The grind for rank 14 in PvP from World of Warcraft Classic demands sacrifices. More and more players break under the harsh requirements. They give up.
In World of Warcraft, there are many goals that players can set for themselves. However, few goals are as prestigious as the grind for the infamous rank 14 in the PvP system of World of Warcraft.
Rank 14 not only grants access to extremely powerful gear, but also earns the admiration of fellow players. Achieving rank 14 is an accomplishment that many describe as “insane.”
However, many players and Twitch streamers are breaking under this grind, feeling they can no longer manage the task.
Did you stop playing WoW Classic? If so, we would like to know why!
What is rank 14? Rank 14 represents the highest possible rank in World of Warcraft Classic that players can achieve. To reach this, they must spend a substantial amount of time in PvP battles.
A player with rank 14 has access to some of the best weapons and gear in the game, guaranteed to turn heads. Rank 14 is also considered the “toughest grind World of Warcraft has ever had” – accomplishing this feat is an achievement in itself.
What is required? Climbing the ranks in WoW Classic is heavily tied to PvP. The most effective way is through battlegrounds: especially Alterac Valley – even though that frustrates many right now. Depending on how much honor a character has accumulated, points are awarded during the weekly reset that contribute to the current rank.
These “rank points” are, however, limited; you can only climb the ranks at a relatively fixed pace. To achieve the maximum number of points, you must belong to the top 0.3% of players in a realm regarding honor gains.
On average, the grind to rank 14 takes about 12 to 14 weeks if you completely dedicate yourself to this task. That means a daily commitment of 16-18 hours of PvP in the battlegrounds.
The problem is that ranks are not awarded based on fixed points that are the same for all players. The rank system is a bit different on each realm since players must always compete with their fellow players on the same realm. If there are many engaged PvP players on your realm, it becomes more difficult and takes more time to achieve a high rank.
Furthermore, with each passing week, the player’s rank points slowly decay. Anyone taking a break will soon find themselves at a lower rank.
Are there no tricks? Another point is that there are no shortcuts to rank 14. You cannot cut corners or slyly gain a few rank points with less effort.
It is virtually impossible to reach rank 14 in less than 12 weeks. The final jump from rank 13 to rank 14 alone requires 3 weeks of full dedication to PvP, playing battlegrounds continually after getting up.
Players are also taking care of PvP bots themselves…
Can’t one take a break in between? Another issue is that a “normal life” outside of WoW Classic is practically impossible during this time. Anyone wishing to take even a single day off to engage in other hobbies or social obligations may risk wasting an entire week and falling behind in their schedule.
This strains the nerves of players. Because as appealing as the thought may be to spend a few days “doing nothing but gaming,” it becomes overwhelming when one must maintain such a lifestyle for 3 months.
This is especially difficult for Twitch streamers: For streamers, the burden of grinding rank 14 is exhausting on multiple levels. Firstly, it is extremely monotonous to play the same content for 14-16 hours daily. This also becomes boring for viewers over time, resulting in decreased interest in the streams. Since this is often the streamers’ source of income, it poses a real threat.
Additionally, streamers are by definition constantly in the spotlight of fellow players and are essentially always being watched.
Take the streamer Sodapoppin, who has given up on the grind:
Or the streamer Swifty, who acknowledges that he “finally needs to get out to do RL things.” The grind over weeks takes a toll on nerves and he visibly appears worn out:
In the earlier “Vanilla” days of WoW, it was quite common for players to share accounts to achieve rank 14. Then, the little brother or a good friend could easily spend a few hours in Alterac Valley, allowing the actual player to take a break.
Some ambitious players even created a 24-hour activity with the account to secure a place at the very top.
Harder than expected: Ultimately, grinding for rank 14 is significantly harder than many players anticipated. In contrast to raids, which turned out to be much easier than remembered, grinding for rank 14 is a time investment that requires 3 months of a player’s life.
It is hardly surprising that more and more players are succumbing and parting with this goal before losing all enjoyment in WoW. This has also happened quite often in the past. No wonder: After playing 18 hours of PvP every day for 3 months, one soon gets fed up.
Do you have friends trying for rank 14? Are you trying it yourself?
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