World of Warcraft

Alterac Valley Strategy Guide - Part Three

by incarna , on October 22, 2007 12:12 PM - Comments (1)

Once again this strategy guide comes after an Alterac Valley honor weekend. I've been busy but my time is starting to even out. I was actually able to get a few AV games in this weekend and now I actually seem to have time to write about them!

My first AV guide covered the basics of how to win at AV. My second AV guide covered class rolls in AV. This guide will be reflective of a common "game type" that you will often encounter, particularly on AV honor weekend;

How to win 'the race'

When both the alliance and horde commit every member of the raid to offence with no defenders whatsoever I refer to this style of play as 'racing'... because that's what it is. Both teams are cutting through mobs and racing to the end. As with all AV's the first team to kill the other teams general wins.

Before I get to the particulars let me just interject that I think 'racing' in AV is not only not very much fun, it also does not provide very much honor. I've played single games of AV where I've accumulated huge amounts of honor... this weekend I was lucky to get 300 honor in a single game. If you're raid is committed to 'racing' than there isn't much you can do. You can either go with the flow or try to defend and get rolled by 40 Alliance. Of course you can request additional defenders but very few people on Horde will come to your aid. The Horde likes to repeat the same mistakes over and over again for some unknown reason.

Ok, so, how to win a race. Typically winning the race is a fifty-fifty thing. Sometimes the horde gets hung up and looses. Other times the Alliance gets hung up and looses. The trick is to NOT get hung up and be ready to adjust your strategy if necessary. Moving the Horde in one direction is like herding cats so don't expect to win if it's a race... everyone thinks they know what to do and there tends to be 4 or 5 different ideas flying around as to what people should be doing.

Step 1: Stonehearth Graveyard - The date

When AV begins mount up and ride directly to SH graveyard. It is at this point that it is CRITICAL that the first people who get to SH inform the people in the back of the train whether the AV is a race or not. If there are 5+ alliance defenders at SH the AV is NOT a race and the people at the back of the train need to turn around and head to IB GY to defend.

This is VERY VERY important. If it is clear that the Alliance have 5 to 10 defenders and no Horde take the initiative to defend, the game is probably lost.

If there is only 1 or 2 defenders or no defenders at all than the AV is a 'race'. Now, this is ALSO important. If five to ten horde players were to move to defense while the Alliance has no defenders the game would almost certainly be won by the Horde... but no one ever likes to defend so we can't expect that to happen.

So, we've determined that AV is a race. All 40 horde are on SH GY. The flag is caped and we're waiting for the horde to gain control of the GY.

One side note. When you arrive at the GY and discover it's defenseless it's a good idea to immediately announce that people should ignore Balinda and move to Icewing Bunker and Stormpike Graveyard. Plant the idea early as to what people should be doing BEFORE they make their own decisions... which are often incredibly stupid and cost the game.

Step 2: Icewing Bunker - You've invited her in and she's accepted!

While the graveyard is in the process of being captured, move up to take Icewing Bunker. Try very very hard not to die because, if you do, you will be resurrecting in the cave because the alliance will more than likely have IB GY. If you DO DIE... GO DEFEND AT FW GY!!!! A few people on D can guarantee the AV... but we would never want to guarantee victory... defense would make things too easy.

Balinda should be ignored. This is a race remember! She takes 5 to 10 people a long-ass time to kill... time that is not a luxury. Keep the force of your raid on the prize; Vann.

Take Icewing bunker because, for a while, anyone who dies will be resurrecting at SH bunker and you don't want them getting shot on their way up to the Alliance fortress. While the bunker is being captured try to announce in chat that people should be hitting SP GY.

Step 3: Stormpike Graveyard - You got her shirt off and it's time for foreplay!

The ideal way to take SP GY in a race is to send a group of about 5 Horde up along the north path to SP GY before SH GY is even captured. This group will pop out behind SP GY and should be able to take it without issue.

If the alliance has, at this point, devoted anyone to defense they will usually be on the road near the Horde line fighting... they rarely expect a team to be behind them at the GY.

Unfortunately it's difficult to get anyone together to follow instructions so, in reality, you will probably just run up and take SP GY with 40 other people long after FW GY is taken by the alliance. It is still a very very good idea to keep 2 or 3 defenders on SH GY and 1 defender in IW Bunker. Remember, try not to die because, it SUCKS to run all the way to SP GY from the cave.

Step 4: Clear the fortress - Penetration! Oh yeah baby!

So yeah... start clearing the alliance base. This is a PvE situation. Very little skill is necessary to clear mobs so you shouldn't need instructions. Get some people in the bunkers to clear them and move up toward the Aid Station. Again, try not to die because, at this time, SH GY will probably be under Horde control but running up from SH GY to the Stormpike Fortress still sucks.

Try and announce that people should be focusing on the Aid Station while clearing the fortress.

Step 5: The Aid Station - Keep fuckin! You're getting there.

Cap the aid station as quickly as possible and start pulling Marshals. It's a good idea to make sure SP GY is under Horde control before you do this but it's not necessary if you have good healing in your raid. At this time very few marshals will have spawned so clearing them shouldn't be that difficult.

Step 6: Vann - You're gonna blow your load one way or another... you're only a real man if you can get HER off first!

If things have gone well the Alliance has not started Drek yet. If your raid has good healing it's ok to start Vann as soon as the marshals are down even if it's before the Aid Station is captured. If your raid has crappy healing you've probably already lost. DPS the hell out of him and bring him down as quickly as possible. I've seen Vann at 1% and "Alliance Wins" come up on my screen... that kind of loss is perturbing and makes you want to strangle that ONE motherfucker who thought it would be awesome to retake IB GY when the alliance is sitting on the Relief Hut.