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Island Expedition Queue Menu

Queue Menu

Island Expedition Queue Menu (2)

Queue Menu

Island Expeditions loading screen

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.[1] 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.[2]

Island Expeditions unlock through the War Campaign account-wide. One can then do Island Expeditions on alts as they level.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]
  • Dread Chain - A frozen landscape. The northern island chain is inhabited by mogu, kvaldir, ice trolls and wild yeti.[7]
  • Havenswood - An abandoned Gilnean settlement and castle. The Gilnean island is inhabited by feral worgen, Old God minions and dark necromancers.[8]
  • Jorundall - A vrykul island settlement. The northern island is inhabited by vrykul, vargul, taunka and the elusive storm dragons.[9]
  • Molten Cay - A volcanic island with Zandalari ruins. The volcanic island is inhabited by ogres, yaungol and both sand and jungle troll factions.[10]
  • Rotting Mire - A swampy island chain. It's inhabited by saurok, jinju and an especially sorry lot of stranded pirates.[11]
  • Snowblossom Village - A pandaren village farm. The pandaren island is inhabited by mantid, mogu and the pesky virmen.[12]
  • Skittering Hollow - A dark and rocky island filled with spiders. The northern craggy island is inhabited by troggs, kobolds and nerubians.[13]
  • Un'gol Ruins - A tropical island with ogre ruins. The jungle island is inhabited by quilboar, pygmy and hozen.[14]
  • Verdant Wilds - A forested island with mogu ruins. The druidic island is inhabited by furbolgs, druids and keepers.[15]
  • Whispering Reef - A forested island with night elf ruins. The reef ringed island is inhabited by makrura, murlocs and the naga.[16]

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

Island features[]

Patch 8.1 - Island Expeditions

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![17]
  • Different weather effects.[18]

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
VrykulVrykul Bloodwake vrykul Dread Chain, Molten Cay
Brineshell makrura Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
QuilboarQuilboar 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
WorgenWorgen 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
Ice trollIce troll Icetusk ice trolls Dread Chain, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
Kunzen hozen Un'gol Ruins, Uncharted Island
KvaldirKvaldir 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
TaunkaTaunka 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
Sand trollSand trollDire troll Sandscalp sand trolls Molten Cay, Skittering Hollow, Whispering Reef
HumanHuman Shipwrecked humans Rotting Mire
Slitherblade saurok Molten Cay, Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef
HumanHumanDark Iron dwarfDark Iron dwarf Southsea pirates Molten Cay, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef Shoot yourself from a cannon to a pirate ship
NagaNaga Spitefin naga Rotting Mire, Un'gol Ruins, Whispering Reef Swirling Postern portal to Animated Cavern
Virmen 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
Polar furbolg Wildlands furbolgs Verdant Wilds
Jungle trollJungle trollDire troll 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[19] are listed below:

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 Alliance

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

Horde Horde

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

Rewards[]

Blizzcon 2017 - Island expedition islands

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.[20]

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.[21][22]
  • The Ultimate Visual Guides state that many small islands dot Azeroth's oceans and explorers agree that more remain to be discovered.

Gallery[]

Islands
Opponents and user interface
Queue Menu art

Patch changes[]

  • Shadowlands Patch 9.1.5 (2021-11-02): Can now be solo-queued.
  • Battle for Azeroth Patch 8.2.0 (2019-06-25):
    • Crestfall and Snowblossom added.
    • New expedition teams representing Raptari and Thornspeaker druids.
  • Battle for Azeroth 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.
  • Battle for Azeroth Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Added.

References[]