Shadowlands Covenants in Dragonflight: What Still Works?
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The transition from one World of Warcraft expansion to the next always brings changes, and the move from Shadowlands to Dragonflight is no exception. A major point of curiosity for many players revolves around the fate of Covenants, Soulbinds, and Conduits, key mechanics from the Shadowlands expansion. Will these still play a role in Dragonflight? Let’s dive in.
The short answer is: Yes, Covenants, Soulbinds, and Conduits will still function, but only within Shadowlands zones and content. This means that while these powerful systems won’t be contributing to your character’s strength in the Dragon Isles, they aren’t entirely obsolete. You will still be able to join a covenant, earn renown, gain covenant power, and utilize soulbinds and conduits. However, this functionality is specifically limited to areas within the Shadowlands and content related to that expansion. Think of it like the Legendary items from Shadowlands; their potent effects are only active while you’re engaging in content from that specific expansion.
Covenant Functionality in Dragonflight
Limited Scope of Covenant Abilities
One of the biggest changes you’ll experience is the limitation on your Covenant Abilities. Outside of Shadowlands content, these abilities will be disabled. If you happen to have a talent that overlaps with your chosen covenant ability, the Covenant Ability will take precedence within the Shadowlands zones, meaning you can’t double stack. While this might seem like a significant loss, it’s crucial to remember that Dragonflight introduces a completely new talent system and combat design. The intention is to focus the current expansion’s core features, ensuring a fresh and focused gameplay experience.
Renown and Covenant Rewards
Even though the focus is shifting, you can still earn Renown with your chosen Covenant, as well as access all of their rewards such as transmogs, mounts, and titles in the Shadowlands zones. If you’ve reached Renown level 80 on a given Covenant, you’ll be able to use the associated cosmetics at any time. You don’t lose your renown if you switch covenants, though there is a minor penalty when switching. Every time you leave a Covenant, you lose 1 level of renown. So, if you are at +2 and leave, it goes back to +1, and if you were at +1 and leave, it goes back to 0. Keep this in mind if you plan to switch covenants and come back again as you will have to earn your renown back.
Covenants Are Not Relevant in Dragonflight Content
It’s vital to emphasize that Covenants are almost entirely irrelevant when engaging with Dragonflight content. There’s no need to join a Covenant for an advantage in the Dragon Isles. This allows players to engage with Shadowlands content to complete transmog collection, while keeping it separate from the focus of Dragonflight.
FAQs: Shadowlands Covenants in Dragonflight
Here are some frequently asked questions to clarify common concerns about how Shadowlands Covenants operate in Dragonflight.
1. Can I Still Join a Covenant in Dragonflight?
Yes, you can still join a Covenant, earn renown, and progress through the Shadowlands story and features. However, this only pertains to the Shadowlands content, you won’t find any advantages from it in Dragonflight zones and content.
2. Do Shadowlands Legendaries Work in Dragonflight?
Like covenants, Shadowlands Legendaries will only work within Shadowlands zones and content. While their stats will still work in any content, their legendary effects will only activate in the Shadowlands. This limitation extends to all legacy content with the exception of returning Mythic+ dungeons such as Iron Docks and Grimrail Depot.
3. Is Dragonflight Connected to Shadowlands?
While Dragonflight does occur in the same universe as Shadowlands, the story has a different focus. Dragonflight is set three years after the events of Shadowlands and is primarily based in the Dragon Isles, the ancestral home of the dragons.
4. Will There Be New Covenants in Dragonflight?
No, there will be no new Covenants in Dragonflight. The Covenant system has reached its end and will no longer be a core system.
5. How Can I Quickly Grind Shadowlands Renown in Dragonflight?
For those looking to catch up on Shadowlands Renown, the fastest way is usually through doing the weekly quests, running through dungeons, and completing callings. Since Shadowlands is now part of the base subscription, access to all content is easier than before.
6. Is Shadowlands Free After Dragonflight?
Yes, Shadowlands is now included in the base World of Warcraft subscription. This means if you have the subscription, you can experience the whole story of Shadowlands.
7. Can I Still Get Covenant Transmogs in Dragonflight?
You can absolutely obtain Covenant transmogs in Dragonflight. The only requirement is to achieve Renown level 80 on the relevant covenant to unlock these cosmetics account-wide.
8. Can I Do Shadowlands Dungeons in Dragonflight?
Characters who own Dragonflight and are level 60 or higher cannot queue for random dungeons from the previous expansions, but can still manually enter any Shadowlands dungeons or use the LFG tool to make a custom group to run through them. Characters that are level 60 and do not have Dragonflight will only have access to Battle for Azeroth dungeons unless they join a custom group.
9. Can I Still Use Shadowlands Abilities in Dragonflight?
No, you cannot use Covenant abilities outside of Shadowlands zones. In addition, any legendary powers will only work within the Shadowlands as well.
10. Does the Heart of Azeroth Work in Dragonflight?
No, the Heart of Azeroth from the Battle for Azeroth expansion is disabled in Dragonflight. While you can equip it for its stats, its core abilities are no longer active.
11. Do I Lose My Renown If I Switch Covenants?
Yes, you will not transfer your renown to a new Covenant if you switch. You will lose access to covenant abilities, appearances, soulbinds, mounts, titles, and sanctum upgrades from your previous covenant. Note, each time you leave a covenant, you will lose one renown rank, but will not be brought back down to zero each time.
12. How Many Years Passed Between Shadowlands and Dragonflight?
There is a three-year time skip between the end of Shadowlands and the start of Dragonflight, with a total of five years between the start of Shadowlands and Dragonflight.
13. Are Legendaries Disabled in Dragonflight?
Legendary item bonuses are disabled in Dragonflight outside of the Shadowlands content. Set bonuses on class armor will still show as active, but with the increased item level from Dragonflight gear, these set bonuses are not as advantageous as current gear.
14. Why Does Dragonflight Require Shadowlands?
You need Shadowlands to purchase Dragonflight because currently, Shadowlands is the most recent expansion. Once Dragonflight launches Shadowlands will be included in the base game, making it no longer required.
15. Can You Solo Shadowlands Content in Dragonflight?
While some Shadowlands content is more accessible solo in Dragonflight, you might find it difficult to solo raids, even with high item levels. Players attempting to solo raids have found success on some of the earlier tiers, while later raids can be very difficult to solo, and are not designed for it.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Covenant system remains intact within Shadowlands content, it has no bearing on the core gameplay experience of Dragonflight. You can still enjoy Shadowlands content, earn its rewards, and explore its storylines while having a smooth transition into the new Dragonflight expansion. Covenants, Soulbinds, and Conduits serve as a way for you to progress through Shadowlands while keeping it separate from the core mechanics of Dragonflight. This approach allows for a clean separation between past content and the fresh direction of the new expansion.