WoW Blog/Raid Preview: Battle of Dazar'alor

This article is a copy of "Battle of Dazar'alor Raid Preview and Schedule", an official blog by Blizzard Entertainment. It's about the Battle of Dazar'alor raid.
==Article==
The Alliance strikes at the heart of the Zandalari empire in the Battle of Dazar'alor, a new raid that provides both Horde and Alliance players with unique encounters for their faction—along with the opportunity to play through events from the opposite faction's viewpoint.
===Battle of Dazar'alor===
For ages untold, Dazar'alor has stood at the center of the great and powerful Zandalari empire. Its guards have thwarted numerous attempts on King Rastakhan's life, and it has endured trials both ancient and new. But as war reaches the shores of Zuldazar, the Alliance embarks on a daring gambit to besiege the golden pyramid and sever the Zandalari's bond to the Horde.
*Raid bosses: 9
*Difficulties: Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic, Mythic
*Level: 120
*Raid Finder Minimum Item Level: 350
====Raid Unlock Schedule====
*January 22 – Normal and Heroic Difficulties
*January 29 – Mythic and Raid Finder Wing 1
*February 12 – Raid Finder Wing 2
*February 26 – Raid Finder Wing 3
===Horde===
Horde players will begin the raid by defending against an invasion in the northern jungle of Zuldazar in the Defense of Dazar'alor.
In the heart of Zuldazar the tables will turn, and Horde players will experience the story—and a trio of encounters—from the perspective of the Alliance. During this middle act, Death's Bargain, Horde characters will transform into soldiers of the opposite faction (including their associated racials) based on their race:
:Blood Elf: Most blood elf players will transform into humans, while demon hunters will become night elves.
:Goblin: Goblin heroes will transform into gnomes, except for hunters and shaman, who will become dwarves.
:Highmountain Tauren: Most players of this Allied Race will change into draenei, while druids will become night elves.
:Mag'har Orcs: Another Allied Race, mag'har orc players will transform into dark iron dwarves.
:Nightborne: This Allied Race will change into night elves except for warlocks, who will change into humans.
:Orc: These players will transform to dwarves. (Talk about a shift in perspective.)
:Pandaren: Pandaren will stay as pandaren.
:Tauren: Most tauren will turn into draenei, while druids will become night elves.
:Troll: Trolls will mostly transform into night elves; troll shaman will become draenei, and warlocks will become human.
:Undead: These players will transform into humans.
Then, in the final act, Victory or Death, the Horde will once again play as themselves as they attempt to push the Alliance back from the High Seat—eventually confronting several key Alliance leaders.
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====Defense of Dazar'alor: Champion of the Light; Grong, the Jungle Lord; Jadefire Masters====
The city faces a cowardly Alliance attack, and the Horde's brave champions are the only ones who can break the siege.
:Champion of the Light
:As vanguard for the Alliance's assault on Dazar'alor, Frida Ironbellows leads her troops with fervor and conviction. Her battle prowess and unwavering faith in the light make her a force to be reckoned with.
:Grong, the Jungle Lord
:After volunteering to become a living superweapon, the once intelligent Grong devolved into a giant rampaging behemoth. But through his mind may have deteriorated, Grong's strength is more immense than it has ever been.
:Jadefire Masters
:Though they began training together only recently, Manceroy and Mestrah have perfected their teamwork and now present a united front. With both fire and fists, they stand ready to strike down any who challenge the Alliance.
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====Death's Bargain: Opulence, Conclave of the Chosen, King Rastakhan====
Witness King Rastakhan's defiant stand against the bloodthirsty Alliance invaders.
:Opulence
:Long ago, King Dazar had his golden treasury enchanted so that it would rise against anyone except its rightful owner. Many an unsuspecting thief has been slain by the very riches they coveted, serving as an important lesson to those who would steal from the throne.
:Conclave of the Chosen
:Deep within Dazar'alor lies a chamber built to honor six of Zandalar's greatest loa, guarded by their most devout followers. Trespassers who dare enter this sacred hall are soon met with primal fury like none they have ever seen.
:King Rastakhan
:For over two hundred years, King Rastakhan has ruled the Zandalari empire. Since the Fall of Rezan, he has turned to a new patron—Bwonsamdi, the loa of death. The dark bargain he has made grants him the power to crush his enemies . . . but at what cost?
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====Victory or Death: High Tinker Mekkatorque, Stormwall Blockade, Lady Jaina Proudmoore====
King Rastakhan has been slain, and those responsible must be brought to justice before they can escape.
:High Tinker Mekkatorque
:Unrivaled in their ingenuity, Gelbin Mekkatorque's inventions have been instrumental to the Alliance's attack on Dazar'alor. His state-of-the-art armor is outfitted with the latest—and deadliest—ordnance that gnomish engineering can offer.
:Stormwall Blockade
:Brother Joseph and Sister Katherine are devout worshippers of the waves. These proud Kul Tirans would gladly risk their lives to ensure the safety of their compatriots. Their command over sea and storm is awesome to behold, as are the ancient and powerful rituals they practice.
:Lady Jaina Proudmoore
:As the Alliance fleet withdraws from Dazar'alor, Lady Jaina Proudmoore stays behind with a handful of Kul Tiran vessels to slow the Horde's pursuit. Storm clouds gather overhead as Jaina leads her pursuers deeper into the Great Sea, where she will attempt to turn the odds in her favor.
===Alliance===
The Alliance is set to stage an attack on the heart of the Zandalari empire in a bid to sever the ties of the Zandalari and the Horde. They'll begin with a naval strike on the docks of Dazar'alor in the Siege of Dazar'alor and push their way toward Rastakhan's throne room in the heart of Dazar'alor in Empire's Fall.
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To cap off the event, players will speak to a scout to shift to the Horde perspective and take on the final three Alliance bosses. During this final act, Might of the Alliance, Alliance characters will transform into soldiers of the opposite faction (including their associated racials) based on their race:
:Dark Iron Dwarf: Players for this Allied Race will change into mag'har orcs except for paladins who will change into tauren and warlocks who will turn into orcs.
:Draenei: These players will transform into tauren, save for mages, who will become orcs.
:Dwarf: Most dwarves will turn into orcs; paladins will become tauren, priests will become undead.
:Gnome: These players will transform into goblins, except for monks, who will become blood elves.
:Human: Most humans will become undead, but paladins will become blood elves.
:Lightforged Draenei: This Allied Race will change into tauren except for those of the mage class who whill change into an orc.
:Night Elf: Night elf players will transform into trolls, except for demon hunters, who will become blood elves.
:Pandaren: Pandaren will stay as pandaren.
:Void Elf: Players of this Allied Race will change into trolls except for priests who will become blood elves.
:Worgen: All worgen players will transform into trolls.
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====Siege of Dazar'alor: Champion of the Light; Jadefire Masters; Grong, the Revenant====
With the bulk of Rastakhan's forces lured into Nazmir, the time has come to storm the city.
:Champion of the Light
:Ra'wani and her troops are the first line of defense against the Alliance, sworn to lay down their lives for their city. Standing together, they empower and heal each other while fending off the incoming invaders.
:Jadefire Masters
:To the untrained eye, Ma'ra Grimfang and Anathos Firecaller may seem like a mismatched pair. The truth, however, is that their coordination is second to none. Their combined assault is powerful enough to level the most formidable foes.
:Grong, the Revenant
:Once willing to sacrifice everything to serve the Alliance, the mighty Grong has been raised form the dead and pitted against his former friends. Fighting on behalf of the Horde would be anathema to this noble soul, whose only hope for release is a clean death.
====Empire's Fall: Opulence, Conclave of the Chosen, King Rastakhan====
Ancient treasures lie deep within the halls of the palace. But beware, for they are guarded by the wrath of the loa.
:Opulence
:Long ago, King Dazar had his golden treasury enchanted so that it would rise against anyone except its rightful owner. Many an unsuspecting thief has been slain by the very riches they coveted, serving as an important lesson to those who would steal from the throne.
:Conclave of the Chosen
:Deep within Dazar'alor lies a chamber built to honor six of Zandalar's greatest loa, guarded by their most devout followers. Trespassers who dare enter this sacred hall are soon met with primal fury like none they have ever seen.
:King Rastakhan
:For over two hundred years, King Rastakhan has ruled the Zandalari empire. Since the Fall of Rezan, he has turned to a new patron—Bwonsamdi, the loa of death. The dark bargain he has made grants him the power to crush his enemies . . . but at what cost?
====Might of the Alliance: High Tinker Mekkatorque, Stormwall Blockade, Lady Jaina Proudmoore====
Witness the Horde's savagery as they strike at the valiant heroes of the Alliance.
:High Tinker Mekkatorque
:Unrivaled in their ingenuity, Gelbin Mekkatorque's inventions have been instrumental to the Alliance's attack on Dazar'alor. His state-of-the-art armor is outfitted with the latest—and deadliest—ordnance that gnomish engineering can offer.
:Stormwall Blockade
:Brother Joseph and Sister Katherine are devout worshippers of the waves. These proud Kul Tirans would gladly risk their lives to ensure the safety of their compatriots. Their command over sea and storm is awesome to behold, as are the ancient and powerful rituals they practice.
:Lady Jaina Proudmoore
:As the Alliance fleet withdraws from Dazar'alor, Lady Jaina Proudmoore stays behind with a handful of Kul Tiran vessels to slow the Horde's pursuit. Storm clouds gather overhead as Jaina leads her pursuers deeper into the Great Sea, where she will attempt to turn the odds in her favor.
===New Achievements===
Completing the following achievements will earn players the meta-achievement :Glory of the Dazar'alor Raider and reward the :Dazar'alor Windreaver Mount: ':Can I Get a Hek Hek Hek Yeah?', ':Walk the Dinosaur', ':Praise the Sunflower', ':Barrel of Monkeys', ':Snow Fun Allowed', ':I Got Next!', ':Hidden Dragon', ':De Lurker Be'loa', 'We got Spirit, How About You?'
====All Difficulties====
*Victory or Death: Defeat the following bosses in the Battle of Dazar'alor—Mekkatorque, Stormwall Blockade, Lady Jaina Proudmoore.
*Death's Bargain: Witness the retelling of your allies' heroic efforts in the Battle of Dazar'alor—Opulence, Conclave of the Chosen, King Rastakhan. (Horde Only)
*Empire's Fall: Defeat the following bosses in the Battle of Dazar'alor—Opulence, Loa Council, King Rastakhan. (Alliance Only)
*Defense of Dazar'alor: Defeat the following bosses in the Battle of Dazar'alor—Champion of the Light, Grong, Jadefire Masters. (Horde Only)
*Siege of Dazar'alor: Defeat the following bosses in the Battle of Dazar'alor—Champion of the Light, Grong the Revenant, Jadefire Masters. (Alliance Only)
*Might of the Alliance: Witness the retelling of your allies' valiant efforts in the Battle of Dazar'alor—Mekkatorque, Stormwall Blockade, Lady Jaina Proudmoore. (Alliance Only)
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====Normal Difficulty or Above====
*Snow Fun Allowed: Build a Frosty Snowmon then destroy it before defeating Jaina Proudmoore in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Normal difficulty or higher.
*De Lurker Be'loa: Fish up the De Lurker Be'loa, then defeat the Stormwall Blockade on Normal difficulty or higher.
*I Got Next!: Defeat High Tinker Mekkatorque in the Battle of Dazar'alor after defeating the Blingtron MK2 on Normal difficulty or higher.
*We Got Spirit, How About You?: Defeat King Rastakhan with the Phantom of Retribution, Phantom of Rage, and Phantom of Slaughter still alive on Normal Difficulty or higher.
*Walk the Dinosaur: Defeat the Conclave of the Chosen in the Battle of Dazar'alor without killing all the initial raptors summoned by Gonk's Wrath on Normal difficulty or higher.
*Praise the Sunflower: Defeat the Opulence in the Battle of Dazar'alor after /praising a Singing Sunflower while under the effects of Brilliant Aura on Normal difficulty or higher.
*Hidden Dragon: Hatch the cloud serpent egg during the Jadefire Masters encounter in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Normal difficulty or higher.
*Barrel of Monkeys: Defeat Grong in the Battle of Dazar'alor after destroying 6 Barrels on Normal difficulty or higher.
*Can I Get a Hek Hek Hek Yeah?: Defeat the Champion of the Light in the Battle of Dazar'alor after stealing 3 shinies from each of the Crusaders, Disciples, and Champion of the Light on Normal difficulty or higher.
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====Mythic Difficulty====
*Mythic: Lady Jaina Proudmoore: Defeat Lady Jaina Proudmoore in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty. [Title Reward] Hero of Dazar'alor
*Mythic: Stormwall Blockade: Defeat the Stormwall Blockade in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
*Mythic: Mekkatorque: Defeat Gelbin Mekkatorque in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
*Mythic: King Rastakhan: Defeat King Rastakhan in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
*Mythic: Opulence: Defeat Opulence in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
*Mythic: Conclave of the Chosen: Defeat Conclave of the Chosen in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
*Mythic: Jadefire Masters: Defeat Mestrah, the Illuminated and Manceroy Flamefist in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty. (Horde Only)
*Mythic: Jadefire Masters: Defeat Ma'ra Grimfang and Anathos Firecaller in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty. (Alliance Only)
*Mythic Grong: Defeat Grong in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
*Mythic: Champion of the Light: Defeat the Champion of the Light in the Battle of Dazar'alor on Mythic difficulty.
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We look forward to taking you into the heart of the Zandalari empire when the Battle of Dazar'alor opens beginning on January 22.
==Source==
*Official Site
*Archive Link
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