Heroics, or "Managing Your Reputation Pre-70"

Non-Gamer's Guide to This Post

Reputation is how the factions around you feel about you. When you do Stranglethorn Vale quests, for example, your rep with Booty Bay goes up and your reputation with Bloodsail Buccaneers goes down. You can, of course, reverse this by killing lots of bruisers in Booty Bay (high rep with the Buccaneers and hated with Booty Bay is how you get an admiral's hat).

You get reputation with factions by doing quests, instances, and repeatable turn-ins.

The largest rep grind you'll see before Outlands will be around level 45-50, trying to get in good with the Timbermaw so you can pass unmolested through their home to get to Winterspring (and to get a few extra quests off them). You must be sure never to kill a Timbermaw, or your rep will plummet, and kill lots of their enemies, who drop feathers you can turn in for extra pops of reputation.

Reputation moves thusly: Hated, Hostile, Unfriendly, Neutral, Friendly, Honored, Revered, Exalted

Exalted with any same side (Alliance v. Horde) faction allows you to purchase that faction's mount (Alliance: Ironforge-Ram, Stormwind-Horse; Horde: Undercity-Skeletal Warhorse, Darkspear Trolls-Raptor).

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I'm a rested bubble from 69, and I had to start considering reputation the moment I got into Outlands (at 58).

At least, other people considered it for me. They said "Run this instance a bunch before finishing questing." And stuff like that.

The point is that reputation is what gets you into Heroic Mode instances at 70, and, in other cases, it gives you some fun perks, like access to new mounts, great profession recipes, or bags of rare gems.

Heroics keys are available at Honored reputation level.

Also, when it says "through" a rep level, it means to the very end of it. So 1 point from the next level. So, for example, it will take you to 5999/6000 Friendly Reputation.

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Thrallmar/Honor Hold
(Perks: Flamewrought Key, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Friendly
Run instances: Hellfire Ramparts and Blood Furnace

Friendly-Honored
Daily PVP: Hellfire Fortifications (Horde & Alliance)
Continue Previous Instances
Regular Quests

Revered-Exalted
Run instance: Shattered Halls (lvl 68 required)

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Cenarion Expedition
(Perks: Reservoir Key, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Friendly
Run instances: Slave Pens
Turn in: Unidentified Plant Parts (buyable on AH)

Honored-Revered
Regular Quests
Turn in: Uncatalogued Species (rare drop from turning in Unidentified Plant Parts)

Revered-Exalted
Run instances: Steamvaults (lvl 70 required)
Repeatable Quest: Orders from Lady Vashj (drop item required)

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Sporegarr
(Perks: Gear, Alchemy Recipes, Tiny Spore Bat)

Unfriendly-Neutral
Turn in: Mature Spore Sac, Bog Lord Tendril
Kill: Bog Lords


Neutral-Friendly
Run instances: (coming)
Turn in: Glowcaps

Honored-Revered

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Lower City
(Perks: Auchenai Key, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Honored
Run instances: Auchenai Crypts, Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth
Turn in: Arakkoa Feathers

Honored-Revered
Run instances: Shadow Labyrinth
Regular Quests

Revered-Exalted
Run HEROIC instances: Auchenai Crypts, Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth
Run NORMAL instances: Shadow Labyrinth

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Keepers of Time
(Perks: Key of Time, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Exalted
Run instances: Old Hillsbrad Foothills, Black Morass

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The Sha'tar: Scryer v. Aldor
(Perks: Warpforged Key, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Honored
Scryer turn-in: Firewing Signet (240)
Aldor turn-in: Mark of Kil'jaeden (240)
Run instances: Botanica, Arcatraz, and Mechanar

Honored-Exalted
Scryer turn-in: Sunfury Signet and Arcane Tome
Aldor turn-in: Mark of Sargeras and Fel Armament
Regular Quests
Run instances in NORMAL or HEROIC (heroic gives more rep)

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The Consortium
(Perks: Monthly bag of gems, Vendor Items)

"Upon reaching Friendly status, players are officially considered members of the Consortium and given a salary. The salary is a bag of gems at the beginning of every month, given by Gezhe at Aeris Landing. Higher reputation with the Consortium yields higher qualities and quantities of jewels each month." (Wowhead)

Neutral-Friendly
Run instances: Mana Tombs
Turn in: Oshu'gun Crystal Fragment, Pair of Ivory Tusks

Friendly-Honored
Run instances: Mana Tombs
Regular Quests
Turn in: Obsidian Warbeads, Zaxxis Insignia

Honored-Exalted
Run HEROIC instances: Mana Tombs
Regular Quests
Turn in: Obsidian Warbeads, Zaxxis Insignia

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Kurenai (Alliance) / Mag'har (Horde)
(Perks: Talbuk Mount, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Exalted
Kill in Nagrand: Kil'sorrow cult members, Murkblood Broken, Warmaul ogres, Boulderfist ogres.
Turn in: Obsidian Warbeads

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Sha'tari Skyguard
(Perks: Nether Ray Mount, Vendor Items)

Neutral-Exalted
Daily Quests: Fires Over Skettis, Escape from Skettis, Wrangle Some Aether Rays, Bombing Run, World of Shadows

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Netherwing
(Perks: Netherwing Drake Mount, Vendor Items)

Hated-Neutral
Mordenai Quest Chain

Neutral-Friendly
Regular Quests
Turn in: Netherwing Eggs
Daily Quests: Nethercite Ore (miners only), Nethermine Flayer Hide (skinners only), Netherdust Pollen (herbalists only), Netherwing Crystals, A Slow Death, Not-So-Friendly Skies

Friendly-Honored
Regular Quests
Daily Quests: Picking Up the Pieces, Dragons are the Least of Our Problems, Booterang: Cure for the Common Worthless Peon

Honored-Exalted
Regular Quests
Daily Quests: The Deadliest Trap Ever Laid

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I focused on factions that will be necessary or wanted at 70. Feel free to mention any I missed.