Earthen — WoW’s Next Allied Race The War Within
Disclaimer
World of Warcraft: The War Within will be released on August 26th, 2024. Since this release date is decently far off, we are not currently certain on which features will stay and which ones will be dropped or changed. The information in this article is, at the time of writing, considered to be as accurate as it can be. All topics in this article are subject to change. Please check official websites for the most up-to-date information. There may be spoilers ahead.
As we venture through the start of the Worldsoul Saga, we will find ourselves fighting enemies both new and old. Our ancient rival, Xal’atath, takes on the role of main antagonist as the Harbinger of the Void. With an army of nerubians, mutated like never before, she will certainly bring Azeroth as we know it to a bitter end if left unchecked.
Willing to help us in keeping this threat contained are the Earthen, a new playable race that we will learn about and unlock in this expansion, The War Within. They are not like the Titan-forged beings we’ve met in Ulduar and other such places. These Earthen have been isolated and thus allowed to grow into their own people able to forge their own bonds, which will be discussed in the first section of this article.
Once you read this guide to the Earthen, you’ll know almost everything available to know about them at the time of writing. First, the essentials of this race will be discussed, including their relations to the Horde and Alliance, what classes they may pick up, and their inherent racial abilities. Then, you’ll learn how to gain their trust and welcome them to your Warband. After that, the most important part (to some) will be covered—aesthetics.
Now, let’s meet the Earthen and their underground home! Wait, what are you doing? Put down the shovel. They’re going to be found off the west coast of Pandaria and I doubt you want to dig near there.
Table of Contents
The Bare Bones (Or Stones?)
Seriously, I have no clue if the Earthen have bones or not. Are they hollow on the inside? Pure boulder and brick? Or do they have bones like the rest of us? Eh, that’s too confusing to think about much more, so let’s ignore the possibilities for what’s inside an Earthen. There is something far more confusing coming in PvP.
Earthen can pledge themselves to the Horde or the Alliance. Yes, you heard that right. They will be the first neutral Allied Race in World of Warcraft. If friendly fire was enabled, just imagine the chaos! In the heat of battle, there would be no telling if that Pandaren, Earthen, or Dracthyr was a friend or a foe.
While they fight for either the Horde or the Alliance, Earthen can take on the following classes and the following roles.
- Hunter
- Melee DPS
- Ranged DPS
- Mage
- Ranged DPS
- Monk
- Tank
- Healer
- Melee DPS
- Paladin
- Tank
- Healer
- Melee DPS
- Priest
- Healer
- Ranged DPS
- Rogue
- Melee DPS
- Shaman
- Healer
- Melee DPS
- Ranged DPS
- Warlock
- Ranged DPS
- Warrior
- Tank
- Melee DPS
Note that after recent changes were revealed, Earthen are not going to be playable as Death Knights at release.
Not only do Earthen fight with the power of their chosen class! Their racial abilities can add to their prowess in combat. Below are these abilities, listed out and explained.
- Azerite Surge
- Two-minute cooldown
- Strength depends on level of empowerment
- Level 1 deals fire damage to enemies
- Level 2 can heal allies
- Level 3 causes additional fire damage
- Hyper Productive
- Finesse, your chance of getting additional reagents while gathering, gets a 2% buff
- Ingest Minerals
- Always have the Well Fed buff despite being unable to eat food
- Can activate to consume a gem and gain a stat buff
- Titan-Wrought Frame
- The base armor from items you use is increased by 10%
- Wide-Eyed Wonder
- When you gain experience from exploring new areas, it is increased by 200%
So far, it seems like this race will be a solid pick for numerous playstyles. They can gather more materials, potentially tank better with the Titan-Wrought Frame passive, and deal extra damage and healing with Azerite Surge.
How to Unlock
You should be excited for the Earthen to join your faction. They’ll be a wonderful addition to either the unified, savage Horde or the more traditional Alliance. They won’t be easily swayed, though. You’ll need to complete a series of questlines to unlock the Earthen as a playable race.
These storylines are listed below.
- Against the Current
- News From Below
- A Light in the Dark
- Ties that Bind
- The Machines March to War
Then, you must complete the level-up storyline.
- Beginning Anew from Rock Bottom
Finally, there are a few miscellaneous things that need to be done.
- Reforged Purpose
- Involves fixing broken tools
- Bad Business
- Return stability to Dornogal
- As He Departs
- Ceremonies are always fun, right?
- The Weight of Duty
- Helping people assume burdensome duties is always fun…right?
Congratulations! You should now be able to play as an Earthen, unless things change prior to launch.
Racial Mount
Not only will the above steps unlock the Earthen—they’ll unlock a mount related to them too! The Slatestone Ramolith can be used by any character upon collection. An impressive stone beast with massive curling horns and patches of grass, this trusty steed will take you wherever you need to go.
Heritage Armor
Reaching level 50 on an Earthen character will unlock the Heritage of the Earthen achievement. With this achievement, you will receive the Earthen Heritage Armor. It is exclusive to your Earthen toons, meaning that other races cannot transmog this set. As a cosmetic set, it will be available for all armor types, ranging from cloth to plate.
We currently aren’t sure what this set will look like, but datamining suggests that it may have up to four tints: purplish-gray and red, silver and green, gold and blue, and gold and turquoise. The models we have so far seem similar to the heritage armor for the Dark Iron Dwarves, but the Earthen get a more regal and loose look.
To unlock the heritage set, be sure to not do the following. You must organically level your toon to get this armor.
- Level Boosts
- Can be bought in-game in the form of tokens. Boosting by players does not factor in at all
- Changing your toon’s faction or race
- Anything else that artificially levels or alters your character!
Closing Thoughts
As danger lurks in the depths of Azeroth, we must find new friends to help us defend her. The Earthen will gladly fight for either the Horde or Alliance on your account, so long as you help them first. With the ability to play as most classes, impressive racial traits, and epic aesthetic options, the Earthen are a welcome addition to our Warbands…even if they are mostly recolored dwarves. Oh well! Make sure to put August 26th on your calendar so you can get started in The War Within right away. For now, have fun exploring what’s left of Dragonflight!
