I have completed the Alterac Valley Battleground over 200 times. For a great overview, I recommend you read the Alterac Valley summary on the official WoW Web site.
Here are some additional tips to the others you read here and there.
Each side has an equal number of strategic targets--1 general, 1 captain, 4 towers, and 4 graveyards.
If you win the battle, you get 3 tokens; if you lose, you get 1 token. You win the battle either by killing the opponents' general first, or by causing the opponents' side to run out of reinforcements. (You each start with 600 reinforcements.)
Most people do not play AV just for the tokens; most play for honor points. Here is a list of the most important honor points you can earn in an AV battleground:
General = 84 honor points, and wins the game.
Captain = 63 honor points, and reduces opponents' reinforcements by 100.
Tower = 63 honor points, and reduces opponents' reinforcements by 75.
There are many different dynamics that are involved in a BG, so there is never one single strategy that will guarantee a win. To simplify things, let's pretend all dynamics can be reduced to three general types of play:
1. Loaded on offense + rush your opponent's final graveyard, and forget everything else. This strategy, if successful, will win quickly, but you might lose some of the honor points I mention above (if the game ends too quickly or people didn't capture towers). See my comments on graveyards below. Elapsed game time averages 10-15 minutes or so.
2. Try to have balanced offense and defense, get all of the honor points that are available in the game, even if it takes a bit longer. This approach requires that 3 people guard each tower until it burns, so the opponent doesn't come and reclaim it. Elapsed game time averages 20-25 minutes or so.
3. Too much defense, which creates a defensive turtle. You usually win by eliminating all of the opponents' reinforcements. You don't win as many honor points because you didn't kill the opponents' general. The most common way a defensive turtle is created is when your team caps the second to last GY prior to capping the last one. (See my comments on GYs below.) I have seen defensive turtles last 45 minutes or more.
Strategy Tips
Try playing several battlegrounds, including both offense and defense, so you understand what is happening on both sides. Try being one of the guards of one of the towers until it burns. Try defending a grave yard. You will soon learn to appreciate how many different dynamics can turn a loss into a victory, and vice versa.
Are keeping graveyards important? For strategy #1 above, you should capture the LAST GY prior to the second-to-last GY. Why? There is a bit of a gamble involved. The gamble is that your offense will overwhelm the defense, and not have many casualties on your side. You don't own any graveyards close to you, so you don't want wave after wave of your team dying and rezzing miles away. If you capture the second-to-last GY prior to the last one (and if you have the other two in enemy territory), then every enemy who rezzes on their original half of the map, will rez on the final (last) GY. You don't want that. However, if your enemy has lots and lots of defense at the final GY and are not overpowered suddenly, then you might as well get the second-to-last GY so you don't have to travel so far to get back into the battle for the final GY. You might tell your team to let the opponents recapture one of the other GYs if the enemy attempts to do so (although people often ignore that kind of comment).
For proponents of strategy #2 (when you don't have enough offense for strategy #1 or if your enemy has a huge defense at the final GY), holding the second to the last graveyard is probably ok until the team caps the last graveyard. That way the rez distance to replenish your own ranks is very short. In general, the more graveyards you lose, the fewer locations exist to resurrect your own casualties of war. I have seen several battlegrounds lost because people had to ride too far to get back into the battle. The alternative point of view is that if you own ALL of the GYs in enemy territory except for the last one, all foes who die on that half of the map rez where you don't want them--in the final GY you need to own. So, for strategy #2, you will need a solid enough offense to eventually take that last GY even if enemies who die on that half of the map all rez there. It can be done, but it takes longer than strategy #1.
What can cause you to lose the AV battleground? In no particular order of priority:
1. Not having a proper proportion of offense and defense.
2. Standing around at the general, and waiting on someone else to start the final fight. (Sometimes because tanks and healers are not both present, but sometimes because of inexperience and uncertainty.)
3. Not having the right graveyards at strategic times and locations. (Or, taking the second-to-last GY prior to taking the last one if you own the other two, which causes all of their casualties to rez at the place you need to conquer to win the game.)
4. Allowing one or more opponents to continually disrupt and postpone the final battle with the general. (This often happens because your opponents own a nearby graveyard. So, the troublemaker can disrupt your group, die, rez, and be back in seconds.)
5. Allowing one or more opponents to continually attempt to try to retake one of the two towers by their general. (This often happens because your opponents own a nearby graveyard. So, the troublemaker can disrupt the ownership of a tower, die, rez, and be back in seconds.)
6. Allowing a rush of your enemy to come back to the final (last) graveyard and retake it, after it belonged to you. The Hunters should set traps, and the Shamans should set up totems to slow any down who tries to rush and retake the final flag.
7. For a defensive turtle: not killing the captain or destroying enough towers, all of which significantly reduces reinforcements.
8. For a defensive turtle: not staying in large groups during battle, so you are losing reinforcements faster than your opponent.
FAQS
How can I have more fun at the AV BG?
When you see someone berating others and name-calling because they are not following his gifted wisdom, right click the person's name and select "Ignore." You will have lots more fun. :)
Can the enemy retake a burning tower?
No, if you stay in it until it burns, it's yours for the battle.
Can the enemy retake a GY that has turned my color?
Yes. All they have to do is kill the 4 NPCs guarding it and change the flag. However, it must be captured for 4 minutes before their casualties start rezzing there (same as you).
Should I automatically try to follow the directions provided in the chat window?
You have to play long enough to learn who to listen to and who to ignore. Bossy arrogant people often have a one-size-fits-all battle strategy, that really doesn't work in all situations. You will learn who to listen to. Of particular interest are the "need help at..." or "inc at..." chats. If you are nearby, run and help (unless the person is asking to take the second-to-last graveyard too soon).
Why do people say NOT to take out the opponents' captain first?
People want to take him out because he is worth 63 honor, reduces the enemy reinforcements by 100, and is much easier to kill when a few enemies don't run in and join him. However, there is no timer on him, like there is on the nearby graveyard and two towers. The GY and towers have to be owned by your side for 4 minutes before they belong to you. In a battle that is very close, you might have to fight the general and end the battle before the two towers burn, which means you would lose 126 honor points. Take the nearby graveyard and two towers first, then go get the captain.
My team is calling for more offense. How can I travel to where I want to go when I keep getting killed by enemies on the road?
Try it several times. The dynamics of the battle change often, so keep trying. If all else fails, try to watch the status of the battle in the chat window. If you know a nearby graveyard will cap in a minute or two, just stay dead until the GY caps. You will rez at the closest GY your faction has capped.
Do we get to keep the honor points for the captains and towers even if we don't win?
Yes. Captain + 4 towers = 315 honor. You can keep it, even if you lose, so long as the 4 towers all burn.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Here are some additional tips to the others you read here and there.
Each side has an equal number of strategic targets--1 general, 1 captain, 4 towers, and 4 graveyards.
If you win the battle, you get 3 tokens; if you lose, you get 1 token. You win the battle either by killing the opponents' general first, or by causing the opponents' side to run out of reinforcements. (You each start with 600 reinforcements.)
Most people do not play AV just for the tokens; most play for honor points. Here is a list of the most important honor points you can earn in an AV battleground:
General = 84 honor points, and wins the game.
Captain = 63 honor points, and reduces opponents' reinforcements by 100.
Tower = 63 honor points, and reduces opponents' reinforcements by 75.
There are many different dynamics that are involved in a BG, so there is never one single strategy that will guarantee a win. To simplify things, let's pretend all dynamics can be reduced to three general types of play:
1. Loaded on offense + rush your opponent's final graveyard, and forget everything else. This strategy, if successful, will win quickly, but you might lose some of the honor points I mention above (if the game ends too quickly or people didn't capture towers). See my comments on graveyards below. Elapsed game time averages 10-15 minutes or so.
2. Try to have balanced offense and defense, get all of the honor points that are available in the game, even if it takes a bit longer. This approach requires that 3 people guard each tower until it burns, so the opponent doesn't come and reclaim it. Elapsed game time averages 20-25 minutes or so.
3. Too much defense, which creates a defensive turtle. You usually win by eliminating all of the opponents' reinforcements. You don't win as many honor points because you didn't kill the opponents' general. The most common way a defensive turtle is created is when your team caps the second to last GY prior to capping the last one. (See my comments on GYs below.) I have seen defensive turtles last 45 minutes or more.
Strategy Tips
Try playing several battlegrounds, including both offense and defense, so you understand what is happening on both sides. Try being one of the guards of one of the towers until it burns. Try defending a grave yard. You will soon learn to appreciate how many different dynamics can turn a loss into a victory, and vice versa.
Are keeping graveyards important? For strategy #1 above, you should capture the LAST GY prior to the second-to-last GY. Why? There is a bit of a gamble involved. The gamble is that your offense will overwhelm the defense, and not have many casualties on your side. You don't own any graveyards close to you, so you don't want wave after wave of your team dying and rezzing miles away. If you capture the second-to-last GY prior to the last one (and if you have the other two in enemy territory), then every enemy who rezzes on their original half of the map, will rez on the final (last) GY. You don't want that. However, if your enemy has lots and lots of defense at the final GY and are not overpowered suddenly, then you might as well get the second-to-last GY so you don't have to travel so far to get back into the battle for the final GY. You might tell your team to let the opponents recapture one of the other GYs if the enemy attempts to do so (although people often ignore that kind of comment).
For proponents of strategy #2 (when you don't have enough offense for strategy #1 or if your enemy has a huge defense at the final GY), holding the second to the last graveyard is probably ok until the team caps the last graveyard. That way the rez distance to replenish your own ranks is very short. In general, the more graveyards you lose, the fewer locations exist to resurrect your own casualties of war. I have seen several battlegrounds lost because people had to ride too far to get back into the battle. The alternative point of view is that if you own ALL of the GYs in enemy territory except for the last one, all foes who die on that half of the map rez where you don't want them--in the final GY you need to own. So, for strategy #2, you will need a solid enough offense to eventually take that last GY even if enemies who die on that half of the map all rez there. It can be done, but it takes longer than strategy #1.
What can cause you to lose the AV battleground? In no particular order of priority:
1. Not having a proper proportion of offense and defense.
2. Standing around at the general, and waiting on someone else to start the final fight. (Sometimes because tanks and healers are not both present, but sometimes because of inexperience and uncertainty.)
3. Not having the right graveyards at strategic times and locations. (Or, taking the second-to-last GY prior to taking the last one if you own the other two, which causes all of their casualties to rez at the place you need to conquer to win the game.)
4. Allowing one or more opponents to continually disrupt and postpone the final battle with the general. (This often happens because your opponents own a nearby graveyard. So, the troublemaker can disrupt your group, die, rez, and be back in seconds.)
5. Allowing one or more opponents to continually attempt to try to retake one of the two towers by their general. (This often happens because your opponents own a nearby graveyard. So, the troublemaker can disrupt the ownership of a tower, die, rez, and be back in seconds.)
6. Allowing a rush of your enemy to come back to the final (last) graveyard and retake it, after it belonged to you. The Hunters should set traps, and the Shamans should set up totems to slow any down who tries to rush and retake the final flag.
7. For a defensive turtle: not killing the captain or destroying enough towers, all of which significantly reduces reinforcements.
8. For a defensive turtle: not staying in large groups during battle, so you are losing reinforcements faster than your opponent.
FAQS
How can I have more fun at the AV BG?
When you see someone berating others and name-calling because they are not following his gifted wisdom, right click the person's name and select "Ignore." You will have lots more fun. :)
Can the enemy retake a burning tower?
No, if you stay in it until it burns, it's yours for the battle.
Can the enemy retake a GY that has turned my color?
Yes. All they have to do is kill the 4 NPCs guarding it and change the flag. However, it must be captured for 4 minutes before their casualties start rezzing there (same as you).
Should I automatically try to follow the directions provided in the chat window?
You have to play long enough to learn who to listen to and who to ignore. Bossy arrogant people often have a one-size-fits-all battle strategy, that really doesn't work in all situations. You will learn who to listen to. Of particular interest are the "need help at..." or "inc at..." chats. If you are nearby, run and help (unless the person is asking to take the second-to-last graveyard too soon).
Why do people say NOT to take out the opponents' captain first?
People want to take him out because he is worth 63 honor, reduces the enemy reinforcements by 100, and is much easier to kill when a few enemies don't run in and join him. However, there is no timer on him, like there is on the nearby graveyard and two towers. The GY and towers have to be owned by your side for 4 minutes before they belong to you. In a battle that is very close, you might have to fight the general and end the battle before the two towers burn, which means you would lose 126 honor points. Take the nearby graveyard and two towers first, then go get the captain.
My team is calling for more offense. How can I travel to where I want to go when I keep getting killed by enemies on the road?
Try it several times. The dynamics of the battle change often, so keep trying. If all else fails, try to watch the status of the battle in the chat window. If you know a nearby graveyard will cap in a minute or two, just stay dead until the GY caps. You will rez at the closest GY your faction has capped.
Do we get to keep the honor points for the captains and towers even if we don't win?
Yes. Captain + 4 towers = 315 honor. You can keep it, even if you lose, so long as the 4 towers all burn.
Hope this helps! Good luck!