MoP Classic Heirlooms Guide – Everything You Need to Know for Faster Leveling

If you’ve been around World of Warcraft for as long as I have, you know that leveling alts can either be a blast or a chore, depending on how you prepare. In Mists of Pandaria Classic, Blizzard brought back heirlooms with some quality-of-life upgrades that make them one of the best investments for players who want to save time, gold, and sanity. This MoP Classic heirlooms guide breaks down exactly what heirlooms are, how they work, where to get them, and which ones you should prioritize first.

By the end of this, you’ll know why every serious alt-leveler keeps a full set of heirlooms ready to go, and how you can gear up without breaking the bank.

What Are Heirlooms in MoP Classic?

At their core, heirlooms are account-bound pieces of gear that scale with your character’s level. That means the stats improve as you level, so you don’t have to constantly replace your weapon or chest piece every five quests. They also come with bonus experience on certain slots, which can stack up to 50% if you’ve got a full set.

The heirloom system in MoP Classic is bigger and more flexible than in previous expansions. Here’s what makes them shine:

Scaling gear: Stats increase automatically as you level.
Armor type flexibility: Mail heirlooms behave like leather below level 40, plate behaves as mail. Perfect for classes that change armor types later.
Account-wide collection: Once you unlock an heirloom, it’s available for all your characters in the heirloom tab.
No repairs needed: They never break, which means no gold sink when questing.
Experience bonuses: Helm, shoulders, cloak, chest, and legs all add bonus XP, with the Dread Pirate Ring pushing it to a total of 50%.

For alt-leveling, heirlooms are basically a cheat code. Instead of stressing over gear upgrades, you can focus on blasting through quests and dungeons.

MoP Classic Heirlooms Changes

If you’ve played WoW Classic or Wrath Classic before, you’ll notice a few big changes in the Pandaria era:

New item slots – Legs, shields, off-hands, and even a PvP Battlemaster trinket are now heirlooms.
Higher scaling – Heirlooms can now be upgraded to scale all the way to level 85.
Flexible enchants – Any enchant can be applied, and high-level enchants scale down automatically. That means no more hunting for outdated low-level versions.

These updates make heirlooms not just optional, but one of the most efficient ways to gear alts in MoP Classic.

All MoP Classic Heirloom Slots

Here’s a quick overview of the heirloom slots you can get in MoP Classic:

Helm – +10% XP
Shoulders – +10% XP
Cloak – +5% XP
Chest – +10% XP
Legs – +10% XP
Ring – +5% XP (rare fishing tournament reward)
Weapons – one-hand, two-hand, ranged, and caster options
Trinkets – useful procs for both PvE and PvP
Shields & Off-hands – new in MoP Classic

Stacking helm, shoulders, cloak, chest, and legs gives you a hefty 45% XP bonus, and the pirate ring can push that to the max 50%.

How to Get Heirlooms in MoP Classic

Now for the important part: where do you actually get heirlooms? In true WoW fashion, it depends on the currency you’re willing to grind.

1. Guild Vendors (Gold)

Cloaks, helms, and legs are sold for gold, but require guild achievements and reputation.
Cloaks and legs unlock at Honored, helms at Revered.
Prices range from 1,200–1,750 gold.

2. Justice Point Vendors

Shoulders, chests, weapons, shields/off-hands, and trinkets.
Cost: 2,175–3,500 Justice Points, with upgrades for 870–1,400 JP.

3. Honor Point Vendors

PvP versions of shoulders, weapons, and trinkets.
Prices mirror Justice Point gear but use Honor instead.

4. Champion’s Seal Vendors

Located at the Argent Tournament Grounds.
Shoulders, chests, weapons, and trinkets available for 60 Champion’s Seals.

5. Darkmoon Faire Vendors

During the Darkmoon Faire, you can buy heirlooms with Darkmoon Prize Tickets.
Costs range from 110–160 tickets, with upgrades costing 44–64.

Each option has pros and cons. If you’re dungeon-grinding, Justice Points are a steady path. PvPers will naturally rack up Honor, while collectors might prefer the Darkmoon route. Gold buyers will lean on guild vendors.

Upgrading Heirlooms to 85

Originally, heirlooms capped at level 80. In MoP Classic, you can upgrade them to scale up to 85, covering the full pre-Pandaria leveling curve.

Here’s the breakdown:

Shoulders & chests – 870 JP (PvE) or 870 HP (PvP)
One-hand weapons – 870 JP/HP
Caster maces & trinkets – 1,090 JP/HP
Two-hand weapons – 1,400 JP/HP
Darkmoon upgrades – 44–64 tickets, depending on slot

Pro tip: Upgrading consumes the original item and strips enchants. If you enchanted an heirloom, mail it to an alt first before upgrading.

Best Heirlooms to Buy First

If you’re tight on resources, you’ll want to prioritize the pieces that make the biggest impact on leveling speed.

Chest & Shoulders – Combined +20% XP, relatively cheap, and easy to acquire.
Legs & Helm – Another +20% XP, but locked behind guild achievements/reputation.
Cloak – Smaller bonus, but worth grabbing.
Weapon – Class-specific. Having a solid scaling weapon is huge for smooth questing and dungeons.

I always recommend grabbing Chest + Shoulders first. They’re the sweet spot of affordability and XP boost.

Enchanting MoP Classic Heirlooms

One of the coolest MoP Classic changes is that you can enchant heirlooms with any modern enchant. The power scales down automatically, so even a Cataclysm or Wrath enchant will work at level 1.

Some of my personal favorites:

Heartsong for weapons – tons of uptime.
Crusader still slaps on melee heirlooms.
Greater stats on chest for a balanced boost.
Shoulder inscriptions scale down perfectly.

Just remember: heirloom copies generated from the collection tab don’t carry enchants. You’ll need to mail enchanted versions between characters.

MoP Classic Heirlooms Leveling Tips

Here are a few veteran tricks to squeeze every bit of value out of your heirlooms:

Stack rested XP with heirloom XP – Levels will fly by.
Mail enchanted versions – Don’t waste gold re-enchanting duplicates.
Upgrade only what you need – If you’re skipping Outland/Northrend, level 80 heirlooms will last long enough.
Save Justice/Honor wisely – Weapons are pricier but more impactful than a single armor slot.
Guild reputation grind – Don’t sleep on guild heirlooms. The helm and legs are worth the effort.

Why Heirlooms Are Worth It in MoP Classic

At the end of the day, heirlooms aren’t just about saving time. They also:

Cut down repair costs.
Give consistent stat scaling so you’re never under-geared.
Let you experiment with alts without gearing stress.
Make dungeon groups smoother since you’re always geared enough.

Leveling alts has always been a grindy part of WoW, but with heirlooms, it feels less like a chore and more like a streamlined adventure.

Final Thoughts on MoP Classic Heirlooms

Heirlooms in Mists of Pandaria Classic are easily one of the smartest investments you can make if you plan on leveling multiple characters. With scaling stats, powerful enchants, and up to 50% bonus XP, they’re practically a requirement for anyone who values their time.

If you’re starting fresh, prioritize chest and shoulders, then move on to legs and helm once your guild reputation allows. After that, pick up a weapon suited to your class, and you’ll be set. Whether you’re dungeon-spamming, questing in Pandaria, or PvPing your way up, heirlooms make the whole process faster and smoother.

And hey, if gold is what’s holding you back, don’t forget that farming can take ages. Sometimes it’s smarter to look into outside help for MoP Classic gold. Sites like MoPClassicGold exist for a reason, and it can make getting your heirlooms a whole lot easier.

So, gear up, enchant smartly, and enjoy breezing through levels like a true veteran. See you in Pandaria.