ALTERAC Valley is the World of Warcraft's largest player-vs-player battleground, pitting 65 players and 15 bots against each other in an epic struggle to kill a raid boss who stands inside a large shed barking insults. The players, split into two teams of 40, must race from one end of the map to the other, assaulting and securing strategic points along the way, in a bid to reach the opposition shed. Once there, they continously run inside and die like insects until the boss gets bored and falls over. Each team is then awarded 2000 honor points.

Those are the basics, but Alterac Valley is remarkable among World of Warcraft's battlegrounds for a number of reasons.

SCALE

While AV is still the largest battleground, its size is just a shadow of what it once was. When initially devised, the map was three times the size of Outlands, yet team numbers were restricted to just seven per side. With fights lasting anything from four months to two years, it took the deaths of several of Korean players before a mandatory shutdown was put in place, freezing the game between 1am and 5am to force the combatants to sleep. Successive patches have consistently reduced AV's scope and introduced a resource mechanic to bring its play time more in line with the likes of Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch - turning the once impossible dream of five defeats an hour into a reality for Horde players everywhere.

MOBS AND NPCS

Besides spirit rezzers, zombie lumberjacks and rats, most battlegrounds are devoid of the sinister presence of computer controlled life. AV is different, its snowy wastelands liberally populated with guards, archers, irritating goat creatures and a wide variety of other mobs and NPCs. But while most of these are simple window dressing, four are of crucial importance.

The middle of the map is home to the Horde and Alliance mini-bosses, Gary and Barry. Killing these is an essential part of a healthy AV, as it grants a large chunk of honor, diminishes the opponents' resources and causes at least five of your raid's most vocal commentators to shut the fuck up.

The final sheds house the two opposing leaders - known as "Bishops" - who provide the primary means of victory. While the Horde must sacrifice themselves repeatedly to the blades of the mighty dwarf Voldo, the Alliance focus their assault on the orc hero Derek, although the structure of the fight is roughly similar for both sides. A textbook strategy is to scream for a tank (if you're a healer) scream for a healer (if you're a tank) or scream at random (if you're anybody else) then rush inside in panic and either die immeidately or rush back out again to reset the Bishop's health. Provided no nearby graveyards have been secured, this tactic can be safely repeated until the opposing team wins.

CONTROL POINTS

The geography of the Valley is home to a set of strategic control points which conspire to hasten or hamper the teams' march to victory.

Graveyards

This is where your character returns to life after being killed and capturing these points provides a spawing area for downed team members, potentially altering the flow of the battle by placing them closer to their objective. Although each side begins with two graveyards close to their Bishop, the most important graveyards lie further towards the middle at Stonehearth and Iceblood. Stealing either of these graveyards from the opposing team doubles the length of the game, granting valuable thinking time. Also of note is the consistently deserted Snowfall graveyard, which boosts morale by offering solo players the chance to feel like they are making a difference.

Towers and Bunkers

Both teams begin the match with four sites which, when toppled, grant an honor bonus and eliminate a corresponding member of the Bishop's crew. As in real life, these buildings are destroyed by ascending to the top, touching a flag and waiting for four minutes for them to set on fire. It is possible to recapture the flag within that four minute period, leading to some of the most exhilarating and annoying encounters in the game. Towers and bunkers also exhibit one of the most interesting powers in the game. Dubbed "Selective Stealth", this quirky camouflage mechanic renders them completely invisible to four out of five players.

Mines

These are the AV equivalent of the human appendix, a once proud organ reduced to uselessness by mankind's modern reluctance to eat grass. They can safely be ignored, although they do provide a helpful place to take a break from the stress of warfare and enjoy a relaxing picnic.

STRATEGIES

The idiosyncratic design of AV has led to a hugely diverse range of strategies which can be used to lead your team to defeat. The following have become commonplace.

The Ant

All 40 players mount up outside their starting cave, then race as one to their opponent's Bishop, ignoring all points in between. This inspired tactic shortens the game time considerably, allowing the opposing team - who are better - to win the battle in as little as eight minutes.

The Turtle

38 players mount up and distribute themselves evenly between defensive points - towers, bunkers, graveyards, and the houses of Gary and Barry. Meanwhile, two mages launch a brave and fruitless assault across the map to down the opponent's Bishop. This strategy leads to a lengthy and calming defeat.

The Sloth

All 40 players mount up and head for the Field of Strife in the centre of the map. Once there, they dismount and mash keys until their hands bleed, and the thoroughly entertaining maelstrom which results causes players to gradually leave the battleground in frustration. This allows a new set of troops to replace them and embark on a series on solo variants of the Ant and the Turtle. Defeat results sometime within the next two hours.

The Hawking

This intelligent tactic sees players break off into groups to defend or attack the various towers, bunkers, graveyards and mini-bosses. Meanwhile, a further group returns to defend their Bishop, while a larger one heads directly to that of the opposing team. The result is a profoundly satisfying defeat.
Despite the power of The Hawking, the strategy has only been seen in action once. The players involved were so fulfilled at the end of the match that they immiediately cancelled their accounts and went off to have familes.

The Pot Noodle

This unholy, stinking mess which results from 40 players executing 40 individual variants of all of the above strategies. Employed in nine out of ten games, it inevitably leads to defeat.

SUMMARY

When all is said and done, Alterac Valley is a complex and enjoyable battleground which rewards thoughtfulness, teamwork and playing skill. It's large enough to feel unique among World of Warcraft's varied PvP