WoW Mists of Pandaria Guide

"Why do we fight? To protect Home and Family... To preserve Balance, and bring Harmony. For my kind, the true question is: What is worth fighting for?" - Chen Stormstout

Mists of Pandaria, also known as MoP or Mists, is the fourth expansion pack for the video game World of Warcraft. At BlizzCon 2011, it was formally announced on October 21. It was made available on September 15, 2012. On August 28, 2012, the pre-expansion patch was made available. The expansion was added to the core World of Warcraft package on October 16, 2014, giving all subscribers automatic access to all of its features and content without having to pay any additional fees.

The expansion refocuses on the Alliance and Horde war primarily in the wake of the unintentional rediscovery of the legendary and long-forgotten lands of Pandaria, a continent far to the south that has up until now been shrouded in magical mists and touched by the ancient malevolent forces. This is because after the successful campaigns in Northrend and the lands opened by the Shattering, and the deaths of the Lich King at Icecrown Citadel and Death Adventurers rediscover the ancient Pandaren people, whose knowledge will help lead them to new destinies, as well as the Pandaren Empire's long-ago foe, the mantid, and their legendary oppressors, the enigmatic mogu, with the arrival of both factions on Pandaria. The landscape shifts over time as fighting between the Alliance and Horde intensifies, with subsequent patches escalating the conflict between Alliance warchief Varian Wrynn and the Horde warchief Garrosh Hellscream, who is becoming more and more out of control. eventually causing the Horde itself to split. As the Horde is torn apart by civil war, the Alliance and Horde factions opposed to Hellscream's bloody uprising band together to engage the enemy head-on. This leads to a confrontation with Hellscream and his Sha-touched allies in the expansion's climactic showdown deep inside Orgrimmar.

The Lore of WoW: Mists of Pandaria

With Deathwing's menace ended, Warchief Garrosh Hellscream seized the opportunity to strike at the Alliance and expand the Horde's territory on Kalimdor. His assault completely obliterated the human city of Theramore, causing worldwide violence between the factions to erupt anew. A destructive naval skirmish left Alliance and Horde forces washed ashore on the fog-shrouded island of Pandaria, which had appeared in the open sea, defying modern maps and charts. As both warring factions established footholds on the resource-rich continent, they made contact with the noble Pandaren, one of its most prolific peoples. This ancient race worked with the Alliance and Horde in the hopes of dispersing the Sha: dark, ephemeral beings roused from beneath Pandaria by the bloody conflict.

Landfall (Patch 5.1)

The conflict between the Horde and the Alliance entered a bloody new chapter in Pandaria. As the two factions' armies clashed on the shores of the continent, Warchief Garrosh Hellscream dispatched elite troops to find the Divine Bell—an ancient mogu artifact capable of endowing his soldiers with unimaginable power. Garrosh's bold and reckless actions, however, had dire consequences for the Horde, including the outbreak of violence against the Darkspear trolls and the expulsion of the blood elves from the once-neutral mage city of Dalaran. Although Garrosh claimed the bell, Prince Anduin Wrynn and the Alliance secret agents of SI:7 closely tracked the warchief's every move. On the highest peaks of Kun-Lai Summit, the brave prince thwarted Garrosh's plans, leading to the fabled mogu artifact's destruction.

The Thunder King (Patch 5.2)

While the war between the Horde and the Alliance raged across Pandaria, the scattered mogu plotted a return to their terrible former glory. They rekindled their historical alliance with the Zandalari trolls, who managed to resurrect the tyrannical mogu emperor, Lei Shen the Thunder King, in the hopes of restoring mogu dominion over the continent. The valiant Shado-pan rushed to suppress their enemies, creating a task force, the Shado-pan Assault, originally composed of Pandaren warriors and later supported by heroes of the Horde and Alliance. These fearless champions strove to defeat the Thunder King, though they also simultaneously served their factions' interests on Pandaria. Jaina Proudmoore led the Kirin Tor Offensive on a quest to uncover the source of all mogu power (and keep it from the Horde), and Lor'themar Theron took the Sunreaver Onslaught in search of mighty mogu weaponry to aid a daring plan…an insurrection against Warchief Garrosh Hellscream.

Escalation (Patch 5.3)

Garrosh Hellscream's quest for power in Pandaria leads him to excavate part of the sacred Vale of Eternal Blossoms in search of a sinister artifact, a decision that puts the Horde at odds with the Shado-pan and other influential pandaren. Meanwhile, in the Horde capital of Orgrimmar, Chieftain Vol'jin and the Darkspear trolls are declared traitors and hunted by the Kor'kron, Hellscream's guard. Vol'jin's people retreat to Durotar and the Barrens to gather supplies and reinforcements for their counter-strike, relying on the support of their former warchief, Thrall, and a particularly tenuous pact with the Alliance, whose interest in ending Garrosh's rule may not bode entirely well for the Horde…

Siege of Orgrimmar (Patch 5.3)

Orgrimmar, the heart of the orcish civilization on Azeroth, was set ablaze by revolution. When Warchief Garrosh Hellscream revived the heart of the Old God Y’shaarj to empower his army, he desecrated Pandaria’s sacred Vale of Eternal Blossoms. This affront, alongside Garrosh’s increasingly dangerous conquests, led Horde rebels and Alliance stalwarts to assail the great walls of Orgrimmar, hoping to dethrone the tyrant before he ravaged an entire world. Alongside Thrall, champions of the Horde and Alliance fought their way to the Warchief’s lair beneath the city, where the battle grew so desperate that Garrosh absorbed the energies of the Old God to halt his downfall. It was not enough. At the behest of King Varian Wrynn, a defeated Garrosh was brought to trial before the August Celestials of Pandaria – but the scars of his rule will bleed for some time.

Minor Note Worthy Updates

We’ll go into details about the major updates further in this guide, for now, here are some minor updates implemented in Mist of Pandaren:

• Player level cap increased to 90.

• Redesigning the talent system to separate player class specialization from talent choices and replace them with a six-tier, three-choice per tier talent system that determines play style (introduced in the 5.0.4 pre-release patch).

• Achievements, pets, and mounts for the entire account (introduced in the 5.0.4 pre-release patch).

• Blizzard's Pet Battle System is a new mini-game system that levels up companion pets.

• Several other MMO games offer an area of effect looting, a system that enables gathering items from numerous corpses with a single click. (introduced in 5.0.4 pre-release patch)

• There are now 11 character slots per server (for those who have purchased the expansion, introduced in the 5.0.4 pre-release patch).

• Players can advance on arable farmland in Valley of the Four Winds' Player Farms, a phased area that offers reputation and material rewards.

• Cross-Realm Zones allow players to connect and form groups in sparsely populated areas that have been designated for this.

• Bid on unique items that NPCs don't typically sell on the Black Market.

New Race

One of the playable races in World of Warcraft is the Pandaren of Shen-zin Su, which was first featured in Mists of Pandaria. The Horde is the first race in World of Warcraft to have this choice, and they are accessible to both the Alliance and the Horde. Pandarens are a mysterious, ancient race that has long been hidden. The order of Tushui has sworn allegiance to the Alliance since returning to the world, while the order of Huojin has found friendship with the Horde.

New Racial Factions

Several new factions with gear, schematics, and vanity rewards can be found on the continent of Pandaria. The stated goal of Blizzard for these reputations is to make achieving Exalted a more satisfying and less laborious process.

Neutral Factions

• The mysterious angler Nat Pagle has joined a group of unassuming anglers known as The Anglers.

• The four mighty ancestral spirits known as the August Celestials, who keep watch over Pandaria, are neutral. The players' ancient temples will be the scene of an action call.

• The Vale of Eternal Blossoms is being attacked by mogu and mantids. The August Celestials chose The Golden Lotus, a secret society of guardians, to protect it. A new threat will enter the area every day for you to help thwart, so at first, you will need to scout and explore for them. The faction will eventually send you to the front lines of their conflict as they come to trust you. Additionally, you will have access to their historical vaults.

• The Klaxxi, the stoic mantid lords, who guard the mantid culture, have decided that their queen has become corrupted and needs to be eliminated. While the Klaxxis are wary of outsiders, it might be possible to win their trust and gain access to their distinctive weapons and armor.

• A long time ago, during the Zandalari Wars, the Order of the Cloud Serpent was established. If you are friendly with them, they'll tell you how to teach a cloud serpent to obey you as a mount.

• The group known as the Lorewalkers is in charge of keeping records of Pandaria's history related to the Golden Lotus. They will give presentations and provide information on the history of Pandaria if you bring them items and artifacts from all over the world.

• Shado-Pan, an elite group of Sha-savvy Pandaren in Kun-Lai Summit, is in charge of shielding the continent from the Sha's influence. As you advance through the ranks, you will have to gain their trust.

• The Valley of the Four Winds' farmers are represented by the faction known as The Tillers. Each day, a different farmer will show up at the farmer's market to offer a selection of daily quests. On Farmer Yoon's Sunsong Ranch, players will also be given a plot of land where they can plant and harvest herbs, cooking ingredients, gifts for NPCs to help them build reputation, and a companion animal that they can raise. As you advance, you'll be able to decorate the farm by adding animals, orchards, etc.

• Shado-Pan Assault, which was included in Patch 5.2 The attack on the Throne of Thunder to remove the Thunder King, Lei-Shen, who had been revived, is linked to this faction's reputation.

• Emperor Shaohao was added in Patch 5.4. The journey to the Timeless Isle is made with the recently returned Pandaren Emperor, who gains this reputation through battle there.

Alliance Factions

• The player faction for Pandaren who support the Alliance is the Tushui Pandaren. Through a tabard that is available in Stormwind, established characters can improve their reputation with them.

• Fish-men known as the Pearlfin Jinyu formerly ruled Pandaria. To fight their savage enemies, the Hozen, they joined the Alliance. By completing quests in the Jade Forest, players who belong to this faction advance to Exalted.

• The main Alliance force for the Pandaria campaign of the Alliance-Horde war is Operation: Shieldwall, which was introduced with Patch 5.1. Daily quests give reputation, which is then used to advance a faction storyline at different reputation levels.

• The Kirin Tor Offensive is an Alliance faction connected to the Isle of Thunder that was first introduced with Patch 5.2. Daily PVE and PVP earn reputation.

Horde Factions

• The player faction for Horde-aligned Pandaren is called the Huojin Pandaren. This faction's tabard is available in Orgrimmar.

• In return for assistance in their conflict with the Pearlfin tribe, the Forest Hozen, a vicious race that resembles a monkey, have sided with the Horde. The mechanic functions in a similar manner to the Pearlfin Jinyu.

• The main Horde force for the Pandaria campaign of the Alliance-Horde war is The Dominance Offensive, which was introduced with Patch 5.1. Daily quests give reputation, which is then used to advance a faction storyline at different reputation levels.

• The Sunreaver Onslaught, a Horde faction connected to the Isle of Thunder, was introduced with Patch 5.2. Daily PVE and PVP earn reputation.

New Class, The Monk

A hybrid class called the monk was added with the Mists of Pandaria expansion. Each of the three group roles can be filled by a different type of monk: Brewmaster monks can tank, Mistweaver monks can heal, and Windwalker monks can use melee attacks to deal damage. Brewmaster and Windwalker monks use energy as their main resource, while Mistweavers use mana. Brewmaster and Windwalker monks also use chi as a secondary resource. Every race has access to monks, except goblins, Worgen, and Lightforged Draenei.

Monks, regardless of their combat role, primarily use their hands and feet to communicate, and a strong connection to their inner chi powers their skills. Expel Harm and Chi Wave are two examples of abilities that heal allies while harming enemies.

The Continent of Pandaria

The ancient empire of the Pandaren was founded in Pandaria, which is where they were born. After the Great Sundering ten thousand years ago, the southern region of Azeroth known as Pandaria was shrouded in a magical mist by its last emperor, disappearing into myth and legend. Only those Pandaren, including the renowned Pandaren brewmasters, who escaped their homeland on the back of the great turtle Shen-zin Su have since been sighted outside of it; some even helped the other races during the Third War.

South of the Zandalari Islands is a single, cohesive continent called Pandaria, which has Asian landscape influences. Except for the Pandaren starting area, there are eight new zones (along with a small mini-zone), all of which are located on Pandaria. Pandaria's designers wanted players to experience the world and appreciate the work put into the continent while leveling, not just fly over it, so flying mounts are not available on the continent until one reaches the level cap (90).

New Zones

• The Wandering Isle (1–10) is a living creature that wanders the waters of Azeroth and has been separated from Pandaria for centuries. This area serves as a training ground for new Pandaren characters.

• The Jade Forest (85-86) is the starting point for both factions and serves as an introduction to the new continent. It is a lush rainforest dotted with tall stone spires. contains the Temple of the Jade Serpent, one dungeon.

• Valley of the Four Winds (86–87) is Pandaria's fertile farmland, known as the "breadbasket" of the continent. features the Stormstout Brewery dungeon. 86–87 character leveling zone, one of two concurrent zones. contains the Player Farm, the first place in the private phase that is specific to a player.

• Krasarang Wilds (86–87) is the southernmost region of the continent and home to the threatened coastal rainforest known as Mogu. The second of two leveling zones for 86 to 87 characters.

• Kun-Lai Summit (87-88) is the Zandalari trolls and marauders from the west are attacking Pandaria's frozen northern mountainous reaches. includes the raid on the Mogu'shan Vaults and the dungeon Shado-Pan Monastery.

• Townlong Steppes (88–89) is the hostile Mantids' present homeland, cut off from the rest of Pandaria by a "great wall." Location of the Niuzao Temple Dungeon Siege.

• Dread Wastes (89–90) is a mantid homeland corrupted into a terrifying wasteland of swamps and scorched earth as a result of the Sha of Fear's current takeover. To find the origin of the corruption, players must battle their way into the mantid queen's lair. This is where the raid Heart of Fear is.

• High atop Pandaria's central mountains is the Vale of Eternal Blossoms (90), the Pandarens' ancestral home. It possesses secrets "buried beneath this mystical font of power," which is at the center of the expansion's Horde/Alliance cities. The Mogu'shan Palace dungeons and the Gate of the Setting Sun are also located there.

• Between The Jade Forest, Valley of the Four Winds, and Vale of Eternal Blossoms is a small mini-zone called The Veiled Stair (87–90), which has a portal to the Terrace of the Endless Spring raid. The characters use it to travel to the Kun-Lai Summit.

• Isle of Thunder (90) is an island, which was first made available in Patch 5.2, where Lei-Shen, the Thunder King and former emperor of the Mogu Empire, now resides. Along with daily quest chains, open-world rare creatures, and the world boss Nalak, it includes the Throne of Thunder, the first significant raid introduced after the expansion's release.

• Isle of Giants (90) also debut with 5.2, this island off the coast of Pandaria is home to the world boss Oondasta and a variety of dinosaurs that can be tamed or killed, as well as troll dinomancers.

• Timeless Isle (90) is a magical island off the southeast coast of Pandaria ruled by the Four Celestials and the Yaungol god of fire, Ordos, was first made available in Patch 5.4. The isle is almost entirely devoid of questing, favoring open-world PvE/PvP instead. It also offers Level 90s who are just starting out or who have less gear to catch up on epic gear.

Dungeons, Raids, & Scenario Updates

The expansion includes three raids, nine high-level dungeons (six of which are brand-new to the world and can only be found in Pandaria alone), nearly a dozen scenarios, and nine high-level dungeons (a game system new as of the Mists of Pandaria expansion). To earn medals in the new Challenge Mode option, dungeons must be finished as quickly as possible. Also making a comeback are the world bosses.

New Original Dungeons

• Temple of the Jade Serpent: The very first dungeon encountered in Pandaria, this leveling dungeon is situated in the Jade Forest and is home to the Sha of Doubt, a creature that is a manifestation of evil energy. available in heroic mode as well (level 90).

• Stormstout Brewery: Players must contend with the Hozen, the Virmen, and the evil Alementals in this leveling dungeon located in the Valley of the Four Winds. The Brewery is where the brewmaster Chen Stormstout and his niece Li Li seek to learn the whereabouts of their ancestors. available in heroic mode as well (level 90).

• Shado-Pan Monastery: This monastery is a retreat for the enigmatic Shado-pan Clan and is a leveling dungeon located atop the Kun-Lai Summit. The explorers need to stop the Sha from escaping from their cages. available in heroic mode as well (level 90).

• Mogu'shan Palace: Located in the Mogu complex, which is home to the remains of former kings of ancient Pandaria, the leveling dungeon can be found in the eastern Vale of Eternal Blossoms. available in heroic mode as well (level 90).

• Gate of the Setting Sun: This leveling dungeon takes place at the Great Pandaren Wall, which separates the Dread Wastes from the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. The Shado-pan are defending the wall while the Mantids are trying to tear it down. This dungeon was initially released as a heroic-only (level 90) instance; patch 5.2 introduced a leveling variant.

• An island-based dungeon in the western Townlong Steppes with the Mantid army battling Pandaren saboteurs. Just in heroic mode (level 90).

Classic Dungeons

• Scholomance: This leveling dungeon, the twisted school of sorcery in Azeroth's Western Plaguelands, is being upgraded to heroic level in preparation for endgame content. There are now five bosses in the dungeon; Jandice Barov, Darkmaster Gandling, and Kirtonos the Herald are still there, while Rattlegore and Ras Froswhisper have been moved to new rooms.

• Scarlet Halls: These two wings, also known as the Scarlet Monastery Armory & Library wings, have been combined into a three-boss dungeon, with Houndmaster Braun, Armmaster Harlan, and Flameweaver Koegle replacing Houndmaster Loksey, Herod, and Arcanist Doan, respectively.

• Scarlet Monastery: These two wings, also referred to as the Scarlet Monastery Graveyard & Chapel wings, have been combined into a five-boss dungeon, with Bloodmage Thalnos (now Thalnos the Soulrender) updated, High Inquisitor Fairbanks and Scarlet Commander Mograine replaced by Brother Korlof and Commander Durand to conform to current lore, and High Inquisitor Whitemane remaining.

• Ragefire Chasm: To correspond with the current plot, this classic dungeon has been updated with new enemies, bosses, and quests.

Raid Updates

• Mogu'shan Vaults: The only way to get to the Kun-Lai Summit's first raid dungeon from the terrace on the northern coast is by air (just west of the troll region). It contains the ancient Mogu empire's well-kept secrets.

• Heart of Fear: Players engage in combat with their Klaxxi allies in a raid with a Mantid theme to defeat the Mantid empress, Shek'zeer. Located in the southwest region of the Dread Wastes inside a huge dead tree.

• Terrace of Endless Spring: A Sha-themed raid with one of the Sha of Fear and its allies in a garden is accessible after finishing Heart of Fear. In the beta files, it was also referred to as "Terrace of Eternity." The Veiled Stair, a tiny mini-zone east of the Vale, is where the entrance is situated.

• Throne of Thunder: Released in Patch 5.2, a giant island stronghold on the Isle of Thunder where players face the reborn Lei-Shen, the Thunder King, the former ruler of the Mogu Empire, and his Zandalari allies.

• Siege of Orgrimmar: 5.4 Patch's release of. Following the declaration of a flimsy cease-fire negotiated with the Darkspear Troll warlord Vol'jin, the Alliance and Horde deal with the Sha's aftermath in Pandaria before traveling to Orgrimmar to overthrow its deranged ruler, the Y'Shaarj-empowered Garrosh Hellscream and his "True Horde" gone wrong. The raid's entrance is in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, a crater beneath Mogu'shan Palace, even though that isn't where the majority of the action happens.

Scenarios

Introduced in Mists of Pandaria, Scenarios are new types of microdungeons that can be queued up by three players and unlocked at level 90. They are intended to advance more quickly than dungeon content.

• Greenstone Village, located in the Jade Forest, depicts a Sha force invasion of a Pandaren village (previously known as Burgled Brew).

• The Alliance and Horde engaged in a beachfront battle in Unga Ingoo, which is set in the southern Krasarang Wilds (previously known as Big Beach Brew Bash).

• Brewmoon Festival, a conflict with the Yaungol taking place in Binan Village of the Kun-Lai Summit.

• The Brewmasters are attempting to make a magical concoction that can only be made during a storm in the fantasy novel A Brewing Storm, which is set in the Valley of Four Winds.

• The Temple of the White Tiger in Kun-Lai Summit is home to the arena-like Arena of Annihilation.

• In the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, there is a conflict called Crypt of Forgotten Kings, which takes place inside an old Mogu tomb.

• The Horde attacked the Alliance's fortress in eastern Kalimdor during Theramore's Fall. For a brief period, this scenario was also available at level 85 in the 5.0.4 patch release as a plot device for the expansion.

• With the release of Patch 5.1, an aerial assault on Zan'vess Isle in the Dread Wastes was added as Assault on Zan'vess.

• Alliance players try to drive out a Horde incursion at the Temple of the Red Crane in the new game A Little Patience, which came out with Patch 5.1.

• Players fight alongside Vol'jin in the game Dagger in the Dark, which was released with Patch 5.1, as she takes on an insane Orc warrior.

• Players must stop the opposing faction from establishing a foothold in the Krasarang Wilds in the faction-specific scenarios Lion's Landing and Domination Point, both of which were released with Patch 5.1.

• Battle on the High Seas, a naval battle for supremacy on the high seas, was introduced with Patch 5.3.

• The Zandalari trolls have traveled to the Frostmane in search of allies when Blood in the Snow, released with Patch 5.3, takes place in Dun Morogh.

• In the adventure game Dark Heart of Pandaria, introduced with Patch 5.3, discoverers unintentionally discovered a long-lost secret buried beneath the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.

• Players infiltrate the Emberdeep Caverns in Secrets of Ragefire, a new game introduced with Patch 5.3, to help the Gob Squad look into a recent disappearance in Durotar.

Peak of Serenity, located at the top of Kun-Lai Summit's mountains, and a scenario-based recreation of the Temple of Kotmogu battleground were two additional scenarios that were present in the game files but were not included in the expansion. Neither has been made available.

PvP Content

Battlegrounds

• Under Stranglethorn Vale, there is a resource race battleground called Silvershard Mines, where several mine carts must be controlled and taken.

• Temple of Kotmogu is a Pandaria-based resource race battleground where winning requires control of several Orbs.

• Added in patch 5.3.0, another base-capture battleground for the resource race was added, Deepwind Gorge is located in the Valley of the Four Winds.

Arenas

• Similar to Nagrand Arena, the Tol'vir Proving Grounds is an arena in Uldum.

• Added in patch 5.3.0, Tiger's Peak is an arena located in the mountains of Kun-Lai Summit.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria got mixed receptions from fans and critics alike. PCGamer described it as an “end of an era”. Though this fifth expansion offered new locations, new mechanics, and new experiences for the players, it fell short to deliver the same intense reception that the past two expansions provided. It didn’t help that it was released at a time when games like Guild Wars 2 and Tera and even DC Universe Online have given combat mechanics in MMORPG a new feel.

What do you think this fifth WoW expansion brought to the table? How many hours did you and your friends spend with the new dungeons, scenarios, and raids in Pandaria? Share this guide or leave a comment below to share your thoughts!