Levelling to 60: how to level fast in an MMORPG without getting bored

Levelling is the first long road in any MMORPG. You can finish it in a couple of weeks, or get stuck on one level because you fight the wrong enemies in the wrong places. In Zarhold, a card MMORPG in your browser, the road to level 60 is honest: experience comes only from fights, quests and dungeons, there is no rested XP, and everything that speeds you up is visible in advance. Let’s see how to walk it quickly and enjoyably.

How much XP to level 60

Level 60 takes 1,335,900 experience, and the road is uneven:

• to level 10 — 29,200;
• to level 30 — 206,700;
• to level 50 — 765,500;
• from 50 to 60 — another 570,400, which is 43% of the whole way.

So the first levels fly by in an evening, and the last ten are the longest part of the road. That’s fine: by 50 you have talents, dungeons and professions, and levelling goes hand in hand with everything else. XP per level is in the Experience and levels table.

Quests: the backbone of levelling

There are 312 quests across 26 lands, all one-time. A quest is worth roughly several normal enemies, and at low levels a noticeable chunk of a level. The main secret: take all of a land’s quests at once. “Kill” and “gather” quests use the same enemies and are done in one trip. Finished a land? Move on: you can enter a land 2 levels before its band starts.

Enemies: watch the colour

The colour of an enemy’s name tells you how much XP it gives:

• grey — 5 or more levels below you: no XP at all;
• green — gives less;
• yellow — full XP;
• orange and red — more, but they hit harder;
• under a skull — the enemy is still locked.

Packs, elites and land bosses give more XP than a normal enemy — and from level 20 elites and land bosses also drop epics. The colour table: Enemy colour; elites and bosses: Elites and land bosses.

Dungeons: once a day, best early on

Everyone in the party gets the full XP for a dungeon clear — no splitting. But the full reward comes from the first clear of the day, the second gives half, then nothing until the reset at 03:00 Moscow time (items drop on any run). Dungeons pay best early on: up to level 20 their XP is full, after that less and less. And once a dungeon is “grey” for you, the list marks it “no XP”.

The first dungeon opens at level 10. No friends around? Empty seats are taken by world residents: Dungeons with NPC companions.

How to level faster

1. Heirloom items. The only permanent XP boost: each item gives its own bonus, and the set adds up to +33% on top. More in Heirloom items.
2. Quests in batches. Take all of a land’s quests and turn in everything you take.
3. Enemies of your colour. Yellow and orange give the best XP for the risk.
4. One dungeon a day. The first clear gives the full reward, especially before level 20.
5. Don’t camp one spot. The more you fight at one place, the smaller the reward. Change spots and lands.

What opens along the way

• Level 10 — talents and the first dungeon. How to choose: Talents in a card RPG.
• Level 20 — a second specialisation, say a damage one for quests and a healing or tank one for groups; epics from elites and land bosses.
• Level 60 — raids and world bosses, heroic, Mythic+ and all talent points.

From level 1 the arena, battlegrounds, duels, professions, the auction house, guilds and the battle pass are open — so you can mix levelling with anything. The full list: What unlocks with level.

Levelling FAQ

How much XP does level 60 take?

1,335,900. 43% of it falls on the last ten levels, from 50 to 60.

Which is better: quests or dungeons?

Both. Quests are the backbone: there are many and they are one-time. Run a dungeon once a day — the first clear gives the full reward, and before level 20 full XP too.

Is there rested XP?

No. Experience comes only from fights against creatures, quests and dungeons. The only permanent XP boost is heirloom items.

Can I level through PvP?

The arena and battlegrounds are open from level 1, but hero XP comes from fights against creatures, quests and dungeons. PvP is for rating, Honor and Arena Points.

The bottom line

The road to 60 in Zarhold is 1,335,900 XP, 26 lands and 312 quests. The fastest levellers take quests in batches, fight enemies of their colour, clear a dungeon once a day and wear heirlooms. All the rules are in the knowledge base: How to level fast. How to spend your very first evening is in the beginner’s guide, and you can open the game right in your browser.