What Is the Earthen Heritage Armor?
Earthen heritage armor is the cosmetic transmog set you get for reaching level 50 on an Earthen character in The War Within. It's pure vanity, meaning you can slap it on top of any armor type your Earthen wears, whether you're a cloth mage or a plate paladin.
The earthen heritage armor comes in three distinct color variants, each representing different Earthen origins. Since Earthen are the first truly neutral Allied Race, you can unlock and display the earthen heritage armor on both Alliance and Horde characters.
Requirements to Unlock Earthen Heritage Armor
You need three things to get your hands on earthen heritage armor:
- Unlock the Earthen race first. Complete The War Within campaign (all four chapters) at max level, then finish the three post-campaign questlines.
- Create an Earthen character. You can create this new character or race-change an existing one.
- Reach level 50. Get your Earthen to 50 and turn in the heritage quest in Dornogal.
Blizzard removed the old requirement to level from 10 to 50 manually. Now you can race-change an existing level 70 character to Earthen and instant-unlock the earthen heritage armor, or use a character boost on a fresh Earthen. No grind required.
How to Unlock the Earthen Allied Race
Unlocking the Earthen race itself is the real time sink. You'll need to complete The War Within campaign first, then do these four quest chains:
| Quest Chain | Location | NPC Start | Key Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| The War Within Campaign | Khaz Algar | Various | All 4 chapters, ends with "Return to Dornogal" |
| Mourning Rise | Isle of Dorn | Quest icon | Starts with "Before I Depart," ends with "The Weight of Duty" |
| Broken Tools | The Ringing Deeps | Machinist Kittrin | Starts with "Discarded and Broken," ends with "Reforged Purpose" |
| Merrix and Steelvein | Dornogal | Quest icon | Starts with "How Scandalous!", ends with "Bad Business" |
All these quests have a special Earthen icon on your quest log. Finish them all and you unlock "Allied Races: Earthen," letting you create Earthen on both factions.
Quest Chain Walkthrough
Step 1: Complete The War Within Campaign
This is your starting point. You must finish all four chapters of The War Within at maximum level. The campaign wraps up with "Return to Dornogal" and takes roughly 10-15 hours depending on your pace.
After you complete the campaign, the three Earthen unlock questlines appear in your log automatically. They're marked with the Earthen icon so you can't miss them.
Step 2: Mourning Rise Questline
Head to Mourning Rise in the Isle of Dorn. This is the shortest of the three post-campaign chains. You'll work through about 4-5 quests culminating in "The Weight of Duty."
The quests are straightforward: talk to NPCs, complete objectives in the zone, and turn in. Expect 30-45 minutes here.
Step 3: Broken Tools Questline
Travel to The Ringing Deeps and find Machinist Kittrin. This chain starts with "Discarded and Broken" and runs about 5-6 quests. You'll be helping repair Earthen tools and uncovering some lore about Kittrin's past.
This chain takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour. By the end, you've worked with some genuinely cool Earthen NPCs.
Step 4: Merrix and Steelvein Questline
The final chain happens in Dornogal itself. This is the business-focused story about trade and reputation. It's shorter than Broken Tools, maybe 3-4 quests, and wraps up with "Bad Business."
Once you finish "Bad Business," you've completed all four quest chains and the "Allied Races: Earthen" achievement pops. You can now create Earthen characters.
Tips for Completing the Chain
- Do it in order. The quests are structured as Mourning Rise, then Broken Tools, then Merrix and Steelvein. You can't skip ahead.
- Don't abandon if a quest bugs. If a quest gets stuck, logout, relog, and check your quest log. Earthen unlocks are stable now, but old bugs sometimes linger.
- Use your flying mount. All three post-campaign zones have flying unlocked if you've completed the campaign. Fast travel makes these chains painless.
- Read the quest text if you're new to the lore. The Earthen story is legitimately good. These aren't generic kill-ten-rats quests.
- Group up if you want. These are solo-friendly quests, but running them with guildmates makes it social. No combat scaling shenanigans to worry about.
After Unlocking the Race
Once you've got the "Allied Races: Earthen" achievement, create your Earthen and get to level 50. This is where earthen heritage armor actually drops:
- Leveling manually takes 8-12 hours depending on your efficiency.
- Using a character boost skips all of this and grants earthen heritage armor instantly.
- Race-changing an existing level 70 character also triggers the heritage armor unlock.
New Earthen characters receive a heritage quest automatically at level 50. Travel to Dornogal, find the Archival Repository (upstairs, behind Speaker Brinthe), interact with the machine, and turn in the quest to Dawn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to level a new Earthen character to 70 to get the earthen heritage armor?
No. You only need to reach level 50. At level 50, you get the heritage quest and can immediately claim earthen heritage armor. You don't need to push to 70.
Can I use a character boost to unlock earthen heritage armor?
Yes. Blizzard changed this in The War Within. Boosting a new Earthen to level 70 instantly gives you the achievement and earthen heritage armor. This is the fastest method if you already have access to boosts from a battle pass or previous expansion.
Can I race-change my existing character and get the earthen heritage armor?
Absolutely. Race-changing an existing level 70 character to Earthen triggers the heritage armor unlock immediately. You don't need to level from scratch. This is ideal if you have an alt you want to convert.
What armor types can wear earthen heritage armor?
All of them. Earthen heritage armor is pure cosmetic transmog. Cloth wearers, leather wearers, mail wearers, and plate wearers can all mog the set. It appears as the correct armor type for your character.
Can other races use earthen heritage armor?
No. Earthen heritage armor is exclusive to Earthen characters only. Other races can't transmog it even if they have the appearance unlocked.
Skip the grind entirely with our Earthen Heritage Armor boost and get the set without the hassle.
Check out our complete WoW Heritage Armor guide for all races.