WAR (Warhammer Online)

Reposted from an earlier fellow. All credit to Duty.

After spending much time on the Marauder, and getting killed while trying to run down ranged characters, I've started to notice a certain "flow" to most group vs group encounters in this game, and learning this flow I've come to, in my opinion, be very successful in most RvR encounters. I share here with melee beta testers as too often I see them suiciding into a zerg and getting nothing done. This mini-guide is specifically made for MDPS (melee DPS: the Marauder, Witch Elf, Witch Hunter, and White Lion) that are in a pug situation, although tanks could easily get a few pointers out of it too.


Before I get to the beefiest part of this mini-guide, let me give a few basic tips which supercede the things I have to say:

Vital Tips:
1. Healers are your lifeline. For myself, the difference in having a healer is having a tier 1 game of 8-16k damage vs a game with 25-40k damage. Healing is vital to every melee on the field. We're the most likely to get hit as tab target hits us first.
2. Never run strait into the zerg unless all the melee run in together. You will get tab targeted and focused down unless there are other melee (especially a shield tank) to absorb part of the damage for you. Running in all together is very effective, but takes some coordination that most pug groups aren't willing to display.
3. See who others are focusing, and assist in damaging their target.
4. Resists are your most important stat. Stack them over strength, weapon skill, toughness, anything. As a melee DPS your primary role is axing ranged guys, and they won't like to see you coming. (Keep in mind that even archer types use many skills that are reduced in damage by stacking resists).
5. Always maintain what we call "situational awareness." This is basically being aware of your surroundings. Very often it is wise to pan your camera around to check if you're about to be flanked, or what your enemy is about to do. Don't get too caught up in the frenzy of battle.



The Flow: How a Normal Battle Takes Place:

Two armies come across the field, both sides anxious to spill the blood of mortal enemies, when after what seems like a lifetime of waiting they clash...in a fury of spells and swords they tangle until one emerges victorious...
There is, however, a method to the madness and chaos of battle. There are 3 distinct stages in a battle, and understanding these stages is key to success as a melee class. We don't have the luxury of sitting back safely, and running to the zerg to kill a ranged character is often suicide...as we're focus fired and killed so fast that often our healers can't even keep up.



Stage 1: The Skirmish

When 2 armies first meet, melee are at their weakest. There are many people that can easily tab target you and kill you before your healers (if you have any!) are able to help you. It is during this period that you must be most careful. It is never wise to go chasing kills into the enemy zerg during this phase. Instead, let your ranged teammates do most of the work. They can pick at the enemy players from a safe distance until the enemy melee get antsy enough to charge forth. See, you're already playing like a master: you're letting kills come to you, on your territory, instead of chasing them.

Don't get too excited yet, in this stage it is required for your ranged teammates to do their part and out maneuver the enemy. You're looking to weaken the enemy little by little at this point...and having ranged players to pick at them little by little is perfect for the skirmish type warfare. So, defend those ranged guys! Throw a snare on those foolish melee charging them, and proceed to dps them as much as possible. Even if they're a tank, they're the safest thing to beat on, and with many ppl focusing them, they'll go down eventually.



Stage 2: Mid-Battle

After most, and ideally all, the enemy melee are dead or otherwise preoccupied, it's your time to shine. You have 2 options here, and it will depend on if you can avoid attention or are already under some fire. Always keep in mind that as a melee DPS, you're a hit and run type...be prepared to get out of a bad situation with all your escape moves and detaunts when things go bad.

If you can avoid attention, and are unlikely to be killed, you're in a VERY ideal spot to rampage through the enemy backline. The true danger in stage 1 is not that the ranged will focus you, but that the more patient melee AND ranged will focus you. Remember how I said resists are your most important stat? This is why...because you're going to be in the backline against casters. My marauder, with a shaman or zealot buffing me, has (on the character sheet) 90% or more to all resists. I doubt that will last much longer due to balance issues (and I don't think I even get 90% damage reduction, it just says that on the character sheet). 50% is good and will ensure your survival in most situations once you get the hang of it.

When you aren't going to draw attention of enemy melee, and decide it's a good time to charge the back line...do it from a flank. Don't charge through the middle of battle, they'll see you and you WILL draw attention. The order of who to kill first: squishy healers first (Archmage/Shaman, then RP/Zealot), then Squig Herders/Shadow Warriors depending on your faction, then casters. Be prepared to retreat if things get ugly...you should get at least 1 kill if you waited for a good moment, but you should retreat well before you're in danger of dying. Use detaunts and sprints to quickly get out of harm's way.

If you will attract attention, your gameplan has to change a bit. Either you are already getting hit, or have to cross the middle of the field and can't safely get to the casters in time. In this case, keep killing melee/defending your casters, or get behind a tank that happens to charge the caster line. You just have to be more cautious.

In either case, be very careful not to overextend out of your healer range. Don't go chasing kills when there are plenty more back closer to your support!



Stage 3: End Game

By this time, one side usually has shown dominance and will clean up. Feel more free to be aggressive and run your enemies off the field, using snare when you notice them use Flee (or Charge! if you have it and need it to catch up). Still, keep your awareness and don't chase too much or it'll bite you without you expecting it. Be very wary of chasing into guards. It's frustrating dealing with guard huggers, but don't play on their terms...leave the area and help capture/defend another objective.

If both sides are relatively even still, then it's going to come down to focus fire. See who everyone else is hitting, and pick who is going to die quickest...then kill them. Overextending and staying behind tanks doesn't play nearly as big a role at this stage, as melee can't be killed quickly enough due to a lot of dps being dead. Just keep your focus fire, and play your best small group vs group game...because that is what this situation truly involves doing.




I hope you, the reader, have learned a trick or 2 here. A true master lets those kills come to him, he doesn't waste the energy and risk being destroyed by chasing kills. He patiently waits for the right moment, using cover and flanking for safety, to strike at casters at the right time. Happy hunting!

Interesting take on the stages of battle.  different maps work different ways, but in open world PvP at least this seems like exactly how it works.  the only part I disagree with is your kill order.  shamans and archmages are near impossible to kill on your own because well, they didn't make healers pushovers in WAR.  when fighting a well organized group I agree, Kill healers first.  but when fighting a PuG, I suggest taking out nukers first, then squig/white lions.

Reason here is that in PuGs, healers will always heal themselves, but only sometimes heal their allies.  attacking a healer means they will heal themselves and from playing my archmage, I know for a fact I can outheal any 1-2 players who are similar level to me.  but if you attack a nuker who may already be hurting themself, the odds are pretty high you can score a kill before a healer notices who is dying.  and those nukers HURT, so getting them out of the fight quick can really help.

Other than that, very informative post.

i didnt write it it's a repost from beta. The bottom line is melee needs healers, and tanks need to guard healers/melee dps. Everyone works together in a cohesive unit.

i've seen it look like this on the battlefield

Healers

Ranged

Melee

Tanks

Tanks

Melee

Ranged

Healers

In fact, this is the optimal solution, most of the time. Healers have the greatest range 150 yards, follwed by ranged at 100 and melee/tanks with the shortest.

Originally posted by jzuska

i didnt write it it's a repost from beta. The bottom line is melee needs healers, and tanks need to guard healers/melee dps. Everyone works together in a cohesive unit.

i've seen it look like this on the battlefield

 

Healers

Ranged

Melee

Tanks

---

Tanks

Melee

Ranged

Healers

 

In fact, this is the optimal solution, most of the time. Healers have the greatest range 150 yards, follwed by ranged at 100 and melee/tanks with the shortest.

Thats only for non-melee healers right? What about WP or DoK?
 

Melee healers are a different beast.  I'd put them in the second row with the melee dps, since anytime they are on the front line they are target number 1.  They may be close to the same survivabiltity as a tank (with fair gear/armor and heals), but since they are a healer, you will be focused on within seconds.

I actually know all these things at the back of my mind but when your team mates are being all squigly you just go " Oh what the heck" and run into battle because you know you're not there to stand around and wait to get hurt. Either way very informative post, if only i had an NPC healer that i could call upon at anytime my swordmaster would be unstoppable.

Best advice i can give is please dont play melee classes, roll a nuker or healer like the rest of the pvpers! The reason destruction is the new alliance is the horrible composition of player classes, namely all the witchelves,mauraders,and chosen running around doing nothing uselful. Until people stop playing these classes in pvp Order will continue to dominate despite having fewer numbers. If you really want to play a close combat class play the disciple or warpriest, both good classes.

OP,

This sounds exactly like DAoC's RvR. I can hardly wait.

Originally posted by jzuska

Healing is vital to every melee on the field. We're the most likely to get hit as tab target hits us first.

Tab target doesn't target nearest first. This is one thing in the game that I find to be pretty messed up and in need of fixing.