World & travel
Azeroth: the World of WoW Classic
Azeroth is the planet where World of Warcraft takes place. In the Vanilla 1.12.1 era players have access to two continents — Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms — separated by the Great Sea and the vast whirlpool of the Maelstrom. Together they hold about 40 open zones, 6 capitals, 20 dungeons and 7 raids. On the WowX5 realm (x5 rates) the road from level 1 to 60 crosses both halves of the world.
Contents
◆What is available in Vanilla 1.12.1
| Part of the world | Status in 1.12.1 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kingdoms | open | starting lands of humans, dwarves, gnomes and the Forsaken |
| Kalimdor | open | starting lands of orcs, trolls, tauren and night elves |
| Outland | unavailable | lore backdrop beyond the Dark Portal, opens in TBC |
| Northrend | unavailable | source of the Scourge threat, Naxxramas lore |
| Emerald Dream | partial | four portals guarded by the Dragons of Nightmare |
| Elemental Planes | unavailable | lore foundation of Molten Core and Silithus |
◆The two continents
Eastern Kingdoms
The eastern half: Stormwind, Ironforge and the Undercity, ruined Lordaeron, the Plaguelands and Blackrock Mountain, the main endgame hub of Vanilla. Molten Core, Blackwing Lair, Zul'Gurub and Naxxramas are all here.
Full breakdown: Eastern Kingdoms.
Kalimdor
The western half: Orgrimmar, Thunder Bluff, Darnassus, the scorched sands of Silithus and the ancient forest of Feralas. Ahn'Qiraj (AQ20 and AQ40), Onyxia's Lair and Dire Maul sit on this continent.
Full breakdown: Kalimdor.
World map by level
It is easier to remember level corridors than zone names:
| Levels | Eastern Kingdoms | Kalimdor |
|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | Elwynn Forest, Dun Morogh, Tirisfal Glades | Durotar, Mulgore, Teldrassil |
| 10–20 | Westfall, Loch Modan, Silverpine Forest | The Barrens, Darkshore |
| 20–30 | Redridge Mountains, Duskwood, Hillsbrad Foothills, Wetlands | Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale |
| 30–40 | Arathi Highlands, Alterac Mountains, Stranglethorn Vale | Thousand Needles, Desolace |
| 40–50 | Badlands, Swamp of Sorrows, The Hinterlands | Dustwallow Marsh, Feralas, Tanaris |
| 50–60 | Searing Gorge, Blasted Lands, Burning Steppes, Plaguelands | Azshara, Felwood, Un'Goro Crater, Silithus, Winterspring |
Ready-made routes live in the guides section — for example leveling in Stranglethorn Vale or in the Hinterlands.
◆Cities and travel
The six playable capitals — three Alliance, three Horde — are covered in the Cities of Azeroth hub. Ships and zeppelins connect the continents, flight paths cover each continent; every travel option is explained in Hearthstone and travel.
Regions outside the ordinary zones
- Blackrock Mountain — five instances inside one mountain, the heart of the endgame.
- The Plaguelands — Western and Eastern, home of the Scourge and the Argent Dawn.
- Moonglade — the neutral druid zone and site of the Lunar Festival.
- Mount Hyjal and the Emerald Dream — closed to travel, but central to the lore.
- The Maelstrom — the scar at the centre of the world left by the Sundering.
All instanced content is collected in two registers: Dungeons of Azeroth and Raids of Azeroth.
Lore: how Azeroth came to be
The world was shaped by the titans, who bound the Old Gods and their elemental servants. The single supercontinent of Kalimdor shattered ten thousand years ago when the night elves destroyed the Well of Eternity — an event known as the Sundering. The timeline of the wars is in Warcraft history; an overview of the peoples is in Races of Azeroth.
Starting from scratch? Pick a race and continent via Races of Azeroth, then follow the level corridor above and do not be afraid to switch zones: at x5 rates you will only ever see part of each one.
◆Related material
- Kalimdor — every zone of the western continent
- Eastern Kingdoms — every zone of the eastern continent
- Cities of Azeroth — capitals and neutral hubs
- Dungeons of Azeroth and Raids of Azeroth — all instanced content
- Kingdoms of Azeroth — the realms and their history
- How to connect to WowX5 — realmlist and first login
FAQ
?How many continents are available in WoW Classic?
Two: Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. Outland and Northrend are not available in 1.12.1 and exist only as lore.
?Where do I start leveling in Azeroth?
Humans, dwarves and gnomes start in the Eastern Kingdoms; orcs, trolls, tauren and night elves start in Kalimdor. The Forsaken begin in Tirisfal Glades.
?How do I cross from one continent to the other?
Alliance take the ship from Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands to Auberdine or Theramore. Horde take the zeppelin from Orgrimmar to the Undercity or to Stranglethorn Vale.
?How many zones does Azeroth have in 1.12.1?
Around forty open zones, plus neutral areas such as Moonglade and closed lore regions like Mount Hyjal and the Emerald Dream.
Related
Now jump into WoW Classic X5
Theory alone gives no XP. Join WoW Classic X5 — Vanilla 1.12.1, x5 rates, blizzlike mechanics — and try this guide in game.
- Create an account on wowx5.ru
- Download the WoW Classic 1.12.1 client
- Put into realmlist.wtf:
set realmlist play.wowx5.ru
Experience ×5
Loot ×5
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