Battlegrounds are instanced PvP combat areas for players above level 10. Players fight Horde versus Alliance in a structured game setting. You can enter a battleground alone or with a group of comrades. For the best rewards, try queuing for Random Battlegrounds. You’ll be pitted against players in a randomly determined Battleground, and whether you win or lose, you’ll receive a Strongbox, which contains Honor, as well as many other potential valuable rewards. There are 11 total battlegrounds available to play, and they typically involve three different types of combat.
Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag style battlegrounds involve capturing a flag and returning it to a certain objective point on the map. While this may sound easy enough, the opposing faction will also be trying to capture and return flags at the same time, resulting in a clash of PvP combat. If a player is killed while carrying a flag, that flag can either be picked up by another player, or returned to its base.
Resource Race
Resource Race Battlegrounds are a race between both sides that involves collecting a certain number of resources. These resources slowly count up over the course of the Battleground. To speed up the rate that resources are collected, players must complete certain objectives within the Battleground. This can include capturing and holding a point on the map, or even escorting carts of resources from one point on the map to another. The first team to reach the predetermined number of resources needed wins.
Siege and Vehicular Combat
Siege Battlegrounds are usually won in one of two different ways, either by defeating a boss or capturing an objective in a fortified base; or by whittling down the enemy’s reinforcements before they can defeat your boss or capture the objective for themselves. Some Siege Battlegrounds also include Vehicular Combat mechanics. Vehicles are scattered across the map for players to control. Each vehicle has a special set of abilities, and vehicles are typically used to break walls or barriers within the Battleground in order to advance. Vehicles are not, however, immune to taking damage, and can be destroyed by player attacks.
|
Battleground |
Battleground Type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
| Warsong Gulch | Capture the Flag | A valley bordering Ashenvale Forest and the Barrens, Warsong Gulch hosts a constant battle between the Horde and Alliance. As a 10 vs 10 capture-the-flag battleground, the first faction to capture three flags is victorious. Eager to aid their allies, members of every race in Azeroth rush to the Gulch to lend sword, or spell, to the conflict. |
| Arathi Basin | Resource Race | The Arathi Basin is one of the main staging points of war between the humans and the Forsaken in Azeroth. Arathi Basin is a 15 vs 15 domination battleground, where each side attempts to control the Stables, Blacksmith, Mine, Lumbermill and Farm for as long as possible. The Defilers’ elite troopers seek to sever the vital connection between the humans and their dwarven allies to the south. Meanwhile, the League of Arathor seek to reclaim lost lands for their benefactors in Stormwind. |
| Eye of the Storm | Resource Race/Capture the Flag | Hovering high above the ravaged landscape of Netherstorm is the island known as the Eye of the Storm. Eye of the Storm is a 15 vs 15 domination battleground, where each side attempts to control the Mage Tower, Fel Reaver Ruins, Blood Elf Tower, and Draenei Ruins for as long as possible. The draenei seek to claim it due to its proximity to the naaru’s mysterious vessel, Tempest Keep. This battlefield is coveted by the blood elves for its rich energy deposits. |
| Alterac Valley | Siege | Hidden within the Alterac Mountains, Alterac Valley is the home of the Frostwolf clan. The Stormpike dwarves have established a foothold in the valley and seek to plumb its depths for riches and links to their ancestral past. A large-scale 40 vs 40 battleground, each side attempts to destroy each other’s tower fortifications and slay the enemy General (Vanndar Stormpike or Drek’Thar). |
| Strand of the Ancients | Vehicular Combat/Timed Siege | To the south of Dragonblight lies the resting place of a legendary Titan artifact known by the Alliance and Horde to possess critical information regarding the Titans and their methods. Strand of the Ancients is a 15 vs 15 battleground, where each side takes a turn attacking and defending the Titan artifact at the southern tip of the island. Prepare yourself for battle, for fate cannot determine success upon this Strand of the Ancients. |
| Isle of Conquest | Vehicular Combat/Siege | The Isle of Conquest is a point of strategic importance for the Alliance and Horde campaigns in Northrend, each side determined to secure control of the island. As a large-scale 40 vs 40 battleground, each side attempts to wrest control of the Workshop, Docks, Hanger, Quarry, and Refinery in order to secure access to the enemy stronghold and defeat its general (Halford Wyrmbane or Overlord Agmar). |
| Twin Peaks | Capture the Flag | Nestled in the Twilight Highlands, Twin Peaks has flared as a point of contention between the Alliance and Horde. As a 10 vs 10 capture-the-flag battleground, the first faction to capture three flags is victorious. Lend your strength as both factions struggle to take control of this critical high ground! |
| Battle for Gilneas | Resource Race | As the Greymane wall collapses, the inevitable conflict between the Forsaken and Worgen reaches a new climax. The Battle for Gilneas is a 10 vs 10 domination battleground, where each side attempts to control the Mine, Lighthouse, and Waterworks for as long as possible. |
| Temple of Kotmogu | Resource Race | The Horde and Alliance wage battle for the ancient Mogu artifact that is foretold to hold great powers. Temple of Kotmogu is a 10 vs 10 powerball battleground where each side attempts to control the 4 Mogu artifacts for as long as possible in different scoring zones. |
| Silvershard Mines | Resource Race | This battleground takes place underneath Stranglethorn Vale in a Venture Co. goblin mine. Silvershard Mines is a 10 vs 10 escort battleground, in which each side attempts to control diamond carts until they reach the mine depot. |
| Deepwind Gorge | Resource Race | Situated in the Valley of the Four Winds, Deepwind Gorge is where the Alliance and Horde continue their war for Pandaria’s precious resources. While the two factions battle for control over mines, they must also protect their own resources from being stolen and turned against them! |
Arena
Arena combat offers unstructured, highly competitive PvP. Teams of 2, 3, or 5 compete against each other in a ranked series of tournaments. There are seasons for this, and the rewards that come from Arena are on par with what you can get from Ranked Battleground matches.
There is no forum more competitive than the Arena. Players must take special care to choose the best talents and abilities to handle other classes. To be competitive, you must know all the ins and outs of your class and be able to use them at just the right moment. Arenas are also about finding the right partners who complement your playstyle and skill as well as possible. Tactics and strategies for the Arena change constantly. One of the best ways to stay on top of it all is to read forums and visit websites dedicated to Arena tactics.
Players that participate in Arena battles will be pitted against each other in one of seven unique maps. The Ring of Trials, the Circle of Blood, the Ruins of Lordaeron, the Dalaran Arena, the Ring of Valor, the Tol’Viron Arena, or the Tiger’s Peak. Each map has its own unique structures that can be used to help sway the tide of battle from one team to the other—pillars, bridges, rising platforms, and even pipes of water can be used to strategic advantage.
Arenas are generally more restricted in terms of what you can and cannot do during the match. In general, abilities with cooldowns of 10 minutes and longer cannot be used, along with certain items, flasks, and other consumables.
Before entering the battle, players have 60 seconds to buff themselves, inspect the other team, and prepare to play. Once the match commences, players battle until all members of one team are defeated, or until 20 minutes have passed. If neither team wins in 20 minutes, the match will end in a draw.
To help prevent games from dragging on too long, however, a stacking debuff called Dampening will be applied after 5 minutes in a 2v2 battle, or 10 minutes for 3v3 and 5v5 battles. This debuff will stack once every 10 seconds, reducing healing and absorption by 1% with every stack.
Arenas are fairly high-pressure battles and require extremely quick thinking and even quicker reaction time. They’re one of the most challenging PvP activities in the game, but the rewards are well worth the challenge.
Personal Rating
Rated Battlegrounds
Rated Battlegrounds offer a way for players who enjoy PvP, but not necessarily the high-stress environment of Arena matches, to obtain the best gear possible. Rated Battlegrounds are 10 vs. 10 and use the following maps: Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin, Eye of the Storm, Silvershard Mines, Temple of Kotmogu, Deepwind Gorge, Battle for Gilneas, and Twin Peaks.
Only fully premade groups can take part in Rated Battlegrounds. Just as with Arenas, your group will be matched up with teams of similar ranking, and level of gear. Good Premade groups aren’t just going to know each other. They’re going to use voice chat extensively, tactics that they’ve played before, and use every trick in the book. They’re almost undefeatable if your team isn’t similarly prepared.
Rated Battlegrounds share the same spell and item restrictions as Arenas. Unlike Arenas, Rated Battlegrounds aren’t a matter of simply killing the opposing team. You must complete the Battleground objectives just as you would in a traditional Battleground. Knowing the maps, objectives, and strategy of each of the playable Rated Battlegrounds is crucial to your team’s success.
Other than improved equipment, rewards from participation in Rated Battlegrounds include mounts, titles for your character, and Achievements.
Skirmishes
Skirmishes are much like Random Battlegrounds, but they take place solely in Arenas. They play exactly the same as a regular Arena battle would, but award no ranking for participation. You may queue for Skirmishes on your own, or with one to two friends for 2v2 or 3v3 fights.
Like Random Battlegrounds, Skirmishes also reward Strongboxes with loot, Honor, or a small chance at Conquest gear. Because they are not ranked, Skirmishes are a great, low-pressure way to practice and stay sharp for ranked Arena encounters.
War Games
War Games allow you to challenge a specific guild, or group of friends, and face them in a Battleground or Arena. There are no rewards from War Games, other than practice in a controlled environment and bragging rights. War Games ignore faction restriction, which means you can challenge any other similarly-sized group—Alliance, Horde, or even a group comprised of other people from your guild! The groups can agree on a Battleground, or they can let the game pick one for them.
Spectator Invites and Tournaments
For players that want to organize their own Tournaments, a new feature has been added that will allow a player to set up a War Game between two teams of their choice. When the match begins, everyone in the match organizer’s party will be able to watch the game as spectators. Players participating in tournament-style play can also use Tournament Mode gear. This special set of gear makes sure that all participants in a Tournament are on equal footing.