“To win the battle is to be prepared to die.”

- Miyamoto Musashi

As a famous samurai says, to win a battle is to be prepared to die. If you don’t want to win, or would prefer to avoid the fees associated with such then you’ll give up your dreams of winning and flee. Fleeing isn’t difficult nor is it an act of cowardice. In World of Warcraft (WoW) each death incurs durability fees and some minor downtime. You can often skip this unnecessary burden by fleeing the battle to regroup and try again.

Fleeing battle though isn’t always easy. WoW makes sure that you aren’t risking something when you enter battle. There are many things that attempt to hinder you as you flee away from battle and if you aren’t careful you may find that standing your ground may have been a more honorable way to die.

That’s one of the major things about fleeing successfully. You’ve got to know when to flee and when to stand your ground. For instance, if you flee when you have very little health left then there is a good chance that the enemy will just finish you off. If you flee with too much health left then you may have had a chance to defeat the enemy (although if he’s at full and you’re at half you know you’re going to lose). It’s best to flee at the moment you know victory won’t be obtained, even if you use a potion.

For instance, say you are fighting a battle and after each blow both you and the enemies health remains the same. A close battle like this may be worth sticking to, especially if you’re fighting an enemy that is rare or is required for a quest you want over. However, if by the 50% mark you are still at even odds with the enemy then it’s going to be close. A quick heal or a simple potion will guarantee battle but if neither is available then you may find yourself in a situation where one blow can determine the battle.

In such a scenario it may be best to flee, but then again you have to weigh a lot of things. If you continue the fight, what will you gain by the defeat of the enemy? If you are seeking nothing but XP then you are much better off moving to an easier enemy. If it’s for a quest and the enemy is rare or you’re doing something above your level then you may want to fight it out.

When you get to about 25% health and the enemy has more health then you then you may want to flee. 25% health is probably be the best point in which to flee, since you know the battle is lost for sure (unless you can get heals) and that fleeing will be saving you time (not making you spend more).

Getting Away

One of the major concerns when fleeing, well at least in PvE, is the “Daze” effect. Basically, Daze is a debuff that snares your movement by a considerable percent and has a chance to be applied by NPCs (non-playable characters) whenever you attempt to flee battle. If you become dazed then the NPC will happily continue flailing away at you while you do nothing but limp around. It can’t be removed either and only has one counter: slowing down the enemy.

Slowing down the enemy (or, to that affect, increasing your own speed) is probably one of the best tactics for escaping successfully, dazed or not. If the enemy is moving slower then you are then you’ll have no problem getting away. Every class has some way in which to change either the enemies or their own speed:

Mage: The entire Ice line mostly contains snares and the ever useful Frost Nova skill. You can also just Polymorph the enemy (if possible) and run away. The health regeneration doesn’t really matter if your goal is to escape and not kill. There is also blink, which is very helpful.
Hunter: Concussive Shot dazes an enemy (for a long distance snare) while Wing Clip is good when in melee range. Distracting Shot is great for stunning an enemy for a brief period of time. Frost Trap is a great skill to use when you need to flee because it stops the enemy in their tracks and since they are right behind you then they will for sure hit it.
Priest/Warlock: Attacks that cause Fear will make whatever is chasing you run around (meaning that you can make even more distance between you and them). You can also sacrifice a Voidwalker in order to gain some temporary invulnerability.
Shaman: Ghost Wolf form allows you to escape while Earthbind totem can be applied to slow the enemy down. Frost Shock is also VERY helpful when trying to escape.
Druid: Changing in traveling form and running is the best way to escape. When outside Entanglin Roots can be used to stop an enemy in their tracks.
Paladin: Hammer of Justice (the stun) can be used to stun an enemy temporarily while you make some distance. The talent, Avenger’s Shield, can also be used to stun enemies (although, it’s a 40 point talent).
Warrior: Hamstring or Intimidating Shout both work wonders in slowing the enemy down.
Rogue: Kidney Shot (to stun), slowing poisons, or just vanish. You can also dash away.

Non-class related:

Tauren: Tauren War Stomp can be used to create a breif amount of distance between you and your enemy.
Night Elf: Shadowmeld can be used to quickly disappear into the shadows once enough distance has been covered.
Engineers: Grenades

Basically, the sequence to running away should always be to snare your enemy then flee heading in a direction that is both away from what you’re fleeing from and anything else that may be aggressive to you. If you snare an NPC before you flee then you’ll have a better chance to avoid being dazed, meaning that you’ll have an easier time on the escape.

PvP is a different story. There are just too many variables to even begin discussing fleeing tactics in a short article. I will say that, if you want to successfully flee a player that is near your level, use everything you have to stun, snare, or just lock them down then head as far away from them as fast as you can. Use bushes and the terrain for cover as you make your escape and don’t delay. Head to the nearest safe area (or other allies) and don’t stop for anything.

Hopefully this pocket has helped you save a little change (and time) when it comes to running away! Just remember, it’s better to spend a minute running away then five running to your corpse.

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