Darkspear Islands battleground guide

You can join from three places:

• A battlemaster in any capital city or in the Barrens. Queue and keep questing until the match is ready.
• The Darkspear Raiders base on the Merchant Coast, for the Horde.
• The Theramore Expeditionary Force base at Northwatch, for the Alliance.

At the two faction bases a portal takes you straight into the battleground. They are also where your faction's reputation vendors and quest givers stand, so you'll be back there to spend your standing and turn in your marks.

Like every battleground, Darkspear Islands mixes players from every ruleset except Hardcore.

Fifteen players can't be everywhere. Pick your fights.

• Hold three, not four. Three capture points out-score your opponent's one and give you two spare bases to deliver the flag to. Chasing the fourth often leaves one of your three empty.
• Split with a purpose. At the start, send a group to the two points closest to your side and a strong group to the contested one. Two or three players are enough to hold a point you already own while the main group fights.
• Escort the flag. The carrier is the target of every enemy on the way. Send healers and a few fighters with them, and walk them to the nearest base your team holds, not the furthest.
• Kill their carrier first. Stopping a flag run denies the biggest single score in the match.
• Call out incoming enemies. A quick warning in chat before a point falls saves the whole team a walk back.
• Defend before you trade. When you are ahead, protecting the points you hold wins more matches than swapping bases with the other team.

Bring the battleground's own food and bandages: they only work inside Darkspear Islands, so keep them for the match.

Each faction has its own reputation: Darkspear Raiders for the Horde, Theramore Expeditionary Force for the Alliance. You gain it by turning in Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor for reputation quests at your faction's base. Marks stack to 30, so you can save a full stack and turn it in at once.

Reaching Exalted is also one of the four battleground reputation challenges in the Legacy system: each is worth a Legacy Point. The PvP guide lists every PvP challenge.

The quartermasters sell trinkets, rings, necklaces, cloaks, weapons and armor, unlocked as your standing rises. Every Friendly, Honored and Revered reward comes in several versions for different levels, so the track keeps paying out while you level from 30. The cards below show the top-level versions.

Friendly

Honored

Revered

Exalted

Epic gloves for every armor type, and shoulders for every role.

At Exalted a short questline awards the faction's own tabard, Darkspear Battle Tabard.

Friendly

Honored

Revered

Exalted

Epic gloves for every armor type, and shoulders for every role.

At Exalted a short questline awards the faction's own tabard, Theramore Battle Tabard.

• Start at 30. The level 30 bracket is the earliest you can earn this reputation, and the lower-level rewards are strong for leveling.
• Save your marks. A full stack of 30 Marks of Honor is a fast reputation jump when you're close to the next standing.
• Use the portal. If you're questing near the Barrens or Dustwallow Marsh, the faction base is the quickest way in.
• Learn the flag route. Know the path from the middle to each of your bases; the carrier who doesn't hesitate scores.
• Drop it if you have to. Dropping the flag puts no debuff on you: let it go when you must and pick it straight back up.