Your guide to the Warbands feature coming with World of Warcraft's 11th expansion, The War Within!
We are going to take a close look at a new feature coming to World of Warcraft: The War Within called Warbands! These make it a lot easier to play and progress with multiple characters. Though some of Blizzard's design has inched toward a feature like this over the past few years, they're taking the reins with a brand new and much-anticipated feature in The War Within!
How to make a Warband
Think of this as your "top 4" squad. Select up to 4 of your current WoW characters to create a Warband. Sorry, but at the moment, it doesn't seem like that number will increase.
Though Blizzard doesn't detail exactly how this will happen, screenshots show a "Favorites" drop down at the top that lists the top 4 characters. So it will either take the characters you've been using the most and have been keeping at the top of your list, or you will manually elect which characters make up your Warband to confirm.
They note that there will be a "conversion" happening on your first login when the pre-patch of The War Within will launch (presumably about two weeks before the expansion goes live). This means that the game will process "linking" your characters (such as achievement progress, for example). More details on that below.
These 4 characters will, in some ways, share resources and progress with each other.
Warband Benefits
Main benefits:
- Reputations are shared
- Renown is shared
- Warband Bank — similar to a Guild Bank, this is a special Bank to easily share items between characters
- Warbound Items — send an equipment drop to your Alt (once they equip it, it's soulbound). Start gearing alts as you play!
As you can see, this greatly simplifies gearing and sharing items across your characters. Crafters rejoice! There are even more benefits that make it more convenient when starting up adventures with your alts:
Additional benefits:
- EXP Bonus for Alts — each max-level character grants a 5% boost to others!
- One-time Warbound rewards — some quests will offer a "first-time" Warbound gear reward
- Shared Achievement progress (exceptions apply)
- Shared Flight points and map exploration (map is revealable via a Toy)
- Transfer currencies between characters
Note that not every single reputation will be part of the Warband: for example, from Dragonflight, the Winterpelt Furbolg, Sabellian/Wrathion, Artisan's Consortium, etc. Basically, those that feel like they make more sense for your character, personally. Reputations from older expansions will go through the same process, barring those that represent individual choices (for instance, Shadowlands covenants or the Scryers/Aldor from The Burning Crusade).
Gear and Transmog in The War Within
To expand a bit on those, a new category of Soulbound is introduced: Warbound until Equipped (WuE). As mentioned, this means you can send a piece of gear to your alt, and once they equip it, it will be soulbound.
However, on a more delightful note, Blizzard notes that you'll frequently have an extra chance to get WuE gear! Whatever activity you do: dungeons, raids, or Delves, you will have some chance to drop additional loot (in addition to the regular loot you're getting). This way, you'll be able to gear your alts while progressing on your main. Neat.
There may also be treasure laying around that contains WuE gear.
Transmog enjoyers will also love the fact that now your look collections are saved no matter whether your character can equip that type of gear or not (the only exception being class-specific gear). So if your clothie finds some sick plate, that look will be saved for when you later log onto your Warrior.
You also won't have to equip the piece to collect its appearance, so if you disenchant or sell the item, or if it is WuE, you'll collect that appearance automatically.
There is mention that you'll be able to collect more scenes to customize the Warband screen, over the course of the expansion. We're hoping for some cool poses, too!
You may still have a chance to get into the WoW The War Within beta! Signs up may end soon. Otherwise, also check out Blizzard's preview of the Warband feature for more details. Keep in mind that as the game develops, some things are obviously subject to change.
