The Darkspear Islands are WoW Forever's new battleground and the first one that didn't exist in Classic. They lie off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh and pit the Horde's Darkspear Raiders against the Alliance's Theramore Expeditionary Force over islands the trolls consider theirs. Blizzard described it on October 7. This guide gathers what they've explained, what the beta client has and what isn't known yet.
In short
| Type | 15v15. Points to capture and a flag |
| Levels | 30-60 |
| Where | Off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh |
| How to win | The first team to reach 2,000 points |
| How to queue | Battlemasters in the capitals, or the portal at The Merchant Coast (Horde) or Northwatch Hold (Alliance) |
| Reputations | Darkspear Raiders and Theramore Expeditionary Force, with a tabard at Exalted |
How to win
There are four points spread across the islands. The more your team controls, the faster it scores. There's also a flag in the middle of the map: if you grab it and carry it to a base your team has already captured, you score more points. The first team to reach 2,000 wins.
In practice it's two fights at once. One is Arathi Basin's: taking and holding bases. The other is reminiscent of Warsong Gulch, because you have to carry a flag. The flag only scores at a base you own, so without bases it's useless. And a base you lose is one less place to turn it in. Blizzard hasn't said how many points the flag gives compared with a base, or how long it takes to respawn.
How to queue
- From any capital, with the battlemaster.
- In The Barrens, at your faction's base. The Horde has the Darkspear Raiders' base at The Merchant Coast and the Alliance has the Theramore Expeditionary Force's base at Northwatch Hold. From there a portal takes you to the battle.
Those two bases are where the reputation vendors and the battleground quests are.
What you get: honor, rank and reputation
- Honor and rank points. In Forever, the rank points that move you up the 14 ranks come only from battlegrounds and PvP quests. Killing players in the world gives honor, but not rank. We explain it on the PvP page and in the guide to open-world PvP.
- Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor. It's the battleground's medal, like the other three. According to Blizzard, they're handed out in reputation quests.
- Reputation with the Darkspear Raiders or the Theramore Expeditionary Force, depending on your side. At Exalted a short quest chain opens that gives you the faction's tabard.
- Call to Arms. The Darkspear Islands join the client's weekly rotation, alongside Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch. According to Blizzard, the holiday-week battleground gives more honor. Whether the rotation already works in the beta isn't confirmed. See which one is up in Today in Forever.
What the reputations sell
Blizzard mentions trinkets, rings, cloaks, weapons and armor. In the beta client, for now, these items show up. Each exists in several versions by level, because the battleground runs from 30 to 60:
| Reputation standing | Horde: Darkspear Raiders | Alliance: Theramore Expeditionary Force |
|---|---|---|
| Friendly | Trinkets: Darkspear Voodoo Seal and Relentless Raider's Seal (item levels 33 and 48) | Trinkets: Enriched Seal and Volunteer's Lucky Seal (33 and 48) |
| Honored | Darkspear Signet and Insurgent's Band (rings) and Darkspear Warding Pendant (neck), item levels 28, 38, 48 and 58 | Militant's Band and Theramore Signet (rings) and Seal of the Expedition (neck), 28, 38, 48 and 58 |
| Exalted | Darkspear Battle Tabard; epics: Raider Gauntlets, Raider Handwraps (50 and 60) and Darkspear Pauldrons (60) | Theramore Battle Tabard; epics: Theramore Gauntlets, Theramore Handwraps (50 and 60) and Theramore Pauldrons (60) |
The full list, with prices and each item's icon, is on the Darkspear Raiders and Theramore Expeditionary Force pages. The cloaks, weapons and other armor Blizzard mentions don't appear in the client yet.
Tips for your first games
Blizzard hasn't said this: it comes from how point-and-flag battlegrounds work.
- Don't all go for the flag. Points score continuously. The flag is an extra that only helps if you have somewhere to turn it in.
- Defend the base closest to the flag. It's where you'll turn it in, and the one the other team will want to take from you.
- The flag carrier needs an escort. A healer behind them and someone to slow the chasers are worth more than one more player in an empty base.
- With 15 per side there's room for every role. If you heal, you'll be wanted. If you do control (fear, polymorph, stuns), your place is at the bases.
What isn't known yet
- How many points the flag gives and how often each base scores.
- Whether there are level brackets (30-39, 40-49…) like the other battlegrounds, or whether the whole 30-60 range is mixed. Blizzard has only said "levels 30-60."
- What the battleground quests ask for and give, and the tabard chain.
- The battleground is in the beta and everything may change before November 4.
Frequently asked questions
What level can you play the Darkspear Islands at?
30 to 60, according to Blizzard. In the beta, which goes up to level 30, you can already enter.
How do you win the Darkspear Islands?
By scoring up to 2,000 points. You get them by controlling the four points on the map (the more, the faster) and by carrying the center flag to a base your team controls.
Where do you queue for the Darkspear Islands?
With the battlemaster in any capital, or through the portal at your side's base in The Barrens: The Merchant Coast for the Horde and Northwatch Hold for the Alliance.
What do you get from Darkspear Islands reputation?
Trinkets at Friendly, rings and necklaces at Honored, and at Exalted the faction's tabard and epic gloves and shoulders. Blizzard also mentions cloaks, weapons and armor that aren't in the client yet.
