A Tragedy in Three Parts: The Bugs of Cataclysm PvP Season 9
In this article we will tell you how the beginning of PvP Season 9 was marked by bugs, missing Vendors, and even (dare we say it?) exploits. Read on to learn all about the tumultuous launch of competitive PvP in Cataclysm Classic, or click the links below if you're just looking for information on how the systems work properly now:
PvP Season 9 Overview — Cataclysm Classic Rated Battlegrounds Overview — Cataclysm Classic
Honor Gear — Cataclysm Classic Conquest Gear — Cataclysm Classic
Let's talk about the beginning of PvP Season 9 in Cataclysm Classic, a Tragedy in Three Parts.
Cataclysm Classic descended upon Azeroth on May 20th. For PvPers, the first week of the expansion would mean a journey to level 85, followed by gearing up through farming Honor Points to buy Bloodthirsty PvP Gear with an item level of 352 — all to prepare for the beginning of PvP Season 9 on May 28th.
This new Season would bring Rated Arenas, two new Battlegrounds, the new Rated Battleground game-mode, and most important of all, Conquest Points. This currency would be used to purchase the most powerful PvP items in the game, Vicious Gladiator gear — but not all at once, as there would be a weekly cap, keeping players in step with each other. No matter how much Rated PvP you played, win or lose, you would not be able to pull ahead of the pack with Conquest gear.
At least, that's how it was supposed to happen. That's what players expected. It was, however, not what unfolded over the first few days of the Season.
Part 1: Overpowered Crafted Gear
With any new expansion, there will of course be new Crafted Gear, including some starter PvP items. These Crafted pieces are intended to work as a first stepping stone to get into PvP, allowing you to purchase low-item level gear with Resilience on it without having to actually step into the dangerous world of PvP.
However, on the launch of Cataclysm Classic, the crafted Vicious gear was not the intended item level 339 — it was 377. In
