PvP Season 9 has begun!
by Mathew McCurley 
Dec 14th 2010 at 4:00PM
ZarhymThe first PvP season of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is underway! Players are now able to compete in level-85 Rated Arenas for top gear, items, and titles -- and for the first time ever, they can enter level-85 Rated Battlegrounds to fight for the same rewards available through Arenas, along with the original World of Warcraft PvP titles. Players can also participate in unranked War Games, skirmishes that allow Battleground and Arena teams to hone their skills against opponents of their choosing -- even if they're in the same faction. So prepare yourselves, aspiring Grand Marshals and High Warlords, as the struggle between the Horde and the Alliance is about to get bloodier.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is 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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Br0knpipe Dec 14th 2010 4:04PM
Yay, one more thing I need to find time for!
Elmouth Dec 15th 2010 8:39PM
I was seriously disapointed with blizzard's fail to keep their promise of basic honor weapons being available again like in BC.
Sure, Conquest weapons aren't exactly hard to get, but they're still not what was promised.
Guy Dec 14th 2010 4:15PM
Great, now another thing groups will not accept people for becuase of Gear Score.
I would love to do rated BGs (not huge on Arena) but I know many groups will have outrageous requirements taking all the fun out of them.
Mir Dec 14th 2010 4:36PM
Oh c'mon. Now you're just looking for things to complain about. If you don't have gear, then you can damn well go get it. It doesn't really take long at all to get your "intro" set.
Also, everyone that complains about gear score in general....quit your whining. When you don't know someone at all, how else are you supposed to judge if you want them on your team or not. If this was IRL and the 7 foot tall buff dude got picked for the rep basketball team ahead of the five foot tall and five foot wide asthmatic, you'd think that was pretty logical. So why should someone carry your poorly geared butt on their team and possibly lose a close match because you were so squishy?
PS Not an elitist (only at level 82 LOL @ me), just annoyed by people that think they game owes them a place on a top ranked team instead of having to actually work to get on a good one.
Hangk Dec 14th 2010 4:43PM
Do regular battlegrounds. Problem solved.
Oh, you want points and better rewards? Guess you'll have to expend effort on gearing up. Funny how these things work.
Pandas Dec 14th 2010 4:46PM
I know, it's terrible! All these requirements that your gear not make you a severe liability for your team. What elitists!
Nyold Dec 14th 2010 4:46PM
As much as I hate GS culture in general, I'd have to agree with Mir here that you're just complaining for the sake of complaining. You don't KNOW yet what kind of culture this pick up rated BG will breed, and pessimism at the Wow player base is sometimes what perpetuates their (our) dickiness further. (Yes it's a word, I insist).
Besides, if you really want to start a change, you can always create your own group with a more lenient resil/GS requirement (or none at all). You might get steamrolled, but that's what happens when you're under-geared. You might succeed through sheer teamwork and skill, good for you. Complaining that you can't join PUGs casually because you lack the gear and desire to start your own group is just as dickheady (again, it's a word) as the elitists you complain about.
SR Dec 14th 2010 4:49PM
Those who QQ about GS are usually people who are too lazy to put a group together (Which they should, if they want to set a lower standard) or lacks the skill to perform in that content (And they shouldn't be LFG in the first place).
Yeah. Dickmove, right? But that's the truth. If you want to be where everyone is at, which if effort and money to gear up, I expect 9/24/39 others in my group to do the same.
Birk Dec 14th 2010 5:14PM
I tend to agree;
Generally, the people complaining about Gearscore are those that are either too lazy to put together a group, or (more likely) are reluctant to put together a group with people as badly geared as themselves.
-Birk
noel mcleod Dec 14th 2010 5:22PM
I was turned down for VoA with a GS of 5850 - sorry dude, you have no raiding experience. True, and I'm never gonna get any either.
Guy Dec 14th 2010 5:28PM
I agree that GS has its place, and didn't mean to come across as only QQing. My point is people put unrealistic expectations on most group members. I had 4.5K GS back in WOTLK and was kicked from Naxx, they wanted 5K or above. Most people are just hitting 85, and have only been running BGs for a few days and with no 85 vendors at best can only get a few pieces of gear anyway (assuming they maxed out points).
GS is not the end all be all of metrics. GS has its flaws. I am just making the point too many people look at GS and nothing more and expect more than is needed to be successful. And GS is not a measure of skill, just another piece of the puzzle.
Nyold Dec 14th 2010 5:58PM
@Guy and noel, I'm sorry to hear that you got kicked due to unrealistic expectations by the pug leader. That sucks, and I'm not being cynical or sarcastic here. That was a legitimate example on how GS can be used inappropriately. But then again, I have a feeling you don't want to join that kinda group anyway. Those kinds of pugs tend to not last long, even if they're doing Naxx in 5k GS. Guaranteed, the MT or OT or 2 healers will be "afk brb my dog pooped on me" or "disconnect" after they get their loot or something else.
I hope there are other pugs in your server who's willing to take your 5850 gs for VOA. If not that day, then maybe another day. VOA is around all week. If not, maybe another week, or through a friend, or apply to a social-casual guild and start proving to them that you're a good and geared player, willing to learn, etc.
Back to rated BG example, if the raid leader is setting an unrealistic expectation (iLevel average 400 or no invite), then you don't want to be in there to begin with. That group will be filled with super geared people, but due to lack of his leadership skill, they're not going to fare that well. He's the type of person who would "WTF someone defend pls" or "you guys are nubs l2p!!" instead of truly inspiring the team to perform and communicate.
Nyold Dec 14th 2010 6:03PM
@Guy and noel, I'm sorry to hear that you got kicked due to unrealistic expectations by the pug leader. That sucks, and I'm not being cynical or sarcastic here. That was a legitimate example on how GS can be used inappropriately. But then again, I have a feeling you don't want to join that kinda group anyway. Those kinds of pugs tend to not last long, even if they're doing Naxx in 5k GS. Guaranteed, the MT or OT or 2 healers will be "afk brb my dog pooped on me" or "disconnect" after they get their loot or something else.
I hope there are other pugs in your server who's willing to take your 5850 gs for VOA. If not that day, then maybe another day. VOA is around all week. If not, maybe another week, or through a friend, or apply to a social-casual guild and start proving to them that you're a good and geared player, willing to learn, etc.
Back to rated BG example, if the raid leader is setting an unrealistic expectation (iLevel average 400 or no invite), then you don't want to be in there to begin with. That group will be filled with super geared people, but due to lack of his leadership skill, they're not going to fare that well. He's the type of person who would "WTF someone defend pls" or "you guys are nubs l2p!!" instead of truly inspiring the team to perform and communicate.
Baba Dec 15th 2010 6:30AM
@Mir:
I'm only at 81. What'chu tryin' ta say? :P
Though I have been working 14 hours a day on my university project... FTL
Now I need to powerlevel my Blacksmither up to 84 for the recipes, AND get my warlock to 85 so I can burn mages... blarghghghs
Magma Dec 14th 2010 4:22PM
Rated Battregrounds, where have you been arr my rife!
SR Dec 14th 2010 4:46PM
Um... That came outta nowhere.
Luci Dec 14th 2010 4:22PM
dun-dun-dah!
Hangk Dec 14th 2010 4:27PM
Gaaah! I'm still only level 82!
Slaytanic Dec 14th 2010 4:38PM
I started playing shortly after the O.G. PvP titles went away, so I don't know exactly how those will be earned this time around. Any insight?
Susano Dec 14th 2010 4:47PM
Rated Battleground Rating