Starting over - advice from those that have

[deez]

Either way I'd get the heirloom items, they do stack with RAF. If you decide to start fresh transfer an 80 with the heirlooms to each new account. There were quests for Uldaman that granted around 15k xp. Pretty amazing.

[crowdx]

The issue I would see using Heirloom items with RAF is that the RAF accounts will fall too far behind the referring account and ultimately will break the bonus RAF level gap rule.

[Owltoid]

Thanks to all the helpful replies, I now have a plan that I'm happy about.

I will not be starting 5 new account and upgrading to WotLK. Instead, I will do just as suggested in this thread and start two more vanilla RAF accounts. I currently have 2 RAF accounts linked (to account 2 and account3) and I will add two more (to account4 and account5). It's going to be a bit laborious, but I will first fill up my account2 and account3, then activate my new RAF accounts and fill up my account4 and account5.

I was pretty lucky with my account1. I wanted my account1 to have every type of toon that can heal and/or tank so that in PvP I can run 4 DPS plus any healer I want, and in PvE I can use that account as my tanking account. Fortunately, I have a "high" level druid, priest, and warrior already on the account, so worst case scenario is I transfer my "high" level shaman and pally (exists on account4 and account5).

To summarize costs, instead of $325 plus not having any level 80s and starting fresh, I am now looking at the following worst case scenario:

2 new RAF accounts = $40
2 toon transfers = $50
2 likely toon recustomizations = $30 (though no rush)
2 name changes = $20 (really no rush and may not do it)
Total = $140

Because I'll be salvaging 5x80 druids and 5x67 pallys, I think I'll actually be saving time by doing this method, even though I can only work on 2 toons at a time (plus level granting) instead of 4.

Once again thanks to all for helping me think through this issue

[Kedash00]

i was in a similar situation, i pretty much maxxed out my 5 man team in heroics/triumph gear, so i went and got 5 more accounts so i can 10 box, almost got the second team ready to go but just knowing i'm working on a bigger project makes it worth while for me.

[jinkobi]

When I started multiboxing that's how I began Owl with just 2 accounts. Already had an 80 paladin and wanted to build my team around him. So I began with the RAF and leveled 2 druids at a time up to 80. Granted it was a bit painful the second time around but it's a bit of a distant memory now. Less than a month had my 4 druids up to 80- went to Frye's and bought 3 more WOWs up to WOTLK came home and transferred everyone to their new home.

Worked out great for me in the long run. If I'd had more forsight and energy I'd dual boxed more teams up but was too excited and impatient to get into 5 boxing.

[Shodokan]

Do not RAF now. In cata... If you are in a guild there is a new guild talent that allows for up to 20% extra experience gained by their members. This does stack with BOAS pre-80.

[crowdx]

How does the talent work? Is it automatic with the guild or does the guild need certain achievements?

[Owltoid]

Leveling is going well, though long. The suggestions to turn that moonkin into a feral druid was pure gold. Although the moonkin is still better for deadmines (when doing it in one pull it's such a long run back from the ship to the beginning that you need to have a couple good rejuvs), the feral tank destroys everything else. My new "tank" is just in auction house greens, and I'm sure Scholo would go even better if I had better gear, but the 360 degree swipe that also heals you while you don't have to worry about mana is a boosters dream. I'm clearing most of Scholo in 10 minutes (my thorns has about 30 seconds left when I reset the instance) which is worth 50% of a level at 59 and more at lower levels. Basically no level takes more than 20 minutes since I just plan on granting levels from 42 to 45 since those are the pain in the ass ones (SM gives barely any exp and it's too much of a time sink to go anywhere else).

[OzPhoenix]

An all-druid team is the only thing I'd consider going through the 5-boxing leveling experience one last time for.

Glad to hear your making good progress.

[crowdx]

The only comment I would make is that I placed 2 lowbies at BRD so that they can summon other toons there, BRD is very fast from 40 - 45, it takes about 1.25 hours for each set of toons to boost from 40 -45, so yes a pain to get your first set there but once you have toons to summon the next set it makes that 40 - 45 very easy.
Also something I do when leveling like this is to finish each place with all my toons, i.e. I had all my toons at level 40 before I moved on to BRD, this way no time is wasted moving the tank between the two instances. Another tip would be if you have a lock, you can summon the tank to each new instance, e.g. My warlock is on a linked account and so I have him ride to the next instance, summon the lowbie and then with the other higher level (a dk I have sitting on that account) I summon the second lowbie and finally I use the lock to summon the tank, makes it a lot less painful moving to the next instance.
Finally, it is worth putting the points in your talent tree to give you the speed boost in cat form, can be a great help in large pulls enabling you to outrun the mobs and drag them behind you.
My two cents