after trying a DK decided to stick with my hunter. Ran a few instances, but lvl'd mostly through quests. Some areas were more interesting, and thus easier, than others. Since my friends are lvling their healer and tank now it's time to hit the instances.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSid

i didn't reach 70 before WotLK came out i only hit 50. i am leveling and when i get lvl 55 i will roll a DK and play that, i will still have my hunter as a main

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDave

Stayed with my main Hunter and have been questing to level. Only at 74 currently but, I have been taking my time and enjoying the new content. I have run a few instances but, only when guildies need a hand or I have quests there. The Zone achivements make questing more fun the XP for mobs and for quests are good, and since I have already gotten the Borean Tundra achievement for quests I am well geared for Howling Fjord so rewards almost all go to vendors which has netted me a good deal of golds. Also, since I am a 74 in a 68-71 area even the group quest go quick solo which is nice. Questhelper FTW!

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKleenur

I have a 70 troll shaman who is sitting in Howling Fjord collecting dust. I now have a level 75 Death Knight who is my new main and an aspiring tank, thank you very much.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commentersonicsymphonia

I got wrath a few days after i dinged 70 and i am only 72 i don't have much time to play

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterdeldin

My DK is halfway through 75 right now.. to begin with(when WotLK came out) I had a level 70 rogue, 68 shaman, and a 67 druid... i made a death knight decided it was more than likely going to be my new main because the class seemed to fit my style of gameplay and attitude so well. So the 68 and 67 were worked up to level 70 (by way of doing northrend quests at level 68 to 70). After that it was straight DK from level 60 to 75 where i am now. Mostly through quest grinding non-stop. Then I would run the instances as I got the quests and/or if anyone buddies needed to run any of them. So more than likely the other 3 70's are going to stay 70 until the DK hits 80 which i hope to accomplish by the end of next week, and that means cutting out some sleep hours :P

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commentertechenforcer

and one more thing UNHOLY DK FTW!

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commentertechenforcer

1 71 shammy (who I started about a month ago after watching Goggins and Juggy).

1 71 feral druid - who was my main pre-WoTLK

1 65 DK

I don't know who my main is. That is my problem. I am fickle.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterpenrose

Pre Wrath I used a rogue as my main. Loved playing it and I thought i would never try leveling another class to 80. Now here I am with a DK tank as my main :D Never would have thought things would have turned out this way but i was hooked on the DK the moment I started playing him. Gonna be awhile before I jump back to my rogue! Really enjoy the show and the daily blogs!

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterrebelrouser

My main was and still is my good ol' lock, he dinged 80 tuesday last week (got expansion with a week delay tho ;) ) through questing. Really enjoyed most of the zones, altough for some reason Dragonblight became pretty boring to me. Gonna keep on doing heroics and the starter raids with my guild now, and in some time i will start lvling my druid, who hit 70 2 days before WotLK ^^

GL to all of those who aren't 80 yet xD

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSimon

I leveled my shaman to 80 by questing like a mofo and running maybe 3 instances the whole time. Looking back, it didnt seem to take long if you just quest like a mofo.

Now im debating on whether to get my 70 lock up or not. He's just sitting in the inn at Bornea Tundra getting rest exp and getting all the cloth I gather and greens to DE.

My next project is the DK to get to 80 because I will then have a DK Tank and a Shaman Healer. I never am lacking runs now, especially now becuase im the only 80 healer in my guild and there are very few healers on our server right now. So i'm getting tells the second i log on asking to heal for this or that!

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterHenry

I rolled a DK and love it. I thought blood spec was my style since the beta, and so far has proven me write. I am DPS and with blues on I can DPS around 1100. I also dueled a rogue friend of mine like 8 times and won 5 or 6 of them. I've heard blood inst the best spec for DPS and isn't a tank spec at all... who cares. I make it work and that instance I DPS'd 1100's range... well I was top for DMG and DPS... so who cares!!! M y advice to which toon you should lvl is... well find one that fits you and find the spec that fits you. don't spec the way people tell you, all the time other DK's tell me to go unholy... I simply reply that may work for you and you kick ass, but to me Blood is the only thing I want to play. I have played Frost and Unholy in the beta... they just weren't my style. I need the DPS that Blood gives and I don't like to use the AOE's and stuff that unholy forces you to use. As far as my 70 goes... well I will never lvl that hunter up unless they make them good again. In my opinion I shouldn't have to go BM to be good DPS. MM.. well it isn't what i remember it to be. But I'm just not a hunter type of guy... I wanna get up in your face and DK's do that.

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterbearshark2000

I got to 70 on my bloodelf Warlock plenty of time before wrath and I was able to get myself geared.
But I found that I haven't had alot of time to play at all. I usually can level pretty fast, but I'm only sitting at level 72. I am planning on questing my way to 80 during the winter break from school.

I did try the DK and I got him to 60. and I really don't like them that much personally. I'm just not that kind of player, I have played my lock for so long that is the only type of class that I really enjoy playing, the tanking/ melee dps classes just arn't my thing..

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJosh

I entered WotLK with my 70 combat dagger rogue and hit 80 in a little over three weeks just by doing quests and a couple of instances (Utgarde Keep and Nexus)...all without setting foot in Storm Peaks and barely touching Zul'Drak. I'm questing in SP now, with ZD to follow, as I close out some quests, build rep, and improve equipment.

I created a DK just to reserve the name, but don't intend to play that toon until I improve my rogue a bit more...guild comes first in this case.

I have a 70 Draenei Ret Pally that I haven't touched since WotLK, and I'll probably get that toon up to speed after I check out the DK.

Overall, I am greatly enjoying WotLK. Love the different type quests, phasing, improved graphics and...finally getting to fly again! :)

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterPhoenix599

I'm working on getting my Blood Elf Fire Mage up to 80 (almost 76, as I type this) then I'll be working on getting my Blood Spec'd Death Knight (also a Blood Elf) past level 60. Oh, then there's my Troll Shaman, but he's not even 20 yet.

-T/K

December 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTenteiKarite

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