Alliance vs. Horde

01 / AZEROTH

Left and right on the world map

Your impression matches the focus of the six original capitals: two Horde cities are in Kalimdor and two Alliance cities in the Eastern Kingdoms. Darnassus is in the west, however, and Undercity in the east. This is not a measure of territorial control or player population.[6]

Schematic orientation in north-to-south order. Not a navigation map, scale drawing or border map. Zephras is an additional starting experience, outside this six-capital count.

In practice, early Horde routes from Durotar and Mulgore converge toward the Barrens. Alliance travel connects Elwynn and Dun Morogh through its two eastern capitals. Night Elves and Forsaken illustrate why both continents still matter.

02 / TRAVEL

The tram, zeppelins and new ships

Interactive travel map: explore stops, services and direct departures ↗

Travel from Darnassus includes the Rut’theran–Auberdine connection. Thunder Bluff is outside the original Orgrimmar–Undercity–Grom’gol triangle; plan a road journey or an unlocked flight from there.[5]

A travel benefit is route-specific: the tram links two cities on one continent, while the zeppelin crosses the sea. Learn flight paths, choose a useful Hearthstone location and wait at the correct dock. No measured sailing or waiting times are claimed here.

03 / START

Which races start together?

Dwarves and Gnomes share Coldridge Valley; Orcs and Trolls share the Valley of Trials. Friends can therefore choose different races and begin in the same place, although class quests may require different detours.[7]

Original regions use Blizzard’s Classic assignments and original Forever quest references; Forever adds quests within them. Skyborne details use the current Forever announcement.[6][7][4]

Skyborne start on the same Zephras Isle but choose High Order/Alliance or Windshaper/Horde at creation. Access requires the Heroic Pack or higher. Sharing a zone does not make the variants a neutral faction that can freely group together.[3]

For a party together: Choose the same faction and ruleset. A Human and a Dwarf can play together; an Alliance and a Horde Skyborne do not become party members merely by starting in the same zone.[3]

04 / CITY DUNGEONS

Which capitals have dungeons?

City maps: Forever 1.60.1.70790, © Blizzard Entertainment, hosted locally. No entrance pins. Lordaeron’s ruins are above Undercity; its city map only provides area context. Interior maps are in each linked guide.

Gnomeregan is in Dun Morogh, not inside Ironforge. Shadowfang Keep and Scarlet Monastery are also outside Undercity. Convenient access does not imply faction exclusivity: Blizzard also describes the opposing faction’s journey to the new capital dungeons.[2]

City of Dalaran in the Alterac Mountains is another new dungeon. Both factions have an attunement chain: Alliance from Southshore and Horde from Tarren Mill. It is a separate topic here, not the later floating capital from other WoW versions.[2]

Prepare for Dalaran ↗ · All 28 dungeon guides ↗

05 / YOUR ROUTE

What does this mean in everyday play?

These are geographic and organizational benefits, not a ranking. Questing mainly in one region rewards different connections from touring dungeons. Both factions still travel for endgame, professions and PvP.

The old class split no longer applies: Forever has Paladins and Shamans on both sides, including Forsaken Paladins and Dwarf Shamans. Check the specific race–class pairing and abilities.[8]