News Tag: WoW TBC Classic Anniversary

If TBC Classic Anniversary Pre-Patch is released on time on January 13, 2026, it means that WoW 20th Anniversary will be officially transferred to new servers, starting new phases in 2026.

In addition to necessary mechanical adjustments, Pre-Patch and all subsequent TBC Classic Anniversary phases will add new content to the game, including new races, zones, home cities, and the new profession, Jewelcrafting.

In the currently ongoing WoW Classic 20th Anniversary, there are already nine main professions available, but Jewelcrafting is not among them.

This profession first appeared in TBC expansion. If you haven't played it before, it's necessary to learn about it in advance to better prepare for playing TBC Classic Anniversary. We will introduce it to you below.

Jewelcrafting Overview

Jewelcrafting is one of the main professions in World of Warcraft series. You can only learn a maximum of two main professions at any time, but there is no limit to the number of secondary professions.

After learning this profession, you can craft jewel items such as rings, or socketable gems. Different jewels have different effects; for example, rings can be enchanted to give you more permanent bonuses.

As for gems, they provide different attribute bonuses depending on the color of the slot they fit into, and you can also activate Meta Gems by combining specific gem colors or quantities.

In the early stages of the game, jewel items are always relatively scarce, so if you learn Jewelcrafting, you can not only save your WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold, but also earn more by selling your crafted items.

How To Choose The Other Main Profession?

Even when playing a game, every action and decision you make should be aimed at gaining more benefits or improving your character. Therefore, if you choose Jewelcrafting as your first main profession, you should be more careful when choosing the other one.

Generally, a common and reliable combination is Mining, because crafting jewels requires a large amount of ore as a consumable, and this profession can help you find nearby ore veins faster throughout Azeroth to collect ore.

To successfully mine ore, you must have a Mining Pick, and each ore vein requires multiple attempts to extract all the resources. Therefore, it's recommended to mine with other players who have mastered this profession to improve efficiency.

Another main profession to consider is Alchemy, as it helps you craft other rare gem materials necessary for crafting Meta Gems. However, this requires a significant amount of gold and ore, so choose carefully.

How To Use Prospecting Ability?

As a unique ability of Jewelcrafting, Prospecting allows you to process raw ore, transforming 5 pieces of ore into gems or other jewel crafting materials. You can expect to obtain at least one gem with each Prospecting attempt.

How To Craft More Rare Jewel?

Crafting jewels requires not only raw materials but also the corresponding recipes. The higher your Jewelcrafting level, the more jewel recipes you can unlock through available channels.

The maximum level for this profession is 375, and most of the relevant recipes come from vendors and trainers, with only a small portion obtained through combat drops. Your profession level will increase as you craft more items.

It's important to note that recipes sold by vendors are limited in quantity; if other players on the server get them all, you won't be able to obtain them. Therefore, it's best to acquire them as soon as possible when you have enough gold.

All available Jewelcrafting trainers include:

• Farii: Crystal Hall - The Exodar - /way 44.8, 25.6
• Aleinia: Inn in Falconwing Square - Eversong Woods - /way 48.4, 47.4
• Kalinda: The Hall of Respite - Silvermoon City - /way 90.6, 73.8
• Tatiana (Alliance): Honor Hold - Hellfire Peninsula - /way 54.6, 63.6
• Kalaen (Horde): Thrallmar - Hellfire Peninsula - /way 56.8, 37.6
• Hamanar: Aldor's Rise - Shattrath - /way 35.8, 20.6
• Jazdalaad: Stormspire - Netherstorm - /way 44.4, 34.0

In addition, some recipes require you to reach a sufficient reputation level with specific factions to unlock them, including:

• Honor Hold (Alliance) - Revered: 2 recipes
• Thrallmar (Horde) - Revered: 2 recipes
• Cenarion Expedition - Exalted: 2 recipes
• Keepers of Time - Revered: 5 recipes
• Lower City - Revered: 4 recipes
• The Aldor - Revered: 3 recipes
• The Consortium - Revered: 10 recipes
• The Scryers - Revered: 3 recipes
• The Sha'tar - Revered: 5 recipes
• The Violet Eye - Honored: 1 recipe

Best Race, Class, And Faction

In terms of race, Draenei, a new Alliance race added in WoW Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary, is the most suitable for Jewelcrafting because its Gemcutting racial trait directly increases profession skill points.

As for class, every class can choose Jewelcrafting, as the bonuses provided by various gems are invaluable to all players. The key is to effectively utilize another main profession.

Compared to Horde players, Alliance players can gain more benefits from learning Jewelcrafting. Each month, you can claim a gem as a fixed reward from NPC Gezhe, and the reward will increase with each level of faction reputation you gain:

• Friendly - Gem-Stuffed Envelope
• Honored - Unmarked Bag of Gems
• Revered - Bulging Sack of Gems
• Exalted - Bag of Premium Gems

That's all the information we have for you today. More details about Jewelcrafting should be available for you to discover after WoW Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Pre-Patch is released. Let's look forward to the arrival of the new servers!

WoW's best expansion will return in 2026, and players on WoW Classic 20th Anniversary can choose to transfer their characters to WoW TBC Classic Anniversary.

WoW TBC Anniversary features many changes compared to the original game, especially in terms of classes. If you want to smoothly join raids, it's best to choose a popular class.

Clothies Classes

Warlock

Warlocks received a huge buff in TBC, transforming from a primary curse-casting role into one of the best and most consistent DPS in the entire expansion.

Shadow path under Destruction specialization is the meta choice. Although Destruction tree gains the new fire spell Incinerate, Shadow path offers a clearer gear upgrade path and various buffs that increase Shadow damage.

Warlock boasts top-tier single-target and AoE damage in the game, but its gameplay is somewhat repetitive, primarily involving applying curses and casting Shadow Bolt, and its high damage also makes it prone to attracting boss aggro. However, Warlock is one of the few stackable DPS classes in TBC, meaning raids may need multiple Warlocks.

Affliction specialization offers Shadow Embrace debuff and the Imp's Stamina buff, useful against certain high-damage bosses in the early game, but its damage is significantly lower than Destruction Warlock, making it more of a support class.

Mage

Mage is no longer the only excellent spellcaster in TBC. In raids, it primarily comes in two specializations: Arcane and Fire, depending on the raid's needs.

Arcane specialization requires significant resource support to perform well. It relies on Shadow Priest's Vampiric Touch, Mana Tide Totem, and Arcane Brilliance from a party mage to regenerate mana. Therefore, a raid typically brings a maximum of two Arcane Mage.

With sufficient support, Arcane Mages can be top-tier DPS, especially during Tier 5 set era, but they weaken in Tier 6 and the later stages of Sunwell Plateau.

Fire specialization gradually strengthens with each expansion, only competing with Arcane Mages in the later stages of TBC, by which time the overall DPS of Mages has been surpassed by other classes.

Priest

Shadow Priests are one of the biggest winners of TBC. They provide the raid with Shadow Weaving (increases the target's shadow damage taken by 10%), Misery (increases the target's spell damage taken by 5%), and most importantly, Vampiric Touch. Therefore, a raid almost always needs one Shadow Priest, possibly two depending on the raid composition, but rarely more.

However, Shadow Priest has low damage output, and its gear scaling is poor because DoTs and channeling spells don't benefit from haste and crit.

Holy Priest gains the powerful group healing spell Circle of Healing. Although this spell has a high mana cost, it still has a place in the raid.

Discipline Priest's support capabilities are very strong, providing useful skills such as Improved Divine Spirit, Power Infusion, and Pain Suppression.

Leather Class

Druid

Feral Druid tank receives a significant boost. It's the tank with the highest single-target threat in TBC, generating massive threat with Mangle crits, and also possesses high health and armor, making it a highly sought-after main tank in TBC.

In terms of DPS, Feral Druid no longer needs Manual Crowd Pummeler and can provide Leader of the Pack buff. However, its damage isn't top-tier, and its function overlaps with Feral Tanks, so it's more often seen as a tank in a raid, unless it's a raid with many Melee.

provides a 5% spell critical strike chance through Moonkin Aura, Insect Swarm, and Improved Faerie Fire. However, its damage is low, and its scaling is average; it's a typical raid support, and usually a raid will only have one.

Restoration Druid is an excellent healer, capable of providing HoT effects to the team, usually working in conjunction with a tank.

Mail Classes

Hunter

Beast Mastery Hunter, with skills like Steady Shot and Kill Command, is a powerful single-target damage dealer throughout. Tier 4 set also provides significant armor penetration and Misdirection skill for controlling boss threat.

However, its skill damage is not affected by attack power, resulting in weak AoE capabilities, and its power drops significantly once the pet dies.

Survival Hunter's Expose Weakness talent provides a substantial attack power boost to the raid based on Hunter's agility. While its damage is lower than BM Hunter's, it significantly increases the raid's overall damage output.

Shaman

Enhancement Shaman provides powerful support skills such as Windfury Totem and Unleashed Rage (10%), and its damage is consistent. An Enhancement Shaman is almost mandatory for melee groups; a raid needs at least one, and possibly two depending on the number of melee.

Elemental Shaman's Totem of Wrath provides the party with 3% spell hit and critical strike chance. Its damage is good in the early stages of Tier 4, but the gear-based improvement is average.

Restoration Shaman's Chain Heal and Mana Tide Totem are crucial support spells.

Plate Classes

Paladin

Protection Paladin went from being almost nonexistent in WoW Classic 20th Anniversary to becoming the best AoE tank in TBC. It has Spiritual Attunement to alleviate mana consumption, a taunt skill, and a ranged Avenger's Shield to draw threat. It is comparable to Feral Druid. The tank composition is common and essential for all raids.

Retribution Paladins provide numerous buffs, and their damage is also effective in raids, though usually only one is needed. Holy Paladins are powerful single-target healers, primarily providing powerful healing and blessings; only one is needed in a raid.

Warriors

Dual-wielding Arms Warriors can acquire Blood Frenzy spell, which increases physical damage taken by 4%, so Arms Warriors are almost indispensable in 25-man raids.

Fury Warriors have higher overall damage than Arms Warriors, but require the best gear and items traded with WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold to fully realize their value, and can completely surpass Arms Warriors in the later stages of TBC.

Protection Warriors are inferior to Feral Druids and Protection Paladins in single-target damage and AoE threat generation. While they can still perform all tasks, they are not the optimal choice for minimizing raid size.

Most classes are effective in raids, but if you want to consistently participate in raids, it's best to join a guild.

World of Warcraft is celebrating its 21st anniversary, and Phase 6 of WoW Classic 20th Anniversary is now approaching its end. The continent of Azeroth will soon undergo a radical transformation as Burning Legion invades.

While no official date has been announced, many players believe it will arrive in December. We can also make some predictions based on the history of The Burning Crusade.

TBC Classic Anniversary Release Date Prediction

The original Burning Crusade expansion officially launched on January 16, 2007, while the pre-patch went live on December 5, 2006, approximately 40 days later.

In the current in-game phase of WoW Classic 20th Anniversary, Naxxramas raid has been open for about a month and a half. Following the usual server practice, pre-patches typically last for two weeks.

To align with the 20th anniversary theme, the official timeline may mirror the original game. This means the pre-patch duration may no longer be the usual two weeks, but could be extended to four weeks or longer to align with the original release schedule.

If the expansion launches in mid-January, a two-week pre-patch would coincide with New Year's Day, which would be inconvenient for both the development team and players. An earlier, longer pre-patch would allow players to enjoy the new content during Christmas and New Year holidays.

Furthermore, mid-January is considered the dead of winter, and releasing a large expansion at this time would better maintain player engagement.

Specific Date Predictions

All pre-patches for Classic are released on Tuesdays. Therefore, several Tuesdays in early December could be the official release dates for pre-patches, namely December 2nd, December 9th, and December 16th.

December 16th is the most likely release date, as it marks approximately four weeks from that date to mid-January, forming a complete pre-patch cycle.

The official release date for TBC Classic Anniversary is January 15th or 16th. This date almost perfectly matches the original release date of January 16, 2007, fitting the anniversary theme.

Furthermore, data mining reveals a January 15th date marker in WoW Classic 20th, though its specific content is unknown, it's highly likely related to an expansion release.

Moreover, major expansions for WoW Classic 20th Anniversary are typically released on Thursdays, and January 15th happens to be a Thursday.

Unrelenting Rallying Cry Of The Dragonslayer Buff

Currently, in WoW Classic 20th Anniversary, all characters automatically receive a powerful World buff called Unrelenting Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer upon login.

The buff's effects are as follows:

• Increases spell critical strike chance by 10%.
• Increases melee and ranged critical strike chance by 5%.
• Provides 140 attack power.

It cannot stack with the regular Rallying Cry of the Dragon Slayer, cannot be stored by Chronoboon Displacer, and disappears in dungeons and battlegrounds, but the effect is retained after death in open-world maps. Players can choose to disable this buff at any Innkeeper.

Official information states that this buff is to celebrate World of Warcraft's 21st Anniversary. The buff only lasts for one week, ending on Monday, November 24th at 10:00 AM PST.

What Does The Buff Do?

This buff is extremely powerful, essentially a permanent Rallying Cry of the Dragon Slayer effect, greatly improving leveling and monster-killing efficiency in the open world, especially beneficial for physical and magical classes such as Warriors, Rogues, Feral Druids, and Enhancement Shamans.

It is recommended that players, especially those aiming for these classes, make full use of this week to level up, as the experience will be significantly better than without the buff.

This buff also applies to Anniversary Hardcore Realm. It significantly reduces the challenge of Hardcore mode, providing an excellent opportunity to level up a Hardcore character.

The appearance of this powerful, one-week-limited buff may be a signal that a pre-patch announcement for The Burning Crusade Classic is imminent.

This buff has appeared during the week of November 17th, and the official announcement of the pre-patch is likely to follow the week after it ends, around the end of November or beginning of December. This aligns with the predicted mid-December release schedule mentioned above.

How To Prepare For TBC Classic Anniversary?

The arrival of TBC is still some time away. Although this period might be a bit boring, you can do some simple things to prepare for TBC.

You need to reserve at least 20,000 WoW Classic 20th Anniversary gold for TBC. Firstly, you'll need a flying mount for questing in Outland and entering raids. Additionally, your initial gear, gems, and consumables will all require gold.

In the early stages of TBC, the demand for materials will be high. You should start stockpiling WoW Classic 20th Anniversary materials now to craft items that will increase your TBC profession levels. If you have enough time, you can also train profession alt characters, such as Tailoring, Engineer, and Enchanter.

These are the rough predictions for the end of Phase 6 of WoW Classic 20th Anniversary and for the launch of TBC Classic Anniversary. The pre-patch date is likely December 16th, and the official release date is likely January 15th, 2026.

As a MMORPG with a rich core content and multiple expansions, World of WarCraft releases new servers to update the expansion experience and regularly merges different servers to avoid redundancy.

For example, WoW 20th Anniversary server, launched last November to celebrate the game's 20th anniversary, will be moved to Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary server after the release of Phase 6 Shadows of the Necropolis.

Interestingly, WoW Burning Crusade Classic, released in 2021, was also moved to Wrath of the Lich King Classic a year and a half after its release. This shows that such transfers are indeed commonplace in World of Warcraft.

Although the development team has not yet announced the final transfer date, it is confirmed to be in late 2025 or spring 2026, so your final 20th Anniversary experience will end soon!

To help you quickly adapt to the new phase of the game after the transfer, we will provide a guide on how to prepare based on the available information.

Special Information

WoW Classic 20th Anniversary, as a commemorative server, includes Hardcore realms for the first time, in addition to PvE and PvP realms. However, Hardcore realms cannot be transferred to TBC Anniversary Classic server.

Therefore, if you want to continue playing after the transfer but currently only have a Hardcore character, you need to transfer your character to regular realms before the transfer begins; otherwise, you will have to create a new character.

The servers expected to be included in the final TBC Classic Anniversary include:

• EU - Spineshatter - PvP
• EU - Thunderstrike - PvE
• NA - Nightslayer - PvP
• NA - Dreamscythe - PvE
• AU-NA - Maladath - PvP

Accumulate Sufficient Gold

Since this is a transfer and not a season update like Diablo 4, the gold you earn will be retained in Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary. Therefore, to make rapid progress after the new phase begins, you should start accumulating gold now.

As we know from the previous Burning Crusade Classic content, sufficient gold not only helps you level up faster but also helps you acquire and train flying mounts.

Flying mounts not only increase your travel efficiency but are also necessary for some achievements. The best are undoubtedly epic mounts, but to unlock them, you must first consume gold to obtain the base mount, eventually requiring at least 6800 gold.

Furthermore, some crafting materials are difficult to obtain. For example, the cloth needed to craft Mage tailoring set has a long cooldown, making it difficult to obtain solely through farming in the early game; consuming gold to exchange for it is much faster.

Based on this, considering gems, enchantments, and other class-specific aspects, there will need you to farm more gold. While you can earn gold by playing new dungeons or quests after Phase 1 begins, it's always better to prepare early.

Understanding The Possible Best Classes

While there is some overlap in available classes across expansions and servers, the dominant classes differ within each edition. Therefore, the class of your main character in WoW 20th Anniversary might perform poorly after a server transfer.

While you can determine viable strong classes based on TBC or TBC Classic, this isn't entirely reliable based on game updates. The only certainty is that dual specialization should continue to be viable.

In summary, we speculate that hybrid classes, represented by Paladin or Druid, might be more popular in TBC Classic Anniversary expansion.

If your current character doesn't belong to any of these classes, that's okay. You can create a new character immediately or after the transfer begins, and have your old character assist it while you play, although this requires more effort.

Stockpile Materials For Changing Your Profession

Like classes, the professions that provide the most benefit differ in each expansion, but fortunately, changing them doesn't require creating a new character; simply learn the new profession and level it up.

To craft beneficial items based on your profession, you'll need to consume different materials. Therefore, it's recommended that you start checking existing TBC guides now and farm or exchange for these items.

Here's a recommended profession selection strategy for TBC Classic Anniversary: first learn Mining and level it up to obtain materials yourself to increase your Engineering level and save gold. Afterward, you can abandon Mining and learn Enchanting.

Understanding TBC Classic Content Beforehand

While there will be many differences in details, the phase releases and new content of TBC Classic Anniversary are at least broadly consistent with TBC Classic. Therefore, you can prepare based on TBC Classic gameplay and guides.

It is expected that Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary will first release a pre-patch, followed by the release of five phases one by one. Their general content is as follows:

• Pre-Patch: New Races, Faster Leveling, Class Changes
• Phase 1: Leveling, New Zones, Raids, Dungeons, Heroics, Reputations
• Phase 2: Serpentshrine Cavern, Tempest Keep
• Phase 3: Mount Hyjal, Black Temple
• Phase 3.5: Zul'Aman
• Phase 4: Sunwell Plateau, Isle of Quel'Danas

As you can see, the pre-patch is mainly for you to familiarize yourself with and adapt to the server migration, so you must carefully understand the various mechanics and gameplay in the patch to quickly get started after Phase 1 goes live.

That's all for this introduction. It's already early November, and you don't have much time left to prepare! Get moving!