WoW Season of Discovery Phase 8 catch-up guide for new and returning players
Whether you’re just starting fresh or returning for new challenges, this leveling and gearing guide in WoW SoD 8 breaks down everything you need to know to prepare for the Season of Discovery Phase 8 raid content.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways:
- Season of Discovery Phase 8 is now live with the launch of New Avalon, while the Scarlet Enclave raid and Ashbringer questline arrive on April 10.
- Leveling from 1 to 60 is fast and flexible, especially with Scourge Invasion zones and free Runes.
- Gearing up is essential, and players can earn strong loot from old raids, the Tarnished Undermine Real vendor, and key quests like The Perfect Poison.
- Use gear SIM tools to plan your upgrades, focusing on one strong item per slot from a variety of sources to get raid-ready for Phase 8.
Leveling and gearing up in Season of Discovery Phase 8 has never been more streamlined. With new passive XP boosts, free Runes, and powerful rewards, both new and returning players can catch up in record time. Whether you prefer solo play or teaming up for dungeons and events, there are multiple paths to get raid-ready without wasting hours grinding inefficiently.
This guide covers the fastest methods to level, the most important quests to complete, and the gear you’ll want to collect before entering the Scarlet Enclave raid. Let’s dive into the most effective catch-up strategies for WoW SoD 8.
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WoW SoD 8 new features
Season of Discovery Phase 8 is officially live. Log in now and dive into the action! This phase brings a wide range of exciting content and features, with several major additions introduced by the developers for WoW SoD 8, including:
- New Avalon location
- Scarlet Uniform to infiltrate New Avalon
- Scarlet Enclave raid for 20-40 players
- Legendary Ashbringer Questline
- Tier 4 Sets and new loot
Learn more about new SoD content in our Season of Discovery Phase 8 new content guide.
But to fully explore all the new content, you’ll need to level to 60 and catch up on any missing gear. Let’s go over how to do that.
Season of Discovery fast leveling guide
Leveling a new character in Season of Discovery Phase 8 is designed to be straightforward and efficient. By following the traditional approach of completing quests and participating in dungeon groups, players can progress from level 1 to 60 in approximately 25-30 hours. This method emphasizes engaging with the game’s content naturally, providing a balanced and immersive leveling experience.
All new characters automatically receive a massive XP increase effect. You don’t need to do anything to activate it, just enjoy the fast XP progression.
Free SoD Runes
In the Season of Discovery, the introduction of Rune Brokers has simplified access to both runes and handbooks, making them purchasable directly from vendors. This change is especially helpful for players who want to enhance their gameplay without relying on time-consuming discovery methods. Even starting at level 1, players can now acquire these items effortlessly, accelerating their progress and enriching the experience.
You’ll find these vendors conveniently located in every starting zone, ensuring that players can access them easily no matter where their journey begins. In each leveling area and major city, you’ll find a Rune Broker who offers Handbooks and powerful Runes for just 1 copper. Make sure to take advantage of it.
SoD Scourge Invasion leveling
For those with access to a level 60 character, the Scourge Invasion events offer a faster leveling alternative. By visiting invasion zones appropriate to your character’s level and utilizing the support of a high-level ally, you can combat the undead forces to gain substantial experience and valuable loot. This strategy can significantly reduce the time required to reach level 60, potentially achieving it in as little as 5 hours. However, it’s important to note that while this method is efficient, it may not provide the same depth of experience as the traditional leveling path.
Scourge invasion zones in SoD Phase 8:
- Eastern Plaguelands
- Burning Steppes
- Blasted Lands
- Tanaris
- Winterspring
- Azshara
You can completely avoid all Scourge Invasion events and level up normally.
SoD 8 catch-up gearing guide
One of the biggest concerns at the start of Phase 8 is the gear catch-up. The new Scarlet Enclave raid looks exciting and well-designed, but there’s a catch: you’ll need high item level gear from previous Season of Discovery phases. Without it, you might find yourself delayed or even locked out of the new SoD content entirely.
To make sure that doesn’t happen, we’ve put together a quick checklist for both new and returning players to get raid-ready and fully caught up for Phase 8.
Farm Tarnished Undermine Real
Tarnished Undermine Real Tarnished Undermine Real is a currency that helps you buy Tier 1 and Tier 2 set pieces for your class. You start earning it at level 60 by defeating end-game bosses in dungeons or raids. Visit Pix Xizzix to spend your Tarnished Undermine Real on Tier 2 gear and many other useful items.
Pix Xizzix location:
/way 28.4 75.8The cap for Tarnished Undermine Reals is 250. Since that won’t be enough to purchase everything you need, your top priority should be acquiring Tier 2 set items first. After that, focus on filling any remaining gear gaps, such as an off-hand or a ring.
Get pre-bis SoD 8 weapon from one quest
This quest is The Perfect Poison. Go to Dirk Thunderwood at Cenarion Hold in Silithus. You’ll need to collect two venom sacs: one from Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj in AQ20 and one from Venoxis in Zul’Gurub.
Kurinnaxx is the first boss of Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj. This boss requires coordination: avoid sand traps, rotate tanks due to stacking debuffs, and never stand behind or in front of him unless you’re tanking. It’s not a gear check, but it does demand a little of teamwork.
Venoxis is one of Zul’Gurub’s easiest bosses. Crowd control the adds, kill them one by one, and then focus on Venoxis. Watch for poison clouds: just move out quickly and keep burning him down.
The Perfect Poison quest rewards for SoD 8 catch-up:
The rewards for this quest are very strong and worth the effort. They offer powerful gear upgrades that can fill key slots, especially if you’re still catching up or haven’t secured raid drops yet:
- Ravenholdt Slicer
- Shivsprocket’s Shiv
- The Thunderwood Poker
- Doomulus Prime
- Fahrad’s Reloading Repeater
- Simone’s Cultivating Hammer
Dirk Thunderwood location:
/way 52.0 39.0Get Scarlet Uniform gear
While gearing up for the Phase 8 raid, be sure to progress through the Phase 8 questlines as well. These quests don’t require best-in-slot gear but can reward you with helpful upgrades to fill weaker slots in your loadout.
For example, try to craft or buy from the Auction House pieces of the Scarlet Uniform gear. You’ll need this set eventually, but even early on, it can boost your power level and make progressing to the New Avalon and Scarlet Enclave raid smoother.
Catch-up loot in pre-Phase 8 raids
Start running the older classic raids to farm solid Tier 2 gear and other useful loot. These raids are very easy to complete, even with a low item level group and minimal coordination. Plus, they’re often organized in the LFG chat, so finding a group shouldn’t be a problem.
Good for catch-up in SoD 8 raids:
- Molten Core 40
- Zul’Gurub 10
- Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj 10
- Temple of Ahn’Qiraj 40
In these raids, you can loot valuable gear for Phase 8 content and farm more Tarnished Undermine Reals.
Do Scourge invasions quests at 60
Scourge Invasion quests will significantly accelerate your progression toward Naxxramas and the gear needed to compete in Phase 8 content. Don’t skip this part, start preparing for Naxx as soon as possible.
First, find the Light’s Hope Chapel quest, which begins in any major city from an Argent Recruiter. The questline will eventually lead you to Under the Shadow and Never at Rest quests. With it, you’ll be able to purchase the Undead Slaying sets. While they don’t directly benefit you in Phase 8 content, they’ll help you handle Naxxramas and farm the best gear from Phase 7.
Undead Slaying sets:
- Regalia of Undead Cleansing (cloth)
- Undead Slayer’s Armor (leather)
- Garb of the Undead Slayer (mail)
- Battlegear of Undead Slaying (plate)
You will get Argent Dawn Gloves from the quest Argent Dawn Gloves.
The Never at Rest quest allows you to upgrade your shoulders with a tier set bonus. Visit Brother Luctus for that.
Brother Luctus coordinates:
/way 80.6 65.4
Farm Naxx 0 and higher
You probably won’t be able to jump into the Naxxramas raid right after hitting level 60, but with a bit of time and preparation, it’s definitely possible. Naxx 0, the lowest difficulty version, is quite manageable for Season of Discovery characters and doesn’t have high gear requirements.
Naxx gear—including tier sets, trinkets, and enchants—is still important for increasing your power in Phase 8 content. Don’t skip this raid, it’s a key step in getting fully ready for the challenges ahead in Scarlet Enclave raid.
Aim for pre-Phase 8 weapons
The new Ashbringer is definitely exciting, but there are still plenty of strong weapons from previous phases worth using. While they can be tricky to obtain, the effort often pays off. Be sure to consider some of these pre-Phase 8 BiS weapons—they might still hold up well in the Scarlet Enclave raid.
BiS SoD weapons pre-Phase 8:
- Atiesh
- Blade of Inquisition
- Kingsfall and upcoming Queensfall
Plan you gearing with SoD pre-raid Sim
The gear system in Season of Discovery is fairly complex and requires a good understanding to optimize your setup. There are many strong sets, weapons, and trinkets available—but you don’t need every single piece. Focus on getting one solid item for each slot by mixing loot from various sources mentioned above.
To make gearing easier, use a gear SIM tool to figure out which items are best for your class and spec. It’ll help you plan your upgrades more effectively.
Conclusion
By taking advantage of the Scourge Invasions, free Runes, and streamlined gearing systems, you can hit level 60 fast and prepare your character for everything Season of Discovery Phase 8 throws your way. Don’t wait: start leveling, collecting gear, and get ready for the challenges of the Scarlet Enclave raid. With the right prep, you’ll be raid-ready in no time. And if you need help, consider our WoW Classic boosting.
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