WoW Warbands Guide: Bank, Hearthstone, Shared
Verified November 7, 2026 · Status: live account system
WoW Warbands is the account-wide system introduced in The War Within: shared Warband Bank with 5 tabs, account-wide reputation on most factions, cross-character transmog and currency sharing, and the Warband Hearthstone — turning a solo-leveling MMO into a true account-wide progression game. Verified on 7 November 2026.
Source: Blizzard — Introducing Warbands in The War Within.
Symptom → cause → first action
| Question / problem | Likely cause | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Warband Bank empty on new character | Nothing deposited yet | Visit a bank; deposit shared items into Warband tab |
| Reputation not account-wide | Only Shadowlands+ factions are shared | Older rep (Vanilla/TBC/WotLK) stays per-character |
| Transmog not unlocked on alt | Original item is Soulbound / tradeable timer | Mail account-bound items through Warband Bank |
| Can’t find Warband Hearthstone | Not yet acquired | Buy from Innkeeper for 15 silver once Warband unlocked |
| Alt missing Timewalking currency | Some currencies are per-character still | Check the Currency pane — “Warband” tag on shared |
| Allied race locked on alt | Unlock is still per-account but needs the Heritage quest | Complete Heritage Armor to unlock |
What’s account-wide now
| Category | Shared? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transmog | Yes (always has been) | Collect it once; wear on any character of eligible armor type |
| Mounts | Yes (always has been) | Some faction-locked mounts still lock to faction |
| Pets | Yes (always has been) | Battle pet collection fully shared |
| Toys | Yes (always has been) | Collection shared |
| Reputation (Shadowlands+) | Yes — new in Warbands | Earn once per account, not per character |
| Reputation (Vanilla–BFA) | No | Still per-character |
| Gold | No | Transfer manually via mail or Warband Bank |
| Materials / gear | Via Warband Bank | 5 shared tabs, up to 98 slots per tab |
| Achievements | Mostly account-wide | Some are per-character (combat achievements) |
| Time-walking / older currencies | Often per-character | Check the Currency tag; “Warband” tag = shared |
Warband Bank
- Access at any capital-city bank, same NPCs as the regular bank.
- 5 tabs; first is free, each additional unlock costs scaling gold (1,000g / 2,500g / 10,000g / 25,000g for tabs 2-5).
- Deposits visible to every character on your account instantly.
- Gold can be deposited too — convenient for alt transfers without mail cooldowns.
Warband Hearthstone
A second, shared hearthstone on a separate cooldown from your regular one:
- Buy from any Innkeeper for 15 silver.
- Set destination per-character (just like regular hearth).
- 30-minute cooldown independent of your regular Hearthstone.
- Effectively doubles your fast-travel options.
Character selection screen
The Warbands reorg also redesigned the character select:
- Up to 60 characters per account (was 50).
- Rearrange into custom Warbands for organization.
- Each character shows item level, specialization, and location at a glance.
- Click-and-drag reorder; no realm restriction on who’s in a given Warband.
If something’s not working
- Deposited item not visible on alt? → log out of the alt first, then log into the depositing character to force a sync, then back.
- Rep not flowing to alt? → double-check the faction icon has the “Warband” tag; pre-Shadowlands factions stay per-character.
- Can’t buy a Warband Bank tab? → check your gold balance across every character; tabs charge from the character opening the UI.
- Warband Hearthstone missing from inventory? → buy it again; Innkeepers sell it for 15 silver.
- Still stuck → Blizzard CS at battle.net/support with character names and exact issue.
- Related: WoW Worldsoul Saga, professions.
FAQ
What is a Warband?
Every Battle.net WoW account is now a Warband — your group of characters that share progression. Warbands launched with The War Within expansion and expand what’s shared between alts.
Is reputation really account-wide now?
For Shadowlands and later factions, yes — including The War Within and Dragonflight reps. Pre-Shadowlands reputation (Vanilla, TBC, WotLK, Cata, MoP, WoD, Legion, BFA) is still per-character.
How many Warband Bank tabs are there?
5 tabs total. First is free; tabs 2–5 cost scaling gold (1,000g / 2,500g / 10,000g / 25,000g per Wowhead and Icy Veins tracking). Each tab holds up to 98 slots.
Does the Warband Hearthstone replace my regular one?
No — it’s a separate second hearthstone with its own 30-minute cooldown. You now have two fast-travel options instead of one.
How many characters can I have per account now?
60 characters total, up from 50. Rearrange them into Warbands on the character select screen.
Is gold shared between characters?
Not automatically — but you can deposit gold into the Warband Bank and withdraw on any other character, which skips the mail cooldown.
Do Warbands work in Classic?
No. Warbands are retail-only. Classic, Hardcore, and Season of Discovery do not have the system.
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