Leveling Route 40–50 for Both Factions: Tanaris, Feralas, the Hinterlands and Searing Gorge

Level 40 brings the first mount, and the next ten levels are where it earns its price. The zones are spread across both continents, and a careless route sends you back and forth on boats for an hour at a time. The answer is the same as before: a short list of zones, finished in order, with a grind spot ready for every quiet stretch. This leveling route 40-50 gives each faction four stops, shows where Uldaman and Zul'Farrak fit, and says honestly how many hours the decade takes for a character on a vanilla-era realm such as WoW Forever.

Where and what you need

Levels and tracks. The Alliance track runs Badlands, Tanaris, Feralas and the Hinterlands, then finishes in Searing Gorge. The Horde track runs Badlands, Swamp of Sorrows, Tanaris, then Feralas and the Hinterlands. Tanaris is the meeting point: Gadgetzan is a neutral goblin town where both sides pick up the same quests.

Mount and travel. Buy the mount at 40 if you can; this route is mostly long rides. Pick up every flight path as you arrive. If gold is short, the level 40 mount gold plan shows how to close the gap.

Gear. The blues from Scarlet Monastery and Razorfen Downs carry you to about 45. Look for a weapon upgrade from Tanaris or Zul'Farrak; it speeds up every kill.

Professions. Gatherers do well here. Tanaris and Feralas have Mithril and Gold veins, the Hinterlands and Feralas are full of herbs such as Sungrass and Purple Lotus, and the beasts of Feralas and the Hinterlands drop Thick Leather.

Dungeons. Uldaman in the Badlands suits levels 40–47 and has quests for both factions. Zul'Farrak in northern Tanaris suits 44–50 and is one of the best dungeons in the game for experience.

The route

The numbers follow the stops in order: 1–4 Alliance, 5–8 Horde.

1. Alliance: Badlands and Uldaman (40–43). The Badlands has no Alliance town, so most of your work here is the Uldaman chain that starts in Ironforge and the neutral quests scattered around the zone.
2. Alliance: Tanaris (42–45). Gadgetzan hands out quests against the Wastewander bandits, the pirates on the coast and the scorpids and basilisks of the desert. Collect the Zul'Farrak quests here and run the dungeon near 45.
3. Alliance: Feralas (44–47). Feathermoon Stronghold sits on an island off the coast. Its quests send you against the Gordunni ogres, the Grimtotem and the yetis, and the experience per quest is excellent.
4. Alliance: the Hinterlands and Searing Gorge (46–50). Aerie Peak covers the Witherbark trolls, the wildlife and the gryphon quests. Finish with a few quests at Thorium Point in Searing Gorge to reach 50.
5. Horde: Badlands and Uldaman (40–43). Kargath is the Horde base in the north of the Badlands, with quests against the ogres, the Dark Iron dwarves and the dragonkin. Uldaman quests for the Horde also come from this side.
6. Horde: Swamp of Sorrows (42–44). Stonard has quests against the murlocs, the lost ones and the creatures of the swamp.
7. Horde: Tanaris and Zul'Farrak (44–46). The same Gadgetzan quests the Alliance gets, plus the Zul'Farrak chain.
8. Horde: Feralas and the Hinterlands (46–50). Camp Mojache in eastern Feralas gives quests against the ogres and the Grimtotem, and Revantusk Village on the Hinterlands coast finishes the decade with troll and wildlife quests.

What you get

Zone or dungeon	Main rewards	Why it matters
Tanaris	Quest rewards, Mageweave from bandits	The busiest hub in the range for both factions
Feralas	Weapon and armor rewards, Thick Leather	Excellent experience per quest
The Hinterlands	Troll quests, herbs and leather	A strong finish for both factions near 50
Badlands and Swamp of Sorrows	Short quest chains, ogre and dwarf camps	Grind spots when the quest log runs dry
Uldaman	Blues and the Uldaman quest rewards	Gear that lasts to the late forties
Zul'Farrak	Blues and a long quest chain	Some of the best experience in the game

Time it takes

Levels 40–50 usually take roughly 20–30 hours of play, about two to three hours a level. A Zul'Farrak run with its quests can be worth most of a level on its own.

What moves the number: whether you have a mount from the start, how many quests you leave orange in your log, and how much time you lose on boats. Grinding Wastewander bandits or Gordunni ogres three to five levels below you, near the quest hubs, is usually faster than walking to a single distant quest.

Tips

• Buy the mount at 40 if you possibly can; every stop on this route is a long ride.
• Gather the Zul'Farrak quests in Gadgetzan before you set foot in the dungeon.
• Keep a few stacks of food and water from Gadgetzan; Tanaris is a long way from anything.
• In Feralas, take the boat or flight path to Feathermoon early so you can use it as a base.
• Sell Mageweave and Thick Leather at the auction house; the money pays for your next training.
• Skip quests that send you back to a zone you have already finished; the travel costs more than the experience.

Running it with ForeverBot

Open the Leveling section, set From to 40 and To to 50, and tick Pick guide by level and zone so ForeverBot follows the quests in your current zone. Keep Accept on from guide, set Eat below HP and Drink below mana to values your class likes, and watch the XP/hour counter to see when a zone stops paying. When the quest log runs dry, switch to the Farming section and record a grind loop in Tanaris or Feralas; the Tanaris gold farming route and the Feralas farming route show good spots.

The Dungeons section of ForeverBot lists Uldaman and Zul'Farrak for your level; Start leads you to the entrance, and the pulls inside are yours. In Settings, set Route mode to safest in contested zones such as the Hinterlands and Tanaris. Automation is against the game's terms and carries risk, so decide for yourself how you use it. For the levels before this, see the leveling route 30–40. Every section comes with every plan; see plans and pricing.

FAQ

What is the fastest way to level from 40 to 50?

Buy the mount at 40, pick four zones and finish them in order, and run Zul'Farrak once with its quests. Tanaris and Feralas have the densest quest hubs for both factions. When the log runs dry, grind humanoid camps a few levels below you rather than chasing single quests across the map.

Should I run Uldaman or Zul'Farrak?

Both if you can, but Zul'Farrak is the better use of time. Uldaman suits the early forties and its quests start in Ironforge or the Badlands. Zul'Farrak suits 44–50, sits close to Gadgetzan, and has more quests and better experience. See the Uldaman guide and the Zul'Farrak guide.

Where do I go after level 50?

Un'Goro Crater is the usual next stop for both factions, followed by Felwood, Burning Steppes, Winterspring and the Plaguelands. The leveling route 50–60 covers that stretch, including where Blackrock Depths, Scholomance and Stratholme fit in.