Before I get started I'd just like to say that I'm putting this up for discussion based on what I've experienced thus far in AB. Even though I am relatively new at WoW, I do have experience in other MMO's and other strategy genres so I don't consider myself a complete idiot. If you're going to flame or call me a newb or nuub or any of the other iterations, please refrain from doing so as I'm only posting this to try and help our situation.
Like most of you, when ever I go to AB, Alliance losses 95% of the time. I usually go into AB with my 49 hunter.
Initially I thought that straight defense was the key. Get 3 nodes and defend right?... Wrong. The horde would just gather up a sizeable force and take the node from us.
Then while I was on defense I started calling out enemy movements. "4 inc to LM from Farm" for example. Before you know it other people started communicating, I've noticed that as soon as one person tries to let people know what is going on they start to communicate a little more. Though most of the time no one reacted, I did start to see some improvements even though we still lost. Instead of 800/2000 we were now losing 1600/2000.
A few days ago I decided to try something new and it worked 4 times in a row and has continued working at least in the AB's I've joined.
Basically it consists of a delicate balance of offense and defense. Having several people defending the nodes and a few people on offense. Consider it as if it were suppressing fire.
When you apply suppressing fire on an enemy location it limits their movement and forces them to defend while other members of your unit flank them. By applying just a little bit of pressure at the right moments you effectively deny the enemy of mounting an offensive.
Most of the time after you get 3 nodes everyone will shout to stay put and defend what we have which is a great strategy at the very beginning of the match. Generally the first horde assault consists of a large number. Its not enough to call out inc if you are outnumbered so what I've tried doing was the following:
If I'm at a node that has a large group incoming, I call out from where and how many. If there are several people with me, I tell them to stay put near the flag while I ride out and run right though them and engage in the rear of their ranks. (This is where I might be wrong but as I stated earlier, it has been working and I'm just trying to develop a strategy to even the playing field.)
This has 2 effects, if we are out numbered a) it makes the horde group stop to attack me and b) it gives nearby nodes some added time to reinforce the node being attacked. By the time I rez they are just starting their attack and I can quickly assist the other defenders. That is assuming they don't cap the flag. This also only works if the rest of the defenders stay to protect the flag. So technically 1 person sacrifices themselves while the other protect the flag.
If I'm at a node and another node calls out that they have incoming, I assess the situation. If I am too far away to help them directly then the only way to help indirectly is to stop the flow of horde attacking that node. What I tried to do, it actually works pretty well, is to take 1 or 2 other players with me and attack a lightly defended enemy node. This is preferably done right as they are leaving because if they already started fighting, chances are that you'll have several of them rez right on top of you.
This has several effects a) the horde players defending call out inc which forces the people that just left that node to either stop their attack and either b)return to defend or to c)press on the attack and let it be taken. If a few of them return to defend, then you have just weakened the attack on our node. If they continue attacking then you can easily take the node from them causing them to rez farther away and it forces them to come back and reclaim it while you reinforce your nodes.
For example, say we control LM, Stables and Mine. I'm in LM and see the horde ride off to mine from farm and leave 1 or 2 defending farm. After calling out their movement, I get another player to assist me and I ride into the farm right as they are leaving. (In case you are wondering, I never leave if I'm the only person there defending) If we take the farm, that immediately forces them to come back and many times it causes the enemy at the BS to leave it to reclaim the farm. Leaving it lightly guarded. I hope you see where I'm going with this. As soon as someone from our stables sees that there are hordies leaving the BS, hit the BS with one or 2.
I've found this has sort of a ripple effect. Once you disrupt the Horde from their normal tactics they fall into disarray and it takes them a long time to regroup. Sometimes, by just riding around in circles on my mount next to the enemy flag forces them to divert people from their offense to their defense and prevents them from attacking nearby nodes which gives us time to prepare for anything they throw at us.
Another thing I've noticed, and this goes back to the beginning of the post, this concept also works when they are preparing to launch an attack. You can disrupt it by riding out to meet them. Think of yourself as the suppressing shot, you are sacrificing yourself to give your teammates the opportunity to prepare whether it is reinforcing a node before an attack or by disrupting enemy reinforcements.
Thanks for reading, I know its long but I've given this a lot of thought and would like the more experienced players in PvP to post their thoughts.