WoW Forever Reputation Guide: Best Factions to Farm
Every WoW Forever reputation in one place: new factions, standing steps, trade companies, battleground reps and which ones to farm first before raids.
WoW Forever reputation matters from the first quest hub this time. The launch adds 16 new factions across Zephras Isle, Dalaran, the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal, and it keeps the Classic grinds like Timbermaw Hold and the Argent Dawn. Below we list every faction found in the final beta, what each one rewards, and which reputations deserve your time before the first raids open on December 9, 2026.
How reputation works in WoW Forever
Standings work the way Classic players remember. Every faction tracks points from Hated up to Exalted, and each step costs more than the last. Most factions start you at Neutral, so the real grind is the 42,000 points from Neutral to Exalted.
WoW Forever reputation standings
| Standing | Points for this step | Total from Neutral | What it usually unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly | 3,000 | 3,000 | First recipes and starter rewards at most quartermasters |
| Honored | 6,000 | 9,000 | Better items and a vendor discount; Honored with your home city also takes 10% off riding training |
| Revered | 12,000 | 21,000 | Rare and epic rewards, cosmetics such as the Powderfuse monocle |
| Exalted | 21,000 | 42,000 | Tabards, top-tier rings and gear, and the battleground Legacy challenges |
Quests are the main source of reputation, with item turn-ins and kills filling the gaps. One beta detail stands out: quests kept paying full reputation even after they turned grey, which Classic did not do. Blizzard has not said whether that survives launch, so check the number on your first grey turn-in before you plan around it.
Skyborne characters start at Friendly with their own side's Zephras faction (the High Order for the Alliance, the Windshapers for the Horde) and at Hated with the other one. Everyone else starts the new factions at Neutral, apart from Barkskin Burrow on Mount Hyjal, which starts at Hostile.
New WoW Forever factions by level
The new reputations follow the new zones, so you meet most of them naturally while leveling. Reward lists below come from the final beta client. Several factions had no vendor items yet, which usually means Blizzard is still filling them in.
New WoW Forever reputations (beta client data)
| Faction | Side | Where and level | Rewards seen in the beta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightclaw Druids | Both | Shadowgale Forest, Zephras Isle, 10 to 13 | Starter armor patterns at Friendly and Honored, a Shadowgale Squirrel companion at higher standing |
| High Order / Windshapers | Alliance / Horde | Zephras Isle, 1 to 13 | None listed yet |
| Kirin Tor | Alliance | Dalaran in Alterac Mountains, 13 to 38 | Azure helm and shoulder patterns at Friendly (level 30, skill 175), tabard at Exalted |
| Earthen Ring | Horde | Mulgore, 13 to 40 | Cloudy helm and shoulder patterns at Friendly (level 30, skill 175) |
| Powderfuse | Both | Powderfuse Port, Riverglades, around 40 | Level 40 gear from Friendly to Revered, cosmetic monocle at Revered |
| Brotherhood of the Horse / Bolder'ok Clan | Alliance / Horde | Riverglades, 36 to 44 | None listed yet |
| Guardians of Hyjal | Both | Mount Hyjal, 55 to 60 | Rousing Seed Pod at Revered, tabard at Exalted |
| Barkskin Burrow | Both | Mount Hyjal, starts Hostile | None listed yet |
| The Watchers | Both | Level 60, location not confirmed | Level 60 signet rings at every standing, rare at first and epic from Revered |
| Cenarion Scouts | Both | Not confirmed | None listed yet |
The Kirin Tor and Earthen Ring patterns are the first reputation rewards most crafters will want. They cover Blacksmithing, Leatherworking and Tailoring, and each faction has its own color version of the same helm and shoulder designs. Horde players cannot earn Kirin Tor reputation (Blizzard fixed a beta bug that allowed it), and Horde characters are attacked on sight in Dalaran's open world. The City of Dalaran dungeon stays open to both sides.
Classic reputations that return
The old endgame factions are still in the client, and so are their turn-in items. Two of them matter less at launch, because their best rewards point to raids that are not part of the December 9 release.
- Timbermaw Hold (Felwood and Winterspring, 48 to 60). Kill Deadwood and Winterfall furbolgs and turn in their beads. Friendly opens the safe tunnel between Felwood and Winterspring, and the beta added new plans at Revered.
- Argent Dawn (Plaguelands, 50 to 60). Scourgestones, Plaguelands quests, Stratholme and Scholomance. Worth starting at 58 or so, since your dungeon runs feed it anyway.
- Cenarion Circle (Silithus, 55 to 60). Patterns and plans in the 285 to 295 skill range for crafters.
- Thorium Brotherhood and Hydraxian Waterlords. Their top recipes and quests lead to Molten Core, which is not among the three raids announced for December 9. Park these unless you need a specific fire resistance recipe.
- Zandalar Tribe. Rewards tie to Zul'Gurub, which has no release date in WoW Forever yet.
The goblin towns are the quiet change. In the beta client Ratchet, Booty Bay, Gadgetzan and Everlook each have a quartermaster selling gear for levels 20, 30, 40 and 50, plus a cosmetic hat or eyepatch. In Classic these towns had no vendor rewards, so they are now worth a look while you level through their zones. Your capital cities still work as before: Exalted with another race's city lets you buy and ride that race's mounts.
Trade companies and Merchant's Favor
The Azeroth Commerce Authority (Alliance, at Three Corners in Redridge Mountains) and Durotar Supply and Logistics (Horde, at an outpost west of the Crossroads in the Barrens) are the new trade factions. Blizzard calls them a major source of new tradeskill activities, and they run from level 10 to 60.
- Collect Waylaid Crates. They drop from monsters while you quest and also show up on the auction house.
- Fill and deliver. Each crate asks for specific goods. Turning it in at your trade company pays reputation and Merchant's Favor.
- Use Craftsman's Writs. In the beta each writ paid 75 to 200 reputation, and the first delivery gave a 2,000 point bonus.
- Spend the Favor. Merchant's Favor buys more than 300 profession recipes, certifications that unlock an account-wide title, and the Pack Kodo mount.
Keep the two numbers apart. Reputation decides which items you may buy (the toy license application at Honored, the tabard at Exalted), while Merchant's Favor is the currency you spend. The Legacy perk Performance Bonus sometimes gives extra Favor. If you want the Favor rewards without the crate loop, our WoW Forever Merchant's Favor service covers it.
Battleground reputations and Legacy challenges
Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley keep their Classic factions, and the new Darkspear Islands adds a fourth pair: the Theramore Expeditionary Force for the Alliance and the Darkspear Raiders for the Horde. Blizzard describes Darkspear Islands as a 15 vs 15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor that mixes control points with Arathi Basin style flag captures.
- Friendly: two rare trinkets, for levels 33 and 48.
- Honored: rings and necklaces for levels 28, 38, 48 and 58.
- Exalted: epic gloves for levels 50 and 60, epic shoulders at 60 and a battle tabard.
Exalted with each battleground reputation also counts toward the Legacy system, so these grinds pay your account as well as your character. We cover the full list in the WoW Forever Legacy challenges guide, and the honor side in the WoW Forever PvP guide.
Which reputations to farm first
You cannot max everything on one character in the five weeks before raids, so we would spend the time in this order:
- Home city to Honored before level 40. It takes 10% off Apprentice Riding and later Journeyman Riding, which saves real gold. Cloth turn-ins at your capital help here.
- Your trade company from level 10. Crates drop while you quest anyway, so open the reputation early and bank Favor for recipes.
- Kirin Tor or Earthen Ring if you craft armor. The Friendly patterns need level 30 and skill 175, and they are the best early crafting reward in the game.
- Powderfuse at around 40. The Riverglades has more than 150 new quests for the mid-30s to mid-40s, and Powderfuse gear fills the slots that dungeons miss.
- Guardians of Hyjal at 55 to 60. Mount Hyjal is the endgame quest zone, and Hyjal Summit is one of the December 9 raids.
- Timbermaw, Argent Dawn and battleground factions at 60. Recipes, Legacy progress and PvP gear once leveling is done.
Tips to farm reputation faster
- Take Diplomat early on alts. The Legacy perk raises reputation gains, up to 10% at full rank in the beta. Each character can spend only 16 Legacy points at launch, so weigh it against the gold perks.
- Bank turn-in items. Scourgestones, furbolg beads and Waylaid Crates are worth more as reputation than as vendor copper. Mail them to the character that needs them.
- Finish zone storylines. The new zones give most of their reputation through quest chains, and the final quests usually pay the most.
- Test grey quests. If full reputation from grey quests survives launch, leftover quests in old zones become a cheap way to top up a faction.
- Group for elite quests. The new hubs have group quests that pay well and go fast with two or three players.
WoW Forever reputation services
WoW Forever Reputation Boost
- 21 Factions
- Up to Exalted
- Alliance & Horde
WoW Forever Faction Reputations
- 8 City Factions
- Exalted Standing
- Racial Mounts
Legacy Challenges Boost
- Pick Any Challenge
- PvE, PvP & Crafting
- Class Leveling
WoW Forever Merchant's Favor
- Up to 6,000 Favor
- Recipes, Toys, Mounts
- Rep Included
WoW Forever reputation FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new reputations in WoW Forever?
The final beta lists the Nightclaw Druids, High Order, Windshapers, Kirin Tor, Earthen Ring, Powderfuse, Brotherhood of the Horse, Bolder'ok Clan, Guardians of Hyjal, Barkskin Burrow, The Watchers, Cenarion Scouts, the Darkspear Islands factions (Theramore Expeditionary Force and Darkspear Raiders) and the two trade companies, the Azeroth Commerce Authority and Durotar Supply and Logistics.
How much reputation do you need for Exalted in WoW Forever?
WoW Forever uses the Classic steps: 3,000 points to Friendly, 6,000 to Honored, 12,000 to Revered and 21,000 to Exalted. From Neutral that is 42,000 points in total. How long it takes depends on the faction, since quest-heavy factions move much faster than turn-in grinds.
Can Horde players get Kirin Tor reputation?
No. Kirin Tor is an Alliance faction, and Blizzard fixed a beta bug that let Horde players earn it. The Horde gets the Earthen Ring in Mulgore instead, with matching crafting patterns in a different color.
Is Merchant's Favor the same as reputation?
No. Merchant's Favor is a currency you earn from the Azeroth Commerce Authority or Durotar Supply and Logistics and spend on recipes, certifications and the Pack Kodo. Your reputation with the trade company decides which of their items you may buy.
Does the Diplomat perk increase reputation in WoW Forever?
Yes. Diplomat is a Legacy perk that raises reputation gains, up to 10% at full rank in the beta. Each character can spend only 16 Legacy points at launch, so it competes with the gold-saving perks.
Which reputation should I farm before the December raids?
Get your home city to Honored for the riding discount while leveling, then push the Guardians of Hyjal at 55 to 60. Mount Hyjal is the endgame quest zone, and Hyjal Summit opens with the other Phase 1 raids on December 9, 2026.
Related WoW Forever guides
Plan your crafting with the WoW Forever professions guide, budget your mount in the WoW Forever riding and mounts guide, and get raid-ready with the WoW Forever Phase 1 raids guide. For city factions and racial mounts see WoW Forever Faction Reputations, or skip the grind with the WoW Forever Reputation Boost.