Let me start by saying I'm NOT a battleground virgin, unlike some people who are attempting this achievement, (part of the meta achievement to earn a Drake mount). In order to gear up for Kara, I spent many hours earning honour (English spelling, please note) for a full Wyrmhide set.
However, I do find the requirement a pain in the posterior! Two of them were easy enough for a druid, and anyone with access to speed and invisibility potions could probably do the same:
- Alterac Valley - Having tried asking first if I could cap a tower, heading straight to IBT and running up it (both failed) I rode as fast as possible to Frost Wolf village, straight up the East Tower and used cat form and dash to beat 3 others to the flag, remembering to get my orphan out too
- Arathi Baisin - Ran straight to Gold Mines, found horde there already so hit prowl, hit in the haywain, waited for them to get bored and out of sight, capped the flag
However Eye of the Storm (EoTS) and Warsong Gulch (WSG) are driving me slowly nuts.
- I have spent over 12 hours of play time in battlegrounds so far, when I would far rather be spending time on LoreMaster.
- I now have a FIFTH set of gear - Balance (mainspec), Resto (secondary), feral agility (off-spec for exploring low level areas) and feral tank (sometimes used for boosts) and now PvP resilience. However I don't have additional bank space to cope with it and permanently run with four bags full (food, potions & utility; herbs; gear; quest items), and a full bank (herbs; potions & transmute mats; PvP; Agility; Strength; trinkets & event items; food)
- I am annoying proper PvPers by camping the flag in EoTs. I DO spend time helping to secure MT (Mage Tower) and/or DR (Draenai Ruins) first but after the first cap, I then camp as its the ONLY way I can see of getting this achievement. As a druid, I have the advantage that I am actually quite suited to running the flag (as I have travel form) BUT it does require a decent Ally side, not one that is racing around like blue-bottomed flies attempting to secure 3 or 4 towers whilst leaving the first two with less than 2 people in them to protect them or even attempting to capture the flag! So far I have done 5 or 6, and not ONCE have I seen the raid lead attempt to communicate a strategy to the players, some of whom will be BG virgins whilst this event is on.
- WSG. Never have I come closer to throwing a PC out of a window. All the issues with this one are listed (at length on the forums). The only way to get this one seems to be
- Run a premade (get two parties of 4 people together and all join the same BG such as Warsong Gulch 3), preferably on both sides, and take turns dropping and capping the flag with orphan out
- Hope you find a friendly horde player trying to do the same thing and politely take turns, hoping not to be zerged by the PvPers
- Follow the flag, clicking on it like blue blazes in the hope that at some point you will be the one who happens to be lucky enough to get it clicked just before the poor sod dies
I do not support the idea that this requirement should be removed from the meta, but I DO think it needs a slight redesign to make it achievable in a reasonable amount of playtime (say 8 hours) for non-PvPers, particularly casters and healers. Likewise I do not think it would be good to retrospectively remove the requirement. However, perhaps, allowing 3 out 4 to be completed, may be a sufficient compromise?
*sits back and waits for the flack*
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Update: 5 hours later, I finally have the achievement, as well as a new bright shiny necklace: Deadly Gladiator's Pendant of Ascendancy (http://eu.wowarmory.com/item-info.xml?i=42030) from all those honour points (sorry Blizz, but in English there IS a "u" in honour!). Taking a different tack to normal, I always took BG 3 (or 6 when 3 was not available), rather than first available.
Arathi I came to a battle part way through, having been fishing in WG for the daily. Quickly swapping pole for blade (as there was a fight underway as I appeared!) I was lucky enough to chase the flag carrier out and help someone get their achievement. Next time the flag came under attack, a hunter and I chased a second out and somehow we both got the achievement (or he didn't but I did). Apparently the battle had been underway for over half an hour so I guess the horde were flagging... ;-)
For EoTs I happened to be in an IMBA battleground where allies (more than a few with orphans out) and we had 5 flags capped whilst I was there, travel form comes in very handy, giving me mine.
I am soooo glad its over, BUT, as someone whispered me last night, it would be a shame to let all that gear go to waste ...