wow Warfronts Enabled on Live Servers

[Stan 5,240]

End-game content that has been enabled on live servers in North America today includes Warfronts, Mythic+ dungeons, Uldir, and new world bosses. Battle for Stromgarde is the first Warfront available in Battle for Azeroth. The Alliance controls the area first and has access to a second world boss that drops ilvl 370 loot before the Horde gathers enough resources to launch an assault on the zone.

• Arathi Highlands received visual updates in Battle for Azeroth in preparation for Warfronts.
• Whenever your faction controls Arathi Highlands, you'll gain access to various world quests that yield War Resources and reputation with War Campaign factions as well as Elites that can drop mounts, gear, and a world boss.
• The other faction will need to accumulate enough resources to conduct an attack to claim Arathi Highlands for themselves.
  • Note: This is a region-wide effort, similar to Legion's Broken Shore structures.

As mentioned before, Warfronts launch with the Alliance controlling Arathi Highlands.

Doom's Howl (A) // Warfronts World Boss

Doom's Howl was created from stolen Alliance engineering plans. Used to transport hordes of troops into the worst combat conditions, this gigantic vehicle can also transform into a powerful siege platform capable of decimating enemy fortifications.

Overview

Doom's Howl is a mobile war vehicle that switches in and out of a siege mode. While sieged the Demolisher Cannon must be avoided while dealing with the War Machine's soldiers.

 Damage Dealers

• Interrupt Battle Field Repair to stop the Doom's Howl from being healed.

Healers

• Stay spread so less allies are affected by splash damage dealt from Mortar Shot.

 Tanks

• Interrupt Battle Field Repair to stop the Doom's Howl from being healed.
• Tank Doom's Howl Shieldbearer away from Doom's Howl Engineer, to allow them to be interupted.

Loot Table

• Alliance Bowman's Coif
• Battlemage's Collar
• Gilded-Wing Shoulderguards
• Lion's Roar Pauldrons
• Warcaster's Arcane Mantle
• Polished Shieldbearer's Breastplate
• Sharpshooter's Chainmail Hauberk
• Vest of the Veiled Gryphon
• Lion's Grace
• Lion's Guile
• Lion's Strength

You can find our preview of the Warfront here and learn more by visiting our Warfronts guide.

Blizzard (Source)

Are you ready to Battle for Stromgarde? This new Warfront is the ultimate tug-of-war over control of a key location in the war between the Horde and Alliance.

WHAT ARE WARFRONTS?

Warfronts represent large-scale war on the homefront as members of each faction fight for control of a location critical to the war effort between the Horde and Alliance.

Anchored in the real-time strategy (RTS) origins of Warcraft, you play the role of a lieutenant leading the charge on the ground of a massive battle. Together with 19 fellow allied players, you will create an outpost, secure resources, set up supply lines, and train troops to help push forward and assault an enemy stronghold. Unlike Warcraft III, you’ll be fighting in this conflict firsthand rather than commanding from a top-down perspective—putting you on the front lines of a large-scale, 20-player PvE experience.

Once your faction controls the Stromgarde Warfront, you’ll be able to reap the rewards: access to a variety of new outdoor content for your faction in the nearby Arathi Highlands zone.

Senior Producer Michael Bybee and Senior Game Designer Andrew Chambers sit down to give an overview of the new Warfronts feature.

HOW IT ALL BEGINS

Arathi Highlands starts off in the hands of the Alliance, with the Horde preparing to launch their assault on Stromgarde to claim Arathi for themselves. But before they can go on the offsensive, the entire Horde faction across the entire game region (e.g. the Americas) will need to come together and provide war contributions to supply their army.

While the Horde prepares to launch their assault during their contribution phase, the Alliance will have access to a variety of new quests in Arathi Highlands—as well as a special World Boss: Doom’s Howl.

As long as your faction controls the Arathi Highlands, you’ll gain access to a new World Boss. The Alliance will need to defeat Doom’s Howl, while the Horde will need to face The Lion’s Roar—two fearsome engineering feats built to dominate the battlefield.

Once enough contributions have been supplied by Horde players in your region, the Warfront: Battle for Stromgarde unlocks, and Horde players are able to queue for the experience. This queue remains open for a set duration, allowing players enough time to complete the Warfront on a schedule that works for them. Alliance players will be able to continue questing in Arathi Highlands during this time.

After the Horde’s attack on the Warfront is complete, players can no longer queue for it, and the Horde takes control of Arathi Highlands—and all of the benefits that come with it. At this point, the Alliance begins their own resource contribution phase, and the cycle of war begins anew.

To check the status of who has control of Arathi Highlands, visit the War Table either in Boralus Harbor for the Alliance or Port of Zandalar for the Horde.

The cycle begins this week in each region with Horde players contributing war resources first. Players will need to head to Zuldazar Harbor to make their contributions, and you’ll be able to view your faction’s progress on the map. Once your faction reaches 100%, players from the Horde will be able to queue to enter the Warfront battle.

There are many ways to contribute through a variety of quests, fueled by professions including Fishing, Herbalism, Alchemy, Mining, Blacksmithing, or even just a donation of gold you have on hand. Every little bit matters as you prepare to confront the opposing faction.

In return for your efforts, you’ll gain Azerite Power and reputation with either The Honorbound or 7th Legion as a reward.

WEATHERING YOUR FIRST WARFRONT

Once your faction gains the ability to enter the Warfront, you’ll need to queue by using the War Table in either Boralus Harbor for the Alliance or Port of Zandalar for the Horde, where you’ll join with 19 other players to begin the Battle for Stromgarde.

You’ll begin by gathering resources, Iron and Wood, to build out your base of operations and upgrade them. Some of the buildings you’ll be able to create include:

• Great Hall – This mandatory “home base” is the first structure you’ll need to build before you begin pushing further into the map. It’s needed to construct other buildings.
  • Upgrades Available: Stronghold, Fortress
• Barracks – This building will produce various troops which will follow you through the battlefield as your personal units.
• Armory – This building will allow you to upgrade the weapons and armor of units produced in the Barracks.
• Altar of Storms – This building bestows powerful player buffs (for a price).
• Workshop – Here you can produce powerful siege vehicles to destroy the enemy’s gates.

As in the Warcraft RTS games, you’ll need to balance out your team strategy and focus on coordinating attacks on key points of interest throughout the map to maximize your success.

TAKING KEY POINTS OF INTEREST

As you build up, create troops, and siege weapons, you’ll need to work your way through the map and claim various points of interest. As the aggressor, you’ll need to defeat the sitting lieutenant for that base and capture the base flag. The reverse isn’t true for your opponents, however, and if you let them get a foothold or overwhelm your newly captured location, you’ll lose it to them.

These points of interest provide interesting new challenges, access to some new troops, and sometimes some additional bonuses for your base or troops.

THE AVENUE TO VICTORY

If you’re participating in the Warfront as the Horde, you’ll need to push your way through the map, shoring up your defenses, creating troops, and defeating the enemy along the way toward your ultimate goal – Stromgarde Keep.

If you’re participating in the Warfront as the Alliance, it means reestablishing yourself in Stromgarde and marching on the Horde stronghold, Ar’gorok.

It won’t be easy as you push your way through the opposing forces, batter through the gates, and confront the final boss within these strongholds—you never know who could be waiting for you.

[Ragingwolf 310]

This sounds fun and can't wait to try it out once I finish my shift here at work.

[Arcling 898]

Looks fun, though might get boring rather quickly. Other than those 3 commanders, there doesn't seem to be much variety.

[Hypersonic 119]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

front lines of a large-scale, 20-player PvE experience

I thought this game mode is PvP oO

[jinsu2301 273]

1 hour ago, Hypersonic said:

I thought this game mode is PvP oO

Are you serious?! Since day one of BfA's anouncement it has been said time and time and time again and again that it is not PvP.

Every single blue post, news article and youtube video that even remotely mentioned Warfronts clearly stated that it has nothing to do with PvP.

[Migol 433]

Horde Perspective:

Logged on, found a ton of blue ! icons on my screen near the forsaken boat.    Turnins for every profession, gold, and war resources.    Doing them gets you artifact power.   Managed to get 3...the mats in the AH are already going nuts.

There's a quest to do one turnin, and another quest to be taken to Arathi for 3 quests.   Basically you get introduced to the area, then portaled back to finish the quest and unlock "Arathi Warfronts".   

Upon getting back and turning in, I then tried to turn around and go right back to get started on the warfront (expecting more quests, repeatables for wood/gold farming and maybe kill alliance npcs to speed the process up).

NOPE.    There's a queue NPC with a bar, and that bar is at 6% atm.    Can't get back in until that bar is filled...by the profession turnins.      Feelsbad.

They really should have both sides permanently unlocked, the "losing" side just needs to be in an obvious disadvantage and be working on turning it around, not locked out altogether.

[Migol 433]

Just now, jinsu2301 said:

Are you serious?! Since day one of BfA's anouncement it has been said time and time and time again and again that it is not PvP. 

Every single blue post, news article and youtube video that even remotely mentioned Warfronts clearly stated that it has nothing to do with PvP. 

To be fair, Blizzard's been hyping this as the alliance vs horde expansion for months, making it look like there'd be hardcore pvp happening.

At the end of the day, both factions levelled in separate zones, barely seeing each other till 120.    Sharding has made world pvp...strange.     There's no new BG, no new Ashran/Wintergrasp/Tol Barad.     No incentives to raid the other faction's capitals or new cities (we tried Kul Tiras, couldn't find a city leader or anything).    

This is actually turning into one of the least pvp focussed expansions ever so far.

[gurupak 21]

10 hours ago, Migol said:

This is actually turning into one of the least pvp focussed expansions ever so far.

Turn on War Mode and see if its least or worst pvp focused. 

[Drachar 45]

If you wish to visit the Warfront while the enemy faction hold it you can simply enter the zone by flying in to it.

[PatrickHenry 293]

5 hours ago, Drachar said:

If you wish to visit the Warfront while the enemy faction hold it you can simply enter the zone by flying in to it.

OR take the portal from the guy standing by the turnins.  He will still send you and you can still portal back even if opposing faction owns it.

ETA: not an actual portal by the guy, but he has a dialogue box to send you.  Stealth portal ?

Edited September 5, 2018 by PatrickHenry

[Laragon 269]

9 hours ago, gurupak said:

Turn on War Mode and see if its least or worst pvp focused. 

It is less... If you were already on a PVP server before BFA there is almost no difference than before, but the map activities are not laid out to force you together. Even then, the sharding of zones makes it really awkward because you might be on a spot that seems to only have alliance or horde around you.

[Sholto 32]

4 hours ago, Laragon said:

It is less... If you were already on a PVP server before BFA there is almost no difference than before, but the map activities are not laid out to force you together. Even then, the sharding of zones makes it really awkward because you might be on a spot that seems to only have alliance or horde around you.

No.  This is absolutely false.  The design of the WQs put opposing factions together constantly.  On both groups of islands I never, ever, at any time of day, have found myself doing WQs where I didn't have enemies around me.  It didn't always mean that PvP happened but there is the constant opportunity for it.

And the Warfront is no exception.  We have it now but at no point in doing quests around Arathi was I not constantly around Horde.  The nature of the rewards from the named "rare" elites and the need to raid up to take most of them down means you have large groups of opposing faction competing over the tag on these, just like with most WQs, even though everything respawns rapidly.  And all it takes is one or two members to engage and then it's full on mob war.  

And availability of loot will not keep opposing faction from trolling attempts on any world boss, simply because they can.  Even one this stupid easy, you can count on opposing faction being the "adds" that you need to worry about while engaging the boss (didn't happen last night but I bet it will).

This is WPVP in the hands of the player and given every opportunity to make it.  This is how it should be, not forced engagement or any of the "on rails" attempts that Blizzard has made in the past.  WPVP should need no encouragement other than the activity itself.  It's lack of creativity and/or follower mentality that prevents a player from seeing this or making it happen.

edit: if this wasn't meant for PVP then the Warfront would be in an instanced copy of Arathi and the opposing faction would never be allowed access until it was their turn.  Otherwise this is an even more open version of Tol Barad or Wintergrasp, or whatever that awful WoD zone was.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Sholto

[Tupi 30]

so, i'm confused as to what the faction in the 'gathering' mode really does in Arathi.

just continuously hunt the rares for drops and minor AP rewards?

is there a common loot table for the silver rares?

spent 45 min or so this morning doing that and felt like my time would have been better spent focusing on AP WQ's.

I got a pet...but, meh...no, 2 pets I think...'eh?