Choosing Your Covenant on Alts in Shadowlands: A Veteran’s Guide

So, you’re leveling an alt through Shadowlands and the big question looms: which Covenant do you choose? It’s a decision that impacts your abilities, aesthetic, and overall gameplay experience. But fear not, aspiring champion! Picking a Covenant on an alt is simpler than navigating the Maw on foot, especially if you’ve already blazed the trail with your main.

The Alt Covenant Decision: A Streamlined Path

The key is Threads of Fate. If you choose to level your alt through the Shadowlands storyline, rather than through Chromie Time, you’ll be presented with Threads of Fate upon entering Oribos.

• Initiating Threads of Fate: This skips the linear campaign progression.
• Immediate Covenant Choice: Once activated, Fatescribe Roh-Tahl will immediately give you the quest “Re-Introductions,” sending you to The Enclave. You can choose a Covenant in the quest “Choosing Your Purpose.”
• Choosing Your Purpose: You are presented with the Covenant Map and can choose one of the four Covenants. Completing this quest assigns you to that Covenant. From there the leader of the Covenant will have a quest for you.

This allows you to jump straight into choosing your Covenant, bypassing much of the initial campaign grind. This is available at level 50. You can then level up by doing world quests, side quests, dungeons, and other activities in any zone, all while progressing your chosen Covenant’s storyline.

Factors to Consider

Here’s what to mull over when deciding which banner your alt will fight under:

• Class Synergies: Some Covenants simply mesh better with certain classes and specializations. For example, Night Fae is often favored by Druids, Shamans, Hunters, and Monks due to its themes and abilities.
• Covenant Abilities: Each Covenant grants two unique abilities – one class-specific and one shared. Consider how these abilities would enhance your alt’s gameplay style. You can preview Covenant Abilities by talking to each Covenant Ambassador during the quest “Choosing Your Purpose.” Choose the dialogue option, “Can I please test the covenant abilities again?” to temporarily regain both Covenant abilities.
• Aesthetic Preference: Let’s be honest, the transmogs, mounts, and overall vibe of each Covenant play a significant role. Do you prefer the regal aesthetic of the Kyrian, the macabre charm of the Necrolords, the nature-infused beauty of the Night Fae, or the disciplined strength of the Venthyr?
• Account-Wide Unlocks: Remember that some Covenant rewards, like mounts, are account-wide. Even if your main isn’t in that Covenant, your alt’s membership will unlock those goodies for everyone.
• Renown and Catch-Up Mechanics: Shadowlands has robust catch-up mechanics. It’s easier than ever to boost your alt’s Renown to a respectable level quickly.
• Future Content: While Shadowlands is not the current expansion, certain cosmetics and unlocks may still be relevant for transmog hunters and completionists.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here’s a deep dive into some common questions about Covenant selection on alts:

1. How do I unlock Covenant Assaults on Alts?

Covenant Assaults are unlocked after completing Chapter 2 of the Chains of Domination questline, Maw Walkers. This is an account-wide unlock, so if your main has done it, your alt will have access as well.

2. Can I join all Covenants?

No. You can only be a member of one Covenant at a time. Joining a new Covenant will overwrite your current allegiance. However, you can switch Covenants as needed.

3. Do I need to do my Covenant Campaign on Alts?

Not entirely. If at least one character on your account has completed chapters one and two of their relevant covenant’s questline, it is possible to skip only those two chapters on an alternative character. It is not possible to skip entire covenant campaigns.

4. Why can’t I choose a Covenant?

Several factors might prevent you from choosing a Covenant:

• Not activating Threads of Fate: Ensure you have talked to Fatescribe Roh-Tahl and activated Threads of Fate in Oribos if you are under level 60.
• Addons: Believe it or not, addons can interfere with quest interactions. Try disabling your addons and re-attempting the quest “Choosing Your Purpose.”

5. Can Alts use Covenant Mounts?

Yes! Covenant mounts are account-wide. You need to be a member of the Covenant to buy them initially, but once you’ve purchased them, any character on your account can ride them, regardless of their Covenant affiliation.

6. How do I get Covenant Armor?

Covenant armor is earned through your Covenant Campaign. Starting at Chapter 3 of the storyline, you will earn different pieces through the campaign. To obtain the whole set you need to quest through all 9 chapters of your Covenant.

7. What happens if I break a Covenant?

In Shadowlands game mechanics, “breaking” a Covenant (leaving it to join another) doesn’t have any in-game consequences. The only real consequence is the temporary loss of any Covenant-specific progress (Renown, cosmetics, etc.).

8. How many times can you switch Covenants?

Players can freely swap between Covenants after reaching Renown 80 with any character on their account. The achievement Renowned is required to unlock free switches. These switches have no restrictions.

9. Do I lose Renown if I switch Covenants?

Yes. Anything you have unlocked on the previous Covenant will not convert to the new one. This includes Renown, covenant abilities, appearances, soulbinds, mounts, titles, and sanctum upgrades. You’ll essentially be starting from scratch with the new Covenant.

10. What class is best for Night Fae?

While any class can perform well in the Night Fae, it tends to be a strong choice for Druids, Shamans, Hunters, and Monks.

11. How do you unlock Mikanikos on Alt?

Forgelite Prime Mikanikos is the third Soulbind that you will acquire if you choose to join the Kyrian Covenant. This Soulbind is unlocked when you complete the Kyrian Covenant Campaign.

12. Can you do all 4 Covenant Campaigns?

Yes! You can complete all four Covenant campaigns without swapping characters! You can only do each campaign once per toon.

13. Where do I get started?

• Reach Oribos: Progress through the initial Shadowlands quests until you arrive in Oribos.
• Choose Threads of Fate: Speak to Fatescribe Roh-Tahl and opt into Threads of Fate.
• Visit The Enclave: Complete the quest Re-Introductions to travel to The Enclave
• “Choosing Your Purpose”: This quest will allow you to preview Covenant abilities and make your final decision.

14. What are Soulbinds, and how do they factor into my Covenant choice?

Soulbinds are powerful NPCs within each Covenant that you can “bind” to, granting you a unique talent tree of passive and active abilities. They significantly enhance your character’s power and playstyle. Explore each Covenant’s Soulbinds before making your final decision, as they can heavily influence your combat effectiveness.

15. Are Covenant choices permanent? What if I regret my decision later?

Covenant choices aren’t set in stone. As mentioned earlier, you can switch Covenants, though it involves a bit of legwork to regain lost Renown and rewards. This flexibility allows you to experiment and find the Covenant that truly resonates with your playstyle and character fantasy.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a Covenant on an alt is a journey, not a destination. Experiment, explore, and don’t be afraid to switch things up if you’re not feeling the love. And remember, the best Covenant is the one that makes you excited to log in and play. Happy adventuring in the Shadowlands!

For more insights into the mechanics of games and their educational impact, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Covenant choices offer unique ways to experience the game and play as your favorite class.

Ultimately, the best way to pick a Covenant is to consider all factors and find the choice that works best for you.