Classic Holy Priest Tips and Tricks!

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got a new type of post for you!

Over the past few months, I've been enjoying the hell out of my main class, the priest. And while it seems that everything that can be learned in this game has already been figured out, I've also noticed that a lot of people make things harder than they need to be. So, in this post, I thought I'd share a few tips about playing a healing priest that you might not be aware of.

Let's get started, shall we?

Tip #1 - Mouseover Macros

In the world of addons and clicky keybinds, it seems that many people forget that mouseover macros exist. These types of macros, which can be written for any spell you want to cast in Classic, allow you to simply mouse over a target taking damage and press the appropriate keybind: no addon required!

The mouseover macro is as follows:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Spell

This is good for raids, dungeons, or even PVP. Best of all, you can choose which ranks of spells are cast by simply adding it in parentheses:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Spell(Rank x)

Note that there's no spaces between the brackets or parentheses!

So, a rank 4 Heal spell would look like this:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Heal(Rank 4)

All in all, it takes a bit of setting up, but by making these macros for all of your main spells (Renew, Heal, Greater Heal, Flash Heal, Power Word: Shield), you can save yourself a headache of setting and remembering a bunch of weird Shift-CTRL-Left type combinations used by many healing addons. It's pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Tip #2 - Downranking - Which ranks for what?

So, everyone knows about Downranking at this point, but one of the hardest things for many priests seems to be figuring out exactly which ranks to use. So, to keep it simple...

• Heal (Rank 2) for low, consistent damage.
• Heal (Rank 4) to keep the tank up.
• Flash Heal (Rank 4) for bursty raid healing.
• Flash Heal (Rank 7) for those "Oh shit" moments in tank healing.
• Renew (Rank 6) for raid healing (rarely used)
• Renew (Rank 9) for tank healing (if you're specced for Imp Renew)
• Power Word: Shield (Rank 10) for tanks OR other damage prevention (because if you need to prevent it, it's probably a lot).
• Greater Heal (Rank 4) for when the tank needs a HUGE heal. Use Inner Focus first to save mana (if needed)!!!

Make some mouseover macros for each of these and bind them to your preferred keys. Easy-peasy. Also, you can play with different ranks based on your mana pool and +healing, but these ones have been the ones I've found most consistently effective throughout my gearing process.

Tip #3 - Go for Power Infusion (if your guild doesn't have a PI priest yet)

In the current era of min-maxing everything, many priests go deep holy in order to be the best healers they can possibly be. But there's another super-viable healing spec that can really benefit your raid that you should consider if you haven't already: the Power Infusion spec!

Power Infusion is an insanely powerful buff for casters and healers alike. Boosting damage and healing by 20% for 15 seconds can really give your raid the edge it needs in MC, BWL, and beyond. Your casters will love you, and you can be sure that you'll keep your raid spot so long as you are the sole proprietor of this amazing buff. Sure, your healing won't be as strong, but with enough other deep-holy priests, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

For good measure, here's the mouseover macro that I currently use when casting Power Infusion. Feel free to copy+paste it into a macro for yourself:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Power Infusion
/run SendChatMessage(format("Power Infusion on %s!!!",select(1,UnitName("mouseover"))),"WHISPER",nil,select(1,UnitName("mouseover")));

Enjoy being an even more valued member of your raid team!

Tip #4 - Pre-Raid BiS Is NOT Always Best!

Again in this age of min-maxing, it seems that everything is constantly "all about that BiS". And while pre-raid best in slot items are undoubtedly very powerful, people seem to forget a very important aspect of best in SLOT - it's the best item for a slot, not always the best combination of gear to have overall.

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to pick up the Robes of Prophecy, a big downgrade compared with my Robes of the Exalted from Strat Undead. My healing went down by 46 from that swap alone. The stats, however, more than made up for it. I was able to heal for longer without going out of mana, looked cooler, and am one piece closer to my 5piece bonus.

Many Pre-Raid BiS items, like Gloves of the Exalted Herald or The Hammer of Grace, are simply big pools of +healing. In my experience, however, a balance of the high stam/int/spirit set pieces and high +healing items is vastly superior overall simply due to the sustained healing that results. So mix and match pieces. Keep some of those high-stat items and swap as needed!

Tip #5 - Keep Fade Handy (so you don't need to spec for reduced threat)

I can't count the times I've seen a priest in a raid get healing aggro from a Lava Giant when a tank mysteriously dies and gets eaten alive. The ones that don't are typically specced into the reduced threat talent in the discipline tree, sacrificing things like improved Power Word: Shield or stun resistance. There's a better way, priests: keep Fade handy!

I'm sure this is common sense to many of you, but sometimes common knowledge isn't all that common. So, just a reminder that we have an awesome threat reduction tool at our disposal! Use it!

Personally, I always keep it bound to my 'Q' key, just in case! ;)

Tip #6 - Flash Heal is Your Friend

Ok, last tip for today! We all know that mana conservation is important and that Heal ranks 2 and 4 are among the most efficient heals we can use. However, as many of the fights in Classic, at least in Molten Core, end fairly quickly, you should definitely make use of Flash Heal to keep people up.

This is something that I only recently realized myself - as I was always trying to keep my mana sustained throughout fights. As my guild improved its speed in downing bosses, though, I noticed that I could typically heal better, and obviously faster, by using Flash Heal. Sure, it somewhat snipes the other healers, but it ensures that those who need heals get them in time. And it looks a lot better on parses, so...yeah.

Obviously keep an eye on your mana pool, but don't be afraid to use a few quick Flash Heals to recover from bursty damage!

Conclusion

So, there you have it: 6 tips for playing your holy priest that you might not have though about. Obviously, there's a lot more you could do if you're willing to research all the nit and gritty, but I think these are some of the more important ones that all healy priests can make use of. As always, if you have any tips for playing this magnificent class, feel free to leave a comment down below, as we can always learn from each other. I'm by no means perfect at the class, and love learning new things as I play this fun, 15 year old video game.

But yeah, that's it for today. If you liked these tips or found them useful, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list down below for more posts like this in the future. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on content, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer that form of content, as I turn all of my posts into videos shortly after writing them here. Thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Top 10 - Classic Staves

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis back with another list for you today!

Everyone knows that WoW Classic is all about the journey - leveling to 60, doing dungeons with your friends, and raiding with your guild for hours at a time. But, of course, that's only part of the picture, isn't it? After all, isn't one of the biggest goals - in any video game - to be the best you can possibly be? Well I believe so, and I'm sure many of you agree with me. As such, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the most iconic loot that Classic has to offer.

Of course, I've already made a Top 5 Tier sets, and covered dungeon sets extensively. So in this post, and a few more in the series I have planned, I decided to go through my favorite weapons in World of Warcraft: Classic. Keep in mind that these are just my opinions, and that these lists are based on my taste in the visuals and the feeling of accomplishment these items award. Eventually, we'll look at the swords, daggers, ranged weapons, and more, but for now, let's get right into it: starting with the staves!

Crescent Staff

#10 - Crescent Staff

Many Horde characters, especially casters, will tell you how iconic this staff is to their early leveling experience. Though simple in design, the Crescent Staff is a reward from the main quest line of the Horde's second dungeon, Wailing Caverns. Of course, the Staff of Orgrimmar comes first in one's leveling journey, but this staff from collecting the gems of the Serpent Lords is considerably more powerful and is likely the first blue new Horde players will equip in their leveling journey. Those triple-sevens are nice, the damage is decent, and it's looks are unparalleled in those early 20s...

Staff of Westfall

#9 - Staff of Westfall

Similar to the Crescent Staff for Horde, the Staff of Westfall is often the first blue item that many Alliance players obtain. It's a reward from the epic Defias Brotherhood quest chain, spanning the zones around Stormwind and concluding in the Deadmines - the first dungeon that most players have traditionally experienced. This staff, though simple in design, feels like a just reward for us adventurers who uncovered the secrets of that rogue organization of former stonemasons, stormed their base, and took out their leader in order to protect our beloved kingdom. And it's for that reason that I've included it here, at number 9...

Staff of Hale Magefire

#8 - Staff of Hale Magefire

There's not much to say about this staff. I just love the design of the staff holding up an encircled magic flame. Actually there are a few staves like this - such as Staff of Metanoia, for example - so really, number 8 could be any of those. It's really just a cool looking staff, in my opinion. And it's one that I hope I get to rock on an alt someday...

Warden Staff (the stats really make it imo)

#7 - Warden Staff

The only non-caster staff on this list, the Warden Staff is a unique and widely sought after staff for any and every feral tank in Classic. Though simple in design, the stats and the simple fact that it can be used all the way from level 43 through Naxxramas by those big, lovable bears is reason enough in my book to give it my personal seal of approval. An interesting staff with great utility for one of my favorite classes.

Staff of Dominance

#6 - Staff of Dominance

This epic staff, crackling with arcane power, is a mage's wet dream. A drop from Golemagg the Loot-Giver in Molten Core, this staff exudes an aura of absolute domination - hence its name. When I first saw someone walking around Ironforge with this staff back in vanilla, I remember thinking how amazing it looked. And now that I'm experiencing MC with my guild over on Mankrik, I can say that this was a much sought-after item...until we got Mageblade drops 4 weeks in a row, that is...

In short, it's a cool looking staff with great stats that MC raiders all love.

#5 - Will of Arlokk

Will of Arlokk

Though not yet available in Classic (releasing with Zul'Gurub later this year), the Will of Arlokk has got, in my opinion, one of the coolest designs of any staff in the game. The head of this staff is a freaking cobra! What more is there to say about it?

The looks aren't the only awesome thing about it though! It's got great stats for healers (especially druids) - with tons of spirit and plus healing for those fights that just drag on. What's more, it can possibly be obtained once every 3 days, since ZG is on a shorter reset timer than other raids in Classic. Oh, and did I mention it's a freaking snake staff! Live out your Jafar fantasies, healers!

Headmaster's Charge

#4 - Headmaster's Charge

Heading into the final stretch of my list here, we have the one epic that I REALLY wanted to get back in the day. As you might know from seeing some of my Top posts, Scholomance is, by far, my favorite dungeon in Classic. And from the final boss, Darkmaster Gandling, this epic staff drops. This weapon is fairly simple in design, especially when compared to the epic-looking staves in the raids later on. But as a dungeon drop, it looks awesome. The horned skull with a spiny backbone just looks so sinister! Plus, it has the unique on-use effect of buffing your party's intellect - a great boons for warlocks and priests when a mage proves oh-so-elusive.

Pretty much, it's just the cool looks and the epic quality of this dungeon drop. Love it.

Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian (Mage)

#3 - Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian

Because it had to be up here, right? The legendary Greatstaff of the Guardian, Atiesh, is possibly the most iconic staff in all Warcraft lore. It's right up there with Gorehowl and Frostmourne in its name recognition and is the best weapon for priests, druids, warlocks, and mages all the way up through Tier 4 content (assuming Classic continues into BC, that is).

Obtaining this birdie-stick is no easy feat, though. To collect it, one must be in a hardcore raiding guild farming AQ40 and Naxxramas to collect the base, head, and splinters needed to reassemble this bad boy. The work is definitely worth it, though, as each class that can potentially wield this powerhouse gets its own variation - complete with different stats, abilities, and, of course, ribbons!

As simple as the design is, Atiesh deserves a spot on any top weapons list simply due to its sheer badassness. And that's why it's here at number 3! But, of course, that leaves 2 more staves to discuss...

Staff of the Shadow Flame

#2 - Staff of the Shadow Flame

This. Staff. Is. Epic!

With one of the most badass models in all of Classic, and absolutely insane stats, it's hard to argue with how amazing the Staff of the Shadow Flame is. First of all, it's got everything your caster could want: intellect, 2% spell crit, and a whopping 84 plus damage and healing. You can expect that every mage, warlock, and more will be banking their DKP for this bad boy.

The stats aren't everything, though! This staff's model is one of the coolest in all of WoW! With the dragon skull atop a spine of sinister spikes, it instills fear into one's foes from a distance. Combine this with some warlock tier 2, and you'll look like one bad mother too!

Sure you could get the Shadow Wing Focus Staff from the 3 drake encounters of BWL, but that ear of corn on a stick just doesn't compare with this masterpiece of raid loot from the Lord of Blackrock himself. It is, most definitely, a fitting piece of loot for the vanquishers of Nefarian!

Benediction

#1 - Benediction / Anathema

Ahh, was there every any doubt? Benediction and Anathema are, without a doubt, my absolute favorite staves in World of Warcraft. The amazing, healing golden color of Benediction is iconic of the healers in any Classic guild, and the sinister shadowy sparkles of Anathema give away a shadow priest from 10 miles away.

Anathema

Technically two staves, this priest pair is the epitome of an epic staff. The item required to unlock the quest chain, the Eye of Divinity, drops from the penultimate boss of the first raid of Classic - Molten Core's Majordomo encounter. After finally getting this item (seeing probably 34 Petrified Leaves in the process), the priest can travel to Eris Havenfire in the Eastern Plaguelands to complete a quest unlike any other in Classic - the Balance of Light and Shadow. Only after saving 50 peasants while not letting even 15 perish can one obtain the Shard of Nordrassil. And when the hopeful priest combines this fragment of the World Tree with both the Eye of Divinity and an Eye of Shadow (a difficult item to obtain in its own right), Benediction, and thus also Anathema, is finally awarded.

Obtaining these powerful staves is a rite of passage for every priest in Classic. The feeling when an Eye finally drops for your guild, the exhilarating rush of adrenaline when healing the peasants during the quest, and the feeling of accomplishment when you finally combine those items and obtain that shiny staff at the end all make for an unforgettable experience. Sure, there's the legendary Atiesh and the fantastic staff from Nefarian which are both amazing weapons, but for me, and many others, Bene-thema reigns supreme. And that's why it's my number 1 pick for Classic Staves of World of Warcraft: Classic!

Conclusions

So, there you have it: my Top 10 Staves of World of Warcraft Classic. Obviously, there are tons more staves, and even more weapons, available in the game, but these are just my personal favorites. Classic is a huge game, after all, and with so many players, we're bound to have different preferences though. As always, I'd love to know which staves you think are the coolest, most interesting, or favorite in a different way, so feel free to leave a comment down below with your own opinion as well.

But, that's it for today. If you enjoyed this post and feel that it inspired you to go out and get a magic stick, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list to get notified about the next post too! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for other updates, and consider checking out my videos over on YouTube as well, if you're into that sort of thing. Thanks a lot for reading. And as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Classic Horde Leveling Zones

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here! And today, I'm pleased to be back with another top 5 list for you!

As we all know, World of Warcraft Classic has a lot to offer for anyone who decides to pick it up and play. But no matter if your goal is raiding, PVP, or just to enjoy some good old fashioned RP, you're going to have to level up a bit. It's basically unavoidable...unless you're doing some level 1 gnome raids on Orgrimmar, that is...

Anyway, since I've already talked about some of the more well-known quests, I thought it might be fun to talk about some of my favorite leveling zones again now that Classic is out. Plus, I've been maining Horde this time around, so I've definitely a different perspective on things than I used to. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy as I tell you my Top 5 Classic Horde Leveling Zones.

#5 - Stranglethorn Vale

Stranglethorn Vale

Stranglethorn Vale is a lush jungle with a rich backstory, great quests, and one of the greatest soundtracks of any zone in Classic. It is also the only zone that is unavoidable while leveling (so long as you're not solely dungeon grinding, that is). No matter whether you're playing Horde or Alliance, you'll find yourself in this jungle eventually...

I love Stranglethorn Vale for a few reasons - the massive number of beasts to kill and skin, the jungle-music that adds to the atmosphere, and the wide level 30-50 range to name a few. But my favorite aspect of STV after playing through this zone as a Horde character this time has got to be the sheer number of quests it provides - especially for my faction. Trolls and Tauren alike can start questing here, as I said, at around level 30 or so, killing tigers and panthers for Hemit Nesingwary Jr. up in the north. You continue killing trolls, raptors, and pirates for quest givers in Grom'gol and Booty Bay for ages - always having something to do - while constantly hearing that relaxing jungle beat in the background. It's really no wonder this was at the top of my list last time I thought about the different zones of Classic.

Grom'Gol

STV has its issues - the gankfest it is on PVP servers, the stretches of few to no quests for some levels, and the massive size of the jungle to name a few. However, it is without a doubt one of the quintessential zones of Classic leveling. And with Grom'Gol having a near perfect position in the middle portion of the zone, it becomes all that much better for the Horde.

#4 - Thousand Needles

Thousand Needles

Thousand Needles is, without a doubt, my most unexpected entry on this list. Nevertheless, it was one of the more memorable and fruitful zones I quested in on my troll's journey to 60. Though somewhat confusing and definitely very large geographically for a pre-40 character, it is chocked full of interesting and useful quests.

Darkcloud Pinnacle

First off, you have the Darkcloud Pinnacle quests, which basically ask you to climb up on top of the massive pillars of the zone and take on the Grimtotem clan head-on. If you weren't careful, you could tumble into the valley below, adding an extra element of danger to these quests - especially when doing the escort.

Secondly, there are tons of centaur here, right around Freewind Post, which are excellent for farming Silk Cloth - an item that my tailoring desperately needed around level 28 or so. These mobs are close together and die fairly quickly, which makes it a nice, relaxing place to farm exp when you don't feel like scouring the world for new quests to do.

Shimmering Flats

Finally, the absolute best part of this zone, from a leveling perspective anyway, has got to be the Shimmering Flats: a large open space with more quests than one can even hope to complete in one sitting. Sure, it's pretty far away from Freewind Post, but it's only a little ways from Gadgetzan to the south, so traveling to and fro isn't too bad. Of all the subzones (zones within zones), this is probably my favorite for this reason - quest central!

#3 - Un'Goro Crater

Un'Goro Crater

Un'Goro Crater is a large circular crater in the southernmost part of Kalimdor. This zone is a prehistoric paradise! Home to tar beasts, devilsaurs, and Nintendo spoofs, it is right up there in my favorite zones of all time! It's the only zone in this list that is purely neutral too, so Alliance players, rejoice! You too can do all of the quests here! At least, I'm pretty sure you can...

When leveling my priest in November 2019, I actually nearly forgot this zone existed - only going sometime after level 50. I arrived at Marshal's Refuge with only a handful of quests in my log: mostly dungeon quests for ST that I'd never complete if I remember correctly. But as soon as I picked up the quests here and opened up my map to see where to start, I was blown away. Questie (yes, I use the addon because I'm casual AF) lit up the entire map with so many icons that I could barely see the actual map underneath. It was pretty ridiculous.

Devilsaurs are Dangerous

Needless to say, I was busy in this zone for a long time. But the number of quests isn't why it's so good for leveling - there are lots of zones filled with quests. It is the complete overlapping of the quest items and objectives that make it so amazing. You can leave Marshal's Refuge, run around for an hour picking up soil, dinosaur bones, and ooze samples constantly and STILL not be done with the quests. There are plenty of quests with specific locations to grind in, that's true, but you can easily progress on 3 or 4 other quests while running there and back. And then running to the next area and back. And again. And again.

Combine this amazing questing experience to the nice green color of the zone, the terror of being trampled by a Devilsaur, and the deep, foreboding soundtrack this zone utilizes to keep you on the edge of your seat, and you've got one hell of a leveling zone!

#2 - Feralas

Feralas

Feralas is, most definitely, one of my favorite zones of all time now. Having played Alliance for so long, I feel that I never really appreciated just how epic it is - probably because I always had to wait for that damn boat to get anywhere! As a troll this time, however, I really got to enjoy this lush rain forest the way it should be experienced.

Like most forests, Feralas is green, so it's already a wonderful zone in my book. The music is pleasant, (a mix of STV and Barrens music if I'm not mistaken), and the entire zone is covered in a dense humid-looking fog. It's far away from Orgrimmar, which makes going to town to learn new skills a bit of a pain, but it's got a town with a mailbox, flight master, and everything else that we sometimes take for granted in World of Warcraft. It's this town, I believe, which makes Feralas such an amazing zone for Horde leveling compared to the Alliance.

A Lush Rain Forest

Camp Mojache is located in the eastern part of the zone, literally on the road. There are MANY great quests offered here, but their location is key - many of the Horde quests for Feralas are right around the Camp. There's the epic gnoll quest (yes, I said it) directly to the south, the ogre quests to the north and south-west, and the Muisek quest chain which has objectives all over the map just to name a few. Best of all, there's no need to take the boat to the islands housing Feathermoon Hold for Horde! It's really just an awesome zone to go relax, kill yetis, fish, or do whatever else you want on your journey to 60!

#1 - The Barrens

The Barrens

Because of course it is! The Barrens is, without question, the most iconic Horde leveling zone in World of Warcraft. Though it's pretty dull and colorless - a drab brownish yellow that blends the grasses and rocks together for the most part - the music, quests, and most importantly players of this zone make it an absolute must for anyone leveling a Horde character in Classic.

Similar to STV, The Barrens spans a wide range of levels. Players come here directly either from Mulgore or Durotar around level 10 and may continue to quest here into the 20s. Upon your first trip to the Crossroads, a site of considerable world PVP back in the day if I remember correctly, you pick up around 10 quests to complete - many of which overlap each other similar to Un'Goro later on. You continue questing until you get to around level 17 or so, when many of the quests you end up getting are no longer for The Barrens, but rather a place called Wailing Caverns - the Horde equivalent to the Deadmines.

Bramblescar

Like I said, there are many reasons to love The Barrens: music, quests, and more. But what really makes The Barrens the best Classic leveling zone for Horde players is the community...

In other words, Barrens Chat:

"Has anyone seen Mankrik's wife?"
"Anal [Thunderfuy, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker"

[Insert random political statement here]

Even months after wrapping up my priests quests here, I still love it every time I fly through this zone and glance at my chat box. It always makes me smile...or cringe, depending on the topic of the hour.

Sure, every zone of Classic has its merits, but as a leveling zone for Horde players on a 15 year old internet game, the Barrens reigns supreme.


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So there you have it - my Top 5 Classic Horde Leveling Zones. Honestly, all 5 of these, and many many more, are great zones to level in as underlings of Thrall or the Banshee Queen, but these ones in particular were the ones I enjoyed the most - especially Feralas and The Barrens. It was especially hard to choose which of those two would be the #1 spot.

You might have noticed that I excluded the starting zones, as well as the "max level" zones. This wasn't entirely intentional, as I simply did not feel that the Horde starter zones held up as well as later leveling zones (especially Mulgore), nor did I think that the endgame zones were as enjoyable for leveling. Still, I would like to say that I do love most of the zones in Classic, and you should too! The game is a masterpiece and the zones each have their own unique aspects to enjoy. That being said, let me know which zones are your favorite for leveling by leaving a comment down below. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this post, why not add yourself to my mailing list? Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for other updates, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you'd like to see more of my content in the future. Thanks a lot for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

My Journey to 60: A WoW Classic Story

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. It's been a while, huh?

Well, I've finally done it. I capped my troll priest over on Mankrik US a few weeks back, dabbled in dungeons, and finally gotten to enjoy some Molten Core and Onyxia as relevant content. But unfortunately, that's meant that I haven't really been making content like I should have. Sorry for that.

But, now that things have settled a bit, I thought it might be a good idea to get back into the swing of things. And what better way to resume my content creation than by making a quick snapshot of my Classic journey thus far?

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy as I recount my adventures in Azeroth over the past 4 months...

The Early Days

The Beginning

End of Day 1.

The first day of Classic was amazing. I had only recently started a new job over here in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and since it was 6AM when the game launched, I ended up not being able to play until I got home in the evening. But oh man! Once I got home, I logged 3 and a half hours straight. Not much if you compare to others, but it's what I could manage. I got to around level 10 in that first session and I enjoyed every minute of it. Best of all, I had little to no competition for mobs because of the early morning hours on Mankrik. It was pretty much the best launch I could imagine.

Over the next week or so, I leveled slowly - finishing off Durotar on the 2nd day of play and moving into the Barrens. Somewhere in the third day or so, I knocked out Ragefire Chasm as well, much to the dismay of my wife. See, I had forgotten just how long Classic dungeons took and estimated I'd be in there for between 30-45 minutes. After all, it wasn't particularly long or difficult, so I assumed it would be quick. An hour and a half later, however, I realized just how different the game was from my memory...

Anyway, I progressed pretty slowly, as you all know. Silvite the troll priest hit level 18 or so somewhere in the 2nd week after the game's launch and I managed to knock out Wailing Caverns shortly after that. The next few weeks, however, proved to be quite challenging...

Levels 20-35: The Grind (Weeks 2-6)

Leveling through a mix of The Barrens, Ashenvale, Thousand Needles, and even a bit of Hillsbrad, I came to realize just how annoying this level bracket could be. Quests were sparse and many of them took me all over the map. Combine this with the fact that I was trying to juggle my new job, my content creation, AND my family and you can imagine just how frustrating this portion of the leveling process was.

To be honest, this portion of the leveling is already quite blurry to me, as I basically ran all over the world frantically trying to find Silk Cloth for my tailoring while also completing whatever quests I could find in the ~40 minutes I could play each night after my kids slept. One thing that I do clearly remember, however, was my first SM Library run - completed in the early hours of a Sunday morning before my family woke up. I didn't have any idea of how long this dungeon would take - only that I really wanted to do it. So, with my priest at level 34, I found a group, made my way over to the dungeon, and got ready to clear it...

That dungeon wasn't particularly challenging - as any of you out there who have run it at this point probably know. But it was epic. And from the final boss, Arcanist Doan, I received two items: the Robes of Doan and, just like my first priest, the Hypnotic Blade. This was definitely one of the finer highlights of my leveling journey...

Levels 36-40: The Longest Mile (October 2019)

Enjoying SM

Somewhere in the early 30s, I dabbled a bit in Stranglethorn Vale, everyone's favorite questing zone. Being on a PVE server, I can truly say that I enjoyed every minute of my time there. However, around the middle of the 30s bracket, my quests there were drying up and I needed to find a new area to quest in. And so, I headed to another level 30 zone - Desolace.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Back before Classic was out, I dedicated one of my Memories of Vanilla stories to this barren wasteland of a zone, saying how enjoyable I found it back in the day. But my god, this place SUCKS so bad for Horde. The flight path is all the way in the south, the quests are spread out all over the place, and you don't even have a mount to make this even the slightest bit better. I tried really hard to enjoy my time here, but it...just sucked.

But wait, there's more!

Because I was starting to feel more pressure to game less while at home, I played less for about 2 full weeks in this range. It wasn't until my school went on fall break in mid-October that I was finally able to speed up a bit. At that point, I was around level 37 or so and I wanted more than anything to hit level 40 and get my shiny Emerald Raptor mount.

Razorfen Downs

And so, this last stretch began. The first day of the break, I managed to hit 39 by running some of the various wings of Scarlet Monastery and questing in STV. Pretty good, but not enough. The next day, I knocked out Razorfen Downs, hung around killing pirates outside of Booty Bay, and finally dinged that magical number - 40! This meant that I could finally run down to Sen'jin Village and...



...not get my mount because I was 20 gold short. GG...

The Mount

I was a bit bummed out that I couldn't get my mount as soon as I hit level 40, but since there wasn't much else I could do about it, I just continued questing and selling literally everything I acquired - other than cloth, that is. It was a long and arduous level, but shortly after reaching level 41, I knew I'd have enough. I traveled to Orgrimmar, put some greens and a blue item that I'd looted off some random mob in STV into the auction house, and logged out for the day.

Got My Mount!

The next morning, I was surprised to see that ALL of my auctions had sold overnight, and so I made the final journey on foot that any Classic character has to make - the run to the riding trainer. As you can see on my YouTube channel, I recorded the occasion as I bought the skill, then my Emerald Raptor mount. I was PUMPED! And even now, this is still one of the best feelings I've experienced in Classic.

...But that's old news now, isn't it?

Fabulous Feralas - The 40s

The rest of my fall break was devoted to getting as far into the 40s as I could. I set an ambitious goal of reaching level 45 by Friday, but by Wednesday I'd only hit 41. Needless to say, I didn't achieve this goal with my pace of play. I did, however, get to fully enjoy what is now one of my favorite zones in Classic: Feralas. As a Horde player this time around, I got to experience just how awesome this zone is for leveling. Loads of the quests are near Camp Mojache, there are tons of ogres with cloth and beasts to skin, and the entire zone is a vibrant green - my favorite color. Every time I left this zone to quest somewhere else, I found myself longing to come back. I really enjoyed it...

But anyway, other than Feralas, I dabbled a bit in the Hinterlands and Tanaris - a zone I really enjoyed back in the day. The desert scenery was nice and the quests were plenty, but soon enough my week off was finished and I had to say goodbye to my long WoW sessions at a mere level 44 - only slightly over the real 'halfway' point of the leveling process.

The Blurry Levels - 45-50

The Infamous Stairs in Zul'Farrak

I made it to level 45 or so by the middle of October, about a week after Dire Maul's release. I managed to run Zul'Farrak around this time, knocking out all of the quests that I'd been working on in Tanaris, and then made my way over to the Hinterlands for an extended stay. This beautiful forest was serene and great for my level range, but to be honest, I don't really remember much about what I did here. I killed a bunch of trolls and wolves and owlkin, I think, but yeah. It just...sorta happened.

Eventually I hit level 50 and I began planning for the endgame. I wondered just how early I could start running BRD to get gear and quests knocked out; what gear could I afford in the auction house; and where the heck I could quest next. After a while, I decided to go to what is now another of my favorite zones in Classic: Un'Goro Crater.

Un'Goro

Un'Goro: A Great Place to Quest!

I didn't realize this the first time I leveled in vanilla, but this zone is absolutely PACKED with quests. Though there are no humanoids to kill, and thus no cloth for my tailoring, the sheer number of quests I was able to collect and work on simultaneously made this an absolute must stop zone for my leveling adventure.

While in this lush prehistoric jungle, I made friends with a druid who I ran into repeatedly, got killed by a bunch of silithid while rubbing some lotion on a crystal, and tried to solo Blazerunner at level 54 only to get absolutely demolished. All in all, it was good times and I'm actually really looking forward to doing it again with an alt at some point.

So, the lesson of my leveling journey thus far is this: do Feralas and Un'Goro no matter what.

The First BRD Run

Knocking Out Some BRD Arena

When I hit level 53, I knew I would be pretty much good to go for most of, if not all of, Blackrock Depths. And since there's a ton of loot in there for priests, I started searching for groups. The first time I ran this dungeon was in early November. The goal was simple: get the Shadowforge Key for everyone in the group. Our tank, a warrior, was level 60, so things went really well to be honest. We made our way through the arena where the Ban'thok Sash dropped (I passed so the mage could get it because I'm a nice guy), then progressed up towards the statue where one puts the hammer to get the key. Some party members had already gotten the hammer from Fineous Darkvire in a previous run, but since a couple of us hadn't, we continued toward him.


When we got to Lord Incendius, we hopped down, thinking it would somehow be a shortcut, instead of just making our way through the golem room we needed to go through. And so, after he died, we had to pull every single mob of the golem room in order to run back to the statue. Still, it was experience, so I didn't complain.

I didn't get my Senior Designer's Pantaloons that run, but I did get them in the 3rd run I did later that week (I did early BRD like 4 days in a row, mind you). For that first run, I was fully satisfied with just getting my key. I logged off that night with a smile on my face, then had trouble sleeping because I couldn't stop thinking about WoW...

The Final Stretch - 55-60

Ahh, what's often considered to be the longest mile. In mid-November, I only had 5 levels to go to hit that sweet, sweet level 60, and I did everything I could to get ready. As soon as I hit level 55, I picked up my MC attunement quest and got my Princess quest chain started, snatching up some nice shoulders in the process. I bought gear from the auction  house with raw +healing that I ended up not even equipping because I'd eventually get better items before going full holy. And I did quest after quest after quest.

Of course, this was aided by the fact that my wife was abroad for work for about 10 days, so there was little to no pressure NOT to do dungeons during this time. I smashed out dungeon quests, most of the Ony attunement, and the last few levels during this time. But the most badass memory I have was on the Thursday, November 21st.

I had set up a group for BRD to knock out the MC attunement and to NOT kill the Princess at the end. Tanks were scarce, so I ended up just taking 4 other level 60s and healing it myself of course as a level 57 shadow priest. We steamrolled most of the dungeon with ease, but halfway through the Lyceum at the end, the dreaded timer came up: SERVER SHUTDOWN IN 15:00.

All of a sudden, it became a race against the clock. We smashed our way through those dwarf packs, accidentally losing a torch and messing up that whole bit at the end where you have to light those braziers. Somehow, we finished it though, and sped into the last hallway. The big lava giant guy was easy enough, but with only 8 minutes remaining when we entered the final chamber, we didn't know if we could make it.

The "tank" pulled pack after pack - knowing full well that we needed to clear the entire room before engaging the boss. Whenever the dps started killing the final mob, I was already near the next pack and spamming my Morning Glory Dew icon. With 1:15 left on the clock, the final mob fell and I shot my wand at the Emperor of the Dark Iron Dwarves.

Down he went. I somehow reminded everyone not to kill the Princess, hoping that somehow we'd make it. And luckily, we did. Loot popped up - caster robes. I needed them while running frantically over to the princess of Ironforge with less than  30 seconds left before the servers shut off. I clicked through the dialogue, thanking God that there was no 'wait for me to say a million  things before you can accept the next part' shenanigans like some quests have. And then, just as I hopped off the throne and said thanks to my group, I got disconnected.

Yeah...that was probably the most epic moment I've had in Classic so far. Not gonna lie...

Just Made It...

Level 60 - What Now?

Ding!

I reached level 60 on November 23rd, exactly 15 years after the game initially launched. And for good measure, I made sure to cap in EXACTLY the same place with EXACTLY the same type of mob that had given me that final yellow swirly around my character 13 years ago - the caster guys in the Noxious Glade of the EPL. And, of course, I recorded that event and uploaded it to YouTube right away as well.

My First Molten Core Raid. 11/24/2019

Though I was excited to finally reach level cap, I also realized that the game was only just beginning for me here. I'd managed to get attuned to Molten Core and I'd recently swapped guilds to a newly formed guild that had better raid times for my unique geographical and family situation, but I still needed to get gear that wasn't terrible, finish my Onyxia attunement, and actually start raiding.

My First Onyxia Raid, 12/1/2019

Well, luckily I managed to do all of those things within one week of capping. And though I'd like to be able to say I can raid regularly and get geared to the tits, I'm not sure what my future in the game looks like. Still, it was a hell of a journey and I'm hoping to continue raiding MC and Ony for months to come, but stories like that will have to wait for another day...

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed my long, adventurous tale of my priest's journey to level 60. There are, obviously, many more things that happened along the way, at 60, and things still to come, but I feel that I've included most of the most important and enjoyable memories here. I would like to thank everyone who has been supportive in my journey to 60, including my wife who dealt with all of my gaming, and my YouTube subscribers who have been left without regular content for a few months now while I've been playing a 15 year old video game that we all love. If YOU liked this story, remember to check back later for more stories and content, as there's definitely more coming in the weeks ahead. Also, consider checking out my YouTube channel and follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter.

That's all I've got for today. Thanks again for reading. And as always...

Take it easy!

Silvite Today (12/14/2019)

Anti-RNG 60 Warrior Tank Gearing Guide

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here, and today I've got a new type of guide for you all to enjoy.

When I first started making guides for WoW Classic, I thought it would be interesting to discuss how to get geared as efficiently as possible. However, as I worked on all of those guides, I found one issue became very clear - it's all very reliant on RNG. Many of the items were drops from dungeon bosses and the like.

Well, after rounding out the most-played roles and classes, I've decided that it's now time to tackle RNGeesus himself with a new style of guide - the Anti-RNG 60 Gearing Guides. Here, I will tell a few items for each slot that can be obtained through quests or professions. Some of these will undoubtedly be quite challenging - involving full runs of dungeons and more. However, since they provide guaranteed loot, it's worth the trouble if you just can't seem to fill that one slot...

So, without further ado, let's get right into it! Today, we're starting with warrior tanks...

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As a tank, there are several options for decent items as you approach max level - including quest rewards, blacksmithing gear, and more. If you're running dungeons and finding yourself lacking, the first stop should undoubtedly be the auction house, as you can often find decent items for cheap, including blues and high-level greens. However, if gold isn't a viable route for you, or if you just can't seem to find one slot that is appropriate, here are some other potential loot venues...

* denotes highly recommended item

Head
*Avenguard Helm from The God Hakkar questchain, starting in Tanaris.
Southsea Head Bucket from Southsea Shakedown in Tanaris (a start).
Imperial Plate Helm from Blacksmithing.

Neck
*Drakefire Amulet from the Onyxia Attunement chain. [A] [H]
*Conqueror's Medallion from Operation: Death to Angerforge quest [H] in BRD.
Heroic Commendation Medal from The Scourge Cauldrons quest chain [A] [H] in WPL.

Shoulders
Bark Iron Pauldrons from The Mystery of Morrowgrain [A] in Feralas.
*Imperial Plate Shoulders from Blacksmithing. (Honestly the better bet.)

Back
Smokey's Drape from When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent in EPL.
Shaleskin Cape from A Taste of Flame in BRD.

Chest
*Ornate Adamantium Breastplate from In Dreams quest chain in WPL and EPL.
Imperial Plate Chest from Blacksmithing.

Wrists
Shining Armplates from Guarding Secrets [H] in Winterspring (kill Owlkin to get the drop).
Runesteel Vambraces from A Prayer to Elune [A] in the Searing Gorge.
*Imperial Plate Bracers from Blacksmithing.

Hands
*Voone's Vice Grips from Warlord's Command [H] / Maxwell's Mission [A] in LBRS. Though mail, these gloves are great for threat generation and are well worth the armor sacrifice! (Also, this quest is part of the Onyxia attunement for Horde)
Gordok's Handguards from Unfinished Gordok Business in DM. This is a bit of a PITA though, apparently.
Emerald Mist Gauntlets from The Crystal of Zin'Malor (starts with The Ruins of Kel'Theril) [A] in Winterspring.
Lavaplate Gauntlets from The Rise of the Machines quest chain [H] in the Burning Steppes and BRD. 

Waist
*Stalwart Clutch from Disharmony of Fire [H] / Incendius! [A] in BRD.
Omokk's Girth Restrainer from Warlord's Command [H] / Maxwell's Mission [A] in LBRS. This is part of the Onyxia attunement for Horde!
Imperial Plate Belt from Blacksmithing.

Legs
*Bejeweled Legguards from A Little Help From My Friends in Un'Goro.
Imperial Plate Leggings from Blacksmithing.

Feet
Eschewal Greaves from Calm Before the Storm [H] [A] (starts with Bungle in the Jungle) in Un'Goro.
*Cragplate Greaves from Beware of Pterrordax in Un'Goro.
Imperial Plate Boots from Blacksmithing.  

Rings
Dalson Family Wedding Ring from Locked Away in WPL. 
Ring of Protection from The Battle of Darrowshire chain (Starts with Little Pamela) in the EPL and WPL. 
Thrall's Resolve from The Princess Saved? [H] in BRD. 
Magni's Will from The Princess's Surprise [A] in BRD.


Trinkets
*Rune of the Guard Captain from Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village [H] in the Hinterlands.
*Mark of Tyranny (for survivability) or Blackhand's Breadth (for threat generation) from For The Horde! [H] / General Drakkisath's Demise [A] in UBRS.
Royal Seal of Eldrethalas from Codex of Defense in DM. 


Weapon
*Mirah's Song from the Kirtonos the Herald quest chain in Scholomance. 
Swiftstrike Cudgel from Lost Thunderbrew Recipe [H] Hurley Blackbreath [A] / in BRD. 
Intrepid Shortsword from The Scourge Cauldrons quest chain [A] [H] in WPL.


Offhand
*Darrowshire Strongguard from The Lich, Ras Frostwhisper quest chain in Scholomance. Continues from Kirtonos the Herald quest chain!
Argent Defender from The Argent Hold (Starts with The Archivist) in Stratholme / EPL. 
Milli's Shield from Shards of the Felvine in DM East.

Ranged
*Gorewood Bow from The Call to Command [H] / The First and the Last [A] quest chains.
Sandstrider's Mark from Wanted - Deathclasp, Terror of the Sands in Silithis. This may not be available yet, though.

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And there you have it! A whole bunch of quest rewards, and a blacksmithing set, that you can work on obtaining should you face great challenges gearing up your tank in dungeons. Obviously, many of these items are less-than-ideal for raiding in endgame (such as the greens from level 40-50 quests). However, if you just can't take it anymore, it's probably worth it to just say screw it and grind out those last few slots by grabbing some items listed here. I'm sure you'll be glad you did...

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below and adding yourself to my mailing list. Also, check out my videos over on YouTube where I eventually turn written content like this into videos for your viewing and/or listening pleasure. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on content and in-game activities, and consider supporting me over on Patreon as well. Thanks for reading this, good luck gearing up, and as always...

Take it easy!