After leaving Elwynn Forest at around Level 10, I took Dragast into Westfall. Right after crossing the bridge from Elwynn Forest, one of the many Easter Eggs of World of Warcraft comes into view – and on of my favorite ones:you will find a broken down horse wagon with two dead bodies around it – and a Lieutenant Horatio Laine on the crime scene. Being also a fan of CSI Miami, this is a nice reference, down to the red hair of the NPC.
Westfall is one of the areas that has severely changed with the Cataclysm add-on. What used to be a desolate and deserted landscape has now become an Alliance stronghold.
The image to the left was taken the night before Cataclysm came out – you can see Sentinel Hill in the background and plenty of open space between you and the tower.
The location of the image is east of Saldean’s Farm, just about to fly over the dirt road. Compared to Elwynn Forest back then, Westfall was a lousy and lonely place.
The image to the right is taken today – the same blue skies, the same old tower on Sentinel Hill.
But all new trees where none had been before and a huge fortified stronghold where one a lonely outpost has been.
Westfall has changed quite a bit. Also in some other areas, where screenshots from the pre-Cataclysm world are available: the following is taken before the add-on, just east of Sentinel Hill – a place called “The Dead Acre”.
Again, the change is obvious although not that dramatic than in the image before. A forgotten farmhouse with a small tower is standing on the edge of a rotten field.
Small trees are dominating the area, in the back you can see the road leading into Duskwook – including traces of the bridge. Today, the farm is still forlorn but trees have grown and also the acre has changed. Road and bridge are still around.
But there are other areas in Westfall as well – near the entrance from Elwyn Forrest, there is not only the mentioned crime scene but also a set of farms, partially inhabited: the Jansen Stead, Furlbrow’s Pumpkin Farm, The Molsen Farm and Saldean’s Farm – making a point of Westfall having been the “grain chamber” of the Eastern Kingdoms.
If you look closely at the image above, you can even see the beach entrance in the back where Gnolls and Murlocs cause havoc.
Following the path further into Westfall, you will see more farms and finally Moonbrook appearing in the distance.
While the area directly west of Sentinel Hill has never been that much of an attraction and a questing area, Moonbrook is.
Especially, since it hosts the entrance to one of the low-level dungeons new characters usually start out with: the Death Mines.
Moonbrook itself is a forgotten town at the edge of the Dagger Hills, which in the pre-Cataclysm world was inhabited by bandits and has now been re-captured and serves as new home for former Stormwind Citizens.
Finally, the last place to mention is probably the Westfall Lighthouse situated at the coast just beyond Moonbrook.
The area today is clear of any thieves and other criminals – Westfall has really been re-taken in the Cataclysm world and maybe a future add-on will expand the area even more (not that I will see it then…)
Westfall’s western coast marks the beginning of The Great Sea – it is also a deserted and dangerous coast with plenty of Gnoll Camps around – and many ships have found their final resting place here.
Unfortunately, the coast is not rich on fish – so when Dragast used to pick up fishing skills, there was no reason to return to Westfall – in all honesty: once I was done with the zone, Dragast never really returned here except for the occasional dungeon raid.
So this is it, this is Westfall. If you trust Blizzard’s leveling guide, it is good for characters on level 10 to 15 – beyond that, you will have to move on to Redridge Mountains for the next few levels.