The Skyborne are the only new race in World of Warcraft: Forever. They are shen'dorei high elves who live on Zephras Isle, a floating island in Skywall – the elemental plane of air. The race comes in two variants, one for each faction. This guide explains the differences, classes, racial abilities and the start on Zephras Isle. All races side by side are in the race database.
High Order and Windshaper
| High Order | Windshaper | |
|---|---|---|
| Faction | Alliance | Horde |
| Classes | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Druid | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Druid |
| Own racial | Read Leyline | Skysight |
| Racial leader (wiki) | Elaadrin Evengale | Ayessa Dawnsinger |
| Starting reputation (wiki) | Friendly with Stormwind and the Kirin Tor | Friendly with Thunder Bluff |
The High Order descends from the Highborne scholars of Eldre'Thalas. When the wind spirits left Zephras Isle, it realised how dependent the Skyborne had become on their elemental patrons. A new generation is meant to recover the lost arcane knowledge in Azeroth.
The Windshapers descend from the first shen'dorei who received the wind spirits' gift of elemental skysight. They want to find out what became of their vanished mentors and bring the wind spirits back.
According to the Warcraft Wiki, both variants speak Darnassian, which makes them the only race able to talk across the faction line. The race uses the blood elf model and animations; its racial mount is the Galestrider.
Racial abilities
Each variant has four racials, three of which they share:
| Ability | Type | Effect | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Blessed | passive | +3% melee, ranged and spell haste | both |
| Elemental Insight | passive | +5% damage against elementals | both |
| Walk on Air | active | Glide downward for 10 sec while steering | both |
| Read Leyline | active | +100% health and mana regeneration; 30 sec, 15 min near a leyline | High Order |
| Skysight | active | +10% movement and mounted speed; 30 sec, 15 min near an elemental convergence | Windshaper |
Wind Blessed is the strongest racial for combat: 3% haste works for every class, whether melee, hunter or caster. Elemental Insight is situational and depends on how many elementals you meet – in a story built around wind spirits and Skywall probably more often than in Classic, though that is not confirmed. Walk on Air prevents falling damage and opens shortcuts.
For the variant racials, play style decides: Read Leyline shortens eating and drinking breaks, above all for casters while levelling. Skysight adds speed that helps with questing, gathering and open-world PvP. Where exactly leylines and elemental convergences are located is not recorded in our data.
Classes
Five classes are open to the Skyborne. Warriors, Hunters, Rogues and Druids are available to both variants; Mages only to the High Order, Shamans only to the Windshapers. Priests, Paladins and Warlocks are not playable. Plan the class talent trees in the talent calculator; specs and roles are listed in the class database.
Starting on Zephras Isle
Skyborne begin on Zephras Isle (level 1–12), a neutral sanctuary. Its main settlement is Valanaar. Airships leave the Valanaar skydocks for Azeroth: to Dalaran in the Alterac Mountains for the Alliance, and to Skywatcher Plateau in Mulgore for the Horde.
The island's story explains the starting zone: the air elementals vanished centuries ago, the magic that keeps Zephras Isle aloft is fading, and refugees flee to Zephras from the sister islands Anvilas and Siroccas as those islands fall.
Purchase
Unlike every other race, the Skyborne are not included with game time. According to the Warcraft Wiki, you need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or the Skyborne Epic Pack, or alternatively the limited Warcraft Forever Collection. The packs include access to the race, the Zephras Isle starting zone and cosmetics for Forever and current WoW. We do not list prices here because they change by region and offer.
More new combinations
Besides the Skyborne, Forever opens six new race/class combinations for existing races: Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Undead Paladin and Troll Warlock. That puts Paladins in the Horde and Shamans in the Alliance. Races introduced with The Burning Crusade or later are not playable.
What is still open
The sources do not explicitly call Valanaar a capital; the wiki lists "Valanaar, Zephras Isle and Skywall" as the home. It is also unclear where the leylines and elemental convergences for the full duration of Read Leyline and Skysight are.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to buy the Skyborne?
Yes. The Skyborne require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or the Skyborne Epic Pack (or the limited Warcraft Forever Collection). Every other race is included with game time.
Which classes can Skyborne play?
Both variants can be Warriors, Hunters, Rogues and Druids. The High Order (Alliance) can also play Mage, the Windshapers (Horde) Shaman.
Where do Skyborne start?
On Zephras Isle (level 1–12), a floating island in Skywall. Its main settlement is Valanaar.
What is the difference between High Order and Windshaper?
Faction, class choice and one racial: the High Order has Read Leyline (double regeneration), the Windshapers have Skysight (10% more speed). Both share the other three racials.