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PvP · Battleground guide

Darkspear Islands in WoW Forever

The new 15 vs 15 battleground off Dustwallow Marsh: four bases and a central flag, first to 2,000 points.

Checked against the final beta client, build 1.60.1.70532, and Blizzard's posts on .

WoW Forever is not out yet. Anything below, including the confirmed lines, can change at launch on November 4.

Teams
15 vs 15
Levels
30–60
To win
First team to 2,000 points from holding bases and capturing the flag.

What we know for Forever

  • Confirmed A 15 vs 15 battleground off the shores of Dustwallow Marsh for levels 30 to 60. The first team to 2,000 points wins. Blizzard
  • Confirmed Four capture points earn points over time, faster the more of them your team holds. A flag in the middle can be carried to any base your team already holds for extra points. Blizzard
  • Datamined The client's brackets and quests split the battleground into 30–39, 40–49, 50–59 and 60. Daybreak Forever · WoW Forever Builds
  • Datamined Darkspear Islands is part of the weekly Call to Arms rotation with Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch, and the season journey has tasks for finishing and winning it. Daybreak Forever
  • Datamined Two quest objectives in the client ask you to win while holding all four bases, or at least three. Daybreak Forever

Map basics and how to get in

  • Datamined The four capture points are the Camp, the Ruins, the Abandoned Tower and Shipwreck Cove. The scoreboard counts flag captures, bases assaulted and bases defended. Daybreak Forever
  • Confirmed Queue at a battlemaster in any capital, or at your faction's base in the Barrens: the Darkspear Raiders at the Merchant Coast (Horde) or the Theramore Expeditionary Force at Northwatch (Alliance). Both bases have a portal into the battle, reputation vendors and quests. Blizzard
  • Datamined Swimming in the island waters draws Darkspear Sharks, which bite for 20% of your health every 2 seconds. Daybreak Forever

Strategy basics

Our advice from how these maps play, not a tested Forever meta: level 60 PvP was never on the beta.

  1. Three bases win domination maps. Pick the three closest to your side, send most of the team to take them, and leave at least one player on each base you hold so a lone attacker cannot flip it unseen.
  2. The flag is worth most when you already hold bases: grab it, then run it to the nearest base your team owns rather than the furthest. Escort the carrier, since a dropped flag swings the score.
  3. Do not cut corners through the water. Sharks bite swimmers in the island waters for a fifth of their health every two seconds.
  4. Call incoming attackers early. A base is lost in the seconds it takes to assault it, not in the fight that follows.
  5. Turn your Marks of Honor in three at a time to the quest giver at your faction's Barrens base; each turn-in is reputation toward the Exalted gloves and shoulders.

Quests (17)

From the beta client's quest data. Reputation goes to the Darkspear Raiders (Horde) or Theramore Expeditionary Force (Alliance).

Darkspear Islands quests with level, objective and reward
QuestLevelObjectiveReward
Conflict at Darkspear Islands30–39Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Darkspear Raiders · 1,500 XP
Darkspear Islands Clash30–39Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Theramore Expeditionary Force · 1,500 XP
Darkspear's Basic Care Package30–39Not in the quest data10 The Defilers · 300 XP
The Battle for Darkspear Islands!30–39Win in Darkspear Islands200 Theramore Expeditionary Force · 3,000 XP
Theramore Basic Care Package30–39Not in the quest data10 The League of Arathor · 300 XP
Conflict at Darkspear Islands40–49Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Darkspear Raiders
Darkspear Islands Clash40–49Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Theramore Expeditionary Force
Darkspear's Standard Care Package40–49Not in the quest data10 The Defilers · 460 XP
The Battle for Darkspear Islands!40–49Win in Darkspear Islands200 Theramore Expeditionary Force · 4,550 XP
Theramore Standard Care Package40–49Not in the quest data10 The League of Arathor · 460 XP
Conflict at Darkspear Islands50–59Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Darkspear Raiders · 6,400 XP
Darkspear Islands Clash50–59Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Theramore Expeditionary Force · 6,400 XP
Darkspear's Advanced Care Package50–60Not in the quest data10 The Defilers · 650 XP
The Battle for Darkspear Islands!50–60Win in Darkspear Islands200 Theramore Expeditionary Force · 6,600 XP
Theramore Advanced Care Package50–60Not in the quest data10 The League of Arathor · 650 XP
Conflict at Darkspear Islands60Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Darkspear Raiders · 6,600 XP
Darkspear Islands Clash60Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor ×3150 Theramore Expeditionary Force · 6,600 XP

Marks of Honor

  • Confirmed Battleground Marks of Honor stack to 30 since the October 15 build, so you can bank a long evening of games before turning them in. Blizzard forums
  • Confirmed Darkspear Islands Marks of Honor go into that battleground's reputation quests, and Exalted opens a short questline for the faction tabard. Blizzard
  • Datamined In the quest data each Darkspear Islands bracket has a repeatable quest per faction for 3 Darkspear Islands Marks of Honor (150 reputation), and the Warsong Gulch and Arathi Basin quests take one mark of their own battleground (200 reputation). WoW Forever Builds

Rewards and reputation

  • Confirmed Each side has its own reputation: Darkspear Raiders for the Horde, Theramore Expeditionary Force for the Alliance. Their vendors sell trinkets, rings, cloaks, weapons, armor and consumables as your standing rises, and Exalted opens a short questline for the faction tabard. Blizzard
  • Datamined Exalted sells epic gloves and shoulders in two tiers, item level 55 and 65, from two quartermasters in the Barrens. The items below are the client's Darkspear, Theramore and Raider gear; which vendor and standing each one needs is not in the data. Daybreak Forever · Daybreak Forever datamine
Required level 28 (7 items)
Required level 33 (2 items)
Required level 38 (7 items)
Required level 48 (9 items)
Required level 50 (8 items)
  • Raider GauntletsEpic · Hands · Plate · ilvl 55Strength +23, Stamina +12, Agility +10
  • Raider GlovesEpic · Hands · Leather · ilvl 55Agility +23, Strength +10, Stamina +12
  • Raider HandguardsEpic · Hands · Mail · ilvl 55Intellect +17, Stamina +12, Armor +80, Spell Power +13
  • Raider HandwrapsEpic · Hands · Cloth · ilvl 55Intellect +23, Stamina +12, Healing +22, Spell Damage +7
  • Theramore GauntletsEpic · Hands · Plate · ilvl 55Strength +23, Stamina +12, Agility +10
  • Theramore GlovesEpic · Hands · Leather · ilvl 55Agility +23, Strength +10, Stamina +12
  • Theramore HandguardsEpic · Hands · Mail · ilvl 55Intellect +17, Stamina +12, Armor +80, Spell Power +13
  • Theramore HandwrapsEpic · Hands · Cloth · ilvl 55Intellect +23, Stamina +12, Healing +22, Spell Damage +7
Required level 58 (7 items)
Required level 60 (22 items)
  • Darkspear EpauletsEpic · Shoulder · Mail · ilvl 65Agility +27, Stamina +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Darkspear MantleEpic · Shoulder · Plate · ilvl 65Stamina +24, Healing +37, Spell Damage +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Darkspear PauldronsEpic · Shoulder · Leather · ilvl 65Agility +27, Stamina +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Darkspear ShoulderguardsEpic · Shoulder · Mail · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +12, Spell Power +16
  • Darkspear ShoulderpadsEpic · Shoulder · Cloth · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +15, Spell Power +12
  • Darkspear ShouldersEpic · Shoulder · Leather · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +15, Spell Power +12
  • Darkspear SpauldersEpic · Shoulder · Plate · ilvl 65Stamina +27, Strength +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Raider GauntletsEpic · Hands · Plate · ilvl 65Strength +27, Stamina +15, Agility +11
  • Raider GlovesEpic · Hands · Leather · ilvl 65Agility +27, Strength +11, Stamina +15
  • Raider HandguardsEpic · Hands · Mail · ilvl 65Intellect +21, Stamina +15, Armor +100, Spell Power +16
  • Raider HandwrapsEpic · Hands · Cloth · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +15, Healing +24, Spell Damage +8
  • Theramore EpauletsEpic · Shoulder · Mail · ilvl 65Agility +27, Stamina +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Theramore GauntletsEpic · Hands · Plate · ilvl 65Strength +27, Stamina +15, Agility +11
  • Theramore GlovesEpic · Hands · Leather · ilvl 65Agility +27, Strength +11, Stamina +15
  • Theramore HandguardsEpic · Hands · Mail · ilvl 65Intellect +21, Stamina +15, Armor +100, Spell Power +16
  • Theramore HandwrapsEpic · Hands · Cloth · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +15, Healing +24, Spell Damage +8
  • Theramore MantleEpic · Shoulder · Plate · ilvl 65Stamina +24, Healing +37, Spell Damage +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Theramore PauldronsEpic · Shoulder · Leather · ilvl 65Agility +27, Stamina +12, Critical Strike +14
  • Theramore ShoulderguardsEpic · Shoulder · Mail · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +12, Spell Power +16
  • Theramore ShoulderpadsEpic · Shoulder · Cloth · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +15, Spell Power +12
  • Theramore ShouldersEpic · Shoulder · Leather · ilvl 65Intellect +27, Stamina +15, Spell Power +12
  • Theramore SpauldersEpic · Shoulder · Plate · ilvl 65Stamina +27, Strength +12, Critical Strike +14

Darkspear Islands FAQ

What level do you need for Darkspear Islands?

Level 30. The battleground runs from 30 to 60, in brackets of 30–39, 40–49, 50–59 and 60.

How do you win Darkspear Islands?

Reach 2,000 points first. Points come from holding the four bases (Camp, Ruins, Abandoned Tower and Shipwreck Cove), and carrying the central flag to a base your team holds adds more.

Where do you queue for Darkspear Islands?

At any capital battlemaster, or at your faction's camp in the Barrens: the Merchant Coast for the Horde and Northwatch for the Alliance, where a portal takes you in.

What does Darkspear Islands reputation give?

Trinkets, rings, cloaks, weapons, armor and consumables as you rank up with the Darkspear Raiders or Theramore Expeditionary Force, epic gloves and shoulders at Exalted, and a questline for the faction tabard.

Sources

Checked against these sources on Oct 24, 2026.