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The Faction Change service is a new paid service offered by Blizzard, starting September 2nd, 2009 in the US[1] and September 17 2009 in the EU[2], which allows you to change the faction (Alliance or Horde) of a character. This service is being offered in response to player requests. This service has been designed carefully to avoid disruption of the current gameplay on the realm, so certain restrictions will apply. The current cost is 30 USD, 25 Euros or 20 Pounds per character to switch. The change is permanent, however, after a cooldown period, you can purchase an additional change to go back to the player's original faction.
The initial release was only available to US players but would be available for EU servers at a later date.[3]
Notes[]
At this time, all achievements and quest lines related to the Argent Tournament and Shadow Vault are reset after using the Faction Change service.
Reputations[]
When a character changes factions, their home city reputation level translates into the same level of the home city of their new opposite faction race. For example, a Gnome turning into a Blood Elf would see his Gnomeregan Exiles reputation become his new Silvermoon City reputation.
Then, reputation with the default counterpart of the new race converts into the counterpart of the original race. Using the previous example, since the default counterpart of Blood Elf is Draenei and the default counterpart of Gnomes is Tauren, the gnome's Exodar reputation would become the new blood elf's Thunder Bluff rep.
Reputations with the remaining home cities will then convert to their opposite-faction counterparts according to the default pairs.
| Alliance Alliance Reputation | Horde Reputation Horde | |
|---|---|---|
| Darnassus | ←→ | Undercity |
| Exodar | ←→ | Silvermoon City |
| Gnomeregan Exiles | ←→ | Thunder Bluff |
| Ironforge | ←→ | Darkspear Trolls |
| Stormwind | ←→ | Orgrimmar |
| Alliance Alliance Reputation | Horde Reputation Horde | |
|---|---|---|
| Stormpike Guard | ←→ | Frostwolf Clan |
| Honor Hold | ←→ | Thrallmar |
| Kurenai | ←→ | The Mag'har |
| N/A † | ←→ | Tranquillien |
| Alliance Vanguard | ←→ | Horde Expedition |
| The League of Arathor | ←→ | The Defilers |
| The Frostborn | ←→ | The Hand of Vengeance |
| Valiance Expedition | ←→ | Warsong Offensive |
| Silverwing Sentinels | ←→ | Warsong Outriders |
| Wintersaber Trainers | ←→ | N/A † |
| Explorers' League | ←→ | The Taunka |
- † Some reputations do not have an opposite-faction equivalent, and thus will not be included in a faction change. However, they will be restored at their previous levels if the character ever transfers back to their original faction.
Mounts[]
When a character changes factions, the mounts associated their original race automatically convert into those of their new opposite faction race. For example, a Troll turning into a Night Elf would see his Raptors turn into Nightsabers.
Then, the mounts associated with the default counterpart of the new race convert into those of the counterpart of the original race. Using the previous example, since the default counterpart of Night Elves are Undead and the default counterpart of Trolls are Dwarves, the troll's Skeletal Horses would become the new night elf's Rams.
The mounts associated with the remaining home cities will then convert to those of their opposite-faction counterparts according to the default pairs.
| Alliance Alliance Mount | Horde Mount Horde | |
|---|---|---|
| [Pinto Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Timber Wolf] |
| [Chestnut Mare Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Dire Wolf] |
| [Brown Horse Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Brown Wolf] |
| [Black Stallion Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Black Wolf] |
| [Swift Brown Steed] | ←→ | [Horn of the Swift Brown Wolf] |
| [Swift White Steed] | ←→ | [Horn of the Swift Gray Wolf] |
| [Swift Palomino] | ←→ | [Horn of the Swift Timber Wolf] |
| [Palomino Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Red Wolf] |
| [White Stallion Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Arctic Wolf] |
| [Stormwind Steed] | ←→ | [Orgrimmar Wolf] |
| [Swift Gray Steed] | ←→ | [Swift Burgundy Wolf] |
| [Black War Steed Bridle] | ←→ | [Horn of the Black War Wolf] |
| [Gray Ram] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Emerald Raptor] |
| [White Ram] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Turquoise Raptor] |
| [Brown Ram] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Violet Raptor] |
| [Swift Gray Ram] | ←→ | [Swift Blue Raptor] |
| [Swift White Ram] | ←→ | [Swift Olive Raptor] |
| [Swift Brown Ram] | ←→ | [Swift Orange Raptor] |
| [Black Ram] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Mottled Red Raptor] |
| [Frost Ram] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Ivory Raptor] |
| [Ironforge Ram] | ←→ | [Darkspear Raptor] |
| [Swift Violet Ram] | ←→ | [Swift Purple Raptor] |
| [Black War Ram] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Black War Raptor] |
| [Reins of the Striped Frostsaber] | ←→ | [Black Skeletal Horse] |
| [Reins of the Spotted Frostsaber] | ←→ | [Brown Skeletal Horse] |
| [Reins of the Striped Nightsaber] | ←→ | [Blue Skeletal Horse] |
| [Reins of the Striped Dawnsaber] | ←→ | [Red Skeletal Horse] |
| [Reins of the Swift Stormsaber] | ←→ | [Green Skeletal Warhorse] |
| [Reins of the Swift Mistsaber] | ←→ | [Purple Skeletal Warhorse] |
| [Reins of the Swift Frostsaber] | ←→ | [Ochre Skeletal Warhorse] |
| [Reins of the Ancient Frostsaber] | ←→ | Random Discontinued Epic Mount* |
| [Reins of the Nightsaber] | ←→ | Random Discontinued Epic Mount* |
| [Darnassian Nightsaber] | ←→ | [Forsaken Warhorse] |
| [Swift Moonsaber] | ←→ | [White Skeletal Warhorse] |
| [Black War Tiger] | ←→ | [Red Skeletal Warhorse] |
| [Blue Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [Brown Kodo] |
| [Green Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [Gray Kodo] |
| [Red Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [White Kodo] |
| [Unpainted Mechanostrider] | ←→ | Random Mount** |
| [Swift Green Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [Great Brown Kodo] |
| [Swift White Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [Great Gray Kodo] |
| [Swift Yellow Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [Great White Kodo] |
| [Icy Blue Mechanostrider Mod A] | ←→ | [Green Kodo] |
| [White Mechanostrider Mod B] | ←→ | [Teal Kodo] |
| [Gnomeregan Mechanostrider] | ←→ | [Thunder Bluff Kodo] |
| [Turbostrider] | ←→ | [Great Golden Kodo] |
| [Black Battlestrider] | ←→ | [Black War Kodo] |
| [Brown Elekk] | ←→ | [Black Hawkstrider] |
| [Gray Elekk] | ←→ | [Blue Hawkstrider] |
| [Purple Elekk] | ←→ | [Red Hawkstrider] |
| Random Mount** | ←→ | [Purple Hawkstrider] |
| [Great Blue Elekk] | ←→ | [Swift Green Hawkstrider] |
| [Great Green Elekk] | ←→ | [Swift Purple Hawkstrider] |
| [Great Purple Elekk] | ←→ | [Swift Pink Hawkstrider] |
| [Exodar Elekk] | ←→ | [Silvermoon Hawkstrider] |
| [Great Red Elekk] | ←→ | [Swift Red Hawkstrider] |
| [Black War Elekk] | ←→ | [Swift Warstrider] |
- *If you own one of the discontinued epic mounts (Ivory Raptor, Ancient Frostsaber, etc) and you transfer to a race without discontinued mounts, you will be given a random discontinued mount from another race on your new faction.
- ** Some races have three varieties of the normal-speed mounts (require 75 riding skill), while others have four. During a faction change, you may receive a random normal-speed mount of a race in your new faction to accommodate this disparity. Your total number of mounts will be unaffected by a faction change.
Other Mounts[]
The following mounts will always convert to a default opposite-faction counterpart.
| Alliance Alliance Mount | Horde Mount Horde | |
| [Armored Snowy Gryphon] | ←→ | [Armored Blue Wind Rider] |
| [Stormpike Battle Charger] | ←→ | [Horn of the Frostwolf Howler] |
| [Crusader's White Warhorse] | ←→ | [Crusader's Black Warhorse] |
| [Silver Covenant Hippogryph] | ←→ | [Sunreaver Dragonhawk] |
| [Reins of the Winterspring Frostsaber] | ←→ | [Whistle of the Venomhide Ravasaur] |
| [Golden Gryphon] | ←→ | [Green Wind Rider] |
| [Blue Dragonhawk Mount] | ←→ | [Red Dragonhawk Mount] |
| [Quel'dorei Steed] | ←→ | [Sunreaver Hawkstrider] |
| [Mekgineer's Chopper] | ←→ | [Mechano-hog] |
| [Warhorse] | ←→ | [Summon Warhorse] |
| [Charger] | ←→ | [Summon Charger] |
| [Ebon Gryphon] | ←→ | [Tawny Wind Rider] |
| [Snowy Gryphon] | ←→ | [Blue Wind Rider] |
| [Swift Blue Gryphon] | ←→ | [Swift Yellow Wind Rider] |
| [Swift Green Gryphon] | ←→ | [Swift Green Wind Rider] |
| [Swift Red Gryphon] | ←→ | [Swift Red Wind Rider] |
| [Swift Purple Gryphon] | ←→ | [Swift Purple Wind Rider] |
| [Swift Alliance Steed] | ←→ | [Swift Horde Wolf] |
Achievements[]
Faction-specific achievements include several in the Player-vs-Player category (such as those to defeat the racial leaders and enemy players in their capital cities), and are included in certain world events like Midsummer Fire Festival and Hallow's End. The majority of these achievements follow a 1-to-1 conversion to an opposite-faction equivalent.
The achievements relating to the Argent Tournament, including becoming a champion for each home city, will not translate in a faction change.
Spells[]
Spells that are affected by a faction change include mage portals, racial spells (which are simply replaced by those of your new race), and a Shaman's Bloodlust/Heroism.
| Alliance Alliance Spell | Horde Spell Horde | |
| Argent Squire | ←→ | Argent Gruntling |
| Heroism | ←→ | Bloodlust |
| Elwynn Lamb | ←→ | Durotar Scorpion |
| Ammen Vale Lashling | ←→ | Enchanted Broom |
| Mechanopeep | ←→ | Mulgore Hatchling |
| Portal: Stormwind | ←→ | Portal: Orgrimmar |
| Portal: Exodar | ←→ | Portal: Silvermoon |
| Portal: Theramore | ←→ | Portal: Stonard |
| Portal: Darnassus | ←→ | Portal: Thunder Bluff |
| Portal: Ironforge | ←→ | Portal: Undercity |
| Seal of Vengeance | ←→ | Seal of Corruption |
| Dun Morogh Cub | ←→ | Sen'jin Fetish |
| Teleport: Stormwind | ←→ | Teleport: Orgrimmar |
| Teleport: Exodar | ←→ | Teleport: Silvermoon |
| Teleport: Theramore | ←→ | Teleport: Stonard |
| Teleport: Darnassus | ←→ | Teleport: Thunder Bluff |
| Teleport: Ironforge | ←→ | Teleport: Undercity |
| Teldrassil Sproutling | ←→ | Tirisfal Batling |
Items[]
Some items will automatically convert into the corresponding items of the opposite faction. These items include Insignias of the Alliance/Horde, and PvP weapons and armor such as the [Grand Marshal's Claymore] (which will turn into the [High Warlord's Greatsword], and vice versa).
If an item has an opposite-faction counterpart, that information will be displayed on those items' information page as displayed by the Armory.
No items will be lost during the faction change process.
Other[]
Quests[]
All currently active quests will be removed from the character's quest log. Faction-specific quests will be removed from the character's completed quest list, as well as any faction-neutral quest that is part of a quest chain. Standalone faction-neutral quests will remain in the character's completed quest list. The opposite-faction version of a faction-specific questline is available in its entirety after a faction change.
Flight Paths[]
The number of flight points that a character has unlocked is set to certain thresholds based on the character's level, in 10-level increments. For example, a level 70 character may have all Azeroth and Outland flight points unlocked, but none in Northrend.
Hearthstone[]
After a faction change, a character's hearthstone is automatically set to the inn inside the capital city of their new race, which is also where they re-enter the game world as a member of the opposite faction.
Frequently asked questions[]
- What is the Faction Change service?
- Our Faction Change service is designed to allow existing characters the opportunity to change their designated faction (from Horde to Alliance or Alliance to Horde).
- How do I begin the Faction Change process?
- To begin the Faction Change process, please visit the Account Management page, select the Faction Change option, and carefully follow the instructions provided.
- Will we be able to switch between the races on our own faction?
- No. Players will only be able to switch to a race of the opposite faction.
- Will I be able to choose the race on the opposite faction that I want to change to?
- Yes, but you will only be able to switch to a race that has your class type available to it. So if you play a human paladin, you’d only be able to change to a blood elf paladin.
- How much does this service cost?
- Each Faction Change costs $30.00 USD (not including applicable taxes). This covers a single Faction Change for a single character.
- Is this service taxed? If so, how can I tell if my purchase will be taxed?
- Players in select states in the U.S. may be subject to taxation when using our Faction Change service. This list includes, but is not limited to:
- New Mexico
- Texas
- Can I change multiple characters' factions at once?
- No. The Faction Change service only allows one change per transaction. If you would like to change multiple characters' factions, you will need to pay for each one separately.
- At what level can I change a character's faction?
- Characters level 10 and above are eligible for a Faction Change.
- Will PvP realm restrictions prevent me from changing a character's faction?
- No. PvP realms no longer possess any faction-based restrictions. You may now play Horde and Alliance characters on any realm you wish.
- Will this service allow me to customize a character and select a different name once its faction has been changed?
- Yes. Each Faction Change purchase will also provide the target character with an included re-customization and optional name change.
- When I change factions, can I select any race for the character?
- You may select any race of the new faction provided that it is available for the character's class.
- Does that mean I can use this service to change the character back to its original faction?
- Absolutely; however, this will require purchasing another Faction Change.
- When I change a character back to its original faction, can I select any new race?
- Yes. As noted previously, though, you will only be able to select a race that is available to the character's class.
- Will I be able to select Cataclysm races and class combinations for a character once they're available in game?
- Details are not available at this time. As development continues, though, we hope to provide more information.
- How often can I change a character's faction?
- You may change a character's faction every 60* days.
- Blizzard have now reduced the faction change cooldown to 3 days.
- What happens after I initiate a Faction Change?
Once your payment has processed and after you have remained logged out of the game for at least 30 minutes, you will see a new button to the left of the character's name upon next login. Clicking on this button will allow you to select the character's new faction and race, as well as customize the character's look and name. These steps will greatly resemble the character creation process.
To complete the Faction Change, press the button labeled "Click to change your character's faction" and confirm your selections. If you do not wish to change the character's faction immediately, you may do so at a later time.
- What will happen to the character's old name?
- If you opt to change the character's name, the name will be locked from use on the realm for 90 days. You are not required to change the character's name, though; this is simply an option we provide included with the Faction Change.
- What will happen to the character's equipment when I change its faction?
- Equipment which is not considered faction-specific will remain unchanged by this process. Faction-specific equipment, however, will be automatically exchanged for a cross-faction equivalent. You can view a full list of faction-specific equipment and their cross-faction equivalents here.
- Will the rest of the inventory (materials, alternate currency, etc) be affected in any way?
- As with equipment, items which are not considered faction-specific will remain unchanged by this process. Faction-specific items will be exchanged for a cross-faction equivalent.
- What will happen to the character's mounts when I change its faction?
- Mounts which are not considered faction-specific will remain unchanged by this process. Faction-specific mounts will be exchanged for a cross-faction equivalent.
- What will happen to the character's non-combat pets when I change its faction?
- Non-combat pets will not be affected by this process and will be available once the character's faction change completes. This even includes faction-specific non-combat pets.
- What will happen to the character's achievements when I change its faction?
- Achievements which are not considered faction-specific will remain unchanged by this process. Faction-specific achievements will be exchanged for a cross-faction equivalent.
- What will happen to the character's titles when I change its faction?
- Titles which are not considered faction-specific will remain unchanged by this process. Faction-specific titles will be exchanged for a cross-faction equivalent.
- What will happen to the character's reputation levels when I change its faction?
- Upon changing factions, the reputation level associated with the character's previous race will become the reputation level of the new race. All other racial reputations will be converted according to the following chart:
Additional faction-specific reputations will be converted into their cross-faction equivalents (if a cross-faction equivalent exists). You can view a full list of qualifying faction-specific reputations and their equivalents here.
Faction neutral reputations will not be affected by this process, and faction-specific reputations which do not possess an equivalent will be lost.
- What will happen to the character's quests when I change its faction?
- Quests which are active in the character's log at the time of the Faction Change will be cleared and all quest items associated with these quests will be destroyed.
- With this, completed quests that are considered faction-specific will be removed from the list of completed quests and no longer count towards any running "quests completed" totals. Should you ever elect to change back to the original faction, the original list of completed quests will be restored. Completed quests that are considered faction-neutral or possess a cross-faction equivalent will be unaffected or automatically exchanged without any detriment to the quest completed totals.
- What will happen to the character's flight paths when I change its faction?
- All flight points associated with the character will be reset and you will receive a new list of flight points which are appropriate for the level and new faction.
- What will happen to the character's "Friends" and "Ignore" lists when I change its faction?
- The character's "Friends" and "Ignore" lists will be reset following a Faction Change.
- What will happen to the character's Guild and Arena team(s)?
- The character will not be affiliated with any Guild or Arena team following a Faction Change. Guild and Arena team tabards will be removed and Arena team ratings will be reset as a result. If the character is a Guild Master, you will not be able to perform a Faction Change.
- What will happen to the character's honor and Arena points?
- Any honor points, Marks of Honor, and lifetime honorable kills will not be affected by this process. Earned Arena points will carry over, as well; however, any pending Arena points accrued after the last maintenance period, but before your Faction Change is initiated, may be lost.
- What will happen to the character's mail and auctions?
- Active mail and auction items will prevent a character from Faction Changing, so please be sure to pull all mail from the mailbox and take down any auction items prior to initiating the Faction Change process. These items will be handled as normal inventory.
- Is there a gold limit for Faction Changes?
- Yes. Characters possessing too much gold for their designated level bracket will not be eligible for a Faction Change. Please use the following table as reference.
- Level 10 to 30 : 300g
- Level 31 to 50 : 1,000g
- Level 51 to 69 : 5,000g
- Level 70 to 80 : 20,000g
- Level 81 to 90 : 50,000g
- Where will the character be located after the Faction Change is complete?
- Once the Faction Change is complete, the character will be moved to the capital city of its new race.
- What will happen to the character's Armory profile?
- Once you have completed the Faction Change process, the character's Armory profile will be updated to reflect any faction, racial, gender, or name changes. Please note that our Armory system is still in beta at this time, so the character's profile may not immediately display the updated information.
- Will this service share a cooldown with the Character Transfer, Character Name Change, or Character Re-Customization services?
- No. The Faction Change service will not share its cooldown with any of these services.
- Can I use this service to change race on my existing faction?
- No. We will be releasing a Race Change service in the near future for this purpose.
- Will this service share a cooldown with the Race Change service?
- Yes.
- Can I purchase a Faction Change for a character that has a pending Name Change or Re-Customization or is in the process of being transferred?
- No. Before you may initiate a Faction Change for a character, please complete any pending Name Changes, Re-Customizations, or Transfers. These pending transactions will prevent you from initiating a Faction Change.
- When will I be charged for the character's Faction Change?
- You will be charged immediately upon pressing the confirmation button on the Faction Change page.
- Is there any way to cancel a Faction Change while the process is pending?
- Because your payment method will be charged immediately upon confirmation, you will be unable to cancel the process once you have pressed the confirmation button and the Faction Change process is underway.
- Is there any way to reverse a Faction Change once it's completed?
- No. Once a Faction Change is done, it is permanent. You may, however, purchase another Faction Change to switch back to the original faction once the service cooldown time has elapsed.
References[]
- ↑ 0. Faction Change Service Now Available | 2009-09-02 23:44 by Nethaera
- ↑ 0. 17/09 Faction Change Service Now Available | 2009-09-17 16:24 by Ancilorn
- ↑ 11. Re: Faction change US only. When is EU getting it | 2009-09-03 08:18 by Wryxian
See also[]
- Character Re-Customization service
- Guild leader faction change service
- Paid Character Name Change
- Paid character transfer service
- Paid Character Transfer FAQ (US) / Paid Character Transfer FAQ (Europe)
- Race Change service
External links[]
- FAQs
