Stormpike Guard

The Stormpike Guard, also called the Stormpike Expedition, is the Alliance side of Alterac Valley: a force of Ironforge dwarves who have dug into the north of the valley and mean to take it from the Frostwolf Clan. Their general, Vanndar Stormpike, commands from the fortress of Dun Baldar. Stormpike reputation is earned in the battleground, and it decides which of the valley's rewards an Alliance player can buy, up to the [Stormpike Battle Charger] ram at Exalted.

Who they are

The Stormpike are a dwarven clan of Ironforge. Their expedition came to Alterac Valley to mine its riches and search for relics of the dwarves' ancestors, apparently without knowing, or caring, that the valley was the Frostwolves' home. Whatever their first intentions, King Magni Bronzebeard has since issued what Vanndar calls a "sovereign imperative": the valley is to be claimed for Ironforge. Vanndar has no interest in peace and dismisses the orcs as savages.

Not every Stormpike is a dwarf. The guard's second in command, the human mage Captain Balinda Stonehearth, holds the Stonehearth Outpost south of Dun Baldar, and night elves and Wildhammer dwarves serve in its ranks. The Stormpike also fight the Winterax trolls who raid them from the mountains, and their gryphon riders, led by wing commanders, patrol the valley's skies.

Where to find them

Alterac Valley is a 40-player battleground reached through the Alterac Mountains, with the Alliance entrance at its northern end. Inside, the Stormpike hold Dun Baldar, its bunkers, the Stonehearth Outpost and the Irondeep Mine. Gaelden Hammersmith sells rewards in Dun Baldar's south bunker, and Thanthaldis Snowgleam does the same outside the valley, so players can shop without queueing. Lieutenant Rotimer stands in Ironforge to recruit new soldiers.

Earning reputation

All Alliance players start at Neutral, and most reputation in Alterac Valley is shared by the whole team:

• Battle objectives. Killing the Frostwolf general Drek'Thar gives the most, and killing his captain Captain Galvangar a large amount. Every enemy tower burned, graveyard taken and guard killed adds more, and the end of each battle pays a bonus for every tower, mine and graveyard still held.
• Armor scraps. In patch 1.12, 20 [Armor Scraps] looted from fallen enemies give 100 reputation in Armor Scraps.
• Quests. Proving Grounds sends players for a banner and rewards the first of a series of insignia trinkets, upgraded as standing rises through quests like Honored Amongst the Guard. Korrak the Bloodrager, against the ogre Korrak the Bloodrager, gives 200.
• Ivus. Storm Crystals taken from the Frostwolves, turned in through Crystal Cluster and Ivus the Forest Lord, let the druids of the Stormpike call Ivus the Forest Lord, a forest lord who marches on the Horde.

In the first months, a single battle could go on for hours or days, with both sides fortifying their bases. Later patches made the battles much faster, and the usual Alliance plan became a race down the valley to kill Drek'Thar before the Horde reached Vanndar.

Rewards

Gaelden Hammersmith and Thanthaldis Snowgleam sell the same goods as the Frostwolf quartermasters, with the same bonuses and standings but different names and looks.

The Exalted items shared by both sides, such as the shield [The Immovable Object] and the off-hand books, were strong enough for raids. The battle ram, whose trainers etch their names into its horn, marked a veteran of the valley.

History and trivia

• Alterac Valley opened in patch 1.5, and its rules were reworked many times, mostly to shorten battles that could stall for days.
• Players exalted with the Stormpike, the Silverwing Sentinels and the League of Arathor later earned the title "Justicar".
• After Cataclysm, the Stormpike moved out of the valley to attack the Horde in Hillsbrad, while the battleground itself was left as it was.

Sources

• Stormpike Guard (Warcraft Wiki)
• Thanthaldis Snowgleam (Warcraft Wiki), the rewards by standing
• Alterac Valley (Warcraft Wiki)
• Stormpike Battle Charger (Warcraft Wiki)