World of Warcraft is sending its players off on a new adventure in Azeroth with the Dragonflight expansion. As with every major release, the real boss of an expansion is updating and finding the best mods to support your gameplay. Dragonflight is an interesting launch for add-ons as this is the first time in the game’s history that the entire user interface and HUD have been redesigned from the ground up. Many features of previously popular add-ons are now built directly into the default UI, so the necessity of particular mods has changed. Here are the most well-maintained and useful add-ons going into Dragonflight, spanning everything from raiding assistance to collector quality-of-life utility.
1. WeakAuras
WeakAuras is an addon that never seems to be dethroned when it comes to useful mods. Blizzard’s default UI update failed to add much in the way of keeping track of cooldowns, buffs, debuffs, and important information in a compact and direct way. WeakAuras lets you create custom or premade alerts for almost everything from cooldowns to important boss abilities. The mod uses visuals and sounds to make sure that you are always in the know about important game cues. If you choose to use this addon, however, be aware that it can be taxing on your memory usage and your custom Weakauras must be updated and maintained regularly to prevent interface errors.
2. ElvUI
ElvUI is the most popular mod on this list, but its necessity has somewhat diminished with the default user interface update. This addon basically does everything you could want in a single package. It replaces almost all UI elements with a new look and is fully customizable. You can change almost anything from raid frames to unit frame locations to your liking. It is extensive for someone who wants more control over their UI than the default settings. Blizzard’s UI update has added in many of the major utilities that the addon provided, but it still offers quite a few additional features for those who want to stick with it, and you can turn off anything that you don’t care to use.
3. Rarity
This next addon is super useful for the collection enthusiast. Rarity keeps track of all collectibles in the game and their location. The mod will literally track your progress towards a certain mount, toy, or pet and even show you how many attempts you have on a particular collectible every time you kill a boss or complete an objective that could reward it. Furthermore, the addon will make a spectacle when you earn something and tell you how many attempts it took to succeed. It will even take a screenshot the moment you receive the reward so that you can keep a record of your achievements.
4. Details! Damage Meter
Damage meter addons are sometimes the bane of the MMO communities. They provide insight into how everyone in a group is performing, but some players become so obsessed with them that it leads to toxicity and poor player interactions. However, they can be extremely important for improving as a player. You can only get so far in-game without knowing your performance output compared to others in your role. Details! Damage Meter will let you know your own performance output and that of all other group members, showcasing damage, healing, deaths, interrupts, and more. There are several popular damage meter mods, but the community seems to favor Details! as it is less of a memory hog than the others.
5. Deadly Boss Mods/BigWigs
Deadly Boss Mods and BigWigs are two popular add-ons that accomplish the same task. They are the best friends of anyone wishing to raid or partake in group content. Both mods are well maintained, and which one you decide to use mostly comes down to player preference. These mods provide alerts for boss mechanics and can show time frames for upcoming mechanics. It will make sure you understand these alerts with visual and audio cues. It also helps a raid team with specific roles required in a fight and can utilize chat bubbles to automatically let other players know if you have a dangerous mechanic on you.
6. GTFO
GTFO is another useful addon for those who do group content, especially raiding. It is a pretty simple mod with one purpose, and that is to scream at you when you are standing in the bad stuff. It provides immediate feedback often before you start taking damage from what is at your feet. This helps improve situational awareness in fights. It has a lot of customization but is basically an install and forget it mod, as it works pretty well just by enabling it.
7. Leatrix Plus
Leatrix Plus is an addon that provides many quality-of-life improvements for general gameplay in World of Warcraft. It does a variety of things and is fully customizable. You can use this mod to automate accepting and turning in quests, accept summons or resurrections, sell junk to vendors automatically, repair your gear automatically, and so on. You can also set modifier keys to stop these automated events from happening at will. Leatrix Plus has been around for a while and has many other useful optional plugins to accompany it. Utilizing this mod can speed up the leveling process in Dragonflight.
8. SilverDragon
SilverDragon is an addon that goes quite well with the previously mentioned Rarity addon. While Rarity tracks collectibles, SilverDragon alerts you to rare mobs and events on the map with a pop-up and audio cue. It can even point you in the direction of the rare mob with an arrow. A lot of these rares will drop collectibles or useful gear. The addon also comes with a map overlay showing the spawn location, spawn conditions, and potential rewards it offers. The overlay will even tell you how long it has been since you have seen the rare. Several other addons function similarly, but SilverDragon has been around for quite a while and receives regular updates.
9. Vuhdo
The default World of Warcraft raiding frames are decent, but many healers find that using an addon offers way more useful customization and features to aid in keeping their teammates alive. Several different raid frame addons are quite popular, and the previously mentioned ElvUI even has one built in. However, Vuhdo has been around forever, is updated regularly, and is a safe bet. It is a fully customizable raid frame replacer, allowing you to track buffs and debuffs directly on your allies, utilize click casting and mouseover casting right on the frames, and many other options. These types of addons are a healer’s best friend.
10. Immersion
The final addon on this list doesn’t add much to raiding, but it is quite a unique addon that improves the default questing experience. Immersion replaces the quest and gossip frames with a more modern user interface. Instead of a wall of text popping up, you can actually read and understand what is happening in an easy to see frame. You can progress quest text by clicking a single button and customize how the information is presented. Installing this addon will help you better understand the story of the quest. It provides a more immersive experience but also allows you to speed it up when you’re in a hurry.
Related: 5 ways Dragonflight shows that World of Warcraft devs are listening to fan feedback
The World of Warcraft: Dragonflight experience
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight takes players back to Azeroth for a new adventure. Players can create a Dracthyr Evoker, soar the skies, and collect various interesting rewards while tackling new dungeons and raids.
