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April 14, 2008

MON

APR

Is it your first time in a BG (battleground)?

By Gimmy Vincent

"PvP is a very different game than PvE, and you'll need to radically alter the way you play if the battlegrounds are your very first contact with PvP."Honor system The honor system rewards players that can play on a regular basis. This section is not about teaching you how to play PvP but just a list of a few battleground-specific thoughts that you might find useful. Once a week (usually on Tuesdays, after the maintenance is over), your standing is reassessed and based on your achievements of the week past, your rank will be re-evaluated. I'll start this section with a few general comments and then more specific ones depending on which class you are. There are fourteen ranks, and the higher you go, the harder it is to get to the next level (but not impossible: each realm typically has a small number of levels 14). I'm hoping to receive some help from the community to fill this section since even though I have three 60 characters, my Rogue is the only one I've ever PvP'ed with. The first thing you need to realize is that you will rarely be dealing deadly blows. On the other hand, the higher you are, the slower your rank will decay if you don't play, thus allowing you to slow down or let one or two weeks go by without playing without seeing your rank drop down too much. The exact formula used to calculate the honor points is not public, but a few facts are known about it. That's right: very rarely. In a nutshell, the final number is calculated from the number of HK (Honorable Kills, see below) and honor points that are granted to you based on achievements performed by you or your team throughout a game. You'll land a few hits on someone, but you won't be the first one to hit them and you won't be the one finishing them off. Whenever you gain one level, you can go to your main city's Hall of Braves to buy the new items that are now available to you. <hr />Therefore, all the crit and combo abilities you have in store need to be revised in light of what battlegrounds really represent: teamwork. For this reason, I tend to focus a lot more on crippling and immobilizing enemies than killing them (I rely on my heavily equipped teammates to do that). Note that you need to be at least level 6 before you can enter the hall, and to whet your appetite, you will probably be happy to learn that at level 11, you can buy an epic mount for 90g... Marks Finally, each appearance in either of the battlegrounds will grant you either one (if you lose) or three (if you win) ""marks"". wow power leveling Open in a new window

DOT's are also a good weapon to use since a lot of human players will know when to run away to heal (especially paladins, which have the ability to ""bubble up"" when they reach 1% health and then heal themselves), but they will typically not know exactly the amount of DOT they have just received until it's too late. Rogues Mind-Numbing and Crippling poisons are a must. These marks can be turned in at each battleground location for money, reputation and honor for every three marks you turn in. Forget all the other damage-dealing poisons that you probably use in PvE. While it is possible to turn in marks for each battleground separately, I recommend you wait until you have three marks for each battleground and then turn in the ""For greater honor"" quest. In the battlegrounds, you want your enemies to walk very slowly, receive massive DOTs, have their casting time reduced and, last, receive less healing (healing is difficult in the battlegrounds). You will get more honor and reputation with all three factions this way. Be aware that each mark only stacks up to 20, so make sure you never have more than 17 marks when you enter a battleground, or you might end up losing some (the extra marks are actually mailed to you in that case, but they have a twenty four hour expiration, so check your mailbox as soon as possible to retrieve them or they will be lost for good). " . buy wow gold Open in a new window

I also use a lot of Kidney Shot to immobilize someone, and Rupture, which is a great DOT to inflict especially with five combo points. As a general tactic, Rogues should never engage plate and mail and should stick to cloth only. Based on what I said above, you will never be able to kill any of these players, but you can incapacitate them quite a bit by sneaking behind enemy lines and either sap them if they are not in combat yet (ideally when they just resurrected or are drinking or eating). If they are in combat, a Cheap Shot, followed by a Back Stab and maybe one Sinister Strike are a good way to make their life a bit harder. gold wow Open in a new window

Depending on your build, you will have accumulated three or four combo points by then and it's then time to run away back to your team and spend your capital on Slice and Dice to make sure you don't lose these points (again: you will not be killing your target, so the combo points will disappear soon). Sapping priests or druids is particularly effective since you are basically putting out of commission a major healer for thirty to forty seconds. Sapping lonely flag takers is also a good option if you know that help is on the way and you don't feel like soloing that particular player." "Don't be afraid to jump in! Especially if you need a change of pace from the usual level grind. guild wars gold Open in a new window

Starting at level 10**, you can join the Warsong Gulch queue and see what PvP is all about! Warsong Gulch is a 10-person per side faction battle, arranged in 10 level brackets (e.g. levels 10-19 compete together, then 20-29, 30-39, etc.) What's more, you'll bolster your PvP ranking with each honorable kill you accumulate (though after 5 kills on a player, you no longer get honor points for killing them). While taking out opposing faction members is fun, the real honor points are won by capturing your opponent's flag, defending and retrieving your flag from the enemy, and winning the first to three competition. cheap wow gold Open in a new window

But what's all this talk about flags and points.

11:18 PM | Permalink | 1 comment

MON

APR

Alterac Valley

By Gimmy Vincent

"Alterac Valley is by far the most intriguing battleground, and it's the kind that you either love or hate."Honor system The honor system rewards players that can play on a regular basis. The reason is that there seems to be a general imbalance on every single realm that I've read about. Once a week (usually on Tuesdays, after the maintenance is over), your standing is reassessed and based on your achievements of the week past, your rank will be re-evaluated. On the one I play on (Draenor), the Alliance basically wins 95% of the games. There are fourteen ranks, and the higher you go, the harder it is to get to the next level (but not impossible: each realm typically has a small number of levels 14). It's the opposite on other realms, which probably tends to prove that Blizzard designed AV just right, and the imbalance is simply created by players for various reasons that I won't go into (gear is usually the main factor). On the other hand, the higher you are, the slower your rank will decay if you don't play, thus allowing you to slow down or let one or two weeks go by without playing without seeing your rank drop down too much. The exact formula used to calculate the honor points is not public, but a few facts are known about it. If it's any comfort to you, I reached Exalted status with the Frost Wolf faction after having only won one game. In a nutshell, the final number is calculated from the number of HK (Honorable Kills, see below) and honor points that are granted to you based on achievements performed by you or your team throughout a game. That's right, one game. Whenever you gain one level, you can go to your main city's Hall of Braves to buy the new items that are now available to you. <hr />We lost all the others I participated in (which I evaluate to around fifty). If I can make it to Exalted, anybody can... In the beginning, an AV battle is a massive rush: both sides head strong toward the enemy fortress and try to go as fast as possible. Note that you need to be at least level 6 before you can enter the hall, and to whet your appetite, you will probably be happy to learn that at level 11, you can buy an epic mount for 90g... Marks Finally, each appearance in either of the battlegrounds will grant you either one (if you lose) or three (if you win) ""marks"". wow gold Open in a new window

In a perfect (but boring) game, both factions will soon reach each other's fortresses and it will be to whoever is the fastest to kill the enemy general. In practice, it never happens this way. Very often, a midpoint encounter will happen and one side will prevail, slowly eroding the other's offense. These marks can be turned in at each battleground location for money, reputation and honor for every three marks you turn in. After a while, one side will typically have 80% offense and 20% defense and the other team will have the opposite, guaranteeing a non-stop kill fest on both sides of the map. The first thing you should do when you enter AV is to check out your map and identify the main fight points (there are usually two). While it is possible to turn in marks for each battleground separately, I recommend you wait until you have three marks for each battleground and then turn in the ""For greater honor"" quest. One will typically be behind you and the other ahead. You will get more honor and reputation with all three factions this way. Be aware that each mark only stacks up to 20, so make sure you never have more than 17 marks when you enter a battleground, or you might end up losing some (the extra marks are actually mailed to you in that case, but they have a twenty four hour expiration, so check your mailbox as soon as possible to retrieve them or they will be lost for good). " wow gold Open in a new window

Pick a destination and head there, while paying attention to the messages flying by. Typically, each landmark on the map has two buildings of importance: a bunker and a graveyard. The bunker is defended by bowmen and an elite captain and the graveyard will also have an elite and five guards. wow gold Open in a new window

Bunkers typically need to be taken by force, but graveyards can easily be ninja'ed by two players: one will ride on his mount and ""kite"" the elite and his guards, while the teammate runs to the flag and captures it. Ninjaing graveyards can sometimes be of value, but unless you have a stronger presence, it is very likely that the two ninjas will soon be overwhelmed by the other team that will try and reconquer it right away. " "When you approach the enemy fortress (Storm Pike or Frost Wolf), the first thing you should do is destroy the two towers defending it. This is not mandatory, but doing so will make future walkthroughs easier and it also impacts the number of war masters (assistants) the enemy general will have at his side once you reach him. world of warcraft gold Open in a new window

The next step is to capture the Relief Hut (Horde) or Aid Station (Alliance). This will guarantee that the enemies can no longer respawn inside their fortress. Once you capture the RH/AS, it's usually very hard for the enemies to retake it, and at this point, it's only a matter of time before you kill the general. The next step is to pull the war masters one by one. wow gold kaufen Open in a new window

These are elite characters, so you need to make sure you don't pull out everyone or your offense will quickly get wiped (if you own the RH/AS, you will respawn nearby, so it's typically only a temporary setback). Finally, you will enter the fortress and fight the general (he cannot be pulled).

11:14 PM | Permalink | click to add a comment

MON

APR

World of Warcraft

"The intent of this guide is to give quick directions to people entering a World of Warcraft battleground (BG) for the first time."Honor system The honor system rewards players that can play on a regular basis. Within five minutes, you should have enough information to follow what's going on and make significant contributions to your team. Once a week (usually on Tuesdays, after the maintenance is over), your standing is reassessed and based on your achievements of the week past, your rank will be re-evaluated. There are additional resources to the BG (see the links at the end of this guide), but I never really found a simple explanation gathering all the important information in one convenient place, so I hope you'll find this guide useful. If you want to become a more knowledgeable BG player, read this article in its entirety since the second half of it contains a few advanced advice. Introduction When you enter these battlegrounds, you are guaranteed to be playing with players in the same bracket: 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60. Note that you don't have to go to the geographic locations listed above to enter a queue: all the major cities (Orgrimmar, Undercity, Thunder Bluff, Stormwind and Iron Forge) have three battle masters in the War Quarters for each of them. There are fourteen ranks, and the higher you go, the harder it is to get to the next level (but not impossible: each realm typically has a small number of levels 14). Just sign up with all three of them, then go on your way: you will be teleported to the battlegrounds as soon as your turn comes (you will be prompted first). All three battleground have different structures and strategies and picking one is a personal choice. On the other hand, the higher you are, the slower your rank will decay if you don't play, thus allowing you to slow down or let one or two weeks go by without playing without seeing your rank drop down too much. The exact formula used to calculate the honor points is not public, but a few facts are known about it. <hr />In a nutshell: WSG is probably the BG that's easiest to grasp and to have fun at initially. In a nutshell, the final number is calculated from the number of HK (Honorable Kills, see below) and honor points that are granted to you based on achievements performed by you or your team throughout a game. It has ten players maximum and the goal is to capture the enemy flag and bring it back inside your base (your own flag must be there as well). AB games have fifteen players maximum and the goal is to reach 2000 resources first. Whenever you gain one level, you can go to your main city's Hall of Braves to buy the new items that are now available to you. The production rate depends on the number of nodes that your team controls. AV has a maximum of forty players on each sides and features epic battles where the two sides are trying to kill the opponent's general. Note that you need to be at least level 6 before you can enter the hall, and to whet your appetite, you will probably be happy to learn that at level 11, you can buy an epic mount for 90g... Marks Finally, each appearance in either of the battlegrounds will grant you either one (if you lose) or three (if you win) ""marks"". wow gold Open in a new window

Depending on what you're looking for and who is playing, games can have sophisticated strategies or no strategies at all. These marks can be turned in at each battleground location for money, reputation and honor for every three marks you turn in. Any player above level 51 can participate. While it is possible to turn in marks for each battleground separately, I recommend you wait until you have three marks for each battleground and then turn in the ""For greater honor"" quest. <hr />Levels As indicated above, you can start playing the BG as soon are you're level 10, but considering how brackets are structured, you will probably die a lot if you happen to have a level that ends in 0-6. You will get more honor and reputation with all three factions this way. Be aware that each mark only stacks up to 20, so make sure you never have more than 17 marks when you enter a battleground, or you might end up losing some (the extra marks are actually mailed to you in that case, but they have a twenty four hour expiration, so check your mailbox as soon as possible to retrieve them or they will be lost for good). " . wow gold Open in a new window

Obviously, having a level ending in 9 guarantees that you will never face anyone higher than you (except in Alterac Valley). Also, keep in mind that all battlegrounds are marginally different at level 60 than any other level, since most of the players you will face will not only have epic mounts, they will most likely be geared in tier 2 epics or more. For people not familiar with this term, it simply means that the opponents will have better gear than you, so be prepared for a certain amount of frustration in the battlegrounds at level 60. For this reason, I strongly recommend staying at a level ending in 9 for as long as possible if you enjoy PvP gaming. Once you reach 60, there is no turning back... " "If you've never played any PVP, I recommend you start with Warsong Gulch, which is fairly easy to master strategically. wow gold Open in a new window

The goal is to capture the enemy flag and to bring it back next to your own flag (which needs to be there in order to score the point). The first team to capture the enemy flag three times wins. The top of your screen indicates how many flags each side has captured so far and if a flag icon is next to it, it means that the flag shown is currently in the hands of the enemy. world of warcraft gold Open in a new window

WSG games typically start with a rush on both sides toward their opponent's FR, capture their flag (since most of the time, 8-9 players rush in offense, only 1-2 can stay in defense, and they get quickly overwhelmed). Then each side will bring the enemy flag back to its base and try to hide in a ""safe"" place (see below). After that, the game is mostly about protecting your flag carrier while trying to spot and kill the enemy carrier. Depending on how confident the team is, it is common to leave the flag carrier with two or three defenders and send the rest of the team in offense to locate and kill the enemy carrier. wow gold kaufen Open in a new window

If you see an enemy pick up your flag and run, immediately announce which way the runner is going, which is typically either ""gy"" (the graveyard), ""ramp"" (the ramp that leads to your base) or ""tun"" (the tunnel).

10:58 PM | Permalink

April 2, 2008

WED

APR

What is Main Tanking?

By Gimmy Vincent

"Main Tanking is the position of greatest responsibility in any raid; it is a natural position of leadership. Personally, I classify several warriors as Main Tanks. In our case, Stag, Thinger, and Airknight are Main Tanks as of writing this. wow gold Open in a new window

Among the Main Tanks, there is a Lead Tank, which is the position I generally take as it corresponds with guild leadership. Main Tanking is taking absolute responsibility for raid mitigation through several methods: Funneling damage, removing damage, and controlling chaos. While each class has enjoyable and unique raid functions, from Hunter kiting to Rogue and DPS Warrior damage dealing, tanks take complete control of the actual battle. With the greatest risk comes the greatest reward -- and glory. Understand, however, that Main Tanking is the most stressful position. wow gold Open in a new window

kaufen You will wipe raids many, many times due to mistakes in pulling, positioning, tanking, and any number of unexpected issues. You will often feel overwhelmed upon encountering a new boss fight such as Razorgore where the sheer complexity seems impossible to overcome. You are also alone in this responsibility. wow gold Open in a new window

You will rarely have right to blame others for failings, and as such, should never take a stance that it is someone else's fault that you died.Indeed, this is very rarely the case: if you have any cooldown available on your hotbar, be it Shield Wall, Last Stand, or a Major Healing Potion. you are responsible for your own death. You are not merely a warrior who carries a shield. You are a leader. wow po Buck up, take the responsibility on yourself, take command. "

3:21 AM | Permalink | click to add a comment

WED

APR

Hold the Line; An Endgame Tanking Reference

"The following is the second compilation of my reference guide written to help those new and old in Warcraft raiding. None of this is a replacement for guild strategy decisions, nor is it the end-all and be-all of tanking. Enclosed in this guide are four major sections designed to assist dedicated tanks; though it is written for Warriors, it may be helpful to Druids and Paladins, as well as anyone interested in researching certain dynamics of the endgame. wow gold Open in a new window

The first section covers Main Tanking and leadership qualities related to this role. The second section covers gearing and itemization as it relates to tanking. The third section covers tanking itself, in terms of talents, threat, positioning, and other related subjects. wow gold Open in a new window

kaufen The fourth and final section is a reference guide to specific encounters in the endgame. Addendums to this guide include mods and other various information. This guide, though long and undoubtedly arduous for the reader, serves the secondary purpose of preparing warriors who are unfamiliar with the endgame environment. wow gold Open in a new window

If you are a warrior applying to or forming a raiding guild, you are strongly recommended to read this and familiarize yourself with the concepts. I do not believe in the so-called casual guild. Any raiding guild, by the nature of achieving raid goals, is incapable of being casual and undisciplined. It is instead a high level of discipline and organization devoted to a goal, be it learning Molten Core on your weekends or learning Naxxramas six nights a week. wow po In everything we do, we are given a certain amount of time in which we either put forth our full discipline and attention or we do not; in which we either succeed or do not. achat wow gold Open in a new window

This guide is not written for people who do not wish to progress; it is written for those who have a deep desire to progress as fast as time permits. <hr />As such, I will not apologize for certain premises you may find in this guide -- for instance, Protection is better for raid progress in most new encounters than either Arms or Fury heavy builds. " .

3:16 AM | Permalink

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