The Shimmering Flats
Thousand Needles is a huge dry canyon in Southern Kalimdor, filled with towering mesas. In the east, the canyon opens up to the Shimmering Flats, a vast salt pan that is used by goblin and gnome engineers for their races.
Although as a contested territory this area doesn't see anywhere near as much action as some, Darkcloud Pinnacle is a favorite stealth ganking spot for Alliance rogues due to the many Horde quests there as well as the relative difficulty of the mobs/remoteness of that location. The Alliance also tend to attack the Great Lift and Freewind Post regularly. In addition, players questing on the Shimmering Flats near the Tanaris border are advised to look over their shoulder from time to time, as the unwary can occasionally find themselves being stabbed in the back by a passing member of the opposing faction.
History[]
The barren canyons of Thousand Needles have traditionally been the territory of several Tauren tribes. The Tauren were forced to live precariously on the tips of the high mesas in order to avoid the large tribes of centaur that almost wiped them out. Now, with the help of the Horde, the Tauren are fighting back against their enemies, including the fanatical Grimtotem tribe. The Shimmering Flats to the southeast are also the home of the world famous Mirage Racetrack, where gnomes and goblins race their respective rocket cars in order to permanently settle the question of which race has the better engineering.
It has been thought by a night elf of Thalanaar that dark magic of some kind blighted the land.
Getting there[]
The Rustmaul Dig Site
Alliance
Alliance characters will first reach Thousand Needles from the north. The traveler can take a boat to Theramore Isle in Dustwallow Marsh , run west to the Barrens, then south to the Great Lift and into Thousand Needles; or head south from Ratchet in the Barrens (Ratchet can be reached either by boat from Booty Bay or by running south from Ashenvale).
Horde
From Camp Taurajo in the Barrens, head south along the road to the Great Lift and down into Thousand Needles.
Geography[]
Thousand Needles contains no dungeons, raids, or battlegrounds. The only flight path in the zone is the Horde-aligned Freewind Post; however, Thalanaar, an Alliance camp with a flight path, is just over the border in Feralas.
Maps and subregions[]
Travel hubs[]
Freewind Post
There is only one flight path in Thousand Needles, and that is Horde-aligned Freewind Post. However, Alliance travelers can use the nearby Thalanaar flight path to the west, and the flight path in neutral Gadgetzan to the south to navigate the zone.
Flight paths from Freewind Post[]
- Thunder Bluff
- The Crossroads, The Barrens
- Camp Taurajo, The Barrens
- Camp Mojache, Feralas
- Gadgetzan, Tanaris
Adjacent regions[]
| Zone Name | Faction | Level Range | Direction | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Barrens | 
|
10-28 | North | By elevator or Horde flightpaths from Freewind Post to Camp Taurajo or the Crossroads |
| Feralas |
|
40-50 | West | By foot or Horde flightpath from Freewind Post to Camp Mojache |
| Tanaris |
|
40-50 | Southeast | By foot or Horde flightpath from Freewind Post to Gadgetzan |
Notable characters[]
Mirage Raceway
- Main article: Thousand Needles NPCs
The Thousand Needles are home to several characters of note. At Freewind Post, Cliffwatcher Longhorn seeks aid in the battle against the Grimtotem Clan. At the Weathered Nook, Dorn Plainstalker attempts to teach members of the Horde about Faith, Endurance, and Strength. And at the Mirage Raceway, Kravel Koalbeard sends bold adventurers around the world in search items that will give him personal gain in his bets at the gnome and goblin races.
Quests[]
- Main article: Thousand Needles quests
- See also: Thousand Needles questing guide
Horde quests in Thousand Needles begin around level 25 and go through level 35. Neutral quests at the Shimmering Flats begin around level 30 and continue to level 35. Some of the neutral quests that send players out of the zone continue all the way up to level 45. Notable quest chains include Goblin Sponsorship quest chain and Errands for Kravel quest chain, both neutral and available at the Mirage Raceway.
Resources[]
- Herbs
- Ore
- Copper Vein
- Tin Vein
- Silver Vein
- Iron Deposit
- Gold Vein
- Ooze Covered Gold Vein
- Mithril Deposit
- Ooze Covered Mithril Deposit
- Truesilver Deposit
Wild creatures[]
- Main article: :Category:Thousand Needles mobs
Highperch
- Air elementals
- Basilisks
- Carrion birds
- Centaurs
- Cougars
- Dogs
- Earth elementals
- Harpies
- Hyenas
- Kobolds
- Scorpids
- Silithids
- Turtles
- Water elementals
- Wind Serpents
- Wyverns
Notes[]
- You can't race on the Mirage Raceway.