Cataclysm Preview: The Battle for Gilneas

Do you like dog men? Do you like zombie men? Do you like dog men who fight valiantly to defend their homeland against zombie men? Do you like zombie men who are very hungry and want to eat the dog men? And then build luxury condominiums on their land? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there's good news!
Blizzard just announced new information about the the new-for-Cataclysm 10v10 battleground, The Battle for Gilneas. Similar to Arathi Basin, winning the battleground requires you to capture and hold a majority of the area's resource-rich locations -- the waterworks, the lighthouse and the mine -- long enough for your Horde or Alliance worker friends to collect resources from them. A total of 2,000 resource points wins the match.
Just like in the real world, once all the resources are gone, no one cares about the area anymore, the fight ends and everyone goes back home to Stormwind and Orgrimmar, only to requeue and fight over it again ten minutes later. Good times!
All you gank-hungry fools can check out the details by following me after the jump. It contains information about Cataclysm, so if you're totally religious about not spoiling anything, don't click.
Blizzard just announced new information about the the new-for-Cataclysm 10v10 battleground, The Battle for Gilneas. Similar to Arathi Basin, winning the battleground requires you to capture and hold a majority of the area's resource-rich locations -- the waterworks, the lighthouse and the mine -- long enough for your Horde or Alliance worker friends to collect resources from them. A total of 2,000 resource points wins the match.
Just like in the real world, once all the resources are gone, no one cares about the area anymore, the fight ends and everyone goes back home to Stormwind and Orgrimmar, only to requeue and fight over it again ten minutes later. Good times!
All you gank-hungry fools can check out the details by following me after the jump. It contains information about Cataclysm, so if you're totally religious about not spoiling anything, don't click.

When King Greymane severed ties with the Alliance after the Second War, the kingdom of Gilneas became independent from all other nations and opposing forces. Although the massive Greymane Wall protected Gilneas from outside threats, a virulent worgen curse and civil war crippled the kingdom from within. As the Cataclysm strikes and the Greymane Wall's gates are destroyed, the people of Gilneas must come to terms with their dark curse and learn to persevere through catastrophic earthquakes and an unrelenting Forsaken invasion. The Horde recognizes this land as a strategic location with key resources to fuel the faction's war effort against the Alliance, and Horde forces will not stop their siege until the city and its surrounding territories are under their control. To protect its lands from the Horde, the once-isolated nation of Gilneas must now work with the Alliance.
Controlling Resources
The Battle for Gilneas is a new 10 vs. 10 Battleground for level-85 players. Much like they do in Arathi Basin, teams must control strategic capture points on the map to accumulate resources. The first team to gather 2000 resources wins.
The Battle
Teams will start at opposite ends of the map with default graveyards nearby. Once the match begins, teams will race toward each other to vie for control of three strategic points; each point will allow your team to gain resources and additional graveyards. Adding to the intensity of the battle are many obstacles that block line of sight, as well as chokepoints for fending off enemy advances.
The Overlook
In the center of the map is an area known as the Overlook. Hills on either side of the map create chokepoints, while narrow paths through the hills provide teams with alternate routes. A river dividing the map will also lead opponents toward a single bridge. In some cases, dominating the Overlook might be the key to controlling the capture points.
Capture Points
In The Battle for Gilneas, three distinct resource points are available for the taking by either the Horde or the Alliance: the Mines, the Lighthouse, and the Waterworks. Once any of these points is held by a team, access to nearby graveyards will be granted. In addition, workers from the controlling faction will show up to collect the resources necessary to win the battle.
Chaos will be unleashed upon Azeroth when Deathwing returns, but many steadfast leaders will see the Cataclysm as an opportunity to further the cause of their people... or simply attain more power. The situation in Gilneas is no different. Will the embattled Gilneans be able to defend their land after realigning with the Alliance? Or will the Forsaken, reinforced by Garrosh's Horde, seize this near-forgotten territory as a new stronghold in the Eastern Kingdoms?
Controlling Resources
The Battle for Gilneas is a new 10 vs. 10 Battleground for level-85 players. Much like they do in Arathi Basin, teams must control strategic capture points on the map to accumulate resources. The first team to gather 2000 resources wins.
The Battle
Teams will start at opposite ends of the map with default graveyards nearby. Once the match begins, teams will race toward each other to vie for control of three strategic points; each point will allow your team to gain resources and additional graveyards. Adding to the intensity of the battle are many obstacles that block line of sight, as well as chokepoints for fending off enemy advances.
The Overlook
In the center of the map is an area known as the Overlook. Hills on either side of the map create chokepoints, while narrow paths through the hills provide teams with alternate routes. A river dividing the map will also lead opponents toward a single bridge. In some cases, dominating the Overlook might be the key to controlling the capture points.
Capture Points
In The Battle for Gilneas, three distinct resource points are available for the taking by either the Horde or the Alliance: the Mines, the Lighthouse, and the Waterworks. Once any of these points is held by a team, access to nearby graveyards will be granted. In addition, workers from the controlling faction will show up to collect the resources necessary to win the battle.
Chaos will be unleashed upon Azeroth when Deathwing returns, but many steadfast leaders will see the Cataclysm as an opportunity to further the cause of their people... or simply attain more power. The situation in Gilneas is no different. Will the embattled Gilneans be able to defend their land after realigning with the Alliance? Or will the Forsaken, reinforced by Garrosh's Horde, seize this near-forgotten territory as a new stronghold in the Eastern Kingdoms?
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
Inside an old alt's vault
The latest patch 5.2 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria news





Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
vrykerion Sep 16th 2010 5:20PM
"as Arathi Basin wasn't anyone's home"
Take that Empire of Arathor.
MikeLive Sep 16th 2010 5:22PM
Strom was the capital of Arathor, Arathi Basin was/is a valley to be mined, not a major settlement.
Artificial Sep 16th 2010 6:06PM
"...an invading nation who only want the land for the sake of having more land."
You mean like the rapidly expanding military presence of the Alliance in the Barrens and the wholescale battleground they've turned the southern half into. Not to mention Durotar, Dustwallow, etc.
"...the gray area of good/evil that both factions existed in is really evaporating away for the Horde."
Assuming you choose to turn a blind eye to everywhere the Alliance is doing the exact same thing, sure, but all this does is highlight your bias. The difference between the Alliance and the Horde is that the Alliance tends to wrap themselves in self-justified righteousness while they commit their evil acts. I'm sorry, but I can't help but see their hypocrisy and deception, even if it is self-deception, as even more evil.
MikeLive Sep 16th 2010 6:07PM
I just meant in Battlegrounds :P
arielespadas Sep 16th 2010 3:43PM
If he is he's done a good job of fooling everyone http://wow.joystiq.com/about scroll down to Fox Van Allen.
arielespadas Sep 16th 2010 3:44PM
oops this was supposed to be a reply to my comment in which I profess my love.
Drez Sep 16th 2010 3:46PM
I love that this is 10v10, it's going to introduce much more strategy, ESPECIALLY for premades.With three nodes and 10 players there is no possible equal division. How many healers should you bring? The smaller size also makes this ideal for premades, since finding 10 people is hard enough... introduce 15 or 20 and it'll be really tough to have a go-to group. Now 10-man premades can have two different flavors of BGs: Capture the flag (WSG) and territory (BFG... which is an awesome acronym btw), while 15-man premades have both flavors as well (EOTS & AB, TP).
Vaeku Sep 16th 2010 3:59PM
People actually LIKE Arathi Basin? Yuck.
arielespadas Sep 16th 2010 4:02PM
actually AB is one of my faves. I've played it on all of my toons and its fun on all of them but its best with my druid main of course, invincible tree of healing awesomeness...until cataclysm that is =(
Fletcher Sep 16th 2010 5:04PM
AB is the best-designed BG in the game right now. It works really well.
Dreyja Sep 16th 2010 5:25PM
Absolutely, it's the only one I will do anymore, now that I don't need those damnable tokens from those others.
Zaros Sep 17th 2010 7:32PM
I just shadowmeld, wait for people to come and typhoon them off the edge of the lumber mill :P
Vaeku Sep 17th 2010 9:58PM
Oh sure, downrate me because you disagree with my opinion. You don't see me downrating everyone who likes AB. :/
Tinwhisker Sep 16th 2010 4:26PM
Your picture... all the way across the sky... what does it mean?
Silversol Sep 16th 2010 4:26PM
Oh my god, OH MY GOD, so vivid!
http://cata.wowhead.com/achievement=5262
(Fox Van Awesome picked the right screenshot)
jealouspirate Sep 16th 2010 4:55PM
I just watched that double rainbow video for the first time because of that achievement. Oh man.
I can't stop laughing. It was full on! So intense.
shamman22 Sep 16th 2010 4:35PM
Yay, another "fight for the resources" map. Why doesn't blizz actually add new game TYPES to give the bgs some real flavor. I want my wow deathmatch and king of the hill.
KJP Sep 16th 2010 4:57PM
"Do you like bears? Do you like bears with lasers? Do you like bears with lasers that breathe fire and spit acid in your face?"
That was the intended callback, yes?
Bumblebee Sep 16th 2010 6:31PM
I rather like how this new BG is forming. I didn't notice any mention about what levels will be able to partake in it, but I assume the usual level divisions(10-19, 20-29... 70-79) will be in play with the added 80-84 and 85 BG divisions.
Enor Sep 16th 2010 6:45PM
"The Battle for Gilneas is a new 10 vs. 10 Battleground for level-85 players."
- The Blizz quote in the above post.