Quick Links
New additions toWorld of Warcraftafter the Cataclysm expansion include several new factions, and many of them have the enchants, trinkets, and gear that players crave. Whether it’s for raid optimization or bragging rights, there are several good reasons players should get to Exalted with the Guardians of Hyjal.
There are currently very few daily quests for the Guardians of Hyjal, but there are still quests in the Mount Hyjal zone for level 80 players to help them get started. The new and exciting dungeons can also be a source of reputation, but there’s a process to follow to get there.
The Guardians Of Hyjal
Vigilance Over The Elements, Especially The Minions Of Fire
Some players have seen this zone before, but as part of a raid in the Caverns of Time as opposed to an open zone. Players took part in the epic battle against Archimonde himself to save the world tree from Archimonde.In the previous expansions, the geographic location of Mount Hyjal was visible in northern Kalimdor on all the maps, but it wasn’t open for gameplay.
The Guardians of Hyjal are similar to the Cenarion Circle, a faction that was also part of the original game including theWrath of the Lich Kingexpansion. They’re made up entirely of Druids who are either Tauren or Night Elves. Their allies include the Ancients, gigantic animals that are also powerful earth spirits, and famous heroes like Ysera, the Green Dragon Aspect, and Malfurion Stormrage.
Starting The Questline
Check The New Bulletin Board in Orgrimmar or Stormwind
The bulletin board questwill require the player to speak to an NPC in the city who is a representative of the Guardians of Hyjal.
What follows is a short trip to Moonglade, a zone that’s usually exclusive to Druids and occasionally opens up during special seasonal events like the Lunar Festival. From here, the player secures one-time transportation to Nordrassil on the back of a chatty green dragon, who narrates some of the recent history and actions of the Guardians on the trip.
Once the player arrives in Nordrassil, there’s a flight path from here that connects with the rest of Kalimdor, plus two handy portals next to the entrance to the inn.
The small lake to the west of the inn is an ideal place to start grinding up the Fishing profession, and the materials you obtain can also be usedto raise your Cooking skills.
Buying A Tabard
Essential For Grinding Rep
Two vendors are standing on the right when entering the inn. The first is Lenedil Moonwing, the general goods vendor, and to his right is theQuartermaster, Provisioner Whitecloud. Once you have a Friendly reputation, you can buy aTabard of the Guardians of Hyjal.
There’s a nice quest chain that leads across the zone, and this is enough to get to Friendly but it won’t get you to Revered. The next step is to grind up to level 85 and run the Lost City of Tolvir, the Halls of Origination, and Grim Batol in Normal mode or any Heroic Cataclysm dungeons while wearing the tabard.
There’s only one Daily Quest in Phase One of Cataclysm, “Vigilance On Wings.” This islocated in The Regrowth, centrally located in Mount Hyjal, and the quest chain that started in Nordrassil eventually leads there. After you finish the quest for the first time, it becomes a repeatable daily and rewards 250 reputation points.
The Firelands Dailies are another handy way to grind rep with the Guardians of Hyjal, but they don’t open up until Phase Three of the expansion, and the game is currently in Phase One.
Why It’s Important
Essential Rewards And Cool Lore
Hyjal is one of the new zones for level 80 players, so most of these items aren’t BiS for the endgame, but some of the items are still important. It’s not just a question of decent gear or fun new trinkets from the Quartermaster, but also the enchantments and buffs available.
The nostalgic value of questing through Mount Hyjal as an individual player as opposed to being part of a phased-in raid group makes it fun anyway. Thecinematics and the characters involvedhave been a part of Azeroth’s lore since ancient times, which refers to the old RTS games of the 1990s as much as Azerothian history.
TheArcanum of Hyjalis the most important item on the list and is the new BiS enchantment for the character’s headpiece. It requires a Revered reputation, adds 60 Intellect and 35 Critical Strike rating, and costs 150 gold. Even after leveling past everything else, this is the enchantment players have to come back for no matter how epic their gear is.
Some are best-in-slot and part of a raid or PvP build, while others are just nice to have. TheSly Fox Jerkin, a leather chest piece, has two gem sockets and improves Critical Strike rating, so it’s better for leveling and PvE. TheBelt of the Ferocious Wolfis one of the few heavy armor items on the list, and also increases Critical Strike, so decent item for Warriors and Paladins.
