An Overview of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Island Expeditions

A new feature in World of Warcraft’s expansion, ‘The Battle for Azeroth,’ island expeditions pit three players against three realistic AI players in a race to collect Azerite. Treasure is also scattered throughout the islands, giving more rewards than crystals. Each island is randomly generated with varying amounts of creatures, nodes, NPCs, and more that populate it. Even if you have been to the island before, the experience is different because of this. There are no party restrictions for Island Expeditions. That means you and your friends can come as three healers or three tanks if you wish.

The AI ​​is new to the expansion and has three difficulties, Normal, Heroic, and Mythic. As such, it will mimic player behavior more, avoiding the usual stupidity of the AI ​​and curbing its Leeroy Jenkins tendencies. Expect more of a challenge on higher difficulties. A PvP option is also available for those who want to play against real players.

More details

Island Expeditions features a race between the Horde and the Alliance to collect 6,000 pieces of Azerite. Many actions can reward the resource, such as killing enemies or finding scattered chunks. Chunks take some time to retrieve, giving enemies half the chance to swoop in and steal what you’re trying to protect from mobs.

There are also rare elite NPCs. They are more powerful than the usual creatures that populate the island, however they do reward more Azerite over time. Just like those, enemy players are also worth more the longer they are alive.

Elemental storms will sometimes spawn, increasing the number of coveted crystals you can collect. However, it can also spawn many powerful creatures. Other times, an elemental portal may appear that opens the air of an Elemental Boss that rewards the precious resource upon defeat. The chests in the air also contain more of the same, so don’t miss out on the opportunity.

Lastly, players can find various unique items that can be used on other things within the island. There could be a shovel to dig up mounds of dirt or keys to unlock cages to free friendly NPCs. These actions can reward you with more than just the crystals you’re supposed to collect.

Additional Information

There are six NPC Expedition Teams that can be found from the opposite faction to your character. They are usually racially themed, but there are some that are multi-racial. Alliance characters can even run into a Horde team that includes ‘Sneaky Pete’, a Horde champion. Likewise, Horde characters can find themselves teaming up with ‘”Stabby” Lottie’.

At the docks where you start your expedition, there are a few vendors selling consumables meant to help you harvest Azerite faster or slow down your enemies. However, they require the use of Seafarer’s Dubloon, a currency obtained during expeditions, instead of the usual WoW gold.

Note that expansion (and, via transitivity, this function) is still in alpha at the time of this writing, so not all of the information here may be accurate later on. Please follow the official channels to learn more about this feature, including more potential rewards. Wait for the expansion!

Keep enjoying World of Warcraft!