FARMING AND EASY KILLS

The Harpy Cave in Thousand Needles

Thousand Needles, west of Freewind Post / level 27 to 30 / plumes, silk and coin / alone

I'm sleeping below the harpy cave in Thousand Needles, in a hollow between two rocks, to save the walk to the inn and back. Harpies screech all night. In the mornings I climb up and kill the ones who kept me awake, and about every seventh one drops a feather that a vendor buys for more than my supper costs.

Why it pays

The Screeching Harpy, Screeching Roguefeather and Screeching Windcaller drop a Vibrant Plume in about one kill out of seven, the Windcallers more often. Most people sell it to a vendor, who pays 8s 25c. The Darkmoon Faire takes five of them for a quest, so when the Faire is in town look at price unknown first. The harpies also drop Silk Cloth in one kill out of four and Wool Cloth in one out of ten, and the travellers say they carry coin as well. Now and then a Long Tail Feather turns up, which a vendor buys for 3s 03c. There are only about two dozen harpies, but they stand close together on the slope and in the cave, so most of the hour is spent killing.

What you need

Level 27 at the least, better 29 or 30. The harpies are 28 to 30, the level cap. The travellers say a rogue at 27 or 28 should stay on the slope, and that a well-geared paladin, warlock or hunter can work inside, where they come two or three at a time.

Where

A cave in the cliffs on the west side of Thousand Needles, due west of Freewind Post, with harpies on the slope below it and inside. The Horde flies to Freewind Post. The Alliance flies to Thalanaar on the Feralas border and walks east. Marshal's Refuge in Un'Goro is closer as the crow flies, but the crater wall is in the way. North of the slope stands an elite called Rok'Alim the Pounder, level 30. He's the red dot.

How

1. Start on the slope below the cave and clear it from the bottom up.
2. Go inside only if two or three harpies at once don't worry you.
3. Loot everything. Sell the plumes to a vendor unless the auction house pays more after its cut, and put the Silk on the auction house.
4. Go round again. The old spawn tables bring a harpy back after five minutes, and by the time you've cleared the cave the slope is full.

What can go wrong

Everybody who read an old guide knows this cave, so you may have company. With two of you on the slope, one goes inside. The Windcallers are level 30, and when three of them come at once I run. I ran down the slope twice that week with my bags half full. The travellers also call this one of the best places for Light Feather, but the Venomous Cloud Serpent just east of the cave drop it nearly twice as often, and it sells for little anyway.

BASTIAN'S VERDICT A good place to finish the last levels before the cap and come out with a bag of plumes. I didn't sleep well, but I paid for my beer in silver.