Upcoming Changes to the Ashran, Isle of Conquest, and Wintergrasp Epic Battlegrounds

In next week’s Public Test Realm update, we’ll be making several adjustments to the Ashran, Isle of Conquest, and Wintergrasp epic battlegrounds.

Ashran

We’ve increased the player count again to make the battleground feel more epic. We also wanted to even out the Horde and Alliance sides of the map, especially at the start. The Tower Mages have had their difficulty lowered as they were a bit too impactful to the battleground. Additionally, we’ve reduced the cost to summon Fangraal and Kronus to help teams push the mid-lane more often.

  • Maximum player count per faction is now 35 (was 30).
  • Starting reinforcements are now 175 (was 150).
  • To allow both factions to have easier access to Star Root Tubers and Song Flowers, both these tasty treats will now spawn alongside each other in the Dark Woods and Root Den.
  • Artifact Fragment cost to summon Kronus and Fangraal reduced to 1500 (was 3000).
  • Horde and Alliance tower mages are now worth 30 Reinforcements when slain (was 50).
  • Horde and Alliance tower mages have had their spells adjusted:
    • Rylai Crestfall – Alliance Tower Mage
      • Northrend Winds now deals 15% of the target’s maximum health in Frost damage.
      • Frostbolt now deals 8% of the target’s maximum health in Frost damage.
      • Frostbolt Volley now deals 15% of the target’s maximum health in Frost damage.
      • No longer casts Mass Polymorph.
    • Jeron Emberfall – Horde Tower Mage
      • Fireball now deals 8% of the target’s maximum health in Fire damage.
      • Combustion Nova now deals 15% of the target’s maximum health in Fire damage.
      • Ignite now deals 1% of the target’s maximum health in Fire damage.
      • Living Bomb initial spell now deals 5% of the target’s maximum health in Fire damage.
      • Living Bomb explosion now deals 15% of the target’s maximum health in Fire damage.
      • Magma Blast cast by Jeron’s summoned Lava Fury now deals 5% of the target’s maximum health in Fire damage.

Isle of Conquest

  • These changes are intended to discourage base-rushing and have all control points be important, not just Hangar.
  • Glaive Thrower health has been increased by 40%.
  • Alliance and Horde Commander health increased by 50%.
  • Demolisher health increased by 25%.
  • Catapult health increased by 100%.
  • The amount of siege damage required to break down keep walls has been increased by 20%.

Wintergrasp

  • Wintergrasp has been very defense-favored, so we’ve made the following adjustments to even out both sides of the playing field.
  • Broken Temple and Sunken Ring Workshops are now controlled by the attacking team when the battle starts.
  • Wintergrasp Wall, Wintergrasp Fortress Wall, and Wintergrasp Fortress Gate health has been reduced by 20%.
  • Destroying Towers reduces match time by 8 minutes (was 5 minutes).
  • Siege Engine’s Steam Rush ability deals 20-35% of a player’s health (was 30-45%).
  • Demolisher’s Hurl Boulder ability deals 20-25% of a player’s health (was 36%).
  • After 5 minutes, all players in the battleground who do not have a rank (including players who join late) will now be granted the rank of Corporal.

Thank you for your feedback! If you get a chance to check out the changes on the PTR, please let us know what you think in the PTR General Discussion forum.

25 Likes

Changes that should make plenty happy, especially the Wintergrasp ones. :smiley:

12 Likes

7 Likes

I am actually tempted to play Epic bgs now, these are some nice changes.

4 Likes

But have you done anything about the lag in them ? increasing Ash to 35 when 30 is bad enough already .

11 Likes

Glaives definitely needed a buff to their HP. A single Boomie can kill it, or a Paladin with bubble.

It’s weird, sometimes the lag is unplayable, but most games there isn’t any lag.

3 Likes

Pointless the BGS will take longer another reason not to play these BGS. Their un interesting and your changes will make no difference.

3 Likes

What are you talking about?
The majority of these changes are great and will overall improve Epics.

4 Likes

Please read the Blue post they have increased the time of the BGS listed increased health buff etc. The buffs in damage as well to classes taken into account will not make much difference. They can not balance if they not balance the classes.

:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Maybe people want to play them because they enjoy large-scale PvP Battlegrounds? A crazy thought, I know, but still…

The changes are pretty great. Although I’m not sure if the Wintergrasp changes are sufficient. Speed is often an issue, I think. It’s too easy for the defenders to move their forces to whatever side of the map the attackers are. The keep is just a nice and small area whereas the attackers have to cover so much ground to even get to a wall. And it’s uphill!

The Isle of Conquest changes are perfect though. Those are exactly what the doctor ordered. :kissing_heart:

6 Likes

people are doing them because they are easy conquest/hp

nobody cares about 10+ year old bgs.

now if they added 4 completly new bgs - that would be impactfull change

this is just another way to slow people down and drag DAU and MAU meters

1 Like

:partying_face:

2 Likes

And here I thought I did them because I enjoyed playing them.

Guess I don’t qualify under the category of “people”.

Except for the people who seemingly play them often and regularly, evident by their high Honor ranks.

Talk about confirmation bias. Jesus…You’re like Fox News. :roll_eyes:

3 Likes

Good changes, but AV still a PvE race.

3 Likes

What is all of this going to change ? Beside making it longer, WG will still be almost an auto win if you’re defending and a 1% win chance if you’re attacking, IOC wont change one bit and the same tactics will stay as they are now, Ashran will just lag even more due to 10 more players

Idk i have far not TOP PC, but i have 0 issues on lags in Ashran. Are u playing on wooden laptop from 2010?

It is, but if they buff the commanders and the marshals, then it will once again be impossible to get [The Alterac Blitz] achievement. They either need to leave AV as it is or remove this achievement from the game and turn it into a Legacy/Feat of Strength achievement.

I dont have the best PC in the market sure but it is pretty laggy for me due to all the boom boom particle effects all over the place from 60+ people (covenant abilities etc), I5 7500 and GTX 1050

Myabe 1 RAM plank thats not work in DUO? For games u need 2 planks, always.