Entering Outland and Northrend early.

[wulfgardr]

Hello Zygor & users,

I have been using this guide for some time and it has been awesome. Lately, I have started a new toon and with the help of your guide I've been sprinting through levels.
I have a question though: since the last time I leveled with your guide, things seem to be less harsh and quicker, and I'm wondering if nowadays going to Outland at 58 and Northrend at 68 will be ok. Mostly Northrend, because I understand that waiting until 60 for Outland is better: you are able to get more quests and you have the flying mount, which is terribly important to improve leveling.
What about Northrend, on the other hand? You are able to get the Northrend flying skill at 68, what is your suggestion about entering it early? Is the guide thought for this or will I have issues doing like this?
Thanks for your time .

[mzanker]

I've gone to Borean Tundra at 69 before without any problems - all quests in the guide were available. That was with full heirlooms, though, so I hit 70 pretty quickly.

I wouldn't have liked to have taken my rogue to Northrend at 68, though - it was tough enough at 70 until I got some decent gear. It wasn't until about level 73 or 74 that I actually felt things were "normal".

[cabby]

There are still quests in the beginning areas of Northrend that require you to be level 70 to take them. Personally I'd recommend waiting until 70 if you can. If you find yourself getting a little impatient then try to hit 69 first. You might still get some quests you can't take but waiting that extra level will help to reduce how long it takes to get caught up with the guides again. With being able to get the cold weather flying early you'll find you don't catch up quite as quick as before when you were stuck at riding around and having to kill extra mobs just for traveling.

[Cartman]

You can go to Northrend at 68. As Alliance you may encounter the D.H.E.T.A. quests that require you to be level 70 which you may not be at that point. In this case just continue with the quarry and go back to the 70 quests after that when going to the airstrip.
As Horde I think there are no such problems.

Outlands is a bit more difficult. Flying is really a good idea. And especially as Horde you do the nasty burning legion quests in the north early in the guide. And those quests may be pretty hard then.

[mzanker]

Are the DHETA quest level requirements different for Horde? It seems odd if they are.

[cabby]

No, it's level 70 requirement for both Alliance and Horde there with the D.E.H.T.A. camp.

[Cartman]

The difference between Alliance and Horde is that you do more quests at the starting location and therefore should be level 70 when reaching those quests.

[mzanker]

Aha, that explains why I (mainly Horde) was always 70 before I got to the DEHTA camp

[ash2dust]

For Nothrend I do the same.. as I find the Outland questing zones to be dull...

What I do is this:

Borean Tundra 70-72: until I hit the DEHTA Quests.

Then I jump over to the Howling Fjord Quests till I hit 70.

By the time I am 72 I am synced again with the guides for 72 onwards..

[cabby]

I actually took my mage to Northrend right after hitting 69 (or it might have been right before 69). Did all of Borean Tundra except the DEHTA quests since I couldn't take them when the guide wanted me to. Never went back for them but finished off Borean Tundra after just hitting 72. At that point I was still a few bars short for the Dragonblight guide but I just loaded it up anyway and kept going. Was no problem at all.

[wulfgardr]

Thanks for all the answers, it's awesome too see this many!

I think I can wait 2 more days and go at 70, but the idea of trying at 69 thrills me... I have the guild perk for XP boost as well as the heirloom cloak (another boost), so I think I can load up the gap thanks to those.

I am horde anyway, and even at 60 the starting quests in Hellfire were painful, especially the Burning Legion ones!

[kinsten]

There is no problem at all to enter Northrend at level 68 but choosing the correct zone is important aswell.

Horde should go Borean Tundra because there are more quests for Horde than Alliance
Alliance should go Howling Fjord because there are more quests for Alliance than Horde

You should be level 70 by the time you hit the DETHA quests.

[ash2dust]

There is no problem at all to enter Northrend at level 68 but choosing the correct zone is important aswell.

Horde should go Borean Tundra because there are more quests for Horde than Alliance
Alliance should go Howling Fjord because there are more quests for Alliance than Horde

You should be level 70 by the time you hit the DETHA quests.

I agree.. i have taken every character of mine at 68 into northrend... Started of at Borean tundra.. once I hit DEHTA, then i go to howling fjod. using XP boost and heirlooms, you can sync up back to the guide quite fast.

[cabby]

I think it's best when answering these kind of situational questions to do so as if the person is going thru for their first time. Not everyone has played with a high level character and has access to the heirlooms and good XP boosts.

That said, my example of my mage was with no heirlooms and only the 5% XP boost from the level 2 guild perk. Also only quested gear was equipped and maybe a couple of items that had dropped while questing, no dungeon or AH gear.

[kinsten]

You can still start at 68 in northrend on brand new accounts without heirlooms no problems, I'm certain this is intended design by blizzard.

Zygor guide probably needs to be tweaked to bring DEHTA quest futher back a bit if you're hitting it too early, but there are certainly enough quest because..(rough estimate)

50% of the quest in borean tundra and howling begins at 68,
40% level 69
10% level 70