Island Expeditions Guide - Battle for Azeroth

MMO-Champion · Aug 12, 2018

Battle for Azeroth Island Expeditions Guide
Battle for Azeroth brings a new Island Expeditions feature. Taking what the team liked from Mists of Pandaria's scenarios and stepping it up, these expeditions take a team of three players to uncharted islands across the Great Sea in search of Azerite against advanced AI opponents.

The first team to collect a certain amount of Azerite wins.
Each island is randomly generated and so there is always something unique and new to find.
The enemy AI does not behave like normal scripted creature AI. They will fight in a much more unpredictable way.
Island Expeditions are role agnostic, meaning that they do not require a Tank, Healer and DPS in order to succeed.
Difficulties include Normal, Heroic and Mythic.
There is also a PvP mode where the enemy AI is replaced with 3 players of the opposite faction.

Island Expeditions Loading Screen

How to Unlock Island Expeditions
You will unlock the ability to queue for Island Expeditions by progressing your War Campaign. At one point you will receive a quest that places you in a solo scenario on a small island and has you go through the ropes of what a basic Island Expedition entails. Completing this will unlock the ability to queue for Island Expeditions on all characters on your account provided they are 110 or above.

Where to Queue for Unlock Island Expeditions
Once you unlock Island expeditions you can queue for them at the Expedition Map in the following locations:

Alliance - Boralus Harbor
Horde - Port of Zandalar

Island Expedition Difficulty Modes
Island Expeditions have 4 difficulty modes:

Normal - Collect 6,000 Azerite.
Heroic - Collect 9,000 Azerite. Requires item level 295.
Mythic - Collect 12,000 Azerite. Requires item level 315.
PvP - Requires item level 295 and a group of three to queue.

Replayability of Island Expeditions
Islands are a unique experience every time you queue up for one. There are countless different themes, enemies and environments you can come across and it's random each time you start one. There will also be different puzzles and obstacles to face every time you visit.

Island Content that is randomly generated:

Creatures
Capture points
Chests and Azerite Nodes
Questgivers
Consumables and Shrines
Start Locations
Weather
Environmental hazards
Caves, Ships...and more!

Island Locales
Three different island locales will be active at any given week with a total of 7 locales at release.

Dread Chain
Molten Cay
Rotting Mire
Skittering Hollow
Whispering Reef
Ungol Ruins
Verdant Wilds

Island Expeditions UI
When you click on the map you will see your weekly Azerite quest progress as well as the three active Islands for the week. A drawing next to the island maps will showcase what type of enemy is found on that island. You can also select the difficulty before queuing up. Mousing over the difficulty will show you the reward for completion.

Map
The Island map behaves like most other games with Fog of War. Things that are close enough to see for one of your group members are updated on the map. It displays various objectives on the island including Azerite node locations, events, quests and the location of the enemy team. There is also an Azerite Detector timer that counts down and when it runs out, all sources of Azerite will be displayed on the map.

Blue diamond shapes mark an Azerite source.
Skulls mark a mini-boss that rewards Azerite.
X symbols mark an Azerite source in an area that hasn't been explored yet.
Faction symbols mark the enemy faction players on the map.
Both factions have a ship icon that mark the initial spawn point.

Enemy AI
Battle for Azeroth will feature new NPC AI for Island Expeditions. This AI is not scripted and will not behave in the way a normal creature usually does. This new AI will behave more like actual players taking part in PvP would. Examples include polymorphing or sapping your healer while you are engaged in a boss fight. This AI also is well aware of important map objectives and will constantly be giving you a run for your money as you race to complete objectives. This AI can make strategic decisions as well. They may stop what they are doing to come disrupt the objective you are working on or to steal your Azerite. Different opponents will also have distinct personalities and unique behaviors. An example would be Sneaky Pete, a rogue who likes to disrupt healers.

Island Buffs
There are several buffs that can be found on islands:

Azerite Energy - These globes come from more powerful enemies on the island and are needed for Give Me The Energy
Shrines - Similar to the shrines on Timeless Isle, you can find these across the islands, allowing for a single player to utilize the buff.
Other Items - You can find other buff items around the island that give you a one time use ability or food that heals you.

Island Consumables
A seafaring vendor shows up at the docks each day to provide unique buffs and consumables to use on the island at the cost of Seafarer's Dubloons earned from expeditions. These power ups tend to fill in role gaps. Examples include buffs to make an Arms

Warrior more tanky or another consumable that allows a

Mage to heal.

LevelNameEffect
120

Siege Engine Controller
Use: Summons an Upgraded Siege Engine to ride and battle with for 20 min.
120

Engineered Spyglass
Use: Instantly detects all sources of Azerite on the island.
120

Signet of Stormwind
Use: Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character for 5 sec.
120

Blessed Bandage
Use: Apply the bandage, restoring 3% health every 5 sec. for 10 min and dealing 5 Holy damage to attackers.
120

Grapeshot Grenade
Use: Throw the grenade, dealing 50 Fire damage to enemies within 5 yards.
120

Lightprism
Use: When you heal damage, fire Holy bolts at enemies in a cone in front of the caster.
120

Sanctified Scroll
Use: Calls down a shaft of pure Holy light, empowering allies inside of the beam with 10% increased damage dealt and healing them every 5 sec. Lasts for 30 sec.
120

Links of Faith
Use: Unleash chains of light that root all enemies within 15 yards for 30 sec.
120

Trick Vest
Use: Absorbs 75 damage, and deals 150 Fire damage to enemies within 10 yards when removed.
120

Hidden Cannon
Use: Fire a hidden blunderbuss, dealing 100 Fire damage to enemies in a 8 yard cone and knocking them back.
120

Sun Stone
Use: When you heal damage, fire sun bolts at enemies in a cone in front of the caster.
120

Bloom Shroom
Use: Create a mushroom bloom, empowering allies inside of the bloom with 10% increased damage and healing them every 5 sec. Lasts for 30 sec.
120

Root Ball
Use: Unleash powerful roots that root all enemies within 15 yards for 30 sec.
120

Thornberry
Use: Consume the berry, restoring 3% health every 5 sec. for 10 min and dealing Nature damage to attackers.
120

Mystical Cauldron
Use: Creates a cauldron that raid members can use to gain the benefit of a flask appropriate to their class and talents. Cauldron has 30 uses and lasts for 10 min.
120

Demolisher Controller
Use: Summons an Upgraded Demolisher to ride and battle with for 20 min.
120

Signet of Orgrimmar
Use: Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character for 5 sec.
120

Deepforged Plating
Use: Apply the plating to your armor, reducing physical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.
120

Burstforce Explosive
Use: Take 10 Fire damage and launch yourself towards your nearest ally.
120

Forge Hammer
Use: Breaks the target's armor, increasing physical damage taken by 100% for 60 sec.
120

A.T.O.M.I.K. Target Painter
Use: Paint a target location, causing a barrage of powerful Arcane warheads to land there after 10 sec, dealing 500 Arcane damage to all enemies within 20 yards.
120

GG-118 Micro-Jetpack
Use: Changes your jump into a fiery leap. Deals Fire damage and knocks down enemies at the impact location.
120

Miniaturizer
Use: Shrinks the target, reducing damage dealt by 50% and movement speed by 50% for 60 sec.
120

Rabbit's Charm
Use: Hold the charm, reducing your chance to be detected by enemies for 30 min.
120

Unluckydo
Use: Throw an unlucky charm that disorients all enemies within 10 yards for 20 sec.
120

Ratwhisker Luckydo
Use: Hold the luckydo, granting you 20% spell reflection for 10 min.
120

Netherwind Wand
Use: Deals 200 Arcane damage to enemies on a line in front of the caster.
120

Arcane Mirror
Use: Hold up the mirror, reducing magical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.
120

Phasing Stone
Use: Puts the target in an unstable phase, increasing magical damage taken by 100% for 60 sec.
120

Flashfire Brew
Use: Drink the brew, increasing Critical Strike damage and healing by 200% for 5 min.
120

Brainsmasher Brew
Use: Throw a keg of powerful brew that stuns all enemies within 10 yards for 20 sec.
120

Soulbinding Mist
Use: For 60 sec, 100% of the damage you take will be copied to an enemy target.
120

Spear-Mint Gum
Use: Eat the gum, increasing damage dealt by 20% for 10 min.
120

Springstep Cola
Use: Drink the cola, increasing Dodge chance by 20% for 10 min.
120

"Healthy" Chips
Use: Eat the chips, healing 50% of maximum health.
120

Clashgrain Bar
Use: Eat the bar, increasing Parry chance by 20% for 10 min.
120

Void Wand
Use: Deals 200 Shadow damage to enemies on a line in front of the caster.
120

Dark Mirror
Use: Hold up the mirror, reducing magical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.
120

Blackrock Plating
Use: Apply the plating to your armor, reducing physical damage taken by 30% for 10 min.

Island Expedition Rewards
Island Expeditions are going to be the most lucrative form of gaining Azerite power. While the Azerite you gain during the match goes towards your faction, you receive some for yourself in many different ways.

Once a week you may complete Azerite for the Horde or Azerite for the Alliance for a hefty chunk of Azerite.
A winning bonus that is more lucrative based on the difficulty.
Rare quest item rewards from drops such as Unscarred Black Scale during an expedition.
PvP mode also rewards 50 conquest points in addition to Azerite.

Mounts - Island Expedition Rewards
There are some mounts that are rewarded from Island Expeditions!

Pets - Island Expedition Rewards
There are some pets that are rewarded from Island Expeditions!

Weapons and Armor - Island Expedition Rewards
There are some new models and color variations of existing models in the weapons rewarded from Island Expeditions.

LevelTypeSlotNameModel Viewer
325Off HandOff Hand

Plundered Sapling Seed

Modelviewer
325Off HandOff Hand

Plundered Ambershaper's Egg

Modelviewer
325Off HandOff Hand

Plundered Sand-Scoured Fetish

Modelviewer
325Off HandOff Hand

Plundered Codex of Otherworldly Vision

Modelviewer
200ClothShoulders

Plundered Runecaster's Mantle

Modelviewer
200LeatherShoulders

Plundered Shoveltusk-Hide Shoulders

Modelviewer
200MailShoulders

Plundered Dragonrider Spaulders

Modelviewer
200PlateShoulders

Plundered Gjalerbron Pauldrons

Modelviewer
325ShieldOff Hand

Plundered Torga Blessed Bulwark

Modelviewer
325ShieldOff Hand

Plundered Totem Barrier

Modelviewer
325ShieldOff Hand

Plundered Jadefury Shield

Modelviewer
325ShieldOff Hand

Plundered Beacon-Light Bulwark

Modelviewer
1CosmeticHead

Plundered Blue Captain's Hat

Modelviewer
1CosmeticHead

Plundered Crimson Captain's Hat

Modelviewer
1CosmeticHead

Plundered Pirate Admiral's Bicorne

Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne Hand

Plundered Heart Hacker

Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne Hand

Plundered Ice-Etched Axe

Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne Hand

Plundered Skullsplitter

Modelviewer
325One-handed AxeOne Hand

Plundered Iceshard Bite

Modelviewer
325Two-handed AxeTwo Hand

Plundered Fury-Fin Axe

Modelviewer
325Two-handed AxeTwo Hand

Plundered Molten Reaper

Modelviewer
325Two-handed AxeTwo Hand

Plundered Wingblade Axe

Modelviewer
325BowRanged

Plundered Biting Shot Longbow

Modelviewer
325BowRanged

Plundered Longhunt Bow

Modelviewer
325BowRanged

Plundered Bow of the Chosen

Modelviewer
325GunRanged

Plundered Amber Slinger

Modelviewer
325GunRanged

Plundered Windblaster

Modelviewer
325GunRanged

Plundered Dragon Roar-Barrel