Island Expedition

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The island expeditions loading screen

Island Expeditions are 3-player scenarios introduced in Battle for Azeroth. Both factions sail across the seas of Azeroth to harvest and steal Azerite from the islands. The maps for the expeditions will be provided by the gnomes and goblins, who have developed a new technology to find which islands may contain Azerite. Ships to the islands will depart from faction hubs.

Island Expeditions unlock through the War Campaign account-wide. One can then do Island Expeditions on alts as they level.

Description

Set sail for the previously unmapped isles of Azeroth. Battle in groups of three as you race against cunning rival intruders—or enemy players—to collect the island’s resources. Constantly evolving challenges await as you traverse frozen landscapes near Northrend, open the gates of an abandoned Gilnean castle, navigate a war between elementals and more. Rise of Azshara adds two new Island Expeditions to the mix—Crestfall, a gloomy, derelict skerry, and Snowblossom, an idyllic, mountainous island.

Gameplay

Expeditions are role agnostic, and take around 15-20 minutes to complete. They can be played in four different modes, Normal, Heroic, Mythic, and PvP. The goal is for three players to collect Azerite and mystery treasures faster than an opposing team. Combat may ensue should the teams meet, and the island map adds Fog of War to conseal opponents' actions.

Each island has four possible starting points, and computer opponents use a tailored AI for this gameplay. NPCs on the island are randomized so the context can change entirely each time one visits an island. One time it might be populated with plundering ghost pirates, and next time with conquering mogu. There could be a thousand possible scenarios with the available islands and the possible mix of "puzzle" like a mix of mobs.

Islands

There are 11 islands in rotation, with 3 available each week.

• Crestfall - Remnants of the Second War are found there. The battlefield island is inhabited by restless orc souls, twilight dragons and pirates.
• Dread Chain - A frozen landscape. The northern island chain is inhabited by mogu, kvaldir, ice trolls and wild yeti.
• Havenswood - An abandoned Gilnean settlement and castle. The Gilnean island is inhabited by feral worgen, Old God minions and dark necromancers.
• Jorundall - A vrykul island settlement. The northern island is inhabited by vrykul, vargul, taunka and the elusive storm dragons.
• Molten Cay - A volcanic island with Zandalari ruins. The volcanic island is inhabited by ogres, yaungol and both sand and jungle troll factions.
• Rotting Mire - A swampy island chain. It's inhabited by saurok, jinju and an especially sorry lot of stranded pirates.
• Snowblossom Village - A pandaren village farm. The pandaren island is inhabited by mantid, mogu and the pesky virmen.
• Skittering Hollow - A dark and rocky island filled with spiders. The northern craggy island is inhabited by troggs, kobolds and nerubians.
• Un'gol Ruins - A tropical island with ogre ruins. The jungle island is inhabited by quilboar, pygmy and hozen.
• Verdant Wilds - A forested island with mogu ruins. The druidic island is inhabited by furbolgs, druids and keepers.
• Whispering Reef - A forested island with night elf ruins. The reef ringed island is inhabited by makrura, murlocs and the naga.

The Uncharted Island is visited as a tutorial scenario for Island Expeditions.

Island features

A group of Horde adventurers during an expedition.

Each time an Island Expedition is queued up, the island has different features. A list of features as seen below:

• Different creatures with different organizations with different amounts of Azerite
• You might find capture points
• Chests and Azerite Nodes of all kinds
• Different quest givers
• Consumables and Shrines
• Every island has at least 4 start locations
• Caves, Ships...and more!
• Different weather effects.

Island denizens

Please add any available information to this section.
This is an incomplete list of creatures and islands where they can be encountered on:

	Humanoid groups	Encountered on	Additional interactions
	Amathet tol'vir	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins	Swirling Sands portal to Dusty Tomb
	Bloodfist ogres	Molten Cay
	Bloodwake vrykul	Dread Chain, Molten Cay
	Brineshell makrura	Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Bristlemane quilboars	Un'gol Ruins
	Coldlight deep sea murlocs	Whispering Reef
	Craghorn yetis	Dread Chain, Molten Cay
	Cultist necromancers and undead
	Keepers & dryads	Verdant Wilds
	Feral shapeshifted druids	Verdant Wilds
	Feral worgen	Havenswood
	Frostbeard wendigos	Dread Chain
	Dampscale gorlocs	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Fleshrot vargul
	Gulan yaungol	Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins
	Icetusk ice trolls	Dread Chain, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Kunzen hozen	Un'gol Ruins, Uncharted Island
	Kvaldir	Dread Chain, Un'gol Ruins	Eerie Fog and Fetid Mist weather effects that reduce visibility Misty Gateway to Quarters of the Damned on the Naglfar
	Minions of the Old Gods	Havenswood	Shadow Storm tentacles appear periodically Dark Fissure portal to Maw of Go'rath
	Mirelurk saurok	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Mistscorn taunka	Jorundall
	Muckfin murlocs	Whispering Reef
	Mudwhisker kobolds	Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins
	Oomgut pygmies	Un'gol Ruins
	Pebblestone troggs	Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins
	Razorfin jinyu	Rotting Mire
	Rockmane wendigos	Dread Chain
	Saltfur hozen	Un'gol Ruins
	Sandscalp sand trolls	Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow, Whispering Reef
	Shipwrecked humans	Rotting Mire
	Slitherblade saurok	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Southsea pirates	Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef	Shoot yourself from a cannon to a pirate ship
	Spitefin naga	Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef	Swirling Postern portal to Animated Cavern
	Stinkfur Virmen	Snowblossom Village
	Stonebound mogu	Dread Chain, Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow
	Undead vrykul
	Venture Company	Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds	Profit-O-Matic cannon operated by a Venture Goon
	Voru'kar nerubians	Skittering Hollow
	Wildlands furbolgs	Verdant Wilds
	Witherbranch trolls	Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins
	Zara'thik mantid	Molten Cay	Creatures and Azerite encased in amber
	Zian-Ti mogu	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds	Spirit Gateway to Unknown Crypt
	Lone giants	Encountered on	Additional interactions
	Beach Strider	Dread Chain, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Deepsea Tidecrusher	Skittering Hollow, Verdant Wilds
	Earthliving Giant	Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins
	Frozen Stonelord	Dread Chain
	Gemshard Colossus	Molten Cay
	Goldenvein	Dread Chain, Skittering Hollow
	Island Ettin	Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Magma Giant	Molten Cay
	Dragonkin	Encountered on	Additional interactions
	Black	Dread Chain, Molten Cay
	Twilight	Verdant Wilds
	Elemental groups	Encountered on	Additional interactions
	Air elementals	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds	Tornadoes that lift players off the ground and damage them Gusting Portal to a visible sanctum in the sky above the island
	Air pandaren spirits	Dread Chain, Rotting Mire
	Azerite elementals	Encountered on all 9 islands in rotation
	Brimstone hell hounds	Molten Cay
	Earth elementals	Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef	Sandstorm weather effect Crystalline Ingress portal to Crystalline Depths
	Earth pandaren spirits	Rotting Mire, Verdant Wilds
	Fire elementals	Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow, Verdant Wilds	Blazing Sky weather effect with fires that break out periodically Volcanoes that erupt rocks in a location that damage players Blazing Gateway to Blazing Cavern
	Fire pandaren spirits	Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Thistlebrush sprites	Dread Chain, Verdant Wilds
	Nettlevine sprites	Un'gol Ruins
	Water and ice elementals	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef	Snowstorm weather effect Frozen ground that slows movement speed Swirling Postern portal to Marine Grotto
	Water pandaren spirits	Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins
	Wild beasts	Encountered on	Additional interactions
	Bonescale worms	Molten Cay, Dread Chain, Un'gol Ruins
	Breakbeak vultures	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Brightscale wind serpents	Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow, Whispering Reef
	Brineshell turtles	Un'gol Ruins
	Bristlethorn tarantulas	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow
	Coralback crabs	Dread Chain, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Craghoof goats	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Darktunnel worms	Whispering Reef
	Deathsting scorpids	Molten Cay
	Deepsea crabs	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Dreadfang snakes	Molten Cay, Verdant Wilds
	Duskcoat tigers	Dread Chain, Molten Cay
	Flamescale hydras	Un'gol Ruins
	Frostscale hydras	Dread Chain, Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Garnetback worms	Skittering Hollow, Whispering Reef
	Gritplate basilisks	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef	Other island denizens as statuesque Petrified Foes that can be released
	Grizzlefur bears	Molten Cay, Verdant Wilds
	Ironweb spiders	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef
	Jadescale worms	Skittering Hollow
	Jungle tigers	Un'gol Ruins
	Kindleweb spiders	Molten Cay
	Knucklebump gorillas	Un'gol Ruins
	Mudsnout boars	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow
	Muskflank yaks	Molten Cay, Rotting Mire
	Nightsabers	Dread Chain
	Nightscale wind serpents	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Pinegraze deer	Verdant Wilds
	Rotclaw bears	Dread Chain
	Runehoof deer	Molten Cay, Verdant Wilds
	Rustpelt wolves	Dread Chain, Molten Cay
	Snowfur wolves	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow, Whispering Reef
	Sparkleshell crabs	Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Spineclaw crabs	Dread Chain, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
	Spineshell turtles	Rotting Mire
	Venomfang spiders	Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds
	Venomscale hydras	Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds
	Vicejaw crocolisks	Dread Chain, Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Skittering Hollow, Un'gol Ruins, Verdant Wilds, Whispering Reef

Explorers

Explorers that can be found on Island Expeditions are listed below:

• Aerin Skyhammer
• Apprentice Karyn
• Arwan Beastheart
• Brunold
• Burgle
• Flickerwick
• Gimzy Trickelbank
• Glint-Eyed Frankie
• Gregg
• Grubby Beard
• Longpaws
• Manape
• Nizhoni
• Old Li
• Royston P. Crutchley III
• Spooner the Scalawag
• Sylvester
• Taz'anga
• Tinny
• Tweets Lightsprocket
• Two-Socks
• Valero
• Vizio the Cartographer
• Waterspeaker Deshi
• Yuke

Advanced NPC opponents

In three difficulties Normal, Heroic, Mythic the 3 person player group faces off against a team of 3 Advanced NPC opponents from the opposite faction in a race who can gather more Azerite to reach the required amount of Azerite for victory.

The Advanced NPC groups seem to be mirrored between the Alliance and Horde, with a pirate group on each side, gnomes on one side and goblins on the other, Horde pyromancers against Alliance cryomancers, so on.

Alliance

All of them can be seen resting at Tradewinds Market in Boralus.

• Briona's Buccaneers: Dwarven and gnomish pirates (Briona the Bloodthirsty, Varigg, "Stabby" Lottie).
• Auric's Angels: Male hydromancers (Frostfencer Seraphi, Squallshaper Bryson, Squallshaper Auran).
• Light's Vengeance: Lightforged and normal draenei (Vindicator Baatul, Anchorite Lanna, Archmage Tamuura).
• Razak's Roughriders: Gnomish soldiers and engineers (Razak Ironsides, Dizzy Dina, Tally Zapnabber).
• Riftrunners: Void elves (Riftblade Kelain, Shadeweaver Zarra, Duskrunner Lorinas).
• The Wolfpack: Worgen (Gunnolf the Ferocious, Fenrae the Cunning, Raul the Tenacious).
• Dark Iron Demolishers: Dark Iron dwarves (Airyn Swiftfeet, Lady Tamakeen, Brother Bruen).
• Thornspeakers: Kul Tiran human druids (Thornguard Burton, Thornspeaker Tavery, Thornstalker Nydora).

Horde

All of them can be seen resting in Dazar'alor.

• The Headhunters: Zandalari and jungle trolls (Berserker Zar'ri, Shadow Hunter Ju'loa, Witch Doctor Unbugu).
• Warbraves: Highmountain tauren (Spiritwalker Quura, Mahna Flamewhisper, Sunwalker Ordel).
• Greenbelly's Raiders: Orcs and Forsaken pirates (Captain Greenbelly, Dorp, Sneaky Pete).
• The Blazing Sunhawks: Blood elven pyromancers (Phoenix Mage Rhydras, Phoenix Mage Ryleia, Sunbringer Firasi).
• The Highborne: Nightborne (Moonscythe Pelani, Rune Scribe Lusaris, Astralite Visara).
• Gazlowe's Greasemonkeys: Engineers (Gazlowe, Skaggit, Lady Sena).
• Draenor's Blood: Mag'har orcs (Nagtar Wolfsbane, Ranah Saberclaw, Charg "The Boisterous").
• Raptari: Zandalari troll druids (Guardian M'sheke, Mooncaller Mozo'kas, Wardruid Ko'chus).

Rewards

Island maps shown at BlizzCon 2017 that didn't make it into the game.

Obtaining rewards through an Island Expedition is based on the themes provided with the creatures and invasions that occur during an expedition. For example,  [Squawks] is a mount reward from a pirate-themed expedition. If the player encounters some pirate-themed rare creatures and kills them, pirate-themed items such as Squawks may show up in the loot window when the expedition has been completed. Another example would be the  [Plundered Blade of Northern Kings], which is only available from encountering and killing vrykul-themed creatures in an expedition which provides a chance for this two-handed sword or other vrykul-themed items to be awarded at the end of the expedition.

Focusing on special enemies, such as themed creatures and rare-quality mobs, is believed to improve the odds of being rewarded special loot. Regardless, it still comes down to the RNG on if anyone in the group manages to loot items related to the creatures that were killed.

Notes and trivia

• Island Expeditions introduced a new type of tactical AI being tested in Battle for Azeroth.
• Krill Island, Oyster Reef, and Scarlet Isle were islands shown on drawn maps at BlizzCon 2017 but didn't make it to the game. Other islands have been datamined since but not implemented, such as White Mesa Isles.
• The Ultimate Visual Guides state that many small islands dot Azeroth's oceans and explorers agree that more remain to be discovered.

Gallery

Islands

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  Island expedition randomness 1.

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  Island expedition randomness 2.

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  Island expedition randomness 3.

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  Un'gol Ruins.

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  Un'gol Ruins.

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  Havenswood.

Opponents and user interface

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  The Spirits of Vengeance, now changed to The Headhunters.

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  Wolfpack.

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  Unused dwarf team representing all three dwarf factions, including Kurdran Wildhammer who is oddly wielding  [Scaleshard].

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  Horde victory.

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  Alliance victory.

Queue Menu art

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Patch changes

• Patch 9.1.5 (2021-11-02): Can now be solo-queued.
  
• Patch 8.2.0 (2019-06-25):
  • Crestfall and Snowblossom added.
  • New expedition teams representing Raptari and Thornspeaker druids.
    
• Patch 8.1.0 (2018-12-11):
  • Jorundall and Havenswood added.
  • The logic used to spawn Island Expeditions has been adjusted to favor more organic concentrations of foes, with more clear paths in between, to make it easier to navigate without being forced into combat.
  • New enemies and relocation of many enemies on existing Islands. Many many rare enemies are present on every Island.
  • New events and changes to existing events such as an Azerite Extractor that slowly collects Azerite overtime.
  • New expedition teams representing Dark Iron dwarves and Mag'har orcs.
  • The chance for cosmetic rewards are now based on all the enemies and Azerite present on the island, and no longer tied to only the enemy camps your team defeats. Completing an Island Expedition at a higher difficulty increases the chance of receiving these bonus rewards.
  • Battle pets rewarded from the completion of islands that were previously uncageable can now be caged.
  • The weekly quest to recover Azerite now requires 36,000 Azerite (was 40,000).
  • Mythic and PvP Islands now reward 350 Artifact Power (was 300), and PvP Islands now award 50 Conquest on a win (was 8).
  • Look for new vendors in Boralus and Dazar'alor who offer exclusive rewards in exchange for your Seafarer's Dubloons.
    
• Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Added.