Are dungeons worth it in WoW Classic Hardcore?

Dungeons are a staple of World of Warcraft’s gameplay since they bring players together at all stages of the game. In Classic Hardcore, that principle is no different, except there are a few more rules and regulations that come with leveling through dungeons in Hardcore mode than in traditional WoW. 

In total, there are 20 dungeons spread out across the entirety of WoW Classic’s leveling process. From the Deadmines all the way to Blackrock Depths, dungeons are meant to be one of the most challenging tasks that you and your groupmates can undertake while leveling across Azeroth, and they’re only going to be worth your time under certain circumstances. 

Here, we’ll tell you when you should take on the challenge of a dungeon, regardless of your level, and when you should probably head back into the open world in favor of more traditional leveling patterns.  

Changes to dungeons on WoW Classic Hardcore servers

Dungeons operate largely the same way they always have on WoW Classic Hardcore servers, although in this game mode, there’s a cap on how many times you can complete a specific dungeon every 24 hours. Within the timeframe of one day, you can only complete a dungeon once in Hardcore mode. After 24 hours, you can go back in and run it again. There is no option to run dungeons repeatedly, spamming them in hopes of grinding experience or upping your chances for certain pieces of loot. 

Related: Official WoW Classic Hardcore rules explained: Deaths, PvP, dungeons, and more

Additionally, you cannot run a dungeon (or earn significant experience from it) when someone in your group is at a far higher level than the rest of your mates. In traditional Classic, it became a viable strategy for endgame-ready players to sell dungeon runs to low-level players by grinding the entirety of the dungeon by themselves while the levelers followed their tail. The high-level beast in full raid gear would plow through the dungeon at lightspeed, practically handing out free XP to the lowbies who came along for the ride. You can’t do this in Hardcore Classic WoW, and rightfully so. 

How to tell if dungeons are worth your time in WoW Classic Hardcore

Dungeons are a huge risk in Hardcore WoW, as the rules of engagement surrounding permadeath are not suspended inside instances. Plus, since every mob inside of a dungeon will be elite, you’ll want to be absolutely sure you’re up for the task before diving in. 

Answer these three questions before you go into any dungeon in WoW Classic Hardcore: 

• Is my group strong enough to complete the dungeon without anyone dying?
• Is there a chance that I can get a seriously strong upgrade in the dungeon?
• Will I get more experience from running this dungeon (and completing its quests) than I would from safely questing in the open world?

If the answers to these three questions are “yes,” “yes,” and “yes,” then you should go ahead and pull the trigger. Otherwise, you should reconsider whether running the dungeon is a sound strategy. 

The verdict: Are dungeons worth it in your WoW Classic Hardcore runs?

In all honesty, we’d recommend doing dungeons only when it’s most convenient for you to do so. You’re only going to want to enter a dungeon when you’re a bit over-leveled for it, but still have the chance at getting a strong upgrade from the instance. That’s a bit of a tough sweet spot to find consistently, so there are only going to be some dungeons along the way that you’re going to find yourself running. 

Don’t be the player who runs dungeons just for the sake of running them, only to die and lose your Hardcore character. Stay away from instances that can get out of control quickly, like the Deadmines, Scarlet Monastery, and Sunken Temple. While they’re appealing on the surface, you’re likely only going to find death in there unless you’re very well-prepared.