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Battlegrounds are instanced areas solely used for the purposes of PvP. Each BG has two red instance entrance portals, one for Alliance, and one for the Horde. They attempt to allow balanced numbers into each instance, however, this is not always the case. The order in which players are allowed in is determined by a waiting queue. To enter the queue, the player must either step through the instance portal, or he must seek out a Battlemaster, which can be found in any capital city. Ask a guard to locate the nearest one.
Once inside the instance, two teams will duke it out in a large-scale PvP fight for the area, with various and different objectives determining the winner. Players will not take durability damage dying in a battleground, save for when they fall off the edge of Eye of the Storm battleground. If a character becomes AFK while in a battleground, they will leave the instance and gain the Deserter debuff.
The two initial Battleground areas, Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch, went live June 7th, 2005. Arathi Basin was added to the list in patch 1.7 on September 13th, 2005. A fourth battleground, named Eye of the Storm, was released with the Burning Crusade. A fifth battleground, called Azshara Crater, is present in the game, and similar to Alterac Valley, but as of yet isn't programmed. Proofs of its existence are the faction-marked entrances on Forlorn Ridge, exploits, and WoW Map Viewer.
New Battlegrounds?
- Caydiem: We're not making any new Battlegrounds in the near future. We naturally need to be careful about spreading the PvP community thin. That isn't to say we're not thinking about what we could do with a new Battleground, but I wouldn't expect anything anytime soon, no. [1]
- Nathaera: There is one new battleground planned. (There may be more added in the future but we shall see.) Just to clear something up, The Caverns of Time are not Battlegrounds. [2]
Existing Battlegrounds
Warsong Gulch
The Warsong Gulch graphic
- Main article: Warsong Gulch
- Factions: Silverwing Sentinels (Alliance), Warsong Outriders (Horde)
- Alliance Base: Silverwing Hold
- Alliance Entrance: Silverwing Grove, follow the road south from Silverwing Outpost; watch out for the Fallen Sky Lake area, which is full of level 24-30 Mobs.
- Horde Base: Warsong Lumber Mill
- Horde Entrance: Mor'shan Base Camp, west of Mor'shan Rampart in The Barrens.
- Levels: 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70. Minimum level to participate was lowered to 10 in 1.8.
- Combatants: 10 per faction (5 minimum)
- Map: On WorldofWarcraft.com
Warsong Gulch is a fairly straightforward, capture-the-flag scenario. The objective is to be the first team to capture the enemy's flag three times. The Horde flag is located in the Warsong Lumber Mill (south), and the Alliance flag is located in Silverwing Hold (north).
Arathi Basin
The Arathi Basin graphic
- Main article: Arathi Basin
- Factions: The League of Arathor (Alliance), The Defilers (Horde)
- Alliance Base: Trollbane Hall
- Alliance Entrance: Inside Refuge Pointe in the Arathi Highlands
- Horde Base: Defiler's Den
- Horde Entrance: Inside the Hammerfall gates, on the upper part of the town, in the Arathi Highlands
- Levels: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70
- Combatants: 15 per faction (7 minimum)
- Map: On WorldofWarcraft.com
The objective of Arathi Basin is to be the first side to amass 2000 victory points. Points are automatically awarded every few moments to each side in increments of 10. Players interact with flag at each of five bases--the Stables, the Lumber Mill, the Blacksmith, the Gold Mine and the Farm--in order to capture the base. The more bases your side controls, the faster you rack up points. It is easiest for the Horde to hold the Farm and the Alliance to hold to Stables, as these lie directly outside their respective starting locations. The Blacksmith is typically the most difficult to hold, as it lies in the center of the map.
Alterac Valley
- Main article: Alterac Valley
The Alterac Valley graphic
- Factions: Stormpike Guard (Alliance), Frostwolf Clan (Horde)
- Alliance Base: Dun Baldar (North)
- Alliance Entrance: The Headland (Alterac Mountains) north of Southshore
- Horde Base: Frostwolf Keep (South)
- Horde Entrance: East of Sofera's Naze (Alterac Mountains) north of Tarren Mill
- Levels: 51-60, 61-70
- Combatants: 40 per faction (20 minimum)
The only way to win Alterac Valley is to kill the enemy faction leader: Drek'thar (Horde general), or Vanndar Stormpike (Alliance general).
There are a number of lesser objectives in Alterac Valley as well.
- Each side possesses graveyards that can be captured.
- Each side possesses towers/bunkers that can be captured or destroyed.
- Each side has a lesser boss that can be fought as practice for fighting the enemy general.
- Each side has access to a mine, which can be reclaimed from creeps to retrieve supplies for their army.
- Each side is able to hunt Rams or Wolves for leather for bridles.
- Each side is able to domesticate Rams or Wolves to create cavalry.
- Each side has imprisoned Flight Master NPCs that can be rescued, who then become air bombers.
- Each side has various steps that can be undertaken to create and upgrade NPC troops who then join the fighting.
- Each side can summon a creature with great power that helps drive enemy forces back (i.e., Ivus the Forest Lord)
Eye of the Storm
- Main article: Eye of the Storm
The Eye of the Storm graphic
Requires The Burning Crusade expansion.
- Factions: There are no factions associated with the two sides, although the Battlemasters and Emissaries for Eye of the Storm are Blood Elves for the Horde, Draenei for the Alliance.
- Alliance Base: Unknown.
- Alliance Entrance: There is no exterior entrance. You can only enter by speaking with a Battlemaster.
- Horde Base: Unknown
- Horde Entrance: There is no exterior entrance. You can only enter by speaking with a Battlemaster.
- Combatants: 15 per faction
- Levels: 70
Eye of the Storm is a combination of the world PvP of Eastern Plaguelands (hold the towers) and elements of Warsong Gulch (capture the flag) and Arathi Basin (holding nodes for resources/victory points). There are 4 bases on the map, each of which will grant your team victory points over time. To speed up the process, a flag is located in the center of the map which you can bring to one of the bases you control. Doing so will grant you about 100 victory points. First to 2000 points wins.
Future/Incomplete Battlegrounds
Azshara Crater
- Main article: Azshara Crater
Release: This Battleground has not been released in live version of World of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment has yet to announce any work on finishing Azshara Crater.
Its existence is known due to the faction marked caves on Forlorn Ridge, and thanks to addons and exploits.
- Factions: Unknown.
Thusfar Tauren and Trolls (Horde) and Gnomes (Alliance) lack a Battleground faction associated with their race. Unplayable faction races such as High Elves (Alliance) and Ogres (Horde) are also a possibility, but this is purely speculation.
- Alliance Base: Unknown.
- Alliance Entrance: South side of Forlorn Ridge, nearby Talrendis Point.
- Horde Base: Unknown.
- Horde Entrance: North side of Forlorn Ridge. Right now, this part is populated by Naga.
- Combatants: Unknown, as of yet...
- Level: Probably 50-59, 60-69 and 70, just like Alterac Valley, but maybe also 40-49, since the zone is 45-55.
- Alterac Valley is 51-60, 61-70. The others (WSG, AB) are x1-y0 ranges. This should refer to AB? or change the brackets.? --Dga 18:53, 10 July 2007 (UTC)