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== To Outland and back == |
== To Outland and back == |
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− | + | [[Outland]] is floating in outer space. Because it is physically unconnected to Azeroth, unlike [[Northrend]] and the continents in the Old World, [[Outland]] has no ports. |
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− | Despite this, each faction can quickly travel to and from [[Outland]] via portals located in their major cities and in [[Outland]]. Portals in the cities take the character to the [[Dark Portal]] in the [[Blasted Lands]], which provides access to the [[Hellfire Peninsula]] zone of Outland. Portals in [[Hellfire Peninsula]] return the character to their faction's |
+ | Despite this, each faction can quickly travel to and from [[Outland]] via portals located in their major cities and in [[Outland]]. Portals in the major cities take the character to the [[Dark Portal]] in the [[Blasted Lands]], which provides access to the [[Hellfire Peninsula]] zone of Outland. Portals in [[Hellfire Peninsula]] return the character to their faction's capital city. |
− | Although the portals in the cities to the [[Blasted Lands]] can only be used by characters level 58 and above, |
+ | Although the portals in the cities to the [[Blasted Lands]] can only be used by characters level 58 and above, there is no level restriction on the use of the [[Dark Portal]]. It is possible to ride lower level toons (usually level 20 or higher) through [[Duskwood]], [[Swamp of Sorrows]], [[Deadwind Pass]] and the [[Blasted Lands]] to the [[Dark Portal]] in order to enter [[Outland]]. |
Once you get to the [[Blasted Lands]] go through the [[Dark Portal]]. Horde characters turn right (north) and jump off the steps. You'll find a flight master who will fly you to [[Shattrath City]] even if you've never been there before. |
Once you get to the [[Blasted Lands]] go through the [[Dark Portal]]. Horde characters turn right (north) and jump off the steps. You'll find a flight master who will fly you to [[Shattrath City]] even if you've never been there before. |
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To return to the Old World from [[Shattrath]], see the flight master outside the [[Terrace of Light]] and take the taxi back to the [[Dark Portal]]. Each faction has a small portal beside the steps. The Alliance portal goes to [[Stormwind]]; the Horde's to [[Orgrimmar]]. |
To return to the Old World from [[Shattrath]], see the flight master outside the [[Terrace of Light]] and take the taxi back to the [[Dark Portal]]. Each faction has a small portal beside the steps. The Alliance portal goes to [[Stormwind]]; the Horde's to [[Orgrimmar]]. |
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− | === City portals and the Dark Portal === |
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− | Portals in each major city will take the player to the [[Dark Portal]] area in the [[Hellfire Peninsula]] zone of [[Outland]]. These portals are typically located near the mage trainer in each city. |
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− | Each faction has a portal next to the [[Dark Portal]] on the [[Outland]] side which will return the player to their capital city. |
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Revision as of 00:17, 13 December 2010
Patch 4.0.3a and the introduced new travel challenges for players. The portal hubs in Dalaran and Shattrath are gone, and players are now required to discover the new high-level instances before they are allowed to queue for them in the dungeon finder.
Players will find a firm grasp of the geography of the world and ways to move from one place to another to be a significant advantage.
This guide presents the fundamentals of travel between the three continents of Azeroth (Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, and Northrend) and details regarding the many methods of travel available. Also included is information about travel between these continents and Outland.
How travel has changed
Although the old portal hubs are gone, taxis, mass transit, and some remaining portals allow players to move freely and reasonably quickly throughout the world. Shorter cycle times for ships and zeppelins and a large increase in the number of flight paths have made travel over land and sea much easier and faster than before, even for low level characters.
Things get even better as you level up. Characters who have reached level 60 can now fly freely around almost all of Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms.
Characters level 80 and above can make use of new portal hubs in the capital cities. Located in Stormwind and Orgrimmar, these hubs provide rapid access to the new level 81-85 zones. You must complete quests for access to these portals, and the portals to Tol Barad require level 85. See Portals below for more information.
Setting your hearthstone
Once you've returned to the Old World, you will likely find it advantageous to set your hearthstone to an inn in Stormwind or Orgrimmar, or somewhere near the area in which you are questing. Taxis and mass transit provide ready access from these cities to most parts of the Old World.
When you are questing in Northrend or Outland, you may want to keep your hearthstone set in Dalaran or Shattrath, respectively. Since there are now class and profession trainers and auction houses in both cities, you will have little need to travel back to the Old World until you are done questing in these continents. After that these cities will become largely irrelevant.
Flight enhancements
Flight paths
Patch 4.0.3a added many new flight paths to both Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, especially in the lower level zones.
Flight paths in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are now shown on the in-game map. After you have discovered an area, any flight paths in that area will show up on your map as a winged foot: blue for Alliance, red for Horde, and green for neutral.
You'll need to talk to the flight masters and pick up the flight paths, but once you do they will make travel for low level characters much easier than it was prior to patch 4.0.3a.
Flying solo
Characters level 60 or above can purchase a [Flight Master's License] from a flight trainer in Stormwind, Orgrimmar, or Borean Tundra and fly almost anywhere in the Old World.
Mass transit: ships, zeppelins, and more
Getting between continents will generally require taking a ship or zeppelin. Ships and zeppelins (and a tram) can also be used to travel between major cities, and in some cases between the north end of a continent and the southern end. These methods of transport are known as "mass transit."
In two cases, portals are also available for travel between two cities. Although these are not strictly mass transit, they will be included here for convenience.
Ports
Ships and zeppelins connect the continents of Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, and Northrend. Below are tables of the ports where they dock, and the ports to which they are connected via mass transit. (See the next section for tables of mass transit routes.)
You can sort these tables by clicking on a column heading.
Continent/Region | City | Faction | Type | Connections | Via |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kalimdor North | Darnassus | Alliance | Major city | Stormwind, Exodar | ship, portal |
Kalimdor North | Exodar | Alliance | Major city | Darnassus | ship, portal |
Kalimdor Central | Ratchet | Neutral | Port | Booty Bay | ship |
Kalimdor Central | Theramore | Alliance | Port | Menethil | ship |
Eastern Kingdoms Central | Menethil | Alliance | Port | Theramore, Valgarde | ship |
Eastern Kingdoms Central | Ironforge | Alliance | Major city | Stormwind | tram |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Stormwind | Alliance | Capital | Darnassus, Ironforge, Valiance Keep | ship, tram |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Booty Bay | Neutral | Port | Ratchet | ship |
Northrend West | Valiance Keep | Alliance | Port | Stormwind | ship |
Northrend East | Valgarde | Alliance | Port | Menethil | ship |
Continent/Region | City | Faction | Type | Connections | Via |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kalimdor Central | Orgrimmar | Horde | Capital | Thunder Bluff, Undercity, Grom'Gol, Warsong Hold | zeppelin |
Kalimdor Central | Thunder Bluff | Horde | Major city | Orgrimmar | zeppelin |
Kalimdor Central | Ratchet | Neutral | Port | Booty Bay | ship |
Eastern Kingdoms North | Silvermoon | Horde | Major city | Undercity | portal |
Eastern Kingdoms North | Undercity | Horde | Major city | Orgrimmar, Silvermoon, Grom'Gol, Vengeance Landing | zeppelin, portal |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Grom'Gol | Horde | Major city | Orgrimmar, Undercity | zeppelin |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Booty Bay | Neutral | Port | Ratchet | ship |
Northrend West | Warsong Hold | Horde | Zeppelin port | Orgrimmar | zeppelin |
Northrend East | Vengeance Landing | Horde | Zeppelin port | Undercity | zeppelin |
Note that the intracontinental neutral Northrend ports of Unu'pe, Moa'ki Harbor, and Kamagua have been omitted from these tables. See Boats for more information on the routes between these ports.
Routes
If you already know where the ports are located on each continent, the following tables may provide a more convenient reference.
The mass transit routes below are all bidirectional.
Between | And | Type |
---|---|---|
Stormwind | Darnassus | ship |
Stormwind | Ironforge | tram |
Stormwind | Borean Tundra | ship |
Menethil | Theramore | ship |
Menethil | Howling Fjord | ship |
Darnassus | The Exodar | ship or portal |
The ships between Darnassus and Stormwind, and Darnassus and the Exodar dock at Rut'theran Village, at the base of the enormous tree known as Teldrassil. You can get between Darnassus and Rut'theran Village via portals located next to their respective flight masters.
Note that once you pick up the flight path in the Exodar, you can now take the taxi between there and Rut'theran or Darnassus. You can also fly from the Exodar or Darnassus to locations in Kalimdor where you have flight paths.
There is also a portal in the Temple of the Moon in Darnassus which goes to the Exodar. This portal is on the first floor, next to the portal to the Blasted Lands, and has no level requirement.
Between | And | Type |
---|---|---|
Orgrimmar | Undercity | zeppelin |
Orgrimmar | Thunder Bluff | zeppelin |
Orgrimmar | Grom'Gol, STV | zeppelin |
Orgrimmar | Borean Tundra | zeppelin |
Undercity | Silvermoon City | portal |
Undercity | Grom'Gol, STV | zeppelin |
Undercity | Howling Fjord | zeppelin |
Note that the zeppelin routes between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff and between the Undercity and Grom'Gol Base Camp in Northern Stranglethorn are to points on the same continent, rather than intercontinental as with other zeppelin (and ship) voyages. The zeppelin between the Undercity and Grom'Gol makes travel between the northern and southern parts of Eastern Kingdoms easy even if you have not yet picked up the key Horde flight path at New Kargath in the Badlands.
Between | And | Type |
---|---|---|
Ratchet | Booty Bay | ship |
Portals
Several portals allow rapid travel between continents, or to distant areas of the same continent. Some of these portals can be used by either faction.
In some cases, portals can be used as stages in a trip designed for rapid travel from one part of the Old World to another. For example, a character in Silvermoon can quickly reach Orgrimmar by taking the portal to the Blasted Lands, running through the Dark Portal, and then taking the small portal beside the Dark Portal to Orgrimmar.
For convenience, portals in Northrend are also included here. For portals between Outland and the Old World, see the Outland section below.
Note that some portals listed here can be used by characters of any level, while others require a minimum level or completion of certain quests before they can be used.
Zone/City | Location | Direction | Zone/City | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Exodar | Vault of Lights | Both | Darnassus | Temple of the Moon | |
Silvermoon | Sunfury Spire | Both | Undercity | Courtyard | Orbs of Translocation |
Shattrath | Terrace of Light | One way | Isle of Quel'danas | Sun's Reach Sanctum | |
Sholazar Basin | Waygate | Both | Un'Goro Crater | Shaper's Terrace | Activation required[1] |
Dalaran | The Violet Citadel | One way | Tanaris | Caverns of Time | |
Dalaran | Violet Gate | Both | Crystalsong Forest | Violet Stand | Minimum level; quests required |
Stormwind | Portal hub[2] | One way | Hyjal | Quest required | |
Stormwind | Portal hub[2] | One way | Vash'jir | Quest required | |
Stormwind | Portal hub[2] | One way | Deepholm | Quest required | |
Stormwind | Portal hub[2] | One way | Uldum | Quest required | |
Stormwind | Portal hub[2] | One way | Twilight Highlands | Quest required | |
Stormwind | Portal hub[2] | ?? | Tol Barad | Minimum level 85 | |
Orgrimmar | Portal hub[3] | One way | Hyjal | Quest required | |
Orgrimmar | Portal hub[3] | One way | Vash'jir | Quest required | |
Orgrimmar | Portal hub[3] | One way | Deepholm | Quest required | |
Orgrimmar | Portal hub[3] | One way | Uldum | Quest required | |
Orgrimmar | Portal hub[3] | One way | Twilight Highlands | Quest required | |
Orgrimmar | Portal hub[3] | ?? | Tol Barad | Minimum level 85 |
[1]The Waygate must be activated before it can be used. See Waygate and the quest line beginning with Quest:An Issue of Trust.
[2]The Stormwind portal hub is on an island in a lake northwest of Stormwind Keep.
[3]The Orgrimmar portal hub is on a cliff north of the Valley of Wisdom.
Rockets and boats
Horde characters may now use the Bilgewater Cartel Rocketway to travel quickly around Azshara.
Characters who complete the quest Quest:Circle the Wagons... er, Boats (Alliance) or the quest line beginning with Quest:To_the_Summit (Horde) get the [River Boat] for travel in the flood waters of Thousand Needles.
To Outland and back
Outland is floating in outer space. Because it is physically unconnected to Azeroth, unlike Northrend and the continents in the Old World, Outland has no ports.
Despite this, each faction can quickly travel to and from Outland via portals located in their major cities and in Outland. Portals in the major cities take the character to the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands, which provides access to the Hellfire Peninsula zone of Outland. Portals in Hellfire Peninsula return the character to their faction's capital city.
Although the portals in the cities to the Blasted Lands can only be used by characters level 58 and above, there is no level restriction on the use of the Dark Portal. It is possible to ride lower level toons (usually level 20 or higher) through Duskwood, Swamp of Sorrows, Deadwind Pass and the Blasted Lands to the Dark Portal in order to enter Outland.
Once you get to the Blasted Lands go through the Dark Portal. Horde characters turn right (north) and jump off the steps. You'll find a flight master who will fly you to Shattrath City even if you've never been there before.
Alliance characters turn left (south) and jump off the steps to find your flight master and fly to Shattrath.
To return to the Old World from Shattrath, see the flight master outside the Terrace of Light and take the taxi back to the Dark Portal. Each faction has a small portal beside the steps. The Alliance portal goes to Stormwind; the Horde's to Orgrimmar.
Zone/City | Location | Return? | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Stormwind | Mage Quarter | Yes | |
Ironforge | The Mystic Ward | No | |
Darnassus | Temple of the Moon | No | Lower level |
Exodar | Vault of Lights | No |
Zone/City | Location | Return? | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Orgrimmar | Cleft of Shadow | Yes | |
Thunder Bluff | Spirit Rise | No | Lower level |
Undercity | Magic Quarter | No | |
Silvermoon | Sunfury Spire | No | In room on right as you enter the spire |
Note that the portals from the major cities which provide access to Hellfire Peninsula take the player to the Blasted Lands in the vicinity of the Dark Portal. The player must then run to the Dark Portal and go through it to enter the Hellfire Peninsula zone of Outland.
The portals in the major cities to the Blasted Lands can only be used by level 58 characters and above. The return portals, from the Dark Portal to the capitol cities, can be used by any level.
See also
- Living without portal hubs explains how to get out of Dalaran and Shattrath if had your hearthstone there prior to and used the now missing portals to move around the world.
- Travel guide provides more information about traveling around the world.
- Patch 4.0.3a (world changes) lists new, changed, and removed flight paths.
- How to find Cataclysm instance entrances has maps and videos which will help you find the new dungeon and raid entrances.
- Maps has an interactive world map, maps of all zones, maps of flight paths for both factions, and assorted other useful maps.
- Dalaran - See the Dalaran#Getting to Dalaran and Dalaran#Leaving Dalaran sections.
- Teleport - See the section on non-mage teleportation skills. Also, read the mage section if you are considering rolling a mage yourself.