Allied races in BfA

Allied Races are a new feature announced at BlizzCon 2017 for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth. In this Allied Race overview, we’ll cover unlock requirements, racials, heritage armor, customization, and more.

• What Are Allied Races?
• When Allied Races Become Playable?
• Allied Races overview and how to unlock them
  • Void Elves
  • The Nightfallen
  • Lightforged Draenei
  • Highmountain Tauren
  • Dark Iron Dwarves
  • Mag’har Orcs
  • Zandalari Trolls
  • Kul Tiran Humans
• Mounts and Unlocking Scenario
• Heritage Armor

What Are Allied Races?

Allied Races is a new feature in “Battle for Azeroth” expansion. This is a concrete number of new playable races with unique appearances, customization, and Heritage Armor Sets. A player must meet a number of conditions and complete the particular questline firstly, and only after that he or she will be given an access to a chosen allied race.

When Allied Races Become Playable?

Those, who have preordered “Battle for Azeroth” expansion, could enjoy playing with four new races even at the end of “Legion”. These were: Nightborne and Highmountain Tauren from the Horde side and Void Elf and Lightforged Draenei from the Alliance side.

We have two more allied races added at the moment – Mag’har Orc and Dark Iron Dwarf. To get an access to them, players have to finish War Campaign with their faction and to raise the “Exalted” reputation status with the War Campaign faction.

The community expects two more allied races in the nearest future. Zandalari Trolls and Kul Tiran Humans should appear with the Patch 8.1.5.

Allied Races overview and how to unlock them

You have to meet several requirements to create a character of any allied race. These are:

• You have to be a proud owner of the “Battle for Azeroth” expansion;
• Complete related quest achievement and reach “Exalted” reputation status with the related faction. This is an account-wide condition, which means there is no need to stick to a particular character, and you are free to choose among all your characters to complete quests and to raise the reputation.
  The new character of any allied race starts at the level 20 – there will be no need to slaughter low-level Boars and other almost non-battle creatures.

Let us have a look at the different conditions needed to unlock an access to allied races.

Void Elves

Players have to complete the storyline on Argus to unlock the race of Void Elves. This will take them several hours if not more.

The next thing is the reputation with Argussian Reach faction. A player has to reach “Exalted” status with this faction and it might drag on for several weeks because the reputation rises only by completing related World and Emissary Quests and by finishing missions with the help of followers. It’s worth saying that Blizzard cooperates with the community and in Patch 8.1, World Quests will award twice as much reputation.

As soon as the player will fulfill all the necessary conditions, he or she will get an access to a special recruitment quest which demonstrates why Void Elves have decided to join the Alliance. Only after that, a player will be able to create a new character of this race. The questline consists of only two quests, so it shouldn’t take much time.

Void Elf Racials:

Spatial Rift: Tear a rift in space. Reactivate this ability to teleport through the rift. 30 yd range. 3 min cooldown.

Spatial Rift: Rip a hole in space and time, transporting you to the targeted location.

Racial Passives:

Chill of Night: Reduces Shadow damage taken by 1%.

Entropic Embrace: Your abilities have a chance to empower you with the essence of the Void. Entropic Embrace increases damage and healing by 5% for 12 sec. It has a 33% proc chance with 60 seconds internal cooldown.

Ethereal Connection: Reduces the cost of Void Storage and Transmogrification by 50%

Preternatural Calm: Your spell casts are not delayed by taking damage.

The Nightfallen

Players have to complete the storyline in Suramar and get the Insurrection Achievement to unlock the Nightborne race. This will take them several hours.

After that players have to reach the “Exalted” reputation status with The Nightfallen faction by completing the storyline, World and Emissary Quests and using Nightfallen Insignia.

Players must then complete a special recruitment quest which demonstrates why the Nightborne have decided to join the Horde. Now you can create a Nightborne.

Nightborne Racials:

Cantrips — Conjure up an Eldritch Grimoire, allowing you mail access for 1.5 min.

Arcane Pulse — Deals (200% Attack Power) Arcane damage to nearby enemies every 2 seconds and snares them by 50%. Lasts 20 sec.

Racial Passives:

Ancient History — Inscription skill increased by 15.

Magical Affinity — Increases magical damage 1%.

Arcane Resistance — Reduces Arcane damage taken by 1%.

Lightforged Draenei

If a player chooses to join the ranks of the Lightforged Draenei to stand together with the great Champions such as T’paartos he or she has to complete the storyline on Argus. This might take several hours.

The next thing is the reputation with the “Army of the Light” faction. This might drag on up to several weeks because the reputation rises only by completing related World and Emissary Quests and by finishing missions with the help of followers.

Starting with Patch 8.1, World Quests will award twice as much reputation which will speed up the whole process.

And finally, after accepting the recruitment quest and finishing the scenario, the player will be rewarded with the right to create the Lightforged Draenei character. Long live T’paartos!

Lightforged Draenei Racials:

• Light’s Judgment — Call down a strike of Holy energy, dealing Holy damage to enemies within 5 yards after 3 sec. 40 yd. 2.5 min cooldown. Instant.
• Forge of Light  — Summon a Forge of Light, enabling Blacksmithing. Blacksmithing skill increased by 10.

Racial Passives

• Demonbane — Experience gained from killing Demons increased by 20%.
• Light’s Reckoning — When you die the Light avenges you, dealing Holy damage to enemies within 8 yards and healing allies.
• Holy Resistance — Reduces Holy damage taken by 1%.

Highmountain Tauren

For unlocking horned giants from the Highmountain players should meet a number of conditions.
Firstly – complete the Highmountain questline and get the associated Achievement.
Secondly – raise the reputation status with Highmountain Tribe to “Exalted”. The major number of reputational points may be gathered simply by completing storyline quests. The rest are collected with the help of World and Emissary Quests and Highmountain Tribe Insignia.

Highmountain Tauren racials:

• Bull Rush — Charges forward for 1 sec, knocking enemies down for 1.5 sec. 2 min cooldown.

Racial Passives

• Pride of Ironhorn — Mining skill increased by 15 and allows you to mine faster.
• Mountaineer — Increases Versatility by 1%.
• Rugged Tenacity — Reduces damage taken.
• Waste Not, Want Not — You have a chance to loot additional meat and fish.

Dark Iron Dwarves

The Dark Iron Dwarves are one of three Great Ironforge Clans, who decided to serve Ragnaros the Firelord. After the Cataclysm, lots of dwarves had left the City of Shadowforge to join the Alliance, but there were still those, who decided to stay at Ragnaros’ side. Nevertheless, there still is a hope to gather the clan once again.

For unlocking this race a player will have to finish War Campaign of the Alliance and get the “Exalted” reputation status with 7th Legion faction. The major part of the needed reputation players will get automatically while completing War Campaign, the rest of it they may get by finishing World quests, Warfront contributions and Emissary Quests in Zandalar.
Only after that players will get the access to the long waited recruitment scenario, where they will see how the Dark Iron Dwarves join the Alliance, and will finally create a character of a new allied race.

Dark Iron Dwarves Racials:

Dungeon Delver: While indoors, move 4% faster.
Fireblood: Removes all poison, disease, curse, magic, and bleed effects and increases your primary stat by 100 for each effect removed. Lasts 8 sec. 2 min cooldown.
Forged in Flames: Reduces damage taken from Physical attacks by 1%.
Mass Production: Items crafted by Blacksmithing are created twice as quickly.
Mole Machine: While outdoors, summon a Mole Machine that tunnels through the earth.

Mag’har Orcs

Mag’har Orcs are the Draenor orcish tribes, who once refused to drink daemons’ blood and kept by this their native brown color of the skin.

The Horde players will need to complete War Campaign and get the “Exalted” reputation status with The Honorbound faction to unlock this allied race. The major number of reputational points may be gathered automatically by finishing stages of War Campaign. The rest are collected with the help of World Quests, Warfront contributions and Emissary Quests on the continent of Kul Tiras.

Players must then complete a special recruitment scenario which demonstrates why the Mag’har Orcs join the Horde. Now representatives of this allied race may be created.

Mag’har Orcs Racials:

Ancestral Call — Invoke the spirits of your ancestors granting you their power. Increases a random secondary stat by 102 for 12 seconds.
Open Skies — Increases mounted speed by 10%.
Savage Blood — Reduces the duration of Poisons, Diseases, and Curses by 10%.
Sympathetic Vigor — Increases pet health by 10%.

Zandalari Trolls

The Zandalari Trolls faction is highly expectable and it seems they will appear after Patch 8.1.5 releases and will somehow connect to the “Siege of Zuldazar” raid zone.

There isn’t any approved data about the requirements needed to unlock this race, but the “Exalted” reputation status with Zandalari Empire faction will be obligatory. Players may raise the reputation by completing World and Emissary Quests as usual. One of the criteria will be the completion of some parts of the Horde War Campaign; unfortunately, more detailed information is hidden, for now, so no one knows yet what exactly we are to do.

Zandalari Racials:

Embrace the Loa: Pray to a Loa and gain their favor.

City of Gold: Loot additional coin from monsters.

Regeneratin’: Concentrate to heal quickly over a short time.

Pterrordax Swoop: Can whistle up a Pterrordax to glide you to the ground.

Kul Tiran Humans

It is expected to see this new allied race in the game only after patch 8.1.5 releases.

The situation with Kul Tiran Humans is similar to Zandalari Trolls – there isn’t any concrete information about the requirements needed to unlock them, but it’s absolutely sure, that the “Exalted” reputation status with Proudmoore Admiralty faction will be absolutely necessary. The reputation rises in a well-known way: by completing World and Emissary Quests.

Players will need to finish the Alliance War Campaign, though it’s still uncertain, whether it will be enough to just complete the basic part of this Campaign, or the upcoming chapters will be included into this condition as well.

One of the extraordinary features of Kul Tirans is their ability to be Druids. This ability is explained with the spiritual connections between Kul Tiran Humans and the magic from the Drust.

Kul Tiran Human racials:

Brush It Off: Increase Versatility and regenerate a portion of damage taken.

Child of the Sea: Hold your breath longer and swim faster.

Haymaker: Haul off and punch an enemy, stunning and knocking them back.

Jack of All Trades: Increases skill in every tradeskill.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Reduces Frost and Nature damage taken.

Mounts and Unlocking Scenario

At the end of every questline that gives an access to an allied race, players will enter a special scenario, at the other end of which there will be an Achievement waiting and a unique racial mount, that can be used by any other character of any other race. So even if you are not planning to play with allied races, passing each storyline is worth obtaining several new mounts in your collection.
Allied races are rewarded with the following mounts:

Nightborne: Nightborne Manasaber

Highmountain Taurens: Highmountain Thunderhoof

Lightforged Draenei: Lightforged Felcrusher

Void Elves: Starcursed Voidstrider

Mag’har Orcs: Mag’har Direwolf

Dark Iron Dwarves: Dark Iron Core Hound

Kul Tiran Humans: Some Kul Tiran Horse

Zandalari Trolls: Zandalari Direhorn

Heritage Armor

Every single allied race has its own Heritage Armor Set with absolutely unique and highly detailed appearance; these Armor Sets may be even transmogrified. Though it’s not easy to get: one need to level up the selected character from 20 up to 110 level without any boosting.
The Heritage Armor Sets are Cosmetic, which means you will be able to transmogrify them no matter what type of armor your concrete character wears – cloth, leather, mail or plate.