Not all battles are fought for a noble cause or a greater good; some hard-fought victories are earned in the name of sport. In Azeroth and Outland, you may be fighting to protect the weak, to avenge a comrade, or to achieve some other honorable goal. But in the arenas, you fight for one thing, and one thing alone: glory. How will you fare once the gates of the arena open before you?

The ogrish arena of the Blade's Edge Mountains in Outland is known as The Circle of Blood. One look at this arena conjures thoughts of countless, intense battles – and the consequences they render in the new arena system.

Overview

Let's take a closer look at the map layout.

• The Pit
  

  This is where you and your team prepare for the match. To make life a little easier, all spells and abilities in the pit are free, and you'll have about one minute before the fight begins – more than enough time to apply all the necessary buffs and to prepare all your trash-talk and emote macros. You do have emotes to celebrate your victory, right?

• The Ramps
  

  When you leave the pit, you'll see a ramp right in front of you running along the left wall. These ramps lead up to the bridge, one of the key strategic positions in the Circle of Blood.

• The Bridge
  

  This bridge divides the Circle of Blood into halves: your side and the enemy's. You'll have a very good view of the entire arena from here, and it's also the only way to reach the pillars.

• The Pillars
  

  One well-aimed jump places you on top of one of the pillars flanking the bridge on either side. If you're a ranged class, then you should consider jumping on one of the pillars. It helps keep enemies at a distance, and the pillars are excellent sniping spots.

• The Gutters
  

  If you take a right after leaving the pit, you'll see one of the Circle of Blood's two gutters. Players usually go for the bridge at the start of a match, so if you want to avoid enemy contact at first, the gutters on either side or under the bridge are the places to be.

Map Walkthrough

Once the gates open, your team will have to make a decision: go for the left ramp, the right ramp, or the center. Gunning for the ramp near your pit will present early access to the bridge, as well as a terrific view of what the opposing team is planning. Of course, this also means that if you're running toward the other side's ramps instead of your own, they'll be able to see you coming.

Things will invariably become a little chaotic once you're on the bridge. Ranged classes such as hunters and mages often try to reach the relative safety of one of the pillars or hang back at their ramp, while melee fighters such as warriors and rogues do their best to close the distance. There's usually a lot of fighting going on at the bridge, because controlling this landmark often means your team controls the arena.

If the fighting gets too rough and your health drops dangerously low, you can try to jump off the bridge and use the pillars to break line of sight with any characters that are chasing you. Also, if you see that your team is losing the bridge, you can always just jump down to ground level and attempt an ordered retreat.

The magical city of Dalaran floats high above Northrend. But below the surface, beneath the hustle and bustle of life in the city, lies a different sort of activity that the majority of Dalaran's citizens remain blissfully unaware of: an underground fighting ring in the sewers, where fierce combatants test each other's mettle and fighting skills for the thrill of combat.

Overview

The Dalaran sewers are distinguished by their dramatic waterfall feature and a raised center platform.

• The Waterfall
  

  Every so often, a waterfall pours down from a grate in the ceiling, blocking line of sight and preventing movement through the rushing water while the waterfall is active. It is designed to be a dynamic line-of-sight element that adds tactical options to the Arena. If players are standing near the foot of the waterfall when it activates, they will get knocked back.

• The Center Platform
  

  The center of the Arena is a raised square platform. The waterfall splashes down onto a grate in the center of the platform. Players can only access the platform via stairs that lead up two of its four corners: the platform is too high to simply jump onto. At the other two corners, piles of crates obstruct movement and block line of sight.

• The Pipes
  

  The staging areas for the Dalaran sewers are two sewer pipes on either side of the Arena. Players who remain inside for too long are eventually knocked out of the pipes by a torrent of water.

Map Walkthrough

When the match starts, teams will likely head to the center platform to establish a favorable strategic position that is tailored to their team makeup. Ranged classes can circle the perimeter to break line of sight from melee attackers and other ranged attackers, or venture onto the platform to obtain high ground and control most of the playing field with clear lines of sight. Healers can kite melee around the platform and up the two stairways, using the two piles of crates or jumping down when necessary to break line of sight from ranged attackers.

However, no one should get too comfortable trying to control the platform's center. Even though it offers a strong strategic position, the center of the platform is also where the waterfall makes its periodic appearance, throwing a dynamic, impassable line-of-sight element into the mix, and knocking back anyone standing too close to the downpour. Players can take advantage of its potentially game-changing nature to attempt high-risk, high-reward gambits such as bringing all cooldowns and burst DPS to bear on a single target that may have been momentarily cut off from support.

The former site of Lordaeron, once-proud capital of the Alliance, is haunted by the ghosts of the past. As a grim reminder of the devastation wreaked by the Scourge, the Ruins of Lordaeron is an appropriate setting for battle and strife – a perfect stage for an Arena.

Overview

The Ruins are a medium sized arena with several distinguishing features.

• The Pit
  

  Like in other arenas, the Pit is a staging area where you can prepare for the match. However, the Pit can actually serve as part of the fighting area once the match begins. This is due to the fact that running into the Pit can break line of sight at some angles, due to the doorway being smaller than the width of the room.

• The Coffin
  

  The centerpiece of the Ruins is a large coffin with three pillars jutting from its corners. It tends to be the focus of battles because of its tactical importance. It is the arena’s main position of strength for both defense and offense. Controlling the coffin is akin to controlling the battlefield.

• The Graveyard
  

  On one side of the arena is a graveyard located on a small rise. The elevation change coupled with the gravestones offers some tactical possibilities. Most of the gravestones are too small to break line of sight, but there are three large gravestones which can be used for cover.

Map Walkthrough

Battles in Ruins of Lordaeron will tend to center around the coffin and its immediate surroundings. The central location, combined with the tactical opportunities it offers, makes the coffin a strong draw. It’s a strong position to both defend and attack from.

Players who find themselves the target of focus fire can use the coffin to try to deter their attackers. Using the coffin in this way is effective against both ranged and melee attackers. For ranged attackers, breaking line of sight with the pillars on the coffin will disrupt their attacks against you. When being pursued by melee attackers, such as a rogue or warrior, kiting them over and around the coffin may prevent them from using their attacks and abilities – particularly if they fail to make that jump on top or run into obstacles at any point. It’s worth noting that if a player is affected by movement impairing effects such as Hamstring, they will likely be unable to make the running jump needed to jump on top of the coffin. After a length of time kiting enemies in this way, you may actually go out of combat, giving you a chance to take non-combat actions such as drink, stealth, or charge.

Ranged attackers who are on top of the coffin can also fire on enemies from this position, but they will also be subject to line of sight issues if the pillars block their view. However, they can use the pillars to deter ranged counterattacks as well. Ranged attackers targeting people on top of the coffin must position themselves correctly to attack them. Melee special abilities such as Intercept will also work against coffin-dwellers if positioned correctly. In addition, area of affect abilities such as Frost Nova, Consecration, and Holy Nova may hit your foes who are on the other side of the coffin.

The pits can be used to get away from the brunt of the fighting and try to sneak in a quick bandage. If you stay out of the fighting for a length of time you may go out of combat, which will allow you to drink and eat. The pits are a perfect place for this kind of refresher. In addition, because the doorway is smaller than the width of the room, you can move in and out of the doorway to break line of sight.

The graveyard offers some tactical advantages as well. Three of the gravestones are large enough to serve as cover and will break line of sight from ranged attackers. It’s also on a slight rise in the terrain offering increased visibility.

The rest of the arena, including the green water which is not deep enough to hinder movement, is relatively flat and free of obstacles.

Don't let the lush vegetation, beautiful floating islands, and serene waterfalls of Nagrand deceive you – this place is a hotbed for PvP. Nagrand is home to two major PvP attractions: the capturable town Halaa, and the Ring of Trials, the second PvP arena available out of the box for the expansion (recently acquired by the Steamwheedle Cartel and callously renamed to the Steamwheedle Stadium).

Overview

First things first – even though this may seem obvious, make sure you're facing the correct gate before the match starts! Now, let's look at the map layout.

• The Pit
  

  Just like at the Circle of Blood, this is where you and your team prepare for the match. All your spells and abilities in the pit are free, and you'll have about one minute before the fight begins. This again should be more than enough time to apply all the necessary buffs.

• The Pillars
  

  The Ring of Trials also features pillars, but in this arena they are exclusively for breaking line of sight, to hide from your pursuers, or to set up an ambush. There are four pillars in total, and don't worry about finding them – they're hard to miss.

• The Center
  

  The center of this arena is a huge open area. No obstacles, no different height levels, no fancy ramps or bridges, just pure carnage. And to make things even more interesting, a whirling cyclone appears and adds some spin to the fight after about one minute.

Map Walkthrough

The Ring of Trials is a straightforward map, but the tactics involved aren't necessarily simple. Some teams prefer to simply charge into the center and lay waste to whoever dares to oppose them, while other teams hang back at the nearest pillars and wait for the other team to come to them. It's usually a good idea to keep your healers away from the main action, and the visual cover the pillars provide should help your support classes stay out of trouble. Another creative use of the pillars is to hide your party members to set up an ambush and to goad your opponents into charging in blindly, trusting in their supposedly superior numbers. Tread carefully when approaching the opposing team's pillars – you'll never know what kind of surprises may lie in wait for you there.

Read more about arenas here.

In the Horde capital of Orgrimmar, proving one's worth through the crucible of personal combat is a time-honored tradition. In the city's Valley of Honor, an imposing structure stands as a testament to the significance of this belief in orc culture: the Ring of Valor.

Overview

The Ring of Valor includes multiple sets of dynamic map features that create a variety of opportunities for pitched, fast-paced combat.

• The Staging Platforms
  

  The staging areas in the Ring of Valor are not the standard sheltered rooms at opposite ends of the Arena. As the pre-match countdown progresses, the two staging areas slowly rise out of the ground until they emerge at ground level, mere yards apart. When the match begins, the gates around the platforms retract, and the two teams find themselves in very close proximity.

• The Fire Walls
  

  On either side of the staging platforms is an intermittent fire wall that blasts from the ground. The two fire walls trigger at the same time and inflict damage equal to a percentage of total health per second to anyone passing through or standing within the flames. The walls do not otherwise break line of sight or inhibit player movement.

• The Elevating Platforms
  

  Two roughly circular platforms at opposite ends of the Arena rise and lower throughout the match, obstructing movement and blocking line of sight when raised. Because they are essentially temporary pillars, they create an ever-changing dynamic of line-of-sight and kiting opportunities.

Map Walkthrough

Due to its array of unique features, the Ring of Valor is the most complex and dynamic of all the Arenas in World of Warcraft thus far, and it will likely give rise to some of the most creative and active player strategies yet seen. In general, teams that combine constant, coordinated movement with opportunistic use of the platforms and fire walls will rule the day.

One key element of the Arena that teams should use to their benefit is the timing of the fire walls and platforms. The elevating platforms rise and lower in sync with the fire walls' activation and deactivation. When the platforms are lowered, the fire walls cut off that section of the Arena. Thus, players who are cut off from teammates or targets due to the fire wall's activation must quickly decide whether to wait out the duration or to suffer the high damage cost of running through the wall. Using the platform to kite or block line of sight is no longer an option in that case.

Teams that quickly identify when opposing players are cut off from support can rapidly burn those isolated players down, and so coordinated burst DPS will be a boon. Similarly there will be a greater need for and emphasis on healing, for the extra damage from the fire walls will take its toll. Keeping teammates alive through the match's initial frenzy will be a singular healing challenge as well, for the teams will likely be trading blows in close quarters while simultaneously establishing position.