What works, what doesn't? (In this patch)

[Revlo]

As we all know, with each patch and hotfix strategies sometimes need to change. With the state of battle fatigue and rogue and hunter burst now, dps can generally ignore controlling even good healers and just blow up an FC. It really is annoying, but so be it. We can make adjustments to some degree.

So.... I thought I'd pose the question of: what strategies do you see changing with the state of things currently? For me it seems we can no longer rely on an FC with two heals to be able to withstand even a couple hunters or rogues reliably. I'd generally be more comfortable with a dps or two joining them, preferably those with some CC/stun. It also seems the days of druids solo running are pretty much done, for better or worse. One other thing is that FCs need to stay within range of heals at all times. This was always a good idea, but it seems much more necessary now. I've seen really good players lately, continue to march down mid while getting blown to pieces and getting dropped as soon as they range their own healers.

Anyway the point of this isn't to have a complain fest. My hope is that maybe we can share some strategies that are now necessities with the state of the current patch: what works and what isn't working anymore. Any thoughts on FR FC/ healer positioning, defense comps, etc? I would always like to learn how to improve myself as a player and especially how to overcome that silly burst.


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[Kiri]

I've noticed a lot of healers in this bracket likes to stack on eachother and staying very close to the FC, which means a good priest fear or sap = dead fc, I'm not rlly sure what strat that is, but in this bracket it seems fitting... and woe to you if you have the audacity to express any concern about their positioning..

 

[Revlo]

Always a good one! Even though I try and keep that distance I sometimes lose track of it in the heat of battle. Yeah the further the rogue has to go for a healer interrupt, the better. It seems to me that heals on different floors from FC in the FR is still a solid strat (perhaps the best strat currently.....?).


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[Goesid]

dont stop moving

 

[Gulbon]

This is a strategy I always use, but whenever I FC, and it looks like it's going to be drawn out, I stand on the roof (Not tunn roof, but FR roof), and slowly and carefully backpeddal until my back is off the edge of the cliff

Most rogues can't ambush you quickly enough to surprise you, and they'll be on you for at least a second before opening, making it easy to hit them before they open on you.

The only problem is that it makes you open towards casters/ranged classes.

I also think a lot of the faster FCs such as shammies, druids, monks, and huntards should stay near their GY more often now, or utilize tunn roof a bit more.

Slower FCs such as warriors, pallies, etc need to have at least two healers on them at all times, and need to utilize the roof strategy that I often use.

You can't just blaze through middle anymore.

 

[Goesid]

This is a strategy I always use, but whenever I FC, and it looks like it's going to be drawn out, I stand on the roof (Not tunn roof, but FR roof), and slowly and carefully backpeddal until my back is off the edge of the cliff

Most rogues can't ambush you quickly enough to surprise you, and they'll be on you for at least a second before opening, making it easy to hit them before they open on you.

The only problem is that it makes you open towards casters/ranged classes.

I also think a lot of the faster FCs such as shammies, druids, monks, and huntards should stay near their GY more often now, or utilize tunn roof a bit more.

Slower FCs such as warriors, pallies, etc need to have at least two healers on them at all times, and need to utilize the roof strategy that I often use.

You can't just blaze through middle anymore.

Skey champ.

Standing still is never a good tactic in the long run.

 

[Snowjobs]

I have started fcing on my hpally as of late and have noticed a few key factors .
If 24's are in the bg you have to stay with your team in mid almost always. One game both teams were totaly occupied near ally gy so I decided just stroll on down ramp. A 24 hunt breaks away from the group and even with stun and fake casting his interupt he stil just burns through my 2.5k health and heals . Had I stayed kindah in mid field near tunnel exit I could have been at the edge of my healers range for a bubble or something . Also I did the horde tunnel jump and the same thing happened as soon as the healers left .


I gues gues what you should take from this is that you should always try and keep tabs on where your highest threats are . And always try to stay near a healer or cc that can interupt stupid burst should their be a possibility of something u can't handle solo .

If their aren't any super high threats I could Maybey say splitting off from the group if you can avoid everyone else as well ( assuming there aren't to many stealthies ) but usually staying with the group is the best option .

 

[Revlo]

Standing still is never a good tactic in the long run.

I know what you're saying. If we stand still (especially in mid) it allows for the other team to keep on pummeling you. That being said though, I think a lot of players, myself included, need to make sure we look at what type of healers are with us. If you have the flag and have a rdruid or hpal with you, they have "some" heals they can make on the move. I find pally to be pretty mobile because of Shock (good heal), WoG (not great, but use-able), and LoH. Druid of course with gauging inc damage can move with rejuvs and swiftmend. But, if you have a rshammy or priest with you, they aren't nearly as mobile when healing heavy damage. As rshammy I can move during the GCD of riptide and maybe throw in a rocket jump if I'm a goblin. A priest can move during the GCD of a shield cast. I just think depending on the damage you are taking, don't go running off with a priest or rshammy healing you if they're needing to heavy heal (which I've seen happening very often lately). Ultimately, you gotta move, just don't kill yourself doing so.

 

[Goesid]

I know what you're saying. If we stand still (especially in mid) it allows for the other team to keep on pummeling you. That being said though, I think a lot of players, myself included, need to make sure we look at what type of healers are with us. If you have the flag and have a rdruid or hpal with you, they have "some" heals they can make on the move. I find pally to be pretty mobile because of Shock (good heal), WoG (not great, but use-able), and LoH. Druid of course with gauging inc damage can move with rejuvs and swiftmend. But, if you have a rshammy or priest with you, they aren't nearly as mobile when healing heavy damage. As rshammy I can move during the GCD of riptide and maybe throw in a rocket jump if I'm a goblin. A priest can move during the GCD of a shield cast. I just think depending on the damage you are taking, don't go running off with a priest or rshammy healing you if they're needing to heavy heal (which I've seen happening very often lately). Ultimately, you gotta move, just don't kill yourself doing so.

You need to know your surroundings and where your healers are, how to move around without moving.

 

[Gulbon]

Skey champ.

Standing still is never a good tactic in the long run.

Lel, just saying that there's some important moves you can do as an FC that requires backpeddling to be precise.

Standing still in one area is infact a viable tactic if it's the right area, if no enemies are near you and you know how to stay away from rogues. Like I said, I just backpeddle for one second until it's virtually impossible for rogues to get the jump on me since my back is hanging over the edge of the roof. At the first sign of any player, I run unless I'm certain my healer can keep me alive.

If not, I try to make a move towards our graveyard to get away. Speed pots mang.

 

[Revlo]

This is a strategy I always use, but whenever I FC, and it looks like it's going to be drawn out, I stand on the roof (Not tunn roof, but FR roof), and slowly and carefully backpeddal until my back is off the edge of the cliff

Most rogues can't ambush you quickly enough to surprise you, and they'll be on you for at least a second before opening, making it easy to hit them before they open on you.

The only problem is that it makes you open towards casters/ranged classes.

I also think a lot of the faster FCs such as shammies, druids, monks, and huntards should stay near their GY more often now, or utilize tunn roof a bit more.

Slower FCs such as warriors, pallies, etc need to have at least two healers on them at all times, and need to utilize the roof strategy that I often use.

You can't just blaze through middle anymore.

This roof strategy is one that I've been using and mulling over lately. Hanging on that corner against several rogues is a very good idea, depending on ranged dps you have to face. To further this thought though I've been thinking about experimenting more with healing from a level or two down from there (if the FC I'm with takes that spot). The big drawback I can think of is that everybody involved (if there are other healers/dps) would have to pretty much stay at the edge. Thoughts?

 

[Gulbon]

This roof strategy is one that I've been using and mulling over lately. Hanging on that corner against several rogues is a very good idea, depending on ranged dps you have to face. To further this thought though I've been thinking about experimenting more with healing from a level or two down from there (if the FC I'm with takes that spot). The big drawback I can think of is that everybody involved (if there are other healers/dps) would have to pretty much stay at the edge. Thoughts?

I'm not exactly sure because I rarely play the game unless it's CTA atm. I'm burned out haha.

 

[The Saint]

I've noticed a lot of healers in this bracket likes to stack on eachother and staying very close to the FC, which means a good priest fear or sap = dead fc, I'm not rlly sure what strat that is, but in this bracket it seems fitting... and woe to you if you have the audacity to express any concern about their positioning..

One avg:shield when they stack = dead fc. Even if I'm on the losing team I still find it hilarious .

 

[Snowjobs]

This ^ works extremely well as a resto Druid if you have somebody fcing that knows to stay on edge . You can spam in interupted until somebody drops the you just charge back up . In most situations I will stay on edge of second floor until visible enemies come then just drop and make my way to tot . Then go from there

 

[Goesid]

Lel, just saying that there's some important moves you can do as an FC that requires backpeddling to be precise.

Standing still in one area is infact a viable tactic if it's the right area, if no enemies are near you and you know how to stay away from rogues. Like I said, I just backpeddle for one second until it's virtually impossible for rogues to get the jump on me since my back is hanging over the edge of the roof. At the first sign of any player, I run unless I'm certain my healer can keep me alive.

If not, I try to make a move towards our graveyard to get away. Speed pots mang.

Really? Why don't you just mouse turn to save yourself sometime, backpaddling is an extremly unessecary feature for this task and I recommend you bind something youself to your skey.

This roof strategy is one that I've been using and mulling over lately. Hanging on that corner against several rogues is a very good idea, depending on ranged dps you have to face. To further this thought though I've been thinking about experimenting more with healing from a level or two down from there (if the FC I'm with takes that spot). The big drawback I can think of is that everybody involved (if there are other healers/dps) would have to pretty much stay at the edge. Thoughts?

It can be useful but like you said it severly limits the space you have to move.

 

[Revlo]

This ^ works extremely well as a resto Druid if you have somebody fcing that knows to stay on edge . You can spam in interupted until somebody drops the you just charge back up . In most situations I will stay on edge of second floor until visible enemies come then just drop and make my way to tot . Then go from there

I like it. It was actually that clip of you healing HB from the Ally FR bottom floor while he was on roof that got me thinking more seriously about this.

 

[Revlo]

Really? Why don't you just mouse turn to save yourself sometime, backpaddling is an extremly unessecary feature for this task and I recommend you bind something youself to your skey.

Actually, getting out onto that corner is the only time I can think of that I use the skey (moved mine to the dkey). But..... come to think of it, when I toggle on "walk" instead of run, is there a difference in speed between walking forward and backpeddle? (I honestly can't remember) If there isn't, then yeah I wouldn't have to use the skey for this.

 

[Bop]

Old and I have had to adapt a lot of our strategies. I don't know how much of it is relevant to share, but there are a couple tidbits I can give as advice:

1. GY vs Cap - Assuming 1 heal + 1 fc, you need to know when to have your tank at the graveyard versus standing on the cap. Generally against a large number of ranged dps or against DPS teams with healers, you should make your way to GY. Against melee teams or when your Defense is large enough to thwart enemy attempts to return flag, you should be at the node.

Consider that the GY equates to an extra life for your healer, and that your team will be able to assist you upon rezzing. However, you risk giving up opportunities to capture the flag.

Consider that the Capture point allows for a large amount of pressure on the enemy team (Waiting leads to stacks leads to potentially dead EFC, going to kill your FC leads to undefended EFC). Additionally, healers are able to heal from roof relatively unperturbed. However, if the healer is put under pressure on the roof while simultaneously your FC is attacked, it is extremely difficult and potentially impossible to keep both parties alive.

Know your options. Top of Tunnel also has some tricks going for it.

2. Crossing Mid - Odds are that this will be the most important part of the game for most teams. Crossing mid and being able to comfortably locate your FC and healers at strategic positions will more than likely take 1.5 to 2x the number of people on defense to break. There are a large number of ways to do this.

Speed potions are an excellent way of beating hunter comps across mid. Knowing when to use them or even swapping fcs to a druid/shaman is a viable way of crossing mid.

Positioning of healers relative to the FC is, as has been stated, an extremely crucial aspect of the exodus from the EFR. Generally speaking, your healer should be about 30 yards ahead of where your FC is going. If there is substantial pressure applied to the FC, it will generally be applied from behind the FC, which will allow the healer: 1. Safety in terms of being on the other side of the enemy team from your FC, and 2. Time to spam heals on the FC while still allowing the FC to move forward.

3. Comps - Pocketing at Rdruid/ProtW is dramatically different than Disc/Guardian is dramatically different than Rsham/Protadin, etc. All of which are extremely different from having more than 2 people present in a premade.

Learn the strengths of your team comp, and use them the best you can. You have to be as efficient as possible in these days of bows and daggers.

~Bop of Moknathal

 

[Goesid]

Actually, getting out onto that corner is the only time I can think of that I use the skey (moved mine to the dkey). But..... come to think of it, when I toggle on "walk" instead of run, is there a difference in speed between walking forward and backpeddle? (I honestly can't remember) If there isn't, then yeah I wouldn't have to use the skey for this.

Just walk forward in to the corner and turn your mouse around, saves you time, skey is useless. You will never need your skey.

 

[Snowjobs]

I like it. It was actually that clip of you healing HB from the Ally FR bottom floor while he was on roof that got me thinking more seriously about this.

yeah that was a fun bg . ( would be a lot nicer if i could Skype with honey but it is what it is ) feel free to add me on Skype ( gcornay ) its always easier when u can just talk to people.

In regards to the clip. splitting up on levels acts as a way to peel ppl off your top lvl person assuming the bottom person can get back up . if the bottom can't get up and they notice you you stand less of a chance at the bottom then u would up top honestly. because ur fc can't assist u with peels and what not. ( also our fc was possibly going to die if i remember correctly so i was kindah watching for cap so i guess that would be a plus as well on offense . u can think about it i guess . but really its not much of a pug strat cause almost 99 percent of ppl won't notice ur msg in bg chat and stay on edge