The first two battlegrounds to be released in World of Warcraft were Warsong Gulch and Alterac Valley. While WSG is a simple game of capture-the-flag, AV is a far more complicated game, involving a variety of factors. It has been through many changes in the few years of its life, with the current version likely being the most popular.
The game sees each side attempting to take possession of graveyards and towers on their way to the opponent’s base. As many of the pathways in Alterac Valley lead to chokepoints, the battleground becomes a war of attrition, with each side pushing the other backwards toward their own keep. There are definitely some things to keep in mind when playing AV.
Graveyard Control
- Players that are killed will re-spawn at the closest graveyard to their corpse.
- This can be used to force enemy forces away from key strategic points.
- In the same vein, graveyard control is important to keep pushing. A lost graveyard at a pivotal moment could change the entire battle.
What about Reinforcements?
- Reinforcements are lost when a side loses a tower and are gained through control of the two mines in the zone.
- They are also lost when a player loses a life.
- In battles that drag on, reinforcements will resolve the battle.
- This means it’s important to protect towers and value player life. Support teammates and don’t run headlong into death.
War-Masters
- AV can be won by defeating the opposing side’s general. This is Drek’Thar for the Horde and Vandar Stormpike for the Alliance. Each of the general’s has two War-Masters with them.
- If both War-Masters are alive, it becomes far more challenging for the attacking team to kill the General. He is buffed by their presence, becoming stronger and more deadly.
- However, in both enemy bases, there are two towers to cap. Once these have been taken, the War-Masters will de-spawn, leaving the General vulnerable.
- Because of this, it is wise to attempt to cap those towers as soon as possible. It’s also prudent to defend them from enemy attack.
Unfortunately, many AV battles are resolved by whichever side has more people in the battleground. This is hopefully something that Blizzard will fix soon. When there are equal numbers, Alterac Valley becomes a fantastic game of back and forth, of struggle for key graveyards and constant battle. At present, there is no other place to enjoy a battle on this scale. With these tips in mind, players can enter that battle, and win!
