Darkspear Islands is the first brand-new battleground in WoW Forever, and it borrows from two old favourites. Fifteen players a side fight over four bases on a pair of troll islands off Dustwallow Marsh, capturing them Arathi Basin style, while a flag in the middle pays out like Eye of the Storm. The first team to 2,000 points wins, and every match pays Honor, Rank Points and Marks of Honor toward a new faction reputation. Below, we walk through the map and its capture points, how scoring works, what worked in the first beta matches, and what the reputation vendors sell.
If you only need the basics before your first queue, here they are in one place.
| Detail | Darkspear Islands |
|---|---|
| Format | 15v15, capture points + a central flag |
| Levels | 30–60 |
| Location | Islands off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh |
| Win condition | First team to 2,000 points |
| Horde side | Darkspear Raiders |
| Alliance side | Theramore Expeditionary Force |
| Queue | Any capital battlemaster, or the forward bases in The Barrens: Merchant Coast (Horde), Northwatch (Alliance) - a portal there takes you in |
| Currency | Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor + Honor + Rank Points |
For how Honor, ranks and gear fit together beyond this map, start with our WoW Forever PvP system overview.
The map is two large islands joined by bridges, with a base on each half and the flag fight in between. Alliance starts from a stone fort at the north end of the green northern island; Horde starts on the red southern island.
Four capture points are spread across the two islands. The names below are the ones the beta uses, so they may still change before launch.
Which island holds Shipwreck Cove and Ruins isn't fully clear from beta footage yet, though the map icons suggest two bases per island. The October 8 beta build also moved the Shipwreck Cove capture point, which had appeared in the wrong spot, so earlier videos may show it elsewhere.
Hazard: the water kills you. Falling into the sea means a shark attack and death, so you can't swim between islands. The bridges and walkways are the only routes, which makes them natural chokepoints.
Holding bases is the main source of points; the flag is the swing factor. The first team to 2,000 wins.
In practice, three bases plus steady flag runs wins comfortably. In one of the first beta matches, Alliance led roughly 1,400 to 700 by holding three bases and pulling enemies away from them.
These come from the first beta matches on October 7; expect Blizzard to tune the map before launch.
Our WoW Forever Honor farming guide covers the fastest ways to earn Honor across every battleground, Darkspear Islands included.
Every match pays three things. Honor is the currency you spend at the PvP vendor, and Rank Points move you up the 14 PvP ranks; both work here exactly as in any other battleground. Darkspear Islands Marks of Honor are this map's own token: you spend them on reputation turn-ins and, together with Honor, on PvP gear.
The map also brings two new factions, one per side: Darkspear Raiders for the Horde and Theramore Expeditionary Force for the Alliance. Their reputation opens new vendor stock at each standing and, at Exalted, a tabard and a Legacy Point. Here's how each reward is earned.
| Reward | How you get it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honor + Rank Points | Every match, plus honorable kills and battleground quests | Feeds your PvP rank like any battleground |
| Darkspear Islands Mark of Honor | 3 for a win, 1 for a loss (beta data) | Spare marks trade for XP and reputation |
| Darkspear Raiders (Horde) / Theramore Expeditionary Force (Alliance) reputation | Marks of Honor turn-in quests at the faction base | Vendors sell trinkets, rings, cloaks, weapons, armor and consumables at each standing |
| Exclusive tabard | Short questline unlocked at Exalted | One per faction |
| 1 Legacy Point | Reach Exalted with this battleground's faction | One of the 4 battleground-reputation Legacy Points |
The reputation vendors and quest givers stand at each faction's forward base in the Barrens: Merchant Coast for Horde, Northwatch for Alliance.
Reputation from mark turn-ins adds up slowly. If you want the tabard and the Legacy Point sooner, see our WoW Forever Darkspear Islands Reputation Boost or WoW Forever Marks of Honor Farm.
Spare marks also go toward PvP gear, where each item costs marks and Honor at once. The Honor prices below are from the September beta. The October 1 build raised most Honor costs by about 50%, so expect the final numbers to be higher.
| Item | Darkspear marks | Honor (September beta) |
|---|---|---|
| Rare PvP boots | 10 | 5,000 |
| Premier Master Sergeant's Insignia | 10 | 5,000 |
| Rank 14 one-handed weapons, bows and guns | 10 | 8,000 |
| Rank 14 shields and off-hands | 10 | 7,000 |
Every slot, mark and Honor price is listed in our PvP gear and Honor costs guide, while our WoW Forever Legacy Points guide explains what Legacy Points unlock.
Darkspear Islands is one part of the PvP climb. These guides cover the rest of it.
