WoW Insider's WoW Rookie Guide
Hit our WoW Rookie categories for dozens of articles to help you enjoy savvier, more effective gameplay.
- Your first steps
- WoW Insider's leveling guides
- Grouping with others
- Buying, selling and trading
- Account security
- Gameplay how-to's
- For the new level 80
- Class Skills 101
- Player versus Player (PvP)
- Good to know
- Managing your game time
- Social conventions and netiquette
Your first steps
Here's what you need to know and decide to get off to a good start in the World of Warcraft (ideally, before you even start playing)._thumbnail.jpg) |
Choose your realm Picking a realm is the first choice you will make after installing World of Warcraft on your PC. With that in mind, there are several things you should consider when choosing a new home. |
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Choose the right class Which class is right for you? Try out a few different classes to see what floats your boat, or check our updated Choose Your Class guide. |
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Changing your mind about your class If you came into World of Warcraft with no real idea what the game was about, you may have just picked the first class that looked interesting and started playing. |
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Choosing a name for your character From the way you think of your character (a roleplaying personality, a tool for gaming achievements, an expression of yourself) to the way others see you, your name plays a defining role. |
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The tricks you need to know: In-game tutorial tips Sink your teeth into the whole feast's worth of tips in our tutorial tips gallery, which we've featured here for you. |
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Questing 101 There's no denying that quests are the meat and potatoes of World of Warcraft. Today's new players have more quest management tools than ever at their disposal. |
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Keyboard shortcuts You don't have to bail on your mouse, but it's very helpful to learn some basic keyboard shortcuts that will make your life in the game that much easier. |
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Effective movement and camera use Clunkier styles of viewing your game field and moving your character may eventually cause you to fall behind the performance curve. Our advice: Find out what the best practices are, and then try them out sooner rather than later. |
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Get up to speed with a mount Once you reach level 20, you can hoof it in an entirely new way: on your first mount. Mounts used to become available at level 40; then the level requirement was dropped to 30, and now Patch 3.2 (August 2009) has set the bar for obtaining your first mount to level 20. |
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Training up Training is fairly simple in today's World of Warcraft, but it's hardly intuitive. We've pulled together a few notes on training for class spells and abilities, professions, riding skill for mounts and weapon skills, to help steer you to the right place at the right time. |
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Grouping with others
Once you're under way, it's time to join forces with other players to achieve larger goals. Don't be intimidated at the prospect of grouping -- let WoW Rookie guide you. |
Your role in an instance As you level up, playing in a specialized role becomes more and more important. There are three (or four, depending on who you ask) main roles in instance groups: tanks, healers, damage-dealers (DPS), and crowd control (CC). |
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Grouping 101 Instances are fun. They're challenging, calling for new and different ways to play your character. They serve up eye-popping monsters and intricate lore. They offer great XP and loot. They're great ways to meet other players. WoW Rookie's here to nudge you past those first, intimidating moments. |
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How the instance system works The mechanics of managing instances: becoming "saved" to an instance, resetting them, understanding spawning and respawning patterns, and more. |
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The method in the madness of resurrection It ain't over 'til it's over -- and in World of Warcraft, it ain't over 'til every player has used the last resurrection cooldown and trick. |
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Tips and tactics for leveling instances, Part 1 You may run into some unexpected roadblocks when you're running lower-level instances. We round up the issues. |
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Tips and tactics for leveling instances, Part 2 More need-to-know details for running instances from vanilla and Burning Crusade-era WoW. |
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Communicating with others, Part 1 The joy of MMORPGS is being able to interact with other players. Most in-game chat is text-based and makes use of the chat pane. |
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Communicating with others, Part 2 Ventrilo and Teamspeak are some of the most widely used third party applications used in WoW. These tools facilitate voice chat which is necessary when quickly coordinating activities. In most cases you will find yourself excused from a raid or premade battleground if you do not have the proper tools. |
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Buying, selling and trading
Whether you enjoy the meta-game of in-game trading or you simply want to cover your personal needs, we help you reach for the gold. |
Auction House basics What sells? What doesn't? How do you find bargains? How do you know what prices to set for your goods? Is undercutting a wise idea? What's the fastest way to rake in gold – and what's the safest way? |
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Bags for your goods It's easy to throw down big money for big bags when you're max level and rolling in gold from dailies -- but new players must walk the line between overspending for convenience's sake and having enough bag space to get the job done. |
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Save everything, sell everything Virtually everything you pick up has value to someone. Here's how to start making sense of it all -- and lots of reader comments that help you with the finer points. |
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Money-making 101 Despite changes to a few minor details since it was written, this article remains one of the best guides to turning a profit in the World of Warcraft. |
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Managing your finances with a banker Creating a dedicated character to do nothing but hang out in town, store goods and handle your finances may sound redundant at first. But time is money, friend -- and a banker can save you both. |
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Handing over the goods How do you know the crafter to whom you've just handed your precious trove of materials won't simply turn around and log off? |
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Conducting business in [2.Trade] There's more to successful in-game transactions than simply advising someone to "use the Trade channel for trade." We agree – so let's cover some basic tactics to get your sales sold, your portals ported and your enchantments enchanted. |
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Account security
Safeguarding the investment of time you've made in your character becomes more and more important as you level up. Make sure to use safe account security practices. |
Keeping your account safe and sound You really don't have to change your entire computer system simply to keep your WoW account safe. WoW Rookie shows you how (and why) to keep your WoW account from being hacked and prevent your computer from spilling its beans to the world at large. |
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Account security basics Another look at the basic steps you should be taking to protect your World of Warcraft investment. |
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Gameplay how-to's
Sometimes it's not so obvious how to choose the right tool or tactic for the situation. WoW Rookie rounds up the basics. |
The right weapon for the right job (and character) Having the right weapon can make a world of difference in your leveling experience -- but just because you can use a particular weapon doesn't mean you should. |
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Primary stats for beginners The early levels (and by that, we mean "vanilla" WoW up through level 60) are all about basic stats (also known as "attributes"): agility, intelligence, spirit, stamina and strength. |
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Why you should wand For a leveling player, a wand is an effective method of killing mobs while reserving your limited mana pool for crowd control or healing. |
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Choosing your talents The talents you choose for your character can completely change the way you play the game. Your "spec" (specialization) is determined by where you've distributed your points among the three talent trees available to your class. |
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Leveling a paladin tank If it's paladin tanking you want -- and instances you want it in -- you're in luck. Protection is the spec you want, and our special series from Gregg Reece's The Light and How to Swing It shows you how to level as a pally tank. |
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Soulstone strategies If you have never had the chance to be on the receiving end of a soulstone, it is easy to make a rookie mistake. While it is by no means complex, there are certain do's and don'ts that aren't always obvious. |
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Slotting your sockets with gems Socketed items allow you to truly customize your gear to either augment your strengths or brace up your weaknesses (or both). |
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Metagaming (research) for newbies Researching your WoW game – your crunchy bits -- can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of playing World of Warcraft. |
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Stay on target with raid target icons Raid target icons make it possible to identify particular mobs and set the kill order for an encounter in an objective, unchanging fashion. |
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Keep your key targets in focus A focus target is a secondary target that helps you keep track of an additional unit other than your current target. They are a great way of keeping track of an escort mob you need to locate in a crowd, an NPC you need to crowd control, a key healing assignment ... |
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Introduction to reputation In World of Warcraft, you must also make friends (and sometimes enemies) with members of various faction groups. Reputation (rep) is gained through killing a faction's enemies and completing quests to assist a particular group. |
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Azeroth reputations Grinding for reputation is a part of the game. Think of it as leveling up with different factions. |
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These darn kids today need to learn ... What do experienced players wish that you knew? Read up! |
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For the new level 80
It's often said that the real game begins at level 80. Now that you've reached maximum level, here's what you need to know to start playing with more experienced players. |
Level 80 -- now what? Hitting level 80 in WoW is less like being a graduating senior than it is being a new sophomore. You've finished WoW 101; now it's time to make sure you've covered all your core classes and start taking a stab at some electives and specialized coursework. |
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The fresh 80's guide to getting started in five-mans It's never been easier to take your character to epic levels of gear and adventure. Whether you're five-manning for its own sake or gearing up along the path to raiding, we've got the tips to help you make the most of your level 80 group experience. |
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Emblem gear for the fresh level 80 A down-and-dirty orientation to the emblem currencies and gear that matter most to you as a new level 80. |
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When too much AoE is just too much Is your AoE technique a nightmare to group with? Here's how to keep your AoE from hamstringing what others (and especially your tank) are doing. |
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How not to pull aggro It's far too easy for DPSers to blame the tank for losing aggro, when not pulling aggro is our job. A look at why pulling aggro is the fault of the DPS almost every single time. |
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Abilities that mess things up Some abilities are notorious for wreaking havoc when used at the wrong time in a group situation. Don't be guilty of these faux pas. |
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When to use trinkets with Bloodlust/Heroism The quick, easy answer: Regularly. Unused abilities that you're saving "just in case" tend to remain ... well, unused. Things get more complicated, though, when you're juggling cooldowns in a raid group that's savvy to the benefits of a well-timed Heroism (Alliance) or Bloodlust (Horde). When is the right time to go for broke? |
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Preparing for your first raid More resources to help raiders raid exist than ever before -- yet despite that, there are plenty of basics you still need to cover in order to arrive at your first raid prepared. |
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Class skills 101 Learn the basics of effective level 80 play for each class.
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Player versus Player (PvP)
Whether you play on a PvP server or want to try out some Battlegrounds or Arena matches, we'll show you how to get started. |
The basics of Player vs. Player (PvP) play Let's face it: Unless you play on a PvE server and consciously avoid it, PvP is inevitable. It is integral to the game. |
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Leveling with PvP While we wouldn't say that Battlegrounds are a recommended way to level up, we do continue to recommend them as a healthy part of your leveling experience. |
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The rules of duels The prospect of a duel can be intimidating, but you really have nothing to lose. Duels are a fun way to test how well you react to the unexpected. |
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20 tips for PvP realm leveling Make no mistake, it's war out there ... and only the savvy will survive unscathed. Sounds ominous, eh? Let's knock off some of the mystery. |
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The absolute beginner's guide to Battlegrounds Battlegrounds can be bufuddling for new players, and WoW Rookie would be sad to hear you'd given up on them based on a couple of false starts. Here's what you need to know to start cracking skulls in Battlegrounds. |
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Good to know
Looking for tips and tricks and all the little details that "everyone knows"? We've got them right here. |
Know your lore Besides the Warcraft novels, WoW-starved readers can chew through enough manga, roleplaying game books and gaming guides to sate any lore feeding frenzy. |
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The basic of dual spec Your specialization, determined by where you've distributed your points among the three talent trees available to your class, begins to define and inform your gameplay as you group with others more and more often. Soon enough, you'll be wishing you could switch between one set of talents and another -- and you can, with dual specialization. |
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Add-ons for rookies Also known as mods, add-ons can be such powerful upgrades to your gaming experience that some players consider them mandatory beyond a certain level of play. |
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Will my computer run WoW? If you've just started playing on hardware of questionable power, you may believe you're clicking along just fine -- only to watch your frame rate come to a grinding halt the first time you're faced with a raid or Battleground full of players moving, casting and otherwise wreaking havoc (to both the game environment and your system). |
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A computer that loves WoW (and vice versa) You've been engaged for months now. You're in love, you're committed, you're of legal age (level 80, baby!) and you're ready to drop some cash. What should you be looking for in a computer system to settle down in? |
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How not to be a noob Everyone makes mistakes — it's when you make multiple rookie mistakes over and over and over again that fellow players begin looking askance. |
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Thanks for the memories: Taking great screenshots Capture those memories by snapping screenshots (pictures of what's on your screen) in game as you explore, level, discover, plummet, laugh, triumph, fail ... All the moments that make life within the World of Warcraft so utterly bewitching. |
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Rares, elites and nameds Special names, special graphics ... Special attacks, special levels of health ... These are special mobs, the elites, nameds and rares of Azeroth and beyond. |
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Of hearth and home Seasoned players manage to accumulate a little hearthing savvy that makes life in Azeroth (and the Outland and Northrend) a little more convenient. |
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What is a patch? Blizzard regularly releases updates to World of Warcraft to add new content, fix problems, and otherwise improve the game. The game has evolved considerably throughout since its launch. |
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Patch day and post-patch madness A content patch is a nice way of saying "a ton of new stuff we've added to the game that's going to make all hell break loose." |
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What is Tier gear? Over the course of the game, Blizzard has introduced three-, five- and eight-piece armor sets for each class. These are the so-called "Tier #" or "T#" sets that you hear so much about, all obtained by raiding. |
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Heirlooms ease the way for alts Heirloom items are "big brother" helper items designed to be purchased by level 80 characters and passed along to younger characters on the same account, realm and faction. |
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Recruit-A-Friend Blizzard's Recruit-A-Friend program is designed to get you teamed up and moving forward with a buddy who's new to the game. Because you already know the ropes, Blizzard gives you XP and rep bonuses to allow you to zip through the early levels faster. Not only do you get a boost through the early content, but you get a regular partner throughout the more sparsely populated territories of Azeroth. |
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Embracing the official forums Blizzard welcomes constructive criticism and suggestions from the WoW community. You are welcome to be a part of it as well. There are a few things you should know about the forums. |
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Loremaster: A completist's dream Earning your Loremaster title means grinding out literally hundreds and hundreds of quests over every step of your journey through Azeroth, Outland and Northrend, from level 1 through level 80. It's the completist player's dream, a title that shows you've paid your dues in every zone at every level of the game. |
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Coming back to WoW after a break As more and more former players start peeking their heads back into the game to investigate Cataclysm, we'll be seeing more and more uncertain vets fumbling through mechanics and features even those rookies among us now take for granted. What's the best way to get back up to speed after an extended time away from WoW? |
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Managing your game time
Playing World of Warcraft can eat up your hobby time if you're not careful. Here's how to keep things in balance. |
You're doing it wrong! A WoW rookie absolutely can still catch the curve, ride the wave and enjoy endgame content -- or not. Despite all the talk of playing "the right way," WoW is still very much an open-ended game in which you choose your own playstyle. The choice is yours. |
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Where a newb can be a newb Don't let established players (especially the kids congregating in lower-level zones, endlessly mocking other players) make you feel smaller for enjoying the content at your own speed. |
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Safe, sane and balanced playtime Just remember that it is your job to make sure your WoW time is safe, sane and balanced. |
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Put a leash on playtime for younger players Parental control settings allow you to choose blocks of time that an account is and is not accessible for play. Players cannot log in during restricted hours, and they'll be automatically logged out if they play past their allowed time window. |
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Do you have time to raid? If you want to raid, somewhere out there is a guild that will work for you. We can't tell each and every one of you exactly where to look for a custom fit, but we can give you some starting points to help you identify what to look for in the first place. |
Social conventions and netiquette
What should you expect from other players, what should they be able to expect from you, and how can you build a reputation for being the kind of player others want on their friends lists?_thumbnail.jpg) |
Rolling for items in a group You are repaired, have plenty of consumables and your bags are empty to scoop up your loot. You have already gotten this far, so don't spoil things by rolling like a noob. |
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Filter out the @#$% The last thing you want to see rolling across your screen is the kind of lowbrow posturing that's given Barrens chat its notorious reputation. It's time to take charge of your game chat. |
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Talking with the enemy You can't talk to the enemy in the World of Warcraft. There is a way you can make your intentions known to players of the opposite faction: standard, pre-set emotes. |
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Leaving groups early For an MMO, WoW's gameplay has become reasonably bite-sized – so don't get caught virtually chewing with your mouth open by dropping out of groups early. |
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Gaming terminology 101 To the rescue: an encyclopedic assortment of lists of WoW, gaming and internet abbreviations, acronyms and lingo that steers you back into comprehensible territory. |
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Joining your first guild While it's true that you can successfully fumble about in the relatively unpopulated leveling zones on your own, you'll enjoy a richer, more complete game experience if you play with other players, as intended. |
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Guide to guilds Everything you ever wanted to know about guilds: how to create a guild, guild tabards, guild banks, joining a guild, guilds in Cataclysm and more. |
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When you need help Questions to random strangers can net you insults for being clueless – but you could strike gold, too, with some great insights and the beginnings of a new friendship or mentor relationship. |
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Basic netiquette Building a good reputation for your characters is as easy as doing what mama always advised: mind your manners. Make a good impression by getting savvy to the game's common social conventions. |
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Dealing with difficult people As in life, sometimes in World of Warcraft we come across unpleasant or stubborn people who challenge us. |
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Speak like a human You don't have to be a spelling bee whiz or a National Grammar Rodeo Champion (held in Canada, no doubt), but you should remember that you aren't texting your best buddy. |
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Essential WoW terminology in other languages We give you the translations to make it through a dungeon with a groupmate who doesn't speak English. |
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When Rookie Lanes crosses Raider Boulevard A guide on how to peacefully co-exist with players who enjoy the game in a different way than you do. |
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WoW Rookie feeds you the basics to get you off to a good start in the World of Warcraft. We'll walk you through all sort of new-player concerns, including game lingo for the beginner, joining your first guild as a mid-level player and on to what to do when you finally hit level 80.
