PvP

General

New additions to PvP in the upcoming expansion includes:

• One new instanced battleground named Strand of the Ancients.
• The Lake Wintergrasp non-instanced world PvP zone.
• Two new arena maps.
• New world PvP objectives.
• New PvP reward systems.
• New siege weapon and destructible building gameplay.

Honor

The Honor cap (formerly 75k Honor) has been either raised or removed in Beta. Whether or not this is temporary for testing purposes has yet to be confirmed.

General Information

Information from the WWI PvP Panel:

Expansion PvP gear will be different in appearance from PvE gear.

"Spirit Shard" System

Lake Wintergrasp and other world PvP objectives with award Northrend "Spirit Shards" that you can use to buy rewards you can't get through other mechanics (i.e. honor or arena points).

These "Spirit Shards" will also be available through PvE, so that players want to get started in arenas can also get started through PvE.

Players of the faction in control of Lake Wintergrasp may earn "Spirit Shards" from every single instance in Northrend, from level 70 instances through to level 80 raid instances.

Rewards bought with these "Spirit Shards" will not be more powerful than other PvP items, just alternatives. Developers do not want people to feel they aren't competitive if their faction isn't winning. These objects will also offer honor and marks of honor just like you'd get from a normal instanced battlegrounds.

Faction PvP Rewards

PvP rewards will show up from various Factions as well, similar to current rare-quality PvP Faction sets.

Arena Sets

Arena 2 Items

Thanks to MMO-Champion for some of these screenshots.

Blizzard has announced one new full-scale instanced battleground for the expansion.

Strand of the Ancients

Strand of the Ancients, the Titan-themed Northrend battleground, will be a "D-Day like situation" where one Faction attacks from sea and the other one defends the large Keep at the northern end of the Battleground. Siege weapons will be used throughout the battleground by both sides. Each team progresses by taking control of capture points on each tier. The attacking factions will have a tough time in the beginning, since the amount of capture points you have determines how many siege vehicles you will be able to use. However, once the attackers have taken over some control points, it gets progressively more challenging for the defenders to stay in control of the keep. Not much more about the battleground's gameplay is known. As of Build 8714 the zone is unfinished and is not yet available for testing. For more information on this new Battleground, including tons of screenshots of the unfinished zone, see our Strand of the Ancients section...

Zone Objectives

Developers have mentioned plans to add world PvP objectives to several Northrend zones, similar to the Burning Crusade expansion. However, no specific information on the type or location of these objectives is available.

Lake Wintergrasp

Located on a frozen lake high in the mountains between Sholazar Basin, the Borean Tundra, Dragonblight, and Icecrown Glacier, Lake Wintergrasp is WoW's first open-world (non-instanced) zone solely devoted to PvP. The zone features new Titan-style architecture, laid out as a series of smaller buildings arranged around a large northern Keep. According to a fixed schedule, one Faction will always be defending the main Keep from the opposing Faction. The zone's other buildings are neutral and up for grabs to either Faction, giving varying bonuses when captured. Siege weaponry will play a large part in this zone, as all of its buildings and landmarks are destructible. A variety of new daily quests will involve action in and around Wintergrasp, including new styles of aerial combat and mounted NPC escort quests that make use of the new multi-passenger mounts. For more information on this new World PvP zone, see our Lake Wintergrasp in the World section...

New Arena Maps & Features

Information and images from the WWI PvP Panel:

Blizzard has announced two new arena maps to be added in the expansion:

• Dalaran Sewers, located in Dalaran City in the Storm Peaks zone.
• Orgrimmar Arena, located in the Azerothian Orc capital of Orgrimmar.

Arena combat will continue to be endgame-only, meaning players will have to level all the way from 70 to 80 to begin fighting in new arena seasons. All arena rewards beyond the final pre-expansion season will be meant for level 80 characters.

These arenas will feature new gameplay mechanics, including:

• "Movable" objects. Structures and obstacles that provide changing line of sight (LOS) across the battlefield every few seconds. (For example: pillars might go up and down randomly, on a timer, etc.) These dynamic elements will make each arena feel different.
• Different styles of starting areas meant to prevent camping or exploiting.

You can find more information on these arenas on the Dalaran Arena and Orgrimmar Arena pages.

Arena Points Reset

It has been confirmed that when Wrath of the Lich King is released, all arena points earned in teams at the level 70 bracket will be reset to zero, but only once a player levels to 71. (If a player remains level 70, they will still have their points.)

Skirmish brackets will be available for levels 71-75 and 76-80.

Points may be earned again by rated competition at level 80.

From Wryxian on the EU Forums:

We want to provide some information about the direction of the Arena system. Upon the release of Wrath of the Lich King, players will find they are still able to access the Arena system at level 70 for rated matches. Those competing in the Arenas at 70 will still be able to attain items using Arena points and rankings; however, we do not currently plan to offer new items or titles for this bracket. Players who level past 70 will have their Arena points reset to 0 and be removed from all Arena teams in the level-70 bracket.

Two new skirmish brackets (71-75, 76-80) will be available for players who wish to hone their Arena skills while leveling in Northrend. Those who reach level 80 will once again have the opportunity to create new Arena teams and play in rated matches once a new season starts. New items, titles, and end-of-season rewards will be offered to the most successful teams at level 80. Additionally, the sets released for the Arenas in Wrath of the Lich King will no longer share aesthetic similarities with tiered raiding gear. We want those equipped with the best PvP rewards and those with the best raiding sets to stand out from each other. Players at level 80 will also have the opportunity to compete in two new Arenas featuring challenging new layouts, terrain hazards, and moving obstacles.

No confirmation has been given, but arena teams will more than likely not be deleted.

Siege weapons will be player-controlled vehicles for use in PvP combat. There are currently 5 different types of vehicles planned, each with a specific purpose. Some can carry passengers, including a driver and sometimes gunners who control individual turrets on the vehicle.

Currently these vehicles are meant for use in the outdoor PvP zone Lake Wintergrasp and in Strand of the Ancients, where destructible buildings will play a key part in combat. Some discussion has been had of allowing these weapons to operate in other zones, including adding destructible buildings to older battlegrounds, however there has been nothing confirmed at this time.

Developers are still discussing how these vehicles will be obtained, but they have stated they want the process to be "fast-paced and fun."

Siege Vehicle Controls

Some information about the controls systems for Siege Vehicles has been found in the client data. here is a summary, thanks to WoW Insider:

• Pets and Vehicles don't mix. Vehicles apparently replace Hunter or Warlock pets and have their own set of controls or abilities. New ability buttons or bars will appear when inside a vehicle.
• Right-clicking character portraits have the option to "Leave Vehicle," just like when players are in a party. This suggests that Siege Vehicles are not buff-type spells like mounts but actual, physical vehicles you can enter and exit.
• Vehicles need fuel. There are no clear details on how Vehicles can be refueled or what happens when it runs out of fuel.
• Vehicles have an "ammo slot." It is uncertain whether this means Siege Vehicles will run out of ammo or if it simply means they fire different projectiles.
• There might be an entirely new UI frame for Vehicles, with sliders and other new interface mechanics. The sliders "power" and "angle" range from 0 to 100 and can be seen in the LUA files. A developer note on one of files says, "Placeholder for eventual vehicle controls, currently just two sliders," so there may be more controls. (Some of these range/angle controls are currently incorporated into the new Death Knight starting quests.)

Types of Siege Vehicles

Detailed information on each siege vehicle and its abilities can be found on its page. Siege Vehicles: The Demolisher, Forsaken Catapult, Siege Engine, Goblin Shredder. Flying Machine, and Flying Machine (Bomber).

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