Honor System vs. Arena System: Side-by-Side Comparison

	Honor System Arena System Points Honor Points Arena Points Points Gained By Honorable Kills, Battleground Objectives, World PvP Objectives Arena Team Rating Points Calculated Instantly Weekly (Tuesdays) Point Cap 75,000 5,000 Point Decay0 No No Level Requirement1 10 80 Method of Access2 World PvP, Battlemasters Arena Battlemasters Reward Item Quality3 Common (White) - Epic (Purple) Epic Reward Level Requirements4 18-80 80 Location to Purchase Rewards Stormwind / Orgrimmar, Various Locations Area 52/Netherstorm Tournaments No Yes Team Size5 10, 15, or 40 2, 3, or 5 Startup Cost6 None 80-120g for each Team

⁰ Both Honor points and Arena Points do not decay. You can save your points for as long as you like up to the point cap.
¹ You must be at least level 10 to enter Warsong Gulch, 20 for Arathi Basin, 51 for Alterac Valley, and 61 for Eye of the Storm. The minimum level for Arena combat is 80.
² World PvP can be accessed in any contested area in the game world. Battlegrounds and Arenas are accessed through special NPCs found mainly in capital cities.
³ The majority of the best PvP rewards are Arena rewards, but there are many epic rewards purchased with Honor as well.
⁴ Warsong Gulch, Alterac Valley, and Arathi Basin offer special rewards starting at levels under 80.
⁵ Team size varies by battleground, and Arena Teams are divided into brackets depending on their size.
⁶ Only the Arena team's founding member has to pay the startup fee, which varies depending on the size of the team.

FAQ

What are the main differences between the Honor System and the Arena System?
The Honor System and Arena System are two different subsets of World of Warcraft's PvP combat, based around different venues of play and a each featuring a different set of rewards. Honor points and battleground marks of honor earned in the various battlegrounds are used to purchase Honor rewards, while Arena points which are derived from Arena team ratings are used to purchase Arena rewards. Honor points are earned primarily in battlegrounds (but also in World PvP in both Outland and Azeroth), while Arena points can solely be earned by participating in Arena combat. Read more about Arenas, and learn more about the honor system with the Honor system guide and Honor system FAQ.

How does the Honor System affect or relate to the Arena System?
Anyone serious about battling in Arenas is well-advised to supplement their armor with some Honor rewards. By earning Honor in battlegrounds, you also gain valuable experience in PvP situations that will serve you well in Arena combat. The honor rewards include powerful epic armor pieces that are loaded with PvP-centric stats such as resilience and stamina. There are also some items obtained in World PvP you might want to consider. Once you've "geared up," it's also fun to go back to the battlegrounds and see how your performance has improved with your new equipment. However, having one set of rewards, whether Arena or Honor, is not necessary to excel or participate in the other system.

How does my Arena Team Rating give me Arena Points?
At the end of each week, your Team Rating is used to calculate how many Arena Points your team will receive for this week. Your team must have played a minimum of ten matches per week to be rewarded with Arena Points, and a team member must have been in at least 30% of the week's matches to be eligible for that week's points. It is important to note that the points you receive in a given week is determined by only one team, and not by combining all your teams' points. Whichever team you are a member of that would receive the most points after accounting for Team Rating and team type becomes the sole source for your points for that week. Note that 2v2 and 3v3 teams are subject to a handicap where they receive fewer points than a 5v5 team with the same Team Rating.

Can I earn honor points in arena matches since I'm killing other players?
You do not receive any honor points for killing enemy players in arena games.