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Player Vs Player (PvP) combat in the World of Warcraft (WoW) takes players of different classes, levels, skill, and gear and then mixes them in four areas: the Arenas, the Battlegrounds, general world PvP, and duels. Each area has it's own rules and flavor and in each area it's pretty easy to get started.

You have to start at the beginning, right? If you make your characters on a PvP server than you can engage in the world PvP, which generally takes the form of a high level character killing you. Don't worry, you can return the favor and "gank" other players as you get higher in level. If you're not on a PvP server you can still engage in the duels, the arenas, and the battlegrounds.

What level should you be to start? WoW PvP starts at level one. Yep, right out of the box you can engage in duels (one to one fights) with other players. There are no level restrictions to duels and no rules, unless agreed upon ahead of time. Level 1 players can be, and are, challenged by level 70s. Why? Who knows, maybe they want to be practice dummies for the level 1? One thing about duels is that your character isn't killed if you lose, unlike all other forms of PvP in WoW.

Beware the level 1 player looking for duels and advertising that he'll take on players up to level 9. He's probably a "twink." Twinks are characters that, with the use of enchantments and special gear, are tougher and stronger than normal characters of that level. He'll have many more hit points and better abilities than most.

The Battlegrounds start at level 10 in Warsong Gulch, in a level 10 to 19 bracket. Naturally the lowest levels in the bracket, the level 10s, are going to find the going to be a little rough. The goal in Warsong Gulch is to capture the opponent's flag and get it to your own base while also keeping your own flag safe. Remember those "twinks" that I mentioned? At the top of the bracket, for the level 19s, this is their playground. Have fun.

Honor points and tokens are the rewards from the battlegrounds. You can buy cool new gear at the battlground vendors with the honor points and tokens. Arenas provide arena points which you turn in at the arena vendors. Arena gear is a step or two better than the honor gear.

The other battlegrounds are Arathi Basin (starts at level 20,) then Alterac Valley (starts at 50,) and Eye of the Storm (level 61+.)

Arathi Basin (AB) is a control game. There are five nodes which players take and then try to defend from the other side. Points accumulate at a rate that varies with the number of nodes that your side holds. Hold more nodes and your side get points faster. The first side to 2000 points wins. Grab all five nodes (a "5 cap") and you'll win very quickly.

Alterac Valley is the biggest battleground, with 40 players to a side. The goal is to kill the opposing side's general or whittle down the other side's resources through killing their players and NPCs. Taking out the other side's towers makes killing their general easier (his bodyguards go away with the towers) and claiming graveyards makes it easier to maintain an offense.

Eye of the Storm combines the control scheme of AB (only four nodes, though) with Capture the Flag. Points are earned through holding the nodes and for capturing the flag. First team to 2000 points wins. If your team can get grab and hold two nodes and capture more flags than the other team then it will win. If your team can hold three nodes then it will get points fast enough that it won't matter whether the other team can grab the flag.

The arenas are similar to the duels, but in their own special areas and are team against team, either 2x2, 3x3, or 5x5. Much like the BGs arena teams can be any mix of classes and they are all level 70. While lower levels can do "practice" arenas they don't get any points or benefits from them.

The best way to get started in any of these areas is just to hop right in. The arenas require a team charter, but the battlegrounds don't. An experienced buddy who can help you out, show you the ropes, and to start an arena team is a great asset. Even without one you can start in the battlegrounds. Just pay attention to what people say and do and try to keep up with them.

At first it will all be confusing and some of it won't make much sense. You'll also get killed a lot. After some time it will start to make a lot more sense. You'll be able to turn in your honor points on some hit gear and you'll be well on your way to becoming a PvP fiend.

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Greg writes about World of Warcraft PvP on the Azeroth Cookbook, a site that has a lot to do with WoW, but little to do with cooking. Pretty much anything World of Warcraft related is fair game, including PvP.

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