Dalaran Sewer Arena | Orgrimmar Arena

Dalaran Arena is one of the most popular arena PvP scenarios in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. When I was at Paris during the 2008 Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals, the developers discussed in the press room the Dalaran Arena specs, and showed the press graphics of how the room would look like.

Never would I have imagined how challenging the terrain could be in various PvP scenarios. The Dalaran Sewer Arena was opened for public testing in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King beta build 8970 (Sept. 19, 2008).

When you talk to one of the Arena Organizer NPCs in Dalaran, you will be teleported into a random arena map. One of them the Dalaran Sewer. You spawn inside a sewer pipe sealed with a gate showing the Kirin Tor insignia. A one minute countdown alerts you that the Arena will start. When the gate opens, and you walk near the pipe edge, you will be catapulted across the room below.

There are areas in this map. The lower level and the elevated platform. There are only two points of entry to the higher platform, accessible through stairs in shape of a circle located in opposite corners of the square-like platform.

These circular shape of the stairs give a few degrees of Line of Sight issues that can be used in your benefit or against enemy players. Since the higher platform is a few yards tall, that can be used strategically.

For example, a player runs to the lower ground and is chased by other players. The healer could heal from the higher platform without any risks, as melee players won’t be able to reach them there—forcing them to have to walk around to reach the healer. If a caster attempts to attack the healer on higher ground, just walk backwards, and the wall will cause line of sight issues.

On the center of the High-ground platform, is a small pool that can be walked over and across. However, it serves an interesting mechanic that can be used strategically. A flood of water switches on and off every few seconds. Anyone caught when the water falls from the ceiling pipe will be rendered immobile, and not able to cast/attack. A cyclone like animation engulfs the player for a few seconds.

The pillar of water that is switched on and off automatically serves a purpose: Line of sight. You can pull a melee or caster player across the pool strategically to cause a healer line of sight (for example).  The healer will be at mid-casting and get suddenly interrupted by the pillar of water when it is switched on, forcing him/her to move around the pillar to gain line of sight. These few seconds lost can be used to DPS the enemy as fast as possible. On the other hand, if you wish to protect yourself from a DPS caster, you can move in a position where the pillar of water can cause line of sight.

The wooden boxes on the two opposite corners of the higher-ground platform are good spots to cause line of sight issues too.

This Dalaran Arena is all about Line of sight mechanics: the water pillar, the higher ground vs. lower ground wall, the boxes, and the circular stairs. Use those four obstacles wisely to win.

Watch the video at the bottom.

Dalaran Sewer Arena | Orgrimmar Arena