WoW Classic: Arathi Basin, Battleground Guide (BG)

The Arathi Basin is the last battlefield to be deployed in the original World of Warcraft. It is therefore logically the last to be deployed in WoW Classic on Wednesday, March 11th, 2020. Here's our complete guide to victory in the heart of the lush green hills of the Arathi Highlands, as well as the history surrounding this BG and the rewards available there.

Joining a battle in the Arathi Basin

In order to join a battle in Arathi Basin, the only option is to go to one of the designated NPCs in your faction:

Alliance

• Lady Hoteshem in Stormwind
• Keras Wolfheart in Darnassus
• Any League of Arathor Emissary in capital cities of the Alliance

Horde

• Deze Snowbane in Orgrimmar
• Martin Lindsey in Thunder Bluff
• Any Defilers Emissary in capital cities of the Horde

Overview and Goals

It is a 15 vs 15 battleground accessible from level 20. As with every battlefield, players are divided into level increments to avoid too great imbalances: 20-9, 30-39 etc. Only players at level 60 are alone, among themselves, for obvious reasons.

Once in the Arathi Basin, Alliance players start in front of the Trollbane Hall, while Horde players start in the Southeast, in front of the Defiler's Den. Five points are contested by both factions on the map, each of which can be captured with a clickable flag. The more goals a team controls, the more points they score, with the target being 1,500 points ahead of the opposing team.

Preview of the battleground

The map is almost symmetrical and is virtually split in two at the central point. Five locations are available and can be captured:

• The Stables: A point in the Northwest usually captured first by the Alliance.
• The Lumber Mill: The southernmost point overlooking the entire battlefield. It is generally the heart of all confrontations as it is strategically crucial.
• The Smithy: Central point, it is in the heart of the Arathi Basin. Generally, it is the most disputed point if the Sawmill is not accessible.
• The Mine: The northernmost point, generally abandoned by most players because it is prey to repeated attacks by Rogues from both teams.
• The Farm: Southeast point usually first captured by the Horde.

Fundamentals:

• The Lumber Mill is largely elevated, allowing players on this mountain to get a glimpse of everything that happens on the battlefield with the exception of the Mine.
• The Mine is out of sight, no one can see what's going on there, not even from the Lumber Mill, and players on the spot can't see what's going on elsewhere.
• Three buffs (Berserking, Restoration and Speed) are randomly available at the locations indicated on the map below. These reappear at regular intervals after being used.
• Flags cannot be captured under the effect of immunizing spells (e.g. Divine Shield),
• It is possible (and recommended) to interrupt an opponent's capture of a point by inflicting damage, even area damage. As long as they take damage, enemies cannot capture the flag they want.

Accumulating Resources

Resources accumulate at the rates shown in this table:

Table source: wowwiki

So the more nodes you have under your control at the same time, the shorter the interval between each activation (tick), allowing you to generate resources more quickly.

If you were to control all 5 points at the same time, not only would the interval between activations be drastically reduced, but the number of resources per activation would be multiplied by three. If this happens, you're almost guaranteed to win!

Core Strategy

Most of the teams you can find on the battlefield opt for the basic strategy as it is the most effective, due to the large number of players who do not know each other on the same battlefield. Here it is:

One player, ideally a Hunter, Mage or Demonist, captures the Stables (Alliance) or the Farm (Horde) and remains in position to defend it in case of an attack from the opposing team.

The other 14 players split up like this:

• One or two Rogues go to the Mine, possibly accompanied by a Healer, and attempt to capture the point. There is a strong chance that the opposing team will do the same, the first one to find the enemy Thief usually wins the point!
• Two to four well-equipped players go to the Forge to prevent the opposing team from capturing the point while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. A healer might be necessary here!
• All the other players focus on the Lumber Mill and try to annihilate the opposing team. A big teamfight should take place on the spot, the winning team usually wins the point.

Once the Mine and Lumber Mill have been captured by either team, there are several possibilities:

• If you have won the battle at the Lumber Mill, leave one or two defending players in place and have your Mages and Priests put a Slow Fall or Levitation on the other players to get you quickly to the Forge. You should arrive at the Forge ahead of the rest and capture this point as well, guaranteeing you at least three points captured in the shortest amount of time
• If you have lost the battle at the Lumber Mill, send a handful of players to the Mine if it hasn't been captured by your team in order to overwhelm the weak defense on the spot and capture a point quickly and create a diversion. The other half must go to the Forge to capture the point as quickly as possible. Rogues may attempt to capture the Lumber Mill again if they feel it is possible, otherwise a diversion at the Stables (Horde) or Farm (Alliance) may be a good move!

Tips

• Don't try to play alone, it's usually useless and will force your team to play 14 against 15 because you will be a dead weight. Stay together and act with the support of your allies.
• Communicate with your allies, regroup and organize a solid attack.
• Abuse the various bonuses scattered across the battlefield. Leave them to the classes on which they are potentially monstrous.
• If you capture a node, leave one player in defense; usually classes with a pet (Mage, Hunter, Demonist) are recommended for this role, but if no one is dedicated, do it even if you play Warrior! An undefended point is a point given to the enemy team!
• If you are defending a point, announce clearly and quickly when one or more opposing players are moving towards you. Announcing "I'm being attacked!" is of no use, clearly announce who and where. If 4 players are attacking the Farm for example, simply announce "Farm 4": simple, fast and effective!
• If you are not defending a point and a player announces being attacked on a point, be quick and go help him/her as soon as possible.

Of course, these are only general strategies and advice. There are as many strategies and possibilities as there are players, so your main asset is adaptation coupled with an exemplary game vision. Don't leave anything to chance and communicate with your team by giving them clear and precise information.

Reputations and rewards

The Arathi Basin brings many unique and powerful rewards through two factions dedicated to this battlefield. These rewards can be obtained from Samuel Hawke at Refuge Pointe in the Arathi Highlands for the Alliance, or from Rutherford Twing at Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands for the Horde.

Reputations

There are several simple (but time-consuming) ways you can increase your reputation with Arathor (Alliance) or the Defilers (Horde):

• The whole team earns 10 reputation points for every 200 points collected by your faction, for a total of 100 points for a match won by your team.
• Giving 3 Marks of Honor from Arathi Basin to one of your faction's Arathi Basin generals gives you 50 reputation points.
• Completing the quest Concerted Effort (Alliance) or For Great Honor (Horde) gives you 150 reputation points (available in Phase 4).

NOTE: These two quests are repeatable. They award 100 reputation points from the second time you complete them.

Rewards

Regardless of the outcome of the battle, the only direct rewards that can be obtained from the Arathi Basin are the Arathi Basin Marks of Honour, such as :

• 3x Arathi Basin Mark of Honor for a victory
• 1x Arathi Basin Mark of Honor for a loss

These marks can be used to complete the quests and gain reputation with the League of Arathor (Alliance) or the Defilers (Horde). Improving your reputation with these factions allows you to gain access to many powerful rewards:

Friendly

Honored

Revered

Exalted