I have always been a PvE first and PvP second type of player. I’ve always dipped my toes into multiplayer offerings with WoW and any other MMO’s I’ve played but I have always enjoyed PvE content much more. However this holds true only when I PvP alone. The key to maximizing fun and enjoyment with PvP, in my opinion, is when you team up with your friends. Yes this is true when it comes to PvE content as well but the frantic and evolving landscape of fighting real players makes for a much more heightened experience because you can’t “learn” them like you can a raid encounter or dungeon boss.

I get that you probably think I’m stating the obvious here, but queuing up for a battleground or arena with some friends and creating and adjusting strategies on the fly is a ton of fun. One of the frustrations of battlegrounds is the lack of good communication with your team. Often times they become an uncoordinated mess of small skirmishes that ignore the win condition of the map. As a solo player this is perhaps the biggest frustration but as a team, especially a larger team, you have a much better chance of getting other players to follow along with your plan once they see your band of friends actually trying. Typing your plan in chat rarely works at rallying others but them actually seeing you play with purpose does - you’ll be surprised.  Before you know it, your small of group of friends could sway a very large group of players into actually working together instead of lone-wolfing it. Before you know it you’ll be swimming in honor points that you can spend on PvP gear that will begin to increase your power against other players.

The same can be said about Arenas - playing with someone you know and can chat with will typically lead to a much more enjoyable experience than queuing with someone you just met in trade chat. While Arenas are typically more hectic and player focused (by this I mean your actions carry more weight in your success as there are fewer players) than Battlegrounds, the conquest points you’ll earn will lead to awesome new gear.

For PvP players, you have a new season quickly approaching that will bring new rewards and you won’t need to wait as long as you might have thought. For those of you who have avoided PvP in the past, I encourage you to gather some friends and give it a shot. Getting PvP gear with your honor points has become easier and your existing PvE items are much more viable leading to a much friendlier experience than what you may think or have experienced long ago. So while the next expansion may be further away than you thought, a new PvP season in the meantime is better than nothing at all and it will give you a chance to focus on it without feeling like you’re taking away from PvE progression. If you’re leveling a character battlegrounds are also a good alternative to earning XP if you ever want a break from PvE leveling.

Even though the next expansion may be several months away sharpen your blades because there are many battles to be had in the meantime.

What are your thoughts on PvP in WoW and MMO’s in general? Have any new tips for new PvPers? Let us know in the comments below!

This week's throwback item: Kris of Unspoken Names

Reza Lackey / Reza is a giant nerd who loves video games, board games, film and way too many other things. Works in the film industry, on some startups and thinks science is cool. Also launches rockets.