Strand of the Ancients was added to World of Warcraft with the release of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, and it is the first Battleground that features a seige scenario and vehicles. The mechanics of it can be a little confusing for beginners, so here are some pointers on how it works and which strategies are most effective.
The level brackets for Strand of the Ancients are 71-79 and 80. Each team has a maximum of 15 players, and there are Battlemasters in all the major cities to join the queue.
Objectives
Unlike earlier Battlegrounds, in Stand of the Ancients one team is defending and the other is attacking. Attackers must reach the relic inside the keep and click on it before time runs out and defenders are tasked with trying to stop them. The remaining time is displayed at the top center of the screen.
When a new match starts, Horde is on the defending side and Alliance is attacking. (This was intended to be random, but was changed to resolve a bug. Blizzard intends to restore random starting positions in an upcoming patch.) Once the first round is decided, the two teams switch sides and Alliance is tasked with defending while Horde attacks.
Attackers sail into the battle on ships, while defenders use turrets on the keep's walls to protect the gates.
Walls
The keep is surrounded by walls, and the only way for attackers to get past them is by destroying them at the gates, which are color coded on the map. Vehicles and Seaforium Charges are the key to breaking through, but defenders will be bombarding you from the walls. The first set of gates are marked as green and blue on the map, the second set are red and purple, then the yellow gate and finally the keep door must be destroyed to access the relic. The attackers can earn bonus honor for destroying all the gates.
Vehicles
Spawn points for Demolishers, the siege vehicles in Strand of the Ancients, are on the beach and at the factories inside the green and blue gates. Demolishers have both a cannon and a ram. They move at about run speed but turn very slowly. You can hit them with melee attacks and certain spells, and some heals also work on them. Demolishers will damage enemy players, but they are most effective against walls and that's what they should concentrate on. A Demolisher can also carry up to three passengers, who are able to use a limited number of their spells while onboard.
To activate the vehicle emporiums behind the green and blue gates, attackers must capture the corresponding east and west graveyards. These are captured by clicking on the nearby flag, just like those in Alterac Valley and Arathi Basin.
Seaforium Charges
Explosive Seaforium Charges are available to the attackers at the vehicle spawn points. Players can carry these and place them at the walls, where they will do significant damage when they detonate. Defenders have about 10 seconds to disarm them before they explode. You can only carry one at a time, but if you're killed, the Charge drops and a teammate can pick it up.
Offensive Strategies
One common approach is having all attackers rush either the blue or the green gate. Capturing a second graveyard is of critical importance to the attacking side, as it grants access to vehicles closer to the keep. Having melee players drive Demolishers while casters ride and use crowd control spells can be quite effective.
Deploying Seaforium Charges in groups makes them much harder to disarm than placing one at a time. It takes some coordination with your team, but it's well worth it.
Don't capture the south graveyard until you have enough vehicles rolling to get inside the keep, as it gives you a long run to get vehicles and Seaforium Charges.
Defensive Strategies
Man all turrets well in advance of the enemy's approach. You can start out with gunners on just the green and blue walls, but you have to fall back quickly and man the other turrets before the enemy reaches them. Demolishers are always the highest priority targets for defenders. When the yellow gate comes under attack, the entire team will need to hurry there to use it as a choke point.
Hit them on the beaches; have everyone who isn't manning a turret waiting for them when the ships roll in, and attack their Demolishers as soon as they become targetable. If the attackers all go to one side, let your team know so that they can compensate.
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