48+ PvP grind

It's Not a grind. REALLY. It's fun. I can't say it isn't work.

Alliance opponents at 48 are smarter, better geared, and MUCH better organized. In Warsong Gulch, we've lost a couple times in a row. Even been dominated by coordinated teams farming the Graveyard for HKs while 7 others hid in the flag room waiting on an attack. Meanwhile, Offense can't get thru the 10 Alliance guys farming midfield for honor.

As far as AB goes, we win 75% of the matches. I've faced a few heavy hitters and taken a dirt nap, but that's been on those 5 on 2 assaults. Someone explain the fascination with taking the stables and leaving no one on Defense? If you can hem the Alliance into their GY and kill everything... Execute that plan. If you can't contain them, then dont' let a roaming pack of alliance get un-defended flags. The teams that coordinate defense WIN Arathi Basin. It's that simple. The "Zerg Reaction Force" isn't fast enough to re-take every flag. Even with mounts, you can't cross the battlefield and take the flag in 60 seconds.

AB By the Numbers

Massive Offense takes flags. Solid small Defense wins the game. Keep 3 to a flag on 3 flags. That leaves 6 people as a Zerg reaction force to harass and kill any roaming Alliance players on the BG Leader's command. If you want to run it slim, Leave 2 to a flag and keep 9 people as a Zerg unit. That unit better be able to take a 4th cap and harass the last base constantly.

Call em out. Two to Mines. Three from Stables to LM. One coming around LM to attack from behind. All these can be seen from the Blacksmith. Have a spotter. Keep a spotter at several locations. Rogues NEVER cross the whole battlefield in stealth. It takes too long. You'll normally see rogues + druids riding or running along before they hit your flag. They stealth up on the final approach. If you see a single shaman riding slowly, assume he has a rogue escort. Call them out.

Survival. If a large stealth squad hits your flag, Call how many INC and hold your ground. Not dying and keeping them off the flag is just as important as killing your attackers. Buying time, lets the available support come to your rescue. If the team decides that they deserted Stables to attack you, then you keep the 9 guys busy while your squad caps their "old base". This makes a 1 for 1 trade. Shitty, but you're the one guy they're willing to sacrifice. The longer you can keep them feared / kited / busy... the more time they waste killing you. Hopefully, your squad is using that time to get somewhere.

In Arathi Basin, it's all good. In Warsong, it's a toss up.

Vent. Ventrillo and Teamspeak. Frikkin marvellous. Typing out commands is great for a slide-show. Headsets are like Blue-Ray DVDs. Your reaction time is instant. The team moves faster when it's a pre-made bunch of guildies. No one questions orders. Everyone works to keep their buddies alive alot harder than they would complete strangers. We're not there yet. Still stuck in the stone-age with pugs below level 70.


Item buying.

Get as many tokens as you can and buy your level pvp gear or the next level above you. This way, as soon as you hit 48 or 58, you have your set pieces. Then, you're playing with the bonus immediately. I have the level 48 belt. I bought the L58 Belt & Boots from Arathi Highlands once I had the tokens. Then I bought the level 48 staff. Keep in mind quest rewards near level 58. The 2H caster quest staff form Hellfire Penninsula blows many Molten core epics away. Don't bother with a level 58 staff or 1H item. The defiler Lv 60 shoulders are geat. The shoudlers are 40 tokens ( easy ) and 8600 Honor. Eeeesh. That's alot of God-dammed honor.

The shoulders are great, but here's where logic goes astray. Level 58 Outlands greens are better than alot of level 60 Epic equipment. I may hold off on my 3rd set of Defiler's gear. It comes with a NICE +23 damage bonus being the 3rd piece. Still, there are some blue shoulders from Cenarion Expedition that rock socks for a long time. We'll see as we approach level 60. Let's grind out the 48s until the well runs dry.