Changes: Guide:PvP Metagame

Latest revision as of 06:02, 5 November 2010

This article might need to be rewritten.

Reason: Meta shifts

This guide is here to explain the PvP meta for anyone who does not understand what it means.

What is the Metagame?

The metagame is simply the collection of builds and methods that are favored at any given time. There have been many different forms of Meta: hexway , blockway, spike metas, etc. Meta shift occurs as different builds become favored over other builds, usually because they outspec/overpower several other meta builds. The metagame arises as a result of this changing of builds in order to gain an advantage. Meta shifts can also be driven by buffs and nerfs, usually desiring to abuse overpowered skills.

What is the current Metagame?

(Needs to be updated)

What is meant by a Power Creep?

Power creep is the gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content. As new expansions or updates are released, new game mechanics or effects are introduced making it increasingly difficult for older content to remain in balance without changes. Usually, this means new content releases grow successively more powerful (hence "power creep") while older content becomes relatively underpowered. Currently, there is a rather large amount of power creep in the meta due to increases in the power of older skills to bring them in line with new ones, as opposed to lowering the power of newer skills to be in line with older ones.

GvG Meta Builds

Ele Pressure
Balanced
Dual Necromancer Hexway
MB Split
Balanced Hexway

HA Meta Builds

Balanced
IWAY
RSpike

Click here to view a full list of the current meta builds.

How does a Meta change?

Metas are often shifted by skill updates, these updates often nerf skills in the metagame, either forcing them out of the meta, or bringing them in line with alternatives to increase build diversity. Or on the other hand, skills that were not in the meta may get buffed and become a better option over different builds.

Alternatively, the meta may change due to the need to counter the current meta builds arising. Once a way to counter the meta has become popular, it in turn becomes the new meta. A good example of this is the Blinding Surge Elementalist, which while weaker as an anti-melee template than the Fast Cast Water Mesmer, is for the most part unaffected by the powerful hex removals such as Peace and Harmony that have become available, and is able to take both Weapon of Warding and Protective Was Kaolai to help deal with many of the main elements of the current meta builds.

(23/2/09)

So why are certain builds "Meta"?

Like explained in much of the above, Meta builds are meta because they simply perform best against what is popular (or meta) at the given time, meta builds often abuse the most skills or techniques to stack the odds onto their side.

(23/2/09)

Build Wars

Build Wars is where certain builds are specialized to beat other builds (often meta ones). Build Wars is usually seen during AT's or mAT's where you know who your opponent will be and you will know what their common build is. For example, during many mAT's people have counterspecced against Rawrspike by using extra defense (usually with a mid-liner maintaining Vital Weapon on low AL targets) or versus Blood Spike, VoR or some forms of AoE damage are used.

Build Wars can occur at even lower forms though, where by simply speccing against a very popular meta build will often lead to victories. For example in HA, a common counter to Teaseway is IWAY where there are too many high AL targets to spike down and high amounts of energy-denial. Or by simply taking a PnH Support Monk you will be specced against various Hexways (although they are much less common).

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{rewrite|Meta shifts}}
 {{TOCright}}
+[[Category: Guides]]
-This guide is here to explain the Metagame for anyone who does not understand what it means.
+This guide is here to explain the [http://pvx.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Meta_PvP_Builds PvP meta] for anyone who does not understand what it means.
 == What is the Metagame? ==
-The metagame is simply what is being run at the time. For example there have been many different forms of Meta, [[gw:Hex|Hex]] Metas (Which was the previous Meta), Blockway (see [[Build:R/D Escape Scythe]]), etc. During these certain metas different builds were prominant to counter spec/overpower other builds. Taking this into account, this is how a Metagame is achieved.
+The metagame is simply the collection of builds and methods that are favored at any given time. There have been many different forms of Meta: [[gw:Hex|hex]]way , [[gw:Block|block]]way, [[gw:Spike|spike]] metas, etc. Meta shift occurs as different builds become favored over other builds, usually because they outspec/overpower several other meta builds. The metagame arises as a result of this changing of builds in order to gain an advantage. Meta shifts can also be driven by buffs and nerfs, usually desiring to abuse overpowered skills.
 == What is the current Metagame? ==
+(Needs to be updated)
-The current meta is very different to other metas with no distinctive feature of many builds. If a name was given to the current Metagame it would have to be called "The Massive Damage Meta" because of an ever growing Power Creep. Because of this big damage meta, less offensive characters have to be taken to achieve as much damage as previous metas, this often leads to more defensive characters taking places over more offensive midliners (best shown in [[gw:HA|HA]] where Triple [[gw:Monk|Monk]] teams are common as well as in [[gw:GvG|GvG]] where a defensive Midliner is a must).
-(23/2/09)
 ===What is meant by a Power Creep?===
-Power creep is the gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content. As new expansions or updates are released, new game mechanics or effects are introduced making it increasingly difficult for older content to remain in balance without changes. Usually, this means new content releases grow successively more powerful (hence "power creep") while older content becomes relatively underpowered.
+Power creep is the gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content. As new expansions or updates are released, new game mechanics or effects are introduced making it increasingly difficult for older content to remain in balance without changes. Usually, this means new content releases grow successively more powerful (hence "power creep") while older content becomes relatively underpowered. Currently, there is a rather large amount of power creep in the meta due to increases in the power of older skills to bring them in line with new ones, as opposed to lowering the power of newer skills to be in line with older ones.
 === GvG Meta Builds ===
-*[[Build:Team - Rawrspike|Rawrspike]]
+*[[Build:Team - GvG Ele Pressure|Ele Pressure]]
-*[[Build:Team - GvG LoD/SF Pressure|LoD Offense]]
 *[[Build:Team - GvG Balanced|Balanced]]
-*[[Build:Team - Dual Ranger Balance|Dual Ranger Balanced]]
+*[[Build:Team - Dual Necro Hexway|Dual Necromancer Hexway]]
+*[[Build:Team - GvG Dual Mind Blast Split|MB Split]]
+*[[Build:Team - Balanced Hexway GvG|Balanced Hexway]]
 === HA Meta Builds ===
-*[[Build:Team - HA Balanced PnH|Balanced]]
+*[[Build:Team - HA Balanced|Balanced]]
-*[[Build:Team - Teaseway|Teaseway]]
-*[[Build:Team - HA Lichspike|Lich Spike]]
 *[[Build:Team - HA IWAY|IWAY]]
+*[[Build:Team - HA R-Spike|RSpike]]
+'''Click [[:Category:Meta_PvP_Builds|here]] to view a full list of the current meta builds.'''
 == How does a Meta change? ==
-Metas are often shifted by skill [[gw:Game Updates|updates]], these updates often [[gw:nerf|nerf]] skills in the metagame, forcing them out of the meta. Or on the other hand, skills that were not in the meta get buffed and become a better option over different builds. This is best shown by the [[Build:E/Rt Blinding Surge|Bsurge Elementalist]], while it was prominant in many previous metas due to its offensive and defensive nature, but during the Summer of '08 it was nerfed in the PvE/PvP skill split, this forced it out of the meta. But in December '08 its PvP nerf was undone (reverted to original status), since then it has been prominent in many [[gw:GvG|GvG]] builds and is a meta build.
+Metas are often shifted by skill [[gw:Game Updates|updates]], these updates often [[gw:nerf|nerf]] skills in the metagame, either forcing them out of the meta, or bringing them in line with alternatives to increase build diversity. Or on the other hand, skills that were not in the meta may get buffed and become a better option over different builds.
+Alternatively, the meta may change due to the need to counter the current meta builds arising. Once a way to counter the meta has become popular, it in turn becomes the new meta. A good example of this is the [[Build:E/Rt Blinding Surge|Blinding Surge Elementalist]], which while weaker as an anti-melee template than the [[Build:Me/E Fast Cast Water|Fast Cast Water Mesmer]], is for the most part unaffected by the powerful hex removals such as [[gw:Peace and Harmony|Peace and Harmony]] that have become available, and is able to take both [[gw:Weapon of Warding|Weapon of Warding]] and [[gw:Protective Was Kaolai|Protective Was Kaolai]] to help deal with many of the main elements of the current meta builds.
-However some builds (or even teams) can enter or leave the meta because of different play styles or skills used in the meta, for example right now there has been a metashift in the generic [[gw:HA|HA]] backline of most balanced teams. The [[Build:Mo/Me Healer's Boon Monk|HB Monk]] was prominant for over a year in general balanced teams, but as the use of mass enchantment removal became more and more popular, a shift towards [[Build:Mo/Me HA WoH Monk|this WoH monk]] is underway and is currently the more popular choice of high ranked players.
 (23/2/09)
 == So why are certain builds "Meta"? ==
-Like explained in much of the above, Meta builds are meta because they simply perform best against what is popular (or meta) at the given time, meta builds often abuse the most [[gw:Lingering Curse|overpowered]] [[gw:Palm Strike|skills]] [[gw:Savannah Heat|or]] [[gw:Heroes|techniques]] to stack the odds onto their side.
+Like explained in much of the above, Meta builds are meta because they simply perform best against what is popular (or meta) at the given time, meta builds often abuse the most skills or techniques to stack the odds onto their side.
 (23/2/09)
+== Build Wars ==
+Build Wars is where certain builds are specialized to beat other builds (often meta ones). Build Wars is usually seen during AT's or mAT's where you know who your opponent will be and you will know what their common build is. For example, during many mAT's people have counterspecced against [[Build:Team - Rawrspike|Rawrspike]] by using extra defense (usually with a mid-liner maintaining [[gw:Vital Weapon|Vital Weapon]] on low AL targets) or versus [[Build:Team - GvG BSpike|Blood Spike]], [[gw:Visions of Regret|VoR]] or some forms of AoE damage are used.
+Build Wars can occur at even lower forms though, where by simply speccing against a very popular meta build will often lead to victories. For example in HA, a common counter to [[Build:Team - Teaseway|Teaseway]] is [[Build:Team - HA IWAY|IWAY]] where there are too many high AL targets to spike down and high amounts of energy-denial. Or by simply taking a [[Build:Mo/any PnH Support|PnH Support Monk]] you will be specced against various [[gw:Hex|Hexways]] (although they are much less common).