Part of the sheer fun of fresh start servers and going through WoW Classic again is becoming reacquainted with that old and welcome friend, the original starting zone. When World of Warcraft originally came out in 2004, there were but six of these, as the Gnomes and Trolls were too late to the party to get their own special regions and had to share.
As I’ve gone through all of these zones more times than I can count, and because my head is very much in the early game of WoW Classic right now, I wanted to have some fun this week by ranking all six of these starting zones — the newbie areas and surrounding region — from worst to best. Let’s crack into this!
Worst: Durotar
I want to say this up front: Out of the six zones we’ll be looking at today, I consider only one to be mediocre, and that is Durotar. It’s not awful, but it’s easily the lowest on the totem pole of these starting experiences. The sea of tan and endless rocks exudes a weak personality, dumping players into a craggy desert with not a lot of fun factor to it. It’s almost a relief to get to the savannah of the Barrens after trudging through Durotar’s canyons and sparse vegetation.
Teldrassil
I’m sure to get some flak for putting Teldrassil so low on this list, as I know that some players are incredibly fond of the Night Elf starting region. And while I admit that there are some great vibes (and music!) happening with this unique tree-top zone, Teldrassil comes with the headache of the most difficult navigation out of all of the zones, a cluttered landscape, and a complete lack of mining nodes for any wanna-be miners. I’ve also found this to be surprisingly difficult and sometimes tedious for newbie players. It’s definitely a mixed bag.
Dun Morogh
I have tremendously fond memories of Dun Morogh, as I piloted many a Dwarf and Gnome through its cozy winter landscape. That crunch of the snow, the frosty breath, and the haunting music make for a striking introduction. It does have a few spots of unexpected spikes in difficulty, though, and cruising by Gnomeregan always makes me feel a little grumpy that the Gnomes got neglected in the original incarnation of the game. Definitely great questing and profession leveling to be had here!
Elwynn Forest
The developers obviously poured the lion’s share of development time into Elwynn Forest, probably rightly assuming that humans would be a very popular race. As a result, this is one of the most polished and content-packed starting regions and boasts the deceptively relaxing tranquility of an inviting forest spread from east to west. Stormwind is a very short run from the newbie area, Hogger is a memorable encounter, and the hints of the Defias Brotherhood are sprinkled throughout. Oh, and that soundtrack! That soundtrack!
Mulgore
While the Tauren are an acquired taste for many, they’ve got one of the best, S-tier starting zones in the game. It’s like you get the highlights of the American west condensed in this gorgeous, rolling mountain valley. As a bonus, the zone surrounds the Tauren capital city, providing both a notable landmark and a convenient place to craft and do business. I am in love with this zone every time I visit.
Best: Tirisfal Glades
While most of the other starter zones went for an inviting beauty, the Forsaken juked as hard in the other direction as possible. Tirisfal Glades is soaked in decay, gloom, and remnants of plague — and it’s amazing. It’s Halloween: The Zone, and I adore every square inch of it (even the inches with those cursed Murlocs). It fits this race so well and gleefully adopts the gothic, Hot Topic, Nightmare Before Christmas angle. It’s not for everyone, but it’s totally for me. And I’m willing to bet that it tops the list for some of you for the same reasons.
Stepping back into the MMO time machine of WoW Classic, Justin Olivetti offers up observations and ground-level analysis as a Gnome with a view. Casually Classic is a more laid-back look at this legacy ruleset for those of us who’ve never stepped into a raid or seen more than 200 gold to our names.
