Surviving the Undead Invasion: A guide.

NOTE: If you find any mistakes/inaccuracy in this guide, or have any knowledge that could be added to improve it, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Citizens of Azeroth, you have all seen the Necropolis in our skies, and no doubt you have heard or seen the relentless dead that spawn round them. The undead are growing in numbers everyday, and I fear it cannot be long until they move against our cities and villages. The time to prepare is now.

Wise up before they rise up
Most importantly, make sure you know the layout of the city well. Know all the entrances and exits. Buy a map of the city from a local vendor. This knowledge will prove invaluable to your survival, should the cities defenses fail, requiring a swift retreat.

No place is safe, only safer
When leaving your home, make sure to take food and water, but not too much as would slow you down. The dead can often be relentless in their pursuit, and will show no mercy if they catch you. Head towards the nearest shelter. Mark nearby settlements on a map, so you know places you can go which will be safe. Settlements on hills surrounded by large open areas, with a good deal of view in all directions, are best, but any shelter is better than none. It is possible that your chosen settlement has been overrun, so always have alternatives in times of need. The dead never tire, some at least are relatively fast, and they do not require food or water, therefore any long distance travelling should be avoided.

Prepare, but not too much
It may seem like a good idea to store as much food and other survival items in your chosen settlement, should you need to retreat there and stay for a long time. DO NOT DO THIS. There are two reasons for this:
a) Your chosen settlement may be overrun by the dead, therefore rendering any stored items useless.
b) There will be many citizens fleeing the city, who may have chosen the same settlement as you. If they reach the settlement before you, they may steal your items and actively stop you from entering. In extreme circumstances, this may lead to lose of life. This may be hard to comprehend, but must be taken into account.

Safety in numbers
If you can find people who will work together effectively to survive the onslaught of the dead, staying with them and working as a group will greatly increase your chances of survival. This may be a group of friends, or just a group of survivors. Share items and information with each other, but be careful that you can trust the other members of your group.

Fighting back
Should you find yourself in a situation where you need to fight against the undead, either in defense of your own life, or lives of others, there is one important rule to remember: You should not attempt to fight a large group of undead on your own.

The best techniques to make the dead stay dead
As I write this, gnomish and goblin inventors are striving to create new devices that benefit combat with the dead. There are three important steps to take to better your chances of victory in battle.

1. Know your foe
   Knowledge of your enemy is paramount. Several studies about different aspects of the invasion are being undertaken by the R.A.S. (Royal Apothecary Society). When there findings are published, I strongly recommend you read them and take appropriate actions.
   
   
2. Tool up
   Make sure you have the right weapons to hand. While any weapons are useful, there are certain types which are better than others. For example, heavy blunt weapons like mauls are better than long range guns and bows, which require reloading and have limited ammunition. A battle cannot be won offensively alone, so remember the necessity of good armor. Something that you can easily run in without quickly tiring, is best in case the battle does not go in your favor. If you are lucky enough to find an enchanter who will cast magic on your gear to make it stronger against undead, then make full use of that opportunity.
   
   
3. The Use of Magic
   It is not clear which types of magic work best against the dead, but I have managed to gather some information which may be of use. Please note that this information may not be reliable or complete. Fire magic is reported to work most effectively, with water based magic being all but useless. Magic that involves lightning also works well. It is rumored that the dead have a high resistance to shadow magic, but we still do not know if this is true.

Areas of defense
If you cannot find appropriate shelter, or are located nearby, it is strongly recommended that you get to an Area of Defense. These are places setup to aid those who survive, and attempt to halt further invasions. I have received word from Warchief Thrall that Kargathia Keep in the Warsong Lumber Camp in Ashenvale will be converted to act as an AoD (Area of Defense). I assume that the alliance will setup AoDs in the western territories. The list of areas is scarce at the moment, but the Azeroth Journal will work hard to bring you the latest information as it becomes available.

Hope is not lost
The dead may seem powerful, and seem to have many advantages over us. They often use fear as a weapon, and seemingly grow stronger at night. All is not lost however, as we too have advantages over them. We have the will to live, which they do not. We fight and survive, not because we are ordered to, but because we want to ensure the survival and future of our kind. We have allies, and other races that will come to our aid. They are alone. They have no home, so try to take ours. This is our world, not theirs, and we shall not leave it without a fight!

Please if you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact the Argent Dawn. They have setup small camps in most major cities.

June 26, 2006	Written by Trogar Këgnash, journalist.
	Translated by Tugnas Splattersplog, journalist and translator.