Every few days, combatants across Azeroth are called upon to focus their attention on one specific Battleground. From July 18–21, that Battleground is Eye of the Storm, and we’ve put together a handy field guide to help you answer the call to arms.

Eye of the Storm Basics

Number of players: 15 vs. 15

Minimum required level: 35

Location: Netherstorm

Entry points: Speak with a Battlemaster in any capital city, or activate the Player vs. Player window (the default hotkey is H). From July 18–21, select the Call to Arms option and then click the Join Battle button to enter the queue for Eye of the Storm.

Objective: Capture and hold as many of the four towers as possible, and earn resources by positioning yourself near a tower’s flag. Additionally, pick up a shiny flag that occasionally appears in the middle of the map and return it to any tower that’s actively held by your team for bonus resources. The first team to reach 1,600 resources wins.

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Call to Arms Rewards

Participating in and completing the current Call to Arms Battleground grants you bonus Honor and Conquest points, with greater bonus rewards going to the players on the winning team. Even more bonus Honor and Conquest points go to players for their first win of the day.

Other Rewards

Among the more interesting achievements you can earn here are:

• The Perfect Storm [Win Eye of the Storm with a score of 1600 to 0.]
• Storm Glory [While your team holds 4 of the bases in Eye of the Storm, personally grab the flag and capture it.]
• Take a Chill Pill [In Eye of the Storm, kill a player who is under the effects of the Berserker power-up.]

For The Win

Eye of the Storm is a resource race, and the team that most efficiently captures and holds the four towers while grabbing and returning the flag wins. To capture a tower, simply position yourself close to it. If you are the only player in the vicinity, you’ll see the possession meter for that tower move in your direction, and the more teammates you have by your side, the faster you’ll gain possession. If there are enemy players present, their effects on possession of the tower cancel out yours. This means that if there are four members of your team and two members of the enemy team present, the possession meter moves as if there were two members of your team present.

Throughout the battle, a flag will spawn in the middle of the center bridge. Click it to pick it up, and then return it to any tower that your team controls for bonus resources. This bonus is slightly larger if you control two or three towers, and is extremely large if you control all four towers. For this reason, if your team has three towers and is on the cusp of taking control of the fourth tower, it might be a good idea to wait to turn in the flag.

 

Winning in Eye of the Storm often comes down to the following:

• Communicate as much as possible. Your whole team benefits from knowing when you’re about to commit to taking a tower, need help defending an incoming attack, or intend to return the flag to a particular destination.
• Look out for enemy players who can push you off the edge of the chasm. If you’re a Shaman, Druid, or Priest, sometimes knocking your enemy into the abyss can be much more effective than going toe-to-toe.
• Try to not fight too much on the side bridges or in any area far away from towers. There are two main things going on here—towers and flag returns—and worrying about anything else is a recipe for a losing score.

Because there are two teams of 15 players and the Battleground is laid out evenly, there is no one winning strategy. A focus on the towers definitely takes precedent over capturing the flag, especially if your team only has one tower, and you’ll want to congregate with your teammates as much as possible. If you spend even a little time out of range of your healers and helpers, you’ll be easy pickings for the enemy.

Learn more about Eye of the Storm at: WoWpedia, Wowhead, and the Battle.net Eye of the Storm Battleground guide.