Horde Leveling Route 1-80 (Questing Focus)

Now for the Horde perspective: this 1-80 quest route will guide Horde players through the best zones in Kalimdor/Eastern Kingdoms, Outland, and Northrend. Horde leveling in early levels often centers on The Barrens (a classic) but blood elves have their own efficient path too. We’ll merge the routes by level 20 or so. Like the Alliance guide, the emphasis is on zones with high quest density and easy travel. Horde has some long travel quests we’ll avoid (looking at you, Desolace and thousand-boat rides). Use your hearthstone wisely and take advantage of zeppelins in Kalimdor/EK and the portals in Shattrath later to minimize downtime. Let’s get started, for the Horde!

Levels 1-10: Starting Zones (Horde)

Horde races each start in distinct beginner zones with very efficient quests from 1-10. Stick to your racial starting area until you finish its quest lines, as these are quick and crucial for early levels and reputation.

• Orc & Troll: Valley of Trials (1-5) then Sen’jin Village/Echo Isles (5-10) in Durotar. After that, they head to Razor Hill around level 6-7 and then to Orgrimmar or Crossroads by 10.
• Tauren: Camp Narache (Mulgore, 1-5) then Bloodhoof Village (5-10). Mulgore quests are quite centralized around Bloodhoof, culminating in a venture to Thunder Bluff by 10.
• Undead: Deathknell (Tirisfal Glades, 1-5) then Brill (5-10). The Forsaken quests around Brill set up the story in Silverpine Forest. Make sure to visit the Undercity at 10 to train and get flight path.
• Blood Elf: Sunstrider Isle (Eversong Woods, 1-5) then Falconwing Square and Fairbreeze Village (5-10). Eversong Woods will actually carry blood elves a bit beyond 10 if you do all quests; it’s very dense. Blood elves then typically continue to Ghostlands (10-20), which is one of the most efficient 10-20 zones in the game.

By level 10, you should be moving to your race’s next zone or capital city. For Orcs/Trolls and Tauren, this means heading to The Barrens soon. Undead will likely proceed to Silverpine Forest. Blood Elves will go to Ghostlands. We’ll cover each briefly and then merge paths. Tip: at level 10, get your new skills (visit class trainers in a capital like Orgrimmar, Thunder Bluff, Undercity, or Silvermoon) and pick up First Aid if you want a secondary profession to help reduce downtime.

Levels 10-20: The Barrens & Ghostlands (Horde)

The level 10-20 range differs a bit by race, but by 20 most Horde will convene in similar zones.

Orcs/Trolls & Tauren: Make your way to The Barrens around level 10-12. Orcs/Trolls can simply run west from Durotar into the Barrens, arriving at the Crossroads. Tauren can take the road from Mulgore east through Camp Taurajo into the Barrens. The Barrens (10-25) is huge, but our focus first is Northern Barrens (levels ~12-20). Pick up all quests at the Crossroads – you’ll get a bunch that send you to kill zhevras, zebras, collect plainstrider beaks, kill harpies, etc. Many of these overlap, so grab them together. Also do quests from Ratchet (the goblin town on eastern Barrens) around level 15; these include pirate quests and the starting quest for Wailing Caverns. Be cautious with “Supplying the Crossroads” (egg collecting) or “The Forgotten Pools” long chain – they’re not bad, but prioritize kill quests first. You can also do the Wailing Caverns dungeon at 17-18 if a group is available; it has several quests (picked up in Thunder Bluff and Ratchet) and yields good gear for this level. Horde often find groups for WC even on smaller servers, since it’s a popular early instance. If not, skip it and continue questing. By level 16-20, you’ll have plenty to do between Crossroads, Ratchet, and Camp Taurajo quest hubs.

Undead: After finishing Tirisfal, head into Silverpine Forest (10-20). In Silverpine, quest from The Sepulcher. Do the series of quests investigating Dalaran wizards and fighting worgen. Silverpine’s storyline is quite linear; follow it down to around level 18. You’ll battle the Scourge at Fenris Isle and deal with Arugal’s worgen. By the late teens you might run low on quests in Silverpine, at which point many Undead characters head over to the Barrens to join the Orc/Troll/Tauren quest lines (via the Zeppelin from Tirisfal to Orgrimmar). Alternatively, you can continue to Hillsbrad Foothills at 20 from Silverpine, but that’s a contested zone and we’ll cover it in the 20-30 section.

Blood Elf: After Eversong Woods, move into Ghostlands (10-20) via the portal at the Scorching Woods. Ghostlands is extremely efficient: Tranquillien offers a hub with dozens of quests that flow through nearby areas. Do all the quests you can in Ghostlands – kill Scourge at Zeb’Nowa, trolls at Zeb’Tela, collect spinal dust and troll juju (these drop quests are worth doing here as the drop rate isn’t too bad). Complete the quests up through Deatholme (the elite area). The quest “Victory Lies Ahead” and the series culminating in Dar’Khan’s defeat in Deatholme are worth a lot of XP and gear. You might need help for Dar’Khan if you’re exactly level 20, but players often duo him or wait a level or two. By finishing most Ghostlands quests, a Blood Elf can easily reach 20 (often 21-22). This means BEs might be a bit ahead when they join the rest of the Horde in the Barrens or other zones.

Merging Paths: By level 20, all Horde should converge. If you did Barrens, you’ll likely be ~20 and ready to move to Stonetalon or the next part of Barrens. If you were Undead in Silverpine, head to Hillsbrad or take a zeppelin to Kalimdor to catch up in Barrens. Blood Elves around 20 can either continue a few more quests in Ghostlands until 21 then hearth to Orgrimmar (there’s a translocator in Undercity to Silvermoon if needed, plus a portal orb from Ghostlands back to UC). For maximum efficiency, many guides advise everyone to do Ghostlands because of its quest density. If you don’t mind travel: even Orcs/Trolls/Tauren can go to Ghostlands at 12 by taking zeppelin to Undercity and running through EPL to the portal – but that’s a long trip and only worth it if you really want the faster leveling of that zone. It’s optional. Otherwise, stick with Barrens which is perfectly fine.

Levels 20-30: Stonetalon, Hillsbrad & Thousand Needles (Horde)

From 20 to 30, the Horde route has you hopping through a few zones to always have fresh, yellow-level quests.

The Barrens (Southern) and Stonetalon (20-25): Around level 20, move to Camp Taurajo in the Barrens (if you haven’t already) for quests that lead into Southern Barrens and Stonetalon Mountains. Camp Taurajo offers quests to hunt quillboar in Southern Barrens (which you should do) and a quest chain that sends you to Stonetalon Mountains. In Stonetalon, pick up quests at Sun Rock Retreat (the Horde outpost). You’ll get tasks to kill Venture Co. loggers, burn their equipment, and deal with harpies. Do the Stonetalon quest lines from 21-23 or so​. Also, at the Border of Barrens/Stonetalon, there’s the Honor’s Stand and The Great Lift leading into Thousand Needles – you might get a quest directing you there around 25.

Hillsbrad Foothills (22-25): Alternatively, some players at 22 like to go to Hillsbrad Foothills (via Tarren Mill, Horde town). Hillsbrad has a lot of PvP action on high-pop servers, but on a low-pop you can quest mostly unbothered. Tarren Mill quests include fighting the Hillsbrad farmers and townfolk (the “Battle of Hillsbrad” series), which is excellent XP and quite funny as you poison Alliance peasants’ soup, etc. Also do the quests to disrupt Azurelode Mine and kill yetis in Dun Garok (careful, Dun Garok dwarves are tightly packed). Hillsbrad can easily take you from 22 to 26. Meanwhile, some other quests will have opened up: Ashenvale at Splintertree Post (20-25) has some Horde quests, and Thousand Needles (25-30) will become the next major zone.

Thousand Needles (25-30): By 25, head down the Great Lift (south of Barrens) into Thousand Needles. Immediately get the flight path at Freewind Post. Quest around Freewind: kill Galak centaurs, harpies at Darkcloud Pinnacle (there’s an escort quest “Homeward Bound” that you can do if you feel confident – it’s short). A major quest hub here is at the Shimmering Flats (Mirage Raceway) on the east side of Thousand Needles​. Around level 28, go to the Raceway and pick up all the quests from the goblins and gnomes. They’ll have you collect rocket parts, kill salt flats beasts, and test rocket fuel – a lot of fun quests, and you can usually do all in one go. Shimmering Flats quests are great XP and should take you from about 28 to 30+ easily. (They often have you go back and forth between the same areas, but since they’re all close together it’s efficient.) By level 30, you should have finished Thousand Needles’ main quests.

Alternate 20-30 zones: Some Horde may also do Ashenvale (The Zoram’gar Outpost offers quests to kill naga and retrieve artifacts, and Splintertree has battles against the Alliance). Ashenvale is a bit spread out, so it’s often partially done. Another zone is Wetlands via a quest chain from Ashenvale (for Orcs) but that’s usually not worth the travel unless following a very specific guide. The recommended path we’ve followed – Hillsbrad, Stonetalon, Thousand Needles – tends to be smoother. By 30, you’ll be set up to move into higher-level zones like Stranglethorn or Desolace.

Levels 30-40: Stranglethorn Vale and Desolace (Horde)

In the 30s, Horde adventurers have many contested zones to choose from. We’ll focus on Stranglethorn Vale and a bit of Desolace/Feralas for variety, as well as a stop in Dustwallow.

Stranglethorn Vale (30-45 in parts): Much like Alliance, STV is a quest hub for Horde too​. Grom’gol Base Camp (Horde outpost in northern STV) will be your base. At level 30, take the zeppelin to Grom’gol (from Orgrimmar) or fly to Stonard (Swamp of Sorrows) and go south. In Northern STV (30-35), do the Nesingwary hunting quests (tigers, panthers, raptors) and the Kurzen Jungle Fighter quests from a troll NPC in Grom’gol. Also complete quests like “Bloody Bone Necklaces” from Grom’gol (kill Skullsplitter trolls) – decent drop rate, not too grindy. As Horde, you’ll also get quests to kill Alliance rebels at Rebel Camp; those are PvP flagged quests similar to Hillsbrad’s style, but on a low-pop server it’s usually fine to do them for XP. By ~35, move to Southern STV quests (around Booty Bay and the Cape). Pick up quests from Booty Bay (neutral hub). Do the pirate quests (Bloodsail Buccaneers) on the Wild Shore, the Venture Co. quests at Lake Nazferiti, and the Kurzen finale if you haven’t. STV can carry you to 40 if you do everything, but our guide will have you break it up: perhaps do STV to mid-30s, then return in the late 40s to finish off. This prevents burnout and allows a detour to other zones.

Desolace (33-38, optional): Around mid-30s, you might want a change of scenery. Desolace (accessible via Stonetalon’s Charred Vale path) is a gray, bleak zone but has a Horde outpost, Shadowprey Village. Desolace quests (kill centaur, retrieve bones, etc.) are somewhat spread out and involve travel to Maraudon’s area (though you won’t run Maraudon until 45+). If you go to Desolace, focus on quests in the northwest (Magram vs Gelkis centaur war – choose a side and do a few quests) and hit Kodo Graveyard quests (NPC at Ghost Walker Post has a nice chain about Kolkar leaders). Desolace also has the Sar’this quest chain for Horde (ends with summoning a demon in the Mannoroc Coven – can be tricky solo). Do what you find efficient and skip the rest. Desolace isn’t the fastest, so don’t feel obliged to stay long. By 38 or so, consider moving on.

Dustwallow Marsh (35-40): An often overlooked but superb zone for Horde in late 30s is Dustwallow Marsh. Go to Brackenwall Village (Horde town in northwest Dustwallow) around level 35-36. There, grab quests to investigate Shady Rest Inn, hunt crocolisks, and challenge the Black Dragonflight agents. Dustwallow was improved in later patches with many quests​. Do the Mudspocket quests (at level 38 you can pick up quest from a goblin in Brackenwall to help at Mudsprocket in southern Dustwallow) – those include killing draenei spirits and gathering zeppelin debris, which are quick tasks. Also complete the “Stinky’s Escape” escort near Brackenwall (short escort, doable solo). By completing Dustwallow quests, you should easily ding 40 if you haven’t already. Don’t forget to grab the flight path in Mudsprocket and use your hearth/zeppelin to minimize travel back and forth (you can set hearth at Brackenwall while questing here).

At level 40, train your new skills and get your epic ground mount if you haven’t (speed boosts are critical – level 40 riding grants 100% speed now​). We’re now done with most vanilla content zones; next up are the high-40s zones to push toward Outland.

Levels 40-50: Feralas, Hinterlands, and More STV (Horde)

The 40s for Horde involve a few rich quest zones: Feralas, Tanaris, Hinterlands, and possibly returning to Stranglethorn or visiting the Plaguelands. We’ll pick the best ones:

Feralas (40-45): Take the journey to Feralas – fly to Thunder Bluff and run southwest through Thousand Needles or take the Desolace route to the Horde camp Camp Mojache. Feralas is a lush zone with lots of mobs to kill for quests (perfect for our purposes). At Camp Mojache, gather quests to deal with gnolls, Grimtotem tauren, and local wildlife. Do the gnoll necklace collection quest (the drop rate is reasonable and you’ll be killing plenty of gnolls anyway). There’s a significant quest chain starting with Rok Orhan that leads you to kill a series of ogre bosses in Dire Maul area; this chain is good XP and eventually has you place an ogre idol – all soloable aside from possibly the last boss who hits hard (skip final step if needed). Feralas also has the Hippogryph Egg quest – collecting eggs can be competitive, but on a quiet server it’s fine. By questing through Feralas you should reach mid-40s easily​. You can also do the “Wanderer’s Registry” quest that leads to Swamp of Sorrows if you want to head east later.

Tanaris (45-50): Next, head to Tanaris (fly to Gadgetzan). Tanaris for Horde is similar to Alliance: Gadgetzan offers loads of quests starting around 45. Do the Water Seekers (gage the elementals), the Wastewander bandit quests (steal their water pouches and kill their leader – good XP, moderate travel). Also, complete the pirate quests at Lost Rigger Cove (you get these around 46, involves a bit of fighting through pirates but worth it). Zul’Farrak dungeon in Tanaris is a great option at 45-50 if you can gather a group – many Horde quests for ZF start in Gadgetzan (like Gahz’rilla for the mallet, Divino-matic Rod from the goblin, etc.). Doing a ZF run at 47 or so yields a ton of XP from mob kills plus quest turn-ins (like Carrot on a Stick trinket from Gahz’rilla quest). If group play isn’t possible, no worries – just keep questing outside. By 48-50 you should be finishing up Tanaris quests. Don’t neglect the “The Thirsty Goblin” chain (hunting dew collectors) and “The Dunemaul Compound” ogre slaying – both straightforward.

The Hinterlands (46-50): Another zone to hit in the high-40s is The Hinterlands. Horde base at Revantusk Village on the eastern coast. If you’re coming from Tarren Mill (Hillsbrad) or Arathi, run east into Hinterlands and grab the flight path at Revantusk. Questing in Hinterlands for Horde includes hunting savage owlbeasts, trolls, and wolves. Do the quests to collect troll necklaces (good drop rate) and to kill specific troll bosses in Jintha’Alor (some can be tough; you might skip the deepest part of Jintha’Alor unless you have help or are level 50+). There’s also a quest to gather feathers from the ground to earn favor with the Wildhammer (Alliance) – Horde can’t do their Wildhammer quests, but you’ll get enough XP from troll quests and the Horde-specific quests like Stalking the Wild (wolves) and Hunt the Savages (owlbeasts). Hinterlands can be done around level 48-50​. By the time you clear those, you should be level 50 or very close.

Return to Stranglethorn (if needed): If you left some STV quests unfinished, level 48-50 is a good time to go back and knock them out. In particular, the Bloodsail Buccaneers chain continues at 45+ with tracking down Dizzy’s eye and ultimately a big battle with the pirate fleet at 50 – fun to do if you want and rewards a nice hat. Also, the Green Hills pages can be turned in if miraculously you gathered them, but again it’s optional for lore or achievement (XP is okay if you have them, but don’t farm specifically now).

By level 50, you’re ready to tackle the last stretch of old-world content – the 50-58 zones before Outland.

Levels 50-58: Un’Goro Crater, Western Plaguelands, and Outland Prep (Horde)

In the 50s, Horde and Alliance can actually follow very similar paths. Un’Goro Crater is a top leveling zone for this range, and the Plaguelands or Burning Steppes can round out your XP before 58.

Un’Goro Crater (50-55): Head to Un’Goro via the slope down from Tanaris or flight from Silithus. At Marshal’s Refuge (the camp in Un’Goro), gather all quests. Complete the plethora of tasks in the crater: hunting diemetradons and pterrordaxes, collecting power crystals of various colors (easy gather quest), and doing the “Roll the Bones” quest (bone piles collection – quick and good XP). Don’t forget to “Use the pile of dirt” to start The Sparkler of TC quest (part of Linken’s quest line) – the chain that references Zelda is long but you can do parts of it for XP and finish later if desired. The Linken chain yields a nice trinket at the end but can be time-consuming, so up to you how far to go with it. Definitely do the Pilgrim’s Progress series (collecting dinosaur eggs, etc.) and the Volcanic Activity (if you can manage the elementals). By exploring and questing through Un’Goro, expect to hit 53-55. Tip: Un’Goro has three elite devilsaurs roaming; avoid them if you’re alone, as they will chomp you. If you see “A Mangled Journal” drop, that starts a valuable quest line leading into Marshall’s Refuge quests – worth doing. Overall, Un’Goro is a must-do for fast leveling​.

Western/Eastern Plaguelands (53-58): After Un’Goro, shift gears to the Plaguelands in Eastern Kingdoms for a change (and to be nearer the Dark Portal when ready). Go to Western Plaguelands first – Horde base at the Bulwark (Tirisfal/ WPL border). Pick up quests from High Executor Derrington (like The So-Called Mark of the Lightbringer and All Along the Watchtowers in EPL – both good XP for running around towers). In WPL, focus on the Andorhal area quests. Horde gets quests to slay undead in the ruined city and to plant recording devices (“The Mighty U’cha” – wait no that was Un’Goro – here it’s All Along the Watchtowers in EPL, which you can do alongside WPL quests). Also do the Cauldron quests in WPL: you get these from a Deathguard at the Bulwark, each quest has you collect reagents from a different cauldron (fields) and in return you cleanse it. These are repetitive but each turn-in gives a big chunk of XP, and you can typically solo them by pulling zombies in moderation. By doing WPL quests you’ll advance through 55-56.

Then move to Eastern Plaguelands. Light’s Hope Chapel is neutral; pick up any quests available there (e.g. Zaeldarr the Outcast to kill a skeleton in a crypt – easy solo). Horde also have a quest giver at the Undercroft (near Light’s Hope) for a fun zombification quest line. In EPL, do quests like Carrion Grubbage (collect worm meat – decent drop rate) and Disease Upon the Wind (culling bats). Many EPL quests are kill-and-collect with high yields. There are a few tough ones (like Pamela’s doll chain is long and winding, though a great story – might skip for pure efficiency). If you’re not sick of undead, doing Plaguelands until 58 is viable.

Alternate 50-58 zones: Silithus (55-58) has some quests at Cenarion Hold, but they often require a lot of mob grinding or are geared toward farming Twilight cultists – probably skip Silithus unless you enjoy it or need a break from undead. Felwood (48-55) and Winterspring (55-58) are also options: Felwood has a neat corruption-cleansing quest line and Winterspring has frostsaber and Wildkin quests. Those are fine but involve more travel time between far hubs (Everlook is out of the way). The guide sticks with Plaguelands because it positions you near the portal to Outland and the quests are tightly packed.

Aim to hit 58 by the end of this phase. You can leave for Outland at 58, which is recommended. If you’re slightly short (say 57), consider doing a dungeon like Scholomance/Stratholme (if group available) or finishing off with a few Winterspring quests to hit 58. On reaching 58, clear out your inventory, train class skills, and get ready to step through the Dark Portal in Blasted Lands – Outland awaits!

Levels 58-68: Outland (Horde)

Outland leveling for Horde is virtually the same route as Alliance, with just different hub names and quest flavor. Horde start at Thrallmar in Hellfire Peninsula, and overall you’ll follow Hellfire → Zangarmarsh → Terokkar → Nagrand, with possibly a dip into Blade’s Edge. Here’s the quick rundown:

• Hellfire Peninsula (58-62): Arrive through the Dark Portal and grab all quests at Thrallmar. Complete the spine of Hellfire quests: securing the Hellfire Fortress towers, Mag’har Post quests (Horde helps the Mag’har orcs rather than fighting them like Alliance does), and the quests at Spinebreaker Post (southern Hellfire) to destroy Legion teleporters and such. Also do quests at Falcon Watch (central Hellfire, Horde outpost) around 61 – these involve curing plague victims and fighting Broken draenei. The zone culminates in some group quests like attacking Hellfire Citadel’s gates (Overlord quest) – skip those if you lack a group. By clearing Hellfire, you’ll be ~61-62. Optionally run Hellfire Ramparts (58-61) and Blood Furnace (60-62) once each if possible; their quests are obtained in Thrallmar and give excellent XP and gear for minimal time.

• Zangarmarsh (62-64): Head to Swamprat Post or Zabra’jin (Horde camps in Zangarmarsh). Quest through the sporeggar and Naga storylines. Horde’s experience in Zangarmarsh is analogous to Alliance: lots of kill quests for Naga at the Hewn Bog and Umbrafen, gathering spores and glowcaps for Sporeggar, and helping the Trolls at Zabra’jin with bog lord tendrils, etc. Make sure to do the Marshfang Slicer quest (kill marshfang rippers) and the Ango’rosh ogre quests. By the time you finish the quests at the Orebor Harborage area (which Horde gets via quests from Zabra’jin to kill ogres), you should hit 64.

• Terokkar Forest (64-66): Go to Stonebreaker Hold (Horde town in Terokkar). Do all quests here and at Garadar (Nagrand) that send you into Terokkar. Focus on killing arakkoa at the Skettis outskirts (quests from the caravan near Skettis for Horde), slaying warp stalkers and basilisks, and dealing with the Shadow Council at the Bone Wastes (quests from Shadowmoon folks at the caravan). Don’t miss the “Demonic Contamination” quest which starts in Stonebreaker – it’s a chain that has you examine animal corpses and leads to killing some elites with a quest item’s help (pretty doable). Also, quest through Bleeding Hollow Ruins and Veil Shienor for more Arakkoa action. Terokkar should ding you 66. If a group is handy, you might do Mana-Tombs around 65 for its quests (one from Stonebreaker, one from the Consortium) – optional though.

• Nagrand (66-68): Go to Garadar, the Horde town in Nagrand (if you haven’t already). Nagrand is a Horde favorite because of the Mag’har orc story (meeting Greatmother Geyah, Thrall eventually, etc.) and simply tons of quests. Do the Nesingwary safari hunts (windrocs, clefthoof, talbuk, followed by tuskarr’s kodos quest). Complete the Garadar quests: hunting the Murkblood Broken, killing ogres (the Warsong quests from Garrosh and Jorin Deadeye), and gathering materials for the Throne of the Elements spirits. Be sure to do “The Impotent Leader” chain (helps troll leader Lantresor in the Burning Blade ruins, who gives you quests to stick it to the Alliance in Nagrand – fun and good XP). When you hit 67, pick up the Ring of Blood quest in northern Nagrand (from Gurgthock). As mentioned before, Ring of Blood is a 5-round arena boss gauntlet that requires a group – if you can get even 2-3 other level 65-68 players, do it, as it gives a massive XP reward (often ~20% of a level or more) and a blue weapon. If solo with no chance to group, skip it. By doing nearly all Nagrand quests, Horde can actually go slightly beyond 68 – you might be 68 before finishing them. You can leave for Northrend at 68​. If you aren’t 68 yet (say ~67), do a few quests in Blade’s Edge Mountains from Thunderlord Stronghold (intro quests to kill ogres and arakkoa there) or hit Netherstorm’s early quests at Area 52 until 68.

Now you’re Northrend-bound! Ensure you visit a trainer in Shattrath or back in a capital to train level 68 skills. Horde can reach Northrend via zeppelin from Orgrimmar to Borean Tundra (Warsong Hold) or zeppelin from Undercity to Howling Fjord (Vengeance Landing).

Levels 68-80: Northrend (Horde)

In Northrend, Horde also have two starting zones and parallel questlines to Alliance. The general leveling path will mirror Alliance: Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord for 68-72, then Dragonblight (72-75), Grizzly Hills/Zul’Drak (75-77), Sholazar Basin (77-79), and Storm Peaks or Icecrown (79-80). We’ll highlight Horde-specific notes:

• Borean Tundra (68-72): If you take the zeppelin from Orgrimmar, you’ll land at Warsong Hold in Borean Tundra. Start by helping Garrosh’s forces secure the Hold (do the initial quests defending against Nerubians). Then branch out: quests at Garrosh’s Landing to fight Alliance at Riplash Strand (Horde has a unique chain where you sabotage Alliance ships), and quests from Taunka’le Village (Horde works with the Taunka, a buffalo-like offshoot of Tauren) to fight undead and Nexus creatures. Do the Coldarra quest line via Taunka’le and Warsong’s mage to get the device for talking to the blue dragonflight – complete as much as you can outside The Nexus. If possible, run The Nexus dungeon to finish the Coldarra chain (to kill Keristrasza) – optional but rewarding. Also complete quests at Bor’gorok Outpost (northern Borean) working with Drek’Thar; those involve killing magnataur and rescuing druids. By finishing most Borean quests, you’ll be ~71​.

• Howling Fjord (68-72): Horde arriving by zeppelin land at Vengeance Landing in Howling Fjord. The Horde storyline here involves the Forsaken’s offensive (the “New Plague” quests where you test the blight on Alliance soldiers and worgen). Do all those at Vengeance Landing and nearby camps. Move on to Camp Winterhoof (taunka camp) and quest against the nearby vrykul and scourge. As you progress, you’ll get quests for Gjalerbron (the vrykul necropolis) – do what you can solo, skip group quests. Later, head to Apothecary Camp and New Agamand in southern Fjord for more Forsaken quests (like spreading plague among the local fauna, etc.). These are rich in XP and quite fun (zombie plague shooter, anyone?). By completing Howling Fjord’s major hubs, Horde should also reach ~71-72. Just like Alliance, you can choose to do one zone fully and a portion of the other. For example, do all of Borean Tundra and then only what you need in Fjord to hit 72, or vice versa​.

• Dragonblight (72-75): Horde’s entry to Dragonblight will likely be via Agmar’s Hammer (the main Horde fort). There, pick up the vast questline involving the Wrathgate. You’ll assist Saurfang the Younger’s troops, investigate the plague at Icemist Village, and engage with the Red Dragonflight at Venomspite (a Forsaken town to the east). Do the Venomspite quests like Blighted Last Rites (putting villagers out of misery) and the quests aiding the banshee Sylvanas sends (you even do a battle for Andorhal simulation). Key Horde quest: The Battle For Angrathar (Wrathgate) – follow this chain through until the epic cinematic. The aftermath quest sends you back to Orgrimmar for the Battle for Undercity event (which you can do at 75 or at 80 – it rewards no XP, only story). Aside from the main plot, do the side quests at Taunka’le Village (if you didn’t earlier) and Wyrmrest Temple (both factions have these dragonflight quests). By finishing Dragonblight you’ll be 74-75.

• Grizzly Hills (74-77): Horde base is Conquest Hold in Grizzly Hills. Your quests will involve quelling local Alliance forces (Silverbrook contains Worgen secret, etc.), and fighting the Furbolg and trolls. Do the Conquest Hold quests to take out Amberpine Lodge Alliance NPCs (again PvP flagged but often quiet on low-pop). Don’t miss the Venture Bay PvP quests if you want some extra XP and a bit of world PvP fun – completely optional though. Continue to Camp Oneqwah and Camp Tunka’lo for more quests like The Storm King’s Vengeance (epic giant-controlled quest against trolls). Grizzly Hills is quite linear; by doing all hubs you’ll reach 76-77​​.

• Zul’Drak (76-77): Horde outpost in Zul’Drak is The Argent Stand (neutral, but many Horde-aligned quests with the Argent Crusade) and Zul’drak’s Shadow Observer at Ebon Watch (also neutral technically). Work on quests dealing with the Drakkari trolls – reclaiming outposts, destroying their converted gods (this is the fascinating part where trolls sacrifice their Loa). Do quests like Trolls Is Gone Crazy! (collecting artifact fragments) and the arena quest chain “Betrayal” if you can (the final Betrayal quest where you fight Drakuru is a 5-man quest but can be done with fewer at 77). Zul’Drak also offers Gundrak dungeon quests at 76-78; you can do Gundrak (the dungeon) once if you gather a party, for good XP. You might not need to fully finish Zul’Drak; aim to leave for Sholazar by 77 if possible to keep momentum.

• Sholazar Basin (77-79): Use the goblin teleporter or fly from Dalaran to Sholazar (if you got the flight path from earlier quest). In Sholazar, do the Nesingwary quests (similar for Horde, just pick up at Nesingwary Base Camp). Then, engage in the Oracle/Frenzyheart quest line starting from River’s Heart and Frenzyheart Hill. As Horde, there’s no difference in these quests – they’re neutral chains open to both factions. Sholazar’s quests are fast and concentrated, making 77-79 a breeze​. By the time you finish hunting quests and the gorloc vs wolvar chain, you should be level 79. Be sure to also do the Kartak’s Rampage chain (where you control a giant – very quick and high XP).

• Storm Peaks (79-80): Horde’s hub in Storm Peaks is Camp Tunka’lo (for the Taunka) and also sharing neutral hubs at K3 and Sons of Hodir. Quest through K3’s goblin tasks first (smashing undead, etc.), then the Hyldnir village quests (becoming a Hyldnir and doing their challenges). Continue on to the Sons of Hodir storyline from Dun Niffelem. This will have you freeing goblins, riding protodrakes, and eventually summoning Thorim. These quests are largely the same for Horde/Alliance, with minor dialogue changes. By doing all the Storm Peaks quests that are solo-friendly, you will hit 80​. If you prefer, you can instead do Icecrown starting at 79 – Horde’s primary base is The Argent Vanguard and later Death’s Rise (Ebon Blade). Icecrown has epic quests (like rescuing Koltira for Horde, and Thassarian for Alliance, etc.) and a bunch of group quests; it’s fine to do at 80 for gold or as a duo at 79 for XP. But since our goal is efficiency, Storm Peaks tends to be smoother solo leveling.

Congrats, you’re now level 80 as Horde! You’ve experienced a huge chunk of WoW’s world and are ready for endgame content.