Only a few players achieve the toughest grind in WoW Classic. But one has done it three times. Why? Because the journey is the goal for him.
There are some grinds in MMORPGs that are considered long and demanding. But few tasks are as strenuous as the grind for the infamous Rank 14 in classic World of Warcraft. This is a task for which many players take weeks off work, only to eventually break under the strain. Very few can endure this grind. But the player Sundrix has done it. Not once. Not twice. Three times he has achieved Rank 14 with three different characters.
Why is it so difficult? The PvP system in WoW Classic is designed for a brutal grind. Only a very few players can reach Rank 14 every week, and only if they have been farming their rank for the weeks and months before. To do this, one must participate in PvP activities. Spending up to 18 hours a day in battlegrounds is the norm. After all, competition is fierce, and every player that plays more could gain an edge.
What did Sundrix do? Sundrix from the US server Herod has taken on the challenge of completing this hard grind three times. With his characters Sundrix (Paladin), Sunwrix (Warlock), and Sundrixm (Mage), he has each achieved Rank 14. A challenge that required over 50 weeks of PvP – almost the entire time that the PvP system in WoW Classic has been available.
Why did he do it? In response to questions about why he did this and whether it was worth the effort, he replies:
What people do not understand: It was not because of the rewards; that was never my goal. It’s more about the journey. WoW Classic, despite all its inconsistencies and flaws, was a fantastic, unique opportunity and the PvP community played a huge role in it. I had the pleasure of meeting many great people and building some strong friendships that will last a lifetime.
This is definitely an achievement that no one can take away from him. And anyone wanting to replicate it should plan at least a year of time – because that’s how long it will roughly take to reach rank 14 on 3 characters.
Sundrix saw Classic change over the year
He witnessed the entire PvP evolution: Having pursued the goal for nearly a year, Sundrix has also seen the entire evolution of the PvP system in Classic. From healthy, interesting open PvP, which he says suddenly turned into a kind of “Survival game like Day Z”. The players of his faction became increasingly outnumbered. With the launch of battlegrounds, there were pre-made groups that he joined. They repeatedly crushed the Horde, which was suffering defeat after defeat.
Blizzard subsequently removed premade groups for battlegrounds, and then the Horde began their campaign of revenge, which Sundrix says continues to this day. Individual groups are repeatedly sent out to specifically eliminate individual players. However, Sundrix and his teammates apparently did not let this get them down. A bit of friendly rivalry is just part of PvP in WoW Classic.
Could you imagine such a grind, dedicating almost a year to just one activity in World of Warcraft?
Even some retirees have tried for rank 14 – like this 73-year-old who at least reached rank 13.
