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Purpose

An overview of how uncoordinated and coordinated teams AB.

Team Setup

Depending on how your team is set up can already determine whether you will win or lose. Generally, a team is set up around 1 Frontliner (Frontliner - Warrior, Assassin, Dervish), 2 Midliners (Elementalist, Mesmer, Necromancer, Paragon, or Ranger), and 1 Backline (Ritualist or Monk). This guide will be based of a general AB team such as this one.

Frontliner

The person who is the frontliner is usually the person who leads the team, pings key targets, or even just directs people what to do. Whenever you play as the frontliner never beat around the bush when you're playing, if you tell people to do something make sure it gets done.


Ranger

One of the most important roles to any team. To teach people how to play ranger in an AB team I will use this build.

Crippling Shot Savage Shot Distracting Shot Apply Poison Natural Stride Lightning Reflexes Optional Optional


This is the generic ranger bar for AB. Most rangers put in Mending Touch and Troll Unguent for the optional slots. What makes this bar better than a toucher bar

Vampiric Touch Vampiric Bite Offering of Blood Throw Dirt Plague Touch Whirling Defense Dodge Optional

is because of the utlity that is packed in this bar. While touchers are busy "hurr durr" and pressing one and two on your monk you get to think "What can I do to help lineback or help push for kill?"

Snaring

Key factor in your bar is how you snare. Crippling Shot Crippling Shot is a very good utility skill that can be used both offensively and defensively. Rangers with common sense know when to switch between being offensive and defensive. Offensive snaring is simple as just using Crippling Shot Crippling Shot on whoever your warrior is attacking. Snaring that target stopped him from kiting, allowing your warrior to train on it even more or maybe even kill it. Defensive snaring is just as simple although it does take some watching to do. Generally, when fighting the enemy frontliner (lets say warrior) is attacking your monk. Your monk puts up guardian and continues on healing as you fight. The warrior gets smart and times KD right after guardian. Your monk is down for 3 seconds (assuming he has stonefist's insignias) The whole team starts training your monk, trying to get the kill, your monk gets up and starts running. What do you do to help relieve him of pressure ? Cripple the warrior, the majority of pressure will be gone. I will talk about snaring later on in the guide.


Shutdown and Pressure

The other three skills on your bar, Savage Shot Savage Shot, Distracting Shot Distracting Shot, and Apply Poison Apply Poison are just as important. Savage and Distracting are strong utilities just like Crippling Shot Crippling Shot, and like Crippling Shot Crippling Shot they can be used offensively and defensively. Offensively would be interupting key skills, Word of Healing Word of Healing, Guardian Guardian, or maybe even the enemy team's snare, Defensively would be interupting spike skills like Dismember Dismember, or Rodgort's Invocation Rodgort's Invocation/Meteor Meteor. As for Apply Poison anybody you talk too will say that this skill is good. Poison itself is a lot of pressure, -4 Health Degeneration. When you're fighting another team use it to spread poison across as whole team, put that pressure on that monk!

What Will I Do If I Don't Have a Ranger On My Team ?!?

Although a ranger is useful in AB, you do not need to bring one. But one thing that every team must bring is a moderate amount of snares. Snares are key in AB. If they can't move, they can't cap. If you bring a different midliner always make sure they have a snare. Some snares are like

Also, notice how the majority of these snares are Elementalist skills, do not be afraid to go /E and spec into the certain attribute to bring one of these!

Elementalist

The elementalist is usually referred to as "nuker", this is because of how much damage your build does to multiple targets. The elementalist's primary job is too help push for kills and to make capping shrines a breeze by blowing up the NPCs at the shrine. The core elementalist build looks like this.

Tenai's Heat Meteor Rodgort's Invocation Fire Attunement Optional Optional Optional Optional

Depending on your elite skill the bar can change. The most common elites for an elementalist bar is Savannah Heat Savannah Heat and Mind Blast Mind Blast. If you are running Savannah Heat Savannah Heat then it is wise that you also bring Searing Heat Searing Heat and Glyph of Lesser Energy Glyph of Lesser Energy. Doing this allows up to two more sills you can bring. Some elementalists prefer running Dash Dash while some prefer to bring party-wide ims(increased movement speed) like "Fall Back!" "Fall Back!". After that you are left with one slot left, a lot of people bring Aura of Restoration Aura of Restoration for energy management, but it is also very wise to try to bring a snare like Freezing Gust Freezing Gust. Once again, snares are key.

Capturing Shrines

Depending on what faction you are on and what map you are on, nuking can either be really easy or just easy. Savannah, a heat then Rodgort's and it is done! Later on in the guide I will talk about advanced tactics when to cap shrines or killing NPCs.

Team vs Team

A somewhat harder aspect to play as an elementalist. Half of your damage is AoE which limits you to only Rodgort's Invocation Rodgort's Invocation and Meteor Meteor. Use these wisely. Meteor is a good a skill. At 15 Fire magic it does 112 damage, not only that but it also causes knockdown, which is a snare. Seeing it is a snare, that also means it is a utility, which means it can be used offensively and defensively. Most of the time offensively you'll casting it on whatever your warrior is attacking, not only pushing out a lot of damage but a KD to help your warrior finish the kill. What a lot of elementalists try to do is try to chain their meteor with a warriors KD, whether it is Shock Shock or a hammer skill like Earth Shaker Earth Shaker. Keeping a monk on his ass for ~5 seconds is really good, depending on the monk's skill he will die easily. Defensively is much more easy. Casting meteor on a stationary target that is training your monk (like an elementalist) or just knocking the warrior down to allow your monk a few seconds to kite will go a long way to help your team win the battle. I will talk about advanced tactics when you play against other teams.

Monking

Will write this later.

How To Lead An Uncoordinated Team

One of the hardest things to do in AB is to lead an uncoordinated team. Depending on the players it can big a HUGE burden or a breeze. Luckily you have two strong weapons in your disposal to lead, your keyboard and your compass.

Compass

Besides the fact that this is probably one of the most vital things in Guild Wars, you can use it much more for just looking at. You can draw! If your teammates are smart enough, they will notice that they will see a white line directing them to go that next shrine! Drawing IS important when it comes to AB, whether it is to go to whatever shrine next or which group to fight.

Ctrl + Space (Also Known As "Pinging"

Although it is less effective in most situations when it comes to leading it is still valuable. If your teammates aren't bright enough to recognize that you are drawing on the map you can still ping targets or shrines to tell them where to go.

How To Lead A Coordinated Team

It is generally mocked at when people will run a coordinated team in AB. Usually because coordinated teams us VoIP programs like Ventrilo or TeamSpeak. If you are serious about AB, whether it is just to win, for the rewards, or just fun use one of those programs. Coordinated teams are usually easier to lead than uncoordinated teams.

Ventrilo

This does not need to be explained. If you know what you are doing you can tell them directly and not indirectly.

Compass

Even if you are in Vent(short for Ventrilo) always know you have this tool. Be lazy and just tell them to go that way in vent while leading with the compass.

Ctrl + Space "Pinging"

This is important in coordinated teams. Seeing that you can talk to your teammates directly you can tell them why you pinged this target. You can tell them to put all damage there for pressure or you can do a "321" call and do a mini-spike to throw off the monk. Pinging targets can destroy any team you play against if you play correctly.

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