The World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic officially launches with a level cap of 85, how to hit the max level? Today we’ll take you a breakdown of a fast WoW Cataclysm Classic leveling guide with strategies and tips for how to level up to 85 quickly and efficiently. 

Related Read: WoW Cataclysm Classic Tier List

Cataclysm Classic Leveling Guide: Fastest Way to Get to Level 85 in WoW Cata Classic 

Here we have general ways of leveling in Cata Classic covered, for different classes and specs, the best gear, talents, consumables, glyphs, and rotations will vary. For example, the Death Knight DPS, which is highly strong when it comes to leveling in Cataclysm, it is better to get your Pillar of Frost unlocked as fast as possible, then you are easier to kill large packs of mobs at once. Blade of Misfortune, Fist of Reckoning, and Shaarde the Greater are some of the best gear to choose from. 

1 - Questing

One of the best leveling routes in World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic is questing, leveling to 85 via questing will earn you the reputation for item level 333/346 rewards and starting dungeon gear for heroics. If you choose this strategy, you need an effective talent build to kill monsters and complete quests, such as the Gripstrike build, which stands out with its ability to quickly defeat monsters and regenerate runic power, allowing players to use their abilities frequently. Some key talents and glyphs that enable the build include Unholy Command, Butchery, Holy Presence, and two Oracle trinkets. It is recommended to use a two-handed weapon and focus on the Mastery and Hit stats. Using a self-healing ability will help you maintain the self-sustain. Take turns putting up diseases and using Frost Strike and Obliterate to kill monsters, and use Howling Blast at higher levels to apply Frost damage to the target. One quest to mention here is the Crucible of Carnage, as it can be time-consuming and may not be worth the rewards, if you require the quickest leveling process, this quest is not recommended. 

2 - Dungeons (Solo & Group)

The next strategy for fastest leveling in Cataclysm Classic is around the dungeon, this involves making a full loop of the dungeon, ideally skipping the first and last bosses, and killing as many monsters as possible along the way. This method can grant around 3.5 million XP per hour and can help you reach level 82 in under 1.5 hours, if you also complete some quests and practice an efficient route through the dungeon. One tip is to do every dungeon at least once for the quest rewards, specifically the Lost City, Grim Batol, and Halls of Origination dungeons, as they are guaranteed to give item-level gear. Farm some other dungeons as well, in order to be able to queue for the normal mode versions of those dungeons. What’s more, dungeon spamming with a five-player group will grant more XP than questing, this method will not give you a reputation at the start, only gain that after the player reaches level 83. Running with full DPS gear and reforging Mastery, Hit, and Expertise, you are potentially getting 333 item-level gear and being able to queue for heroic dungeons earlier. This method is best suited for groups of players who do not want to quest on launch and are playing classes that are unable to self-level. 

3 - Open World Grinding

Farming monsters in the open world for XP is another method, finding a location in Deepholm where they were able to clear tons of experience points per hour by simply going from pack to pack of monsters. This location could be a viable strategy if you are able to get to the area ahead of other players and have a good stack of quests. However, it is not suggested to level through open-world farming from level 80 to 82, as the first two zones are likely to be crowded and cause some issues, you may consider doing Blackrock Caverns instead until level 82, or alternative leveling strategies for the first few days after the launch, such as questing or dungeon farming.

4 - RestedXP Addon

The last leveling method is ideal for players who want to seek a step-by-step guide, that is using the RestedXP addon, which can help you level up quickly by following the routes that the best speed levelers use, to shorten the leveling speed. It tells you exactly what to do and it has a quest mob button to find mobs easier and a quest item button. Based on your current level and available quests, it offers the most efficient order to complete them.