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Is it your first time in a BG (battleground)
Don't be afraid to jump in! Especially if you need a change of pace from the usual level grind. Starting at level 10**, you can join the Warsong Gulch queue and see what PvP is all about! Warsong Gulch is a 10-person per side faction battle, arranged in 10 level brackets (e.g. levels 10-19 compete together, then 20-29, 30-39, etc.) What's more, you'll bolster your PvP ranking with each honorable kill you accumulate (though after 5 kills on a player, you no longer get honor points for killing them). While taking out opposing faction members is fun, the real honor points are won by capturing your opponent's flag, defending and retrieving your flag from the enemy, and winning the first to three competition. But what's all this talk about flags and points
**Level 10 is the minimum level, but you might be better off to keep training until your in the upper part of your level bracket. That said, the more the merrier, and a smart low-end player will probably out-contribute a clueless high-ender. The big exception being at the upper end of the level range, gear becomes much better and if your 61 you really can't complete with a 69, so don't frustrate yourself and you allies, go level and come back later.
Warsong Gulch Rules
On the surface, it's purely a game of "capture the flag." Two flags, two bases, and your object is to bring the opponent's flag to your base three times (i.e. earn three points before your opponent does). One significant rule change from the traditional game is this: that you have to defend your flag in order to score a point. In order to score, your team must touch the opponents' flag to your flag in your home base. Note that the honor points you accumulate from capturing the flags far outweigh what you'll get by "HK (honorable kill) farming" midfield, so doing what it takes to help your team win the flag battle should always take first priority.
There are a few special icon buffs a la Unreal Tournament on the map as well. A speed buff pops every thirty seconds or so in a small alcove to the side of the long center tunnel in each base. Additionally, healing and berserking (a buff that allows you to do +30% damage, but increases damage taken by 10%) icons occasionally spawn in each of the small outbuildings in the mid-field. When you've killed a player, right click their corpse to remove their insignia so that they can only revive at their graveyard (you can also loot a small amount of coin on occasion - but this coin doesn't come out of their personal account). If you die and press the "Revive" button, you'll take the ghost form at your faction's graveyard, where a special NPC will cast an area-effect resurrection spell every thirty seconds. If you're within the area as a ghost, you'll revive with full health, full mana (if applicable), and (if you're a warlock) a pet.
Getting into the Queue
All the major cities have a "Warsong Gulch Battlemaster." Talk to this NPC to get into the WSG queue, then go about your business. When a battleground opens up (it takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and more, depending on how many Alliance and Horde in your level range are running WSG), you'll be given the option to join. Note that if you don't accept in a few seconds' time, you can still join the bg by right clicking the faction symbol icon located around your minimap.
When you enter the battleground, you'll have about 2 minutes to get organized before the raid begins. As players join the battleground they will automattically be added to the battleground raid group. You can type "/bg" to talk in the battle ground channel (or set the default chat channel to "bg").
The rest of this time should be used to iron out who's doing what. Read on for some of the roles I've come across in Warsong Gulch (but note that things may be entirely different on your server... so use this guide as a springboard into your battleground experience only).
Communication is Key...
So whatever role you serve out, talk it up! Many hardcore PvP guilds have dedicated VoIP servers, which allow freeflowing voice communication between teammates. VoIP has one major limitation; unless everyone's listening, someone will always be left out of the loop. So if you're limited to the keyboard: here are a few commonly used terms, though the definition of these terms (and the terms used) may be different on your server.
Center, Left, Right - When the other team has your flag, messages that "he's going center" means that the flag is probably coming out of the center tunnel and going straight upfield. When your team has a flag, a cry of "go your right" probably means that hostiles are covering the left-to-center side from the flag runner's perspective. Any good instructions you can give your flag runner are always appreciated, as they're usually taking a pounding and are prone to tunnel vision. Also, calling "2 coming your left, D" lets the defense know to expect company on the raised platform in the flag room. Note that using cardinal directions (e.g. east, west, north, south - as per the map) takes the "your left or my left " confusion out of the mix, but takes a little getting used to.
D - Defense - See below.
FR - Flag Room - As you might have guessed, the room where the flag appears. Note that you can't "carry" your own flag, only click it (when the "gear" cursor turns from gray to gold) to return it to its starting position.
GY - Graveyard - Players revive at the graveyard every thirty seconds. If your corpse is stripped of it's insignia (i.e. an enemy "loots" your corpse to create a mark of honor) you may only revive at the graveyard. If you can't get a quick rez, it's usually wise to revive at the graveyard, as you'll come back to life with full health and mana (warlocks also revive with their pet).
Pushing - Your mid-field group may wish to "push" an enemy group to one side of the battlefield to clear a lane for the flag runner. Inexperienced players tend to rush pell-mell towards the biggest battle in sight, so you'll usually push toward the opposing graveyard to net some of the newly revived from the graveyard (and keep them out of the real action).
Trapping - If both flags are being run, your team must "trap" the flag, i.e. hide and defend it, until your flag is recovered. Hunters can track the flag, so keeping hunters in the revive queue should be a priority. Hunters are especially adept at trapping; they can set up traps around a hidden spot which, along with sicing the pet, allows them time to escape enemies (who usually search for a trapped flag in ones or twos). Trapping close to your flag room is a plus; you'll want to score the flag quickly when it's recovered. See below for some good hiding spots.
Team Positioning
- Flag Carrier / Flag Runner / Offense - Fast and resilent classes (or class combos) make the best runners. These guys' job is to carry the opponent's flag back to the home base and score it, or trap it until their flag is retrieved. A badly wounded runner might do well to coordinate a drop with a teammate closeby, just make sure there's no enemies in clicking distance.
- Mid-Field - Just like in chess, whoever controls the middle of the board has a better chance of winning the game. Mid-fielders gang up on anyone trying to cross, keeping most of the enemy team busy, and provide fighting cover for flag runners. An effective and well-maintained screen at mid-field is really your best defense as it minimizes the chance of an all-out, sweeping assault on your flag room (which usually results in the opposing team leaving a long trail of your team's corpses along the field as they score).
- Defense - Some runners always seem to get through the mid-field screen, and it's a good idea to have a continuous presence in your flag room. Either preventing players from grabbing the flag, or retriving the flag from an opposing player. When a flag is dropped, click the flag to return it to your base (it's good to have someone watching the flag room to prevent a stealthed rogue from quickly and easily grabbing the returned flag)
Trapping the Flag
If both flags are "out" - and assuming your team can get the flag our of sight from your opponents (not a small task, considering that the flag leaves a slowly fading blue or red stripe as it travels) - you'll need to find a safespot where you can keep the flag until yours is retrieved. The less travelled (by either side), the better... inexperienced teammates might see you holding the flag and want to "help" by standing near you, possibly increasing your exposure (tell them to hide with you!).
Here are some of the best places I've found to hide the flag: 1) flattened against the wall just inside a doorway (most will run right past you without turning around), 2) nestled inside the small obstacles behind the graveyard, 3) on the opposite side of the upper terrace area, 4) flattened against the doorway wall inside the small outbuildings (use this one only in a pinch, the flag trail on any part of the mid-field stands out like a sore thumb, but you might be able to snag the heal icon buff when the enemy comes. You can cut down on your profile a smidge by sitting down. In an advanced group, you might want to hand off the flag to a hunter. Hunters can set up ice traps in a doorway to ease their escape (just be careful not to jam up an avenue of escape)
Typical Class Roles
- Druid - Probably the best class to run the flag. Druids can heal, but their biggest asset is their ability to dispel movement debuffs by changing form. Druids also may get a speed buff through their talent tree.
- Hunters - With sprinting pets (cats, for example, can learn dash), hunters can overrun just about anyone on the battlefield. Sicing these pets on back line cloth wearers can seriously wreck their day. Hunters can also track an opposing flag runner. On defense, a hunter's stuns (like "wing clip") and traps (like "ice trap") make getting to the flag hard enough, while their DPS can seal the deal for the "D". On offense frost traps make excellent short term cc to slow pursuers.
- Mages - The old "root and nuke" makes mages excellent in the midfield or on defense. Sheep enemies pursuing your flag runner, but keep in mind that sheeping an opposing flag runner can cause confusion (i.e. pursuers that just arrive on the scene don't know where the flag went or who to attack). Some of the best control players are frost mage's that can slow down whole groups of enemy pursuing your flag carrier or stopping the enemy flag carrier cold.
- Paladins - A healer in plate (or mail) is a major benefit to flag runners and the mid-field. While Paladin DPS (damage per second) can't match most other classes, Paladins shouldn't underestimate the difference their heals will make when exerting ownership over the midfield or rushing the flag room with a group. Or while bringing a flag runner home. Increased run speed combined with cleanse and blessing of freedom can make an excellent flag carrier.
- Priests - A priest's role really depends on whether their spec is holy (healing) or shadow (damage). Some form of healing is essential to run a flag successfully, and nobody heals better than a holy spec'ed priest (shielding is awesome, too). Shadow priests are best at working with groups attacking mid-field or helping fear the opponent offense or defense.
- Rogues - Rogues are all-around players. They make good mid fielders through the nasty damage they deal, on defense they can stunlock opposing flagrunners and DPS them into submission, and have a nice class speed buff that's useful for getting the flag into the midfield. A stealthed rogue in the opposing flag room makes for a nasty surprise, but stealth is only marginally effective around higher level players.
- Shamans - Shamans are excellent support characters, but they truly shine on defense. Totems are key to a strategic defense. A well-placed earthbind totem will slow a grab-and-go runner down within a certain radius, allowing surprised defenders to apply serious hurt, movement debuffs, fear, etc. In the face of a determined assault, healing and smite totems give defenders a boost.
- Warlocks - Warlocks are "crowd control;" by scattering a meleer or two with fear (the "DoT DoT Fear" tactic, referring to applied "Damage Over Time" debuffs before "Fearing"). Excellent in one-on-one encounters, Warlocks seem best suited to supporting the midfield group with DPS.
- Warriors - Charging the back line cloth-wearers (e.g. priests, mages, and warlock) at mid-field is a warrior's forte. By doing so, they allow the damage dealers to hone in on the meleers who, chances are, will go after the charging warrior. Excellent at mid-field, and can carry a dropped flag effectively (with the aid of a healer) in a pinch.
Offensive Tactics
While on offense your goal is to get the flag carrier to the enemy base and back to your base. This can mean that many times while on offense you are at your own base guarding the flag. Don't get field position mixed up with your role. While you are trying to score with the enemy flag you are on offense.
The key to a good offense is having a group able to move quickly and keep the flag runner alive. This means having at least a healer or two and some crowd control and DPS to keep the enemy off the flag runner. While many times the flag runner wants to hurry back to the base, you must ensure you stay grouped up, and not lead with the flag. Watch for openings across the field and make your way for them. Lead the group with some dps to engage and destroy the opponent if they are alone.
Cround control such as fear and mass slowing effects can really help while trying to return a flag. This means hunters, frost mages, priests, warlocks, and warriors all make great assistants for the flag runner. Having 3 fear causing players with the flag runner can almost guarantee a free run across the field if they are timed correctly.
When first entering the enemy base it can be a good idea to send in a sacrificial player or two to occupy the enemy or move them away from the flag in a fient on the flag. As soon as they appear the enemy will chase them and become preoccupied. It doesn't always work, but many times a paladin and hunter or warrior can draw 3-4 enemy from the base while surviving and allowing the real flag carrier to get the flag. It is also nice to have some sort of CC placed on the path you are going to take out of the enemy base in preparation. This could be a shaman or hunter leading the way dropping traps or totems to slow the pursuers.
Once you have reached you base, the objective is to trap the flag (as above) until your defense can obtain your own flag back so that you can score. Once the flag is being held at your base, you can free some of the players up to help out on defense. Generally all that is needed to hold the enemy flag is a healer, dps, cc, and the flag carrier. If a large push comes, you can always call for assistance.
Defensive Tactics
While on defense your goal is to defend the flag and to get your flag back should the enemy capture it. This sometimes means that defense is in the enemy fortress. Don't get field position mixed up with your role. While you are trying to prevent the enemy from scoring you are on defense.
When starting on defense, your goal is to prevent the enemy from getting your flag, so you should use as much CC as possible to slow them down and prevent them from grabbing the flag. Make sure that if you are ranged or a healer you use the walls and LOS to your advantage, moving around throughout your base as required. Assuming that you eventually die and the enemy gets your flag, wait at the graveyard for any other players that died before running into combat again (unless you were the only death). This allows you to meet force with force, rather than walking into a fight outnumbered.
Once the enemy gets the flag and escapes from your base it becomes your job to track them down. Familiarize yourself with the enemy base and have a scout search out the flag carrier. Once the flag carrier is found, it is critical to do burst damage as fast as you can on either the flag carrier or thier healer, whichever is the easiest target. Many times this will be trial and error. If you have a big enough group you can usually DPS through heals, if not and it is a single healer, kill the healer first. Fear and CC also play a big role in killing the flag carrier, so if you can fear or CC the healer, do that instead. Either way, your goal is to drop the flag carrier fast enough that they dont have time to call for help.
Rewards
Past the newest PvP patches, Warsong Gulch still offers old rewards, but now they are also requiring Tokens you earn from fighting in the Battleground. If you win, you gain 3 Warsong Gulch tokens, if you lose, 1 Token. These tokens are used in both the new PvP system to gain rewards such as potions and epic level items, as the old world "former" reputation rewards.
Remember, if there's a holiday, you earn double the honor points and in this battleground, it's the best and fastest one to bump your honor up to buy the new prizes Blizzard has implemented in the hall of honor!