If you are just logging into EverQuest II and queuing up
for any ole battleground game then you may be missing out on some of the perks
that come with battleground gameplay. Wondering what those little tokens that
you get are? Hearing about battleground armor but not sure of what it is? Keep
reading to find out more about battlegrounds and how you can make the most of
them.

To get in a game, hit your ALT+Z keys or click your EQ2
menu button to bring up the battleground interface window. Here players will
have the option to choose from one of the three games that they wish to queue
for, or you can queue for whatever will get you into the action first.

Currently only players level 80 through 90 may play, but
SOE has plans to implement battlegrounds for other levels in the future!

Choose Your Battle

Getting into battles is easy if you queue for anything, the
trouble is, you may not be getting the rewards and fun that you want.

• Know what
  you want for rewards. We’ll get into what rewards are offered later, but it is
  important to keep in mind what you’d like to gain so you know which
  battlegrounds to choose.

• 6 vs 6
  battlegrounds seem to be more sensitive to what classes get dropped in. If you
  prefer gameplay that is less class dependent and strategic, queue up for one of
  the bigger games. These tend to have multiple archetypes and offer a lot more
  opportunity if you are new to PvP.

• Quests
  are offered for the battlegrounds! In Qeynos Harbor and North Freeport (as well
  as in the newer cities) you will find representatives for the various
  battlegrounds.

Kill, Kill, Kill

Dropping into a battleground is not just some willy nilly
random thing. There is method to the madness and you will find that the game
will toss in a balance of archetypes, for the most part. Some groups will
obviously be better than others and the game doesn’t take into account the fact
that you’re a DPS spec’d Monk when they cast you as the leading tank role by
making you the only fighter on your team. If you are in a traditional team,
protect your healer and mage, and gather your DPS and fighters. Coordination of
the classes you have will make you far more successful than random zerging.

Learn the maps! If you’re a ranged class, find a ranged
location to fight from. If you’re a melee, make sure you have back up before you
charge in. The best advice that can be given? STAY TOGETHER! A team that plays
together dies far less brutally together. If you respawn and most of your group
is still in battle, get in there ASAP. If everyone has died, wait at the spawn
point to regroup and head back in as a united team.

Find a good PvP spec for your class and use it whenever you
are running battlegrounds. Most of us do not PvP all the time, but EQ2 has the
tools for us to save a PvP spec for when we will be playing against other
players via the Mirror of Reflected Achievements (a special crafted item) so I
suggest picking up one of these nifty gadgets if you don’t already have one.
This is important, especially when you go up against PvP server players who have
been building their characters for the sole purpose of handing you your ass
(i.e. Nagafen and Vox players).

Pick Your Reward

There is no doubt that SOE was looking to make
battlegrounds the place to be for progression. While the experience gain isn’t
terribly great, the rewards are very alluring. If you visit the Sisters of War in your home city, you can get a peek at what is offered and an idea as to how
you might get your hands on some of that beautiful gear. Sister of War
locations:

• Qeynos
  Harbor across from the dock

• North
  Freeport near the Thieves Way entrance

• Kelethin
  near the bank

• Gorowyn
  docks next to the mailbox

• Neriak in
  the New Foreign Quarter near the General Goods merchant

A token is awarded each time you complete a battleground
(more if you win) and these are used as battleground reward currency. Each
battleground awards its own token type:

• Smuggler’s Den Special Reserve Rum

• Klak’Anon
  Cog

• Battlefield of Ganak Trophy

Rewards from the Sisters are purchased with one or two
token types using anywhere from 10 tokens for the simplest of rewards to well
over a 100 tokens for some of the more desired rewards.

You can purchase anything from housing items with rent
status reduction, charms, weapons of all types, and battleground gear. The
weapons and armor are of Fable (think good raid gear but not top quality T9 raid
gear) quality and are usable outside of the battleground. The armor and weapons
cost a small amount of coin (1p20g at the time of writing this) as well as
tokens. The housing items all cost status in addition to tokens and coin.

Questing and Killing

Next to the Sisters of War there will be three sets of NPCs
each representing their battleground. The iksar warrior, commander, and observer
offer quests for the Battlefield of Ganak, the gnome researchers offer quests
for the Gears of Klak’Anon, and the Pirates of Gunthak offer quests for the
Smuggler’s Den. Each group of NPCs has two quests: one that rewards gold (about
45g for each run) if you complete a match in the chosen battleground and another
that rewards gold once you have killed a number of opponents.

You can take each kind of quest from all of the
battleground reps and you may do them more than once so if you plan on playing
in the battlegrounds frequently, make it a habit to stop by and pick these
quests up regularly.

Keep in mind that PvP takes practice and skill as well as
appropriate armor and weapons. Hit up the official Nagafen forums to look for
PvP tips and do a little research on your class for PvP info.  Battlegrounds are
fun even if you don’t win but definitely more fun, and more rewarding, when you DO win.