Alterac Valley must be a confusing nightmare for a new player. It's a big map with 40 players a side, with players rushing here, there and everywhere.
So how do you play it? Well there seem to be two distinct tactics and I'll start off with the attacking tactic to start off with. The only tactic Alliance teams seem to use! First things first, let's get a map up of the battleground. There are numerous on the web and of course you can always take a screen shot from your own game.
You will start off in a cave and will then make a mad dash on mounts all the way down/up to either Stonehearth Outpost (Horde target) or Iceblood Garrison (Alliance target) where you will kill Captain Galvangar. This will remove the buffs he gives to all Horde players. The Horde kill Balinda Stonehearth for much the same effect. They take a lot of killing and it will take about 15 players to complete the task, although a lot more are used in the usual scenario.
At the same time 10 Alliance players can take out the Horde towers at Iceblood and Tower Point. The Horde take out the bunkers at Stonehearth and Icewing. These have to be held for four minutes before they are destroyed. Usually it is best to hold these with at least 5 players and it is always preferable to let the enemy come to you rather than leave and get picked off one by one. Remember that you get buffs from remaining in close contact with team-mates.
There are also a number of graveyards on the map and these are where you will be resurrected. The idea is to hold your own and take out the oppositions. However, most players consider it is a cardinal sin to take Iceblood (Horde) and Snowfall (Alliance) graveyards. This is because you do not mind the foe resurrecting at them far away from the, supposed, action.
The whole point in taking all these structures is to reduce the opposition points total and to earn Honour (which people seem to forget). Both teams start on 500 and when you get the other team down to zero you win.
If you have been successful in killing Balinda or Galvangar you will rush past your team's recently captured towers or bunkers in a huge mob and race on to the opposition base taking the graveyards on the way, Stormpike or Froswolf. The next objectives are in the opposition base. There are a couple of bunkers/towers and a graveyard. Taking the graveyard means you can respawn there and the opposition cannot, stating the obvious really but it's a necessity.
And now to the final objective, which is to kill the Bosses housed up in either Dun Baldar (Alliance) or Frostwolf Keep. Once killed the game is immediately over. It takes a lot of player power to kill the Boss and his NPC defenders and so it is vital to retain control of the immediate graveyards, so that the "dead" can come back to life to rejoin the encounter. What is obvious is that you do not want the enemy taking it and suddenly appearing to defend the Boss!
Right, that is the basic summary of what usually happens in an offensive game and is how Alliance play it 99% of the time, and more often than not lose because Horde players use a bit of nous and cunningly even use tactics. In fact the way Horde players play the Battle Ground is as a Player v Player (PvP) encounter and not as a Player v Environment (PvE) raid. It is after all a PvP battle for Honour Points.
What I am going to describe now is a counter to the Horde tactic. Sorry if you are a new Horde player, but you should still be able to learn the tactics for the Horde perspective from my description. It will also make this article a lot shorter, which cannot be a bad thing.
What the Alliance need to do is a 20/20 split on offence and defence, which is what the Horde will do on most occasions. Twenty players should stop at Stonehearth whilst the attack rides on. Fourteen players should go into the Outpost and say hello to Balinda, she's a very nice girl, and set up their defences ready for the Horde assault, which will arrive in about 10 seconds. With Balinda's powers and the fourteen of you, you will put up a good fight and will more than likely win the encounter. If you do, do not stay there. Get out and check the area for Horde, retaking the graveyard and bunkers if necessary. If the Horde have rushed past for one mass raid on Dun Baldur get there post-haste taking the graveyards on the way.
Five of the 20 defenders will have set themselves up outside of Icewing Bunker. If you see a huge Horde rush coming your way get inside the bunker quickly, but this scenario is unlikely. It is more likely that a small group will try to take the bunker or continue on. Stop them. The NCP archers in the bunker will do useful damage if you protect them. You will need a Hunter or two to check for the presence of Rogues. Your aim is simply to slow or stop the Horde at that point.
The remaining player from the 20 defenders will be a Rogue or a Druid and they will have hidden themselves near Stonehearth Graveyard. They are not to stop the Horde from taking it, but to take it back when the Horde have moved on. The tactical reason for taking it is that you do not want the Horde to re-spawn quickly in the area.
The twenty defenders are responsible for checking that the Horde have not got past Icewing Bunker and taken Stormpike graveyard, or got into Dun Baldur. After that objective is secured start to push the Horde back and keep them penned into their half of the map. Do not forget to secure the Stonehearth Bunker.
Now back to the start of the game, and the objectives of the 20 attackers. It is highly likely that the Horde will have a sizeable presence in the Iceblood Garrison. If they have, do not go in. Instead, take Iceblood Tower, the graveyard and Tower Point. Obviously the Horde will have realised fairly quickly what you have done and will assault the Towers. Keep a Rogue or Druid hidden by the graveyard to protect it if it is attacked by one or two Horde. If a few attack it, the player should wait until the Horde have gone before retaking it.
The tower defenders should let the Horde come to them and not be drawn out one by one. While you are busy defending the towers, you will hopefully be joined by the 20 defenders. Their first priority should be to take out Iceblood Garrison, killing Galvangar, and then to join you in pressing the Horde back. There are choke points by the Iceblood grave and Iceblood Garrison and you should be able to stop the Horde from finding a way through with 5 players set up at both points. These are temporary choke points and the priority should be on penning the Horde into Frostwolf and setting up a team to kill the Horde emerging from their map entrance.
Inevitably some Horde will, somehow, find their way past and the damage they will do can be limited by having a small group of Rogues and Druids patrolling the Battle Ground following the loose Horde around.
If you achieve all these objectives then you should win. However, it may take some time, but it's PvP and you will have lots of time to build up good Honour Points, and surely that is what the BG is about? And it is more satisfying than just rushing the Boss and getting a quick win. Where's the fun in that?
As I just referred to, there is a third Alterac Valley tactic and that is the "zerg" rush. The only objective is to get to the base and kill the Boss. It is a noob tactic, and if the opposition has anything about them it should fail spectacularly.
Of course, if both teams use the offence/defence tactic I have outlined the game will be decided by the team with the best leadership who are able to adapt and maintain objectives. I am not the first to outline this tactic, but my articles are principally aimed at new players, and going by how poorly Alliance perform, at least on the Realm I play on, there must be a lot of new players around.
Hopefully, if you are a new player you will have picked up a few useful tips. If you need a few more have a read of my website, which is specifically for new players.
#Alterac Valley battleground #Iceblood Garrison
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