Welcome to the Holy Lands, don't let the name fool you, this is not a land of peace and love. Up till now your adventures have taken place in lands under the safe protection of you own faction. Asee Teph (AT) will be your first encounter with the opposing faction. This is a contested zone and will introduce you to some intense and exciting PVP action. There are plenty of repeatable quests, and it is good source of new gear and lots of experience. Some players may find find the new pace set by this zone to be both rewarding and frustrating, it can test the patience of even the most hardened of gamers. However the rewards are great, and you will quickly learn your character both his strengths and weaknesses. Its easy to experience both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as you persevere to conquer this harsh enviorment.
Being Prepared
The PVP combat to be found here can be extremely intense. With players of all skill levels fighting randomly, chaoticly and often in surprise. There are almost no rules, and the enemy will seldom show mercy, or will almost definately not play "fair". Don't be surprised to be attacked by multiple members of the opposing faction travelling in "hunting parties" while you are off alone trying to solo a quest. If you haven't already done so, now would be a good time to brush up on your combat skills in your local arena. Learn your enemies strengths and weakness, every class has them. Learn your own as well. For example if you are a ranged scout, like me, you may find you don't do very well standing toe to toe with some full plated warrior swinging a two handed sword. Now is also a good time to consider your rune situation. Earlier you were introduced to runes, and you will find runes play a huge factor in PVP. I would suggest having at least a full set of level 2-3's on both offense and defense. Try to make sure your gear is adequate for your level, check the auction house regularly if you are in need. Don't forget to ensure your patronage blessing is activated and your daily buff is being used. Carry a fresh supply of myrhh at all times, theres nothing worse than being caught with your guard down, and being stuck in purgatory without myrhh. Stock up on your favorite consumables and potions. Speed potions are very handy here, they can be life savers, or great for running down a wounded victim who is trying to run for his last life.
Flag of War and War Banners
At the top left corner of your screen there is a small icon above your characters head. This "Flag of War" represents your characters, current combat status. Pay careful attention to it, it will be an important part of PVP play in this zone. You can turn this on and off by clicking it, however there is a short time cool down, when switching from flagged to unflagged.
Unflagged status- you cannot be attacked by enemy players, unless they carry a Banner of War (explained below)
Flagged status- enemy players can attack you freely
Attacking another player when you are [I Have a Potty Mouth] for PVP, will automatically turn you flag on, as will attacking NPC's belonging to your enemies faction, and important note to remember.
War Banner- a special item can be found as a drop, when activated players can attack unflagged players, disregarding their status of being safe. When a warbanner is activated, a general zone announcement is made, and the warbanner location will appear on your map. Word to the cautious, Warbanner carriers seldom travel alone, often they form parties to go hunting for unsuspecting enemies.
Get to Know the Land
This is a rather large and complex zone. When you first arrive, try not venture too deep too fast. The jungles here are thick and deep, with many obstacles and places to hide. Use the enviornment wisely and to your advantage. Th two opposing factions have central camps at either end of the map. The Empire being deep south , and the League being top North. Numerous NPCs patrols thes camps, and high level Guards patrol the docks. Proceed with extreme caution if going into enemy territory. The central part of the map is home to Tensess Temple, a demanding instance you will receive quests for later. The area surrounding the temple, is for the most part wide open, and has both a League camp, and Empire camp on either side. A repeatable reputation quest makes this spot ideal for PVP, as attacking any enemy NPC will turn on your flag. Killing the Imperial Warbringers for rep, or the League Warlords, is dangerous and demanding, but the rewards are excellent. Some of the best gear you will find at level appropriate. On the west side of the map you will find swamps and marshes, watch your footing. On the east side lies some of the densest of jungle,you might even find a Predator in there. Be careful to not travel too far east, into Coba Plateau the next zone over, which is reachable on foot. The mobs are well over your level at this point in time.
Sites of Power
Scattered through the zone are various "sites of power", they will be rquired for a quest at some point in time, but at anytime if they are controlled by your faction, you can walk up to them and receive a helpful 10 minute stat buff, that will vary from site to site. League captured sites will glow with a huge beam of blue light, and Imperial sites will be red. Sites when captured will spawn three enemy NPCs who will guard the site. Be careful, they are linked together by aggro and if attacked, all 3 will engage in combat. At lower levels they can be very dangerous and difficult to fight. The sites control, are part of a quest for both factions and they will constantly be switching from side to side.
Creatures
Pay very careful attention where you go and what you attack. There are many mobs here that have elite status, and are extremely powerful, or well over your level. There are level 40 NPCs to be found. The level 28 League Warbringers and Imperial Battle Lords, that guard some locations are extremely powerful for their level, give them a wide berth, if you aggro one there is no shame in running. The ogres atop the hill above the league camp, are extremely tough, and will require a party. In the central area near the temple are minotaurs, these too are are extrmely strong, and should be avoided, until later levels when you will be required to return. When you first arrive here you may feel like a lamb, but when you survive and are ready to leave you will feel like a lion. The rewards and experience, and entertainment, greatly out weigh any frustrations. Remember after all, it is a game, and we are here to have fun.
Quests
This zone has numerous quests that can be found scattered through the zone. The majority of quests will be found in your faction main camp, and the camp closest to Tensess temple. However there are many quests hidden thru the swamp, and the jungle. Knowing the layout of the land will help find some elusive quests hidden in the swamp and jungles. Several important pieces of World Mysteries can be found in AT as well, try not to leave any WM quests incomplete, the rubies and skills as rewards will come in handy. The Warbringer/Warlord repeatable reputation quest, although demanding overs some excellent gear. Be sure to check the quartermasters and see what suits your needs. There are several locations with dense mobs for some fast grinding if you just need some quick experience to hit a level. The swamp is abound with slugs. The southern corner closest to Eljune is home to trolls that offer great experience at lower levels, and far to east there is a gully seperating Asee Teph where the cobras can net some great experience for levels a little higher. There are few quests that involve infiltrating areas busy with enemy activity. Sometimes the direct approach is not always the fastest, easiest way. Stealth and going around the long way can sometimes really payoff. One league quest in particular involves stealing enemy missles, and the easiest thing to do is go around the back of the outpost and sneak thru a hole in the wall. With a little effort it can be done without any conflict. Searching for the stones on this map can be time consuming, often they are off the beaten path or hidden just behind a tree or wall. Before you go tromping around through the brush, ask others, or check a wiki map for a rough location. A long tedious quest will require you to collect 3 types of "Compunds". The natural compounds can be acquired from killing plants, treants and muskirs. The elemental compunds will be found on the large Elementals on the far east side of the map. The Magical compounds can be difficult to aquire, it drops only by killing Channelers of the opposing faction so you will have to find sites of power that are controlled by the other side.
Tensess Temple
Like the instances you have already been through this is demanding and will require a well balanced team. Inside there is very little room to move and your team will be thoroughly tested. You may want to wait until you have a few extra levels to try this one.
The easiest and safest way to survive and succeed in this zone, is be prepared, and play with a partner or in a group. 4 or 5 League Players vs 4-5 Imperial players can make for some very entertaining PVP. If you are in a group and feeling blood thirsty, and do decide to jump some unsuspecting enemy, be prepared he will probably go get friends.
On a small side note, for those that are familiar with addons, this is great zone to use the "Dark Premonitions" addon. it will help greatly avoiding surprise attacks. Some players frown on it, and others love it. It will give you a display of nearby, allies, enemies and npcs. When you select a target your character will often turn his head in the direction of the target, very handy when looking through dense brush to find someone hiding.
