10 things to do in WoW before The War Within launch

The War Within is quickly approaching it’s August 26 release date. (August 23 if you pre-order the Epic Edition of the game.) If you want to be in the best possible shape for the release, there’s a few things you should look into doing before then. Check out this list of ten things and get ready for your journey to Khaz Algar.

10. Free T-shirt Day

When you get to Khaz Algar, it might not be a bad idea to look a little more diplomatic and casual. Showing up in a full suit of armor might give the wrong message to potential new allies, you know? There’s no better way to get the best in casual gear than on August 16. It’s Free T-Shirt Day! Look for NPCs walking through your capital cities and shooting free shirts out of a canon for anyone to pick up.

9. Check out Warbands

There’s a lot of new stuff with the major expansion pre-patch already in game. One of the most notable features is the addition of Warbands. You can read about them in our guide, here. But one of the best things to focus on is setting up your Warband bank. It’s like a guild bank for your personal account. You can use it to organize everything between your characters much easier. This will let you more easily share items between your characters, as well as store items like reagents, rather than mailing them. You can also transfer certain currencies between characters to help make any last minute Dragonflight purchases!

8. Get your professions maxed out

It’s not too late to max out your professions, though it will take a lot of dedication if you’ve not already made it. A lot of professions can still make really good money on the Auction House before the new expansion. Crafting is extremely viable right now as a source of gold. And if you’ve been away since before Dragonflight, this could be a good time to get caught up on how the new profession systems work. That way, you’ll be ready to jump right in to Khaz Algar’s unique professions.

7. Complete your Traveler’s Log

If you’ve been away from WoW for a while, you might not know about the Traveler’s Log. You’ll find a new Trader’s shop in each major city. They sell very exclusive merchandise that rotates out every month. The only way to buy this unique collection is with a currency called Trader’s Tenders. You’ll get an immediate set of 500 every month for visiting the Traders. The other 500 you can earn in a month is done through the Traveler’s Log.

When you open up the Adventure Journal (Ctrl+J by default), you should see a Traveler’s Log tab. On there will be a list of activities you can perform to earn points. Those points reward tender, which you can track at the top. There’s also a unique reward for finishing the month’s log. Right now, the pre-patch event is a great way to earn most of your tender, but any kind of activity works.

6. Catch up on all the stories

You’ll get a real good summary of events since Legion when you log into WoW after the pre-patch. But there’s a lot more that’s happened than what they could cover there. Find out where you are on story quests in your quest log and try to blaze through what’s left. Or, if time is an issue, you can find a good recap on YouTube. A lot of people enjoy Nobbel87, but my personal recommendation would be videos by PlatinumWoW. You might be caught up, but there’s still new stuff to get you ready for The War Within. Blizzard released a short animation to help fill out some of the backstory to the upcoming expansion.

5. The stuff Emerald Dreams are made of

The last major content patch for Dragonflight was the Emerald Dream storyline.. The new zone features a new questing hub with a lot to do. The Dreamwardens are a new reputation you can earn to unlock fun mounts, pets, and decently leveled gear. There’s also the latest raid, Amirdrasil, if you want to see the capstone to the main story. It’s one of the most packed quest hubs in the expansion, making it a worthwhile place to spend time.

4. Transmogrification Station

Some people collect weapons and armor for the stats, and some for the looks. If you’re like me, then it’s never been a better time to go fishing for new appearances in old content. The Warband system enables you to collect the appearance of any armor or weapon type on any character. Even if your priest finds a plate helmet, it’ll be added to your collection when you sell or disenchant it. So, go find some old raids and start boosting your collections now! You’ll want to make a stylish first impression with the locals when we arrive at Khaz Algar later this month.

3. New Characters

Maybe you’re just tired of the same old hunter and his same old traps. Have you always wanted to try a Warlock? Or perhaps it’s finally time to finish leveling that 28 druid you always meant to finish. Well, it’s one of the best times to level a new character. You’ve got two major options. One, create a character in Mists of Pandaria Remix (more info on that below) and start going. It’s a breeze to make a new character and get them to cap. You won’t be able to use them in the main game until the event ends on August 19, but they’ll be ready to go come launch.

Alternatively, the Radiant Echoes Pre-Patch Event is a great way to level any character. I recommend that you join a group with higher level people to help with survivability. The experience gain is insane, and well worth the time. Especially if you have another buff, like the current Darkmoon Faire “Weee!” buff. It grants an additional 10% buff to experience gain.

2. Mists of Pandaria Remix

One of the coolest things added to WoW over the past few years is the recent Mists of Pandaria: Remix mode. An alternative to leveling, you create a new character who goes into Pandaria. But this isn’t just a normal Timewalking leveling experience. This character will earn exclusive gear, items, and currency to power their way through a streamlined version of the content. It’s fast, crazy, and fun as hell.

If you’re interested, we have several guides. Check out this one to learn how to collect all the unique mounts from the mode. Be quick though, it ends on August 19.

1. The Radiant Echoes Pre-Patch Event

Right now, leading up to the game’s launch, there’s a massive in-world event. It can help you catch up in power and earn exclusive rewards. We have a whole guide about it here. But if you’re looking to get ready for The War Within, this is the best way. You’ll get gear to raise your item level, which will allow you to do any raids or other current content.

Whether you’re looking to power-level a new character, or empower a current one, there’s nothing more worth doing. Help solve the mystery of Azeroth’s memories and start earning loot. It’s time to prepare for The War Within.