PvP: Halaa

If you have not taken part in the defense or takeover of Halaa, you are missing one of the best PvP experiences in WoW.

One important fact about Halaa: You receive no bonus honor or tokens for capturing the city from the opposing faction.

Halaa is an outdoor PvP objective in central Nagrand. The city of Halaa is a small outpost on an plateau-like island that is defended by 15 of the occupying faction's guards. To take Halaa, the attacking faction must kill the 15 guards by firebombing them from the provided Wyverns and then hold the center of Halaa for about 5 minutes.

Why fight in Halaa?
Halaa is a great introduction to PvP. Most of the players at Halaa are not twinked-out and, as a result, players without top-notch PvP gear stand a chance of getting some kills and having some fun. The Shadowstalker Sash and Leggings and the Sublime Mystic Dawnstone are nice items for druid, melee PvP.

When to take part in the fight for Halaa:
If you have the World Defense Channel active, it will tell when Halaa is being attacked. If your faction holds Halaa, a message will be displayed throughout the time Halaa is under attack. If your faction is attacking, a message will appear when Halaa is defenseless- that is when all 15 guards have been killed.

If Halaa is under attack, you will want to consider whether or not to travel to Halaa to participate. Ideally, one would want some resistance from the opposing faction. Without Horde/Alliance to engage, you cannot earn Halaa Battle Tokens, which are used to purchase these nice items (especially the mount). Look at your 'Who' tab under your 'Social' button and whisper someone who is in Halaa to get an idea of the status of the fight. Some scenarios include:

Overwhelming Defense from Opposing Faction: the fight will likely not result in a win, but you may have the chance to gain some tokens. Only go if you can go in a group. A well organized defense will leave little opportunity for you to gain even the occasional token, as the defenders will be in groups.

Overwhelming Attack from Your own Faction: In this situation, the defenders may give-up and leave, which results in very little chance to win tokens. If you see "Halaa is Defenseless" and your faction is waiting in the middle, travel to Halaa is likely useless.

Balanced Horde and Alliance: This is the best case scenario and can make for hours of fun if both sides play well. The only trick here is NOT TO INVITE MORE OF YOUR FACTION THAN YOU NEED. Keep the numbers of defense/offense balanced or a situation of overwhelming power will occur, which encourages the other faction to leave (something you do not want IF you are seeking tokens). I have refused to invite more to the raid and discourage broadcasting the attack, unless the goal is to take down the opposing faction to gain Halaa for some other reason (someone just wants to spend their tokens). Remember, you win NOTHING for actually winning Halaa, all the rewards are generated from PvP fighting.

What Equipment do I need for Halaa?
The usual PvP gear with stamina is nice, but not essential. Flying mounts offer a large advantage to any faction. The Ornate Spyglass can help see what is going on at various points of interest. The Skyguard's Drape can be very useful for jumping off of the plateau if are getting beat upon.

If you haven't given Halaa a try, turn on your World Defense Channel and look for events in Halaa. If you enjoy the fight and haven't been involved in PvP, you may find this a great introduction to the Battle Grounds and World PvP.

Next Post: Attacking Halaa