Do I Lose Renown If I Switch Covenants in World of Warcraft?
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The question of whether you lose your hard-earned Renown when switching Covenants in World of Warcraft is a common one, especially for players who enjoy exploring different playstyles and aesthetics. The short answer is: no, you do not lose your Renown levels when switching Covenants, provided you meet a crucial requirement. This is a significant change from the initial implementation of the Shadowlands expansion and allows for much greater freedom and flexibility for players. Let’s delve deeper into the mechanics of Covenant switching and what this means for you.
Understanding Renown and Covenant Switching
Originally, choosing a Covenant in Shadowlands felt like a permanent commitment. Players had to invest significant time and effort into leveling their Renown and gaining access to the various benefits each Covenant offered. However, Blizzard recognized the need for more freedom and implemented changes to allow players to easily experiment with different Covenants.
The pivotal point for free switching is obtaining the achievement “Renowned.” This achievement is account-wide and is earned by reaching Renown 80 with any single Covenant on any character in your account. Once this is achieved, the game unlocks the ability to switch Covenants without losing any of your earned Renown. This also applies to re-joining Covenants you’ve been a member of before.
What Happens When You Switch Covenants?
It’s essential to clarify what you do and do not lose when changing Covenants after achieving Renowned.
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What You Keep: Crucially, you retain all your Renown levels. This means if you reached Renown 80 with the Kyrian and decide to switch to the Night Fae, you keep that Renown 80 status. Furthermore, any conduits you’ve collected are kept, though you will need to re-distribute them to your new Soulbind. You also keep any upgrades to your Covenant Sanctum.
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What You Lose: When switching, you lose access to certain covenant-specific features. This includes Covenant Abilities, Soulbinds, mounts, titles, transmog appearances, and Sanctum upgrades that are specifically tied to the Covenant you are leaving. However, these are not permanently lost. Upon rejoining your former Covenant, you will have full access to these features again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 related FAQs to further clarify the nuances of Covenant switching and Renown in World of Warcraft:
1. How do I switch Covenants?
To change Covenants, visit the Covenant emissary located in Oribos. This is the central hub for all Shadowlands activities. The emissary will allow you to switch Covenants after you confirm that you want to change.
2. Do I need the “Renowned” achievement to switch freely?
Yes, having the “Renowned” achievement is the prerequisite for switching Covenants without restrictions and retaining your Renown. This achievement is account-wide, meaning once one character achieves it, all your characters can switch freely.
3. Can I rejoin a previous Covenant?
Absolutely! Once you’ve earned the “Renowned” achievement, you can freely switch back to Covenants you’ve previously been a part of by speaking with their respective emissaries in Oribos.
4. Does Renown progress transfer to my alts?
While individual Renown points do not transfer between characters, once you reach a specific reward level with one character, that same reward is account-wide. So, if one character earns a cosmetic reward for a specific Renown level, all of your characters gain that cosmetic reward regardless of their individual Renown level.
5. What if my alt hasn’t started the Shadowlands campaign?
The alt will be able to skip the introduction if you have completed the campaign previously.
6. What if I don’t have Renowned on my account?
If you have not yet obtained the “Renowned” achievement, switching Covenants will mean restarting your Renown progress in the new Covenant. You would lose all of the Renown rewards from your previous Covenant.
7. Does Renown progress beyond level 80 mean anything?
No, the maximum Renown level is 80. Any additional renown gained beyond level 80 does not provide any further benefits. However, the catch-up mechanics remain permanent once one of your characters has hit Renown 80.
8. Can I buy Renown for my alts?
Yes, there is an item called the Broker Mark of Distinction. You can purchase this in Oribos for 500 gold after you reach Renown 80 on at least one character. This item can be sent to alts to instantly level them to Renown 40.
9. What happens to the Renown rewards when I switch?
You keep any cosmetic rewards like transmogs and mounts that you unlocked at Renown 80 with a particular covenant, regardless of your current covenant affiliation. These rewards are account-wide. You may lose access to covenant abilities, soulbinds, and transmog options until you return to that specific covenant.
10. Are Covenants still important in World of Warcraft?
Yes, even with the ability to freely switch, Covenants are still crucial as they impact your character’s power and abilities. Each Covenant offers unique abilities and playstyles, and you should choose one that suits your preferred playstyle.
11. Is there a penalty for switching covenants?
There are no real penalties for switching covenants provided you have earned “Renowned”. You lose access to some features while not in the active covenant.
12. Can I use my previous Covenant’s transmog while in a different Covenant?
Yes, after reaching Renown 80 with a specific Covenant you unlock cosmetic rewards which include transmogs which are account-wide. You can use them on any character, regardless of their current Covenant.
13. What if I haven’t yet unlocked the level 60 transmogs?
You are unable to earn the level 60 transmog items if you do not have the required level in that covenant.
14. What’s the fastest way to gain Renown?
The fastest way to earn Renown is by completing the weekly Covenant campaign chapters, and engaging in end-game content such as dungeons, raids, and pvp. Completing the weekly quests “Replenish the Reservoir” and “Shaping Fate” will also provide renown.
15. How do I unlock Covenant Transmogs?
Covenant transmogs are unlocked through various methods:
- Completing the 9.1 campaign and reaching renown level 60.
- Reaching level 60 and unlocking transmogs through the Death’s Advance reputation.
- Completing Korthia daily quests.
- Reaching Covenant Renown 77 and spending 10000 Anima.
Conclusion
Switching Covenants is now a much more player-friendly experience, thanks to the changes made in Shadowlands. Once you obtain the “Renowned” achievement, you can experiment with all four Covenants freely, enjoying their unique abilities and stories without fear of losing your hard-earned Renown. Remember, while you do lose access to certain covenant-specific features when switching, they are not gone forever and will be accessible once you return to the specific covenant. This flexibility allows players to truly tailor their characters to their preferences, making the game more enjoyable and engaging.