Stonehearth Graveyard

SHGY. Stonehearth Graveyard. Some of the best battles I have been in in Alterac Valley have been in the defence of Stonehearth Graveyard. Alterac Valley can be won without holding SHGY however, sadly, the majority of them are lost if SHGY is lost. The Horde know this.

A simple fact of battle is bringing superior force to bear on the enemy by the shortest possible route. This is why the graveyards are so critical. The graveyards are WOWs supply chain. If you die, and you will die, then the closer the GY is to the battle the quicker you get back into it. There is only one thing more frustrating than having a 30 second resurrection and that is having to do the interminable run from Stormpike Graveyard back to the Icewing Bunker heights. This is where my children learned a few choice oaths, watching Dad do an AV when SHGY is lost.

There are four strategic points in a close but geographically horrible area. Stonehearth Bunker, Stonehearth Outpost (Balinda Stonehearth), Icewing Bunker and Stonehearth Graveyard.

Typically Stonehearth Bunker is a gimme for the Horde. There is too much to defend, so the bunker is not heroically defended. The Horde know that to take down Balinda they need to bring superior force to bear over the shortest possible route. So after the Bunker they will attempt to take SHGY. If after we kill them they have to run from Iceblood Graveyard across the Field of Strife to get to the battle again then it favours the Alliance. Their supply chain is long and they wish above all things to shorten it by taking SHGY.

If the Horde take SHGY the following things become possible for them:

1. Take Balinda Stonehearth down at their leisure with plenty of the ugly bastards getting back into the fight very quickly;
2. Destroy Icewing Bunker; and
3. Make it impossible for the Alliance to get past the Icewing Bunker heights.

Once all four strategic points are taken and destroyed there is a bottle neck on the road leading up the hill to Icewing Bunker that is easily defended by even the moderately intelligent. I have tried to run through the mass of Horde holding the heights a few times. I made it once, only to be picked off by a group coming in from behind their lines. I have tried to find a sneaky mountain pass that will get me past them without their knowing. I haven't found one yet. Effectively Alliance forces in Frostwolf Territory are split from those on the wrong side of Icewing Bunker. These forward elements will not get re-inforced in their attempts to take the Towers.

It is not essential to victory to keep SHGY but it is a challenge to hold on to it and it frustrates the crap out of the Horde if you do. In another post I will tell you how I have seen Horde take SHGY despite a determined defence.

Alterac Valley map from WOW Wiki.