by Erae Nelsen

Created on: November 18, 2008   Last Updated: January 16, 2009

Leveling is an art form. At least it is if you do it quickly- using up as little of your spare time as possible, while still managing to have fun. All that being said, here are some tips to help you on your way to 80!

PRIEST SPECIFIC: You're a cloth wearer so upgrade your gear as best as you can, and get some glyphs to make your life easier. Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of a good wand when you're soloing. Most of my leveling (while solo, pre 30) was done with a nice fat bubble on chucking wand power at a mob that was beating on me.

You're going to develop your own routine here and if the goal is to get to 80 as fast as possible, then stick with whatever works. You will have plenty of time later to sit at the top of the level chart and experiment with what works best for you and results in the most fun. Look up a good leveling build and decide on your permanent spec later. If you're always in a group you'll have the luxury of leveling holy, but if you're soloing you're going to want a crafty mix.

GEAR: If this priest isn't your first class on the server and you're lucky enough to have another toon post-60, then splurge at the Auction House and get your little priest some tuxedo pants and a clefthide armor patch. This patch is a favorite of low level Battle Ground twinks for a reason- it is fairly cheap and adds 300 hit points! At level one, that makes you epic. All the way to 58 you're not going to be able to beat them with greens or blues. Enjoy your ninety gold investment.

Another must have are big bags. Don't slow yourself up constantly having to turn in quests or sell. Browse the Auction house for Netherweave bags, they'll bind to your character but they're the cheapest bags for the amount of slots they have. Don't spend more than eight gold on each of them- they take roughly three gold to make.

ADDONS: -AutoprofitX- will help you zip through town. The yellow square in the corner of your vendor box is all you'll have to click to sell your gray items. That means less time searching through your huge netherweave packs and more time out in the field, killing mobs.

And don't dismiss the super leveling powers of quest helper. This addon places lines of travel and points to travel to all over your map and mini-map. It takes the guessing out of leveling. It tells you where mobs can be found and so long as you manage to find quests to do you'll be set.

GROUPING: As a priest, you'll have no trouble finding a group. The only problem you may have is finding a -good- group. Some people think priests have limitless mana and no casting times. Watch out for them. They may take out their poor gaming frustration on you. Just remember that you can leave a group at any time.

If you're lucky enough to find a good group try to stick with it for as long as you can. Grouping is one of the fastest ways to get to the top and you'll be fairly safe from the opposing faction if you're on a PvP server.

Also, don't underestimate instances. They're great experience for level 20-80 and with the added quest experience bonus you'll get at 30 you may choose to level in them almost exclusively. They're a great way to get gear and learn your priestly role.

Learn more about this author, Erae Nelsen.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.